Shaking hands is a tradition that dates back to ancient times when gents wearing distinctive helmets in the Fertile Crescent shook hands to signal friendship or, at the very least, that they were not bearing arms.
I recall the teams meeting midfield (longitudinally) for shakes after a game, and probably before one, came in the NFL in '82, during the players' labor strike. It was a solidarity gesture. After the strike, it evolved to what it is now--not the end of a baseball game ..
Ha, I played Ohio high school football back in the 60’s, we basically never shook hands. I do remember shaking hands with an old grade school friend I hadn’t seen in years. My coach saw me and started berating me for doing so. Never did that again. By the way my coach is in the OSHS Football Hall of Fame. Different times.
"...while Ohio State's Woody Hayes recommended a Big Ten rule that coaches shake on the 50-yard line after games after Indiana's Jack Mollenkopf shook off Hayes in 1958."
On-brand. aOSU and, by extension, the Ohio General Assembly have been trying to control opponents' post-game behavior for decades.
Excellent post. I agree with Woody, never shake off a Hayes.
I hope to always follow that law of the jungle.
I recall the teams meeting midfield (longitudinally) for shakes after a game, and probably before one, came in the NFL in '82, during the players' labor strike. It was a solidarity gesture. After the strike, it evolved to what it is now--not the end of a baseball game ..
The Tank McNamara cartoon reflects the strike issue, then.
Ha, I played Ohio high school football back in the 60’s, we basically never shook hands. I do remember shaking hands with an old grade school friend I hadn’t seen in years. My coach saw me and started berating me for doing so. Never did that again. By the way my coach is in the OSHS Football Hall of Fame. Different times.
The times change, eh? I don't recall shaking hands in high school, but we did in college in the late '70s, though we did not line up at the 50.
A simple gesture that carries much weight.
"...while Ohio State's Woody Hayes recommended a Big Ten rule that coaches shake on the 50-yard line after games after Indiana's Jack Mollenkopf shook off Hayes in 1958."
On-brand. aOSU and, by extension, the Ohio General Assembly have been trying to control opponents' post-game behavior for decades.