The Musers The Podcast – Episode 14: Superstitions

Date: September 24, 2025
Hosts: George Dunham, Craig “Junior” Miller, Gordon Keith
Theme:
This episode dives deep into the weird, funny, and sometimes neurotic world of superstitions—especially as they appear in daily life, sports, and childhood. The Musers share personal, sports-related, and cultural superstitions with their trademark blend of absurd humor, skepticism, and irresistibly relatable storytelling.

Main Theme & Purpose

The trio investigates just how superstitious people can be—even those who don’t consider themselves superstitious at all. With a spotlight on the number 13, black cats, lucky habits in sports, and wacky old wives’ tales, the Musers dissect why superstitions persist and whether they carry any real meaning or psychological benefit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Letter of the Week from Singapore [02:32–04:30]

• New segment: “Letter of the Week” kicks off with a touching email from Liam, a longtime listener now living in Singapore.
• Global Musers fandom: The hosts marvel at their international audience, guessing about Singapore’s population and joking about their ignorance of geography.

2. Defining Superstition [05:21–06:37]

• Craig: Reads Webster’s definition: “a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary.”
• The trio agree most superstitions clearly ignore any evidence and persist purely for psychological comfort—or irrational fear.

3. 13: The Unlucky Number [06:37–11:22]

• Craig: Admits to an intense aversion to the number 13. Won’t log a 13-mile bike ride, sit in row 13, or work on the 13th floor.
  • “If my ride is going to be exactly 13, I’ll ride around the block until I hit 14 because I refuse to write down 13 in my diary.” [07:04 – Craig]
• Hotels and floors: Discussion on skipping the 13th floor and how this “fixes” nothing.
• Sports tradition: In cycling, racers given the number 13 pin it on upside down to “drain the bad luck.”
• Notable athletes: Most who wore 13 (Dan Marino, Steve Nash, James Harden) famously didn’t win championships; a few exceptions noted (Wilt Chamberlain, A-Rod, Kurt Warner).
  • “I always admired the athlete who will have the balls to go out there and wear number 13.” [10:10 – Craig]
• Gordon’s skepticism: Dismisses the logic, finds the 13th floor workaround especially dumb.

4. Classic Superstitions: Black Cats, Mirrors, Pennies [11:22–13:07, 25:44–27:39, 27:39–32:31]

• George: Avoids black cats (“I have found myself… going in an opposite direction so I don’t have to cross the path of a black cat.” [11:56 – George])
• Gordon: Used to own a black cat named Salem (after the “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” character); says nothing ever bad happened.
• All agree: Superstitions aren’t rational but persist because “your stupid part says ‘what if?’” [13:30 – Gordon]
• Mirrors: Explores superstitions about breaking mirrors, two mirrors facing each other, and covering mirrors at night.
  • Gordon describes TikTok trends about covering mirrors and the “Bloody Mary” challenge. [25:57–27:17]

5. Sports-Related Superstitions [14:40–19:48, 22:36–23:56, 32:02–34:01, 46:31–47:12]

• Gordon: Claims “superstitions are bullshit,” but allows athletes get caught in rituals and routines due to the pressure for any advantage.
• Baseball: Most superstitious sport; examples include never stepping on foul lines or refusing to mention a no-hitter-in-progress.
  • “If you’re talking to a teammate, don’t say he has a no hitter…you say he has a mild sunburn going.” [15:54 – George]
• Watching sports: Both Craig and George admit to seat-changing, clothing-changing, and food rituals (like “rally M&Ms”) at home based on team success.
  • “If my team is playing poorly, I’ve gone into my room and changed clothing because clearly the shirt I have on is a bad luck shirt. So I need to reset.” [18:36 – Craig]
  • George wore the same shirt, pants, and shoes during a 25-game North Texas winning streak. (He did wash them.)
• Athlete routines vs. superstition: The line blurs—does a “lucky” routine enter OCD territory?

6. Everyday (and Oddball) Superstitions [25:44–32:31]

• Pennies: George must always pick up a penny for good luck; Gordon claims he does too for “karma.”
• Money:
  • $50 bills are “bad luck” (gangster Bugsy Siegel died with only $50 bills).
  • $2 bills, wheat pennies, buffalo nickels are “good luck.”
  • George: “You can’t give two $50s as a graduation gift! Double bad luck!”
• Golf: Marking the ball with a specific coin if it “worked” before.

7. Reciting and Mocking Lesser-Known Superstitions [34:11–36:33]

• Gordon reads off wild superstitions:
  • Never shake hands across a threshold.
  • Don’t let a broom touch anyone’s feet.
  • Whistling indoors invites evil.
  • Never cheer with water—especially in Germany.
  • Never play cards on an eating table (“invites the devil”).
  • Don’t step on sidewalk cracks (“break your mother’s back”).
  • Don’t open an umbrella indoors.
  • Hold your breath past graveyards.
  • Knock on wood for good luck—Craig insists it must be three knocks.

8. 666 and the Power of Bad Numbers [41:20–43:12]

• Craig: Also spooked by 666. Won’t fly on flight 666, take it as a race number, or even see it on his bike’s computer without feeling uneasy.
  • “If I see that it’s staring at me, it messes with me for the rest of the day.” [42:06 – Craig]
• George: Indifferent to 666.

9. Evidence vs. Superstition (The Jinx Effect) [43:23–45:11]

• George: Genuinely believes his presence or absence impacts Jordan Spieth’s golf results.
  • “Jordan Spieth plays better if I’m not watching.”
• Skirmish over whether the “evidence” supports superstitions (Craig’s examples: athletes who wore 13 didn’t win titles, George’s failed shots predicting Cowboys losses).

10. Rabbit’s Feet, Four-Leaf Clovers, and Wishing Well Logic [45:42–48:14]

• Gordon: Traces rabbit's feet to ancient Roman medicine for gout—not actual luck; says everything just gets “imbued with meaning.”
• Four-leaf clovers and other “lucky tokens” discussed and derided.

11. Letting Go (or Not) of Superstitions [48:14–51:05]

• George: Wants to “make an effort just to let some of this stuff go—but then what if something bad happens?”
• Craig & Gordon: If your superstition isn’t harming your life, let it ride; if it’s a burden, let it go.
• Gordon: Advises keeping a rational distance: “Just know that it’s kind of no big deal. I just do it. But just as long as you’re not really invested in the idea that this is making a difference cosmically in the world.” [49:14]
• Craig maintains that, with history’s false beliefs proving true later, you might as well keep your petty superstitions—just in case.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the irrational persistence of superstitions:
  • “Your reasonable part of your brain understands that this is having no impact on my life. But your stupid part says, what if?” [13:30 – Gordon]
• On the number 13 and sports:
  • “I will never book a flight where my seat is in the 13th row ever…” [07:55 – Craig]
  • “I always admired the athlete who will have the balls to go out there and wear number 13.” [10:10 – Craig]
• On black cats:
  • “I’ve found myself going in an opposite direction so I don’t get near that black cat, which is so dumb.” [12:02 – George]
• On the value of superstitions:
  • “Superstitions are bullshit. That’s my entire list.”—[14:24 – Gordon]
• On athlete routines vs. OCD:
  • “Is it a routine, or is it superstition, or is it just pure OCD?” [23:56 – Craig]
• On letting go:
  • “I was about to say we should make an effort just to let some of this stuff go. But then what if something bad happens?” [48:19 – George]
• On pennies:
  • “I cannot walk by a penny and not pick it up. I will be bothered if I don’t.” [28:09 – George]
• On the “jinx” and sports fandom:
  • “I can’t tell you how many text chains I’ve been on...and I’ll say something like, wow, we haven’t had a turnover yet today…And then I’ll get hit up back immediately: you just jinxed us.” [16:58 – Craig]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Letter from Singapore: 02:32–04:30
• Superstition definition & intro: 05:21–06:37
• Number 13 anxieties: 06:37–11:22
• Black cats & personal fears: 11:22–13:07
• Sports routines turn superstitious: 14:40–19:48
• Athlete rituals vs. OCD: 22:36–23:56
• Pennies, cash superstitions: 27:39–32:31
• Weirdest old-time superstitions: 34:11–36:33
• 666 and “evil” numbers: 41:20–43:12
• Fans’ influence and the “jinx” effect: 43:23–45:11
• Rabbit’s foot origin analyzed: 47:12–48:14
• Should we let go of superstitions? 48:14–51:05

Conclusion

The Musers’ take on superstitions is by turns skeptical, self-mocking, and weirdly affectionate. Whether it’s refusing to ride 13 miles, switching shirts at halftime, or meticulously avoiding sidewalk cracks, they illustrate how superstition is less about logic and more about comfort, ritual, and the human tendency to seek patterns—even if they’re absolutely absurd. In the end, if your quirks aren’t hurting anyone, maybe they are a little magic after all.

Remember: “It’s bad luck to miss a single episode of The Musers The Podcast.” [51:49 – Craig]