With football season approaching its peak, it seems as though a game is constantly on every tv screen. If you struggle to find interest in the sport that sweeps the nation every fall, try to look a little further into football and its impressive culture. Or, just enjoy the food!
For history buffs, it may help to know the origin of the sport. Football found its beginnings in midwestern America as a variation of rugby. The first football games were small matches between colleges like Harvard and Yale in the late 1800s. This way of playing rugby eventually blossomed into its own respected sport, finding its way to other parts of the country. The legacy of football is so deeply rooted into college sports, which explains the extremely large fan bases that follow college teams.
Speaking of fans, every college or NFL team has its own fan traditions. Observing or participating in these traditions can be very exciting, even if you don’t quite care about the game. For example, the Colorado Buffaloes have a real life Bison named Ralphie the Buffalo that runs across the field before a home game begins. Similarly, the Oklahoma Sooners celebrate touchdowns by releasing a horse drawn wagon to circle around the field. Both of these traditions have survived over 50 years and continue to excite crowds.
Every team has rivals, and seeing what fans do in protest of other teams is one of my favorite aspects of football. Participating in rivalries is equally as entertaining. One of my personal favorite rivalries is between Ohio State and Michigan. This particular rivalry is so strong that every letter M on OSU’s campus gets crossed out on Michigan game days. Following local rivalries can be very entertaining as well, and it is a good way to become interested in nearby college or NFL teams. Even if you don’t know or care about what’s going on in a game, you can still cheer on your local teams!
If you’re watching a game in person, there will most likely be a band performing, whether it’s in the stands or on the field. College marching bands often have impressive half-time performances and fun stand tunes. Just last year, I had the opportunity to see the Ohio State band perform their famous tradition, “dotting the i,” during half time. This was easily the highlight of my college-football-game experience and made the entire night memorable. The next time you find yourself at a football game, even if it’s a high school game, I encourage you to look out for the band during half-time and in the stands.
Another perk of being in person
is seeing mascots. Sometimes watching mascots perform with the cheerleaders is surprisingly entertaining. After all, who could resist the charm of Syracuse’s mascot: Otto the Orange.
And last but not least: the food. Whether it’s during the Super Bowl, the Thanksgiving day game, or a random Sunday night, there’s most likely good food. Football is often related closely to good appetizers and bar food, so even if you don’t feel like watching the game, you can at least grab some snacks!