Flashback Friday - The W Flag

The Cubs W Flag, the Victory Flag, or "White Flag Days", whatever you may call it, all of these names refer to one thing- a Cubs victory at Wrigley Field! The tradition of flying the "W" flag began over 75 years ago in 1937 after the construction of the scoreboard. Immediately following a game at Wrigley Field, a scoreboard crewmember would fly a flag above the scoreboard bearing either a "W" or an "L". The "W" flag is white and displays a blue W for a win, while The "L" flag stood for a loss and was blue in color with a white "L". 

The flying of the flags tradition began as a way to communicate to Cubs fans, and the general public, on how the Cubs had fared in that day's contest, which at the time was cutting edge technology. The W Flag is so popular that people have their own versions: t-shirts, koozies, baseball hats, etc. Some have gone as far to develop proper etiquette for flying the W Flag.

In 2009 the Chicago Tribune staff came out with their Rule for displaying the Chicago Cubs' W Flag. In this short, somewhat humorous, article, they make a point to discuss work-flag etiquette claiming, "Small W flags, signifying a sign of hope and faith, may be discreetly posted in cubicles provided they do not exceed 11 by eight inches. Everyday display of larger W flags must be confined to the backyard, out of public view, lest they anger Sox fans and/or confuse passing Cubs fans who happened not to have watched that day's game".

This year, the Smokies have added an exciting twist to flying the W flag. During the team's "15 Tour", a 15-day celebration prior to Opening Night to celebrate the 15th season opener at Smokies Stadium, fans are now able to sign the W flag. This flag will fly after the Smokies' first home victory of 2014, and will eventually be framed and hung for display, giving Smokies fans an opportunity to be a part of the history forever.