A big shout out and thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s for this blog tour! When I read what the tour was about I was in because if Boston knows one thing, it is sports superstitions.
On January 6th There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake was released. Here is a little about the book:
Shelby Jane Cooper is seventeen, pretty and quiet. It's just Shelby and her mom, Shaylene, a court stenographer who wears pyjama jeans, stitches tapestry, eats ice-cream for dinner and likes to keep Shelby safe. So safe she barely goes out. So safe she doesn't go to school. Because anything could happen, to a girl like Shelby. Anything. When Shelby gets knocked down by a car, it's not just her leg that's broken: Shelby's world is shattered. Her mom turns up to collect her and drives off into the night, like it's the beginning of a road trip, like two criminals on the run, like Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde. And somehow, everywhere she looks, there's a coyote watching her, talking to her, telling her not to believe.Who is Shelby Jane Cooper? If the person who keeps you safe also tells you lies, who can you trust?
There Will Be Lies
Boston is a town that deeply immersed in their sports. We breath, eat, drink and sleep hockey, baseball, football and even basketball. We bleed for our teams. But with that blood comes a whole lot of superstitions, both on the personal level and as a city as a whole.
1) Sports Illustrated Cover Curse: It is well known in Boston (and other cities) that you don’t want your superstars to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The cover is a curse, a jinx, an automatic groan made by fans. In 2001 Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox was on the cover of the magazine; one week later he broke his wrist altering his entire career. In September of 2008 Tom Brady of the New England Patriots (left) was on the cover; first game of the season he tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee. This stuff is no joke in these parts.
2) Curse of the Bambino: The age old story of why the Red Sox never won a World Championship for 86 years (1918-2004). It is a complicated tale of a trade for cash of one of the Red Sox greatest players to one of their biggest rivals all for a play to be made. The story has changed over the years as stories often do, but it all goes back to the same thing, the Red Sox luck changed with that trade and it wasn’t reversed until 2004 when they were able to finally win it all again.
3) Player Superstitions: Even the players have their own habits and quirks. They have to eat the same thing everyday before a game, listen to the same music, wear the same socks. Nomar Garciaparra had some of the most noticeable and infamous habits before a game.
4) The Playoff Beard: Boston is lucky enough to see a lot of playoffs whether in football, baseball or hockey. On of the most notcible things, especially in hockey, is the playoff beard. When a team is in the hunt for the Stanley Cup, they refuse to shave. It is a major superstition that makes a typical clean-cut guy look like he has been living in the woods for a decade. I mean take a look at the difference in Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins).
1) The Shirt: I have a clothing superstition when it comes to sports. It goes back to 2004. When the Red Sox were down 3 games to none in a 7 game series to the Yankees in the ALCS I put on my red Derek Low t-shirt (if you know me, you know I can’t wear red). Well the Sox won game 4. Therefore I wore it for game 5. Won that too. Game 6, Game 7, and all 4 of the World Series games (I even wore it to a bar under an different sweater so I knew it was there!) I wore that Derek Lowe shirt and the Sox never lost. Since then it has become my thing in playoffs for all my Boston sports. Not the Derek Lowe shirt, I retired that, but if they win when I’m wearing something, I have to wear the same thing for the next game. I am now that girl.
2) Profile Pictures/Avatars: I won’t change mine on any social media if my team is winning. This means I could have a Santa profile pictures until February, but I just don’t care. I believe it helps them win and I’m sticking with it.
3) The Venue Switch: I have actually gone from watching a Patriots game at home to a bar because the Pats were losing badly. At half time, me and my friend decided it was best to change their luck by changing our location. Got up and went out. This one sadly didn’t work, but I would do it again in a heart beat.
So there you have it, Boston/My Sports Superstitions and curses. What superstitions are in Nick Lake’s book There Will Be Lies? Well you will have to read it to find out. But here is your chance. Bloomsbury has one copy of THERE WILL BE LIES up for grabs! The winner must be 13 years of age or older and a resident of US ONLY. Sorry, international! Just enter below!
Oh my god yes. I am a huge hockey fan (GO DUCKS) and I LOVE the playoff beard. I even ask one of my friends to grow a beard for me. And, twinsies, I do the same thing with shirts and my team winning. It’s only weird if it doesn’t work!
True story! It is only weird if it doesn’t work. And it works! 2004 is my proof.
I am sooo with you on the clothing-related superstitions! The Panthers lost all of their games in weeks 7-13 this season. So for week 14, I decided to punish them and not wear ANY Panthers clothing items that Sunday. They ended up winning the game! I repeated this for the following 3 regular season games.. and they won those too. I had obviously convinced myself that me wearing Panthers clothing made them lose. The next game was the first playoff game, and they won because I didn’t wear their clothes. THEN BY ACCIDENT, the following week, I wore Panthers sweatpants to bed the night BEFORE the game…. and they lost. Because I woke up on that day in my sweatpants. I am convinced. It’s all my fault.
This is epically tragic and awesome at the same time! This is how I THINK!
Oh my word…I am LOVING this post! Just reminds me how much I LOVE Boston!!