As Americans, we have plenty of unique traditions that might confuse people from elsewhere, and that includes our sports traditions. Whether it’s festive pre-game gatherings or weird in-game antics, our customs are what make American sports so unique. These rituals are a huge part of the entire sports experience—and we wouldn’t have them any other way. Here are eleven American sports traditions that others might find completely strange, yet we love.
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Tailgating Before the Game
Hours before kickoff, fans flood the stadium parking lots to fire up grills & crack open cold drinks—tailgating is lots of people’s favorite part of sporting events. People bring everything, including tents & folding chairs as well as massive TVs, and the atmosphere is truly electric. You just can’t beat the feeling of hearing the music blasting and seeing all the fans decked out in team colors. Tailgating helps build our excitement long before the players hit the field.
Singing the National Anthem at Every Game
It’s a tradition to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before sporting events, whether it’s a major league showdown or a small-town high school game—everyone stands up to listen respectfully & sing along. Sometimes, a local musician or even a famous artist delivers the song, with such a patriotic moment uniting everyone in the stadium. Many other countries will only do so if it’s a national game, yet we like to celebrate our love for our country at every opportunity.
The Seventh-Inning Stretch in Baseball
During baseball games, after the visiting team bats in the top of the seventh inning, everyone rises for the seventh-inning stretch—it’s a chance to stand up or stretch your legs. The crowd traditionally belts out “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during this time, although some stadiums add their own local tunes & traditions. Most sports games have a break in the middle but they don’t do it quite like we Americans do.
Ceremonial First Pitch in Baseball
Speaking of baseball, we have a ceremonial first pitch, where we invite a special guest to throw out the first ball. It could be a celebrity, a local hero, or sometimes even a political figure who walks out to the pitcher’s mound & delivers their best throw to the catcher. It doesn’t matter if the pitch is a perfect strike or wildly off course because that’s all part of the fun.
Gatorade Showers for Winning Coaches
Players sometimes celebrate their victories by sneaking up on their coach and dumping a cooler full of Gatorade—or water—over their head. This messy tradition started in the NFL during the 1980s with the New York Giants & coach Bill Parcells and it’s now common in many different sports. It’s such an iconic way to mark an important win, even though it leaves the coach drenched.
The Lambeau Leap
But that’s not all for odd celebrations because during Green Bay Packers home games, when a player scores a touchdown, they’ll leap into the stands to celebrate with cheering fans. This tradition is called the Lambeau Leap after football player LeRoy Butler jumped into the crowd following his scoring in a 1993 game. Today, many fans in the front rows gather just for the chance to hug their favorite players, which has made it an important part of games at Lambeau Field.
Throwing an Octopus Onto the Ice
Detroit Red Wings hockey fans have quite a strange tradition of tossing an octopus onto the ice, which began as a tradition in 1952. The eight legs of the octopus were meant to symbolize the eight playoff wins a team needed to win the Stanley Cup at that time—today, the playoffs require more wins. Yet the tradition has stuck around and arena staff are at the ready to remove the creature so the game may continue.
Super Bowl Commercials as a Big Deal
Football isn’t the only important part of Super Bowl season, as many of us are eager to watch the commercials, with companies spending millions of dollars for ad spots during the game. Lots of viewers look forward to these high-budget commercials and they’re a big part of conversations the next day—some people even tune in just for the ads. It’s a unique part of American sports culture where we celebrate the commercials almost as much as the game itself.
The Sooner Schooner at the University of Oklahoma Games
During the University of Oklahoma’s football games, after the team scores, a covered wagon called the Sooner Schooner charges onto the field and is pulled by two ponies named Boomer & Sooner. The wagon represents the pioneers who settled Oklahoma during the Land Run of 1889 and to this day, the tradition fires up the crowd every time it makes its run. It’s a lot of fun seeing the horse-drawn wagon race across the field—anyone who has the opportunity to see it should definitely do so.
Throwing Back Home Run Balls at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is the home of the Chicago Cubs and has its own fan tradition, where if the opposing team hits a home run into the stands, the fan who catches it throws it back onto the field. The tradition shows the loyalty of Cubs fans—they don’t want to keep a souvenir from the other team, even though tossing back the ball might seem odd elsewhere. But for the Cubs, it’s something to be proud of and an important part of the Chicago baseball experience.
The Running of Ralphie the Buffalo at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado football games feature a live buffalo named Ralphie charging across the field before kickoff—thankfully, a team of student handlers guides the buffalo along. Ralphie’s run always gets the crowd & players alike excited because seeing a massive buffalo sprint across the field is rather unforgettable. As such, it’s no surprise that many first-time visitors are shocked.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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