SPORTS • 15
the telescope SUPERSTITIONS
Athletes, fans use superstitions to ensure team’s success
Scott roberson the telescope
An unwashed jersey, one sock higher than the other and a pair of lucky underwear; sports fans and athletes will go to no end to give their team the advantage on game day. Whether it’s football, basketball, baseball or hockey, superstitions are the norm for FANatics and competitors everywhere. According to ESPN.com, one in five fans tries to improve the luck for their favorite team. Freshman Marilu Ventura, an avid Oakland Raiders fan, believes her actions play a role in the outcome of the game. “I do the holy cross symbol before the start of each game hoping it helps my team,” Ventura said. A popular superstition among fans is wearing a specific article of clothing among they wear during every game. “I have to wear my hat; if I don’t wear my hat during the Lions game I feel that they’re not going to win,” said Freshman Brendan Lile. Sophomore Aixa Escobar has worn her jersey during every New York Giants game since 2007. Some Palomar students, however, have debunked their suspicions
through trial and error. “I use to wear my lucky underwear, but it never helped the Raiders win,” said Freshman Antonio Maldonado. Although some find sport superstitions asinine, even the greatest of athletes have superstitions of their own. Michael Jordan, a six-time finals champion, wore his blue University of North Carolina shorts because he believed it would bring him good luck. Brian Urlacher, former National Football League defensive player of the year, eats two chocolate chip cookies before every game. Palomar Freshman football player Shalamar Lacurson has an interesting pre-game ritual himself. “I walk around in my underwear in the locker room before every football game,” said Lacurson. “It calms me down.” This may seem taboo to most, but athletes are always trying to find new ways to get their psyche right to get the leg up on the competition. Sophomore Cross Country athlete Omar Romero said he believes good blood circulation to his feet will help him run better. “I always keep my shoes untied until the beginning of the race; I like to keep my feet relaxed and ready to go.” The Cross Country team has ad-
opted the pre-meet ritual of meeting at one teammate’s house the night before for dinner, according to Sophomore runner Kellen Dragan. “We all meet up and tell stories to each other so we can relax before the competition,” Dragan said. He added, “I shave every morning before I run.” The National Hockey League as an entirety developed a superstition in the 1980s. Every year during the postseason, players stop shaving their facial hair until they win the Stanley Cup or are eliminated from contention. This superstition is carried out today, and has been adopted by other sports. Baseball, the mecca of sport superstitions, has many rituals that would baffle anyone outside of that culture, including not talking to a pitcher during a no-hitter, not walking across the pitcher’s mound and the rally cap. Anaheim Angel’s former right fielder and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero would put his batting helmet on the dugout floor and have his teammates spit on it at the start of each season. Now Anhueser Busch has targeted these superstitions in commercials as a marketing ploy, coining the slogan “It’s only weird if it doesn’t work.” sroberson@the-telescope.com
CROSS COUNTRY
FOOTBALL
Cross Country teams place 2nd, 4th in meet
Palomar Cross Country runner Micalina Sarmeito runs in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship on Oct. 26 at Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa.•Brian Korec/Telescope
Scott Roberson the telescope
The Comet’s cross country team competed Oct. 26 in El Cajon at the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Championship. The women’s team placed second in a field of five teams while the men’s team finished fourth. Coming into this meet, the men had yet to qualify for the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California regionals. They had to beat one team to qualify and were able to do just that when they beat San Diego Community College by eight points. The men and women’s cross country teams have been on opposite sides of the spectrum throughout the course of the 2012 season. The women have been nothing less than impressive, yet the men continue to squeak by. Freshman runner Gerardo Alvarez returned just in time to help his team qual-
Palomar Cross Country runner Omar Romero runs during the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship on Oct. 26 at Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa.•Brian Korec/Telescope
ify after being unable to compete for the past month due to an abdominal pull. “It was hard to watch my teammates compete without me,” Alvarez said. “So it was good to be back.” Alvarez, admittedly not 100 percent, said he was very pleased with his performance. Although he was not able to run at his full potential, he finished in 13th place. Freshman runner Micaelina Sarmiento and Sophomore runner Cristal Favela led the Comets to a second place finish at the conference championship. “The girls did really great; the heat really got to us, but we were able to finish strong,” Favela said. She said she believes that momentum gained by their strong finish will definitely carry over to regionals. Assistant Head Coach Hugh Gerhardt was happy with his team’s performance, but he said he believes they can and will do better. sroberson@the-telescope.com
Football misses out on playoffs MattHEW Slagle
the second half in the team’s next offensive possession they had to punt and turned the ball over on downs. For a football program steeped in such “Every time we got a little momentum, a rich tradition of winning, losing isn’t ac- we couldn’t hang on to it,” Early said. ceptable. Running back Austin Dennis had 11 carries for 42 yards and a touchAfter losing to Saddleback down. Wide receivers Anthoon Oct. 27, 35-21, not only are ny Mount had seven catches the Comets playoff hopes elimiRESULTS nated, they will have to win the for 98 yards and a touchdown, rest of their remaining games to and Mike Hodges had four Sept. 1 avoid having their third losing catches for 85 yards and a El Camino season in Coach Joe Early’s 11touchdown. W 20-7 year tenure. Along with trying to avoid With the loss, Palomar will be a losing season, they are also Sept. 8 unable to reach the seven-win trying to make an impact on Riverside plateau necessary to qualify for the playoffs. L 47-7 the playoffs; this is only the sixth “We’re going to keep grindSept. 15 ing and our goal is to be spoiltime in the last 25 years the ComSouthwestern ets won’t make an appearance in ers,” Early said. “We got to W 47-43 the playoffs. win two in a row and keep a “Anything short of a victory couple of other teams out of Sept. 22 is going to be disappointing,” the postseason. That’s how we Orange Coast Early said. “But that’s the same have to attack it.” L 35-28 every game and every week and The last two weeks can also Sept. 29 every year that I’ve been here. serve as a start to building a Golden West Our goal is to win and we don’t strong foundation for next W 27-7 like losing.” season. Despite the Comets (3-5, 1-3 “(We have to) keep buildOct. 6 ing chemistry and building in conference) defense forcing Cerritos timing with (teammates), four fumbles, the combination of L 35-20 understanding the offense a Tyler Bergman and Ryan Lamb Oct. 20 little more and gaining conthrew six interceptions and two Fullerton fidence and momentum into touchdowns. L 33-32 next year,” Lamb said. Starting quarterback Lamb By closing out the season didn’t practice at all the week Oct. 27 strong, the team looks to parleading up to the game after sufSaddleback fering a shoulder injury in the lay this year’s struggles into L 35-21 game against Fullerton, and his next year’s success, reviving Nov. 3 back up Bergman was called on the tradition of winning the Santa Ana to start the game. Comets have enjoyed over the 6 p.m. HOME The Comets were down 21-7 years. at halftime, and despite two long Nov. 10 mslagle@the-telescope.com touchdown drives in the second Grossmont @matthewslagle half, they couldn’t close the gap. 1 p.m. AWAY The two times they scored in the telescope