Baseball Magic: Superstitions in football and the military

Baseball Magic: Superstitions in football and the military 

                 While the article focuses on interviews and accounts of superstitions, taboo, rituals, and the uncertainty of magic my focus will be on two areas that influenced my life greatly. While I never gave it a second thought  I created habits and rituals during my senior at Summit High school in 2012. After we won our first game,  the only music I listened to was the scratched Guns and Roses CD I had listened to in my truck that day. Even though the CD could only pay about half of the songs without skipping, I never took it out of the CD player. I had a pair of cleats that by our final championship game were held together by duct tape, shoe glue, and hope. I could never bring myself to get another pair, something about those cleats were special, and I still have them today. While my strange actions and habits were not shared by others on the team they all had their own  "thing" that eventually won us the Championship that year. Granted, it was most likely the extra four am practices, the extra time in the weight room on the weekends, and all the hard work we put into the season that won us the championship but who would want to risk it?

 This link will take you to a video created by the Fontana Herald News after we won the CIF championship in 2011 

https://youtu.be/nVCgsXkqiG4

NFL : 

            In 2013 Bud Light conducted a survey of the fan base of leagues 32 teams and after reaching over 10000 fans they found that the most superstitious fans are...

• Baltimore Ravens fans
• Arizona Cardinals fans
• New Orleans Saints fans
• Formerly Oakland Raiders fans
• Philadelphia Eagles fans

"Raider Nation"
Image found on google images

     BUT ...The most dedicated or willing to go the extra mile to ensure their team pulls off the big win are the fans of ... 

• "Arizona Cardinals fans are the most likely to wear an unwashed jersey in order to support their team.

• New York Jets fans are the most likely to sit in the same lucky seat every game.

• Detroit Lions fans might be a bit secretive: they're the most likely to engage in superstitious activities alone.
• More than any other fan base in the NFL, Buffalo Bills fans are most likely to set out some kind of team memorabilia and then touch, kiss, rub or hold it for the win.
• New Orleans Saints fans are most likely to engage in their superstitious activity every single game."

Personally...  My Fiance and I are Anaheim Ducks fans ( hockey for those who don't know)  and attend as many home games as we can. While I can honestly say we wash our jerseys for every game we have popcorn and Monster energy drink every time. The first game we attend each season we secretly hope they win so we don't have to change up what we have already bought every game for each season. 

 As you may know superstition isn't only for the fans. 

• Chicago Bears linebacker  Brian Urlacher eats 2 chocolate cookies before each game. 
• Emmanuel Sanders of the Denver Broncos had to beat the opposing team before the real game on his video game system. 
• Carolina Panthers Luke Kuelchy has to have a meal from a certain chicken restaurant before every game. 

What is your favorite sport? What is your favorite team? Do you have any superstitions, habits or rituals you follow to make sure your team wins the game? Do you have anything to share that you did as a player to make sure you did well in a game? Please share them in the comments! 

         While football was a large part of my life, my time in the Marine Corps was even more influential and the military came with its own set of superstitions. 

Superstitions and rituals have been apart of warfare since ancient times. Generals and soldiers will do anything the complete the mission and get home safe. 

Since ancient times military decisions and practices have been heavily influenced by religion and superstition. Ancient military power houses such as the Romans and Greeks used to partake in religious rituals, habits, and ceremonies in order to win favor of the Gods and have success on the battlefield. 

Common practices

• No fighting on Holy Days
• Observance of omens, portents and oracles. 
•  Divine intervention was an integral part of warfare
• Sometimes compliance with an Oracle could be extreme as humane sacrifice.
• Use of religion to justify a war or control the populace.
• Burial of the dead after a battle was not only important for formal religious reasons but also for the future success of the army. A leader must not delay the burial of his fallen comrades or else risk the wrath of the gods. 

If a disease epidemic had befallen an army, a natural disaster destroyed a fleet, or a army triumphed against overwhelming odds, it was because of the Gods. 

Storm of Poseidon
Picture found on Sabinet

While "the Gods" don't play a role professionally in modern planning and strategy in the United States military, superstition is still around. From my own experience, in a world where you never know whats coming next, a world of chaos and confusion, its the little things that you do that can bring a sense of control or order. Anything you can do individually to make life a little less miserable is worth it. 

• Never say rain. The one thing that makes every infantryman completely miserable is rain. Its bad enough you have been in the field for a week, haven't had a decent meal, or a good nights rest, the last thing you want is Rain! I personally have a vendetta for rain and hate it to this day! When your out training or without shelter in the field, no one can say the R word or else risk the downpour of precipitation. 

My Squad, training in Okinawa just as a storm passed over 2017 

• The last superstition I want to look into is Charms. Charms were a candy that came in the MRE ( Meal Ready to Eat) and they were the forbidden fruit. Eating Charms could bring bad fortune to your self or your squad in the form of rain or a roadside bomb. Luckily by the time I entered the Marine Corps I didn't have worry about Charms because they had been removed from the MRE menu. I enjoyed my chocolate coated disks (M&Ms) without any fear of retribution or danger. 

  

  Self Explanatory. Don't eat it
  picture from source US Patriot Tactical

•  Neptune does not like whistling. While you find many who still believe in mythological deities, on board a Navy vessel such as the U.S.S. Green Bay  Neptune still holds the power. Out in the middle of the Ocean you definitely learn how small you are in this World and how exposed to the elements you really are. Well, a common belief in many traditions is whistling at night can bring forth spirits and not the good kind. So in the U.S. Navy its a common rule that Neptune, God of the Sea, hates whitelisting ... So don't whistle or feel his wrath.  Good thing I cant whistle! 

  

  Picture found from source We Are the Mighty
  
  

• You don't scrub the mug! While aboard the U.S.S. Green Bay I bought myself a nice mug because sleep did not come easily to me in my tiny rack. (bed) So many nights I went to enjoy a cup of coffee from the chow hall or mess deck (cafeteria) because they always had a pot off coffee brewed for the crew since someone was always working. I quickly learned that washing your coffee mug was extremely frowned upon a is a source of bad luck. The author from US Patriot Tactical claims that he witnessed a sailors demotion for purposefully cleaning his Chief's coffee mug. 

  

  My Personal Mug from my time aboard the U.S.S. Green Bay
  

          Superstitions and omens bring to light something common in every person, fear of what is to come and the hope that it is good. If there is something you can that could do to try and better your future, would you do it? 

What superstitions do you have? What do you do every day for no particular reason, just out of habit in order to bring about good fortune or avoid the bad? Breaking a mirror? Spilling salt? walking under a ladder? If you can think of any or have a story share them in the comments! 

If you can't think of anything that you do or superstitions that you have and nothing horrible has happened yet, then good for you! knock on wood ! 

References

“Bud Light Releases Results of NFL Superstition Survey.” Pro Quest, food and Beverage close up, 8 Oct. 2013, search-proquest-com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/docview/1439942506/fulltext/DBB2ED90270E405BPQ/1?accountid=10357.

Grove, David. “Don't Carry a White Lighter... Ever.” Americas Military Entertainment Brand, Americas Military Entertainment Brand, 5 Feb. 2020, www.wearethemighty.com/military-culture/spine-chilling-military-superstitions?rebelltitem=5#rebelltitem5.

Knox, Kristopher. “Top 10 Luckiest Pregame Superstitions in the NFL.” Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report, 3 Oct. 2017, bleacherreport.com/articles/2661808-top-10-luckiest-pre-game-superstitions-in-the-nfl.

“Military Superstitions for Every Branch.” US Patriot Tactical Blog, 12 Sept. 2019, blog.uspatriottactical.com/military-superstitions/.

Visser, Dennis De. “Exploiting Superstition : the Power of Religion in Greek and Roman Political and Military Activity : J.A. Barsby Essay.” Sabinet, Department of Education and training , Jan. 2009, journals.co.za/content/scholia/18/1/EJC100346?crawler=true.