Sports Superstitions

Here are some common superstitions in the world of sports.

Baseball

• Spitting into your hand before picking up the bat is said to bring good luck.
• A wad of gum stuck on a player's hat brings good luck.
• It is bad luck if a dog walks across the diamond before the first pitch.
• Lending a bat to a fellow player is a serious
  

Basketball

• The last person to shoot a basket during the warm-up will have a good game.
• Wipe the soles of your sneakers for good luck.
• Bounce the ball before taking a foul shot for good luck.

Football

• Double numbers on a player's uniform brings good luck.
• It's bad luck for a professional football player to take a new number when he is traded to another team.

Ice Hockey

• It is bad luck for hockey sticks to lie crossed.
• It is bad luck to say “shutout” in the locker room before a game.
• Players believe they'll win the game if they tap the goalie on his shin pads before a game.
• Many players must put their pads and skates on in exactly the same order every day.

Tennis

• It's bad luck to hold more than two balls at a time when serving.
• Avoid wearing the color yellow.
• Walk around the outside of the court when switching sides for good luck.