Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Superstitions in Sport

Watch the following videos:







Would you say the rituals shown are superstitions? Which of them do you think is the most absurd? 
Have you heard of any such rituals in connection with sports?
Do you have any rituals of your own (for example, before a sports match, before an exam, etc.)?

Write your answers in a comment below.

21 comments:

  1. I think any superstition is ridiculous,I don t belive in them, less on sports. I had seen someone who put into his socker a coin of good luck, before the match. But i never did, i play rugby since childhood and i never did something like that.

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    1. Did you mean someone put a coin in his sock?

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  2. Those definetely are a type of superstition. However, I think that kind of things in sports can create a "placebo" effect, by giving more confidence to the person who believes in this superstitions, and making them seem effective that way.

    I haven't heard of any rituals concerning sports as I'm not a sporty person myself. However, in some special situations, like when taking an international examen or things like that, I usually dress up a little because It makes me feel more confident. Even though I don't do it because of a superstition, I guess it can be called a "ritual".

    Also, the second video is hilarious hahaha. I think those kind of extremist things are the most ridiculous.

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    1. Excellent contributions, Paula. I quite agree with the 'placebo effect' you mention, it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

      I don't think dressing up for an important exam is ritualistic at all, it's only appropriate :)

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  3. May be some of the rituals shown are superstitions. Players do different types of things to have good luck or to play well for example. Some persons can called that type of rituals superstitions.

    For me the most absurd superstition is the one when a player drink an egg. All is in your head.

    I have heard a few rituals related with sports. Now, I remember one. Some players put a necklace for good luck or others put a leaf in one of the shoes (I think i have seen this in movies)

    I don't have any rituals. For example, for exams I try to be concentrated and that's enough for me. I don't believe in superstitions or in rituals by now.

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    1. Í've never heard about the ritual you mention: do you mean someone put a leaf from a tree in their shoe? How weird!

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    2. yes, I don't know if it's a ritual but I had seen it once

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  5. The videos showed some superstitions or rituals (I think the word 'ritual' fits better to this type of habits), because a lot of people who do sports believe in them.

    The second video showed a lot of absurd superstitions, such as a man spreading salt on the field before a match, a guy who was eating a lot of gummy bears at an specific hour (that's really weird!) and a woman that taped a basketball bat to the ceiling! Those are really absurd superstitions.

    I've heard of a lot of rituals and superstitions in sports. For example, it's common to see boys that play hockey or rugby shaving their heads because they got to another category (I'm not an expert in the topic, so maybe I'm not explaining this very well, but this is what I've seen!)

    I don't have any special ritual or superstition really, because I'm not a superstitious person at all. But I've heard that in Japan is common to have an amulet for exams or other special events (they are usually sold in temples). These amulets are called 'Omamori'. (More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omamori)

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    1. That's super interesting, Victoria. I'll have a look at the article you link to.

      As for the ritual that you mention of rugby teams shaving their heads, I don't think they do it for good luck, I'd say it's more like a "rite of passage" or an initiation. Do you know what I mean?

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    2. Yes, I understand what you said, but I sincerely don't understand the people who do it. It might not be a good luck ritual but it is a kind of ritual because they do it because they are in a "passage thing" or something. Sports people are really odd, maybe I fell this way because I'm not a sporty person hahahaha

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  6. honestly, i don't believe in superstitions, and i think that every superstition is absurd, but i respect those who believe.
    I have heard that you have to put a garlic into the opponent arch, but i don't believe that.

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  7. I think that this rituals can be superstitions or a form to look for lucky. I don´t think that superstitions are absurd beacause people have differents forms to search lucky.
    I have never heard a ritual in connection with sports.
    I haven´t got an specific ritual but always I wear "lucky" rings, I never took them out.

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    1. I see, and why do you believe these rings are lucky??

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  8. I think they can be superstitions, and for me all of them are absurd. I listened the one who coment Guada Donelli, i know about it that to put garlic in your arch is good luck.
    I don´t have any ritual for me.

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    1. Thanks Mariana. I agree with the garlic thing...

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  9. Of course they are superstitions, I know a lot of players who are very superstisious. I think that is a common action in the world of "sports" to do this kind of thing, taking football soccer as my nearer example of life i can tell you that from the most professional team of the world, to the most little one, they all have superstitions or "cavalas" inside the pitch or in the place where they dress up after the match.
    I think the second it's the more absurd, i like when the player family stick a bat of baseball on the roof hhaha.

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    1. Thanks Santiago. I've heard some very absurd football rituals too, it is as you mentioned very common

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  10. They must be superstitions, i think for some players having a superstitions is a way to calm down before a match, to take out all your nervous and something to believe thay think that it will give you lucky at the sport you are going to do. I think lots of them are really absurd, like cutting socks.
    other people have lucky charms like lucky socks for exaple and they used them always.
    i play rugby but i dont hace any lucky charm i just like to take my time before the rugby matchs.

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    1. I totally agree that superstitions or rituals may help to calm players down

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