Cubs fan who slapped national anthem sitter IDd as Vietnam vet as he reveals what happened off camera

A Cubs fan who slapped a younger man at a recent game when he didn’t stand for the national anthem has offered more details on the situation. Robert “Bob” Chavez, who hit the young fan in the back of the head, told TMZ he lost his composure in the moment because he’s a Vietnam veteran who had several friends killed in the war. While asking him to stand for the anthem, Chavez said he told the young man his veteran status and war stories, but he remained seated. Chavez added that there’s also important context missing from the initial video, as the two apologized and made amends afterwards. He also said the young fan even bought him a beer, and they discussed why they felt so strongly about what the national anthem represents. Though Chavez said security came to kick him out, the younger fan told security all was good between them.“The National Anthem is an important tradition at Chicago Cubs games,” the Cubs told TMZ in a statement.“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.

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.”...