Calling MGoStudents: Stop messing up The Wave
Yesterday, the student section tried to start the wave during the third quarter when we were up 14 points with plenty of time left in the third quarter.
Notre Dame had the ball. While some students half heartedly attempted the wave, ND scored to cut the lead to 7. At the time I thought "ok, some freshmen or sophomores got down low and didn't know better." Embarassing, but at least the rest of the students knew to focus on the game and get loud for the defense.
Then the unthinkable happened. Immediately after the score, the student section kept trying to start a wave. We were up just 7 against a rival in the third quarter. This time, the entire section was participating in the act of sacriledge. Of course, the recent alums and non-students were having none of it.
Now, I'm not a crotchedy old alum, rather I'm a mid-20's, always yelling, "up in back" recent alum. I love the Michigan Stadium version of the Wave. There's none better. However, even though it is great and amazing, it's true beauty is a result of doing it properly and at the correct time. Doing it incorrectly and at improper times will lead to a substandard wave. This is serious business. During the RichRod years, blowouts were few and far in between and the Wave's standards dipped. Now that we are basking in the glory that is the Hoke era, let's bring the Wave's standard's back to where they belong.
Here's your MGoPSA. Wave Guidelines:
- The wave is only to start late in the third quarter or in the fourth quarter.
- The game must be "in hand." This means that even with a miracle, the outcome is not in doubt and we are the team that will be coming out on top. A safe number for this is a 21-point lead. However, depending on the amount of time left, this could be as low as a 17-point lead.
- ONLY when requirements (1) and (2) are met is it acceptable to start the Wave.
- The Wave's order is as follows:
- Regular speed
- Regular speed (second round of regular speed recommended if first cycle was weak)
- Slow wave
- Fast wave
- Reverse wave
- Split wave
- Split wave until it dies
Thus concludes your MGoPSA. Let the debate commence (though, I think I have everything correct).
September 8th, 2013 at 11:26 PM ^
Look on the bright side, they'll probably get it right on accident this weekend.
September 8th, 2013 at 11:31 PM ^
I am both a recent alum and a student (back for my MBA after a few years out). I ended up row 10 in the end zone. There were plenty of people yelling at the frat boys in front to not do the wave.
Unfortunately, everyone reading this post is probably well aware of wave protocol. Hopefully the message gets out.
September 8th, 2013 at 11:38 PM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 11:43 PM ^
More like they made it through an entire day of waiting in line to make it on time.
September 8th, 2013 at 11:48 PM ^
As a student section usher, I can say with absolute certainty that no, not everyone got there on time. The problem with having such huge crowds (15,000+ in this instance), is that, since the stadium only seats 109,901, there's almost 6,000 students without a seat. The 1st half was hell for the ushers trying to get everyone in, especially in the sections bordering the pissed-off-that-they-can't-get-to-their-seat alumni. We had students showing up halfway through the 1st quarter, thinking it was absurd that there wasn't any room for them.
September 8th, 2013 at 11:51 PM ^
I feel like arming y'all and authorizing you to shoot these people on sight would be totally fair.
September 9th, 2013 at 1:03 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 7:45 AM ^
Since you're an usher, do you think there's any way we could get an event staffer up at the top of section 34? Throughout the entire game we had a stream of students trying to sit in our season ticket holder seats because they thought their GA meant they could sit anywhere in section 34. A fight almost broke out at one point and it was really bad.
As for the wave, it has become lame in the past few years. Truly a shadow of what it once was. Either the students need to learn how to do it right (and when it's the right time!) or it needs to end.
September 9th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 12:48 PM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 4:50 PM ^
There are supposed to be 3 ushers in the aisleway to "maintain a presence," or something like that. There's also a response team member (maize polo) at the top and bottem. The administration is worried about the students and the normal fans clashing I guess, I don't know. When I was down there (we do shifts), I tried to turn sideways and keep in between the hand rails so I wouldn't get in anyone's way.
September 8th, 2013 at 11:57 PM ^
I thought the wave at the CMU game was performed well. Agreed that the situation during the ND game didn't warrant it but thought even if we're playing rivals if we are up by a sufficient amount doing the wave is acceptable. Not the worst thing in the world and I've been very impressed seeing the student section so active during the games.
September 9th, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
It faltered in the student section multiple times before getting going. Also, it never even made it to the split wave.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:46 AM ^
We had that era! Time for the old farts to get loud. When I was in the student section during the early to mid 80s the stadium seemed so quiet. Many of the old alums just wanted to sit on their hands.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:47 AM ^
and it appeared the one student section closest to the back of the endzone kept trying to send the wave the wrong way right from the start-- so there would end up being two "ripples" in both directions until the real one finally got rolling. Chalk it up to inexperience, maybe.
yes, yes, first world problems, I know.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:52 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 12:56 AM ^
It's like if you're playing MSU and the "If you can't get into college" song gets to Concordia.
September 9th, 2013 at 1:04 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 10:41 AM ^
Post this on each of the 5 daily "students are awful now but they were awesome when I was there" threads
September 9th, 2013 at 2:09 PM ^
I don't think anyone is saying students are awful.
Hell, I still sit in the student section from time to time and still get hammered playing beer pong on campus and stumble to Rick's.
But the Wave has sucked over the last 3-4 years (one of which I was still a student) and I think the students would love to be a part of a wave that is done correctly, b/c it is a pretty awesome sight for those that have never experienced it.
September 9th, 2013 at 1:37 AM ^
/s
September 9th, 2013 at 2:19 AM ^
Blame GA and blame freshman and sophomores getting up front.
I didn't participate at all in the wave on Saturday. Other upperclassmen around me didn't either. It wasn't "the whole student section".
GA looks great to alumni and other people on the outside, but it is a mess to the students and completely unfair to seniors.
September 9th, 2013 at 6:32 AM ^
Not to sound like a jerk, but I can't feel too much sympathy for you guys. For one thing, most student sections around the country are GA now, in some form or another. And you guys were urged over and over last year to get there on time and didn't do it. It was pretty embarrassing that, even after Denard himself recorded a video message urging the students to come for his senior day, the section was half-empty for the pregame ceremony.
I don't think it's fair to the football team to have its peers in the student section not show up by kickoff.
September 9th, 2013 at 8:05 AM ^
Sorry, seniors, but there are no rules that you can't wait in line. I get that you feel that you don't have to, and change stinks, but oh well. I guess I don't get the whole first row thing. You must get something cool for sitting down close. I never minded being in row 50 or wherever I sat. (We had actual tickets, but you just sat wherever in your section back in my day) Also, complaining about the wave: definition of FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS! I love how good we have it!! Think of Michigan State's problems: They cannot debate the wave, as they are still looking for a QB... Be happy with what you have!
September 9th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 4:57 PM ^
Really? I don't think I ever say in my reserved seats. Save a couple (2-3) late comers making me move, I pretty much always sat wherever I wanted. If you had "crappy" seats, you should have just moved.
I understand some people are upset over it, but I also understand that I was a pro-GA student even as a student, so I'm biased. I guess both sides of the coin and all that.
September 9th, 2013 at 6:28 AM ^
Or am I remembering it wrong?
September 9th, 2013 at 6:30 AM ^
I was in the class of '03. It was always slow, then fast when I was there. The visual effect is more striking that way.
September 9th, 2013 at 8:43 AM ^
I always thought Fast then Slow was more visually striking. We would chant "Slow It Down" as it was flying around. Imho, the Slow takes so long that the Wave tends to die out on its third trip around, robbing it of its ability to get to Fast or even Reverse and definitely not Split. I can't remember the last time I saw it split and make it all the way back. Probably will happen Saturday.
Apparently in a quick turnaround around my final season (99) and your first (00), it switched to what I saw against CMU last week. Strangely, a couple years ago, it reverted to Fast first then Slow for half a year.
Any other 80s or 90s students remember the same as me? Or have I put myself under delusion?
September 9th, 2013 at 6:39 AM ^
This is serious business.
September 9th, 2013 at 7:08 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 7:19 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 8:19 AM ^
I honestly don't think it was a factor.
September 9th, 2013 at 9:01 AM ^
I'm in Section 12, so I was at the end of the field he was receiving in. It was especially loud just as the ball came to him. I can't imagine that it helped him at all.
September 9th, 2013 at 2:16 PM ^
OK. You convinced me. I'm easy like that.
September 9th, 2013 at 8:03 AM ^
Or is it hear, hear! ???
September 9th, 2013 at 11:07 AM ^
It's "Hear, hear!" (As in, "Everyone listen to what this guy is saying.")
September 9th, 2013 at 8:05 AM ^
At the Outback Bowl, there was an idiot trying to get the wave going, again (and again and AGAIN) despite us being down in the game. At one point, Lewan was hurt on the field and this joker was trying another round of the wave.
Even my 8 year old son yelled, "Don't you know you don't do the wave when we're losing?"
September 9th, 2013 at 8:06 AM ^
Yeah, you damn kids. Get ON my lawn!
September 9th, 2013 at 8:38 AM ^
So, uh... We beat up on Notre Dame this past weekend and we're talking about the wave and when its appropriate?
Can't we talk about things that make me happy on a Monday like Morgan's hit on a lineman that popped his helmet off, Taylor's big stop on that screen pass on third and short, or Chesson's "Destroyer of Men" blocks?
/grumblegrumblegrumble
September 9th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^
The reason that the wave was started was because we were up by 14 with the ball back and a chance to go up by 17 or 21 over Notre Dame. That's wave-worthy.
Now, it looks stupid in hindsight because of ... the incident, but I don't think it was as outrageous as you make it seem given the time they wanted to start the wave. Potentially going up 3 scores on a rival late(ish) in the game is wave-worthy IMO.
You're probably talking to the wrong crowd here though, those of us who spend appreciable time on MGoBlog likely know the field conditions necessary for a wave.
I concede that it was borderline, and obviously looks flat out stupid given what eventually transpired on the field. But I can guarantee if the students knew Gardner was going to throw that INT for a ND TD they wouldn't have been trying to start the wave.
September 9th, 2013 at 11:16 AM ^
No, it was not Wave-worthy. If you are defining Wave-worthy as "ahead by 2 scores" regardless of context, that's part of the problem. The biggest thing to remember is that the Wave is something you do when the game is starting to get a little boring because we're dominating. I don't think any of us would say that Saturday's game ever got boring.
Anyway, given the way ND moved the ball on us all day and shut down our tailback-based running game most of the game (forcing our still-inexperienced QB to make plays himself), I never felt totally secure at any point.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:45 PM ^
If you are defining Wave-worthy as "ahead by 2 scores" regardless of context, that's part of the problem
I wasn't, I actually had to draw the context: team just got the ball with the opportunity to go up 3 scores on your rival.
While I never felt like the game was totally in hand, we actually dominated Notre Dame fairly handily from start to finish. We were Gardner's 1 INT away from potentially being up 41-23. That's pretty impressive.
The point I was trying to make overall was that of course it seems like a terrible idea in hindsight but in the moment I don't think it was that bad.
September 9th, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^
Bottom line: fans don't want to do the Wave in a rivalry game unless it's totally in hand, like the 38-0 laughters in '03 and '07. If the game is somewhat in doubt, don't do it. Save it for the MAC teams, Gophers, et al.
September 9th, 2013 at 10:52 AM ^
September 9th, 2013 at 11:35 AM ^
Nothing was more annoying than some dolt screaming for the wave to start up as we were marching down the field during a critical drive.
People should be paying attention to what is happening on the field, not what people six sections over are doing.
September 9th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
There is a specific time - the third quarter (or maybe early fourth) of a blowout. Never in a close game.
September 9th, 2013 at 2:38 PM ^