College Sports Traditions

     What most separates college sports from the pros (besides the actual defensive effort on the hardwood and the lack of financial compensation for the players ) is the students.  Whether it's the "Rowdy Reptiles" in Gainesville, the "Izzone" in East Lansing, the "Oakland Zoo" at Pitt or the "Cameron Crazies" in Krzyzewskiville, the energy and dedication of the student sections really define college basketball.  College football, however, is more defined by pre-game tailgates, post-game victory parties, and some pretty gnarly sayings (often accompanied by some pretty awesome gestures).  In this piece, I present the best of the best.

Top 10 Sayings/Gestures of College sports

Honorable Mentions:

                                                                                       

Every Man A Wildcat- Kansas State

                                                                                   

Woo Pig Sooie

the legendary hog call

-Arkansas is my number 11.  Love the Razorback pride.

                                                          

   


                           

Gig Em Aggies

10. Gator Chomp- Just crackin' the list is the classic Gator Chomp from the University of Florida.  Say what you will about Tebow, dude's got some chops to chomp right in front of the ref (Tebow Chomp).  Willing to accept a penalty just to let his opponent know whose boss.  I don't really care about Tebow's past year as a Jet or any errotic throws he has made in training camp, his legacy will always come first as a Heisman award winning Gator.  You head into the swamps and this is what you get.  A very solid #10.

9. It's All About the U- Warren Sapp.  Michael Irvin.  Ray Lewis.  Ed Reed.  Reggie Wayne.  Vince Wilfork.  Vinny Testaverde.  Frank Gore.  Willis McGahee.  Devin Hester.  Andre Johnson.  The List goes on and on.  It's all about tradition in Miami.  Yes their basketball team is #3 in the country right now looking at a possible #1 seed come tourny time, but when you think of The U you think of those classic football squads.  Up top, we got a few famous 'Canes chuckin' up the U.  Gotta love it.

8. Hook 'em Horns- We transition to the Big 12 now as we roll in to Austin, Texas.  As the old adage states, you mess with the bull, you get the horns.  You head into Darrel K. Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium, you get thousands of fans in burnt orange throwin' up the horns.  In 1955, Longhorn head cheerleader Harley Clark introduced the Hook 'em Horns hand gesture.  The next day, the hand signal spread like wildfire as Texas took on Texas Christian at home.  Although the gesture is nationally known and understood among sports fans, I suggest you do not flash the horns in Europe.  In some countries in that region, the gesture represents spousal infidelity.  As long as you are secure in US borders, go ahead and flash the horns (assuming you are not in the presence of a Texas A & M alum).

7. War Eagle- We now head to the deep south as we venture into the friendly confines of Eastern Alabama to the city of Auburn.  This friendly attitude is conditional, however.  It is dependent upon the presumption that there are no 'Bama fans in a radius of 34 miles.  Why 34 miles you ask?  Well it's only the # of the greatest athlete all time, and famous Auburn Tiger, Bo Jackson!  Born and raised in Bessemer, Alabama, Bo excelled tremendously at Auburn in both football and baseball (taking these talents to the NFL and MLB, respectively).  Anyway, War Eagle is the fight song for the Tigers although it can be used as a greeting, farewell, compound sentence or complex compound sentence by Auburn fans.  When I think of Auburn, I think of the aforementioned Mr. Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley and of course Toomers Corner.  After victories, Auburn fanatics head to Toomers Corner to roll toilet paper up and down the two giant oak trees that dominate the area.  War Eagle, indeed.  Watch this vid to get a real sense of the fight song. Auburn spirit


6. Rocky Top- Just a classic SEC atmosphere here in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Gotta love those checkered, orange and white endzones.  Reminds me of a fast-food joint called Checkers.  They had good food, but it was always a leeee-tle too spicy.  Anyway, Tennessee is just filled with rich tradition.  From Pat Summit, to Peyton Manning, to Arian Foster, Tennessee keeps its product high and its spirit higher.  Here is a video of their classic fight song, Rocky Top. Tennessee fight song

5. WE ARE... PENN STATE- This is basically all you need to hear... WE ARE chant  Just walk around campus in State College, PA, yell out "WE ARE" and see how many students yell back "PENN STATE."

4. Rock Chalk Jayhawk- The chant is screamed throughout the legendary Allen Fieldhouse on gamedays in Lawrence, Kansas.  When KU fans know their team has the game wrapped up (too big a lead to lose) they start a slow chant of "Rock Chalk... Jayhawk... KU"  Here is the Rock Chalk chant from the KU arena.  It's hauntingly beautiful.

3. Boomer Sooner- OU slayin' it with this one.  I have no idea who Remi Ayodele is but he says that "Boomer Sooner" with swag and pride.  Here's a vid of OU fans crushin' a Boomer Sooner chant at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.  Oklahoma chant.  As for the origins of the catchphrase, apparently Sooners were land thieves who overtook lands before they were allowed to be settled upon.  Sooner fans are so dedicated that Barry Sanders' pops told his son he would root against Barry's Oklahoma State Cowboys due to his allegiance to Sooner nation.  Watch Barry Sanders: A Football Life for more info on this (an excellent documentary).  Oklahoma spirit has overtaken me; I really want to buy this shirt to show support for the squad.   OU>OSU

2. Hotty Toddy- We now stroll into the Grove in Oxford, MS to give you a glimpse of another deep south college football fanbase.  Ranked as the 267th best university by Forbes, the University of Mississippi houses arguably the best tailgate area in the nation.  Randomly, someone will yell out "Are you READY?" inciting the Rebels' famous cheer, Hotty Toddy.  Called "the mother and mistress of outdoor ritual mayhem" by the NY Times, the Grove is ranked the #1 place to tailagate in America by Sports Illustrated and #2 by ESPN.  Do you speak Rebel?  Stroll through the "Walk of Champions" arch into the Grove and you'll probably hear a Rebel faithful singing along to "Hotty Toddy."  It really is fitting that the term "Ole-Miss" is actually a term previously used by slaves referring to the plantation owner's wife.  The term is not derived from Mississippi, but the university will forever be known as Ole-Miss.

1. Roll Tide- This ESPN commercial basically paints the picture... In the midst of a spirited argument with a friend? Roll Tide.  Thanking someone for doing you a favor?  Roll Tide.  It's a good thing I wasn't born in Alabama because I probably would've been forced to see a doctor to treat my addiction to this phrase.  Rhythmic genius.  Short and sweet.  Rolls off the tongue.  Perfection.
     Alabama is home to some of the craziest college football fans on Earth.  Just look at Harvey Updyke.  This dude admitted to poisoning the trees at Toomer's Corner.  Unethical? Yes.  Extreme dedication? Absolutely.  When the radio host asks "Al" from Dadeville if it is legal to posion the trees he responds "You think I care?  Roll damn tide."  Guy just hammers it home.  He loves his Crimson Tide and he will resort to desperate measures in order to mess with their rival, Auburn.  Listen, I'm not defending his actions, as they were quite horrible, I'm simply showing how insane these 'Bama fans are.
 

Roll Tide

-el jefe