5 Game Day Traditions You Need To Implement

By Victoria Robertson on November 9, 2015

Whether you watch football, hockey, baseball or soccer, all sports fans share a love for game day. It doesn’t matter if you’re supporting your alma mater or watching your favorite professional team on the big screen, game day is an event in every capacity, and it should be treated as such.

While gameday traditions vary depending on the sport, the person and the team, there are a few that all sports fans should incorporate before the next big game. Game day should be a celebration of the sport, and implementing a few traditions can take your celebration to the next level.

So without further ado, here are 5 game day traditions that you need to implement.

1. Show Your Team Spirit:

In the age of social media, showing off your team spirit is as easy as the click of a button. There are the obvious channels, such as Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, through which you can share your spirit selfies, but what fun is that if there’s no one to show off with?

With Picpal, you, your friends and even your friend’s friends (up to 4 people total) can take spirited selfies simultaneously, and the app (free on iOS and Android) will combine those photos into a collage.

You can create rivalry collages if you and your friends are fans of different teams, have a “who’s more spirited” contest right in the app, or even interact with each other live, celebrating as your team scores the winning touchdown, or venting about the terrible call the ref just made.

The best part? You can share these collages on Instagram and Facebook, and you can comment and heart on each other’s collages right in the app, making it your one-stop-shop for game day fun.

What better way is there to show off your team spirit?

2. Setting the Mood with Food: 

Photo Via: http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1345410/images/o-FOOTBALL-SNACK-EASY-facebook.jpg

Just like you’d order hot dogs at a baseball game, there are foods that just go with the sports you watch, and for all my foodies out there, this one’s for you.

Whether you’re going out or cooking in, just try to keep your game day treats consistent, so there’s always an upcoming dish to look forward to.

For some people, this means going out to Buffalo Wild Wings to cheer on your favorite hockey team, for others, this means a potluck feast on Football Sunday.

Feel free to get creative, and don’t feel obligated to fit a certain archetype. Just because you’re watching an MLB game does not mean you need to have a hot dog. Maybe you’re a chili fan, or prefer a bag of Baked Lays.

There’s no judgment here.

Food is food, and if you’re doing it right, it sets the mood for your game day celebration.

So pick a dish, stick to it and enjoy the game!

3. Jersey Time:

Photo Via: http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/krod.com/files/2014/10/457746976-630×420.jpg

Any professional sports fan will tell you the importance of a jersey. It not only lets you support your team and your favorite player, but it also shows your dedication and acts as a symbol of your team spirit.

For those of you that have a jersey (for those of you that don’t, I highly recommend you get one), putting it on every game day probably feels like a ritual at this point, but it can just as easily become yet another game day tradition for you and your friends/family.

I’m not suggesting you don’t wash the jersey during playoffs (something that many of you will probably do anyway), but that your game day participants all wear a jersey during your viewing party, uniting everyone and showing off your pride at the same time.

And because there are so many jerseys out there (home and away, throwbacks, breast cancer awareness, St. Patrick’s Day – the list really goes on and on), everyone can still display their personal fashion sense while participating in this timeless tradition.

Because so many fans do this anyway, it’s a simple way to add yet another tradition to your game day celebration.

4. All Bets Are Off:

Photo Via: https://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_960w/Boston/2011-2020/2014/05/01/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/03212008_mp21bs2-6541483-12877.jpg

What fun is a sporting event without a little bet?

For those of you that have friends that are fans of rival teams (which happens far more often than we’d probably like), make game day a little more interesting with a little bet.

You don’t need to clear out your savings account, but instead, put your pride on the line. If your team wins, your friend needs to buy and wear a jersey supporting your team and vice versa.

It’s not only a great way to embarrass your closest friends, but it makes the game a little more interesting, especially when the stakes are higher.

And feel free to change up the bet to fit your party’s interests. The more unique you make the bet, the more fun you’ll have!

5. It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere:

Photo Via: http://sports-kings.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/nhl-drinking-game.jpg

For those of you that are of age, a good drinking game will liven up any game day party.

You can keep it simple and drink any time your team scores, or you can get more in depth and put up a different rules sheet for every game. Some groups even go as far as to include commercials, where someone has to drink for every car commercial or every time there’s a talking baby.

So even those cumbersome commercials become a little more interesting.

This can be as involved/uninvolved as you want it to be. If you and your friends enjoy a few beers during the game, this is a good way to enhance that tradition, or if you have friends that aren’t as into sports as you are, this is a great way to spark their interest.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should drink responsibly, but I’ll say it anyway.

Whether you’re celebrating a win or mourning a loss, your game day traditions keep your fan-status active and your excitement rolling throughout the season.

Share your game day traditions in the comments, and keep these five in mind for your team’s next match-up. Team spirit runs deep, and win or lose, you’ll always have your game day traditions to fall back on.

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