The Associated Press

Professional athletes have become masters of tasteful pranks and initiation

Lyle Morissette

Sports Editor

Rookie hazing is one of the most creative forms of initiation, including, cross-dressing, delivery service, and forced philanthropy.

Scanning through the history of sport, one would be hard pressed to find an instance when some sort of hazing or initiation was not a team—or league wide—ritual.

Gaining acceptance has made this age-old practice—like getting into a fraternity—a right of passage.

It most often occurs as a means of comical relief, but it also serves to keep many of these rookies, who are making a huge transition from being penny-less to being multi-millionaires in the blink of an eye, grounded and humble.

Some say it is a must, others say it is a disservice to sports, merely a media-glorified and barbaric practice.

While hazing is often gazed down upon by pundits and sports traditionalists, it does have its place and its history in sport—but only when done in a tasteful matter. However, the line between tasteful and distasteful is blurred.

This year’s entire New York Yankees rookie crop was required to dress up in the garb of the 1960’s Batman TV show: Batman, Catwoman, Penguin, Joker, The Riddler, Robin, and the Penguin. These rookies were even treated to dinner (in costume) by new ace pitcher C.C. Sabathia.

Dressing in drag is not off limits, and is one of the most common initiations. David Price, of the Tampa Bay Rays, experienced this first hand this past month. At 6’6, and with a full mane of chin fur, he looked like he belonged in the circus.

Dinner bills for the entire team can range anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000. San Diego Chargers rookie, Larry English, recently experienced this rookie obligation, forking over $14,508.67 for a team meal.

Whether advocates want to believe it is a part of sport culture or not, it is, hazing will likely always be a part of sport teams. And while hazing victims may lament the tasks and pranks when experiencing them first hand, the tables quickly flip in following years when they become the perpetrators of these acts, getting to repay the favour they previously received.

A quick respite from the seriousness and stresses of the job, is exactly what many athletes—even the rookies—need , in order to keep them grounded and functionable.

Nonetheless, sport hazing is seemingly deeply rooted and engraved into the DNA of sport.