One Chicago Cubs fan apparently decided that remaining seated for the national anthem was a foul worthy of immediate punishment.
A viral video from Sunday’s game at Wrigley Field shows an older spectator smacking a younger man in the back of the head after he appeared to refuse repeated demands to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The confrontation unfolded before the Cubs faced the Minnesota Twins as The Jersey Girls performed the anthem.
While nearly everyone surrounding him stood, the younger fan remained planted in his seat. That caught the attention of an older man sitting one row behind him.
“Stand up!” the older fan demanded, according to the footage.
The seated spectator looked back and appeared to shake his head. After the two briefly exchanged words, the older man repeated his order, leaned forward and delivered a sharp smack to the back of the younger fan’s head.
Gasps erupted from nearby spectators as heads turned toward the commotion.
The message apparently landed.
The younger man slowly rose to his feet and remained standing as the anthem continued.
“Thank you. Thank you so much, young man,” the older spectator said after getting his way.
At least one nearby fan objected to the confrontation and told the older man to “just leave him alone.”
“He’s not standing up!” the man fired back while pointing at the younger spectator.
The video was shared on X by the popular Libs of TikTok-adjacent account @LibOrNormal and quickly attracted millions of views, touching off a fierce debate over patriotism, personal freedom and whether the older fan crossed the line by getting physical.
Some viewers celebrated the moment as an old-fashioned lesson in showing respect for the country. Others argued that the younger man had every right to remain seated, however disrespectful fellow fans may have found his decision.
Federal law states that civilians “should” stand at attention facing the American flag with their right hands over their hearts during the national anthem. The guidance does not carry a criminal penalty.
Chicago police told TMZ Sports they were aware of the viral footage, but no police report had been filed as of Monday. Neither man has been publicly identified, and the Cubs have not announced any disciplinary action.
The slap came before Chicago delivered a different kind of punishment on the field. The Cubs routed the Twins 10-1 behind seven scoreless innings from Shota Imanaga and four RBIs from Nico Hoerner, according to MLB.
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