Skill Or Sorcery? Which Wins Games?
Science explains a lot of things - why polar ice caps melt, why the sky is blue, and why moisturizers can help you delay the inescapable aging process. There is one thing science cannot explain, however: why the Mexican Olympic Team headed to the 2004 Athen Olympics weighed down with charms, amulets, and religious items.
Robes, Trunks, and Other Charms
Where there is luck, there is superstition; and experts believe this mentality explains players’ and pundits’ eagerness to believe in good luck and the lucky. When Gary Hall Jr. campaigned for a gold medal, he violated U.S Olympic protocol by rejecting his team-prescribed gear. Instead, he put on his lucky robe and trunks, and went on to win the gold in the 50-meter freestyle. Does this prove beyond a shadow of doubt that yes, good luck charms win you races? Not entirely, because as far as charms go, the Mexican Olympic Team of 2004 carried enough talismans to sink a gunboat yet brought home only four gold medals.
Hoodoo and the Horse
Belief in the superstitious is by no means limited to the Olympics, though. As a matter of fact, it gets worse across sports, with some pitchers chalking up victories to lucky socks, and consequently, not ever washing certain pairs for fear the magic would wear off. The horse racing system is no exception. In fact, seasoned trainers even give what they consider priceless horse racing tips to newbies: never travel with a used broom or an open bag of salt, or enter the winner’s circle to crow about your horse’s triumph unless you think your horse has achieved the peak - the finest hour - of its career.
Meanwhile, across the world in Mumbai, jocks and punters pass around the same superstitious horse racing tips and more - from sporting lucky coats and using lucky whips to avoiding chitchat with certain people before the start of the race.
A Bid for Control
Experts think these superstitions are actually coping mechanisms. On some level, people understand superstitions are not logical. However, while in the middle of a race or a bet, they experience so much fear and uncertainty they try to stack the odds in their favor however way they can - even if it means believing in salt, brooms, and dirty socks. Sport superstitions thus signify human attempt to regain control of a universe that overflows with uncertainty. The ancients had their rain dance and human sacrifice; jocks today have the rabbit’s foot and lucky shirts.
So, will a spanking new broomstick help you win that race? Go ask Major League slugger Wade Boggs who ate chicken before every game and drew the Hebrew equivalent for life, Chair, in the batter’s box before he bats.