THE SUDDEN URGE TO WRITE THIS ENTIRE BLOG WITH ALL CAPS HAS OVERCOME ME. IF WE AREN'T LOUD ENOUGH, HE'S GONNA BE MAD. AND YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE HIM MAD.
HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY, KRAZY GEORGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Krazy George, known the world over for his passion, his vision, and perhaps most famously the WAVE!
Judoka George
I've only had one conversation with George, where we weren't yelling. George was as cool as the other side of the pillow when I ran into him at Coach Yoshihiro Uchida's 103rd birthday party. It didn't take long until other partygoers recognized George and asked him about the origin story of the Wave. No yelling ensued.
But man, you wouldn't see him that quiet at the ballgame. No way, Jose. I could only imagine how he would be inside a library. I guess we'll never know.
George was a judoka himself, while at San Jose State. Tons of great stories can be found at the SJPL California Room and SJSU Special Collections and Archives. There are so many gems of Krazy George in the SJSU Spartan Daily, Such as the hilarious story when he ran onto the football field in the middle of a Varsity vs Alumni game, changed quickly into a uniform, and threw a block.
We Came to Cheer!
According to his book, Krazy George: Still Krazy After All These Cheers, George was powerful enough to earn a ban from NFL games in the 1980s. Krazy George and the fans had made so much noise that opposing teams could not hear play calls, leading to complaints most notably from Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw and Head Coach Chuck Noll.
Without failure, the NFL lived up to their nickname, the No Fun League, as they effectively banned Krazy George from creating the home team's "12th Man Advantage" atmosphere and fan experience.
Tons of sports fans do the Wave, but it is a shame to see that San Francisco Giants fans don't like the Wave, all because Los Angeles Dodger fans do it all the time at their home field. Little do they know, it all started with Krazy George. Now before you get started, Giants fans, relax. I get it. You don't like the Wave. I can understand not liking beach balls bouncing in the crowds at the stadium, but the Wave is cool, and from the biggest bay area sports fan of them all. Krazy George has been known to get the crowd jumping at San Jose Giants games, the "Single A" affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. For all you worried about what Dodger fans do at their home, don't worry the Wave is local.
Further Reading
- Newsbank for online Mercury News articles (with a free SJPL Library Card)
- SJPL California Room Digital Collection for online photographs
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