A plea to the internet to make the Nicholas Castellanos #BatSmashChallenge a thing

By Adrian Garro @adriangarro

August 30, 2019

I'm not "hip" with trends, for the most part. I know the kids are into silly dance routines from things called "Fortnite," and they communicate solely in emojis. That much I understand. I think I've identified the next viral sensation ... maybe.

I call it the Nicholas Castellanos Bat Smash Challenge. That's a working title, as it's a bit wordy and doesn't quite roll of the tongue ... but it's what I'm working with for now.

Its inspiration came in the Cubs' win over the Brewers on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Castellanos continued his red-hot hitting of late, clubbing two homers into the warm Chicago air. After the second one, he did this:

You see that smash? Of course you did, it's impossible to avoid. Caught up in the thrill of obliterating a baseball into the bleachers, Castellanos raised his bat above his head with both hands and slammed it to the ground. It was an exclamation point for the outfielder, and I get it -- though it was a bit of a rude "thank-you" to the bat that just blasted a dinger, right?

Either that, or it was a spot-on homage to the Lonely Island.

Anyway, back to the #Challenge. Photos of the bat-smash make it evident to me that this needs to be a thing.

First, you make this pose -- you don't need a bat to make it work:

Then, you slam your invisible bat down and hold the pose like this, arms hulking out at your sides.

This next part is crucial. You hold the arms-down pose for a few more seconds, for dramatic effect, while hopping ever so slightly off the ground.

That's it, that's the challenge. It's all swagger, really. If you've followed all the instructions up to this point -- and you can improvise a bit to add your personal style, sure -- you'll end up with something like this:

Can't you see #BatSmashChallenge hash tags and videos spring up with folks trying out this pose/dance/whatever-you-want-to-call-it at the office, the supermarket, their living rooms, the sidewalk ... pretty much anywhere people do viral memes?

Now that this is out there, it's up to you, internet, to make it happen.

This bat flip is a smash. pic.twitter.com/csa2p8A6yV

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