The Pre-Game Ritual

Ah, the pre-game ritual.

Nothing’s more primitive and at the same time more complex than the tradition behind the ritual.

Different players do different things, before, during and after the game has been won and lost.

But, why?

The answer’s not as complex as one may think. It’s simply because it makes the player feel better, boosts their confidence. Over time it progresses from a habit into a full blown ritual that one cannot deviate from or suffer dire consequences.

I started playing the game of football at a very young age, first at the flag level, then the grade school, onto middle school, eventually high school and have received offers from semi-professional teams.

The very first ritual I had sticks with me to this day.

Before every flag football game I would have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich washed down with not milk, but blue PowerAde. Not red. Not yellow. Not green. If it wasn’t blue, it wasn’t happening. I followed that ritual for every single game of my football career, and my wrestling one as well for that matter.

As I grew older, the ritual progressed.

High school was when the rituals really got interesting as I had a plethora of them.

Like my pre-game play list on my iPod. Same songs every single week of a four year football career for the Central Catholic Crusaders. They included:

Heart Of A Champion – Nelly

Remember The Name – Fort Minor

Never Scared – Bone Crusher

Headstrong – Trapt

Thunderstruck – AC/DC

Go To Sleep – Eminem

Coming In The Air Tonight – Nonpoint

The Mortal Kombat Theme Song

On repeat, all the way up to the game, and sometimes even during the game (it takes skill to hide an iPod and earphones in your helmet and football pants, let me tell you.).

Looking at the NFL though, four players come to mind immediately when it comes to vocal leaders in this pre-game ritual. Three of them have pre-game traditions that are well known, one has a touchdown celebration that may not be well known.

Brian Dawkins, former Philadelphia Eagle safety and current Denver Bronco paces the end zone prior to every game, talking to a ball.

Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears linebacker, eats exactly two chocolate chip cookies prior to every game. Not one, not three, two.

Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens linebacker, of course does his traditional dance prior to games.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger points to the sky after every touchdown, in honor of his mother, may she rest in peace.

John Henderson is plain crazy, and his pre-game slap is not something people would want to copy for themselves (video)

But, players are not the only ones with rituals.

Fans have them too, some crazier than Dawkins’ having conversations with a football even. Fans will sit in the same chair, wearing the same tattered jersey, eating the same snacks, at the same time to watch their team play.

The most famous sort of pre-game ritual in today’s NFL would have to be the tailgating party you can find at every stadium that houses an NFL team. The bonding of fans through partaking of grill cooked food, consumption of alcoholic beverages and spirited trash talk has been going on for decades in stadiums all across America.

An act becomes a habit.

A habit becomes a tradition.

A tradition becomes a superstition.

A superstition becomes an obsession.

Ah, the pre-game ritual.

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