Giants Fans Hold Fast to Superstitions

They say it worked for them during the NFC championship, and it'll work again for the Super Bowl

With the Giants officially in the Super Bowl, superstitious fans are gearing up for their last good-luck rituals of the season, convinced that their favorite team sweatshirts and game-day meals are going to carry their beloved Big Blue to victory on Feb. 5.

Dina Narducci, for one, believes it was the strategic placement of her family in front of the television Sunday night in Staten Island that prolonged the Giants' streak, she said.

"If you were in a good spot at one time and the Giants were doing good, you stayed there," she said. "You can't move, whether you're outside or in the bathroom."

And as the Giants prepared for a crucial kick, Johnny Lyle in East Village got his body in ready position.

"Like if he were to kick it good, I could just jump up and spring up to the ceiling," he said.

As NBC New York viewers can testify, such customs are de rigueur during games. According to psychologist Harris Straytner, they're taking a cue from the athletes they're watching.

"Rituals and superstitious behavior among athletes actually does help them," said Straytner, who has counseled professional athletes. "It builds their confidence. They feel like they have their lucky rabbit's foot on them."

Fans, said Straytner, feel like superstition connects them to the game.

"It makes them feel a little closer to the players," he said. "Makes them feel like they've got some magical power."

So in two weeks, Devora Johnson of the Upper West Side plans on cooking the same meal she did the last time the Giants went to the Super Bowl. And during the game, she'll be ignoring calls and text messages.

"Everybody wants to call you at that clutch moment," said Johnson. "I don't want to talk about it. We're jinxing the team if we pick up the phone."

What are your big game day superstitions? Has the failure of a superstitious ritual deterred you from performing it again?

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