Origin of Throwing up The "U"

[SWFLHurricane]

I'm always impressed with the amount of memory cells still fully intact for all of you graduated in 80's. I've been a fan since teen in 87/88 and trouble remembering where I parked the car at Publix. I should've known that **** was cut with horse tranquilizers, smh.

Lol.....in the 80s??....I'm 1978

 

[OriginalGatorHater]

Before 1925. I saw a video of George Merrick throwing up the U at the Merrick building grand opening ceremony. He was also wearing the OG turnover chain.

 

[Dwinstitles]

Ryan Moore threw up the U, and the U has sucked ever since.

bad coaches and the SEC upping the recruiting tactics to copy what Butch did

 

[CandideCane]

Aye. When the Spartans faced 250,000 Persians, first thing Leonidas did was step out front and throw up the "U."

Rattled the Persians so bad, the Spartans managed to kill some 25,000 Persians.

Both sides knew what the "U" meant.

Same thing worked for Alexander. Outnumbered 5:1, they slaughtered their opponents, especially effective at Arbela.

They had seers back then that could see visions of the future - and of all the powerful things they all saw - the "U" was the most impressive.

You got to love an educated "Assassin", especially if on your side

 

[SWFLHurricane]

Before 1925. I saw a video of George Merrick throwing up the U at the Merrick building grand opening ceremony. He was also wearing the OG turnover chain.

DEAD

 

[SWFLHurricane]

bad coaches and the SEC upping the recruiting tactics to copy what Butch did

Lol....I'd Love to take 31 schollies...1 yr of No TV....1 yr of No Bowl, the Top Sports Magazine calling for your Destruction...And the Murder of an up and coming LBer, and throw them on Saban or Dabo's lap, and see what they could do in 5yrs....and least we not forget....NO $$$ Bags.....

 

[JeffreyG]

2001 Sugar Bowl

I thought John getting shot was the 89 or 92 season however I defer to your knowledge of the program and connections.

 

[SWFLHurricane]

I thought John getting shot was the 89 or 92 season however I defer to your knowledge of the program and connections.

You might be correct....my bad

 

[JeffreyG]

You might be correct....my bad

I just remember hearing the story and I knew the opponent was Bama in New Orleans

 

[SWFLHurricane]

I just remember hearing the story and I knew the opponent was Bama in New Orleans

It was...Jan 93

 

[SWFLHurricane]

I witnessed Al Blades Busting Lizard Boy Alex Brown in the eye on Bourbon St Jan 2001...and the ensuing melee....Lol...I was no more than 50ft away...

 

[We'retheBoss]

Does this qualify?

View attachment 83615

30OO5

 

[Home Slice]

Coach Allen was a legend as a longtime assistant second only to Walt Kichefski .

Was he the DL coach for the '83 NC team or had he stopped coaching before then? I remember Bill Trout as an assistant but I don't remember if he was DL coach that year.

Coach Allen had an administrative job in the athletic department in the late '80's, sort of a jack-of-all-trades. He maintained contact with former football players, would go to the airport to greet visiting teams, etc.

Had a resume of a lot of stellar DLs he coached at the U...and I think had an impressive record at Key West before that.

He was indeed DL coach for the '83 Natty team. Heck of a coach and human being.

 

[dannycane]

It was probably done occasionally before this, but I think of these being the points that started it becoming a common and popular thing:

Calling Miami "The U" - after Kellen Winslow's soldier speech
Throwing up "The U" - after Ryan Moore did it after scoring a TD

That’s what started it for me, however the origin story above with the Death March and honoring the honor society is a classy touch. Seeing that we were jerks and all when we were winning!

 

[TheOriginalCane]

2001 Sugar Bowl

I'm fairly certain it was much earlier, either the 1989/90 or 1992/93 Sugar Bowl. Routh had moved on to playing Billy the Marlin by 2001.

 

[Dwinstitles]

I know this has been discussed before of when we 1st saw someone make the U hands gesture. I'm rewatching Miami FSU 1987 and see a cheerleader make the U with their hands. I didn't know it went back that far.

would love to see the video of this i thought it was Moore.....................Utah fans say they did it first those ***** hicks

 

[TheOriginalCane]

Before 1925. I saw a video of George Merrick throwing up the U at the Merrick building grand opening ceremony. He was also wearing the OG turnover chain.

That is an amazing story, especially since the split U wasn't created until the 1970s.

Also, this guy Willis used to hold the door for people at the Orange Bowl, and people would keep calling out to him to hold the door.

 

[TheOriginalCane]

I witnessed Al Blades Busting Lizard Boy Alex Brown in the eye on Bourbon St Jan 2001...and the ensuing melee....Lol...I was no more than 50ft away...

Greg Mark got into a fight on Bourbon Street during the 1985/86 Sugar Bowl. We always seem to have an off-field problem at the Sugar, but I'd much rather take that than to ever go back to the Fiasco Bowl.

 

[TheOriginalCane]

would love to see the video of this i thought it was Moore.....................Utah fans say they did it first those ***** hicks

This is complete BS. The U thing may not have become super-popularized until the 2000s, but we were absolutely doing it in the 1980s.

 

[CampHillCane]

I was there from 1990-94 and I'm pretty sure they taught us the U hand wave during the Darth Vader theme in our freshman orientation (along with "We've got some Canes over here...whoosh whoosh").

But I could just as easily be misremembering a mob mentality at the Orange Bowl.