Monday, February 23, 2009

Sports Traditions

Been thinking about stepping away from the "news of the day" stuff for the blog, and I plan to throw a topic like this out there from time to time.

Sports Traditions takes the lead, this time.

Think about sport--from the aspect of competition, to the camaraderie of teammates. Along the way, there are traditions that have taken their rightful place in their respective sports. Traditions such as the jacket presentation ceremony at The Masters, the winners jug of milk at the Indianapolis 500, to the cutting down of the nets in basketball all have a place.

Me being a hockey guy leads my favorite tradition to the Stanley Cup. There are so many that go with the Cup, though, it's hard to choose.

You have:
No player touches the Cup until he has won it (while still active that is).
The team captain is the first to receive the Cup.
Players take turns skating it around the rink.
Players get to spend a day with the Cup in the off-season (most bring it to their hometown).

My favorite, however, happens even before the Cup is presented. It's common in every playoff round, actually. It's the post-series handshake between the clubs.

2 teams, 20 players per side, do everything within the legal limits of the rulebook (as well as some things that are outside of it--but it's all legal until you get caught), in trying to win the best of 7 series. Once it's over, the teams line up, extend a congratulatory handshake, wish the other guy good luck, and they actually mean it. Sportsmanship seems to take a backseat during the games, but after it's all said and done, the respect for each other is on display.

What are some of your favorite sports traditions? Leave me a comment!

Next time, we'll talk "Sports Superstitions."

Mike Solarte

No comments: