Skip to main content
SI

Explaining How the ‘Tarps Off’ Fan Trend Is Suddenly Taking Over MLB

What's with those shirtless fans? And how did a trend, one that has since taken over baseball, start at Busch Stadium?
Tim Capurso|
A group of shirtless fans took over a section of Busch Stadium during the Cardinals' walk-off win on May 15.
A group of shirtless fans took over a section of Busch Stadium during the Cardinals' walk-off win on May 15. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

In this story:

St. Louis Cardinals

A group of rowdy, shirtless fans took over Busch Stadium with soccer-style chants, loud cheers and twirling shirts during the Cardinals' thrilling walk-off win over the Royals on Friday night—and the rambunctious bunch have started a trend.

While the so-called “tarps-off” trend is nothing new when it comes to sporting events—more on that later—it was a previously never-before-seen scene at Busch Stadium. But so electric was the environment in St. Louis during a May 15 win that Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol went out of his way to praise the bare-chested group for their energy.

“Whoever started that in right field, I'll do whatever I need to do to make sure they come every game,” Marmol, opening his press conference after the 5-4 win, said, according to Grace Ybarra of KMOV. “Because that was awesome...”

True to his word, Marmol then put his money where his mouth was.

Oliver Marmol buys tickets for Cardinals fans, encourages return of “tarps-off” movement

Marmol and the Cardinals took things a step further on May 16, as the club's skipper, complete with a link to claim tickets, offered to buy Loge section tickets for fans who wanted to bring “the energy” during St. Louis's Saturday and Sunday games.

“Last night’s atmosphere was electric. Let’s run it back this weekend,” Marmol wrote. “I’ll buy tickets for fans who want to sit in the right field Loge and bring the energy.”

And it was no fluke, as the Cardinals, moments before Marmol's tweet, had also posted a link where tickets could be claimed.

Evidently, the Marmol-inspired giveaway seemed to be a hit, as the shirtless fans were back at it again Saturday, starting roll calls and engaging in MVP chants, according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. And when they weren't doing that, they were chanting their gratitude for the Cardinals skipper, as Tamar Sher of KMOV observed.

St. Louis went on to win Saturday's game 4-2.

But all this begs a question, or several questions.

Who are the shirtless fans at Cardinals games and how did “tarps-off” become a thing?

The shirtless wonders are actually members of the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team, which was participating in the National Club Baseball Division II World Series in Alton, Ill. The Cardinals had actually offered tickets to the team, perhaps not knowing that they were about to start a movement.

And who started said movement? That would be Lumberjacks baseball player Caleb Cummings.

“I looked at my buddy and said, ‘What if we go up there to right field bleachers and start waving our shirts?" Cummings told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch."They're like, ‘You know what, that's a good idea.’ We had no intentions of it getting that big—we were just going out there to have fun. We got up there, and we're all standing there, and we're like, ‘Who's gonna do it first?”

Well, there you have it. There's a different feel around this youthful Cardinals team in 2026, as the club is surprisingly among the contenders in the National League Central in what many perceived to be a rebuilding season.

And now, there's a different feel around Busch Stadium—and many other stadiums—thanks to the shirtless fans.

What is the meaning of “tarps-off” and where did the trend first originate?

The tarp, or in this case the shirt, is removed and waved around like a rally towel. It’s essentially dudes being dudes. And unsurprisingly, the “tarps-off” trend has humble beginnings with a dude. Rewind the tape back to an Oct. 11 football game between a struggling Oklahoma State team, which went on to lose 39-17 to the Houston Cougars.

The fearless pioneer of the “tarps-off” trend added some fun to the miserable game after his sister challenged him to a $10 bet, the terms of which required him to venture to the vacant Section 231 of Boone Pickens Stadium, remove his shirt and twirl it around his head, according to The Athletic.

He obliged. Soon, others joined in, creating a viral moment and starting a trend. Now, the trend, after sweeping across the gridiron, is coming for the diamond.

“Tarps-off” trend is taking over MLB

After seeing the kind of atmosphere the “tarps-off” trend has created—the Cardinals are feeding off the energy and have won three of their last four games at Busch Stadium—other fanbases around MLB are joining in on the fun.

Rays, Mariners and Tigers fans have eschewed their shirts in solidarity with the trend, and Phillies fans even dipped their toes in the water during a rain delay on Tuesday night.

And just like in St. Louis, some players are starting to lean into the trend.

“I loved it. I wish I could have joined them, to be honest,” Rays shortstop Taylor Walls told MLB.com. “It looked sick. That looked fun. I know if I was a fan in the stands, I'd be right there in the middle of it.”

One’s an accident, two’s a coincidence, three’s a trend. Which fanbase will be the next to go “tarps-off?”

More MLB from Sports Illustrated

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Published | Modified
Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.

Home/MLB