The refs perception is that Carolina is expected to win and questionable calls will probably go in their favor. There is little you can do about it other than to slide them a hundred like Rodney Dangerfield and say keep it fair . keep it fair.

MY would never do it but I would bring it up coyly as possible pregame saying something to press like if we play well and think we got a good opportunity and hopefully, god willing the little things that happen throughout the game will swing our way half the time.

The downside is if you say or expect things to happen they usually will just like Buckner in the 1986 World Series. He publicly pronounced what was the worse thing that could happen to the press before Game 6 and it got into his subconscious and it did happen. Probably the best approach is say nothing and expect to kick their ass.

One I liked best was Herb Brooks before the 1980 Russia USA hockey match. He convinced his team they were playing a bunch of clowns with big noses making fun of the Russian Players in the locker room to demystify their reputation and aura of invincibility. There is a lot of material with Bacot in particular and a poor man's Grizzly Adams.



[Post edited by jdkhokie at 03/11/2022 12:15PM]