Some people love sports, and some people REALLY love sports.  Sometimes it gets to the point of being scary. 

1.)  The Bizarre: Throwing things on the ice, crazy clothes

To the outsider, these traditions seem like the daily habits of insane homeless people, but are completely normal for the participants.  Don't judge.

A.)  Throwing Things Onto The Ice

Octopi:

Hockey fans and players are possibly the most superstitious of all major sports.  Especially when it comes to the playoffs.  In the 1950s there were far less teams in the NHL.  Six, to be exact.  In order to win the Stanley Cup, a team had to win eight playoff games.  The octopus has eight tentacles, so a pair of brothers in Detroit who owned a fish shop began throwing the bizarre/delicious fish onto the ice during games.  Other fans adopted the tradition, and even though it takes twice as many games to win the Stanley Cup today, that just means you need to throw MORE octopi onto the ice. 

 

Hats:

Everyone is probably familiar with the term "hat-trick."  The term actually originated in cricket during the 1800s.  A player scored a hat trick by striking out (?) three consecutive batters (?) in a row.  (We put the (?) because we have zero understanding of how cricket is played.)  But anyway, the player that accomplished that feat was awarded a brand new hat from the coach.  Yes, it's that literal.  ANYWAY, hockey adopted the idea, and when a player scores three goals in a game, fans sacrifice their beloved hats to pay homage to this tradition. 

 

Bats and Rats:

Two famous hockey traditions revolve around the hilarious killings of animals.  The first incident occurred during the 1975 Stanley Cup finals between the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers.  A rogue bat was flying around Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium.  It even managed to stop the game for a while, as bats are reminiscent of vampire attacks.  Jim Lorentz decided to go Van Helsing and took the bat down with one swing of his stick.  It earned him the nickname "Batman" and Sabres fans tossed rubber bats on the ice in homage of the incident.

Scott Mellanby nearly reproduced Lorentz's historic incident during the 1996 Stanley Cup finals.  A rat bounded across the Florida Panthers lockerroom, and Mellanby smashed the crap out of it with his stick.  He scored two goals in the game.  Fans began chucking rubber rats on the ice after the Panthers scored.  The NHL banned the practice shortly after since it delayed the games.

 

B.)  Dressing Like A Crazy Person:

Football:

No one could accuse football fans of lacking passion.  Not only do they often get up extra early to tailgate before a game, but often they endure sub-zero temperatures to support their team.  But why sit in the cold dressed like a normal person? 

 

Washington Redskins:  Hogettes?

Ever notice that Redskins fans often show up dressed like pigs in dresses?  This tradition dates back to 1982, when offensive line coach Joe Bugel started referring to his linemen as "hogs."  Some fans started wearing the noses and dresses and calling themselves "Hogettes." 

 

Oakland Raiders:  Scaring Everyone

Watch a Raiders game and try not to picture the Kurt Russell classic "Escape From New York."  Everyone at these games is covered in black and silver paint, they've got spike covered shoulder pads on, and they're screaming like mad-men.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers:  Terrible Towels

While not technically "clothing," the famous Terrible Towels started in 1975 thanks to broadcaster Myron Cope, who created the gimmick after being told it might help him during contract restructuring.  Fans wave the towels at every game and often bring them on the road when they visit other stadiums and even on vacation.  Proceeds from towel sales go to charity.

 

2.)  The Annoying: No shirts, golf idiots, soccer whiners

The following are some sports traditions we could do without.

 

A.)  No Shirt, No Problem

This tradition follows nearly every sport.  Fans just get shirtless.  No matter the weather, some fans take it upon themselves to get take off their protective clothing.  It takes a true fan...or a truly crazy fan.  Regardless, you can find these folks internationally, at every major sporting event. 

 

B.)  GET IN THE HOLE!

Who was the first golf fan to scream this at a tournament?  Because we'd like to go back in time and erase them from existence.  After EVERY shot you can hear some douchebag tossing this phrase out there.  He's definitely the guy who yells "Freebird" at the concert and thinks he's ironic and hilarious.  Nope.  Not at all.  Drown yourself.

 

C.)  Soccer (football) Whine And Dive

Soccer (football) is incredibly popular in Europe, and the fans are just nuts over it.  It's great to see such passion, but how obnoxious is it when an athlete dives and acts like he just took a .50 cal in the gut?  Replays often show that the contact that made the player fall wasn't nearly as violent as they act like it was.  This needs to stop.

 

3.)  The Hilarious: Chanting and Facial Hair

Some traditions are pretty funny.  These are in that category.

A.)  Chanting:

Soccer:

We kinda ripped on soccer for a second there, but it also has its cool points.  Like how each team has a popular song for their team, and every fan knows the words, and they sing it together after a goal and win.  It's truly beautiful to watch 50 or 60k+ fans singing together. 

 

New York Yankees Bleacher Creatures:

Prior to every Yankees home game the Bleacher Creatures conduct the "Roll Call."  They chant each fielder's name until the corresponding player acknowledges them, at which point, they move onto the next player.  Being the right fielder on the opposing team is no picnic, as they're subject to jeers from the Bleacher Creatures who sit directly behind them.  Love 'em or hate 'em, it's cool to see this kind of player-fan interaction during a game.

 

B.)  The Playoff Beard:

Did we mention how superstitious hockey is?  Somewhere along the hockey history timeline, players completely stopped shaving during the playoffs until after they've won the Stanley Cup or are eliminated from contention.  The tradition is carried on strong to this day.  It's really not even a question for the players.  You just do it.  No questions asked.  Even fans do it. 

The playoff beard has spilled into other sports as well.  Ben Roethlisberger grew one during the Steeler's Super Bowl winning playoff run.  Patriots Matt Light and Logan Mankins grew them during the Patriots 2008 Super Bowl run.  The tradition is also practiced in the CFL, no doubt thanks to the influence of hockey in Canada.