Traditions Standing Tall

Like countries or families, sports are filled with traditions unique to their history that define what it means to be a part of a team's legacy. Whether your team is pee wee league, high school, college or pro, you probably have participated in one tradition or another.

Pee wee and little leagues bring memories of different colored socks, rally hats and favorite tee shirts worn under your jersey.  High school traditions include wearing your jersey to school before the big game, pep rallies and chants done in locker rooms across the nation.

People love sports traditions because they unite an entire fan base.  Traditions transcend individuals and connect the coaches to their players to the fans to the security guards.  Traditions are each special in their own way.  Whether they started a long time ago or came about by chance, each tradition keeps a special place in sports fans’ hearts and remains an expression of loyalty to their team, or to athletics in general.

College sports’ traditions are a very important part of the sports themselves.  However, many sports fans might only be aware of their alma mater’s.  But across America there are traditions at schools large and small that many people have never seen, or even heard of.

Florida State University: Sod Cemetery

Playing football at FSU, the Seminoles have made a tradition of taking some sod from home teams' fields after big away victories, then placing it in a cemetery in tallahassee so fans can visit. In 1962, as the Seminoles completed their Thursday practice in preparation to face Georgia at Sanford Stadium, Dean Coyle Moore - a long-time professor and member of FSU's athletic board issued a challenge: "Bring back some sod from between the hedges at Georgia." on Saturday, October 20th, the Seminoles socred an 18-0 victory over the favored Bulldogs.

Team captain Gene Mcdowell pulled a small piece of grass from the field, which was presented to Moore at the next football practice. Moore and FSU coach BIll Peterson had the sod buried on the practice field as a symbol of victory. A monument was placed to commemoreate the triumph, and the tradition of the sod game was born. Since then, before leaving for all road games in which Florida State is the underdog, all road games at the University of Florida, and all ACC Championship and bowl games, Seminole captains gather their teammates to explain the significance of the tradition. Victorious captains return with a piece of the opponents turf to be buried in the sod cemetery outside of the gates of the practice field.

https://floridastate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=99984

University of Florida: Gator Chomp

Gator fans world-wide will extend their arms and clap them together like a gator’s mouth at sporting events, but also upon meeting other fans in airports, in business meetings, pretty much anywhere they see a fellow fan... or enemy.

University of Alabama: Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer Chant

At the beginning and end of their football games, the Crimson Tide faithful yell “ Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, Give ‘em Hell Alabama!”

And in the south that rhymes enough for them!

There are even traditions that regardless of where it began are picked up and become tradition across the country.  The slogan “Play Like a Champion Today” has been linked with the University of Notre Dame since 1800’s but you might see the sign in many locker rooms at many levels.  Most often it is a sign that is touched on the way out to battle.  

http://www.realclearsports.com/lists/college_football_entrances/notre_dame_play_like_a_champion_today.html?state=stop

The Gatorade bath:

This sports tradition started in the mid-80’s by NFL players. While the tradition may not seem that appealing to the coaches the image of someone tipping the bucket on their coaches’ head can only conjure up memories of euphoria and victory.

And finally, rushing the field, or court.  Rushing the field or court is great because it transcends ages and nations.  A little league big win, high school conference game or the national championship, rushing the field is just exciting.

So if your tradition is something simple, or something that the entire country knows about.  Embrace being a player or a fan and join in.  Being part of the team is what sports are all about.  If you are in the stands, on the bench or sidelines or in the game, join in the tradition.  After all, is all part of the game.


Until next time...

Keep moving forward!

If you enjoy this article and those similar feel free to share them on Twitter and Facebook, or wherever you seem fit, and don't forget to follow me on twitter as well!

Follow me at: @isportsbizi

Cheering for Change

Most people think of NFL as money hungry and rich, but in fact there's one key player that this doesn't hold true for. If you frequent the games enough either at home or live, you may not recognize their faces, but still everyone knows who they are. They are front and center right near the action, but eyes aren't always on them. If you haven't guessed it let me help you out. NFL cheerleaders. They put in hard work and dedication similar to the players they cheer for, and commit to as many hours of practice as football team will for the game each week. Often cheerleaders are attending a university and continuing on to other careers after cheering for around 3 to 4 seasons. The members of a cheer / dance squad participate in training camps, games, special event appearances, photo shoots, as well as charity events. Yet the paycheck is much, much lower than you would think, considering they are professionals.

Let's cut to the chase. Cheerleaders in the NFL are payed around $100 per game. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are on the higher end of the payroll receiving $150 per game, where the San Diego Chargers (The Charger Girls), are on the lower end, only getting $75 a game. It all comes down to around $1,250 per person per season, give or take a few hundred depending on who you are cheering for.

Even though most cheerleaders use the NFL season as a part time job they most certainly are not paid enough for the hours that are put in, and it is not sitting to well as of recent with some of the NFL Cheerleading organization members.

In January, the Raiderettes (Raiders Cheerleaders) finally had had enough. A law suit was filed by two of the members, claiming the team allegedly "withheld all pay from the Raiderettes until after the season was completed, and did not pay for all hours that were worked by the cheerleaders as well as forced the cheerleaders to pay many of their own expenses as well as fines", according to CBS Sports and the San Jose Mercury news. The lawsuit ended up being a victory for the cheerleaders. The women now receive the minimum wage set for workers in California including overtime. This is only the beginning of change for the women working with the NFL. Cheerleaders from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, and the Cincinnati Bengals have all filed similar suits that are still pending.

Something I found interesting during my research of this topic was that both mascots and concession stand workers make a substantial amount of compensation especially compared to cheerleaders. For a season of work an NFL mascots make around $65,000, and $12 - $18 an hour is made by concession stand workers. Both much more than the $9 an hour (minimum wage) that cheerleaders are struggling to gain today.

In fact if you feel compelled to, Change.org has a petition addressing this situation that you can sign today. Its looking to increase the wage of all NFL cheerleaders and is addressed to Commissioner Roger Goodell as well as every NFL team owner. Feel free to click here to get involved. Cheerleader Wage Petition

Like all of life's passions, if cheerleading is what you love, the pay shouldn't matter all that much anyway. You should be there for the pure fun and love of cheering. The lengthy try out process helps weed out any girls not truly passionate about the team and only interested in making a pay check. If its something you are interestedi in I would persure it to the fullest of your abilities.

Like aways

Until next time...

Keep moving Forward!

Food For Thought

Imagine the day... it’s the first Friday in April, the temperature outside is 70 degrees, the sun is shinning, you are wrapping up some last minutes details at work and all you can think about is that in a few hours you will be sitting in Section C, five rows up just behind the third base dugout. That's right…it is the season opener. You have waited 6 months for this day and you can hardly wait for the umpire to yell "Play Ball!". Could it get any better? Yes it can, and the only way it is possible is with your favorite cold refreshing beverage and a snack to stop the grumbling in your gut. The only thing left is to decide what that snack will be…

Have you ever thought about how the food guys decide what will be on the menu? Is it all the same or does it differ from one ballpark to another. It seems no matter where you go you can always find the old favorites…hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, sodas and beer. The interesting thing is that if you are a connoisseur of MLB ballparks you also have the opportunity to sample the local fare. For example, if you find yourself at PNC Park in Pittsburg, you can experience a world famous Primanti Bros. Capicola and Cheese sandwich, or at Fenway in Boston you can order the lobster roll made from the knuckles of fresh Maine lobster and at Coors Field, you can load up on Rocky Mountain Oysters.

There are many more examples of the local food culture making it to the ballpark. Offering the fans a popular local food choice or two brings back the regular fan and gives them bragging rights to out of townees, but perhaps also goes along way to attracting new fans. Sometimes the most memorable thing about visiting a new place is what you ate, especially when you are on sensory overload enjoying your favorite sport. Adding to the experience is what brings people back.