wave (thing)

This phenomenon of adjoining sections of spectators standing up, raising their arms, and sitting back down in sequence, thus creating a wavelike appearance, is of recent origin. It suddenly appeared during a football (American style) game one day in 1981, and caught on like wildfire. The man with the best claim of inventing it is George Henderson, A.k.a "Kraaazy George." Krazy George is a professional cheerleader (yet not officially attached to any of the teams). He can be seen at NFL games in Houston and Minnesota banging his drums and harassing the other teams. On Oct. 15th, 1981, he was workin a playoff game between the Yankees and the Oakland A's in Oakland Coliseum. Midway through the game, he had a now famous inspiration. He went from section to section asking them to standup, yell, and sit down. The first time, only a few sections complied, then seven more, and by the third attempt the wave went right around the stadium and continued. The sports announcers talked it up, and within weeks, it was in every sport stadium around the country.