R....A....M....S.....Go Rams!!
Just change the letter and mascot and this chant can be heard at school football games all around the country. It’s part of high school and goes into college. As a Shepherd University student senior I attended my last Shepherd Homecoming Game.
It’s a display of school script. It’s a display of school pride. It’s a display of town support. A football game is more then just about football to many. Granted we are not talking about an NFL team or division I team but a homecoming game in general is more than just a game.
There are the players. Boys...men(?) that have probably played football most their life. Football is a massive part of their life if not their whole life. It is their culture. Watching film, watching a NFL game, and then playing Madden could be an example of the free time of a football player.
Furthermore football is American culture as well. Even though baseball is the national sport, no where else in the world is Football a major sport. We tried in Europe just like Beckham tried for soccer for us.
The tailgating, the beer, the body paint, and yelling at referees are all parts of football and insights into culture. In America we like loud and we like big. The big stadium gives freedom to yell as loud as one wants.
It also gives insight into the value of loyalty. Bring on the trash talking and sometimes physical fights.
People like to belong to something and be apart of something. Supporting a team lets people do this. In college people may want to be apart of their school as well as belong to the new group of friends they have made.
At a homecoming game the game is important yes but also what is going on in the stands or the parking lot. It is people getting together, supporting another group of people, and supporting themselves fulfilling wants of belonging.
No comments:
Post a Comment