Athletes spend years refining technique, studying opponents, and following carefully designed training plans. Then game day arrives, and superstition takes over: someone needs to wear another team’s shorts to bed, follow the same strange routine, or have a puck fired directly at their head. Coaches may not believe every superstition brings good luck, but many have learned that interrupting one can create more trouble than simply letting it happen. Some superstitious routines became so established that teammates, trainers, and equipment managers had to participate.
1. Jason Terry Slept in the Opposing Team’s Shorts
Before NBA games, Jason Terry would sleep in a pair of shorts belonging to the team he was about to face. Getting them required help from equipment managers, who occasionally supplied surprisingly valuable pieces of clothing, including a pair Terry said had belonged to John Stockton. The habit grew out of an earlier ritual from his college days, when he and teammate Mike Bibby slept in their Arizona uniforms before the 1997 NCAA championship game.
2. Laurent Blanc Kissed His Goalkeeper’s Bald Head
During France’s run at the 1998 World Cup, defender Laurent Blanc regularly kissed goalkeeper Fabien Barthez on the top of his shaved head before matches. The small ceremony quickly became part of the team’s routine, and nobody on the coaching staff appeared interested in breaking it while France kept advancing. Blanc missed the final through suspension, but the head-kissing ritual remains one of the tournament’s most recognizable sideline images.
3. David Rittich Asked Coaches to Shoot Pucks at His Mask
Most goaltenders would prefer not to take a puck directly to the face during a morning skate. David Rittich eventually began requesting it. The ritual started after a coach accidentally hit his mask before a 36-save shutout in the American Hockey League, followed by a poor performance on a day when the accident did not happen. From then on, someone had to fire a puck at his mask before starts, turning an occupational hazard into an official part of his preparation.
4. Wade Boggs Ate Chicken Before Almost Every Game
Wade Boggs became so closely associated with the pregame chicken meals that he earned the nickname “Chicken Man.” He ate chicken before games throughout much of his Hall of Fame career, although he later explained that the story was also connected to his plans for a chicken cookbook. Whatever the exact balance between marketing and superstition, managers were hardly going to interfere with the routine of a hitter who collected more than 3,000 career hits.
5. Turk Wendell Brushed His Teeth Between Innings
Reliever Turk Wendell chewed four pieces of black licorice while pitching, hopped over the foul line on his way back to the dugout, and then immediately brushed his teeth. He disliked the feeling the licorice left behind, so toothbrush access became part of the routine. Coaches already expect relief pitchers to have peculiar habits, but Wendell managed to turn a short appearance into a sequence involving candy, careful footwork, and dental hygiene.
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6. Michael Jordan Wore His College Shorts Under His Uniform
Throughout his Chicago Bulls career, Michael Jordan wore his University of North Carolina practice shorts beneath his NBA uniform. The extra layer meant his Bulls shorts needed to be longer than the standard style of the time, a request the team accommodated. What began as a personal connection to his college years became one of basketball’s best-known clothing rituals.
7. Patrick Roy Talked to His Goalposts
Patrick Roy did not treat the metal frame behind him as an inanimate piece of equipment. The Hall of Fame goaltender spoke to his goalposts during games, encouraging them and reportedly thanking them when a shot struck the post instead of entering the net. Coaches could offer tactical instructions, but conversations between Roy and the goal frame were apparently a private matter.
8. Goran Ivanišević Repeated Entire Days
During his unexpected run to the 2001 Wimbledon title, Goran Ivanišević believed a successful day had to be recreated as closely as possible. That meant eating the same food at the same restaurant, speaking to the same people, and watching the same television programs. His team had little choice but to let the schedule repeat while the wild-card entrant continued winning.
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9. Jason Giambi Shared a Gold Thong With Slumping Teammates
The New York Yankees clubhouse once had an unusual proposed cure for a hitting slump: a gold lamé thong owned by Jason Giambi. Players reportedly wore it beneath their uniforms when they needed to break out of a bad stretch, and Giambi said Derek Jeter tried it before ending one of his rare slumps. No batting coach could reasonably include that technique in an official training manual, but it became part of Yankees clubhouse folklore.
10. Nomar Garciaparra Rebuilt His Batting Gloves After Every Pitch
Nomar Garciaparra’s routine between pitches was almost as recognizable as his swing. He adjusted the straps on both batting gloves, tapped his toes, and followed a tightly ordered sequence before stepping back into position. Pitchers, umpires, teammates, and managers all had to wait for the ritual to finish, sometimes dozens of times in a single game.
11. Serena Williams Kept Wearing the Same Socks
During winning tournament runs, Serena Williams was known to continue wearing the same pair of socks without washing them. She also followed other repeated routines, including tying her shoes in a particular way and bouncing the ball a set number of times before serving. Tennis coaches normally worry about footwork and recovery, not whether laundry might interrupt a streak.
12. Rajon Rondo Took Five Showers on Game Days
Rajon Rondo reportedly showered five times on days when he had a game. The routine was less visually dramatic than sleeping in an opponent’s uniform, but it required a considerable amount of scheduling and patience from everyone working around him. In a league where preparation is timed down to warm-ups, treatment sessions, and team meetings, five showers are difficult to treat as a casual habit.
13. A French World Cup Team Needed the Same Song Before Every Match
France’s 1998 World Cup rituals extended beyond Blanc and Barthez. The squad repeatedly listened to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” which became closely associated with the team during the tournament. Once the victories continued, there was little reason for the coaching staff to change the dressing-room soundtrack, even if the song had no obvious connection to football tactics.
14. Alek Manoah Trusted a Particular Pair of Underwear
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah openly identified lucky underwear as one of his superstitions. The exact details were best left inside the clubhouse, but the garment joined a long baseball tradition of clothing that remained in circulation for reasons other than comfort or cleanliness. Equipment staff can replace almost anything, except the item a player has decided is responsible for winning.
15. Curlers Refused to Step Over Their Brooms
In curling, one of the sport’s traditional superstitions warns players against stepping over a broom lying on the ice. Some competitors also rely on lucky socks or other repeated items throughout tournaments. Coaches working in a sport built around careful sweeping, precise positioning, and measured movement generally allow the extra avoidance maneuver rather than risk unsettling a player before a crucial shot.
In the mood for more?
Check out 14 Sports Records That May Never Be Broken, or take a look at 14 Old Superstitions and the Real Reasons People Once Believed Them. If you want to see more sports oddities, you can check out 18 Ridiculous Sports Rules You Won’t Believe Actually Exist.
