5 Well-Known Superstitions in Sports – Famous superstitions have always been a part of sports since they have been played. Certain rites have become so prevalent that people refer to them as traditions.
Think about the playoff facial hair that NHL players sport in the run-up to the Stanley Cup. Or the dislike of calling something a “shutout” when a goalie is about to post a save, or shouting “no-hitter” when a pitcher is about to throw one.
Hair Today, Gone at Halftime
Cristiano Ronaldo is no stranger to superstitions—he’s got plenty of them.
The Juventus and Portugal soccer star has a few quirks when it comes to traveling. If he’s flying to a match, he insists on being the first person off the plane. But if the team is taking a bus, he’s always the last to step off. And when it’s time to hit the field, Ronaldo has to step onto the pitch with his right foot first.
But his strangest ritual? It’s all about his hair. Ronaldo changes his hairstyle at halftime of every game—he refuses to play both halves with the same look.
Serena Socks It to ‘Em
Tennis legend Serena Williams is known for dominating on the court, and apparently, her socks play a role in that.
When she’s on a winning streak, she’ll wear the same pair of socks for every match until she loses—without washing them. Gross? Maybe. But it seems to work wonders for her.
With 23 Grand Slam singles titles under her belt, it’s clear her performance is the only thing that stinks.
MJ’s Lucky Shorts
They say luck isn’t necessary when you’re that good, but Michael Jordan didn’t take any chances.
Throughout his legendary career with the Chicago Bulls, leading them to six NBA championships, Jordan had a little secret under those iconic red Bulls shorts: he always wore his old University of North Carolina practice shorts for good luck.
It turns out that even the GOAT believed in a little bit of magic.
Larry Walker and the Power of 3
The old saying “good things come in threes” is practically a life motto for baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker.
Walker was obsessed with the number 3. He wore the number 33 on his jersey throughout his entire career, always tried to get phone numbers with as many threes as possible, and spent much of his career in Denver, which just so happens to have the 303 area code.
He even set his alarm to go off at exactly 33 minutes past the hour, and—get this—his wedding ceremony started at 3:33 pm on November 3rd.
Mr. Goalie’s Pre-Game Ritual
NHL Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall had a pre-game routine that would make most people queasy. Known as “Mr. Goalie,” Hall had an unusual superstition—he believed he couldn’t play well unless he threw up before the game.
During his playing days, trainers always kept a bucket nearby because Hall swore that if he didn’t lose his lunch, he wasn’t going to win the game. And the results backed it up. If he didn’t vomit, he often tried to convince his coach to bench him.
Hall ended up setting an NHL record by starting 502 consecutive games. That’s a lot of upchucking along the way.