{
  "id": 1735583,
  "title": "The 'Tarps Off' Trend Explained",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/the-tarps-off-trend-explained",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T15:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tarps-off-trend-explained-183939219.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The \"Tarps Off\" trend, a viral celebration that has taken over college football, Major League Baseball (MLB), and other sporting events, started much earlier than many realize. Originating from an Oklahoma State (OSU) football game in October 2025, the trend was first popularized by fan Trent Eaton. During the game, Eaton accepted a $10 bet from his sister to go shirtless and twirl his shirt over his head, a move that was met with a subdued crowd. This moment was captured in a TikTok video that quickly went viral, setting the stage for what would become the \"Tarps Off\" trend. As more fans joined in, the movement gained traction across college football games, eventually spreading to professional sports and MLB. The trend reached new heights in May 2026 when Stephen F. Austin State University baseball players joined in during a St. Louis Cardinals game, helping to spark an energized atmosphere that culminated in a Cardinals walk-off victory. The popularity of the trend was further boosted when the Colorado Rockies fans also adopted the celebration, leading to the phrase \"tarps off\" becoming increasingly common in sports-related online content. The trend's impact was significant, with the St. Louis Cardinals embracing it by inviting the \"Tarp Crew\" to meet the team and creating an official shirt-optional fan section. This enthusiasm quickly spread to other MLB stadiums, including those of the Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Houston Astros, among others. The rise of the \"Tarps Off\" trend not only provided fans with a unique way to show support but also led to a wave of commentary videos, memes, and parodies, solidifying its place as one of the summer's biggest sports trends.",
  "summary": "Over the last two months, huge swaths of baseball stadiums have been taken over by fans spinning their shirts over their heads, but this phenomenon goes back further than you might think. Here's how the \"Tarps Off\" trend started and swept the sports world.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}