Spurs fans have got their mojo working for the team

[Kori Ellis]

Spurs fans have got their mojo working for the team
Web Posted: 06/09/2005 12:00 AM CDT

Amy Dorsett
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...2f6282ddb.html

Some have team jerseys that never have seen the inside of a washing machine.

Others steadfastly believe the volume on the television set must remain on level 41.

Then there are those who won't allow their wives to be in the room when the game's in play.

Welcome to the warped world of supers ious Spurs fans, where pregame meals affect the score as much as shooting percentages.

And tonight, when the rubber meets the road as Game 1 of the NBA Finals pits San Antonio against Detroit in the SBC Center, those quirky game-day inclinations will be in the limelight.

Consider Delia Gutierrez.

Throughout the conference finals against Phoenix, the Spurs were doing splendidly. Sure, they were going to sweep the series, she and her boyfriend decided to celebrate by grilling a steak, a deviation from his usual hot wings and IBC cream soda ritual.

Big mistake.

After the Spurs fell to the Suns, it was back to wings and cream soda for Game 5, when the Spurs clinched the Western Conference le.

"He learned his lesson with the steak," said Gutierrez, a 31-year-old bookkeeper, who calls her pasta"Manoodles" and refers to the player as "Obi-Wan Ginobili."

Other Spurs get equal attention. When Tim Duncan is at the foul line, Gutierrez chants, "Come on pigeon toe, in the hole."

To some, it may sound like a lot of high jinks, but Gutierrez is a believer in the power of supers ions.

"I really do believe that it makes a difference," she said. "I've not done some of those things when we've lost."

In this town of die-hard fans, Gutierrez is far from alone.

For Noe Espinoza, the only spot to watch the game is on his sofa. Specifically, on the left side, with his English bulldog, Princess Hailey Belle, by his side.

"It's got to be the left side of the couch, nowhere else," the 30-year-old car salesman said. "For Game 4 against Phoenix, I was at my mother-in-law's house and we lost — I've tested my theory."

To keep his beloved dog at his side, he's been known to bribe her with a favorite treat, Popsicles.

"It's the only way I can get her to sit there for so long. If she's anywhere else, the momentum changes," he explained, adding that he believes his game-day rituals make a difference. "I know it's silly, but I think it's crucial for the Spurs to win."

It's not unheard of for Spurs faithful to go to church to light candles before a big game.

At Rick Holcomb's house, a Spurs shrine — which includes more than a dozen candles, a lava lamp and toy coyote — is positioned around the television for good mojo.

And the family bird, a white-eyed conure, is a vocal supporter of the team.

"He has a great vocabulary," Holcomb, a graphic artist, said. "He gets really excited and bobs his head up and down and says, 'Go Spurs Go.'"

[rwb]

My mother lives in South Carolina and she's realized that every time she watches the Spurs play they lose. We have a deal for the Finals. She can watch as long as they're winning, but she must change the channel if they're not doing well. There, no one blame my mom.