OAKLAND – One section in California is taking steps to ensure that a viral social media trend does not cause postgame fights in the East Bay.
The “belt to ‘butt’” video trend, which depicts football players from the winning team using towels or belts to slap losing players on their rear end as they walk by in the handshake line, has become popular on social media platform TikTok.
This “BTA” trend recently started a postgame fight in Houston, and several videos on TikTok show players and coaches from across the country taking offense when struck.
In an email obtained from sources to the Bay Area News Group on Friday, Oakland Section commissioner Franky Navarro wrote to coaches and administrators imploring them to make sure this trend does not happen after Oakland Athletic League football games, which start tonight.
“We understand the pressure and emotion that accompany competitive games, but we must all work together to prevent any incidents that could tarnish the integrity of our athletic programs,” Navarro wrote.
He requested that coaches emphasize sportsmanship to their players, and make it clear that doing the BTA trend will result “in disciplinary action, including ejections and potential team sanctions.”
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This news organization is not aware of Bay Area teams participating in this trend, considered by many to be poor sportsmanship.
“We’re just being proactive as we get started with league play,” Navarro told this news organization.
Second-year Oakland High coach Terry Hendrix told the Bay Area News Group that he had never heard of the BTA trend before Friday, but didn’t hesitate to say what he thought of it.
“Honestly, if a kid did that on my team, that would be it,” Hendrix said. “There would be a severe punishment.”