Cubs ‘Try Not to Suck’ shirts may cause Cardinals to alter policy

(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon has beaten the St. Louis Cardinals on the field quite a bit lately. Now, his victories against the organization might extend off the field.

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The Cardinals are considering changing their policy against obscene clothing after Cubs fans were told to either remove or turn their “Try Not to Suck” t-shirts inside out at Busch Stadium, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The organization has a long-standing policy that prohibits clothing featuring the word “suck” or “sucks” at the ballpark, according to Goold.

The Cardinals have written ballpark policies called “Ground Rules for Guests” and one of them forbids obscene or indecent clothing, spokesman Ron Watermon said. An official said that the ballpark’s practice has been to request fans remove or turn inside-out T-shirts that have curse words on them, and “sucks” has been one of the words that the team did not want to appear on clothing or signage. Officials discussed the policy again Wednesday, and the expectation is that the team will change that stance in part because T-shirts like Maddon’s don’t use the term offensively. The policy, the club decided, needed to reflect modern and changing uses of words.

As Goold notes, the t-shirts don’t use the term “suck” offensively. It’s not meant to attack other clubs. This isn’t a scenario where Cubs fans were wearing shirts that said “Cardinals suck.”

The “Try Not to Suck” phrase is a mantra cooked up by Maddon and used as a motivation tool for a team facing big expectations. Similar non-offensive shirts featuring that language, such as a “Cancer Sucks” t-shirt, is also subject to the policy.

When viewed in that light, it makes sense to make the change. While some parents would prefer their young child not see or use the term “suck,” in this context, it’s pretty harmless.

It’s worth noting that Maddon considered wearing the shirt during batting practice as a sign of solidarity for the fans who had been asked to change their shirts, but ultimately decided against it. That was probably the right call, as the Cubs rivalry with the Cardinals is contentious enough these days.

In the end, it probably won’t matter. Based on Goold’s story, the next time the Cubs go to St. Louis they, and their fans, will probably be allowed to wear the t-shirts in the ballpark.

This type of victory may not count toward the Cubs record, but we’re going to guess Maddon is going to enjoy it just the same.

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