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A shot of rum, a boa constrictor and an African voodoo doll named Jobu may be a bit of an exaggeration, but to the Indians Pedro Cerrano it was a religion. “That was just a movie,” you say, “no one in a real-life locker room would behave that way.” Or would they?

How about chicken, the same athletic supporter since high school, the color red and odd numbers?

Some of the world's top athletes are a quirkiest bunch when it comes to superstitions, and bizarre rituals. Many athletes feel obliged to perform these strange rituals before competing, believing that they will in some mystical way improve their performance, or change the outcome of the game.

Sometimes these behaviours borderline obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and has even forced some players out of competition. Superstitions rule the minds of many athletes, both on and off the field. These are just few examples of some of the sports worlds most bizarre rituals past and present.

1. Wade Boggs, former third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, had an array of rituals, including eating chicken before each game, and writing the Hebrew word Chai, meaning "living", in the dirt before each bat.

2. NBA basketball superstar Michael Jordan always wore his North Carolina college shorts under his Chicago Bulls uniform.

3. Golf sensation Tiger Woods is also a little bit superstitious. He usually wears red on Sunday. Red is his lucky color, he has said; it's a belief that comes from his astrology-believing mother.

4. Soccer star David Beckham has admitted that he suffers from OCD, which may explain the obsessive practice that underpins his prowess with free kicks. He hates the asymmetry of odd numbers, and will throw away one can of Diet Pepsi if he has three in the fridge.

5. Former Montreal Canadiens and goaltender Patrick Roy during the pre-game warm ups would skate out to the blue-line and stare at the net, envisioning it shrinking. He would also consciously never step on the blue-line or redline.

6. Marshall Faulk, former running back with the Indianapolis Colts and the St Louis Rams, habitually wore all black on the way to the stadium.

7. Mark McGwire wore the same cup from his high school playing days. That same cup was later stolen, forcing him to find other means of protection. What's more disgusting, the cup itself, or the fact that someone coveted it enough to steal it?

8. Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard might just have the crappiest pre-game ritual in the league. Howard claims that he always visits the toilet before a game, a ritual he started in high school. He says, “It is a natural release of all the bad stuff, so all the good stuff comes out when I am on the court.”

9. Wayne Gretzky always tucked his jersey onto one side because he always played with the older kids, and received a jersey way to large for him. For him to be able to skate, he had to tuck it into one side so it wouldn't get caught in between his legs, and stick. It’s been a habit with him he carried into the big leagues.

10. Babe Ruth claimed he had only one superstition. He made sure to touch all the bases when he hit a home run.

In the end, all that really matters is the outcome of the game. Superstitions are replaceable and easily discredited when they don’t work. If eating chicken, wearing a certain color or article of clothing, or making a trip to the nearest restroom are a part of the winning formula, they become ritual. If not, they fall into oblivion, never to be thought of again.

So the next time you see an MLB pitcher hopping over a baseline or an NHL goalie talking to a goal post, you decide.

Lucky charms or bad habits?

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This year’s Western Conference final is sure to be a Wild West showdown. You have the ultimate match up of NBA scorers with Melo vs. Kobe, along with a good low-post match-up in Kenyon Martin and Nene vs. Paul Gasol and Andrew Bynum, and a point guard match-up with Chauncey Billups vs. Derek Fisher.

When the season started nobody would have picked the Denver Nuggets to qualify for the Western Conference finals. The fact the team made quick work of the Dallas Mavericks and has had five days off waiting for the Lakers to finally show up and eliminate the Houston Rockets is nothing short of remarkable.

Now Denver faces by far their most difficult challenge of the season when they face off in game one of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday in Los Angeles against Kobe and Co.

The Nuggets come into the series with the highest point differential of any team in the league having lost only two games in the postseason thus far. The Lakers, on the other hand, have been Webster’s definition of inconsistent. But when truly tested the Lakers have answered the call.

The question is whether or not the Lakers' casual attitude in certain games will eventually come back to eliminate them from a championship run.

The key for Denver in this series will be defense. They cannot allow the Lakers to go off for 130+ points a game or it’s lights out.

Kobe is the go-to guy, and Denver will need to limit his touches and hold him to under 24 points a game for the series. The Nuggets can do this by putting Jones or Smith on him. They will also need to stop Gasol from out-rebounding their big guys, force Bynum to take low-percentage shots, just let Fisher be Fisher, and try and contain Ariza and Odom. Simple right?

It’s no doubt that the Lakers have an arsenal of great weapons that could abuse the Denver defense, but Denver plays much harder and is a more physical team than L.A. Kobe is a cry baby, and Smith and will need to get in his head by roughing him up a little.

The key for the Lakers is simple. Provide help for Kobe and try and feed the post as much as possible, exploiting the fact that Denver tends to give up more points than most teams. They will need to wear down the Nuggets starting five forcing Denver to go to their bench much earlier than they would like. The L.A .bench is deep and could be a key component in the outcome of the series.

This will be the series that everyone will be watching this postseason as a scrappy little team from Denver squares off against the NBA establishment, Lakers.

Denver is hotter than any team left in the semi-finals, with maybe the exception of King James and the Cavaliers.

George Karl has them playing at the top of their game and the Nuggets will need to play hard, rough, and physical in this series if they don’t want to repeat last years playoff elimination by the Lakers and prove once and for all they are for real.

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Okay, so I said I would not write another piece on baseball until I did an article about some of the amazing stories coming out of both the NBA and NHL playoffs over the last few weeks. But how could I resist with so many "extracurricular activities." going on in the Major League Baseball over the last week.

To say that Major League Baseball has some integrity issues to work out is not a stretch by any means. From A-Rod’s recent transgressions to a new book about Roger Clemens to Manny’s
50-game suspension for taking a female fertility drug, it was just too much to ignore.

I must also not forget to mention that we've got Hall of Fame careers coming undone, Chicago Cubs starter Ryan Dempster bouncing balls off Brewers slugger Ryan Braun’s melon, Jamie Walker being fined by Major League Baseball for his comments about umpire Angel Hernandez, and the latest -- Bobby Jenks apparently hitting Texas Ranger Ian Kisler in the ass on purpose.

It’s mass hysteria. But there is more going on in Major League Baseball’s 130th year other than juice and jive.

First of all, we have a competitive Kansas City Royals team that is currently tied with Detroit atop the AL Central Division. Then there are the Blue Jays who currently lead baseball’s toughest division, the American League East, in front of both the BoSox and the Yanks. Let’s don’t let Randy Johnson’s achieving his 298th career win be overshadowed by Manny’s inability to produce testosterone. Johnson will likely be the last pitcher to reach this milestone for a long time to come and as fans we should enjoy the excitement.

Not since DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak has there been such a buzz as the Nationals Ryan Zimmerman’s hit streak moves to 30, the longest by a third baseman since 1980.

Maybe it’s not for the record books but it is still worth mentioning, that in a rare feat, Phillies Jayson Werth stole his way all the way home -- only 49 players in MLB history have stolen all three bases in the same inning — only nine since 1942 and the last Phillie to do it was Pete Rose in 1980.

And finally what about Albert Pujols? Prince Albert is currently tied for most home runs with the Rays Carlos Pena. Since winning Rookie of the Year in 2001, Pujols has racked up seven All-star appearances, four Silver Sluggers, two MVP’s, a Golden Glove, and a Hank Aaron Award. He is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players in baseball today and, as far as we know, steroid-free.

So lets celebrate some of this year’s remarkable achievements happening in baseball and try to put Manny’s 50-game suspension, Roger Clemens’ “misremembering" act., and A-Rod’s proof that steroids don't help you hit in the clutch, behind us, and enjoy the greatest sport in America.

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As much as I am fan, I'm as sick of Favre’s never-ending retirement as the next non-Wrangler-jeans-wearing guy. He doesn’t realize the number of people asking for one more song keeps dwindling.

You may want to prepare yourself for another eight months of hearing about Brett Favre non-stop. The only question now is, what impact will this have on John Madden's retirement plans?

On April 28, 2009 the sun rose in the east, it set in the west and a Brett Favre comeback rumor began circulating.

The latest from the rumor mill is that Vikings coach Brad Childress and Brett Favre will meet later this week at an “undisclosed location” and discuss the possibility of Favre joining the Minnesota Vikings. It has been reported that there is already a “mutual understanding” that Favre would make up his mind about playing in time to participate fully in mini-camps and training camp.

In defending Favre’s decision to stage a second comeback I have to point out that most of Brett's statistics were very respectable last year despite an injury to his throwing arm, which got worse later in the season. He threw for over 3000 yards. He improved the Jets from 4-12 in '07 to 9-7 in 2008 and the Jets narrowly missed the playoffs-which no sane person would blame solely on him.

The fact of the matter is, Favre doesn't 'suck' nor is he too old to play. He improves any team he is on and could improve the Vikings as well. Furthermore, he has every right in the world to keep playing as long as he has the desires.

But in the fairness to the Jets and their fans I think it's time for Brett Favre to cease with the comebacks and retire for good. Last February he told the Jets he was done and that he meant it. They actually should thank him for retiring because when he did as it most likely led them to Mark Sanchez, a 22-year-old with a bright future instead of a broken-down, nearly 39-year-old carpetbagger interested only in sticking it to the Packers, especially Packers GM Ted Thompson.

It appears that Favre didn't retire from football in February as much as he just didn't want any part of playing for the Jets again.

Brett Favre is like a movie star from the early 80's who's trying to hang around the A-List for a shot at a reality show. Brett you are a shell of your former self. Stay retired and let the league move on

Brett.... come on... take your meds, get a puppy and get a new fishing pole.