Sports fans — much like a lot of athletes — are superstitious. Companies have used those silly things we do as fans in commercials to sell products.
Me? You bet I’m superstitious. I tend to wear the same shirt (washed of course) for each Kansas State game when they win and change it up if they lose.
As a Kansas City Royals fan, I’ve not had to worry much about their games this late in seasons. The Royals haven’t been to the Major League Baseball playoffs since winning the 1985 World Seres. I was there on that night — the seventh game against St. Louis at Kansas City.
So, right now I’m wringing my hands and gritting my teeth on every game. Last Friday night when they were in New York going up against the Yankees, someone let me know the Royals were up 1-0. I told them not to tell me again — if they are winning when I’m not listening or watching, I don’t listen or watch. Since the game was in New York, at halftime of the Newton football game, I checked and they had won, 1-0.
Kansas City played at Detroit, lost the first two of a three-game series and lost its lead in the American League Central. The Royals pulled off a 3-0 win over the Tigers Wednesday night, coming home still on top of the division.
Kansas City opened up a 10-game homestand Thursday night, which is the final regular-season homestand for the Royals. The Royals lost to Boston, but…they still are in first place by a half-game because Detroit did not play Thursday.
You should have seen me last Saturday during the K-State-Iowa State football game. I knew it was going to be a game like it was, history bears that out. But I have faith in Bill Snyder to make the needed adjustments, he and his coaching staff did and the Wildcat prevailed.
That brings me to the Cy-Hawk game in Iowa City Saturday. Winless teams are dangerous teams. I don’t have a dog in this fight, but any rivalry game presents entertainment.
Just to reiterate, winless teams are dangerous teams. Take note Newton. Grinnell’s Tigers are lying in wait to claim a district game win at home. Newton’s Cardinals must eliminate the penalties that have cropped up in the first two games of the season.
Cardinal head coach Ed Ergenbright and his coaching staff have stressed to the Cardinals to focus on one game at a time. That’s the only way to play. Good teams win the games they are supposed to by playing consistently no matter who the opponent is.
Newton is at Grinnell Friday to open Class 3A District 6 play. The other four area high school teams are in district action also.
Again, winless teams are dangerous.
Colfax-Mingo’s Tigerhawks are 2-0 traveling to Sully in a Class A District 7 contest against the 0-2 Lynnville-Sully Hawks. In Class 2A District 7, Collins-Maxwell/Baxter is 2-0 and is on the road against Davis County (0-2) then there is the district contest between two winless teams — Prairie City-Monroe hosting Centerville.
I was looking at the Daily News’ pro football pick’em contest. Noticed I was the only woman in the VIP section and that I was the only one to pick an upset — Kansas City over Denver. Whatever works. Go Chiefs.
SOMETIME BETWEEN 8:30 and 8:45 Thursday night, Newton's YMCA might have had its roof raised a bit. When Newton/Colfax-Mingo/Pella's 400-meter relay varsity team not only won it race but set a team record, the noise level in the pool area of the Y made ears ring.
The NCMP Aquagirls knew late in the double dual meet they had beaten rival West Des Moines Dowling Catholic and Des Moines Roosevelt. Not since 2002 has a NCMP team beat Dowling Catholic in a dual meet. The Aqualgirls were definitely showing “The Power of All of Us” in their only home meet of the season.
Contact Sports Editor Jocelyn Sheets at (641) 792-3121 Ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com.