It is an American phenomenon, this battle between colleges and universities to determine which has the best team. Although it is a tradition that cuts across all sports, nowhere is it more evident than during the football (for non-Americans, read American football, not soccer) season. Each team has its own name, mascot and marching band — and, oh yes, the FANS! After several months of competition, the football season culminates in a series of televised tournaments — the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl among others — attended by generations of loyal, vocal fans (whole families) who come to cheer on their team.

We had never attended a football game before when our daughter invited us to this year’s Orange Bowl, held in Miami, Florida’s Sun Life Stadium, pitting her alma mater, Stanford University’s Cardinal against Virginia Techs’ Hokies. Much will have been written about the respective strengths and weaknesses of the teams, their coaches, quarterbacks, and strategy. And more will have been written about yardage gained and touchdowns scored.

But there is much more to a football tournament than just watching the game. You have to imbue yourself fully in the friendly rivalry and school spirit — from attending informal tailgate parties (where fans park, open their trunks, set up barbecues and party before the game) to painting your face and wearing team colors. And of course, enjoying the music of the marching band.

Except in the case of Stanford, the “marching” band defies the name. While other school bands perform in tight military formations wearing pristine uniforms and playing rousing marching tunes, the 150-strong Stanford band (officially named the Leland Stanford Jr University Marching Band) is an accomplished rock and roll “scatter band” (so-called because it doesn’t march, it charges around in a seemingly disorganized fashion), casually dressed in red jackets and white bucket hats, using satire to mock the opposition, displaying an irreverence that sometimes does not sit well with organizers, some of whom have gone so far as to ban the band. BOOOOOO!!!!

Belting out the unofficial anthem, “All Right Now” (written by the English rock band, Free), the Band invigorates the fans, jumping in the air at the beginning of each verse, encouraging thousands of fans to do the same — quite a sight in a packed stadium. Meanwhile, the unofficial mascot of Stanford University — THE TREE– cavorts and contorts on the sidelines, encouraging the crowd to increase the level of noise.

Why a tree? Officially the Stanford teams are known as the Cardinal after the bright red color not the bird. But the tree was the choice of the student body and has become the school’s unofficial mascot. It is the same tree you see on Stanford’s official seal and on fan T-shirts.

The unorthodox mascot fits well with the unconventional band. Together they cheer on the football team, which is actually doing all the work. In the Orange Bowl tournament, Stanford was ultimately the winner, defeating Virginia Tech by a score of 40 to 12, before a crowd of nearly 64,000, its first bowl game in over 10 years and its best result since 1940.

So here ends another football season. Good “LUCK” for the next season.

 

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