Trib: Grothe Superstitious Over Shirt

[___ Eats It]

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Grothe Superstitious Over Shirt

By BRETT MCMURPHY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Nov 16, 2006

TAMPA - Despite temperatures expected in the 40s Saturday night in Louisville, Ky., University of South Florida QB Matt Grothe is going shirtless.

"Even if it's 20 degrees, I don't think I'll wear a shirt under my shoulder pads," Grothe said. "I'll fight through it. I'll have a whole bunch of hand warmers."

Grothe's decision not to wear a shirt is simple. "I'm pretty superstitious," he said.

Here are Grothe's game-day superstitions, which date to his days at Lake Gibson High in Lakeland:

•White wristbands over his each bicep: "It looks like a shirt dangling down."

•Tape around the fingers on his left hand: "I had an injured finger one year [at Lake Gibson] and taped it. A player said it would look pretty sweet to tape all five, so I did. But I forgot [to tape them] at North Carolina. We came out and beat them pretty bad [37-20], so I haven't worn tape since."

•Lacing game pants: "When I tie up my pants, I always double knot them and put my belt through the loops."

•Face mask shield: After cutting his nose at Cincinnati, he has played with a shield over his face mask the past two weeks. "We're winning, so I'll keep it."

•No shirt under his shoulder pads: "I feel lighter." However, Grothe wore a T-shirt in three games this season - USF's only three losses - Kansas, Cincinnati and Rutgers (although he removed it at halftime).

With a T-shirt this season, Grothe averaged 146 yards passing per game, was 34-for-61 (56 percent) with three interceptions and no TDs. Without a shirt, Grothe averaged 215 yards passing per game, was 125-for-185 (68 percent) with eight interceptions and 12 TDs.

With those numbers, it's no doubt why skin is in.

"All that stuff sounds [silly], but makes me feel like I'm going to play better," Grothe said. "Whatever works."

[Guest BasketBull.]

What about the candy bar? ;D

Are any of you Bulls superstitious? Is there a particular game-day clothing that you wear? Have you dumped anything after a loss?

My one Bulls cap is a curse, so I've stopped wearing it. ;D

[E.T.]

I just wear BULL stuff . . . nothing special.

Go BULLS !!!

[Zonald]

You should put a section about "What others are saying" about Grothe.

I read this and it made me think there are a lot of people talking good about Grothe.  This isn't a good example but you know what I mean...

Q: Can Pitt stop West Virginia?

Frank Scandt, Baltimore, Md.

ZEISE: Ha Ha Ha Ha, that's a funny one. Have you been watching this team? This defense just put D.J. Hernandez in the college football hall of fame, they made Matt Grothe look like the second coming of Steve Young and turned Drew Stanton into Major Harris, not too mention the fact that they needed the guy who works behind the counter at the 7-11 on Western Avenue to step out and tell Ray Rice he can stop running now. What in the world would give anyone any indication that this defense has any chance of holding West Virginia to (a) less than 500 yards of offense and ( less than 50 points?

I wish I could tell you something good, but I can't. All I can say is pray for a lot of rain, a mud bath and hope the bus carrying Pat White and Steve Slaton goes the wrong way on I-279 and ends up breaking down halfway to Cleveland.

[USFKT]

What about the candy bar? ;D

Are any of you Bulls superstitious? Is there a particular game-day clothing that you wear? Have you dumped anything after a loss?

My one Bulls cap is a curse, so I've stopped wearing it. ;D

i'm superstitious......we've won every game i've attended this season....McNeese St, UCF, UConn, UNC, Pitt, and Syracuse.....every game i've either watched on tv or listened to on the radio we've lost....watched rutgers and cincy and listened to kansas....the only other game we won was FIU and i was at universal that night so i couldn't watch it or anything.......so i won't be watching or listening to the louisville or west virginia games.....hope it works

it also applies to other football games that i watched this season.....i wanted louisville to beat rutgers and they lost, and i wanted UF to loose this past weekend and they won...geeze i'm bad luck watching stuff on tv

[Brad]

As a basketball player I was very superstitious...I went through the same cycles where a particular wristband worked (or didn't).  Same socks every game (washed).  Same routine.  I fully understand his story.

[GetAHobby]

When I played baseball I use to have a tunafish sandwich before every game and get a hair cut (shaved head), that's why I have long hair now...

For USF games I use to wear a jersey, but when we hit a lossing streak, the jersey was dumped. Now I just rock USF Alum polo. And I get a lot of flack from friends for my hat, that has been beat up by my dog and is DIRTY, its my lucky hat so its on for all the games. I have two other USF hats that are identical to the dirty one, but they are never on my head on a game day.

[ProfessaBull]

What about the mouthpiece grothe? did you all notice that one or is it just me.

[Bubbles]

Mutt uses "game day" soap.  I kid you not...he has this green shower gel from Bath and Body Works (men's collection) and then he has gold (Nutrogena) face wash.  He also sings the "game day" soap song while in the shower!  He also wears his USF embroidered boxers...he has several pairs.  The one time he didn't use game day soap we lost to Cincy.

[flipflop4900]

TMI...TMI....TMI..........LOL!!! ;D ;D