Superstition

• He’s the author of novels like Running with Mother (2012), Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township (2012) and They are Coming (2014).
• As a scholar of African literature, including speculative fiction, I have researched Mlalazi’s previous books, especially his depiction of the Gukurahundi Genocide in Zimbabwe.
• I’m asking because it’s the first novel to be published by Mother, a new imprint of Jacana Media that’s dedicated to fantasy, science-fiction, Afrofuturism and horror.
• When I first started writing the story, I told myself I wanted to write something that sounded like folklore.
• I would like to place the story at the intersection of folklore, fantasy and mythology.
• I also read a few fantasy books just to get a feeling of how other writers handle this kind of writing.
• I might start working on the next book in the Langabi series at the end of this year; time will tell.

Gibson Ncube does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• The first-ever National Fan Day™ will take place on October 11th, 2023, and celebrates the kind of fandom that Vivid Seats rewards every day through the only loyalty program in the industry.
• With Vivid Seats Rewards, fans who buy 10 tickets get their 11th free, and much more.
• A new national study* commissioned by Vivid Seats, and conducted by global market research firm, The Harris Poll reveals just how dedicated Americans are when it comes to their favorite sports teams, artists, and bands.
• Fan Forecast® is Vivid Seats’ data-centric look at where and how fans are showing up in the crowd for their favorite teams.

• As the Toronto Maple Leafs recently limped to a third straight defeat to the Florida Panthers, Leafs fans experienced the dreaded rat trick.
• In this ritual, Panthers fans throw plastic rats onto the ice to summon the energy of past, unexpected successes.
• Read more:
  Leafs and Oilers in the NHL playoffs: Can I cheer on a team I usually hate?

The superstitious athlete

• Although all sports have their share of superstitious participants, hockey players have certainly earned their reputation for being at the high end of the range.
• As I alluded to earlier, playoff beards become ubiquitous among players at this time of year.
• Baseball players are certainly not to be outdone as a superstitious group — for example, it’s taboo to talk about a no-hitter.

Fan superstitions

• These superstitions can be group-based — like the rat trick — or personal.
• But if we can understand why athletes succumb to superstition based on actual benefits, how can we justify these behaviours among fans?

Handling uncertainty

• In general, humans don’t handle uncertainty very well.
• In the absence of concrete answers, we start to make up explanations of our own — these are known as attributions.
• We especially tend to attribute sporting success to factors that are under our control, like player and coach performance or fan involvement.
• Spectator sport is one of the most unpredictable things in the world, so we have a desire to combat this uncertainty and control what’s happening by any means possible, rational or otherwise.

During playoff time, be kind

• Sport superstitions make very little sense to non-sport fans, because they haven’t experienced the intensity of emotions and mental gymnastics that come with being a highly identified fan.
• It’s more than a pastime, it’s a big part of who we are and how we see ourselves.

• We partnered with Fry-day essential Heinz ketchup to bring this experience to life.
• The Frunker will also have burger-themed movies and more – alongside a carefully curated a music playlist rightfully titled ' The Frunker: Fry Bunker '.
• The belief that garlic wards off vampires, evil spirits and unwanted first-date kisses has been passed from generation from generation.
• For more information, hours of operation or to find a Checkers or Rally's location, please visit Checkers.com .