Dear Fans: Please don't do the wave while our pitcher is on the mound

[MrOrange82]

Didn't they ban the wave altogether in San Francisco?

Three titles in five years. Just saying.

[Big Al]

Many stadiums have family sections where alcohol is not served. Why not sections where people come to actually watch the game? With the recent concern about attendees getting hit by line drive foul balls, lower level first and third base side sections would be obvious choices. In these sections, attendees could only return to their seats between innings, batters or pitching changes. If the wave were still attempted, it would either stop when it hit, or jump these sections.

[DrungoHazewood]

Many stadiums have family sections where alcohol is not served. Why not sections where people come to actually watch the game? With the recent concern about attendees getting hit by line drive foul balls, lower level first and third base side sections would be obvious choices. In these sections, attendees could only return to their seats between innings, batters or pitching changes. If the wave were still attempted, it would either stop when it hit, or jump these sections.

I don't know about the enforceability of the wave part, but I know that in Toronto I was in the top row of the upper deck and nobody was allowed to return to their seats while an at bat was going on.

[Big Al]

I don't know about the enforceability of the wave part, but I know that in Toronto I was in the top row of the upper deck and nobody was allowed to return to their seats while an at bat was going on.

I didn't mean to say that the wave would be legislated against. Just that if it hit a section made up of real baseball fans it would either stop completely or the next "casual fan" section would continue it on the other side.

[Scrat1]

The reality is that a lot of the people in the park, at least 30%, maybe even the majority of the fans, are there just as much for the atmosphere, family time, as for the game itself. The fans that post on OH are probably the most extreme 5% of Orioles fan, though I'm sure it's pretty much the same everywhere. It's unreasonable - and unrealistic - to expect that same level of engagement from more casual fans. They've got just as much right to be there as you do. Many of the kids going to the games might only go to a game or two a year and seeing 25,000+ people doing the wave is exhilirating for someone who hasn't seen it a million times. The appeal for me is long gone, but I remember going to my first professional game when I was around ten or so and the sheer size of the stadium, the crowd noise, and, yes, the wave were all much more exciting than whether the batter was ahead of a change up or not. Have some perspective. It's a game, one that many of us love and take very seriously, but ultimately it's a game.

[Going Underground]

I don't know about the enforceability of the wave part, but I know that in Toronto I was in the top row of the upper deck and nobody was allowed to return to their seats while an at bat was going on.

Nats Park also.Rockies used to do it. I am not sure now.Two or three other parks also do this.

[Nevermore]

Hey, leave our nonsensical traditions alone!

Like the wave?

[DrungoHazewood]

Like the wave?

That's not our tradition, it's the Nazis!!

[Nevermore]

I don't know about the enforceability of the wave part, but I know that in Toronto I was in the top row of the upper deck and nobody was allowed to return to their seats while an at bat was going on.

Are they watching a game, or watching the opera or the symphony? I frequently go to our local BSO symphony. Because of the distraction to the concert, late-comers aren't allowed to come in after the concert/opera has started up. But at these events, the audience is silent for the most part, so people coming in late would be a huge distraction.

At a baseball game or other sporting event (perhaps other than golf), fans are noisy and are expected to be so. So the wave would be an expected occurrence. Also, I don't know how the Blue Jays can enforce the no-entry-into-the seats rule. They must have a huge number of security/ushers/cops to enforce this.

While I'm in a ranting mode, let me list what I really rant about during a ballgame:

1) People standing up in front of those sitting in the disability row. When people stand up in front of me, I can't see the action on the field and I can barely see the scoreboards.

2) Those stupid "make noise!" prompts on the scoreboard. I guess I got spoiled by going to Ravens games. Fans there KNOW when to make noise; they don't need any "make noise" stupid prompts. The only prompting that Ravens fans need are supplied by the defensive players who will wave their arms when they line up for the snap. Sometimes, at baseball games, fans feel like sitting back and chilling out, all while watching the action. But then one of those "Clap Your Hands!" or "Make Noise!" notices goes up, there will be a rather distracting burst of noise, then back to the relaxing and chilling out.

I can't think of any other rants right now. Unless I list those who complain about the wave.

Disclaimer: Needless to say, you have the absolute right to complain about the wave.

[Why Not?]

As someone who sat in the stands with Wild Bill and remember rabid fans into every pitch, I find the wave offensive. Why, because people ignore the game they paid good money to see. It shows they are there to have a good time and socialize instead of rooting hard for the Orioles. People partaking have no idea about the count, no idea who's up, know idea if what is happening is good or bad for the home team. I don't expect everyone to care like I care but is it too much to ask them to pay attention to what's going on?

As someone who also sat in the stands with Wild Bill, I can assure you that there were plenty of folks in Section 34 who didn't know the count. But instead of doing the wave, they were getting bombed on PBR and doing hallucinogens.

[Why Not?]

I dislike the wave pretty intensely. When folks've done it during really crucial moments I've even been tempted once or twice to shout "down in front" when my view's been blocked by wavers mid-play. Tempted, haven't done it.

Anecdotal / circumstantial evidence that the wave is not for actual baseball fans - no waves at Fenway while I was there (June 2000, Cal pulled up lame at 1B late in a rain-delayed extra-inning game), and as much as I despise most Sawx fans (even pre-2004 bandwagon) I begrudgingly have to give them respect for displaying the highest level of knowledge/expertise in the ballpark. They knew when to make noise and when not to, all without artificial prompting from the PA system. And they sure as hell didn't do the wave.

I was at Fenway on Wednesday. The wave was also present. The fans there were no more engaged in the game than the typical OPCY crowd.

[sportsfan8703]

I'd like seven nation army chant to die too.

It's a college thing that somehow Ravens fans adopted. But in actually does make since for the "O's" to do it.

[JourneyFan]

2) Those stupid "make noise!" prompts on the scoreboard. I guess I got spoiled by going to Ravens games. Fans there KNOW when to make noise; they don't need any "make noise" stupid prompts. The only prompting that Ravens fans need are supplied by the defensive players who will wave their arms when they line up for the snap. Sometimes, at baseball games, fans feel like sitting back and chilling out, all while watching the action. But then one of those "Clap Your Hands!" or "Make Noise!" notices goes up, there will be a rather distracting burst of noise, then back to the relaxing and chilling out.

If there was one thing about Oakland Mausoleum...er, Coliseum I liked it was the fact that it didn't have any of that forced crowd involvement.

[brianod]

I was at Fenway on Wednesday. The wave was also present. The fans there were no more engaged in the game than the typical OPCY crowd.

Memorial Stadium had these medal bleachers and it used to make the loudest noise to pound on them. Maybe they didn't know what they were doing but they did give it their best:)

[Austin]

Didn't they ban the wave altogether in San Francisco?

Three titles in five years. Just saying.

Nah, I was just visiting SF and a wave broke out in the 8th inning. Even the fans of the world champs indulge every once in a while.

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