You know its true. Admit it. The success or failure of your teams ability to win a game is dependent upon your supertition or ritual that you complete before every game. You single handidly can affect the game and the mood of millions of others by partaking or forgetting to wear that lucky jersey, hat, jacket or eat or drink the same thing before, during or after a game. Some people will say you're crazy but you know your doing your part to help pull the team through to victory.
I'm sure their are a ton of Colts and Saints fans that have been wearing or doing the same thing for every sunday for this year or years past because its what they've always done. Tomorrow will be no different. Trust me, I should know.
I've been known to wear the same outfit whether I am coaching a game or watching one of my favorite teams time and time again based upon the success that we've had in previous games or years.
For instance, for the past two years I have always worn a # 28 Javier Arenas jersey, houndstooth baseball cap, khaki shorts/pants and a pair of nike coaches sneakers that were given too me for every Alabama game. I purchased the Javy jersey three days before heading to Atlanta to watch the Tide dismantle Clemson at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The rest they say is history because whether watching at home or being at a game in person, I was attired in the same outfit, except on two occasions!
The first was the 2008 SEC Championship game. I had a basketball game that evening and had to leave in the middle of the first half to get my team ready to play in the Elmore County Torunament Championship. Of course, the Tide ended up losing while I was watching us hoist a championship trophy in the air (this was not a total loss because the red dress shirt and tie I wore that night ended up going 10-1 on the way to a 20 win hoops season, with the lone loss being our last game during that run! check my profile pic). The second was the night of the Sugar Bowl as Utah dismantled Alabama in New Orleans. Agian, I had a basketball game that night and won (yes, I was wearing the red dress shirt and tie).
No gameday outfit = 2 losses.
Gameday outfit = Alabama 26-0. No outfit = 0-2. For the record, I've retied the Javy outfit after 'Bama's 2009 National Championship.
Of course, these rules apply to coaching also, as I mentioned with the red dress shirt during basketball season. That year we went a combined 7-1 in area games winning the area championship. The one game we lost, you guessed it, I was attired in something else.
I have numerous other traditions for other teams and sports. I always wear the opposite color the Celtics are wearing during playoff games. Green for the home games and white for the road games. Its customary for me to shave my head on gamedays when I'm coaching. For years coaching junior high football, I've worn a pair of black converse sneakers that after 5 years, were on their last leg of staying together. Over in Georgia, we ended up going 27-5 winning a couple of championships in those bad boys. I broke them out again in 2008 after I found them in my storage unit when we moved back to Alabama and we went 8-0 in 2008. The Black Cons have since been retired due to tears in the lining.
Of course, there are somethings I don't wear anymore. I have an Alabama pull over that I literally never saw them win in person in football or basketball wearing that thing. Their were some games that UA was a heavy favorite and they still lost. I'd tempt fate trying to get that jacket in the win column (because it was so comfortable to wear) only to have the improbable happen time and time again. Same in coaching, I have some dress shirts that were sent to the back of the closet due to losses.
So when Super Sunday gets here tomorrow, rest assured many Colts and Saints fans will be involved in these shenanigans. Its a time tested ritual for many and tomorrow may become that defining moment for some of these traditions, win or lose. And like analyzing a game, some might analyze what they did or forgot to do correctly to help their team win.
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