How Stadium Rituals Turn Spectators Into a Community

A stadium can have over 100,000 strangers, yet within minutes of kick-off or the first pitch, people are singing, chanting, or rising to their feet together.

Nobody hands them a script.

So how does a crowd of individuals learn to act as one group? Four stadium rituals from Southern California and Las Vegas offer some clues.

Why Rituals Give a Crowd Its Rules

Anyone who has walked into a new place or used a new online platform knows the first step is to learn the rules. With online platforms, it might be easier. When searching for a new online casino on a review platform with expert tests and ratings, there is always something to know:

• Which operator holds a license

• How to set a budget and deposit limit

• Real-money play is for adults aged 18 and over

When walking into a stadium, these rules are not always written down so clearly, but often grow from a simple, adopted idea.

San Diego: ‘Hells Bells’ and the Ninth Inning

Trevor Hoffman’s walkout to the AC/DC classic “Hells Bells” began on July 25, 1998, when the San Diego Padres faced the Houston Astros. The idea came from Chip Bowers, a Padres employee who had been a fan for years.

It worked, and the song “Hell's Bells” became synonymous with Hoffman closing out a win for the Padres. Hoffman recorded 552 of his 601 career saves with the San Diego Padres. Years after retirement, he said, hearing the bells made him think of Pavlov’s dogs.

Las Vegas: The Al Davis Memorial Torch

The Al Davis Memorial Torch is a Raiders tradition that they brought to Las Vegas. It was first lit by John Madden on October 18, 2011, in honor of the late owner. Carol Davis lit it for the first time at Allegiant Stadium on September 21, 2020.

The torch is a tribute to Al Davis and his competitive philosophy, which is at the heart of the team. The electronic structure, about 92 feet tall, is lit before each home game, and players, celebrities, and fans have all taken part in lighting it.

The lighting gives the crowd a moment to remember a person who influenced the organization for decades. “As the Al Davis Memorial Torch is lit, fans in the stadium turn their attention north to the end zone,” a fan guide for the team said.

The act of turning and looking at the torch is itself a ritual. Thousands of people can turn in one direction at the same time, for one reason. For a few seconds, the stadium is not a group of people watching football, but a group of people engaged in a shared act of remembrance.

Anaheim: The Rally Monkey

The Los Angeles Angels’ Rally Monkey was not a carefully thought-out plan. It was June 6, 2000, and the Angels were playing a difficult home game against the San Francisco Giants. During a broadcast break, video board operators Dean Fraulino and Jaysen Humes showed a clip of a jumping monkey from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. A colleague noticed that fans were enjoying it and suggested trying it again. Later in the game, at the bottom of the ninth and with the Angels trailing, “Rally Monkey” appeared on the video board. The Angels rallied and won the game.

The idea caught on, and it became part of the team’s identity when the Angels won the 2002 World Series.

Scholarly records at USC indicate that the Rally Monkey ritual acts as a litmus test for authentic fan identity and group inclusion. If you know the superstition, you know the fan group. Although this comes from the memory of one fan, a shared joke can establish a sense of belonging.

Las Vegas: The Golden Knights Build a Tradition

When the Vegas Golden Knights joined the National Hockey League as an expansion franchise, they had no tradition. So they built one. The pregame show, about 10 minutes long, is now integral to the Golden Knights’ identity. Jonny Greco developed it.

A golden knight walks the stage and battles a visitor. Over the years, the show has included a sword in the stone. After the show, players skate through a giant knight’s helmet as the fans chant, “Go Knights Go.” While some of the details change, the underlying concept of a shared performance entrance remains.

The Golden Knights’ pregame ritual reaches beyond the stadium. Before the game, the Knight Line drum line gets the fans excited and then marches to the arena. “We emphasize the community aspect because it is one of the things that drew people to this team in the first place,” said team president Kerry Bubolz.

The Golden Knights’ pregame show gives the fans something to look forward to, something to do, and a story to tell. With no inherited traditions to draw on, the Golden Knights’ ritual shows how a new community can forge its own identity.

Long Story Short

Stadium rituals unite strangers through shared signals, participation, and stories.

From the Rally Monkey to the Al Davis Torch, these traditions turn individual spectators into a community with a common identity and purpose.