Turn-of-the-Century Fan Traditions

As we conclude the formerly traditional bowl season, we should consider once-popular fan traditions that we no longer practice, at least most of them.

Throughout the game's history, part of the joy of football fandom has come from anticipating upcoming games. Even the worst teams offered fans a few kernels of hope that victory would come on Saturday. Today's talking heads and the writing heads of the past shared insights about each team's talents, health, psychology, and expected strategies during the week leading up to the game. Likewise, fans with team connections asked insightful questions to anticipate how the game would play out. Still, despite everyone’s best efforts, none knew what would happen on game day. That's why they played the games.

Collectively, fans did their best to turn the hoodoo, mojo, karma, or whatever ephemeral spirit in their favor through activities supporting their teams, such as meeting at the train station to send the boys off to away games.

Home games brought any number of activities, a few of which we review below.

Pre-Game Walk

Some pre-game walks involve only students and fans. A certain harmony comes from the best example involving Harvard students marching to the stadium while singing their fight song, "Up The Street," before the 1901 Yale game.

('Harvard Shows Its Confidence in Eleven,' Boston Globe, November 22, 1901.)

Even better, the Harvard tradition continues today, at least with alum band members.

Pre-game walks sometimes involve the team marching to the stadium wearing suits, sports coats, letter sweaters, or team gear. This player-involved form of pre-game walk occurs today at LSU, Wisconsin, and likely a host of other locations. The walk used to happen shortly before the game, with players suited up and prepared to take the field. Mansfield State did so in 1914 before they hosted Indiana of Pennsylvania, a game that determined the league champion.