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I am superstitious


Hockey players have to be some of the most superstitious athletes out there. I was surprised to read/hear that the Penguins players refused to touch the Prince of Wales trophy. They deserved to bask in the accolades; it was a great accomplishment, something we have not seen in over 15 years. But some players said the Eastern Conference means nothing, that the Cup is the ultimate goal, and I guess they don't want to do anything to jinx that.

I bought a new Penguins shirt a week and a half ago (see pic above), and the Pens won each time I wore it. But I am pretty sure that the win had nothing to do with me. However, if I don't wear that shirt and the Pens lose, you can believe I will blame myself on some level. I considered not shaving my legs the entire playoffs, in deference to the players not shaving their facial hair, but I am pretty sure Brian would not appreciate that.

It is kind of fun(ny), and egotistical really, to think any one person not directly involved in the game can affect the outcome. But it kind of adds to the allure of the game. In college, I can remember yelling when JoePa and players ran out the tunnel. I had to yell without stopping until the last player came through. But the Lions lost some of those games. One Steeler season I wore my Steelers underwear every game (yes, I washed it), but the Steelers lost some of those games. In 2002, I wore my Steelers sweater every Monday beginning a few weeks into the season. The Steelers did not lose any games from that point on, as far as I recall, but they did lose the AFC Championship Game. Spygate, anyone?

Sure, I and many others will be disappointed if the Guins don't bring the Cup back to the Burgh, but this season and the playoffs especially have been so amazing, that I think the Penguins, the fans, the city, etc., should not lose sight of that.

I feel good about the Pens' chances; there really seems to be something magical about the team, as if it is destiny. So here is hoping the youth and talent keep on rolling and I get to buy a Stanley Cup Champions shirt for the Pens. Let's go Pens!!!
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Great post! Funny, I think many of us have those types of superstitions... I thought the not shaving your legs for the entire playoffs was funny, I think under the arms may be more appropriate! I remember a few years back when I was going to many ND games, I had my game day underwear! Ha ha... I got a chuckle when you wrote that!
May 22, 2008 at 6:40 AM
Anonymous said…
I can't wait to see if any of the the Detroit fans will throw an octopus on the ice!
May 23, 2008 at 9:35 PM
Facie said…
I did wear my t-shirt for last night's game, which obviously did not help. But on Friday, I debated if I should wear that shirt or my Pens Mark Recchi jersey. I actually called some guy at work to get his take (he is a little superstitious), but he was not at his desk. I went with the t-shirt, but it is clear I should have gone jersey ;-)
May 25, 2008 at 10:00 PM
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