The Latest: Cubs to ban fan ‘indefinitely’ for hand gesture

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This article was published 08/05/2019 (2669 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO – The Latest on the Chicago Cubs’ investigation of a potentially racist hand gesture seen during a broadcast of a game against Miami (all times local):

3:15 p.m.

The Chicago Cubs say they are trying to identify the fan who made a potentially racist hand gesture behind a TV reporter during a game at Wrigley Field — and when they do, that man will not be allowed back.

The gesture was made Tuesday behind NBC Sports Chicago reporter Doug Glanville, a former major league outfielder who played three seasons for the Cubs. Glanville, who is African American, was standing beside a dugout when a bearded fan seated in the background made an upside-down “OK” sign near Glanville’s head. The gesture has become a white supremacy sign.

Cubs spokesman Julian Green says the team has identified the seat location, but the man was not the season ticket holder and when security responded to the seat, the man was not there.

Green says the man “will not be welcome back at Wrigley Field indefinitely.”

In a statement, Major League Baseball noted it has a policy that bans derogatory language and actions at its ballparks.

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1:15 p.m.

An NBC Sports Chicago reporter says the Chicago Cubs have reached out to him after a fan at Wrigley Field appeared to make a hand gesture associated with racism behind him while he was on the air.

The reporter was Doug Glanville, a former major league outfielder who played three seasons for the Cubs. Glanville, who is African American, was standing beside a dugout discussing the Cubs’ surging offence with play-by-play announcer Len Kasper when a bearded fan seated in the background started gesturing.

The man made an upside-down “OK” sign near Glanville’s head. The gesture is associated with the juvenile “circle game,” where someone tries to trick a friend a friend or sibling into looking at it and then punch their opponent in the shoulder. But it has also become a white supremacy sign.

The team is investigating and may permanently ban the fan.

Glanville praised the Cubs and says they have “displayed sensitivity as to how the implications of this would affect me as a person of colour.”

NBC Sports Chicago senior vice-president and general manager Kevin Cross called the fan’s behaviour “reprehensible.”

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3 a.m.

The Chicago Cubs say they are investigating a fan using what appeared to be an offensive hand gesture associated with racism behind a black television reporter who was on the air.

The reporter was Doug Glanville, a former major league outfielder who played three seasons for the Cubs.

Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney said in a statement early Wednesday that the incident occurred during Tuesday night’s game between the Miami Marlins and Chicago at Wrigley Field. He says a person made the gesture while Glanville was working for NBC Sports Chicago.

Kenney says: “Such ignorant and repulsive behaviour is not tolerated at Wrigley Field. We are reviewing the incident thoroughly because no one should be subjected to this type of offensive behaviour.”

The statement went on to say that “any individual behaving in this manner will not only be removed from the ballpark, but will be permanently banned from Wrigley Field.”

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