Jinxing Guidelines
by Basketball John on Dec 12, 2009 3:57 PM MST
in Site Notes
17 comments
[Note by Basketball John, 12/12/09 3:54 PM MST ] I should have posted this to start the season. While we're waiting for the Lakers tonight, here's a quick refresher
The topic of jinxing comes up a lot in SLC Dunk threads, mainly game threads. As much as I've tried to downplay a jinx, there have just been too many coincidences where I've stated something in a game preview/recap, or only to have the Jazz do the opposite. I've toyed with fate too many times.
The latest example was my Magic 8 explanation. Over the 12-game winning streak (which will now be forbidden to talk about), the Jazz were closing out games right and left. The last 8 minutes of the streak showed the Jazz either pull away in that time or come back for the win. I also included Deron Williams in that talk because his number is 8. Actually, I was going to label it the Magic 5 or 6 but 8 sounded better and the Williams connection was too much to pass up. I could stretch it to 8. Plus, at the 8 minute mark is normally when he comes back in to finish the game.
That came after the Indiana game back on March 10.
What happened after that? Well, the Jazz went on to lose the next three in a row because THEY COULDN'T CLOSE OUT A GAME including one of the worst losses in the team's history to Miami. While they never had a chance to close out the Orlando game, it was directly related to the 3OT loss to the Heat the night before.
Thankfully though, Deron seems impervious to jinxes as he's averaged 20 & 10.6 since then. Sorry about that. Strike that, reverse it.
So at this request, I give you the rules of jinxing. While this may cover some Jazz-specific things, they probably apply to most teams.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list. Leave your comments below and I'll update this document. The comments will be open forever and this post will appear permanently on the sidebar. I'd like to have a section called counter-jinxes as well. What are some of your best counter-jinxes?
And don't worry about any potential jinxes in this post. I was worried that an entire post on jinxes would jinx the Jazz forever. I spoke with the basketball gods about this. The gods have given me one free pass so that the rules can be set. At least that's what they told me. I hope it wasn't a trap.
The do-nots
- The biggest rule of all seems to be that jinxes only apply when they are written or spoken. If you keep your thoughts in your head, the basketball gods cannot read your mind.
- Do not mention a streak of any kind. Whether it be winning, consecutive games without an injury, consecutive free-throws, etc. They will come to an end at the next opportunity.
Examples
"I would love to see the Jazz extend this winning streak to 13!"
Unnamed announcer: "Deron Williams is 8/8 from the free-throw line tonight."
- Do not comment on how well someone is playing. They will now turn to suckitude.
Examples
"Memo scored 21 points in the first half! He's going to end up with 40!"
"Brewer has been playing out of his mind over the last two months."
- Do not state anything as fact before it happens.
Example
Ross Siler: "There's also no doubt that the Jazz will win out at home - - they have Phoenix, New York, Minnesota, Golden State and the L.A. Clippers left - - and take an 18-game winning streak (one shy of the franchise record) at EnergySolutions Arena into the playoffs."
Thankfully, there are counter-jinxes.
The dos
- You are only allowed to say something good about the team once it becomes fact. You can comment on a 40+ point game and be excited once it's in the box score. Though you now risk jinxing that player for their coming game(s).
- If you would like to comment on scores of other teams, state the scores as fact without bias as to any one particular team lest the basketball gods know which team you favor.
Example
"Houston - 90, Minnesota - 106, 1:06 left in the fourth."
- Reverse jinxing works. It seems as though unintended reverse jinxing works better than intentional reverse-jinxing.
Example(s)
From the PHX game thread, "With the Jazz down 88-81, I pretty much gave up hope and sent the following text to one of my diehard Suns fan friends: You guys deserve to make the playoffs. We do not. This is a completely ridiculous performance."
"Yao Ming always kills us. He's probably going to go for 40 & 20 tonight."
And to the extreme (in a good way)
Counter-jinxes
-
Leave your thoughts in the comments and I'll update.
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I wish this were more wiki-like.
I tried finding a tool but to no avail. If anyone knows of something, let me know.
by Basketball John on Mar 30, 2009 11:19 AM MDT reply actions
Is a Hex the same as a counter or reverse jinx?
Can I get some guidelines for hexing? I’d like to hex the entire Lakers franchise from 1980 to the present and into the future, any rim that T-Mac is shooting at, any interview Dirk Nowitzky gives, any microphone that Boler is using, the plumbing in the bathrooms of referee dressing rooms, and the Blazers in games that matter to the Jazz (otherwise, I rejoice in their recovery from jailblazers days – they give hope to all the downtrodden).
No hexes on Chris Paul. I want Deron to be better than him fair and square. No hexes on Denver because they deserve each other and that’s enough for me. No hexes on Atlanta – I’m thrilled with their resurgence. No hexes on anybody in the east for that matter. No hexes on the Spurs because I fear retaliation.
Buckle up!
The Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, the Phoenix Suns, owing people multiple candybars when you say the same thing.
How could you not believe in Jinxes. My greatest fear is that the Jazz are jinxed to some degree and need to right karma before we can proceed forward. Is there anyway, we can teach thousands of Jazz fans at the home games to be as raucous and loud and obnoxious, without yelling racial slurs or booing even good calls? This may need to happen. But then again, what made Boston fans so worthy of a championship?
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
The entire New England area
sold their collective souls to the devil.
by Basketball John on Mar 30, 2009 11:51 AM MDT up reply actions
If by 'devil' you mean 'Bristol, CT'
"Taking offense is a cottage industry in this country" --Bill James
That's probably what he means...
The Cubs have the goat.
The Red Sox had Babe Ruth.
What do the Jazz have? The curse of Greg Foster?
I meant the success of the Red Sox, Celtics, and pats over the past few years.
by Basketball John on Mar 30, 2009 12:52 PM MDT up reply actions
No offense to the religious folks, but...
Its the no Sunday games. It is a well known fact that whoever is up there is a Jazz fan and is holding out to watch games on the only day off.
by prodigal punk on Mar 30, 2009 1:13 PM MDT up reply actions
Ronnie Brewer believes:
From Siler’s story today on team deflections:
As much as they try to one-up each other when it comes to deflections, Brewer and Millsap stop talking about them almost as quickly.
“It’s kind of crazy because we don’t want to jinx ourselves like that.” Brewer said. “If we have a game where we have a lot of deflections, we don’t really try to talk about it too much because during the next game, that’s when you mess around and have like two or three.”
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
i was going to post that too
well done, bbj. very very very well done. maybe we should just replace the welcome guide with this. ;-)
I voted yes, but only becuase I'm a take no prisoners kinda Trailblazer fan....
scoutin the enemy, behind the red line, espionage…you know…doin what us good fans do…
good luck in our matchup tonight…
;) but I think we’re gonna win c(;
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out burns out farms and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
for us or you?
I mean we are on your site, we’ll be playing on our court….
kind of a paradox no? I mean we could say that by me saying “I think we’re gonna win” here, could be jinxing my team, but it’s on a jazz site…so wouldn’t it be jinxing them? and the fact that we’ll be playing on our court…that’s gotta play into the jinx of the jinx too, becuase if I were to jinx on your site, but we were gonna play on our court, then I suppose that it’d have more to do with where I jinxed instead of who I was jinxing, kind of like a bear in the woods…right? if he farts and no one was around to hear it did it really make a sound?
site, court, who’s doing the jinxing….it’s all gotta be taken into account ;)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out burns out farms and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
You obviously don't understand how jinxes work.
Good luck tonight.
The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.
you're probably right....
I’m more into the side line twisted kinda ju ju….
the idea is, that I usually am wrong when proclaiming victory before the contest on my usual sites….so,
I figured if I came and muddied up ya’lls water a bit…..
it might have the opisisisisisite effect…maybe…
but it’s never been a 100% science, so…
here’s to the hope that my evil sinister plan works…
MUHA HA HA HA HA HA ….. …. …. ;) but yeah, good luck and all that…. I’ll come chill for some of the game tonight if ya’ll can take a little friendly ribbin…. ;) not full blown trollizim cuz that just ain’t cool, but yeah, I’m sure a few of the edgers’ll be over too ;)
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out burns out farms and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
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