We all have our own rituals when it comes to our favorite sports. A favorite chair, a lucky jersey, or a carefully chosen pre-game litany – each of these put us in a positive mental state, which sometimes may help us achieve our desired outcome.

But level of superstitions practiced by the athletes we idolize often put our paltry rituals to shame.

Consider the case of Kevin Rhomberg, one of the most superstitious players in the history of Major League Baseball. In a rather Newtonian compulsion, he felt that whenever someone touched him, he must touch them back. This led to some awkward situations after being tagged out by an opposing basemen. He’d often wait for the end of an inning, after which he’d chase down and touch the man who’d tagged him out. Rhomberg also refused to make right runs when on the field, because base runners only turn left. If a maneuver required that he move to his right, he would turn a full left circle to get himself pointed in the right direction.

Then there’s the Dallas Mavericks’ Jason Terry. In college, Terry had taken to wearing his game shorts to bed on the night before competing. Once he reached the NBA, he’d switched from wearing his own team’s colors to sleeping in those of his next opponent. This required that he develop an underground network of trainers and athletic managers throughout the country, who would provide him with his illicit sleepwear.

Not all superstitions inspire comfort, however. Take, for example, the pre-game ritual practiced by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end John Henderson. Before each game, he requires assistant team trainer Joe Sheehan to slap him across the face as hard as he can. Check out the video here. If a 6-foot-7 334-pounder asked you to strike him, would you do it? It must work. Henderson has made the Pro Bowl several times since requesting a smack on the mush.

And some are just plain gross. Look at the case of Moises Alou. The accomplished big league slugger is one of a few players throughout the majors to eschew batting gloves in favor of a barehanded approach. But what sets Alou apart from his peers is his particular method of skin-care. In an attempt to harden the skin on his gripping surface, the outfielder urinates on his hands several times throughout the season.

And I thought changing my shirt in the middle of a game made me weird.

- Taylor Maxwell

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tags | Jacksonville Jaguars, Jason Terry, Joe Sheehan, John Henderson, John Henderson pregame ritual, John Henderson slap, Moises Alou, rituals, sports rituals, superstitions