Why Do They Spit?

[Numb1075]

Why do baseball players spit incessantly, every 4 seconds when out on the diamond? It's been puzzling me today....

They don't do it in basketball obviously because it would make the hardwood floor slippery and dangerous (plus the fans are 3 feet away from the court)

Football? I don't see it to the magnitude that baseball players do it, but that could just be because of the helmets and lack of player close ups from the cameras on tv. But I don't think they do it often at all.

The only reason that I can come up with is this: there is a lot of "downtime" in baseball where there isn't any action and players have nervous energy (except for manny ramirez but I digress) and they have to keep themselves occupied. To satisfy this need they chew tobaco, sunflower seeds, and gum - all of these cause excess saliva and is fun (or necessary) to spit out....

Anyone have any insight?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

'cause they can.

basketball players spit a lot too... at least i know i always did/do. they just spit in garbage cans or water fountains instead because it's disgusting to spit on the court. spit on a baseball field and it just goes away.

 

[Numb1075]

because they can?!?! do they realize (especially hitters/pitchers) that the cameras zoom in within inches of their faces? Their moms would not be happy.

But they don't spit like that when they are home or out to dinner or out shopping? Why is the habit on the field ONLY?

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I don't know, I would guess it is the excess saliva and just a habit

It makes me laugh the way Ortiz spits on his gloves and slaps them together before every at bat, only he could make that look menacing and not disgusting. I do wonder if he has OCD about it though.. look at someone like Nomar Garciaparra. Many players do seem to have OCD-ish habits and maybe spitting can become that.

 

[Numb1075]

what are some of the other OCD habits in other professional sports?

One right of f the bat that I can think of is basketball players at the free throw line. Those guys have the same routine just before they shoot a free throw.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

repetition is one of the most important things in being a top notch athlete.

basketball players are taught to have the exact same routine when they go to the free throw line, so to make them more comfortable at the line, and so that they are shooting the exact same way every time. when you have a set routine in what you do, then it's easier to fix something that's wrong when you're in a slump.

i always took/take 5 dribbles before shooting a free throw. every time. no matter what.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

as for other ocd type things... some players never ever step on the foul line when leaving or comming on to the field between innings, michael jordan wore the same pair of UNC practice shorts under his chicago bulls game shorts, yet wore a new pair of sneakers for every game... wade boggs used to eat fried chicken before every game... bill russell would puke... mike tyson eats children.

 

[Numb1075]

i have the same routine when i shoot (or should i say "shot") free throws. I can understand that completely.......

but spitting? probably 50 times a game??


Oh, and PS, like Mike Tyson, I used to eat children (only cute ones) before I would play a high stakes game of Trivia Pursuit.

 

[U2@NYC]

mike tyson eats children.

And now he does porn...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

really? that's awesome

maybe i can get him to agree to a special edition mike tyson iPorn iPod

 

[U2@NYC]

"Mike Tyson is reportedly set to star in a porn film - with Jenna Jameson. The former boxing World Heavyweight Champion claims he is desperate for cash, after being hit with a tax bill for several million dollars, and a porn career is a tempting offer.

The disgraced pugilist, who retired from boxing last month, was approached by Jenna's representatives to star as her partner in the X-rated movie.

He is quoted by Britain's Zoo magazine as saying: "I just talked to a gentleman called Jimmy who's involved with Jenna Jameson. They said they were interested in getting me involved in the adult film industry
.
"I need the money up front."

 

[Numb1075]

"Mike Tyson is reportedly set to star in a porn film - with Jenna Jameson. The former boxing World Heavyweight Champion claims he is desperate for cash, after being hit with a tax bill for several million dollars, and a porn career is a tempting offer.

The disgraced pugilist, who retired from boxing last month, was approached by Jenna's representatives to star as her partner in the X-rated movie.

He is quoted by Britain's Zoo magazine as saying: "I just talked to a gentleman called Jimmy who's involved with Jenna Jameson. They said they were interested in getting me involved in the adult film industry
.
"I need the money up front."

OMFG !! is there no low he will not stoop to? Jenna better watch out, I hear he's a nibbler.

 

[Mr. BAW]

Football players spit, cheerleaders swallow..........







I can't believe I posted that.....

 

[Numb1075]

Football players spit, cheerleaders swallow..........







I can't believe I posted that.....

DIRTY.


HaHaHaHa

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i don't get it

 

[Numb1075]

so naive Headache

 

[U2@NYC]

Football players spit, cheerleaders swallow..........







I can't believe I posted that.....

 

[Numb1075]

Delicious

<-----backs away from the computer

 

[Mr. BAW]

Just had to pick my hometown girls, huh????

 

[Numb1075]

the trojans !!

 

[Numb1075]

I want to write the script for the Jenna Jamison/Mike Tyson XXX movie.

I will call it: Run Jenna, Run

Opening scene:
Jenna - "Hey big boy, you wanna party?"

Mike - "Nah, i just punch you in the uterus a few times, maybe bite your ear off. That make you hot?"

 

[U2@NYC]

I want to write the script for the Jenna Jamison/Mike Tyson XXX movie.

I will call it: Run Jenna, Run

Opening scene:
Jenna - "Hey big boy, you wanna party?"

Mike - "Nah, i just punch you in the uterus a few times, maybe bite your ear off. That make you hot?"

And then Mike runs over to eat Jenna's children...

 

[Numb1075]

quality cinema at it's finest

 

[U2@NYC]

More on Iron Mike's career:

"American boxing journalist Pedro Fernandez believes Tyson, who was jailed for six years in 1992 on rape charges, would triumph in the sex industry - with his alleged 14inch manhood.

He explained: "According to court documentation from Tyson's rape trial, his member is at least 14in long

"If Tyson brings out some of the ferocity that made him a champion, he could definitely become a successful porn star"

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

is that chick in the middle not wearing any panties?

 

[Numb1075]

is that chick in the middle not wearing any panties?

good eye !!

 

[Numb1075]

i love how some threads start out w/ one topic and veer completely off kilter and end up somewhere else

Headaches thread in B&C about Steve Jobs and Itunes took a similar path and before your know it, there were pictures of Ron Jeremy appeaing

 

[VertigoGal]

I sorta thought the habit originally came from the whole spit tobacco thing associated with baseball. (I'm sure most of them now are just spitting, not chewing or anything, but maybe sort of a cultural thing they picked up.)

But maybe I completely made that up.

 

[UberBeaver]

1. Baseball players are not real men, so they spit. Real men swallow.

2. Mike Tyson spits because he has a goddamn peice of ear in his mouth. Give the dude some slack.

 

[Numb1075]

Mike's a gonna have a piece of jenna jamison in his mouth soon