# The Wave - Just shoot me! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 3, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281 "2011-08-03T04:53:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/1 "2011-08-03T04:53:32Z")
Is San Diego/Petco Park the only stadium where the fans succomb to idiocy with the wave? ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/2 "2011-08-03T05:54:49Z")
Sadly no - most of the rest of the world call it a Mexican wave for it’s popularity at the 1986 World Cup. Seems to be dieing out here in New Zealand though. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/3 "2011-08-03T06:17:05Z")
It still happens at Oakland A’s games, where [Krazy George](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krazy_George_Henderson) claims to have first led it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/4 "2011-08-03T14:37:39Z")
I see it in Toronto. It’s fun, I don’t mind it. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/5 "2011-08-03T15:14:32Z")
What do you have against the wave? Still do it at Cleveland Indians games. It looks hilarious when there’s only like 10k in the stands. I love it! ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/6 "2011-08-03T15:23:19Z")
They do it all the time at Busch. It is sometimes fun, often annoying. My “wave” rules: 1. Only can be done during the 7th inning or later 2. Only can be done if the game is not close, and the home side is winning 3. Much better during day games than night games If options 1 and 2 are met, and almost certainly if 3 is as well, I will partake. If it’s done in a 1-run game and the entire section is paying more attention to the wave than the game, I’ll mutter and generally be curmudgeonly. And one glorious day, we had a double-wave (sadly, both going the same direction). ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/7 "2011-08-03T15:24:26Z")
I hate the wave, and while I love my alma mater and almost all the traditions at Camp Randall, they take the wave to another level in Madison. You’ve got the regular wave. The slow wave. The fast wave. The reverse. And sometimes, not always, but sometimes you can get the split. Here’s a video of the transition from slow to fast. [slow wave to fast wave at camp randall - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4It33s8V5U) ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/8 "2011-08-03T18:29:18Z")
I’ve seen the wave from several seat locations at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium (capacity 110,000+) and it is MASSIVE. When the wave comes around the student section there is a wall of humanity unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It goes to show you that 100,000+ people doing anything in unison, even if it’s just raising arms to create a wave-like pattern, is epic. One of their variations is a silent wave, which is much nicer on the ears. The silent wave at Beaver Stadium is somehow even more eerie…you can actually hear the players and coaches as the wave carries around the whole stadium. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/9 "2011-08-03T18:50:40Z")
I think it was U of Michigan that started the silent wave, the shhing wave, and the fast and slow waves. Big stadium too(the biggest?). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/10 "2011-08-03T18:58:40Z")
It’s been around since at least the late 70’s and I’ve always hated it. They do it at pretty much all outdoor sporting events. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/11 "2011-08-03T19:04:19Z")
There’s always a weak attempt at the wave at our local Tripple-A baseball games. It maybe gets two or three sections before it’s only a handful of people doing it. I wish they’d ban it. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/12 "2011-08-03T19:06:10Z")
[The Rangers have it right on this one.](http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/8/2/2339297/why-the-rangers-will-win-the-world-series) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/13 "2011-08-03T21:23:28Z")
What’s wrong with the Wave? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/14 "2011-08-03T21:47:21Z")
They should do wave variations… Two waves in opposite directions simultaneously Two waves in the same direction simultaneously Two waves in the same direction simultaneously, at different speeds “The Rock” where instead of going around and around the stadium, the wave goes from the top of one side of the stadium, down to the field, then up the other side. Then it rocks back and forth. “The ripple” starts at field level all the way around and the wave goes up to the top. Repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/15 "2011-08-03T21:59:07Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think it was U of Michigan that started the silent wave, the shhing wave, and the fast and slow waves. > > Big stadium too(the biggest?). The biggest, at least as far as college football goes. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/16 "2011-08-03T23:27:37Z")
I have several cousins (and an uncle) who are all the classic Loud Guy with the Keg. They’re practiced wave-starters, and actually managed to start waves at the Indy 500 a few times when I was with them. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/17 "2011-08-03T23:47:54Z")
Relying on an inexact memory and without any actual research, “proto” crowd waves were performed at some of the Nuremberg rallies in Nazi Germany. (If that rumor doesn’t kill the wave, nothing will. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/18 "2011-08-04T00:14:21Z")
If I had access to time travel, I would have stopped the person/persons who first led the wave. It was okay 20+ years ago, but its time has long since passed. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/19 "2011-08-04T01:07:26Z")
No, unfortunately it seems to be popular at the hockey games here. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281/20 "2011-08-07T02:19:51Z")
They’ve done it at Fenway all 3 times I’ve gone there (incl. this past week). They even did it before the Monster seats opened (and there was thus a big gap between the LF stands and the CF bleachers). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wave-just-shoot-me/591281.md?page=2)