Why athletes have such strange superstitions

Wade Boggs ate chicken before every game. (SN Illustration/Howe) You're out for a leisurely walk and a black cat runs across the sidewalk in front of you. It's Friday the 13th, so you stay home. In our society the number 13 is so feared, (and there's a name for it, triskaidekaphobia) that many airlines will not have a Row 13 on their airplanes, and hotels and buildings will not label a 13th floor.

Have you ever wondered if athletes carry a lucky charm or four-leaf clover in their pockets or lockers? There are many superstitions in our society, but no sector of society is more superstitious than the world of sports. Certainly sports fans can be a superstitious bunch. Many wear their lucky…