A now-viral video has sparked heated discussion online after a person at a Chicago Cubs game slapped another fan, apparently for not standing during the National Anthem.
The video, which was posted over the weekend, appears to show a confrontation between two individuals in the grandstands at Wrigley Field prior to Sunday’s game between the Cubs and Twins.
In the video, a man now identified as Bob Chavez repeatedly tells the younger fan to stand during the National Anthem. Eventually, Chavez slaps the fan on the back of the head and the younger fan then stands.
Chavez, a Vietnam veteran, told Inside Edition he wishes he could take back chastising the young fan.
“Even though I fought in Vietnam and had buddies killed, we fight for the rights of people and that’s one of his rights,” he said. “Then later on during the game, next thing you know, he’s buying me a beer. We talk, we shook hands. I overreacted. I could’ve handled it better; I wish I would have. But my feelings are still the same: people should stand.”
In a statement, the Cubs said security officers spoke to the fan who had been struck, and he told the team the matter had been “resolved” and that he did not wish for any further action to be taken.
“The National Anthem is an important tradition at Chicago Cubs games,” a Cubs spokesperson said. “While we respect the rights of individuals to decide for themselves, we encourage every fan to stand, if they are able, and to remove their caps while the anthem is being played. At the same time, the safety and security of our fans is our top priority. We expect all guests to treat one another with respect and to follow our Fan Code of Conduct, which prohibits physical confrontations and threatening behavior. Our security team spoke with the fan who had been struck. He indicated that the matter had been resolved, he did not want to have anyone ejected from the ballpark or any further action taken, and we respected his wishes.”
In response to a request for comment from NBC, Chicago police said no officers were called to the ballpark, and no report was filed due to the incident.
After the video of the incident was posted, comments largely centered on discussions around the slap itself, with numerous commenters saying charges should have been filed, with others criticizing Chavez for his actions.
Still others debated the ethics of standing or sitting during the Anthem, with many commenters critical of the idea of forcing someone to stand for the playing of the song.
No further information was immediately available.