What do you think are the best traditions in sports?
Not necessarily THE best…just some that you know and think are fun. I shall get the ball rolling…
The singing of “Take me out to the ball game” during the Cubs’s 7th inning stretches.
The running of the sausages at Brewer games (My personal favorite)
The native dance before Hawaii football games…
…And probably the most iconic…The native dance that the All Blacks do before rugby games.
Any others you love???
FTR, it’s called a Haka, and the All Blacks’ version is called “Ka mate” (“It’s death!” or “I might die”). Tonga, Western Samoa and Fiji have their own versions.
Santo, this one’s for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eGCsEQ15L4&feature=related
I much prefer the orchestral performance/group sing along of national anthems performed before international sporting events, rather than the US tradition of inviting some local worthy/American Idol contestant to mangle the Star Spangled Banner.
The post-match jersey exchange after international association football matches is also cool.
Lambeau Leap.
Everybody on the team skating a lap around the ice with the great silver chalice 
I’m a big fan of any of the parks that have those type of races. Sausage race. Hot dog race. One of them has a bunch of drinks (water, soda, etc) racing. Love those.
The Olympic torch relay.
You gotta love the no shaving during the playoffs!
It’s hilarious, some can grow some bitchin 'staches and beards … or some people just can’t grow anything half decent at all, myself included.
Even better is individuals getting to cart it around for a couple days in the off-season, to their hometown high school, stri-- I mean dance clubs, or wherever.
Well, The Masters is a tradition like no other…
For small things that are done in-game, I always pay attention to the catcher or the ump rolling the ball towards the mound, trying to get it to stay atop near the rubber. Many don’t notice that.
As a Notre Dame fan, I think it’s a nice touch that the Band of the Fighting Irish will play the opposing team’s fight song if their band was unable to travel for the game.
The singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana” before the Indianapolis 500, and “My Old Kentucky Home” before the Kentucky Derby are great traditions.
Dotting the “I” in Script Ohio. I’d never seen that until a nationally televised Ohio State game a few years back. Much to my delight the broadcaster actually took time to show the whole thing start to finish.
Politically incorrect though it may be, spontaneous outbreaks of the Tomahawk Chop at Atlanta Braves games are tingle-inducing.
The Detroit Red Wings get squid thrown on the ice during certain playoff games.
Not shaving during the playoffs, like previously mentioned, is bad ass as well.
Teams that just won the Little League World Series running out to the bust in right field in Williamsport to thank the “God of Baseball”.
The handshake line at the end of a well-fought series.
The Stanley Cup’s “victory tour” to each winning player’s hometown.
And my special favorite: The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band playing “The Patriot” as the Colonial Honor Guard marches the flags onto the field.
How about the celebatory chug of milk by the winner!
My wife and son saw this in the Speed Racer movie. My wife turns to me and says, “how, cute, they drink milk to make it more child friendly!” From this, I went on to explain the Indy tradition.
Ladies in outrageous hats sipping mint juleps at the Kentucky Derby.
Seriously? I would include that in a thread about the worst traditions. Not b/c it’s un-PC, but b/c it’s the most lame, boring, sleep-inducing thing ever.
To the OP, I’d say throwing hats on the ice after a hat trick.
Goooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllll!
Throwing a homerun ball back if the visiting team hits it at Wrigley.
Liverpool fans’ You’ll never walk alone.
The End Zone Militia firing their flintlocks when the Patriots score.
I thought they did this at all parks. Do they do something extra special in Chicago?