Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Arthur I. Cyr: The legacy of Singapore’s leader Lee Kwan Yew Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Columns Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Arthur I. Cyr: The legacy of Singapore’s leader Lee Kwan Yew The rest of the story Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall ... Ticket availability ... UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit ... New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall ... Ticket availability ... UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit ... Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious By Antionette Kerr More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Antionette Kerr More Content Now Posted Mar. 26, 2015 @ 9:28 am By Antionette Kerr More Content Now Posted Mar. 26, 2015 @ 9:28 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Welcome to the final days of March Madness 2015, a month riddled with mythology and lucky charms that extend from locker rooms to living rooms. ‘Tis the season when emotions run higher than a longleaf pine. We devote ourselves daily to watching college basketball, especially those in the Tar Heel state. Despite our rich basketball heritage, we understand that tournament time can be unpredictable. Regardless of ranking, seeding and predictions, we know that anything can happen. The most zealous coaches, players and fans aren’t content with leaving it all up to chance. Superstitions lead the way. As a die-hard Carolina fan, I have learned all sorts of rituals and/or tourney traditions. I joined the ranks of the superstitious in 2012 when my alma mater was more likely to win when I watched the games on the couch with my Grandmother Gladys. Our tradition involved Gladys wearing her Carolina Grandma sweatshirt, and I would wear my spaghetti-stained Carolina Alumni sweatshirt. Although we didn’t win the national championship that year, we had a great season. Gladys and I shared special moments that I will always cherish. This is the first year that UNC is in the Sweet 16 since then, and Granny is no longer with us. The rituals and traditions from Granny’s couch prompted me to ask about others. My good friend Kelly shared a childhood memory of her beloved Gigi, Arlene Sturdivant. When the Tar Heels are down, she swears that she can still hear the sounds of her late grandmother’s upright Wurlitzer piano. When the Tar Heels started to struggle, Gigi used to head into the parlor and begin tickling with ivories with motivational tunes from the Methodist hymnal. One of the most well-known superstitions in basketball started with my all-time favorite Tar Heel, “His Airness” Michael Jordan. After leading UNC to a national championship in 1982, Jordan believed the uniform shorts he wore that year were lucky. He continued wearing the shorts under his uniform during his wildly successful career with the Chicago Bulls (rumor has it that he never washed them). In order for Jordan to wear them under his NBA uniform, he needed to wear longer Bulls shorts to cover them. He is often credited with creating the style of wearing longer shorts in the NBA and solidifying the way for several other superstitious rituals. The NBA changed the rules for Jordan, but the NCAA has had pressure to deal with its fair share of superstitions from players and coaches alike. I recall people making a fuss in 2012 when Baylor won all four games in which the team wore new glow-in-the-dark neon green Adidas jerseys. They were quite ugly, but the superstitious Bears coach, Scott Drew, petitioned the NCAA to allow the team to wear the neon jersey in the Elite Eight matchup with Kentucky. Baylor was considered the “road team,” which would indicate a change in uniform. The NCAA denied Drew’s request, and the Bears lost 82-70. Some say it wouldn’t have mattered against a dominant team like Kentucky and suggested that Baylor’s coach should be more concerned with who the team was playing rather than superstition. I didn’t pull out my lucky sweatshirt when Notre Dame made history this year by winning its first ACC tournament against my beloved Tar Heels. I didn’t think we needed good mojo until I realized that the Fighting Irish were wearing lucky shoes. T he New York Times writer Ben Shpigel described them best in his article “Notre Dame Rides a Streak with Shoes like Highlighters.” “It was as if they had been marinated in puréed Skittles, coated with ectoplasm and then dunked in Citrus Cooler-flavored Gatorade.” The loss was bad enough, but for superstitious fans like me, those shoes added more insult to injury. “Those hues have streaked across basketball courts over the last two and a half weeks, offending traditionalists, clashing with the Irish’s gold jerseys and blinding viewers at home. As the Irish are quick to mention, the colors have also propelled them to six straight victories, including in the ACC tournament championship game against North Carolina.” I haven’t read much about UNC basketball rituals for this tourney. Years ago, former UNC players Kendall Marshall and Harold Barnes reported Coach Roy Williams had a few rituals. They claimed Williams usually throws away his tie and suit after losing a game. I’ve watched carefully to see if this is true, but it’s hard to believe. Roy is a fashionable guy and wears some bright and colorful ensembles. I am almost certain I have seen a repeat tie or two after a loss, but I can’t confirm that fact. I would hope that rather than throwing away things, he would donate them to worthy causes. We have some challenges ahead and, needless to say, I am interested in what the superstitious are doing in the locker room, the benches and their living room couches. From temporary tattoos or lucky underwear, what are people willing to do to bring luck to our favorite team in the Sweet 16? Win or lose, I suspect there will be a moment of looking to the Carolina blue skies with nostalgia. Memories of being Tar Heel Born and Tar Heel Bred never die, and I am thankful for the opportunity to celebrate traditions of all kinds. I have calmed down with my rituals, but it looks like this Tar Heel tourney team might motivate me to pull my lucky sweatshirt out of retirement. It started getting a little smelly, so I haven’t worn it. That being said, does anyone know how to remove a spaghetti stain out of a Carolina sweatshirt without washing it? Antionette Kerr is a freelance journalist and author of “Just Sayin’: Conversations My Mother Would Never Let Me Have at a Southern Dinner Table.” You may email her at [email protected]. By Antionette Kerr More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Antionette Kerr More Content Now Posted Mar. 26, 2015 @ 9:28 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501