Origin of Throwing up The "U"

[TheOriginalCane]

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.

Yeah. I'm fairly certain that the first time the cheerleaders tried to teach it to the student section was in 1988 for the home game against F$U. The band always played the Imperial Death March, but the cheerleaders only semi-occasionally tried to get us to do the U hand gestures.

 

[Dwinstitles]

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.

Where is the video im interested to check but dont know where to look. Anyone got a snap shot of it

 

[JeffreyG]

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

Pull it up on Youtube. It's the CBS broadcast right before the game starts. The on field reporter is talking about our secondary in front of a "Bennie and the Jets" banner and then the camera pans on the cheerleaders. 1987 game vs FSU

 

[TheOriginalCane]

Where is the video im interested to check but dont know where to look. Anyone got a snap shot of it

Video? I was actually there. It was only in the Student Section, as we had the band next to us and the cheerleaders in front of us. The rest of the Orange Bowl had no idea what we were doing.

My roommate was in the marching band. They played the Imperial March, the student section was encouraged to do the U.

 

[Dwinstitles]

Video? I was actually there. It was only in the Student Section, as we had the band next to us and the cheerleaders in front of us. The rest of the Orange Bowl had no idea what we were doing.

My roommate was in the marching band. They played the Imperial March, the student section was encouraged to do the U.

Oh I didnt know I was asking foreal lol, i read it like it was a YT video or something lol. I believe u fam

 

[TheOriginalCane]

Pull it up on Youtube. It's the CBS broadcast right before the game starts. The on field reporter is talking about our secondary in front of a "Bennie and the Jets" banner and then the camera pans on the cheerleaders. 1987 game vs FSU

OK, I finally watched the video, and I can confirm this.

Michael Irvin played in this game. He was well known for doing the U with his hands (just thumbs and index fingers).

The pre-game video shows the UM varsity cheerleaders. The guy holding up the U (thumbs and all fingers) is Marc Chaykin (second male cheerleader from the left). Val Henry is to his right (left-most male cheerleader).

Go to the 5:30 mark. You can see Marc and Val at the 5:36 mark.

 

[miamilaw07]

Try getting heavily inebriated again, sometimes it aids in the recall of conversations and events that took place while in that state.

State dependency theory!

 

[OriginalGatorHater]

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.

That is a very common myth, It was actually created in the 1870s, but the bottom of the 8 rubbed off making it look like a 9.

 

[mirednmediocrity2]

After my time, for sure.