Norman — For five years Stan Silliman has seen the world of sports from every angle. And in that half-century of watching sports, he has come up with one undeniable truth — “Sports Fans are Crazy.”
That is not only the foundation of Silliman’s new book, but also the title. The columnist teamed up with illustrator Mike Krawcyk to take an irreverent look at sports fans at the their best and worst.
The 100-plus page book contains columns Silliman has had published national during the past decade. He covers everything from the “Love of Rugby” to “Figure Skating to Macho Up.”
In the column “The Wave at 25 — Still Happening?” he wrote in 2006, Silliman details the origin of the wave when it was invented in 1981 by professional cheerleader George “Krazy George” Henderson during an New York Yankees-Oakland A’s game at the Oakland Coliseum.
Silliman also pokes fun at fans who can’t control themselves 25 years later when they feel a game is not complete until the wave is unleashed at least once.
“I think it’s a little past its peak, maybe long in the tooth, but who knows how to measure longevity of stadium gestures,” Silliman wrote. “We’re thinking enough of the wave, already. Let’s challenge the cheering groups and spirit sections to come up with something new.”
Almost every sport imaginable is included in “Sports Fans are Crazy.” He even puts fishing under the microscope with “Holy Carp! They’re Leaping.”
“It’s time for the fishermen to band together to save the Great Lakes,” Silliman wrote. “We’re not trying to be catastrophic here but if the carp continues unimpeded we will have to change the name of the lakes. Lake Michigan will become Lake missing. Lake Superior will become Lake Inferior.”
Krawcyk’s character illustrations fit right in with the attitude of the book. They include the Hanson Brothers, Bob Uecker, the Striking Viking and Billy Martin.
“Sports Fans are Crazy” would be considered light reading because of its size, but it contains lots in hidden sports knowledge and a keen look at why we follow sports.
Silliman will be at Hastings, 2300 W. Main St. in Norman from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday for a book signing of “Sports Fans are Crazy.”
