Happy Thanksgiving? 38% of Sports Fans Believe A Family Member is Bad Luck

Superstitions and sports go together like Thanksgiving turkey and, well, pretty much any side dish. Everyone seems to have a story of one friend that will wear the same sock every time their team plays or has a tattered childhood jersey they’ll wear to every game after their team won the championship the last time they donned it. Well, if you thought it was just a few random sports fans that were superstitious about their team, you’d be greatly mistaken. According to a new survey from a prominent sportsbook, a significant portion of sports fans are extremely superstitious, and it goes well beyond simply changing outfits every quarter. Let’s take a deeper look at how sports can make us distrust anyone from ourselves to our families.

Tipico Sportsbook Confirms Sporting Superstitions

In an attempt to perhaps further understand the behavior of sports bettors, and the sports fandom in general, Tipico Sportsbook recently commissioned a survey in collaboration with OnePoll. The poll, which had 2,400 total participants, confirmed that 62% of respondents believed themselves to be responsible for their favorite team losing. And, as you could guess, that blame is placed on everything from shifting from a lucky spot on the couch to wearing the wrong outfit.

Are Family Members Bad Luck?

Part of the survey from Tipico and OnePoll focused on the family angle of sports superstition, but it’s not quite as positive as you’d think. 81% of those that responded to the survey believe that it’s part of their personal tradition to catch a sports game this Thanksgiving. Interestingly, the same amount of people said that games are more exciting in general when viewed with others, with 71% feeling as if there is more riding on a game when numerous people are watching.

However, around 38% of people in the survey also believe someone in their own family contributes to the bad luck of their team. Even beyond that, a whopping 84% have admitted to asking someone to leave while watching a sporting event if they feel like they’re affecting the outcome of the game. While it’s not officially part of the survey, you can 100% guarantee that’s going to lead to some awkward Thanksgiving dinners.

Place Your Bets, Ladies and Gentlemen

Additional results from the survey conclude what many of you already know: people love betting on sports. 59% of respondents claimed to make lighthearted wagers with other people while watching games together. This isn’t too surprising, considering 74% of people in the U.S. believe games are more interesting with a stake in the matchup. Additionally, with 49% of Americans confirming they’ve placed a bet on a sporting event, it’s safe to say that the feeling is common. However, along with those bets comes even more superstition. 55% of sports bettors find that it’s a negative to hear bets described as a lock. Even saying good luck is bad luck (wrap your mind around that) to 54% of sports fans responding to the survey. With Thanksgiving nearly here and a full slate of games, sports superstition might be another popular side this holiday.