The 'Scam’ That Tricked Millions of Athletes

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[@jarjarbooty600]

It’s crazy because I actually hit my first and second ever home run after begging my dad to get me one. He got one for himself after the game 😂

[@dc7993]

placebo lol made you feel better at least

[@jarjarbooty600]

@@dc7993 I agree. It was funny because a couple weeks later I forgot the bracelet at home and was freaking out and had a even better game then the first time I wore it 😂

[@dc7993]

@@jarjarbooty600 haha that's a funny memory, at least you know you had it all along 😅

[@nomercyinc6783]

if you think something will help you it will because of you not because of a product. snake oil believers are idiots

[@spookyshark632]

Placebo effect is real.

[@candybracelets]

The placebo effect is so cool. It's wild how a fake magic bracelet was able to help people manage pain better than real medicine could. So many chronic conditions have a psychosomatic element that you could actually make a pretty strong argument for the use of placebo treatments in Dr surgeries.

[@CharlesFreck]

Drs literally use placebos all the time. Most over the counter pain medications are placebos, with science saying they should only have a very minor effect on the nervous system. The medical community constantly employs placebos, they just don't tell you about at the front desk, because that would destroy the point of a placebo.

[@krste3000]

​@@CharlesFreckname one over the counter medicine that is prescribed by a doctor that is placebo

[@saidoubenssi]

Yes, but not exactly as you’ve mentioned. It is known among surgeons to utilize placebos in order to prevent patients from developing an addiction to medications such as Fentanyl and others. They give them things like sugar pills. @@CharlesFreck

[@JustLIkerapunzel]

I was about to say THEY DO WORK! But they are actually an AMAZING TOOL to diagnose wether physical symptoms are due to something anatomically or something related to stress / depression / burn out etc. I actually am very greatfuk that a doctor confirmed to me that some medications I tried out were in my case only working due to placebo which gave me the knowldge I needed to adress my health concerns in a different manner withiut actually needing to suffer side effects of actual drugs. All those people probably used a lot of pain kilers that are horrible on your body and could instead do hypnotherapy, meditation or doing such changes as finding a new job etc. due to knowing it's not physiologically caused. There should be medications on the market that are registered placebos where only doctors can access the real informatjons about them being placebos fo actually help to diagnose people this way

[@j4m3sii]

was looking for this comment haha

[@genovirus9523]

I remember my whole team getting these and we still were trash 😂

[@plotzee8648]

same

[@superdubbnation]

Same quarterback was wearing this n shit getting smacked n throwing interceptions

[@CRAIGC55]

😂😂😂😂

[@hungnguyen-so7ou]

the other team wear double

[@gerardomacias7370]

Clearly you forgot to change it to Wumbo

[@thrashwerk]

It's amazing that the people who bought these managed to get a lawyer and sue the companies. I wouldn't have bet that they had the capacity for that.

[@absolutelynot7236]

My thoughts exactly. Haha

[@SPMyers92]

I'm guessing the lawyer found them rather than them finding the lawyer. From what I know, big civil suits like this get built by putting out ads asking for anyone who feels they've been scammed to join in.

[@da4127]

you are underestimating the power of money, the moment a lawyer approached these guys and said "I can help you sue these guys for millions" they jumped into the idea

[@AM-dl7ot]

This one seems a little personal, companies false advertise all the time.

[@SmokesKwazukii]

dude you dont understand how widespread they were. when he says everyone had them he means EVERYONE i remember seeing them at school all the time. Honestly i never understood wtf they were supposed to be but a friend gave me one and i wore it for a couple weeks i think. He told me it had a “microchip computer” in it and when i asked what it did he said something like “reads your body signs”? They were all over the place dude. Kids loved them and adults wore them.

[@caponebd7941]

I remember wearing Phitin and it gave me a ton of confidence. I had my best year ever, and I swore by them. When they were exposed for being fake and I couldn’t wear it the next year, I went on a huge slump. The Placebo Effect is crazy.

[@alpacalipsprofit9610]

Why couldn't you wear it? Seems weird to ban something for not giving people an advantage

[@caponebd7941]

@@alpacalipsprofit9610 if I recall correctly, they wanted to ban it anyway because they had something against necklaces, so once they were just another necklace they had no reason not to ban it.

[@n0body550]

@@alpacalipsprofit9610because they would be laughed at for still wearing it

[@henrylam92]

@@alpacalipsprofit9610you would just get bullied for still having it on until you blend right back into the rest of the sheep herd

[@antlou123]

It's more on psychological effect.

[@name4name197]

Someone did that balance test on me with the bracelet in a mall once. The reason it "works" is because the second time they try to throw you off balance, you already expect it so your brain anticipates it and makes sure you don't fall over. Had nothing to do with the bracelet.

[@SayAhh]

Remember the yellow LIVESTRONG rubber bracelets that Lance Armstrong popularized? These bracelets did as much to improve health as those did, i.e., none at all.

[@name4name197]

@@SayAhh I do remember those. You're not wrong lol

[@TETITO14]

Some girl I knew from high school worked in that. I knew the trick behind it. So when she first pushed me down without the band my body didn’t move and she said “never mind just go” and I walked away feeling smart. In retrospect, me being smart didn’t help my chances in getting with this girl. lol

[@name4name197]

@TETITO14 Yeah, I think you might've blew it 😂

[@josalals4368]

​@TETITO14 appearing gullible wouldn't have helped you either.

[@adamlreid]

This video unlocked a deep memory for me. I remember people wearing these bands growing up - and I always thought it was pretty strange how everyone seemed to swear by them. The more you know

[@danielb.2460]

I remember being 12 years old and a girl in my class having one on. I asked her what it was and she gave me an explanation and I remember, even though I was 12, I already thought it was complete BS 😂

[@gerardomacias7370]

⁠@@danielb.2460I remover they actually looked pretty weird. I choose to wear an I love Boobies wrist band instead. Those were good times.

[@ftb3817]

I just thought they looked cool cuz I was 12 white and poor so gold chains weren't an option

[@gengarjuice69]

dang you brought back a memory i completely forgot about. this was around late elementary school for me and i remember everyone who played sports was obsessed with them

[@BTDUBS4077]

This would all be crazy if baseball really did exist

[@clipsedrag13]

I went to a hot dog park and spent about 6 hours there. Never even realized a baseball was taking place.

[@HeyRoosty]

So true.

[@JaredGoofball]

So funny…,

[@rileyesmay]

Even funnier the 63th time!

[@13ForLife34]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sharpieman2035]

Imagine your trainer tells you “Hey you know your ankle’s hurting, how about I do this new surgery I came up with on you in our locker room?” and you actually say yes and the team okays it. Insanity.

[@connormac5390]

That’s probably not even allowed under the CBA now

[@lordchaa1598]

Think of the amount of pain killers he was on during that game. He probably felt like Superman.

[@RoyaltonDrummer922]

Baseball players are the weirdest, craziest, dumbest people I swear

[@wesleyprince3465]

Arguably the craziest thing about this whole video💀😱🤯

[@ellis7622]

That shit was wild man, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Kurt Schilling is a maniac.

[@Noob_Crew_Sledders]

these are my favorite videos on youtube. those products that you just about forgot about but at one point in time gripped the world by storm lol

[@Vae2tymes]

Y’all got space jammed..Mj..“it’s just water”😂😂

[@Blakholet]

Space scammed

[@justhereforthememes536]

Crazy having lived through this and remembering how this took root. One day the baseball kids at school were begging their parents to get them one. My mom got me one for Christmas that year and I wore it every day. Within the month damn near every student and teacher at school had one. Then like that, they were gone the next year. Haven’t thought about them since until today, thanks for making this video

[@ribeiroWilliam]

it was the fidget spinner of the 2000's

[@fliksn]

Rip your mom😢

[@Gymthingz]

I remember selling these at school, after stealing them from five below.

[@claytonjordan8821]

😊

[@SeanDeli]

​@@ribeiroWilliambefore the energy bracelets it was actually silly bands. Ya know... the color rubber bands

[@becca53444]

As a 90s kid, the go to scam jewelry for my generation was mood rings. Genuinely had us thinking a cheap ring from a flea market could read our minds just because it changed from red to blue 😂

[@MrPAULONEAL]

They just measure body temperature.

[@swsome]

Wrong ​@@MrPAULONEAL

[@MrPAULONEAL]

@@swsome Nope, i am correct.

[@stonercactus]

But at least looked cool and changed color. The Power Balance looks like a concert bracelet

[@duffman18]

​@@swsome from now on, don't be dumb. Instead, be smart.

[@vsChris]

Between these things and the mood rings that changed colors "depending on your mood", we used to fall for anything lol I remember these popping up and seemingly dissapearing relatively quickly back when I was in high school

[@Abudzin]

Oh god, I remember these dumb bracelets and I remember how even as a kid I thought how silly people who wore them were. Once my friend back in primary school got one of these that said "respect" and he claimed that he could feel how it "added" respect. I was like "dude, how? Respect is something that other people give you based on who you are. Respect doesn't come from a rubber band around your wrist." But still, he claimed that he it was "adding" him respect and that he was playing basketball better because of that (despite the fact that he was still missing nearly every shot). Good times.

[@ripem1417]

I begged for one as a kid, I don’t even think I thought it did anything but I wanted to fit in with everyone else. My dad was outraged by the thought of a $30 rubber bracelet but he eventually caved in. Wore it for like three days then lost it- he was so pissed haha

[@SPVLaboratories]

real

[@DeadlyLazer]

Bro same. Except we just got the "used" ones from the older kids for like $1. Funny thinking back that there's pretty much no difference. I remember my sister's friends freaking out after seeing me wearing one when I later got home.

[@-Oxy]

10 dollars a day clearly

[@pex3]

LOL

[@nicestps5]

I remember trying to ask the jocks in high school how these worked and their attempts at an explanation were always hilarious

[@Burkius]

thanks for sharing

[@Andrew-lcy]

thanks for sharing

[@AmSyndicate]

yall mustve worn them huh 😂@@Andrew-lcy

[@hewhoislife]

U got beat up huh

[@onlinetoday840]

don’t ever say the jocks in highschool. idk you but i imagine a short little virgin now. and no i didn’t wear these i graduated in 2022

[@hustla818]

In 2010 I used to have a job at a mall kiosk selling a knock off version of these. Everyone selling it knew it was bs. We also did a strength, flexibility, and balance test/demonstration on people to sell them on the idea that it worked. The test/demonstration we did was a little different from the one in the video but the idea was the same. Its ceazy how many people fell for it, buying 5 or 6 of them at $25 a pop for the whole family. I had friends who believed it worked, so to prove them it doesnt, i would do the tests on them with a regual rubber band or scrunchy to show it works regardless

[@jouwenlee7829]

There's still a Phiten retail shop at a huge famous shopping mall near my place, also at other popular shopping malls. Even a website promoting various products that can be purchased online.

[@slosprint5]

Part of the Power Balance trick was for the balance test, the demonstrators would push down closer to the shoulder when the person was wearing the bracelet, and closer to the hand when they weren't. They used the same amount of force, but had more leverage when the bracelet wasn't being worn.

[@orlandosantiago4063]

I bought one immediately after they tried that on me 😂

[@tomc5435]

My highschool assistant baseball coach tried that bs on us while he tried selling us some bs water that he clearly got duped into investing in. 😂

[@Gammera2000]

I remember someone trying to sell these on Shark Tank a couple years back did the same trick.

[@darmendariz1085]

Tried to get me once when I was like 16. Guy gave a firm push that I wasn’t expecting and I stumbled. He puts the bracelet on me and pushes me again and when I don’t stumble he says it’s the bracelet doing its job 😂😂😂 definitely not the fact that I was expecting to be pushed now

[@jessebb193]

Same thing they did with those good feet arch supports, claimed it made your foot balance perfect 😂

[@cameroncravens1849]

growing up I didn't even know these things were called, we called them "focus bands". my teammates (baseball) said it helped them focus at the plate so I just started wearing them. I didn't feel anything but I kept wearing mine anyway because it was my team colors. This was definitely a throwback to see them again I had forgotten all about them

[@IllTickleYouAgain]

I was trying to remember these things. Couldn't, but when you said "focus bands" it kinda came back. I remember the focus bands. I remember a friend who was still playing ball said "I don't know, it helps me focus"

[@AndreLePuck]

This is one of my faves thank you! Great job

[@aliquidgaming1068]

Same goes for supplements and fashion What ive learned over the years is that wealthy people are actually easy marks for scammers just as much as the general public if not more so. This is a prime example. Or how so many rappers get finessed out so much cash on over priced clothes and jewelry or get hustled by buying bootleg stuff.

[@BlisaBLisa]

in fairness i think the point of buying overpriced jewlery and clothes is that its overpriced, its a status symbol. its still dumb but theres no false claims being made. supplements on the other hand, yeah celebrities fall for that shit like crazy lmao

[@zacherytaylor]

There's a great VSauce MindField episode where they explore the idea of someone healing from nothing more than the perception of improving health. These bracelets/necklaces didn't have a measurable effect, but they allowed the wearers to believe they were going to get better. That sort of permission we have internally actually plays a significant part in the healing process

[@mobilityrp3888]

Yep there's an extreme amount of evidence in the world that our perception of sickness is makes it better or worse

[@24Cage]

What is it called

[@g0tst1ngs]

​@@24Cage placebo effect

[@joebojanic1905]

Placebo effect

[@raezor82]

And even when they told the person it was a placebo going in, the effect still worked.

[@hanthonyc]

I mean, placebo is a crazy real effect. You can have legitimate aches from actual strain, that begin to feel better because the object helps you train and convince your brain to ignore it. I literally use placebo objects, knowing that refocusing your brain towards the effects you want, makes you more likely to use better effort. (I just don't pay crazy amounts of money lmao, it's essentially "lucky objects" haha)

[@Bones12x2]

absolutely, the human mind/body is amazing. The problem is that they weren't presented as placebo devices, they were dishonest about the "science".

[@sharpieman2035]

Doesn’t it not work if you know it’s placebo though? How do you use placebo objects intentionally?

[@eggmicheal3917]

@sharpieman2035 @mkbzam placebo/nocebo absolutely does works, even if you know its only in your head. its why healthcare professionals try to use positive language in favour for medication, while trying to use objective language while describing side effect (example: "in rare cases, some ppl experience xy side effect" instead of "you may experience xy side effect") if you want a more practical example, imagine you have a headache. you take some ibuprofen for it, and after a couple of minutes you already feel better, eventhough pharmocologically speaking it shouldnt act for another 25 minutes. just you knowing you took something that is going to help you lessens your symptoms. sorry i cant really go into more detail, its all i can really remember after a lecture and a (very short) journal club😅

[@Zraknul]

Placebos can work if you know it's a placebo.

[@ericfellner2689]

​@@mkbzamThat's not true

[@tropictiger2387]

I remember arguing about this with my math teacher, when I was in high school. She vehemently defended it and I lost whatever respect I had for her.

[@Ha1frican]

5:38 As someone who’s went through the end of elementary and into middle school at the time I’ve literally never heard of this thing but I remember the wrist band

[@blackgeekfandom]

This was the first time I understood why cults existed. I remember getting one, and my friend clowned me, saying I wasted my money. There were doctors who said it didn't work. Credible ones! I couldn't get my mind past it with so many influential people promoting it. One day, I just questioned myself for thinking, why are doctors lying? One of my professors at the time said that celebrities are managed by so many people due to their time being limited. Those people at times aren't good at their job. The bottom line is $$$. As long as the upside of the $$$ appears to cost more than the downside, justify it being worth it.

[@ebscoHOSTpub]

Also shows how those "organic food only" or "carnivore" dieters look and believe.

[@nicklazzaro5055]

Not having chemicals in your food is not remotely similar to buying into junk science.@@ebscoHOSTpub

[@Peanutdenver]

All my teammates wore them in baseball, but I hated wearing any jewelry while playing. I remember saying to my friend, why not wear 2 or 3 or 4 if they really work? He said "That'd be too much power" we both laughed and he stopped wearing his neckless a few days later.

[@TWzonenoflexxOD]

man...all you need is something to catch a wave and cash out. fidget spinners and those poppers kids have..... cashout

[@woke_rd124]

Trump supporters are the perfect example of a cult

[@ostrich6175]

God I remember in high school I saw everyone on my football and baseball team wearing them, so I asked why everyone had one/what it was, and when they told me, my exact reaction was something like "That sounds dumb as fuck, there's no way that's real. We're 2-19. It's not helping you with shit". Made me very unpopular but I was happy to see the next year that they all say the headlines about it being a scam lol

[@Clemfandang0]

Smart man knows what to say, wise man knows when to say it😂

[@MyNameIsUnavailable]

BAHAHAHAHA! 😂 showed they asses

[@orppranator5230]

@@Clemfandang0 So OP was smart AND wise huh?

[@g0tst1ngs]

​@@orppranator5230what was the benefit of him saying it?

[@smilescries5325]

never knew what they were, never had one, always wondered. Glad i waited like 12 yrs for a YT doc instead of just googling it. Great vid bro

[@Lowkey420]

This was about as real as that Peter Popoff “Miracle Water” 💀

[@SpudMcKeegan]

I'm shocked you included the Scam School episode with Brian Brushwood and didn't go into the reasoning those holographic bracelets worked in the demos when they were trying to get new customers. It was all about how you are manipulating the person when trying to get them to lose balance. If you pushed towards their feet they would stand fine, if you pushed away, they would fall over.

[@_CoachW]

It's actually even simpler than that. It's just physical cueing. You can do it in a variety of ways. Hold your arms out see how far you can rotate each direction. Rub your belly and sides for 10 seconds and do it again. I watched a PT demonstrate this with just touching a persons ear. Reflexive response is an amazing thing

[@realwiggles]

@@_CoachWI think it also has to do with the person anticipating how they’re going to be moved and how hard they’re going to be pushed the 2nd time around. Obviously, it’s going to be easier to maintain your balance when you already know the forces you’re going to have to counter to do so versus having to adjust on the fly. To me, this makes more sense than assuming every single person across the country who performed the test on someone else was already aware of how the trick worked. Like the videos said, people were showing their friends, family, coworkers, etc. the same balance trick and I highly doubt they were all fully aware it had nothing to do with the bracelet considering a good portion of the people who bought and wore one genuinely believed it was literally curing their physical ailments. If it were only salesmen performing these demonstrations than that would be one thing but it was mostly people who probably bought one after the trick worked on them.

[@SpudMcKeegan]

@@_CoachW Okay sure, there's a valid point in what you said, but, in the video I was talking about they make the point that I said. I'm not arguing, just commenting that it was left out of this summary even though the video was included.

[@yungbruh8836]

I could literally touch you if I wanted to

[@Ramonatho]

​@@SpudMcKeeganBrian is dope, love me some Modern Rogue and Scam School

[@justinweinstein22]

The placebo affect is an amazing thing

[@poetac15]

Not always a bad thing. If a $30 scam makes you feel better that seems like a win 😂

[@LucianDevine]

@@poetac15 Until they started to charge $168 for x100 times the BS, because greed. That's the problem with these scams is that no amount of dirty money is ever enough.

[@JBob08]

Yup. Take those bracelets away from a player mid game and try to tell me it didn't make a difference.

[@markeastridge9649]

@@JBob08take away necklaces (crosses) and the angst would be very loud.

[@TheDewaltBoy]

"Effect"

[@TeraGreene1]

Thanks for this trip down memory lane! 😅

[@GeorgeDundalli]

i remember getting into arguments about it with kids at school “it’s just a sticker” “ITS GOT A HOLOGRAM”

[@gfreeman4202]

I worked at the printing press that made the power balance holographic stickers. They were referred to around the shop as the "snake oil stickers." I would estimate we shipped around 250,000,000 PB holographic stickers to China. People will believe anything.

[@PaytonDowns]

Kinda like what you commented? 😅

[@knight808.]

@@PaytonDowns😂😂😂😂 Touché

[@alihenderson5910]

​@@PaytonDownsAw, you fell for them. Bless.

[@andresrivera4965]

I remember i was in middle school when i asked my best friend who played baseball what the necklace and wrist band was for and he said for “better balance and helps me relax my muscles” all i kept thinking was how can that even do that and i was an athlete myself playing soccer and that was me as a kid now i cant imagine adults thinking this shit actually worked lol

[@David-ln8qh]

I'm regularly shocked by the number of people I otherwise respect that believe in ghosts. Certain bizarro beliefs are just culturally acceptable.

[@PaytonDowns]

@@David-ln8qhwhat about aliens? I believe in them.

[@asole2847]

I didn't believe it either at first til my friends had me try it on, and did the test on me. Therefore it didn't sound as crazy if there was what we believed to be proof.

[@JimBakkerBonus]

@asole2847 then you just need to re evaluate your standard for "proof"

[@asole2847]

@@JimBakkerBonus Well if your friend attempts to push you with out the bracelet, and you almost fell but when they do it you again with the bracelet on, and you didn't fall, I would consider that proof enough. You're also ignoring context which would be the fact that no one knew for sure if it was a lie/scam or not . So this "test" is all we had to verify four our selves thus it would be considered proof if the bracelet supposedly did what it was said to be able to do.

[@conwayGAMES]

i remember i cut one of mine open and it was just a piece of foil 😂. i never saw any results from it, as a kid i knew then it was snakeoil it just looked cool at the time.

[@marygracebuckley9367]

I worked in retail at a Six Flags in 2012, and we sold those Phi-Ten Tornado necklaces in a few of our gift shops. We sold a lot of them because in the park, they were priced at $12.99, while local sporting goods stores were selling them for at least $25, maybe even $40 or $50. It was so weird to have, like, 13-year-olds coming up to my register and saying these necklaces were so cheap in our stores (especially since most stuff in theme parks is marked up a lot). I think by then, they were a status symbol for kids and teens, but it’s nice to get some context from this video for what was going on there.

[@TimeBucks]

Thank you for your great work!

[@Israrofficial52]

Nice

[@NasirKhan-bh2mg]

Nice

[@ImAlxxy]

Athletes have been assisting in scams for decades. I'm just hoping I figure out the next "secret formula " I can sell to exploit the same market

[@sea4our]

a lot of athletes are just fist puppets, because they're getting paid. unfortunately, 99.9% of society of morally bankrupt and can be swayed by dollar amounts instead of asking "why or what i'm selling".

[@dennismonk9559]

you're looking for the next scam so you can be the scammer? Bro it doesn't end up well for them, did you watch the last 3 minutes of the video?

[@173jaSon371]

Like the TB12 diet BS and the Russell Wilson "concussion water" (no, that is NOT a typo). If the TB12 diet is what allowed Tom Brady to play football for so long, then why aren't 90% of athletes dedicating themselves to it? Because it's a sham. Dude was almost certainly on PEDs like HGH and more, and I'm a huge Patriots fan who grew up less than an hr from the stadium during the start of their dynasty.

[@DelGTAGrndrs]

@@173jaSon371he started looking fake towards the end in Tampa. I agree he was on something crazy lol

[@mine929]

I remember power balance back in high school. It was a complete joke. Now as for the Phiten necklace, I never heard of them until now. The funny thing is that I bought a Phtien necklace that was sold as a fashion necklace in Gundam Base in Odaiba City Mall in Tokyo. Bought it in 2023, and I’ve only worn it a couple of times because it only matches certain shirts and clothes. Never knew it was a placebo effect necklace 😂

[@lolxfps]

My guess off the top of my head for the balance trick they used, is people aren’t used to the feeling of standing on one leg and being pushed down by their arms, so when they do end up putting the bracelet on, it’s much easier to balance because you now have an immediate understanding of how it will feel to balance like that again right after it just happened. Plus maybe a little bit of placebo making them try harder the second time around?

[@user-wn3rk5dr9h]

though i don't have the thing，but i know the truth，it's not what you guys think，maybe there is some placebo thing in it，but the effect is real，everyone thinks it's scam，but，it can success ，there must be something mystery behind it，the world is so big and funny

[@hustla818]

​@@user-wn3rk5dr9h🤡

[@grimreefer213]

I remember seeing these bracelets on everyone in my school, mostly worn by athletes. It is crazy how gullible people are, and how they meld with people around them, kids and adults alike. The placebo effect is a hell of a drug

[@sbdftw1702]

Yeah everybody thought the power balance bracelet was something magical. When in reality it was a rubber band with a piece of paper in the center. Cant believe we all paid money for that thing

[@yellabeast22]

It’s called “Social Proof”. Really, look it up

[@grimreefer213]

@@yellabeast22 I know what social proof is. Essentially if everyone around you is doing something then it gives it more credibility

[@yellabeast22]

@@grimreefer213 that’s not what social proof is. Sounds like you looked it up and didn’t comprehend what it was and came off in a condescending way about it. It’s not about validation, it’s the sudden assimilation of the whole. A real man would’ve accepted the information, rather than claiming to know something they didn’t know and still get it wrong, even though there wasn’t even a question being asked.

[@grimreefer213]

@@yellabeast22 You’re the one who is condescending, jesus christ.

[@rlh1984]

I don’t remember Phiten being a thing, but I very much remember Power Balance. I worked at a mall at that time, and those bracelets were everywhere. One person I knew who sold them at a kiosk gave me one, and I knew right away it was bullshit. I cut it open, and when I saw that it was just a holographic sticker like you’d see on a baseball cap, I knew my instincts were right. I did more research into them so I could tell everyone I knew not to fall for it.

[@Yerocco]

I had a few of the phitens. Necklaces were cool lol. My school and leagues were mixed of PB and phiten

[@TheRay1227]

It turned me into Thor

[@Burkius]

@@Yeroccothe phitens were actually so dope

[@keenanhodge7792]

Bro you’re sick, you’re like, ahead of the curve, i bet the people you work with at the mall think you’re so sick.

[@JimBakkerBonus]

@keenanhodge7792 and you'd probably fall for this laughable pseudoscience.

[@meximanequalsjimmy]

I remember being sold one of these in venice beach lol. The guy used a pretty smart trick on me that i didn't notice in the moment but later realized. He had me stand on one leg with my arms out and pushed down on my arm when i quickly lost balance. He then had me stand in the same pose but put the bracelet on my shoulder and pushed down on my arm again and this time I was able to keep my balance. Needless to say I was instantly sold. It wasn't until later down the line when i realized what exactly he did. The first time he pushed my arm down by the wrist area, however the 2nd time, after having placed the bracelet on my shoulder, he pushed down on my arm closer to shoulder area which is easier to maintain balance if you try. I threw that thing away once I figured it out but boy did I never take it off prior

[@Yaboishwa]

The placebo effect combined with confirmation bias is one helluva drug

[@tyjandrews]

I'm glad my parents were poor because at least I can say that I didn't fall victim to this scam! 😅😂😊

[@BBCforyoHoe]

They had $5 knock off versions at the fair 😂

[@cynicalproductions6060]

broke boi

[@chrischimera1999]

​@cynicalproductions6060 100% you have no money and get no bitches

[@alihenderson5910]

​@@cynicalproductions6060And you are still wearing a useless mask. So sad.

[@dragonace119]

@@alihenderson5910 I see no problem with wearing masks, even after the whole vaccination campaign occured I still wear one due to pollen and my sinuses not mixing well. I honestly feel stupid it took until covid for me to wear one.

[@matthewbass8152]

I think there is a reason mark could wear the same cup the entire time lol

[@jourdanalvarez5547]

Goated comment

[@baxoutthebox5682]

Might’ve needed a downsize in the later years

[@alpacalipsprofit9610]

He said he believed wearing it helped him hit more home runs but really he meant being able to fit in is why he hit more homeruns

[@ferretyluv]

@@alpacalipsprofit9610whoosh

[@redherronrecords]

I never even heard of this shit till right now, but i saw that band Placebo one time and that made me feel pretty good.

[@wote2760]

I remember seeing this on all the athletes and "cool kids" back when I was in school. It is wild I discovered this company mentioned again.

[@TheGreenGoblinYT]

I graduated high school in 2006. Our entire baseball team rocked them like crazy, especially the "twister" variety. I didn't even play baseball or any sport when I was in high school, I was a hardcore skateboarder. I bought a couple. And I'm not and never been one to believe in those copper bracelets and all that crap still shilled to this day. Phiten became trendy to wear so we all had one! I kinda miss it lol

[@Shermuel]

Bro we had chicks wearing them too. Don't think the "power" band or whatever really became trendy around my neck of the woods. I swear every kid in school had a phiten and at least two to three Aeropostale shirts, maybe some puka shell necklaces.

[@TheGreenGoblinYT]

@@Shermuel same.. I think the power band was after my time, I don't recall it at all in the zeitgeist.. but I feel like it was definitely an as-seen-on-tv, mall, Kardashian Era right after my time

[@Matt_TX]

there were girls on my daughters 6u softball team this year with the twister and I had immediate flashbacks to select baseball and all our color coordinated phitens bahahahahaha

[@TheGreenGoblinYT]

@Matt_TX trends come and go then are back around! It's the time of the 90s-2000s again!

[@Matt_TX]

@@TheGreenGoblinYT I laughed so hard as i was explaining them to my wife lol my superstitions were so real and sound so dumb to me now

[@1bobbycash]

I knew wholeheartedly that we as humans are stupid when this happened, I couldn’t even understand how this was real as a 10 year old lol

[@MelodicTurtleMetal]

This Stanley cup thing is dumber

[@lmaoSach]

"dumber" @@MelodicTurtleMetal

[@MelodicTurtleMetal]

@@lmaoSach Definitions from Oxford Languages dumb adjective comparative adjective: dumber 1. temporarily unable or unwilling to speak. "they stood dumb while the attacker poured out a stream of abuse" 2. OFFENSIVE•DATED View definition (of animals) unable to speak as a natural state and thus regarded as helpless or deserving pity. 3. INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN stupid. "a dumb question"

[@julianbell9161]

@@MelodicTurtleMetalAre people claiming Stanley cups have a magic medical benefit? If not, it’s definitely not dumber. This is about as dumb as it can possibly get.

[@Wolfboy607]

@@MelodicTurtleMetal Said like someone who wasn't around then. Stay in school, kid. Er, wait. That didn't help us any.. Eat your veg and do your studies, at least.

[@MindCraft52]

I remember having the power balance and the phiten and both had the placebo effect on me. Ifelt great, had energy, had balance, etc. I was so sad to find out it didnt even work. But damn i wish i never found out it was fake because the effect was so strong it genuinely helped me.

[@TheHEROFamily]

It's crazy how the power of suggestion and the placebo effect work. Especially when it happens in large groups.

[@bujuhhh]

had a power balance bracelet growing up playing tennis, was fully aware that it didnt do anything directly but kept wearing it because it was popular and i was superstitious about keeping it on. Wore it for years until it broke when i got it caught on something. This was a huge nostalgia shock since i had completely forgot these existed lol

[@bian7744]

Placebo + confirmation bias at work here and these products ingeniously exploit it. if you had superstitions then the product most definitely didn't work.

[@GaijinBaseball]

I wore a Phiten necklace all the time playing baseball and hockey growing up. Our league even had to change rules surrounding jewelry because so many kids wanted to wear them. Even if it was obviously bullshit, I think I got mine for like $30, so I didn't really care. I've even dug it out a few times because I still kinda get nostalgia for how it looks, and it still fits me.

[@BeesFitness]

The look was awesome

[@woeisdrew]

Yea I never knew they claimed to give health benefits. I remember all my friends in little league wanting them cause they looked cool

[@smackmeinthetree3854]

I remember that a lot of people started to advocate for these types of jewelry bc they were soft and safer

[@jp__878]

@@smackmeinthetree3854I could see that. Especially with the fields I remember playing on routine ground ball pop up catch you in the chest would leave a real nice imprint if you’re wearing metal.

[@999spot5]

​@@smackmeinthetree3854umpires still made me take it off sometimes

[@kevinr7216]

The fact that there is a a single person on this planet who heard the description of how that works and DIDN'T think it was a scam is just wild

[@SkelaKing]

I specifically remember being in 6th or 7th grade and seeing the Power Balance salesmen running a booth at my local club basketball center. Crazy that it was allowed at all, such blatant marketing to children. Needless to say I was hooked after seeing them there. I think a large part of their success for children were the low cost, cool colors, and your favorite athletes wearing them

[@JustinJones_now]

I'm so glad that you posted this. I never knew it was this widespread, but I did come across it once when a friend of mine and I were helping to set up for a local marathon that we helped to run. We were talking with one of the vendors who was selling these bracelets. He offered this test with my friend, first pushing him off balance without the bracelet and then having him put the bracelet on and then claiming that it was helping him to stay more balanced. I told him I wanted to try pushing on his arm with a power bracelet on and immediately pushed him off balance. The salesman immediately got mad at me saying that I was pushing down on his arm incorrectly. It was pretty funny to see how quickly it was unmasked as a scam when he wasn't the one that got to administer the test.

[@aarongale9214]

Had a similar experience myself. It was back in 2007 at the state fair and i remember, because our group of four friends had just recently graduated and only one of us could drive at the time. We were all at this booth where some peddlers were trying to sell these balance bracelets, and one of my friends had gotten sampled on. They did the same spiel, having him T-pose and pushing him off balance by pressing down on his extend arms before putting the bracelet on him, and doing the same thing but to no avail. I knew exactly what they were doing and after seeing my friend forced off balance a few more times while becoming immovable whenever the bracelet was on him, my friend actually fell for it and was about to buy one. I stopped him, dragged our party away, and outside of the area i told him they that were pulling on him instead of pushing, which was why he was going off balance. He wasn't convinced and the other two were curious as well, so we had to do an impromptu test right there outside of the booth area. Sure enough, even with just a light tug on his arm while pressing it down, he would immediate topple over while remaining completely balanced otherwise. To this day, I'm still amazed at how many people fell for this scam. EDIT: *many

[@dragonace119]

@@aarongale9214 It was always funny seeing it back when I had a part time job at a fair.

[@The_Bass_Stunters]

Curt Schilling also forgot to mention he was on copious amounts of Vicodin while pitching that ALCS game that has also known to make a person feel like a superhero as I can definitely vouch for that. (For about 3 hours anyway)

[@AnhDonoi]

I remember these dumb things. Also, that metal bracelet that did not connect and had two ball bearings on the ends

[@WekBenHelix]

The placebo effect is incredible. Some recent studies have only reinforced the insane power of it, which this video nicely highlights. Having something you believe in truly makes a difference. Mind over matter in so many scenarios. This product is asinine and people were foolish for buying into it, but this is also one of the more prolific, large sample-size studies of the power of placebo and belief.

[@Clownlife432]

Fun fact from someone with advanced science training in human performance. All the bells and whistles on smart watches for performance, such as tracking sleep quality, are essentially useless. Another fun fact, when they give people a placebo and tell them they are getting steroids they perform exceptionally well. Both cases show that the placebo and nocebo effect are very strong.

[@Baaqel]

Id like to know more behind where you’re coming from for the performance trackers. I like having long-term goals and being able to see gradual changes over longer periods of time. I feel like that is useful to me. Open to learn more

[@squinkque]

This was a great episode. You guys hit out of the park. I'm a fan of football and baseball but I knew nothing about these products. I do remember seeing a lot of ball players starting to wear necklaces about 20 years ago but thought it was just a fashion trend and nothing more. I learned a lot from this video.

[@HotShot-Josh]

Mark Cuban throwing them away was a cherry on top at the end of this vid. I was in middle school when these were popular and would remember a lot of school kids and baseball kids had them and swore by them. I was 14 maybe at the time and I always had my doubts and always refused to believe this helped. Well made video and very entertaining.

[@jojocinco5]

Prime example of all your power is in your mind mfs thought they were getting extra boosts but in reality we just believed in ourselves a lil more 😅

[@atomicgiraffe250]

The only thing I learned from this video is that kids aren’t paying attention in 6th grade science when the placebo effect is taught

[@nicklazzaro5055]

kids are still learning ab rock types at that age my guy.... physiology would be somewhere near college and an elective.

[@christiancharron1283]

Placebo is often thought of as a "bad" thing where as some in the medical field would say it an invaluable tool. Our brains are capable of a lot and if it can be tricked to do something beneficial without some form of intrusive intervention then what's so bad about that?

[@henrygagnon1547]

The way this guy talks is crazy he should be a baseball broadcaster

[@leadboots72]

How can he be a broadcaster for a sport that doesn't exist?

[@NeeoDroid]

I remember getting into arguments in highschool cause I was explaining a magnet strap in rubber band on your wrist did absolutely nothing 😂😂

[@caluccibois]

McGuire took 2 strays with that “how he get this much bigger but have the same cup” line 😭🤣

[@ziggybender9125]

I remember being too poor for most of the latest trends including this one. I remember how many kids believed they were better with them on, this is why I loved skateboarding because no one on a skateboard believed in a bracelet making you better or less likely to get hurt.

[@djfive-seven563]

I remember there was a grip tape company that was called paradox that supposedly put that stuff in the griptape lol

[@Toosii2times]

Ryan Sheckler wearing double bracelets in this video lmao

[@norcross411]

Love that you did a vid on this. I remember being like 10 in travel ball and seeing all the rich kids had these. Even at that age I was always like, "no way those do anything" lmao

[@tylerrobbins9126]

Man this brought back some memories of playing baseball when I was a kid. I didn’t believe in it and neither did any of my teammates, the people that I knew got them because they thought they looked cool

[@RazorRock3]

This is hilarious to me. I was in middle school around 2009 and I went to a private school around that time and ALL the boys who play sports but especially the baseball players raved over these things! They collected/traded these amongst each other while everyone else traded silly bands lol

[@humonculusroguthetumor7535]

I remember my friend raving about these things and I did a presentation in biology class all about the placebo effect and how these types of things were scams it’s crazy to me how many people bought into it

[@Jkev24]

Tbf, the amount of steroids Maguire was on probably actually made the cup never feel too snug.

[@polartoons]

Bruh you just unlocked a memory I remember I had a blue bracelet with the monster logo on the side of it I also had one of those necklaces too

[@nuzzlx]

i remember having one of those bracelets back in middle school lmfao. i think i was a lil skeptical of them back then, but didnt really care whether it really did anything or not.

[@ethantaylor6380]

I remember in middle school telling a group of kids that these things were fake, they all said if it was then why do all the athletes wear them. They also accused me of cheating the push test when I pushed one of them over

[@apophis259]

I remember my mom was so adamant Power Balance worked. She tried the balancing test with me and i was not convinced. Im glad i never fell for that shit lol

[@samueldavis5895]

I can’t imagine taking steroids and being dumb enough to think my sports cup was helping me hit home runs.

[@Loyard777]

I remember these being like $45 at finishline . And finding fake ones at flea markets lol

[@brettpeterson4941]

I’ll never forget the tornado phiten necklace. It was everywhere in youth baseball and all of us kids swore it gave us more energy

[@cubzrulz]

I remember the power balance bands and they were crazy popular when I was in high school from about 2010-2012. We even noticed that there were knockoffs and we wanted to make sure we were buying the legit version of the scam 😂

[@alexandelsosa7718]

I remember seeing that powerbalance commercial as a kid and wanting one really bad then i found out what the placebo affect was around the same time and i immediately became skeptical forever.

[@nickmcnugget16]

I completely forgot about these things, I saw them everywhere as a kid I didnt even know about their claims I just thought it was a trendy fashion thing LOL

[@gimmethunder]

As a former high school and college athlete, I'd just like to expound on the whole superstition thing. With the exception of a small minority, it's not necessarily that superstitious athletes believe doing certain things will "make them better." It's about getting yourself in the right mindset. I had tons of little quirks that I would do, but not once did I ever believe that any of them made me stronger, quicker, or physically better in any way shape or form. Many of them were to just give myself a routine, and if I followed the routine, it kept me in the right mental space, or gave me a sort of focal "zero point." Or during a slump or big run, making a change (like the gold thong) gave you a focus point to prevent overthinking, which can often lead to poor performance. So, the vast majority of these athletes don't believe there's anything magical or superpower related, they realize it's just a mental guide of sorts.

[@HaggisMuncher-69-420]

"Athlete" LOL

[@threestans9096]

uhhh they why even use it IN YHE FIRST PLACE. never had it before, but now just gonna acquire a bracelet to make a routine for?

[@gimmethunder]

Yeah, pretty much just that. Although, with things like the bracelet, it was often more of an aesthetics situation, or, at the level of MLB players, getting paid to promote them. I played D1 basketball and baseball. It would be much like how I had set way of shooting free throws. Always did the same routine, so that making the shot would hopefully become routine. I'm sure it sounds stupid to a lot of people, that's fine, but it could be something as simple as I wore the bracelet once, had good game, so I decided to keep wearing it. Like I said, no one really believes there's anything magical happening, but when you have a good game, you want to mimic as much of what led up to it as you can. Not to recreate "magic" but more of a sense of trying to make it so you feel like you did before. A lot of good sports performance is based off of feel. And when everything feels good, you're probably going to get a better performance. It's not going to turn you into a better player, but it could get a better performance out of the player that you are. @@threestans9096

[@doc_sav]

I have heard that a lot of athletes do kind of a willing suspension of disbelief when it comes to this kind of thing because they are well aware of the power of the palcebo effect. So they will take any gimmick without much question, because at some level, it can work for them.

[@jojivlogs_4255]

the smarter ones just jump straight to performance enhancing drugs

[@stevenfletcher3411]

There's no reason not too for them. If anything helps get your head right try it, if you find something works keep doing it. It doesn't actually matter as long as you think it works. A $100 necklace which does nothing more than boost your confidence probably makes as much of a difference as a lot of very expensive gear that folks happily fork out for. E.g. I play slow pitch I just bought a monsta will it help me hit better probably not, am I hitting better yes. I feel more confident at plate my numbers have significantly increased I don't actually know if it's the bat or me but I'm fairly sure when it comes time to get a new bat I'll be getting the same one 😂

[@JasonPizzinoOfficial]

Affiliate link to Phiten please 🙏🏼

[@MR-in8bl]

I had so many Phiten necklaces it was crazy. My favorite was the red and white Canada one. Even my dad got one, but he had a more plain one without the twisty rope. If you played baseball you had to have one bc it was cool.

[@codyburtrum2604]

I wrote a college paper / presentation on this in about 2011 because we were talking about pseudoscience in one of my classes (Science Teacher Methods). One of my dumber classmates refused to believe that they were fake because so many MLB players wore them and loved them, despite the fact that dissolving titanium in water was impossible. The dude went on to fail the Ohio Dept Ed test for Science education twice before finally passing it. As far as I know he taught for 5 years before quitting. I have most of my college papers saved, but I wasn't able to find that one unfortunately.

[@TheMedicatedArtist]

All this taught me is that jocks are just as (if not more) superstitious than theater kids 😂

[@nicklazzaro5055]

yikes.... its not close. Athletes are FAR MORE superstitious.

[@Midknyte182]

It’s amazing how the power of the mind has the capabilities to heal the body. It makes you think that we have to power to heal even the greatest of ailments, but the powers of the world who don’t want us healthy, keep those methods secret, or discredit or even eliminate those who get somewhat close to the methods.

[@Qokdnzjuql7163]

can this relate to lucky charms, rituals before a game, wearing a cross ? its all in the mind no scientific evidence

[@user-km4ys1js1t]

My first job was working for one of these kiosks in the mall. I quit the first day after my boss was trying to convince an elderly woman that it would get rid of her vertigo and she would be able to throw away her medication 😊

[@georgejungle138]

You don’t seem like a good worker very untrustworthy

[@axis8396]

Placebos can have incredible effects on people, hell even your mood can have impacts on your physical health. People who are depressed tend to get sick more often and have less energy which leads to a lack of motivation to do things which usually compounds with lack of exercise and sunlight. It's honestly pretty fascinating stuff

[@giuliano19971]

Colby Covington wore one on the presser for his UFC Title fight in late 2023, i was so baffled to see one on live tv again xD

[@voidsabre_]

I remember as a kid I was skeptical of the Power Balance bracelets my friends wore, so they did the balance test on me and...it still didn't work. They said it was because I was trying to make it not work lol