The Participants Of This Survey Had To Be Lying

Well, maybe not all of them were lying, or maybe I'm just friends with too many sports fanatics. Either way, this percentage seems a bit low to me.

Twenty-four percent of college basketball fans admitted to trying something lucky to help their team and 20 percent of professional basketball followers said the same thing. Fans of professional baseball, and of college and professional football, fell in between.

It's always seemed to me through my years and years of observation that the percentage is closer to at least 50%-60%. I mean how can someone truly call themself a "fan" if they've never done something they feel might alter the outcome of a game? Sure, they might be a casual observer of a sport, but probably don't support a specific team. At least not in the fashion that some of the participants do.

A nurse from Eldridge, Ala., Heather Pate said she refuses to own a red car or purchase anything crimson. So when she recently had to spend time in a hospital after the birth of her twin sons, she was aghast when she noticed someone had brought her a pink toothbrush. Auburn promptly dropped two straight games.

It was all because of that "red toothbrush," Pate, 28, said this week after responding to the AP survey.

That might seem a little over the top to some, but I can understand where she's coming from. SEC football is pretty damn important after all.

One result of the study that might be troubling to some is:

They also are more likely to be single.

Well, that sure does explain a lot.