We're taking bets that "The Wave" can give us hope...

This evening I watched the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 in 12 innings. It was an amazing game with a ton of ups and downs. The home team won it and we left happy. The best thing is that I walked away from the game feeling a little better about humanity.

Just about everyday in the United States there is some sort of sporting event. During that sporting event someone starts a WAVE. If you have never experienced it first hand you are missing one of the truly amazing human feats. It starts in one section of the stadium or arena. Everyone in the section stands in their seats and they raise their hands. The other sections see this and follow suit. It goes in order and you do not stand up until the section before you has gone. When you watch it you get the sensation that a wave is washing over the crowd. It can be an awesome event to watch. It usually last for about 2 or 3 minutes.

What is most amazing is that it doesn't matter who you are rooting for or whether you like anyone around you once the WAVE comes you stand up. People have trouble getting together to vote, but every night at least 30,000 people can put a WAVE together. Normally it starts with one person(often drunk) who yells and waves his hand frantically. Then he or she screams "ONE!! TWO!! THREE!!" and everyone just knows what to do. It may take 3 or 4 tries to get it started but the it takes a life of its own. How this happens when normally we could care less about our fellow man and doing something together is astonishing.

Thankfully we can work together as a team. Human Beings bound by making a WAVE. It always brings a smile to faces as well. There isn't much else that can illicit this time of a response every time it happens.

Here are some facts that I was able to dig up about WAVES:

- Gained ground with U.S. fans in the early 1980s.
- Soccer fans in Mexico first embraced it during the 1986 World Cup.
- The Oakland A's say the wave's first MLB appearance was at their game on October 15, 1981.
- It usually rolls in a clockwise direction at a rate of about 20 seats per second.

I know that the WAVE can get annoying. Especially when it happens during a critical part of the game, but deep down everyone really likes it. I am glad that the WAVE can give me a little more hope in humanity! Work together... Make a WAVE!!! :) If you have a story about WAVES please share them in the comment section.