Last night’s thrilling 5-2 win by the Chicago Cubs over the Miami Marlins ended with a Kris Bryant walk home run. It was a powerful moment to be sure, but it’s another moment, memorable for all kinds of very different reasons that is being talked about today.
A Cubs fan, well aware that he was in the midst of broadcaster Doug Glanville’s live shot, flashed the upside “OK” sign. This gesture, here being flashed at a black man by a white guy, is a symbol for white supremacy. It’s also a part of the exceedingly stupid “circle game,” which consists of an individual flashing a hand sign at another person, and if that person looks, they get punch. Yes, DUMB.
Chicago Cubs are looking for the fan who "flashed white power sign" behind Doug Glanville https://t.co/I7uI3O85FX
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 8, 2019
There you have the incident captured above.
Close to 1am last night the Cubs issued a statement, and you know something is bad when the statement goes out in the middle of the night, Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney issued the following statement with the headline-
“Regarding On-Air Incident During Cubs Game Broadcast”
We are currently investigating an incident that occurred during the Cubs’ May 7 broadcast on NBC Sports Chicago while reporter Doug Glanville was on the air. An individual seated behind Mr. Glanville used what appears to be an offensive hand gesture that is associated with racism.
Such ignorant and repulsive behavior is not tolerated at Wrigley Field. We are reviewing the incident thoroughly because no one should be subjected to this type of offensive behavior.
Any derogatory conduct should be reported immediately to our ballpark staff. Any individual behaving in this manner will not only be removed from the ballpark, but will be permanently banned from Wrigley Field.
It seems like this racist (or wanted to act racist for a moment) Cubs fan could really find himself in a very bad situation, for doing something that really had no upside at all to begin with. Apparently though, the white power sign guy must believed that the juice was worth the squeeze on this one.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets:Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.