NBA and Stanley Cup playoffs show superstitions are linked to success

NBA and Stanley Cup playoffs show superstitions are linked to successNBA and Stanley Cup playoffs show superstitions are linked to successWe are in the midst of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and hockey newbies like me arecatching up on decades of rivalries, but as I learn about what a puck going where means, I also need toeducate myselfon the equally important rituals.In 1980, the New York Islanders grew beardsduring their playoff run and won four straight championships with their facial hair, so now naturally, all players wont shave off their playoff beards until their season ends. Every kollektiv wants to know the winning formula to another teams success, and they will do anything, even growing some scraggly fuzz, to get there.Above all, you wont catch any NHL player touching the Stanley Cup, the holy grail for every team, until theyve actually won the Stanley Cup. Some captainswont even touch or lift the lesser conference trophies like the Prince of Wales Trophy or the Clarence Campbe ll Bowl out of superstitious fear that to do so would seem presumptuous. Its gotta be Stanley Cup or bust.Any ritual around success gets our attention, so we took a look at some of the mora popular ones in sports - but we urge caution if you try these at work.Fan superstitions include throwing an octopusAs a fan, you start to pour your hopes and anxieties onto these players. When they win, you say we won. If you tie enough of your identity into these games, youll start participatingin player superstitions too. Thats why many hockey fans wont touch the Stanley Cup either until their team has won the championship.Game-day rituals can include wearing the same unwashedjersey to keep yourteams winning streak going, and donning whatever apparel that will make you feel like you have some control over the games outcome.Some rituals can be more bizarre.In 1952, twoDetroit Red Wings fans started an enduring tradition after they tossedan octopus onto the ice rink. The octopus eight tentacles represented the eight wins Detroit needed to win the Stanley Cup that year. (This season, the power of the octopus failed - the Red Wings missed the playoffs for the first time in 26 seasons.)Superstitions prevail in every sport with demanding performance tasks. With the 2007-08 Celtics, Kevin Garnett started playing well after he had a hankering for a peanut, butter and jelly sandwich.Now, the whole NBA league is engaging in elaborate pregame PBJrituals as if the cafeteria snack was aperformance-enhancing Gatorade. During the Kansas City Royals 2016 playoff run, a praying mantis showed up in their dugout. That night, the Royals won, and maintaining the newly dubbed Rally Mantis became outfielder Billy Burns duty, who would kiss the insectsplastic home for good luck.With all of these rituals, youre searching for positive meaning in an industry filled withunfair breaks and daily heartbreaks.The science behind superstitions - should you indulge them at work?Is believing in superstitio ns helpful or not?Critics would say believing in them is a sign of an irrational mind. But a 2010 study found that when participants didsuperstitious ritualslike saying break a leg or crossing their fingers, their subsequent performance in golfing, motor dexterity, memory, and anagram games would improve.By knowing that the odds were in their favor, peoples self-confidence would getboosted and they increased their belief in their ability to master a task.The participants who did rituals were also more persistent with their tasks than those who didnt engage in the rituals. The more people believed in their good luck, the more optimistic and hopeful they would act. Successbecame a self-fulfilling prophecy.As long as you arent hurting yourself or others to maintain your superstition, its fine to believe in these higher powers. Keep eating your peanut butter and jelly sandwich before every game. Throw a dead octopus onto a hockey rink. Wear your rally beard and faux mohawk. Whatever ext ernal force is keeping the belief in yourself going, keep at it. This world and these games are built for heartbreak superstitions can ease the burn.Just remember that the clock will reset, and wewill all begin anew tomorrow.