Actually the wave was probably started at an Oakland A's game or a Washington (the state) football game. I guess it is accurate to say it came from Satan.
If it is not clear already, then let me make it clear. I hate the Wave. If you don't know what the Wave is then stop reading because I am not telling. The last thing I want to do is teach anyone about this awful practice.
I don't think there is a true baseball fan out there that likes the wave. People that are at the ballpark to actually watch the ballgame do not want to see the Wave. That is not to say that I think everybody there should be there to watch the game. That would be naive. I am not saying that kids don't enjoy the wave. I am saying to those people that are not that interested in the game or want to entertain their kids is to find a different way to entertain ones self and offspring.
Let me explain why I and so many others hate the wave. It is always done at the most inappropriate time. I never see the Wave attempted except for in the extreme situations of a game. Either the home team is getting skunked or it is a really close and intense game. When my team is getting their protective cups kicked in I don't want to stand up, stick my arms in the air, and "wooo". I want to sulk. I want to heckle the right fielder. I want to look at baseball cards with my son. I want to a lot of things but not the Wave.
When the game is close, I really want to watch the game. I believe it sends the wrong message to the players for everyone in the stadium to be watching the Wave go around the stadium when they are trying to hold on to a one run lead. The team just walked a batter and everybody starts cheering as the wave makes it half way around.
The reason it is always started at these two inappropriate times is because of the typical person who starts the wave. It is that loud mouth high school-er who is there with his youth group. The kid who has been walking around the stadium for the last 7 innings ogling the girls that they will never talk to. He has come back to his seat and he has no idea what is going on with the game. He has spent his last dollar on a boat of nachos and XL Dr pepper he will never finish. He is now bored and wants someone to pay attention to him. His friends, who are slightly less cool then he, are urging him on to start the wave. They know that if anyone can start the wave, he can. He has been waiting all night for someone to realize that he is "The One", so he reluctantly agrees to "work his magic". He makes his way to the front of the section, directly in front of the guy who just wants to watch the game, and proceeds to scream at everyone with in two sections to "START THE WAVE ON THE COUNT OF THREE, 1...2...3!!!"
Ten hands half heartily go up and his over-zealous friends give it their all. This was not enough to "start the wave", but was enough to encourage our sweaty high school superstar to continue trying. For the next 30 minutes he screams out guilt trips to all the "poor sports" who are just trying to watch the game. More and more people participate. Half wanting the kid to be satisfied and stop and the other half feeling guilty because it seems that kid has a lot riding on his success as a Wave starter. In the end they only feed his addiction. He will never stop.
What really gets in my craw is that I have to participate. I believe it is my responsibility to see that James and later Maya has the ultimate baseball stadium experience. Like I said before, kids like the wave. James gets so excited when he sees it start. He gets on the edge of his chair and you can see him wiggling with anticipation as the wave approaches our section and his eyes follow it back around the stadium. James fully expects me to participate too and I feel that I must. If that kid and his youth group had not started it in the first place I would not have to participate. James would not be missing out. There are other things for him to enjoy, but how can you ignore a mass of people moving in synchronization. And that is where lies the problem.
The Wave cannot be ignore no matter what is happening in the game.
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2 comments:
Bwahaha...I must say, tho I am not a baseball enthusiast, I also find the wave immensely annoying. I did like it when it happened at the Skydome...but then, I was in the offending youth group crowd at the time (to my recollection, we were not the group that started it). Anyways, I agree...not really that cool to begin with... overdone, and somewhat annoying. Like an American Idol song from a person with limited talent that the radio has played to death. Good for you tho, giving James the ultimate baseball game experience. :^)
i like to wave. a lot. but, i must say my husband agrees with you, though he does refuse to participate. maybe there's hope for him when we have kids:)
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