Created by Fredrick Plummer in 1884, the Little Red Flag is just a piece of red silk with an olive H in the middle attached to a walking stick, but it has become a symbol of super fan status in the Harvard stands. Plummer himself carried the flag with him to 59 Harvard and Yale games over the years. He believed that the flag was a talisman of good luck.
When he passed away, the honor of carrying the flag was passed down to Spencer Borden, who attended even more Yale games than Plummer. The flag is now in the hands of the tenth in a long life of devoted fans. Bill Markus, who has been carrying it since 2001, can proudly call himself Harvard’s “most loyal fan. He has not seen as many Yale games like the original flag holders but is definitely a dedicated superfan traveling from his home in Pittsburgh to every game.
University Georgia
Yale is not the only school who has their own bulldog, the University of Georgia has UGA, a white English bulldog who wears a football jersey with a varsity letter and is a fixture at all home games and many of the away games. UGA has a customized airconditioned doghouse where he spends most of the game. It is filled with ice bags to help keep the warmly dressed dog from suffering heatstroke in the southern heat.
Although UGA’s signature look is a spiked collar and a red jersey with his name on the back, he does occasionally mix things up. He wears a green jersey on Saint Patrick’s Day and even rocked a tuxedo while attending the Heisman Trophy Ceremony in New York City. When a UGA sadly passes away, there is a special ceremony in which he “passes the bone” to his successor.
Hawaii University
The Hawaii football team knows how to intimidate the competition. They have developed their very own war dance which is known as the Ha’a. The dance is centuries old and is based on ancient Hawaiian traditions, but the players have managed to make it their own.
The team used to perform the Haka, which was based on Mauri traditions from New Zealand but have in recent years focused on their own version of the dance with Hawaiian melody and lyrics. Despite the change, the special dance still manages to get the crowd’s blood pumping and intimidate the competition.
The University of Texas at Austin
A hello, a goodbye and a cool hand gesture, University of Texas fans have got it all figured out. Hook ‘em horns are meant to reference the shape of UT mascot Texas Longhorn Bevo’s head and horns. You can show your support by extending your index and pinky fingers while holding the second and third fingers with the thumb. Rumor has it that the signal was created by a former Texas head cheerleader after observing friends making shadow puppets on a wall.
The Hook ‘em Horns have also made their mark on popular culture. There is a country rap song by Cowboy Troy by the same name and professional wrestler Stan Hansen uses them as his signature taunt. The symbol can also be turned around and used by rival teams or opposing fans. If you make that horns upside down and with your thumb out, there is no question that you are dissing on their team.
University of Iowa
If you thought that waving to sick kids was the only pink and fuzzy tradition the University of Iowa Hawkeyes had, you’d be wrong. This next tradition is so pink, it could make your eyes hurt. If you ever get the chance to check out the visitor’s locker room at Kinnick Stadium you will discover that it is pink. The floors are pink, the walls are pink, even the showers and toilets are pink.
The tradition was started by former Iowa head coach Hayden Fry. He had majored in psychology and remembered learning that pink was a calming color. He believed that this could get his team a competitive edge. Many of the visiting teams complained about the color and on several occasions even brought their own wall coverings in order to soften the effect.