Only around 13 percent of Americans report being superstitious. But, there are some superstitions which tend to have us more convinced than others. For example, 35 percent believe that picking up a penny will bring good luck.

While some famous superstitions are shared by a lot of people, professional sports players often have specific superstitions that are very personal to them. From lucky pants to some seriously odd pre-match behavior, it seems that athletes will go to any lengths to ensure a winning streak.

Here’s a selection of some of the weirdest sports superstitions out there.

1. A Glass of Beef Blood

Knocking on wood for good luck is one thing, but how about knocking back a glass of beef blood?

Although it may sound disgusting to most people, drinking beef blood was popularized by boxers and is a fairly common ritual before matches. Sugar Ray Robinson wrote about it in his 1969 autobiography, stating that it provides vitamin fortification.

Robinson also used this weird ritual as a way to psyche out his opponents before a match. When dining in the same restaurant as his future opponent Jake LaMotta a few days before a match, Robinson made a point of ordering a large glass of beef blood.

Watching Sugar gulp down the blood, extracted before the meat is cooked, was enough for LaMotta to call him ‘out of his mind’. But Robinson was adamant that the blood was his secret weapon, giving him the strength to overcome stronger opponents.

And, perhaps this is one of those famous superstitions that actually worked. After all, 109 of his 202 bouts ended in a knockout, and Sugar was never physically knocked out himself.

2. I’m Bats for You

Any time slugger Richie Anderson had a good day of batting, he insisted on using the same bat to keep his successful run going.

But, Anderson didn’t trust the equipment managers to keep his bat separate. So, he took his new favorite bat home with him at night. He even made room in his bed for his latest lucky bat. Some might say it was the special treatment he gave the bat that made all the difference.

3. Ecuador’s Witch Doctor

Unlike their fellow South American nations Brazil and Argentina, Ecuador aren’t known for their soccer prowess.

So, when they qualified for the World Cup in 2006, Ecuador knew they had to pull out all the stops to succeed.

They found help in a ‘Witchdoctor’ called Tzamarenda Naychapi. The team sent Naychapi to every German venue that would be hosting a World Cup match to banish evil spirits and bring positive energy to the tournament.

And, you could say that the magic worked too. Ecuador defeated Poland and Costa Rica in the group stages and went on to the last 16 – their best World Cup performance to date.

4. No Right Turn for Rhomberg

According to his teammates, ex-major league star Kevin Rhomberg was seriously superstitious.

If anyone touched Rhomberg, he would insist on touching them back. But, even stranger, Rhomberg refused to make a right turn on the diamond. Apparently, he avoided turning right because you only turn left when you’re running bases.

5. The Octopus Toss

When it comes to crazy superstitions, this has got to be one of the weirdest.

Most fans show support for their team by shouting, chanting, or waving a variety of foam hands. But, when the Detroit Redwings of the NHL score a goal during a home game, fans throw octopuses onto the ice.

This tradition started back in 1952. With fewer NHL teams in the running, the road to the Stanley Cup only took eight playoff wins. And with eight legs, the octopus became the symbol of the Redwings’ winning streak.

6. Fear of Wasting Goals

Ex-England, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham striker Gary Lineker is famed for being the nice guy of soccer, having never been booked once in over 600 appearances.

But his scoring record is even more impressive, with a total of 286 goals throughout his 16-year soccer career.

To hit the back of the net that many times, he must have got in a lot of shooting practice when he was warming up before a game, right? Wrong.

Lineker said that he didn’t want to waste scoring goals in the warm-up, and preferred to save them for the match.

7. No Peanut Shells

Most sports players embrace crazy superstitions to ensure a win or to avoid a sports injury. But for NASCAR drivers, unlucky behavior could well result in a fiery crash. So we’d understand why they might want to play it safe.

According to a superstition dating back to the pre-WWII racing era, peanuts in shells are considered bad luck and never sold at NASCAR events. This is because, as racing folklore has it, peanut shells are always found in the smoldering wreck of crashed race cars.

8. Serena’s Dirty Socks

Spanish ace Rafa Nadal completes a whole list of rituals before a match, including neatly placing water bottles and taking a cold shower. But fellow tennis champ Serena Williams prefers to keep things dirty to ensure a winning streak.

Williams has blamed a change in her routine for losses, so she wears the same pair of socks throughout the whole tournament run. And, with 23 grand slam titles to her name, maybe this superstition isn’t so crazy after all.

9. French Kiss

Last but not least, how about kissing your bald goalkeeper on the head for a strange superstition?

During the 1998 World Cup, French defender Laurent Blanc planted a kiss on Fabian Barthez’s head before every match. For some reason, he thought it would bring them luck throughout the tournament.

And well, he wasn’t wrong. France went on to win the World Cup that year for the first time.

Some of the Craziest Sports Superstitions

As this selection of sports superstitions shows, professional athletes sure are a superstitious bunch.

But, if it means they can continue their winning streak and keep their fans happy at the same time, we’re totally in favor of their odd behavior.

Check out our other weird and wonderful stories to find out more about the things people get up to!