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Sports celebrate quirky rituals from eating grass to milk showers

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 16, 2026, 4:46 PM

Last updated Sep 16, 2026

Sports celebrate quirky rituals from eating grass to milk showers

Summary

England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed regret for not eating grass from the Estadio Azteca pitch after their victory over Mexico, highlighting one of sport's unique traditions. Novak Djokovic perform similar rituals after winning at Wimbledon, while Indianapolis 500 champions are handed bottles of milk to celebrate. Other rituals include Olympic rings tattoos and NFL Thanksgiving turducken awards popularized by John Madden. Each of these customs reflects a deeper connection athletes share with their victories.

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By the Numbers

•Tuchel wished he had eaten grass after beating Mexico.
•Djokovic eats Wimbledon grass after each championship victory.
•Indy 500 winners celebrate with milk, started by Louis Meyer in 1936.
•Athletes often tattoo Olympic rings to commemorate their achievements.
•John Madden popularized awarding turkey legs to NFL players on Thanksgiving.

Latest Updates

4:46 PMYahoo Sports — Eating grass, turkey legs and milk showers: Sport’s strangest winning rituals

What they're saying

"
Sometimes spontaneous celebrations are so good that they continue as traditions decades later. England manager Thomas Tuchel’s admission that he wishes he had eaten some grass from the Estadio Azteca pitch after their 3-2 victory against Mexico at the World Cup led us to look at some of sport’s quirkiest celebrations. Many have become an expectation during tournament celebrations. “I texted a friend after the match,” Tuchel said in a new documentary by the English Football Association. “And I ju
— Yahoo Sports

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