What are our Gee-Gees’ superstitions and where do they come from?
As a journeyman baseball player and a beer league goaltender, I partake in a string of self-imposed superstitions. For example, I listen to the same Oasis concert before every game and treat myself to a Hershey’s bar with a side of blue Gatorade. But what do our Gee-Gees athletes do?
For starters, U Sports track and field gold medalist Stephen Evans pumps himself up before races with a pretty elaborate routine. In a recent interview with the Fulcrum, Evans explained that before he gets to the starting line, he jumps up, screams, lands, yells again, and slaps himself in the chest twice. Then he takes a deep breath, and is ready to go.
It isn’t unheard of for runners to have a similar routine, Michelle Jenneke — an Olympian sprinter from Australia, is known for her pre-race choreography.
Evans isn’t the only superstitious U of O track and field star — Maeliss Trapeau also has her own weird little ritual.
“I’m always eating a sugar cube 20 minutes before a race because it makes me think that it will help me to get some energy or something,’’ Trapeau said.
She isn’t the only Gee-Gee to have a superstition involving food. Kevin Domingue, star forward for the men’s hockey team, told the Fulcrum he always has a bottle of pickle juice on the bench he drinks to help with in-game cramps.
Blake Coleman, forward for the New Jersey Devils, also drinks pickle juice on the bench and claims the same benefits.
Domingue’s teammate Cody Drover also has his own superstitions. The Gee-Gees’ leading scorer this year told the Fulcrum that he is very meticulous in his routine, even calling himself “pretty weird.”
“I always put my gear on the same way every time I get dressed. I always go to the same Tim Horton’s for home games and get tea,” Drover said. “I always touch an outlet with my stick before every period, and I always put my stick in the same place after every period.”
On the women’s side, Taylor McGaughey is superstitious. The forward from Sudbury refuses to change her tape if she scores in a game, and will keep it for another game after that. Although that may not seem too superstitious, many NHLers are known to do the same, one of those being Tampa Bay lightning forward Steven Stamkos himself.
When it comes to interesting pre-game music, James Flemming takes the cake. The men’s rugby player said he enjoys listening to Star Wars music before a game, always making sure to listen to the Imperial March — Darth Vader’s theme — as much as possible.
Finally, Gage Sabean from the Gee-Gees men’s basketball team enjoys taking pregame showers before leaving his house or hotel. Although this may not be much of a superstition — taking a shower before a game is a great way to wake up before a game and loosen up muscles.
