Top 5 Craziest Pre-Game Rituals of All Time
posted by Altwond Andrews | April 24, 2019 | In Opinion, SportsWatching a basketball, football, or a baseball game can be a thing of beauty. When both teams are playing at a high level, it can truly look like art.
And that’s why fans from all around the world turn on their TVs, to see if they can witness the magic during the game.
But another form of magic fans love and rarely talk about, is a pre-game ritual. A pregame ritual is something before every game, or maybe during half time, that a player does every time. It makes the players seem normal and human. We all have superstitions by which we abide, and athletes, weird as the rituals may be (and believe me, they are weird), do it because they believe they need it to compete at a high level.
Rituals can be a choice of music to listen to, a certain food to eat, a little foot massage or a warm shower. But the strange ones, are the ones the fans enjoy the most.
So, through every sport, I found what I think to be the five best, funniest, and craziest pregame rituals in sports:
1) Jason Terry’s Pajamas
Before every game of the pre-, regular, and post-season, shooting guard Jason Terry of the Mavericks likes to sleep in his opponents shorts. And the shorts can’t be the fake ones us fans buy. They have to be authentic, gameday shorts.
I have no idea how he gets these, but after the win that got him a championship ring, his pajama choice seems to be excellent.
2) Brian Urlacher Loves Cookies…
After watching Urlacher play, it becomes clear that he is indeed a monster on the field. But what many don’t know, is that Brian is also a monster off the field… a cookie monster (LOL).
Urlacher chows down two boxes of Girl Scout cookies before every game, never more, never less, or it won’t work.
3) John Henderson’s Slap
To get pumped before every game John Henderson likes to… get slapped.
Yep, you read that correctly.
I would hate to be John Henderson, but at least he looks like he somewhat enjoys it. The trainer, on the contrary, looks to be shaking out of his boots, scared that John might have to take out a bit of his anger and slap him right back. And to be honest, I don’t know who I’d rather be in this situation: the slapper or the slappee.
4) A Hug Wasn’t Enough
During the 1998 World Cup, French player Laurent Blanc would blatantly give his beloved goal-keeper, Fabien Barthez, a big kiss on his bald head.
It was no where near a peck, but a full on smooch.
France made a surprise run, so you really can’t fault him for thinking the kiss was working, but no one can deny that it was a very strange pre-game ritual.
5) Ovechkin Scores off the Ice
Alex Ovechkin probably has one of the coolest, and also the most desirable of traditions. The Capitals star says he likes to not only score during the game, but before, and after, too.
Ovechkin likes to have sex before and after every game. That’s 82 games in a season multiplied by two, plus the playoffs if the team makes it that far.
I just hope he keeps a doctor on speed dial for emergencies.
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