What is ‘Hamilton Proud’?
‘Hamilton Proud’ is not just another hokey corporate tagline. ‘Hamilton Proud’ has become a phrase that defines a community that has been welded together as strong as the steel this city produces.
Take a look around Hamilton on any given day and you’ll be in awe of the support the Tiger-Cats receive by way of signs, jerseys, posters hanging in storefronts, flags clipped to cars and so on.
Melrose Avenue, home of Tim Hortons Field, is a perfect display of this marriage between community and sport. For Ticats fans, this football cathedral – surrounded by the residential Stipley neighbourhood – is their haven.
Walking up Melrose to the stadium is a pre-game ceremony in and of itself. The street, awash in yellow Stipley flags, imposingly welcomes the rival team.
The game day atmosphere in Hamilton screams community. Cars parked on lawns. Faces painted in black and gold. Strangers shouting ‘Oskee Wee Wee’ in unison. All of these things come together at least nine times a year because of one thing: Tiger-Cats football.
To most Tiger-Cats, both present and past, Hamilton is more than a place they play football. The admiration for the city and the people has motivated gridiron heroes to call Hamilton home far after the final whistle has been blown and the stadium lights turn off.
The community has had a large impact on linebacker Simoni Lawrence, an Upper Darby, Pa. native.
“I have a lot of people that look out for me and do amazing things for me all year round,” said Lawrence. “Football is a big, important part to me, but there are many relationships I’ve developed here in Hamilton.
“I do so much for the community and the community does so much for me”.
McMaster University alumnus Mike Daly spent his collegiate career just down the road with the Marauders and getting the chance to stay in Hamilton to play for the Tiger-Cats keeps the defensive back motivated.
“I’m closer to my family. I’m closer to my friends,” said Daly, a Kitchener, Ont. native. “I want to try a little more because I want Hamilton to succeed just as much as I want to succeed.”
Football is more than a game for some. It presents players with comradery and a sense of family. For defensive end Adrian Tracy, the Tiger-Cats and the city of Hamilton are considered his second family.
“Staying here in the offseason and seeing the love I receive for being a player, but also the love I get for being a person outside of a player, is amazing,” said Tracy, originally from Fairfax, Va.
Tracy has become an integral part of the community and has wholeheartedly embraced any chance he gets to work with Hamiltonians. He said he can feel a greater closeness with the fans as a result.
“When I go out there on the field, there’s more of an added sense of comradery,” Tracy said.
Tim Hortons Field has become a stomping ground for thousands in Hamilton. A shrine built out of decades of love for Tiger-Cats football, dating back to the days of Ivor Wynne Stadium, the club’s former home that stood for over 80 years on the exact same land that Tim Hortons Field now occupies.
‘Hamilton Proud’ is larger than the city. ‘Hamilton Proud’ is larger than a single team. It captures the uniqueness of the city and the pride it has in its team, which spans generations.
Together, we are all Hamilton Proud.