Superstition...
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I wonder how many KU fans out there think that THEY blew the game yesterday?
Okay… come on… someone in here needs to fess up? Who forgot to wear their favorite Jayhawk t-shirt?
Someone is guilty. There has to be a reason why we stopped playing in the second half.
Maybe a fan did something at half time… maybe some sexual play? You know there is a reason why boxers and many other pro athletes pull back from the love table days before a big event.
So if it wasn’t one of us who blew it on superstition, could it have been the team’s own superstition? Could this team be carrying the curse of superstition with them every time they step on the floor?
In my books, the most negatively alarming game we played this year is a game we won… OU at home! That was a game where we came out red hot in the first half, and went from a 21 or so point lead to falling behind only minutes into the second half. I know Self used that as a major lesson for this team. Might that have been the cause for yesterday’s disastrous second half? Maybe the lesson was learned too well, and it carried the curse of superstition into the second half. What did slow down these guys so much in the second half? We hadn’t played a game in 5 days. Might they have felt some superstition from the OU game because they were so hot in the first half? So they came out worried about a repeat of OU. We all know what happens when basketball players think too much… they slow down!
Superstition is a huge part of sports. It must play a part in at least half the games and players involved in the sport.
Take a break from the Sunday morning woes of a bad KU weekend and journey with me.
Do two things: 1. Click on Stevie’s video clip below to get the music rolling. And while that is going on, click on the link below and open it in another window, so you can read about famous NBA players and teams that fail to be confident enough on their own so they play to their own superstitions through preventative rituals. Might this young Jayhawk team just need a ritual to help them believe more in themselves? You be the judge…
Writing this thread made me hungry, so I decided on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast. Did you know where the trend came from for basketball shorts to become long and baggy? Are you thinking it was from rappers? Guess again… it was from Michael Jordan and his superstition. So without superstition, the game might still be played in tight hot pants!
Top 10 Most Superstitious Players in NBA History
Kick back and enjoy. Reduce your blood pressure with some Stevie Wonder and a nice read. Through it all, come to realize how maybe our young guys played into a superstition… the same superstition that ruled the beliefs of some of the best players to ever play the game.
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@drgnslayr Cool, man. Can’t beat Stevie. I’ll admit to some feelings of guilt on this one. I posted earlier that I wouldnt be surprised if we lost yesterday. Then I posted just a few hours from tip off that we would win by 20. So, yah, kinda feel guilty about that.
From a serious stand point though, we’ve got 8 games left. If we come out of that stretch at 7 - 1 or 6 - 2 we should have a great chance of at least sharing the title. An outright win would be better but you know. I think KU has a great chance to finish just like that.
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If I was a betting man I would have bet on a KU victory yesterday. I did everything right… right KU gear for game time and I refused to make a jinx pregame prediction!
I really thought I iced the game for us!
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It’s Self’s fault. He continued his silly superstition that you must quit thinking, playing and coaching after you get a 10+ point lead.
As for me, I’m golden. I had my favorite blankey, had my right foot crossed over my left foot when we had the ball, left foot over right when they had the ball. That worked till we gave up the lead, then I reversed the order. So I did everything that I could do.
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@drgnslayr I have been carrying this burden since 1997. I had a sterling silver Jayhawk pendant on a chain. On my way to a friend’s house to watch the Arizona game, I twisted the chain and it broke. I couldn’t wear the pendant. It is my fault that we lost that game. I still think it was the greatest KU team ever. Thanks for giving me the courage to get this off my chest.
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@lincase ahhh I hope you are feeling better!!! Good, but sad story!
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If you’re a fan, the only purpose of your superstition (e.g., stinky 1988 shirt, special underwear, lucky beer, crazy game day routine) is just to make you feel like you’re a contributing member of the team. You’re not on the team. You’re not on the floor. You’re not a 20-year old kid with girlfriend problems trying to make a free throw. Which cushion you’re sitting your ass on in your man cave has nothing to do with what happens on the court. It doesn’t make a bit of difference.
Sorry to break it to you. It’s not real. You’ll feel better after losing when your choice of shirt LET THE WHOLE TEAM DOWN if you can let that whole concept go.
But, I guess that takes the fun out of it .
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Check out 48 seconds in…
This is a great old comedy and it’s half about superstition…
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I admit, you know, I live near New Orleans, I was chilling with my voodoo lady and she really doesn’t care about the Jayhawks very much. She said to me she just wanted to see an exciting 2nd half, I told her, that’s fine, the 'Hawks can’t lose though. She messed up. I messed up. I take responsibility.
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@wissoxfan83 Ditch her now.
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A 6-2 final stretch will win it or at least share.
I think it’s impossible that any team wins out the rest of the way. If a 6-2 final stretch is how it ends up the margin for Error for everyone not named ISU is 1 game. If ISU loses more than 1 game with the toughest remaining schedule then 6-2 will win it outright.
Baylor & OU could both end with 4 losses if they won out. Both have to play KU, and OU has 2 with ISU remaining. Hard to imagine either ISU or OU sweep. Baylor has 2 T-Tech remaining which is in their favor. But road games to KU, ISU, Texas will hopefully eliminate them.
It’s going to be a wild finish. Tonight starts the help, both OU & Baylor could have 5 losses after tonight. ISU could have 4. I think we have to root for Oklahoma to hold serve at home because that would give KU the cushion it needs. KU will need to win tomm and Satuday at home. And then we repeat the madness again.
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@BeddieKU23 I don’t like to share!
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Remember when we “shared” w/kstate, after beating them 2 times? Barf! One true champion!
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Me, too!
I recall seeing something recently showing KSU as conference champions a while back… and I said… WHAT? WTF?
It was a year we shared it. They get the same claim we get.
I like having tougher competition in this league… but I don’t want to share a crown with ISU. It will just help them recruit better and test us harder in the future. Granted… it would probably be good for us.
It’s like eating a kale salad. You know you should like it… but you don’t!
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My number one superstition of the don’t walk under a ladder, or break a mirror, because it bad luck is this:
Don’t wear helmet hair and follow Bill Self around!!!
Hooo haaaaah!
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Did your static hair attach itself to Self? Man… that’s embarrassing! Hope your hair is long enough to create a safe distance!
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@jaybate-1.0 Wait a minute. So, Bill Self is like static cling?
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I couldn’t stand to lose this game at TT. It would have been one of those horrible tumbles like we had at TCU a couple years ago.
So I went into all out superstition mode and I played my cards exactly right this time. No way was I going to be the reason we lost this game.
The IRA cash out? Nope. Didn’t do it. I’m as broke today as I was yesterday. But it was part of the superstition plan. A sarcastic threat to go all in must have been worth 10 or so points in this game. The fact that I didn’t make the bet was definitely worth another 20 points.
If I had bet the ranch on this game we would have suffered our 3rd conference loss. I’m sure of that.
I would like to tell you all I am 100% responsible for this victory. I’d like to tell you that, but then I’d jinx our next game!
Needless to say… I won’t be buying the Jayhawk nation drinks from money I didn’t win, but I’m good with just doing my part in the superstition battle that controls all of basketball.
Spent half the day yesterday digging through storage trying to find my lucky rabbit’s foot. Didn’t find it, but found some other treasures that will offer up some definite positive energy!
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@drgnslayr we thank you, I think.
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No… please retract your thanks… it’s bad luck!
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@drgnslayr you suck!
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Thanks! Your Jayhawks thank you, too!
