Friday the 13th: Looking at 13 of the Wildest Sports Superstitions

Friday the 13th marks an unlucky occurrence on the calendar, at least to the superstitious bunch.

That certainly includes a variety of athletes. From Michael Jordan needing to wear a certain pair of shorts during a basketball game, to Wade Boggs only eating a very particular pregame meal, many prominent athletes are no strangers to superstitions. In honor of the latest Friday the 13th, Newsweek compiled 13 of the wildest sports superstitions and rituals.

Let's take a look.

Serena Williams Wore the Same Socks

Serena Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam women's single titles, was apparently insistent about what she wore on her feet while on the tennis court. The New York Times has said that Williams, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, wore the same pair of socks throughout a tournament, and would not wash them as long as she was winning.

That included during Grand Slams, which can last two weeks.

Wade Boggs Ate Chicken Before Every Game

Boggs earned the nickname "Chicken Man" for a very spot-on reason. The Hall of Famer and 12-time All Star famously always ate chicken before baseball games. Boggs said the routine started in 1983, his second season, while putting together a chicken cookbook using family recipes. That happened to be the season Boggs won his first batting title. So the chicken stayed.

"So, the chicken worked," Boggs said, via the MLB website. "... I just continued the superstition."

Derek Jeter Wore a Thong During Slump

Former New York Yankees superstar shortstop and Hall of Famer Derek Jeter made a pretty personal confession on a recent appearance on The Tonight Show. Jeter admitted to host Jimmy Fallon during a segment earlier this year that he once wore a thong under his uniform in an effort to get a hit. During the 2004 season, Jeter was in the middle of an 0-for-32 slump at the plate. One of his Yankee teammates, slugger Jason Giambi, notoriously had a "gold thong" hanging in his locker that he would wear when he was struggling.

"Every day I'd walk in and he'd point at the thong," Jeter said. "So finally, I wore the thong. Now, it wasn't thong to skin. I had shorts on underneath."

What happened the first at-bat after Jeter caved to Giambi?

"First pitch, home run," Jeter said.

The Madden Cover Curse

Being honored as the cover-athlete on EA Sports' Madden video game does come with one slight caveat: Some fans believe there is a "Madden Curse." Why is that? NFL players who grace the cover have, on multiple occasions, had inferior seasons in the aftermath. CBS Sports analyzed earlier this year that 60 percent of the cover athletes have suffered some sort of jinx shortly afterward.

Michael Jordan Brought UNC Shorts to Chicago

Six-time NBA Champion Michael Jordan brought a piece of North Carolina with him after he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls. Literally. The Hall of Famer wore his Tar Heels practice shorts under his uniform across his 15-year NBA career. Jordan's lucky shorts came up during a conversation with Oprah Winfrey.

Larry Walker Loves the No. 3

Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker is obsessed with the number three. That's not an exaggeration. According to The Seattle Times, Walker set his alarm for 33 minutes past the hour, took practice swings in multiples of three and was married on November 3 at 3:33 p.m. Oh, and the Colorado Rockies retired his No. 33 in 2021.

"For some people, it might be a superstition," Walker told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in 1997 about the number. "For me, it's an obsession."

Turk Wendell Known for Superstitions

Former MLB player Turk Wendell may be better known for his many superstitions at this point than what he accomplished as a right-handed pitcher. Part of Wendell's routine was chewing four pieces of black licorice when he pitched, spitting them out after each inning, and brushing his teeth in the dugout, according to The Seattle Times.

Wendell also leaped over baselines to avoid stepping on them.

Luke Kuechly's Meal Ritual

Apparently Boggs isn't the only athlete who loves some pregame chicken. Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly tallied over 1,000 tackles and went to seven Pro Bowls during his eight-year NFL career. And before home games, the star defender had a habit of eating at Roasting Company, a local chicken establishment.

Ely Portillo of the The Charlotte Observer reported that Kuechly missed his ritual meal before one game, which the Panthers lost. Never again.

"He was going to make sure he ate at the Roasting Company next time," restaurant owner Doug Bell told Portillo.

Jason Terry Would Wear Opponents' Shorts

Former NBA player Jason Terry never had to worry about picking out pajamas. Terry detailed in a 2013 article in The New York Times how he would wear the shorts of his next opponent's uniform to sleep. This superstition started in college when Terry wore his game uniform the night before to get pumped up. Terry's wife was not as into the gimmick as he was.

"She's like, 'You still got the game shorts on? Really?'" Terry told the Times.

Matt Bryant Loves Chocolate Shakes

Matt Bryant, former NFL kicker, loves a good chocolate milkshake. So much that Bryant drank one before every professional game that he played. Bryant recalled finding access to ice cream during his rookie year with the New York Giants in 2002.

"I went into this little dining hall [as a Giant] and saw a sundae station," Bryant told ESPN in 2019. "I asked, 'Is that for us?' And they were like, 'Yeah.' Then I was like, 'Is that free?' And they said, 'Yeah.' So I made me a chocolate shake. For the last 17 years, I've had a chocolate shake before every game."

Bryant played in 241 NFL games over his 18-year NFL career. That's a lot of chocolate shakes.

Patrick Roy Talked to Goalposts

Legendary NHL goaltender Patrick Roy had his share of quirks. The goalie would carefully lay out his equipment before a game and dress himself in a specific order. Roy also made sure to never skate over the blue or red lines, preferring to step over them. But Roy is best known for talking to his goal.

Yes, the Hall of Famer would talk to the goalposts of the goal he was defending.

From asking the goalposts to help him out, to giving them some sort of other direction, Roy wasn't shy about speaking to the inanimate objects.

"Why? Because they are my friends," Roy once said, per Business Insider.

Caron Butler Loved Mountain Dew

Many athletes turn to water or Gatorade to hydrate at halftime of a game. That wasn't always what former basketball player Caron Butler had in mind. Starting with his days at UConn, Butler would frequently have his wife stop by 7-Eleven to bring him a 2-liter of Mountain Dew, he once told ESPN.

Butler would drink half of the soda before tip-off, then the other liter at halftime. The two-time All-Star thought this kept him "wired" during games. That tradition endured when Butler reached the NBA. He had refrigerators exclusively for his favorite yellow beverage.

The Washington Wizards eventually prevented Butler from continuing this habit in 2007.

Santo Condorelli Flips Off His Dad

Swimmer Santo Condorelli's pre-race routine consists of holding up his middle finger while on the starting blocks. And there's one intended recipient of the crude gesture. Condorelli flips off his father, at his recommendation. The swimmer explained in 2016 that the superstition first started when he was 8 years old and is used as a way to pump himself up.

"You've got to build your confidence in yourself and say eff everybody else that's racing," Condorelli said of his dad's advice, according to People magazine. The swimmer also recalled his father telling him, "'Every time you're behind the blocks, give me the finger and I'll give it back to you.'"