Chicago Cubs fan slaps younger fan for not standing during National Anthem in viral video - Fox News

What the report says

Fox News, carrying an OutKick report, said a viral Newsflare video shows an older Chicago Cubs fan striking a younger fan during the national anthem before a Cubs game against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon. The report said the anthem was being performed by the Jersey Girls when most fans stood, while one younger fan remained seated.

According to the article’s description of the video, the older man seated behind the younger fan told him to stand, leaned forward and said something not clearly audible, then hit him on the back of the head. Fox/OutKick reported that the younger fan then stood for the remainder of the anthem, and that the older fan could be heard thanking him afterward, after also telling him to be quiet.

The publisher did not report any official response from the Cubs, stadium security, police or either fan, and it said it was not yet clear whether any charges would be pursued. The article also noted that reaction online appeared mixed to approving in some comments, while people nearby in the stands did not appear to intervene in the brief clip.

The incident matters because it turned a routine pregame anthem ceremony into a widely shared example of conflict over public expressions of patriotism and fan behavior at sporting events. Standing for the anthem is a common custom at U.S. games, but the report did not cite any rule requiring a spectator to do so or any official finding about the incident.