From gold towels to green underwear, Fans put best (rabbit’s) foot forward

Players, too, do what they can to maximize their mojo.

In the Pittsburgh suburb of Cranberry, Shirl Henke goes out to her Steelers’ helmet-shaped mailbox each morning on game day, and sings, rubs and kisses it for good luck.

“It sure has worked this year,” said Henke, 53, a lifelong Steelers fan.

If there’s ever a good time for Pennsylvania football fans to get out their lucky rabbits’ feet, this is it. The Pittsburgh Steelers host the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship game, while the Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC’s big showdown.

Sports fans — and especially players — have always been superstitious, whether it be a kicker who dares not deviate from his pre-kick routine, or a team that fears a Sports Illustrated cover photo before the big game portends its demise.

Before every game, Eagles All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins has one of the team’s athletic trainers prepare a Breathe-Right nasal strip the same way: one side of the strip is colored midnight green and the other half is silver. Dawkins always wears the silver side on the left side of his nose and the green on the right side.

“It’s all part of the fun of the game, but at the same time there is some hidden belief on some level that this is contributing” to a team’s success, said Richard Lustberg, a sports psychologist.

Not everyone believes in superstitions, though.

“The way you approach a game, as long as you’re consistent, you put your best foot forward and try to play your best game,” said Steelers wide receiver Sean Morey, who used to think the kind of music he listened to or his routine before a game would affect the outcome.

From his spot behind the bar of Chickie’s & Pete’s in South Philadelphia, John Gallagher, 33, has seen plenty of craziness from raucous fans that come from the stadiums just a few blocks away. But when it comes to his gameday garb, Gallagher is deadly serious.

“That, right there” he said, pointing to a green-and-white Eagles visor hanging from the cash register, “goes on for gameday. I wear green underwear, green Eagles socks, too.”

Every year, something new becomes part of the ensemble. This year it was the visor.

“They started 7-0, and then I took a day off for the Pittsburgh game and didn’t wear it, and they lost,” he said.

Jim Cartafalsa, 19, sits nearby in a black Donovan McNabb jersey, eating a sandwich. He has an elaborate in-game routine to keep the Eagles’ mojo going.

“I’ve got my hat on until the third quarter, then I take it off and switch my jersey around backward for the fourth quarter,” he said. “I did it for the first game, for some reason. I figure I’ll keep on doing it since it’s working.”

Back in Pittsburgh, Henke has been kissing her mailbox for years. She got the giant black and gold helmet about 15 years ago as a joke from friends who are Cleveland Browns fans. Every year, she cleans it up with a coat of spray paint and new stickers — just so it’s in perfect condition for her gameday ritual.

“I try to do it in the mornings before the neighbors see me,” Henke said.

And this isn’t any ordinary stroll down to the mailbox. Henke sings and claps the entire way — “Here we go Steelers, here we go.” Clap, clap. “Here we go Steelers, here we go.” Clap, clap.

Bridget Healy, 33, of McCandless, has to crochet from the first kickoff of each Steelers game until the final seconds tick off the clock. She’s been working on the same blue and green baby blanket all season, during every game, and only stops to kneel in front of the TV during field goal attempts.

Oh, and she also wears a Terrible Towel wrapped on her head like a babushka. It must face forward for offensive plays, backwards when the defense is on the field.

“I’m not that fanatical to believe I am making them win. It’s just sort of like anything you can do to help is why I do this,” said Healy, who as a child dreamed of being a linebacker.

This year’s baby blanket is for a pregnant neighbor. It’s already much longer than a normal blanket — but she refuses to stop as long as the team is winning.

“She’ll be crocheting until the end of the season,” said her husband, Sean, “unless the baby comes first.”