"Krazy George" Henderson, the inventor of "The Wave," looks back on his time cheering on the Oakland A's
Armed with a drum, crazy hair and cut-off jeans, George Henderson -- aka "Krazy George" -- has roamed the stands in stadiums and arenas, riling up fans for more than half a century.
"I've been doing it for 57 years," said Henderson.
He first got his start in the late 1960s, when he began cheering in the stands at San Jose State football games, for the San Jose Earthquakes and throughout the Bay Area when he was hired by the Kansas City Chiefs to cheer at one game. He was later hired full time from 1975 to 1979, becoming the first professional cheerleader.
Throughout his career, Henderson has cheered for hundreds of teams including the Houston Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, and several universities. But he may be most known for his time at the Oakland Coliseum cheering for the A's.
"The Oakland A's, I started around 1978 after turning professional in 1975," said Henderson. "The Haas family hired me, and from there it was great."
His greatest moment would come in 1981 during the ALCS between the A's and Yankees on October 15, when Henderson decided to debut one of the iconic cheers, "The Wave."
"I started it the first time. It went about eleven sections and died. It got all the way behind home plate. It was good," remembered Henderson. "So, I started the second time. It went all the way around and it went almost two thirds of the way around. This was great. Everybody is following us, but it died again."
But after a third and fourth attempt, that was when the magic happened.
"I started it, it went all three decks. It was louder. It was crazy," said Henderson. "It kept going about six or eight times around the stadium and it was on video. So, that is the day I invented or debuted the wave to the world."
Today, as the A's get ready to leave the Oakland Coliseum where Henderson made history, the farewell is bittersweet.
"Oh, it's so sad for Oakland and the Oakland A's fans. I know his fans all over the Bay area that love the Oakland A's. I love the Oakland A's," said Henderson.
But as the A's say goodbye, the legacy of "Krazy George" live on, now celebrating his 50th year cheering the for the MLS San Jose Earthquakes.
"He does not slow down at all. I don't know if it is the power of the drum, or the power of his jean shorts, but there is something that keeps him going every day," said Earthquakes marketing director Michael Beaubien.
And at the age of 80-years old, do not expect "Krazy George" to wave goodbye anytime soon.
"I'm going to do it until I am at least 99," said Henderson.
