Almost every team has a guy whose name sounds something like a boo when the crowd says it in a typical booing tone after they’ve done something awesome. On nationally televised games, this usually causes the announcers to say something along the lines of the subject line of my OP. Does anyone know which player was responsible for starting this phenomenon? The first I heard it was for Bruce Smith in Buffalo, but I wasn’t really a sports fan before his time, so I’m sure it predates him. Who are the athletes who get this treatment in your area?
I can’t remember that far back, but when the Baltimore Orioles had Boog Powell in the 60s and 70s I think the fans called out, “Boog!”
John KUUUUHN, Victor CRUUUUUZ, Todd HEEEEAAAAAP. TJ Houshmanzadeh got a HOOOOOOSH call in Seattle that didn’t seem to follow him to New England.
The “Boo-urns” line has a million uses, but the phenomenon predates The Simpsons. (That episode is from 1995.) I remember Moises Aloooooooou and Mooooooose Johnston both getting this kind of treatment.
Yup, this is one of the (few) times Simpsons didn’t do it first.
“Coooooooooooooooooooooooop!” - Milwaukee Brewers fans cheering Cecil Cooper circa 1982.
People have been yelling “Bruuuuce” at Springsteen concerts since the 70s.
George “Boomer” Scott - Red Sox
Muhsin Muhammad got the “Mooooooooose!” when he was with the Bears and (presumably) with the Panthers.
At least during the three good plays he made for the Bears.
Fans were so starved for good receiver play that they did it on most of his receptions.
Luc Robitaille got “Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc.”
Ndamukong Suh gets “Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.”
I’ve given this same spiel before, but here goes:
I’m 51, and the first guy I ever heard get the “Boooo” treatment was indeed Boog Powell, the old first baseman of the Baltimore Orioles.
But my older relatives in New York remember Yankee fans doing it for Bill “Moose” SKowron in the Fifties.
It COULD go back a lot longer, but it’s at LEAST that old.
From the same era, I remember St Louis Cardinals fans yelling “Loooou!” for Lou Brock.
Growing up in the 70’s, we Yankee fans had Louuuuuuuuu Piniella.
There was a football game last night where someone broke Unitas’ record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass. I was barely paying attention, as I’m not a football fan, but I was incensed and yelled ‘Why are they booing him? That’s just rude!!’
Turns out they were yelling ‘Drew!’ /facepalm
I was introduced to the phenomenon in the 80s, with NY Jets wide receiver Al Toon.
It seems pretty automatic. Are there many examples of prominent starters with an “oo” sound in their names that DON’T get this treatment?
There are two questions here. The first is who was the first player to receive the “oooooooo” from the fans. The second question is who was the announcer who first said, “they’re not booing, they’re saying Boog/Lou/Moose/Bruce”.
To speak to the second question, I nominate George Kell. Back in the '70s, Tiger fans gave Lou Whitaker the “louuuuu” treatment regularly. And at least once per televised home game, George Kell would inform us, “They’re not booing, they’re saying Louuu”.
mmm
Well, I know Yankee announcers Frank Messer and Bill White used that line about Lou Piniella all through the late Seventies. That predates Kell, but I’m sure other announcers were saying it before them.
Who was the Orioles’ play by play man around 1969 or 1970? I’d start there.