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FSU fan rituals make for a great gameday atmosphere at Doak
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- FSU fan rituals make for a great gameday atmosphere at Doak
Last Saturday night, an anxious but excited crowd gathered at Doak Campbell Stadium to see if the Seminole football team could finally win its first game of the season. Even though the team's high expectations had gone out the window, fans still flocked to watch their favorite team. The atmosphere was great from start to finish. One of the highlights of the evening was when the classic John Anderson song "Seminole Wind" played with a video tribute to FSU's Seminole heritage.
Blow, blow, Seminole Wind! Blow like you're never gonna blow again! I'm calling to you like a long lost friend. I know who you are.
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Hearing that iconic song gave me goosebumps. Every Florida State fan knows the words and tune by heart. They sang along Saturday night while images of our state's natural beauty and Native American history played on the Jumbotron. The song's music and lyrics pay homage to the Unconquered spirit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and playing it during a game seemed long overdue.
Hearing Seminole Wind at Doak felt even more timely because, despite an 0-3 start, fans showed up in a big way on Saturday. Beyond the woes of our Xs and Os, fans have expressed frustration with the in-game experience at the stadium lately. Kudos to FSU for not only listening but also making swift and positive changes over the last two games. The Memphis game was a big improvement, and the Marching Chiefs were loud and proud. The Cal game was next level. Seminole Wind playing felt like a perfect addition to the experience and fired up the crowd in a cool way.
Florida State University has a long history of creating great fan rituals that strengthen the identity of its supporters. Osceola and Renegade have been declared as the greatest tradition in college football. The Warchant echoes across generations. The tomahawk chop is legendary. Now, by playing Seminole Wind, FSU has opened the door to a new ritual opportunity, and I'm excited by the possibilities.
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Rituals are an important part of the human experience. We become what we repeat. That's why ever since the dawn of civilization, groups of people have come together to repeat specific actions for the purpose of creating a shared identity. It happens at church, in our office cultures, at home, and especially at college football games.
The best rituals accomplish two things at once. First, they create a memorable moment. A marker in time that other memories are built around. Then, they strengthen the shared identity of those who are experiencing it as a group. The ritual bonds people and their memories together. Seminole Wind is a great addition to the litany of rituals we have as FSU fans.
Watching the Seminole football team play at Doak Campbell Stadium is a special experience because of the rituals we all enjoy together as fans. Singing along to Seminole Wind with tens of thousands of the FSU faithful is one I'll be looking forward to doing more. It made me, and so many others, feel like more of a Seminole fan in that moment. That and more big wins is something every fan is hungry to identify with.
Jay Revell
Jay Revell is president and chief storyteller at Revell Media, a branding and marketing agency in Tallahassee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU fan rituals make for a great gameday atmosphere at Doak
