NFL Rituals: Anything for a Win

It’s been more than five months since the first day of NFL training camps. At the time, you were hopeful — well, maybe, unless you root for the Browns (sorry, Cleveland). Your favorite team was carrying a hotshot rookie on its roster or was stacked and seemingly ready to make a push for the playoffs or even the Super Bowl. Since the first snaps of the preseason you’ve conditioned your body to withstand the physical rigors of game day and the emotional highs and lows of wins and losses.

Your lucky team jersey, the one with letters that long ago started peeling off and that still carries the food stains acquired during that miracle fourth quarter comeback against the Packers in ’03 — can you believe they went for it on fourth down?!? — has made it another year. And no, you don’t need a new one despite the pleas of your family, thank you very much. You’ve refused to answer exactly 128 phone calls from friends, and eaten 16 regular-season game day breakfasts of exactly one pancake, three eggs, two bacon slices, and one glass of OJ, with one bowl of oatmeal thrown in during the bye week. You’ve walked the equivalent of the New York City Marathon from all the pacing around your living room (lucky socks, anyone?!? We’re partnering with our friends at Bombfell to give away 1,000 pairs during the playoffs).

If you’re a fan of one of the remaining playoff teams, the mojo has been working, so keep it going. But if not, maybe it’s time to try something new. Check out a few unforgettable rituals below that lend new meaning to the term superstitious and prove you’re not alone in trying anything (and we mean anything!) to help your team finish with a dub. As legendary Raiders owner Al Davis famously said, “Just win, baby!”