The Apalachee ball game was an integral part of native life, dedicated to the gods of rain and thunder and played to ensure rain for crops. It involved fifty or more players and was quite violent, sometimes resulting in death. Superior ball players became pampered celebrities in their villages, much like athletic stars today. The goal post was crowned by an eagle's nest containing shells and a stuffed eagle, with five sassafras pegs attached to each side of the triangular framework. The game held great religious and social significance, and the ball, about the size of a golf ball, was made of hardened clay covered with buckskin.