Doing Anything For A Win

from Graeme Hamilton of the National Post,

When your team is deep into the NHL playoffs, little things can make the difference between victory and defeat. Things like financial advisor Bobby Lanctot shedding his cursed Carey Price jersey and wearing the vintage white one to cheer on the Canadiens. Or waiter Joe Hayward travelling from Fredericton to Montreal’s Bell Centre and improving his playoff record to seven Habs’ victories, zero defeats in games he has watched. Or aerospace worker Maureen Cowie, watching the game in solitude at home, reciting lines from the inspirational speech that spurred the 1980 U.S. Olympic team to victory.

Our brains tell us that the outcome of games is up to the players alone, but our hearts sense otherwise. Devoted hockey fans, like those of other sports, can’t shake the belief that their actions might influence the outcome of the game. Where they sit, what they wear, even how their toddler is dressed are game-day decisions as crucial as the coach’s starting lineup.

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