Chicago Cubs made the right call with controversial Wrigley Field fan

Earlier this week, an unidentified Chicago Cubs fan made a controversial hand gesture behind on-field reporter Doug Glanville, resulting in a lifetime ban.

Before we dive into the events that ultimately culminated in the lifetime ban of a Chicago Cubs fan from Wrigley Field this week, it’s important to get a bit more background on what exactly went down and what the hand gesture flashed by the fan during the broadcast means.

The hand gesture has meant different things over time. What started out as a simple “OK,” has evolved into a gesture adopted by white supremacists. The same gesture is also part of the “circle game,” you know that dumb thing you and your friends did in high school? If you get caught looking at the circle, you get punched in the arm.

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The connotations and context behind the move were questioned, of course. In today’s world, everyone has an opinion they love to share. But the Cubs determined there was enough racist intent to permanently issue a lifetime ban from the Friendly Confines.

The organization put out a statement via President of Business Operations Crane Kenney after they identified the fan and vetted his social media account.

"” … after repeated attempts to reach this individual by phone, we sent a letter to the individual notifying him of our findings and our decision that, effectively immediately, he will not be permitted on the grounds of Wrigley Field or other ticketed areas indefinitely.”"

This incident happened the night before Addison Russell returned from his domestic violence suspension and subsequent rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa. The Chicago middle infielder received a mixed reaction from Cubs’ faithful, but there were more boos than cheers. He ended up going 0-for-3 with a walk in his return.

Part of the aforementioned ‘circle game’, which hasn’t been prominent in some time, is that the gesture is deliberately hard to see. The circle is made below the waist and, as noted above, if your friend sees it, he/she gets punched. The gesture on the broadcast was not below the waist and we pretty clearly something the individual wanted to be seen.

And let’s not forget the context. A fairly new white power hand gesture made behind an African American on a television broadcast? Surely, that’s not just a coincidence. I mean, sure, it could be the case of some kid who thought he was just “being funny” and “playing a harmless joke,” but if that were the case, I have a news flash for you: it’s not funny.

The bottom line is that the Cubs, after stumbling through a public relations nightmare with the Addison Russell situation over the past year-plus, got it right with this decision. The guys up top have needed to make some good decisions for a while, not only to get back in the good graces of fans but to show they actually do care who represents the organization.