Favorite Sports Traditions

[BlueSky]

Yes, it's the same Cup. They add the winners' names to it so it gets bigger as they add another layer when needed - just another cool element of the Stanley Cup. With that said, it's not the original cup as it was redesigned at some point. In this old pic (before the redesign) you can see the 'tall cake' effect of adding more layers as needed to list the winners' names.

[Camden Crazy]

Intentional storming of the field/court. Usually one can tell when this is about to happen because 1/ the game will probably already be iced close to the end and b/ you can see people in the stands looking like they're PLOTTING to rush the field/court (and in some cases, head straight for the goalposts--I can still remember the knucklehead who climbed damn near to the top of the post and got a ride from the throngs of fans carrying him and the pole at the end of a college game some years back--I wanna say that happened either at Virginia Tech or East Carolina. (I don't even know if this is much a "tradition" as it is just a repeated "occurrence".

I can see where you're coming from there. For the basketball game we stormed the court for, we were playing our biggest rival and a kid hit a buzzer beater to win, so we more just like "HOLY ****" and freaked out and ran all over the place. It was crazy. The 3 football games were more pre-meditated, but still sweet.

[spyboy1]

One of my favorite sports traditions is the entire lead up to the start of the Indianapolis 500.

The Purdue University All-American Marching Band plays several pre-race songs, including "On the Banks of the Wabash" and "Stars and Stripes Forever."

In remembrance of Memorial Day, "Taps" is played, and a U.S military aircraft does a fly-by.

"The Star-Spangled Banner," performed by someone famous.

Then Jim Nabors, accompanied by the Purdue Marching Band sings "Back Home Again in Indiana". When he sings "...the new mown hay..." thousands of multicolored balloons are released.

Then call "Gentlemen, start your engines!" The old track owner Tony Hulman used to do it with this dramatic flair and hand gestures that was awesome.

After that are the pace laps that really get my heart pumping. It's pretty scary knowing 33 cars are about to hurtle into a 90 degree corner with 20,000 - 25,000 horsepower unleashed all at once.

There's probably no other sporting event that has such an extended and tradition filled "pre-game" than that.

[OnWis97]

I cannot believe I forgot this one in my first reply:

I HATE college games played annually at neutral sites: Florida/Georgia, Oklahoma/Texas. I think there is another big one, but I can't think of it. College sports are great in large part because they are on campus. I am glad OSU and Michigan don't play in Cleveland.

[tBBP]

You ain't the only one who done forgot something...

...I don't know HOW I forgot my most favoritest of all college football traditions--though it mostly only takes place amongst the HBCU schools...

...the Halftime show. Battle of the BANDS!

(in the HBCU world...halftime is game time!)

[mjrbaseball]

During University of Pennsylvania football games, the band periodically plays the many traditional fight songs and other music that have become associated with Penn over the years. The song played between the third and fourth quarters ends with the line: "... Here's a toast to dear old Penn!" But instead of raising a glass as if making a toast ...

... the fans throw toast onto the field! Hundreds of pieces of toasted bread go sailing through the air at Franklin Field. (The school expects this to happen, of course, and has a street sweeper parked on the sidelines to clean up the toast before the fourth quarter starts.)

According to Penn's website:

Penn fans throw toast onto Franklin Field after the third quarter of every home football game. The toast-throwing tradition was in response to the line "Here's a toast to dear old Penn" in the school song "Drink a Highball". The act of throwing toast was adopted after alcohol was banned from the stadium in the 1970s. In a good season, 20,000 to 30,000 pieces of toast are thrown per game!

[BB61]

... the fans throw toast onto the field! Hundreds of pieces of toasted bread go sailing through the air at Franklin Field. (The school expects this to happen, of course, and has a street sweeper parked on the sidelines to clean up the toast./quote]

This is why I need to go to a Penn game this year, especially since I live a mile from the stadium.

[winters in buffalo]

I've always liked the fact that they play both anthems before Sabres' games, even if no Canadian team is playing.

[averyj]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

Judging by signature..i think i see why...

Oh I get it. He's an Obama supporter so he must hate America. Damn, I wish I were capable of that type of analysis.

Nice cheap shot.

Or, even though it was sarcastic to begin with, he could just be referring to the fact that the man tends to disrespect our national anthem...

How does covering one's heart with one's hand constitute "respect"?

You know, I guess it officially doesn't. But to me, and I'm sure many others, it is a respectful move in that situation. I mean, how hard would it have been? The man's running for president. You gotta take the little things like that into account.

But anyway, this isn't what this thread is about. Back to Sports Traditions.

100th post.

Schmuck.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp

[ShinyHubCaps]

Ugh, there goes my dream of starting one thread that doesn't turn into a discussion about Barack Obama...

[Roger Clemente]

Towel Power (Canucks..not Steelers)

Steelers did it 7 years before the Canucks did, sorry.

[LC]

nvm..

[HedleyLamarr]

I cannot believe I forgot this one in my first reply:

I HATE college games played annually at neutral sites: Florida/Georgia, Oklahoma/Texas. I think there is another big one, but I can't think of it. College sports are great in large part because they are on campus. I am glad OSU and Michigan don't play in Cleveland.

I love it that the Georgia-Florida game is played in Jacksonville every year. It's really a 4-day event (Georgia schedules their fall break each week of the Florida game) that any college football fan has to experience at least once. Add to that, the stadium is literally split in half in terms of ticket sales, and more likely than not, the game has been a determinant of the SEC and National championship almost every season.

It's the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Church Social!

[DG_ThenNowForever]

2. Singers reinventing the National Anthem -- I'm not sure if this counts as a "sports tradition" per se, but I can't stand when singers feel the need to infuse the National Anthem with their own unique song stylings. I know it started long before the Mariah Carey era, but it seems to have become progressively worse with singers of her ilk, all of whom feel the need to stretch out single notes into showcases for their vocal range by singing scales (complete with distracting hand gestures). Possible worst offender -- Steven Tyler (". . . and the home of the . . . Indianapolis 500!")

I agree with you, but with one exception:

.

[scarsofthumper]

Dislikes:

Storming the court/field

The wave

Likes:

The Milwaukee Brewers sausage race / playing Roll Out the Barrel after the 7th inning stretch

Wrigley singing Go Cubs Go after home wins

National Anthem at Dallas Stars home games

The white out and rally towel

[winghaz]

I love college fight songs, no matter the sport. But especially football.

[Geoff]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

Judging by signature..i think i see why...

Oh I get it. He's an Obama supporter so he must hate America. Damn, I wish I were capable of that type of analysis.

Nice cheap shot.

Or, even though it was sarcastic to begin with, he could just be referring to the fact that the man tends to disrespect our national anthem...

It's not disrespect. There is no written rule that says your hand has to over your heart. The only real rule is hats off. I don't see a hat on him. I have however seen hats on people all the time at UT games and other various football games and sporting events (most notably NASCAR events).

He choses to not have his hand over his heart, I do. Oh well. I do respect his stance that wearing a lapel pin does not make you patriotic. It's pointless and stupid.

[jamdawg1]

I LIKE:

"Script Ohio" by the Ohio State Marching Band which culminates in a Senior Sousaphone Player "Dotting The 'I'".

"The Lambeau Leap" Get the fans involved

The OLD Dawg Pound in The Old Cleveland Stadium. Back then, you could raise all kinds of hell so long as you weren't commiting rape or murder. Opposing teams HATED playing in the old Stadium. (This was before Political Correctness and the ongoing efforts to wussify America.)

The Seventh Inning Stretch

Michigan Week (Ohio State)

I DISLIKE:

Gary Glittler's Rock & Roll Part Two. 1.) It's a stupid song and 2.) He's a major child porn perv.

YMCA (The Song)

The Wave.

Full Length Baseball Pants. SHOW THE SOCKS!!!!!!

[Erik121]

Likes:

Cheering at the United Center/Chicago Stadium - When the stadium is packed, it gets crazy loud and it is totally awesome

Original 6 match-ups

Chanting "Let's Go Hawks", "De-troit Sucks"

Script Ohio is totally awesome

Pride stickers on helmets

College/Team Fight songs

Dislikes:

"There is a timeout"..."Where?!"..."On the field"...."Oh!" - This just comes off as being totally dumb

Go Cubs Go - Please just shut up

Rock in Roll Part II

YMCA

The Wave

[fiasco!]

Things I like:

College Hockey "It's all your fault" chants when the opposing goalie allows a goal.

Running down the hill and Howard's Rock @ Clemson (football)

College fight songs

Closers that sprint to the mound from the bullpen

Rivalry games

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

Tailgating at college games, not pro games

Dislike:

National Anthem before every damn sporting event

God Bless America ruining the Seventh Inning Stretch

TV Timeouts

The Wave

Jumbotron cheering prompts (If the fans don't know when to cheer, them)