Pirate Walk to be Part of ECU Pregame Ritual
August 28, 2003 | Football
With hopes of establishing a new tradition for home games, first-year head coach John Thompson has embraced the idea of a "Pirate Walk" which will take place two hours prior to each game's kickoff.
Starting at Harrington Field, ECU's baseball stadium located off of Charles Boulevard, the football team is dropped off by the team buses in the parking lot along the third base side of the stadium, where the Pirates will begin a five-minute stroll up to the team locker room in the Ward Sports Medicine Building.
Along its journey for pregame preparation, the team will be ushered by the Marching Pirates and the ECU Cheerleaders through throngs of enthusiastic fans, down the gravel road located between the Pirate Club lots and the Cliff Moore Football Practice Facility.
"I think the Pirate Walk will create a lot of excitement for the fans and team," Thompson said. "I know that our players enjoy that and having everyone come from tailgating to be a part of this tradition is exciting.
"For the fans, I think it is a chance to see a different side of the team. When they step off that bus, they can see how focused the players are about going to war and representing the university. This walk is a critical time in our game preparation."
The Pirate Walk is expected to grow into a major part of the game-day at ECU, so much so that Thompson has it listed on the players' game weekend itinerary.
"I have seen the walk tradition happen at a lot of places like Tennessee, Ole Miss and Auburn. I think that it adds to the football atmosphere, and I know that it will help our team get ready to play and we'll play better because of that."
The Pirate Walk will first occur at ECU's home game against West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 6. With kickoff scheduled at 7 p.m., the Pirate Walk will get underway promptly at 5 p.m. beginning at Harrington Field.
