Why was gridiron player Mohammed booed?

February 6, 2007 6:35 PM

I was watching the superbowl on Aussie TV the other night & when the captains came out for the coin-toss (are there really five or six captains per team?) it seemed that each one was cheered, except for one with an Islamic name (Mohammed something or something Mohammed), who was loudly booed. Anybody know the story behind this? Is he a dirty player, or something? Or just the wrong religion?
posted by UbuRoivas to sports, hobbies, & recreation (39 comments total)

He wasn't being booed, his name is Muhsin and his nickname is Moose.

The crowd was yelling Moooooooooose. Not Booooooos.
posted by 543DoublePlay at 6:43 PM on February 6, 2007

I thought I heard the same thing, but a friend of mine explained that his (Muhsin Muhammad's) nickname is Moose (see here). That's what was happening, a drawn out "Mooooooooose" cry.

I'm not really sure if there is a captain in football. If there is, it's a largely ceremonial position. The collection of players there was probably just random.
posted by jourman2 at 6:44 PM on February 6, 2007

I forgot, there are captains for offense, defense, special teams, kick-off team, punt return team, field goal attempt team.

Oh, and don't forget team captain
posted by 543DoublePlay at 6:45 PM on February 6, 2007

Booooooo (directed to 543DoublePlay - not Muhsin)
posted by jourman2 at 6:46 PM on February 6, 2007

Gotcha (by a minute!)
posted by 543DoublePlay at 6:47 PM on February 6, 2007

Boo-urns!
posted by DieHipsterDie at 6:48 PM on February 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

I wondered about that too.

So I guess Peyton Manning was right. "They aren't saying 'booo', they're saying 'moooo-vers'" (or in this case, "moooo-se")
posted by clh at 6:51 PM on February 6, 2007

Although I am still searching for a cite, I believe this tradition of fans chanting a name or nickname similar to "booooo" was started by NY Yankee fans in the late 70's with "Sweet" Lou Pinella. When he came to the plate the Stadium would erupt in a chorus of "Loooooouuu's"
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:02 PM on February 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

This is similar to Bruce Springsteen fans who shout out "Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce"... without knowing in advance, it can sound like "boooooooooo" as well.
posted by modernnomad at 7:14 PM on February 6, 2007

I was saying boo-urns

Mookie Wilson (seen here reaching first base on an error) was also moooooo'd.

In football, you get to be a captain after staying out of jail for two straight weeks.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 7:35 PM on February 6, 2007

I believe this tradition of fans chanting a name or nickname similar to "booooo"

Cardinals fans did the same thing for Lou Brock.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:41 PM on February 6, 2007

And don't forget Ruud va Nistelrooy, who scores goals to the chant of "Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud".
posted by TiredStarling at 7:46 PM on February 6, 2007

That was indeed the Bears fans yelling "Mooooooose!" They do that every time he catches the ball.
Rams fans do the same for Isaac Bruce - "BROOOOCE!"
posted by SisterHavana at 8:01 PM on February 6, 2007

Every time Wayne Rooney touches the ball he gets booed.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 8:20 PM on February 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

Every time Wayne Rooney touches the ball he gets booed.

Yeah, especially when he touched the balls of that Portuguese bloke with the bottom of his boot and got himself sent off in the World Cup.
posted by ob at 8:36 PM on February 6, 2007

I guess 543DoublePlay was first in with the correct answer, but I gotta award the prize to DieHipsterDie for embiggening my appreciation of the Simpsons.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:43 PM on February 6, 2007

Great thread. My favorite example is Red Sox great Dwight "Dewey" Evans. Doooooooooooooo-ey
posted by Rock Steady at 8:45 PM on February 6, 2007

Great thread. My favorite example is Red Sox great Dwight "Dewey" Evans. Doooooooooooooo-ey

Or Louuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu for Lou Meloni. heh.
posted by WaterSprite at 8:47 PM on February 6, 2007

Interesting to hear about this tradition. The closest I can think of here was a great big roly-poly rugby league player called Mark Toukey. He must have been about 200kg, most of that being fat. On the rare occasions when he would build up a head of steam, the fans would cheer him on with a ooooooo sounding chant, but I think it was more like the oo-oo-oo of a cartoon gorilla.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:59 PM on February 6, 2007

Isaac Bruce, who played for the St. Louis Rams, was always met with "Bruuuuuuuuuce" after a big catch. It's a fairly common phenomenon.
posted by chrisamiller at 9:37 PM on February 6, 2007

Randy "Moose" Milligan of the Baltimore Orioles had a similar fate of being cheered with what sounded like boos, back in the 80's (and maybe 90's?).
posted by mzurer at 10:03 PM on February 6, 2007

That happened here in Portland one time at a basketball game I saw on TV. In the 1970's the Trailblazers actually won the NBA championship once, in a season where Bill Walton managed to stay healthy. The power forward on that team was Maurice Lucas.

Later Lucas was traded away to another team, and in the game I saw, that team was visiting the Blazers in Portland. When Lucas was announced, it sounded like the audience was booing him, but the TV announcers immediately said that wasn't the case. What was going on was that the crowd was saying "Luuuuucas".
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 10:19 PM on February 6, 2007

Seattle carried on the Pinella tradition when he was managing the Mariners. I was barely a baseball fan when he started, and the first M's game I attended with him managing I thought he was being booed. My wife quickly straightened me out.
posted by lhauser at 10:45 PM on February 6, 2007

This is an old tradition ... I recall hearing it in the 70s at least, but I'm sure it's older. Some other examples:

Los Angeles Lakers' Michael Cooper -- "Cooooooop!"

Baseball's Bob Boone, and his son, Bret Boone -- "Boooooone."

Seattle Mariners' Jay Buhner -- "Buuuuuuuuhner."
posted by frogan at 10:56 PM on February 6, 2007

Pitcher Mike Mussina, while the Baltimore Orioles still had him, got "Mooooooooooose"-d by the crowd every time. I saw him pitch some great games.
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:54 AM on February 7, 2007

Ditto Lou Whittaker of the Tigers.
posted by yclipse at 4:28 AM on February 7, 2007

Also Kevin "The Greek God of Walks" Youkilis of the Red Sox: Yoooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk!
posted by The Michael The at 5:39 AM on February 7, 2007

New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister is always called "Deuuuuuuuce" when he gets the ball. (Go Saints!)
posted by govtdrone at 5:58 AM on February 7, 2007

I gotta award the prize to DieHipsterDie for embiggening my appreciation of the Simpsons.

One more example of why "best answer" stats should never be used as a metric for anything.

Mooooooooooo(kie)!
posted by languagehat at 6:09 AM on February 7, 2007

At the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert, Lou Reed was greeted with "Loooouuuuu!!!" (It was NYC, so probably about the most pro-Reed crowd you could ever hope to find) and the talking head guy covering the event for radio had to explain that the crowd wasn't booing.
posted by Clay201 at 7:20 AM on February 7, 2007

Daryl "Moooooooooose" Johnston (former Dallas Cowboys fullback)
posted by badger_flammable at 7:40 AM on February 7, 2007

And Lou Whitaker of the Detroit Tigers. He was one of my favorite players as a kid and I was horrified the first time I went to a live game and thought he was being booed. My dad quickly corrected me and I joined in heartily at countless other games.

Ahhh, baseball at the corner.......
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:40 AM on February 7, 2007

Tony Siragusa of the Baltimore Ravens ('til 2001) was nicknamed 'Goose'. "Gooooooooose!"
posted by speedo at 8:50 AM on February 7, 2007

Baseball's Boog Powell was the first one I heard get this treatment.
posted by JanetLand at 10:35 AM on February 7, 2007

Also heard it for Moises Alooooooooooou.
posted by youhas at 12:01 PM on February 7, 2007

Sacramento has been greeting King's player Quinc y Douby like that this season. I think it helps to (a) be a fan favorite and (b) have lots of round sounds in one's name.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 2:35 PM on February 7, 2007

The phenomenon isn't confined to the USA.

Melbourne Demons AFL player Adam Yze (ooz-ay) is greeted with a chant of OOOOOOOOZZZZZ from Demons fans whenever he gets a possession. The first time I heard it I thought my team's fans were booing, until I saw a Melbourne fan doing the yelling.
posted by bangalla at 3:46 PM on February 7, 2007

Yeh, but aerial ping-pong doesn't count as a sport.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:54 PM on February 7, 2007

Isn't there a St. Boooooooooo in Chicago?
posted by Anything at 7:30 PM on February 7, 2007