Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 06:10AM
Brian Gainor in Promotions / In-Venue Activation
Prior to every home football game, Auburn features the War Eagle Flight, one of the best traditions in college football. "War Eagle", the battle cry and symbol of Auburn University, is brought to life each game when Auburn officials release the eagle, having it circle the stadium and land mid-field. The moment causes one of the most electric scenes in all of college football!
Check out the clip:
Background on the Eagle (as taken from Wikipedia):
The first time Auburn met Georgia on the football field in 1892 a veteran of the Civil War attended the game with a golden eagle that he had found on a battlefield during the war and kept for 30+ years. According to the story, the eagle suddenly broke free and began majestically circling the playing field. As the eagle soared, Auburn began a steady march toward the Georgia end zone for a thrilling victory. Elated at their team's play and taking the bird's presence as an omen of success, Auburn students and fans began to yell "War Eagle" to spur on their team ("war eagle" was once the common term for golden eagles). At the game's end, the eagle took a sudden dive, crashed into the ground, and died. But the battle cry "War Eagle" lived on to become a symbol of the proud Auburn spirit.
Article originally appeared on Partnership Activation (http://partnershipactivation.squarespace.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.