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The tradition is often carried out at other sporting events, both professional or amateur, and even sometimes at non-sporting events where the anthem is played, throughout the Baltimore / Washington area and beyond, notably at Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals, Georgetown Hoyas, Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia Tech Hokies, West Virginia Mountaineers, Penn State Nittany Lions and Aberdeen Ironbirds games.
Fans in Norfolk, Virginia, chanted " O!
" even before the Tides became an Orioles affiliate.
" O!
" has also been shouted during the anthem at Washington Redskins and Washington Capitals home games.
The " O " Shout has traveled from across the DC Metro Area, from Frostburg, Maryland, to Salisbury, Maryland.
The practice caught some attention in the spring of 2005, when fans performed the " O!
" cry at Washington Nationals games at RFK Stadium.
At Cal Ripken, Jr .' s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the crowd, comprising mostly Orioles fans, carried out the " O!
" tradition during Tony Gwynn's daughter's rendition of " The Star-Spangled Banner ".
Additionally, a faint but audible " O!
" could be heard on the television broadcast of Barack Obama's pre-inaugural visit to Baltimore as the National Anthem played before his entrance.
A resounding " O!
" bellowed from the nearly 30, 000 Ravens fans that attended the November 21, 2010 away game at the Carolina Panthers ' Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
There have been many complaints about the tradition, claiming that it is disrespectful.
The most recent was in May 2012, when Washington Post columnist Mike Wise published a piece entitled " Fans who yell ‘ Oh !’ during national anthem are tainting a moment meant to unite Americans ".
Likely the most extreme criticism of the practice was given by Sun sports columnist John Steadman suggested that Baltimore forfeit any game where a fan shouts " O!
" during the anthem.
To date, the Orioles have taken no action to discourage the tradition.
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