The mascot of Bahia is Superman; however, the Tricolor celebrates the goals scored in the four classics held in 2024, and the main references to the red-and-black teams are sardines and chicks. Everything is based on "despesa," a more regional term that most of the country tends to call "zoeira." But do we really know the root of the provocation, as BRG365 will tell you?
Sardinha
The controversies involving Bahia started a long time ago. It all began in 2011, in Globo's studio. However, one could believe that the person mentioned (not specified in the text) is innocent. The "villain" of this story is coach Joel Santana.
During the show "Bem, Amigos", the coach stated that he would not accept the invitation to coach Bahia (Tricolor). The reason? He was "waiting for a big fish."
"I'm in the water, waiting for a big fish. It's not sardine, no," said Papai Joel, as he is affectionately called.
These words made Vitória's fans very happy. Since then, they haven't stopped making jokes. In games, the Rubro-Negro celebrates goals or victories in classics with “fishing” to this day.
And the “zoeira” knows no bounds: players turn into fish, corner flags transform into fishing rods. Recently, midfielder Rodrigo Andrade even threw a fishing net onto the pitch at Arena Fonte Nova during the final of the Campeonato Baiano.
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Galinha
In fact, the joy with Vitória began in 2018. More precisely, on February 18 of that year. The classic that started with "Paz Ba-Vi" ended prematurely after Bruno Bispo was sent off. As the Leão was left with an insufficient number of players on the field (only six), the chief referee decided to end the match.
Since then, Bahia's fans have called this matchup the "Rooster Race." This nickname alludes to the film released by DreamWorks in 2000 and has deeply embedded itself in people's memories. For the past seven years, whenever Tricolor players score goals in a classic match, people celebrate with mosaics, stuffed roosters, and lots of corn on the cob.
Sardines, roosters, fishing rods, and corn are all part of the history of the Ba-Vi classic. This classic is an example of how celebrations and provocations can happen without resorting to racism, prejudice, or intolerance.
