Butt Slapping in Sports: One Girl’s Educational Journey
By Brianna Augustine
One night, I joined my boyfriend in watching an Atlanta Braves baseball game, knowing it’s a sport he loves and enjoys. In order to find some amusement in the activity, I decided to divert my attention to a peculiar aspect. As I observed the players, my focus landed on their posterior regions.
Surprisingly, I witnessed what appeared to be a sexual assault on one of the players’ butts. Initially, I glanced around the room to check if anyone else had noticed, but no one seemed to react.
Perplexed, I dismissed it as a mere illusion, until it occurred again, prompting a gasp from me. “Why are they touching each other’s butts? Is that normal? Do they have permisison? Are they gay?” To my astonishment, everyone looked at me like I was the dumb one.
This revelation struck me like a manager’s firm hand on a player’s left cheek, especially considering my boyfriend and his children are ardent followers and participants in baseball. Could it be that people have become so accustomed to this behavior that they no longer pay it any mind? Does my boyfriend smack a lot of dude butts?
Being unfamiliar with baseball, I took it upon myself to conduct some research, and here’s what I discovered:
Table of Contents
A History of Butt Slapping in Sports
It is customary to express support through familiar gestures of encouragement. The classic high five and a friendly pat on the back create a sense of acknowledgment and appreciation.
This tradition is believed to stem from the comforting act of being patted as a child, symbolizing a gesture of safety. However, the origins and pioneers of the butt slap remain unrecorded. Nevertheless, this unique tradition has found its way into various sports.
Editor’s Note: You could argue that a slap on the butt brings goes beyond bringing back childhood comfort and reaches the first moments of fresh air. A slap on the ass in sports has always reminded me of a doctor smacking me into consciousness when I was a newborn, fresh from my mother’s womb.
Butt Slapping in Sports: So Gay it’s Not Gay
First of all, What is homosociality?
Homosociality defines the relationship or bonding between people of the same sex. It is commonly used to describe how heterosexual men act in a homosexual fashion on the surface to reinforce their heterosexual friendship.
A possible explanation is basketball, baseball and football are so masculine they transcend homosexuality; guys can do seemingly gay stuff to each other without it being gay.
-John McDermott, A Cultural History of Butt Slapping in Sports
In my speculation, players opt for the butt slap because it adds an element of enjoyment to their interactions.
By playfully touching a typically off-limits area, they engage in lighthearted teasing. This gesture carries a sense of playfulness, particularly in high-pressure games. It exhibits a mischievous humor that is commonly found among close friends and teammates.
Editor’s Note: I’d love to hear Chipper Jones explain that he was just “playfully touching a typically off-limits area to mischievously encourage Greg Maddux to get the last out.“
The Chicago Cubs took “playfully touching typically off-limits areas” to a new level during the 2016 World Series when they decided to celebrate home runs by playfully touching off-limits areas with their own off-limits areas…
Earlier this season, we saw the Mets unveil an odd new celeration that had the Boomers calling for us to go back to the good old days when things weren’t so homoerotic and all they did was slap ass! And by “Boomers” I mean the legendary quarterback, Boomer Esiason.
After watching the Mets group hump celebration, the butt slap doesn’t seem so weird!
New York is a very progressive place and it seems natural that butt slapping in sports eventually has to evolve. I suppose New York is leading the charge of that evolution. Pete Alonso loves baseball so much he is humping his teammates and any inanimate objects he can find!
Rules and Regulations for Butt Slapping in Sports
These players uphold the unspoken guidelines of butt slapping and don’t fart around. Respect personal boundaries and refrain from touching or harassing anyone who does not wish to be touched, particularly when it comes to individuals of the opposite sex.
Players understand that butt slapping is not intended as a sexual signal. It is purely a playful means of expressing “good job” or camaraderie. Avoid excessive butt slaps and vary the gestures used to acknowledge achievements.
Lessons Learned About Butt Slapping in Sports
Maybe I’m overthinking this. You know what I have learned through all of this? Butt slapping in sports is chill. It represents the relaxation and leisure time fostered by the game of baseball.
So, get together with your friends and watch a game. Have a few beers, slap a few butts, and if you live in New York, group hump baby!
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