Professional athletes and sports stars can be a strange bunch of people. They raise their teams or themselves to new heights. Whether it’s unusual rituals before or after a match, they have some practices that are ingrained in them. Let’s explore some of the most interesting superstitions.
Floyd Mayweather Likes Six Steaks in One Sitting
Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather took his training camps very seriously. He made big black sports news however when he revealed that following the official weigh-in process, he ate up to six steaks in the immediate aftermath of stepping off the scales. That wasn’t it, however, as his side plates would also contain pasta, potatoes, and a large amount of chicken to boot. Hard work deserves a cheat day, right?
Sam Kerr’s Superstitions Run Wild
Chelsea and Matilda’s superstar, Sam Kerr, scores a lot of goals when she’s on the pitch. Countless medals and awards from her time in Australia, the US, and now England validate that she’s one of the best women to play football as she consistently makes current sports news. She told the BBC that she has some very specific pre-match rituals. She must have the same seat on the bus when heading to a game. She’s also got to devour a lasagna sandwich, and her socks must be in perfect condition with no threads.
Nicola McDermott’s Notebook
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was strange for many reasons. Firstly, it was delayed to 2021, and it was held in front of no fans as the COVID-19 pandemic was still affecting the world at large. One interesting narrative in the athletics arena was Nicola McDermott (now Nicola Olyslagers), an Australian high jumper. After every jump, she was seen on the sidelines, getting out a little green notebook and subsequently reviewing her performance after every jump. She went on to win a silver medal at the games and is still making notes about her jumps.
Late to the Party, Paul Ince
Paul Ince is one of the very few players to have turned out for both Manchester United and Liverpool. Despite crossing that divide, Ince still enjoys a good rapport with the majority of English football fans. During his career, he would always try to be the last player to enter the pitch and would only put his shirt on when he was in the tunnel. Given he won multiple honors and titles, it worked out well for Ince.
Water, TicTacs, and Wood – Only John Cena
WWE superstar John Cena never seems to be far away from recent sports updates, whether it’s his ventures in Hollywood, his determination to learn the Chinese language, or continually returning to a WWE ring. Cena has some very interesting pre-performance processes; firstly, he’s got to eat multiple boxes of TicTac mints as he is very conscious of his breath. While that’s fairly self-explanatory (in order to be courteous to his fellow wrestlers), he also has some weirder activities like knocking on wooden surfaces and he must drink out of another person’s water bottle before heading to the ring.
Michael Jordan’s Fashion-Changing North Carolina Shorts
It might not be exactly the latest NBA news, but Michael Jordan made history when he joined the NBA. Long before he became a professional, he won the national championship with the North Carolina Tar Heels in 1982. As a result, he believed that his practice shorts were lucky. As such, he wore them under his new uniform with the Chicago Bulls, but to conceal them, he needed to wear longer shorts so that he wasn’t infringing uniform rules. He went on to have a stellar career (in case you didn’t know), and almost every other player in the NBA would opt for the longer-style shorts after he made them very appealing.
Nadal’s Exact Requirements
Rafael Nadal might be at the end of his tennis career, but it’s certainly not been a bad run. The King of Clay could lay claim to rule over all the surfaces. After all, his 22 grand slam wins made him one of the most successful players of all time. While his exceptional speed might have helped, the Spanish player would be quick to point out that his exact rituals also played a part in his wins. Nadal reportedly must take a freezing cold shower 45 minutes before a match, place his water bottles in the same place every time, and will only change sides before his opponent does.
Mark Teixeira’s Odd Socks
The first baseman might not make the latest MLB news, but Mark Teixeira ensured that he was wearing different socks from separate pairs. This originated when he accidentally put on one sock that belonged to his teammate. He only noticed during the game, but by this point, he had earned two home runs and managed a six RBI performance. As such, he had put together one of his better career games and decided that he would consciously wear odd socks going forward. The former New York Yankee is now a businessman. Maybe he keeps the same sock tradition when attending important board meetings.
Leah Williamson’s Pre-Game Bath and Jukebox
Arsenal and England’s heroic center-back Leah Williamson is one of the most celebrated footballers in the Women’s Super League. As part of the 2022/23 season media day, she told fans that she has some very specific pre-game preparations, whether she’s playing for the Gooners or the Three Lions. Firstly, she must have a bath every game day, and she likes to listen to a song by Steps – having done so at the UEFA European Championships, where England won the title.
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