As the Chicago Cubs face a potential playoff matchup against the San Diego Padres, a common sight in sports stadiums could feel slightly more distasteful than usual.
That celebratory movement known as “The Wave” has been duplicated across the sports world over the years, but it’s a rare sight indeed to see it at Wrigley Field, and the reason why has plenty to do with those Padres.
While the origins of “The Wave,” which sees fans mimic the rolling nature of a wave around a stadium, are disputed, an account of its invention compiled by ESPN in 2013 pins the first recorded “Wave” as occurring during a game between the Athletics and Yankees in Oakland in 1981.
Professional cheerleader “Krazy George” Henderson helped to spearhead the move, and became a legend in the process.
For Cubs fans however, “The Wave” has a far more annoying place in the history of the franchise, and one that represents the frequent pain that accompanies being a supporter of the team.
In 1984, the Cubs reached the National League Championship Series, clinching a playoff spot for the first time in 39 years. They then promptly won the first two games of their series against the Padres at Wrigley Field, with the scene then shifting to San Diego’s Jack Murphy Stadium, with the team playing its first home games in franchise history.
Already the annoyance level of Cubs fans was undoubtedly piqued by the fact that the Cubs, despite winning four more regular season games than the Padres, would potentially have to play a deciding Game 5 in San Diego because Major League Baseball alternated home-field advantage between the divisions at that time (though a popular urban legend remains that the Cubs lost hosting duties for that pivotal Game 5 because Wrigley Field lacked lights in 1984).
Chicago Cubs
It was during those three games that Cubs fans, and baseball fans in general, were exposed to San Diego fans doing “The Wave” at every given opportunity, and the image became associated with the downfall of the Cubs, who lost the final three games of the series by a combined score of 20-9 and missed out on a trip to the World Series.
It wasn’t just Cubs fans who ended up being disgusted by “The Wave” after that series, with this excerpt from legendary baseball scribe Thomas Boswell describing a common feeling:
Since then, fans who come to Wrigley Field in all likelihood have noticed that “The Wave” rarely occurs at the Friendly Confines, and when fans try to start it, they are typically met with derisive boos or even shouted insults.
In fact, the idea of doing “The Wave” at Wrigley Field is so hated that it has spawned many a ballpark argument, blog post, and even a t-shirt produced by the folks at Obvious Shirts that simply says “No Wave at Wrigley.”
Now, Cubs fans are potentially going to have to deal with their first playoff series against the Padres since that infamous 1984 NLCS, and if anyone tries to do “The Wave” at Wrigley Field, they may have to “wave” goodbye to their fan card in the process.