The Cardinals have found some magic in 2026, beginning with a 29-18 record despite appearing to head for a full rebuild in the offseason. Breakouts from Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt have helped, but lately, it seems like the magic is coming from somewhere else.
Busch Stadium has been ambushed by the “Tarps Off” movement, with a small group of fans deciding to remove their shirts in the right-field stands and wave them around like a rally towel. The swarm of shirtless spectators continued to grow until almost the entire section was filled with men of varying ages joining the trend.
On Friday night, when this phenomenon first appeared, the extra energy propelled the Cardinals to a walk-off win over the Royals. As it turns out, members of the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team served as the originators. Manager Oli Marmol then bought out the “Tarps Off” section of Busch Stadium the next day and invited the team inside the Cardinals’ clubhouse.
Tuesday night, Tarps Off magic struck again. With the right-field faithful rowdy in the 10th inning, Iván Herrera pumped a walk-off three-run homer to beat the Pirates -- and he gave a nod to the bare-chested gang as he rounded the bases. Herrera then ripped his own jersey off and twirled in in celebration.
Tarps Off is now sweeping the nation. Fans at Rays, Mariners and Tigers games have joined in on the fun. Even a few brave Phillies fans gave it a try in pouring rain.
And you might be asking, “But why? Where did this come from?”
While going shirtless has long history at sporting events, with famous examples including Harry Caray and Jerry Seinfeld/David Puddy, the current trend started to take hold again in the college football ranks in 2025, with a fan at Oklahoma State accepting a $10 bet from his sister, according to the Athletic, to stand alone in an empty section of Boone Pickens Stadium, shirtless and waving the garment in circles.
It seemed to be a way to get some fun out of a brutal season for the Cowboys, who ended up a hapless 1-11 and fired longtime coach Mike Gundy midway through the year. But it caught on rapidly, with fellow Oklahoma State fans joining the trendsetter that day and throughout the year.
Other college football scenes saw it tick up, too, and not just for struggling teams. The eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers saw shirtless fans cheering them on during the year. And the craze reached some pretty extreme places, like an outdoor hockey game at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium in frigid January weather.
Thus, it’s no surprise to see a group of boisterous college kids becoming the ones to bring Tarps Off to the big leagues. And it's here to stay -- the Cardinals announced on Wednesday that the upper right-field bleachers at Busch Stadium will become a "dedicated high-energy fan section," open to any fan in the ballpark regardless of their ticketed seat. The best news? Shirts optional!