A Mexican wave refers to an occasion wherein a crowd of spectators that are watching a football event, stand up, raise their hands in the air, and sit down in groups to show their support. It is a continuous movement that creates a ripple effect like a large wave moving around the stadium. This is usually achieved in a stadium where a large crowd is gathered.
Origin of Mexican Wave
The wave as it is known today began in the 1986 Soccer World Cup. Although most sports historians agreed that the Mexican wave originated in Mexico, some groups are in disagreement with this claim. Some people believe that the wave was popularized during the 1970s to 1980s by fans of American College Football teams.There are also claims that such a display of spectators who are yelling, standing, and raising their arms took place in the 1984 Olympic Games during the football final match between Brazil and France. However, it was in 1986 when the wave got its recognition following the highly publicized broadcast of the World Cup matches. Since then this spectacular movement of people watching the game has been called the Mexican wave.
The Popularity of Mexican Wave
Football is a widely popular sport anticipated by thousands of fans worldwide. During the soccer season, crowds of spectators watch the game in support of their team or favorite player. Their enthusiasm can be seen by the way they participate in performing a Mexican wave. For the fans, there is nothing more exciting than being part of the crowd supporting their favorite football club. It does not matter if they have to perform the ripple effect of such movement every few minutes as long as they enjoy being part of the event.Despite the widely popularized effect of the Mexican wave, some are not too keen on the idea of standing, raising their hands, and then sit down. Some find it troublesome as the movement blocks the view of the field. Other spectators prefer to sit out until most of the crowd finds their sits again. Nevertheless, even with some people not being participative of the wave, it still does not hamper the majority of the individuals who are willing to “go with the flow.”