This spurs crap..... and other unassociated ramblings

[Matt]

He does seem intent on pushing up his oggie tally to double figures by the time he retires.

[EwarWoo]

But superstition is nonsense anyway so it doesn't matter.

See, normally I'd agree with you, but it's a wee but different when it comes to football.

As an example, someone at work will make some comment along the lines of "best not mention it's quiet" and I'll turn round and intentionally go on about it being quiet. I enjoy playing with peoples superstitions.

However, it's not unusual at WC time to find me sitting in my lounge room at 5am on a cold winters morning, wearing a football shirt, shivering my tits of with a cold beer in my hand.

It's never done us any good, I know, logically it's bollocks.

But for some reason I just can't remove from my head the idea that I must wear a footy shirt and drink beer whilst watching the match. Even if I am across the planet and it's on at an unearthly hour. And even in winter.

Much as you can't really explain why not, I can't explain why. But it is what it is. When it comes to football I'm superstitious.

[MrMichael]

This is a great thread.

Well played Mr.M and harvey.

Geelong are my AFL team too. I took a liking to them when I was in Australia in 2005.

And for those who have had a sense of humour bypass the whole spursare****e thing was partly my idea so feel free to blame me for unfortunate loss, not our players for failing to bury a number of gilt edge chances (besides Carra obviously - a great finish from him.)

Its been emotional.

And I do blame you...


for this

.

[Neil Young]

To be honest it's something I'd expect from a kid in a Junior school playground but as someone above said, each to their own.

I totally agree - people can believe what they like.

[Neil Young]

Ok Neil, allow me.... lets say that Harvey goes to a game wearing his lucky pants. At a crucial juncture of the game he suddenly has the impulse to recheck he is actually wearing them, he has just flown from Australia after all and is a little jetlagged, and as he slides his hand surreptitiously into his trousers, the button of his jeans gives and flies out towards the pitch. A ray of sunlight catches this button in the air, and by chance reflects directly into the linesman's eyes just as the ball is played forward, preventing him from seeing that the striker is in fact just offside. A goal is scored, the game is won, and this is all because of Harvey's choice of pants.

No, this is not because of Harvey's choice of pants. It's because of Harvey checking his pants. He could still have worn the wrong ones. Or the right ones. Who scored the goal and won btw.?

Ah, but if he hadn't made an active choice of pants in the first place then he wouldn't have needed to check he had the right ones on later.

Kuyt, and we did

My pants story is better Yeah, and I know how that sounds, its deliberate, go on, make the obvious comment someone

By the way, I'm pretty sure we won the Champions League because I wore my lucky Carragher tshirt and invented a pre-match ritual that I carried out through the rounds.

Yes, but imagine he had put on the wrong pants. Our victory would have destroyed his whole world view.



No, it was because I was wearing my lucky bra.

All I can add is

Well done all.

[Neil Young]

I'll sum it up like this.

I have a scarf, i dont wear it, i dont touch it, it hangs on my wardrobe. Its a Geelong scarf (my aussie rules team). Now we hadn't won the title for 45 years....the scarf used to be kept in my sock draw. I never wore it, as i dont go to many games anymore. However one day before the season started in 2007, i decided that im going to display the scarf. I hung it over the corner of my wardrobe for all to see.

Geelong went on to not just win that Premiership that season, but completely and utterly destroy all before them. Nobody could get near them. However, one game Port Adelaide beat them. I couldnt believe it. Why, How?? I hadn't touched the scarf WTF?? etc etc. I got home only to see that i had accidently closed the wardrobe door on the scarf, so it was stuck....I'd shut the door on Geelong. We lost.

So i quickly put the scarf back how it originally was and once again we destroyed all opposition and won the title (beating pORT BY 100+ in the grand final)

Now onto this season, i left the scarf as it was.....all season. We lost 1 game....the scarf was once again accidently closed in the wardrobe. So i once again put it back.

Then onto the grand final, playing Hawthorn, i was nervous, very nervous. I had reason to be. We lost. I got home thinking what a **** game it was etc etc.

Then i glanced over.....THE ****ING SCARF WAS STUCK IN THE WARDROBE!!

We have lost 3 games in 2 years....and on each occasion the scarf has accidentally been closed in the wardrobe.

Nonsense my ass.

Coincidence is a wonderful thing.

[Neil Young]

See, normally I'd agree with you, but it's a wee but different when it comes to football.

As an example, someone at work will make some comment along the lines of "best not mention it's quiet" and I'll turn round and intentionally go on about it being quiet. I enjoy playing with peoples superstitions.

However, it's not unusual at WC time to find me sitting in my lounge room at 5am on a cold winters morning, wearing a football shirt, shivering my tits of with a cold beer in my hand.

It's never done us any good, I know, logically it's bollocks.

But for some reason I just can't remove from my head the idea that I must wear a footy shirt and drink beer whilst watching the match. Even if I am across the planet and it's on at an unearthly hour. And even in winter.

Much as you can't really explain why not, I can't explain why. But it is what it is. When it comes to football I'm superstitious.

That's fine. As you say, you know it's bollocks but it makes you feel good and there's nothing wrong at all with that.

From a psychological point of view, it's interesting why it's comforting. I'd guess it has to do with the emotional connection to the outcome and the desire/need to feel one can influence it. I'd be interested to hear explanations from real psychologists rather than the speculations of an enthusiastic amateur (i.e. me and, especially, fredo).

[Neil Young]

I don't believe in superstitions but I don't have an answer as to why it's wrong to believe in. I doubt you have one too.

It's not wrong to believe in. It's just wrong. We all know it is really.

[Guest]

That's fine. As you say, you know it's bollocks but it makes you feel good and there's nothing wrong at all with that.

From a psychological point of view, it's interesting why it's comforting. I'd guess it has to do with the emotional connection to the outcome and the desire/need to feel one can influence it. I'd be interested to hear explanations from real psychologists rather than the speculations of an enthusiastic amateur (i.e. me and, especially, fredo).

[MrMichael]

It's not wrong to believe in. It's just wrong. We all know it is really.

But you do agree it is possible for Harvey's choice of pants to effect the result of a game?

[The Erectile Banana]

Its been emotional.

And I do blame you...


for this

http://mcivta.com/pictures/bananas.jpg.

Ah the early ninties inflatable banana craze. Halycon days when potassium related hijinks ruled the terraces.

I always liked those inflatable hammers too. I had one for the 2002 world cup that bore the legend 'Hammered by the Irish.' Everytime we scored I'd run around like a madman bopping people on the head with it. It got an awful bashing after Robbie Keane's last minute equaliser against the Germans.

[Neil Young]

But you do agree it is possible for Harvey's choice of pants to effect the result of a game?

I believe it's possible to come up with a theory purporting to explain it. That doesn't make it correct or even worth taking seriously.

It's like Intelligent Design. Just because someone can come up with an alternative theory to Darwinian evolution it doesn't automatically mean it's on a comparable level of credibility.

I realize you weren't being serious but

[MrMichael]

I believe it's possible to come up with a theory purporting to explain it. That doesn't make it correct or even worth taking seriously.

It's like Intelligent Design. Just because someone can come up with an alternative theory to Darwinian evolution it doesn't automatically mean it's on a comparable level of credibility.

I realize you weren't being serious but

You're avoiding the question.

[Neil Young]

You're avoiding the question.

Not to any extent that's worth considering, especially if he's in Australia.

[Guest]

Not to any extent that's worth considering, especially if he's in Australia.