Hugh: Toronto Maple Leafs Fans Found to be Most Superstitious NHL Fanbase

If you’re a hardcore sports fan, you’re probably dedicated to your favourite team, watching most of their games, wearing team merchandise, and maybe even carrying a few superstitions. As a big sports fan myself, I will tell you that watching sports is the only part of my life where superstition does creep in and influence what I’m wearing, where I am, or what I’m doing. An online gaming company recently conducted a survey to find out which sports fans are the most superstitious, and there are some interesting findings. First of all, among the five major North American sports leagues (NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA, and MLS), NFL fans are the most superstitious, followed by fans of the NBA, MLB, NHL, and finally the MLS. Tied for the most superstitious fanbase across all leagues are Dallas Cowboys fans and Los Angeles Lakers fans. One trend in the findings is that the most superstitious fanbases are also some of the largest fanbases, with the New York Yankees fans as the most superstitious in baseball. In the NHL, it’s the Toronto faithful. The Maple Leafs have among the largest number of supporters in hockey, and they tend to hold a few superstitions.

When it comes to exactly what these sports-related superstitions are, the most common one by far is wearing a specific colour. Making sure you’re donning your team’s colours is extremely common among fans of all sports, with nearly half of respondents admitting they dress a specific way for games. The second most common superstition is wearing a “lucky” piece of clothing, followed by watching the game in a particular spot. Fewer than ten percent of sports fans report doing things like eating the same meal, avoiding betting on their team, refusing to watch a game with a particular family member or friend, or listening to a lucky song. The strangest superstitions people admit to include 0.4% of sports fans leaving their underwear unwashed and 0.3% will sleep in the opponent’s uniform.