Greatest sports traditions Greatest sports traditions. Change is forever the norm in the world of sports, so a great tradition can be comforting as well as stirring. Each sport or major event has its rituals that allow us to pause, honor, or simply savor something -- like the sight of the Masters winner donning an ugly green jacket, or the sound of My Old Kentucky Home as the field for the Kentucky Derby makes its way to the starting gate. Sometimes a tradition is just a good idea that wasn't broke and didn't need fixing -- like the manual scoreboard in the Green Monster. History matters in all sports, and traditions can bring the past back to life for a few moments, or remind you what's really great about sports in the first place. Here are my five favorites: 5. The handshake line: It's always heartening to see good sportsmanship on display. The NHL allows you to marvel at how 40 players who have been beating each other's remaining teeth out for four playoff games ...