The curse of the left side

Halloween has come and gone. But I have a spooky story for you.

I call it: The Curse of the Left Side of the Press Box.

This story goes back to last season — my first year covering the MSU men’s soccer team.

Last year was the first season the Spartans played in the brand new DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field, which featured a sparkly new set of bleachers and a new press box.

Since the stadium’s creation last season, there has been one common and weird trend.

In the 20 home games at DeMartin Stadium in the last two years, the Spartans have only lost four times. And in every one of the losses, I have been assigned a seat on the left side of the press box.

I distinctly remember both losses for the Spartans at DeMartin Stadium last season. The first was a 2-1 loss to Vermont on Aug. 31 in the team’s second game of the season. The next loss didn’t come until Nov. 25 in the NCAA Tournament game against Illinois-Chicago. And I’ll never forget that game. The Spartans outplayed Illinois-Chicago but couldn’t find a goal, eventually losing in penalty kicks. Because it was an NCAA Tournament game, the press box was crowded with reporters and I definitely was seated on the left side.

This season, in MSU’s 1-0 losses to Ohio State and Penn State, I was assigned to the left side of the press box because both tilts were on the Big Ten Network and they were occupying my usual seat.

I recognized this trend prior to the Michigan game on Oct. 25. The press box was crowded that Sunday when the Wolverines came to town, so I set myself up on the left side. But as soon as the Big Ten Network crew was packed up, I moved over to the right side of the box. The result — a narrow 2-1 Spartans victory.

But that isn’t all. It gets stranger.

When I told MSU women’s soccer reporter Cash Kruth about my weird trend prior to the U-M game, he noticed a similarity this season.

And his story is much creepier than mine.

In the Spartans 3-2 overtime victory over Penn State on Sept. 27, senior midfielder Lauren Sinacola went down with a season-ending torn ACL. And Cash was on the left side of the press box.

Then on Oct. 25, when the Spartans defeated Minnesota, 2-1, Laura Heyboer went down with a season-ending broken leg. Again, Cash was seated on the left side of the box.

Coincidence or curse?

Call us superstitious or crazy, but Cash and I plan on setting up shop on the right side of the press box for the remaining games at DeMartin Stadium.

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