LaFleur: Stop Doing ‘Wave’ When Offense Has Ball
GREEN BAY, Wis. – It’s a tradition unlike any other.
Not The Masters. Rather, it’s Green Bay Packers fans doing “The Wave” while the offense is on the field.
They did it in last week’s preseason loss to the Houston Texans and again in Saturday’s preseason game against the New York Jets. Afterward, coach Matt LaFleur delivered a sugar-coated message to fans following a 23-14 loss.
“We’re going to have some talks with some people in our building about how we can help educate our fans in certain situations,” LaFleur said. “But I love our fans, first and foremost. I think we have the best fans in the National Football League. The support they show when we’re at home, when we’re on the road, is second to none. So, I always want to start out with that before I become critical of them.
“But, certainly, when you’re on offense and it’s a third-down situation, I’d rather not hear the ‘Go Pack Go’ chant and, when we’re on offense, I’d rather not see ‘The wave.” I’d rather see that when we’re on defense.”
LaFleur mentioned the possibility of a videoboard message to fans. “Hopefully, some of our players will volunteer” to deliver those instructions. Of course, a message shouldn’t be necessary. Well-timed crowd noise is a big advantage for the home team. But when the offense is on the field, quiet is preferred so the players can make the proper adjustments.
Then again, the fans in attendance for the preseason games might say they were bored out of their minds. With LaFleur keeping his top players in mothballs – 30 were inactive vs. Houston and 32 vs. the Jets – the Packers’ offense has been mostly punchless in two losses.
However, this wasn’t a first-time offense. Fans have done “The Wave” during regular-season games, as well, much to quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ chagrin.
Before the Packers opened the 2019 home slate against the Minnesota Vikings, Rodgers wanted the fans to be loud – but loud at the right time.
“My only ask is that we don’t do ‘The Wave’ when we’re on offense,” he said before that game. “Other than that, be as loud as you want from the start. Hopefully no one says sit down to anyone. I’ve heard that from time to time. We’d love everybody to get up, be as loud as possible. We need it.”
In 2018, the fans started doing “The Wave” late in a 31-12 romp over Miami.
“It’s OK when it’s 31-12,” Rodgers said. “It’s not that big of a deal. If it was 31-all, maybe take it easy. I think they get a little bored maybe sometimes, and they’re like, ‘What are we going to do here?’ Because I was watching from the sideline at one point, it was in the third quarter, and I saw like four people right across from me — this would be about behind their bench from the 40-yard line — kind of stand up and do it. And I was thinking to myself, ‘I bet you they’re going to do it when we’re on offense.’ And they did, and we love them.”
