Streaking

Bad fads never die; they just wait to be rediscovered by succeeding generations. So it is that streaking, the favored activity of '70s-era exhibitionists, is making a comeback. In the last month naked men have burst onto the scene at: the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield, England, an A's-Red Sox game in Oakland, a Giants-Expos game in Montreal and the Champions League soccer final in Glasgow, Scotland. Once again these people have brought new meaning to the phrase getting behind in your sports watching.

Trying to explain the resurgence of streaking is as pointless as the activity itself. None of the flashers were pressing an agenda—not a PETA activist or political protester in the bunch—nor did any offer a compelling reason for the clothes-free romps. Mark Roberts, who treated the crowd at the Champions League game to an eyeful, simply said, "It gives me a buzz, the crowd laughs, and if you can make people laugh, it gives you a rush."

Not everyone is laughing. Roberts was fined $535 for going starkers. Brando Vail, who went au naturel in Oakland, was charged with three misdemeanors and ordered to stay away from Network Associates Coliseum for a year. And the Expos fan who exposed himself (and whose name is being withheld) got a misdemeanor for indecent exposure. Guess not everyone is a nostalgia buff.