In the mid ’90s when the Rockets were winning back-to-back titles in the NBA, I was a bit of a diehard. I watched every game, attended as many as I could and got pretty animated during games. Let’s just say I left a few remote controls in my wake. I did manage to get my rabid fandom under control and become a more moderate, well-adjusted patron, but I appreciate the guy (or gal) who can get a player’s face shaved into their head or wear face paint day and night for weeks.
And, like many fans, during the throes of my most passionate times watching the Rockets, I carried with me a few superstitions to help the team win. For every game I watched at home, I sat in the same chair, stood for the fourth quarter in my living room and drank Dr Pepper from a single plastic Rockets giveaway mug. Note that these clearly worked, given the titles.
Bud Light even has a commercial now highlighting the superstitions of fans, and we wondered what Texans fans do to protect their team from curses. As it says in the commercial, “It’s only weird if it doesn’t work.” Hell, even Gary Kubiak turns his back during field goals. So, we took to the best and most accurate tool for polling in the universe: Twitter. Here are a few of the better responses we received. Feel free to add your own in the comments.
@houstonpress too many to list. But we park in the exact same spot for every tailgate to start. #BrokenGnomeTailgaters
— THE Astrosguy (@astrosguy) November 30, 2012
Seems pretty logical to us.
@houstonpress my wife, my son and I wear the same colored shirts or jerseys as the @houstontexans for that game.
— Ernesto Banda Jr (@Banda_TXN_68) November 30, 2012
Right, get the whole family involved. Good thinking.
@houstonpress I never watch games at home and when at my friends we have to sit in the same seats for all @houstontexans games +TD j’s 😉
— lenny (@htownslack) November 30, 2012
Sounds a lot like my Rockets days. Well done!
@houstonpress being cool about all the wins and not shouting “we’re going all the way this year!”
— Christopher Oddo (@oddoracecar) November 30, 2012
Yeah, nobody likes that guy.
@houstonpress rule #1 don’t tell anyone your superstitions. #gotexans
— Cesar Villagran (@cesarwsop) November 30, 2012
Like Fight Club. I like it.
Season ticket holder since inception. I’ve worn same pair of boxers to every game. MT @jeffbalke @houstonpress…Texans superstitions?
— Jason (@qtab) November 30, 2012
This twitterer iterated in a later tweet that he — thankfully — washes said boxers every week. Still, that’s dedication.
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2012.
