Good evening, miscreants. Over the past couple of nights, those of us who watch the Tampa Bay Rays have noticed something peculiar. Tarps off. What is it exactly? Well without researching this at first, it appears to be a bunch of young men (and some females) taking off their tops and waving it around like a towel. Like this:
Of course, this is nothing new. It started thanks to Petey Pablo all the way back in 2001 with his rap hit "Raise Up," where he states, "take your shirt off, twist it 'round yo' hand, spin it like a helicopter." It's a North Carolina anthem (he's from there), and in 2018 the Carolina Hurricanes used it as their goal song, where I assume the above GIF comes from.
Fast forward to last autumn, and some students at Oklahoma State University during a football game started doing the same thing, the next thing you know, everyone is doing it. Until it died down when the college football season ended.
Then we come to last weekend in St. Louis, when a bunch of club baseball players from Stephen A. Austin University in Texas who were attending a game there did it, and the result was a comeback victory for the Redbirds over Kansas City. Next thing you know, EVERYONE is doing it.
Will it last? Doubt it. But could we calm down in saying that the Cardinals started this trend? It's actually been happening for a generation now. Hell, soccer fans might remember Sergio Aguero's iconic goal in 2012 for Manchester City when he basically did the same thing:
AguerOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo!!!
Still the greatest moment I've seen in a soccer match anywhere and probably in my top ten of iconic sports moments ever. On a side note, congrats to Arsenal on winning the English Premier League this season, beating out...Manchester City. But I digress.
The fact to the matter is that Petey Pablo actually started this trend a generation ago, so this ex-Tar Heel would like to say, put some respect on the name.
Until next time
BonyScribe
