Tuesday's Yankees-Reds game at Great American Ball Park featured two teams "playing good and exciting baseball," but all people "could hear half the time" was fans mimicking pro wrestler Ric Flair's signature "Woooooo!" yell, according to Paul Daugherty of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. Reds fans have been using the phrase for several years, but it "reached a new low" on Tuesday, when they were "especially bad, detouring from the annoying everyday 'wooooos' to a feral howl." The phrase previously had "flourished in the late innings of blowout mid-week games," but it now "comes early and stays late." The Reds claim that they "get the occasional complaint" from fans. Daugherty noted the Reds "train their ushers in the ways of courtesy and pleasantness." Daugherty: "They should also train them to identify 'Woooooers' and warn them once to take a damned pill. Second 'woooo,' banish them the rest of the game" (CINCINNATI.com, 5/10).
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Astros fans adopted the "Woo!" call in
homage to Reddick, who is a Flair fan
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TO BE THE MAN....: In Ft. Worth, Stefan Stevenson noted Astros fans have "grown accustomed to hollering 'Woo!' at Minute Maid Park in tribute" to Astros RF Josh Reddick, who is a Flair fan. The "sound of random 'woos' echoed across Minute Maid" during last week's four-game series against the Rangers, and the yell is "giving the wave ... a run for worst fan engagement in the big leagues." Stevenson: "The Astros are one of the best teams in the majors, and appear ready to live up to their hype with a serious World Series bid. But lose the 'Woo!'" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 5/5). The Houston Chronicle last month noted the catchphrase has become a "rallying cry of sorts" for Astros fans and players.
NURTURED BY NATURE: Ric Flair himself has had some fun with the trend on his Twitter account. The Star-Telegram's Stevenson tweeted a link to his column and wrote, "Psst, #Astros fans, the 'woo' needs to stop." Flair responded, "How about no, Stefan. The WOOOO will never die #Astros #WOOOOlife." Stevenson: "The woo might work in wrestling but baseball is real. #nowooinginbaseball." Flair: "Hey Stefan, do us all a favor and delete your twitter account. Thanks, WOOOOO Nation." Flair also recently acknowledged Reddick specifically: "Congrats to the @astros @RealJoshReddick on his 100th career homerun - WOOOOO! #Wooston"
