A viral interaction between two Chicago Cubs fans has sparked debate after an older gentleman was seen physically striking a younger man who stayed seated during the national anthem.
The video showed the interaction while the anthem was being sung at Wrigley Field during an afternoon game.
In the clip, the older gentleman was seen yelling at the younger fan to ‘Get up’ while the song was being performed.
After the younger fan said something in response, the older fan crouched down and got within inches of his face.
Unsatisfied with the younger man’s lack of standing, the older man took it upon himself to slap the seated fan in the back of the head – drawing gasps and scorn from those surrounding them. After being hit, the young man then stood up.
Despite his compliance, the older man kept barking at the younger fan and onlookers alike while the song was being sung – a move that, ironically, could also be seen as a sign of disrespect toward the national anthem.
An interaction between two fans has gone viral after an older man slapped a younger fan after he chose to not stand for the national anthem during a Chicago Cubs baseball game
The slap sparked a debate online over the older gentleman’s actions and their justification
Join the discussion
Should respect for the anthem ever justify physical confrontation at a public event?
The video divided social media, with fans split on whether the light assault was deserved or not.
Many on X were supportive of the move, with one user saying, ‘Not gonna lie, this brought a tear to my eyes.’
Another said, ‘If he doesn’t want to stand he can get the hell out.’
‘It looks like no one standing around had a problem with this love tap reminding the dude, in case he forgot to show respect for the our country,’ read another comment.
But on other social media platforms, the comments were overwhelmingly negative when it came to the older gentleman’s actions.
‘I love my country and have served but the whole point of being free is being able to have the freedom to exercise your beliefs. Sitting down during the national anthem is very distasteful but he has every right to do so,’ read one Instagram comment.
Another comment read, ‘Call him out sure, but assaulting someone is bulls**t. While I think its disrespectful and embarrassing not to stand, its his right. Justifying assault is a slippery slope folks.’
‘To truly understand freedom would to be to allow that dude to do whatever he wanted. That was anti American to use violence to force a behavior,’ one user wrote.
The Cubs were victorious on the day, defeating the Twins by nine runs on Sunday
While the debate raged on in the comments, Chicago Police have been made aware of the video and its contents.
Authorities told TMZ that they’ve seen the images, but no police report has been filed.
Chicago went on to win the game, beating the Minnesota Twins 10-1.
