THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL AND HIGH LEVEL COLLEGE SPORTS WAS ALL ABOUT THE ATHLETES AND THE COMPETITION.

SURE THERE WAS PRESS COVERAGE AND CORPORATE SPONSORS, BUT NO ONE REALLY VIEWED SPORTS AS A BIG BUSINESS. DURING THIS ERA, THERE WAS NO PLACE MORE RESERVED FOR THE ATHLETES THEMSELVES THAN THE LOCKER ROOM. AWAY FROM THE PRYING PUBLIC EYE, THE TEAM COULD FOCUS ON WHAT THEY’D BEEN ASKED TO DO – WIN A GAME.

HISTORIC HAVEN
Perhaps no locker room better epitomizes the history and prestige of a franchise than that in the former Montreal Forum. With the familiar bleu, blanc et rouge adorning the walls and the history seeping from the plaques above the players’ stalls, it would be hard not to be moved by the history and pageantry of it all.

Ironically, in the years since the Canadiens left their longtime home for the decidedly more upscale, more posh confi nes of the Bell Centre (a tremendous venue in its own right) they have not added to their record total of 24 Stanley Cups.

Is the competition just that much better now or is it possible that the current Canadiens teams just don’t have the same magic?

THE LAP OF LUXURY
Conversely, prior to Mark Cuban’s ownership the performance of the Dallas Mavericks was meagre, at best. In the 20 seasons before Cuban bought the team, they were sub-.500 in winning percentage and had won just 21 games in the post-season. But that has all changed since then. Aside from league fi nes for his outspoken ways, the most notable aspect of Cuban’s ownership has been the way lavish way he treats his players.

With the construction of the American Airlines Center, Cuban had the opportunity to set his franchise apart from the rest. With personal Tvs, stereos and a laptop computer Could this have played a role in the rise of the Mavericks from Western Conference doormats to championship contenders?

Under Cuban the Mavs won their fi rst ever conference championship in 2006, only to be bested at the fi nal by the combination of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal of the Miami Heat in six games. The glass-is-half-full mentality would suggest that being two games away from a championship victory legitimizes the effort of Cuban and other owners like him who believe in bestowing luxury upon their players.

However, critics might say that even with all the luxuries in the world, the team has yet to bring home the championship.

PRETTY IN PINK?

The idea that the locker room itself plays a role in a team’s success or failure isn’t new. Take Kinnick Stadium for example, home of the University of Iowa football team. Former coach Hayden Fry had the visitors locker room painted pink – everything from the lockers to the urinals. It was an exercise in psychology mostly, leading back to Fry’sundergraduate studies in psychology at Baylor University.

Fry believed that pink would have a calming affect on the opponents and suppress their anger, a possible disadvantage in a game where aggression can be a prerequisite of the winning formula. When the stadium was renovated in 2006, the pink locker room remained.

Perhaps that’s what missing from today’s state-of-the-art locker rooms and multi-billion dollar stadiums – the tradition. Flat screen Tvs, iPod docks and X-Box 360s are great, but can they really make up for the history behind 24 championship seasons? Or the psychology behind why a football coach wants to paint the visitors locker room pink?

AT LEAST ONE TRADITION IS CONSTANT AMONG ALL SPORTS. AT THE END OF A CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON, WHEN ALL THE WORK IS DONE, THE LOCKER ROOM IS STILL THE SETTING WHERE CELEBRATORY CHAMPAGNE IS SIPPED.

LOCKER ROOM SUPERSTITIONS

Patrick Roy – He is recognized as one the best to ever lace a pair of goalie pads in the game of hockey and also one of its most superstitious. Roy would avoid stepping on any of the lines on the ice and even carried a dialogue with the goal posts, referring to them as his friends.

John Henderson – There’s no way to put this other than to be blunt; Henderson likes to be slapped in the face before a game. An assistant trainer – who is maybe half the size of the 6’7, 335 pound Jacksonville defensive tackle – will slap Henderson across the face in order to work him up properly before kickoff.

Michael Jordan – Although there are others in the basketball world who follow the same tradition there is no one more famous than His Airness. During his NBA career, Jordan wore shorts from his days at North Carolina under his uniform for good luck.