Notre Dame's traditional Friday night pep rally drew 15,000 fans. The team showed up in brand new matching warm up suits which I assume will be autographed and raffled to charity. The next morning the team changed wardrobes to matching sport coats and ties. A new tradition this year is a pin on each player's lapel indicating his residence dorm. All go to the traditional mass in Sacred Heart and then to the grotto to light a candle.
As tradition has it, they then board busses to take them to a spot where the players make the traditional walk to the stadium, past traditional murals and statues. Despite the new path taken in this year's traditional walk, no one got lost. Last year's new tradition of entering the stadium via the student section also went off without a hitch, and all team members arrived successfully in the locker room, which is decorated in traditional decor. Of course, the helmets had been painted gold per tradition and left to dry over night.
During the game the students must cheer in certain traditional ways with arm movements and step dancing. Actually most of these traditions were started in the last 20 years when students needed to focus on something besides winning football games. The players also must slap the traditional "Play like a champion today" sign whenever entering or leaving the locker room. After the game, per tradition, the players gather at the student section and hoist their helmets to sing the alma mater.
Amazingly, all traditions and superstitions were completed successfully before, during, and after the game. With such meticulous attention to tradition, rather than football, it should come as no surprise that the team lost to South Florida, 23-20, which also has become a tradition.
No comments:
Post a Comment