2008 Woodie Awards
The strange and disturbing rituals of Hopkins sports teams
Out of Left Field
Issue date: 5/1/08
I'm fully convinced that the Patriots lost the Superbowl because I switched seats at halftime. Because I got a haircut and shaved my beard before the game. Because my roommate got a new TV and I had to re-arrange the Patriots figures that previously sat atop it.
I wore the same Tom Brady jersey and the same New England knit cap (both unwashed all season) for every single game in the 2007 season. I covered myself in my emergency lucky blanket when games were close.
The sports world is one rich in ritual and superstition, not only for those die-hard fans who watch each game, but also for the players who actually suit up and play. This week, I spoke with several Hopkins athletes to find out what specific rituals they go through before or during a game or match. Some of the ones I found were relatively conventional. Some were just plain weird.
I sat down with two varsity wrestlers, sophomores Kyle Keane and James Gettinger and asked them how they felt about any lucky charms or rituals that they perform before a match, only to find that they held two polar opposite views on the subject.
"I never brush my teeth before a match or a tournament, and I always try to do the same warm-up before a match," Keane said. A little bit gross, but it seems to have paid off, as the sophomore wrestler has found success in the sport in his first two years at Hopkins.
Gettinger, however, refused to believe that luck has anything to do with his performance. "You can't shower 24 hours before a weigh-in, but that's not superstition; that's science," he said. "You just go wrestle. No superstitions involved."
While the wrestlers' habits may not be the most hygienic, sophomore goalie Mike Gvozden for the Hopkins men's lacrosse team performs somewhat healthier rituals for his pre-game.
"The night before a game I throw away all film and scouting reports on the team we are to play," he said. "I also go get Rita's Italian Ice with a few of my teammates. The day of the game I don't really have any rituals other than listening to music. I usually roll with Jordin Sparks, Michelle Branch and Natasha Bedingfield."
I wore the same Tom Brady jersey and the same New England knit cap (both unwashed all season) for every single game in the 2007 season. I covered myself in my emergency lucky blanket when games were close.
The sports world is one rich in ritual and superstition, not only for those die-hard fans who watch each game, but also for the players who actually suit up and play. This week, I spoke with several Hopkins athletes to find out what specific rituals they go through before or during a game or match. Some of the ones I found were relatively conventional. Some were just plain weird.
I sat down with two varsity wrestlers, sophomores Kyle Keane and James Gettinger and asked them how they felt about any lucky charms or rituals that they perform before a match, only to find that they held two polar opposite views on the subject.
"I never brush my teeth before a match or a tournament, and I always try to do the same warm-up before a match," Keane said. A little bit gross, but it seems to have paid off, as the sophomore wrestler has found success in the sport in his first two years at Hopkins.
Gettinger, however, refused to believe that luck has anything to do with his performance. "You can't shower 24 hours before a weigh-in, but that's not superstition; that's science," he said. "You just go wrestle. No superstitions involved."
While the wrestlers' habits may not be the most hygienic, sophomore goalie Mike Gvozden for the Hopkins men's lacrosse team performs somewhat healthier rituals for his pre-game.
"The night before a game I throw away all film and scouting reports on the team we are to play," he said. "I also go get Rita's Italian Ice with a few of my teammates. The day of the game I don't really have any rituals other than listening to music. I usually roll with Jordin Sparks, Michelle Branch and Natasha Bedingfield."
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