Lifting the hex

Mariner fans have their own special countercurses

By Janice Podsada

Herald Writer

Eat sushi. Carry Hulk Hogan in your pocket. Wear the same underwear day in and day out.

You’re not the only Mariners fan wearing the same pair of bloomers every stinking game day.

A quick survey this week of Snohomish County fans revealed a range of rituals they engage in prior to M’s games.

Given the Mariners two-game slump, fans will need to double their efforts today as the team takes on the Yankees in New York,

  • The Ichi’s-on-a-roll Eat Sushi Theory:

    Dustin Wilson of Everett said his father-in-law, Osamu Tanaka of Osaka, Japan, swears by sushi.

    "Every time he eats sushi, Ichiro scores," Wilson said.

    Jun Kim, sushi chef at Nariya Sushi and Grill in Mukilteo, said Tanaka is right. Eat one of Kim’s $6.95 four-piece Ichi-rolls and it’s — Raw, raw go Mariners.

  • The Haul Around a Hulk Ritual:

    Paul Powers, who works at the Mariners Team Store in Lynnwood, found a Hulk Hogan figurine perched on a shelf before Game 4 in Cleveland and put it in his pocket. That day, the Mariners won big. Powers, 19, reasoned the 3-inch-tall plastic wrestler was the muscle behind the Mojo.

    "Now he carries it around on game days," co-worker Don Garrison said.

  • Clasp your Hands and Pray:

    Kevin Roundhill’s ritual isn’t much to write home about, but its practice leaves him numb.

    "I sit on the edge of the couch and fold my hands in prayer during the game," the Lake Stevens resident said. "It’s a very tight hold."

  • The Dress Blue Rule:

    Cynthia Stensaa of Everett won’t let her husband, Michael, out the door unless he’s got the blues.

    "On game days I dress him," Stensaa said. "I make sure he’s wearing all blue. Blue shirt, blue tie, blue pants, blue…"

    Finally, there are a few fans who don’t give a lick about the luck of the drawers.

    "People always have their superstitions," Norma Enberg of Everett said. "Not me. Hey, if they win, they win. If they lose, it’s a doggoned shame."

    You can call Herald Writer Janice Podsada at 425-339-3029 or send e-mail to podsada@heraldnet.com.

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