Celebrating Lee Elia’s Iconic Profanity-Laden Rant on its 41st Anniversary

The annual celebration dedicated to legendary Cubs manager Lee Elia’s iconic rant has arrived. Every year at OutKick, we honor this remarkable moment in Major League Baseball history that showcases one of the most intense and profanity-laden speeches ever delivered by a sports figure. While baseball enthusiasts immerse themselves in statistics and shifting field positions based on probabilities, people who still prefer classic baseball styles pay tribute to Lee Elia’s speech, which remains unrivaled despite its abundance of swear words. The rant took place after the Cubs suffered a 4-3 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 29, 1983. With an announced attendance of only 9,391 spectators at Wrigley Field that day, Lee Elia, who was then in his mid-forties and now aged eighty five years, exploded into a profanity laden diatribe after fans harshly criticized both the players as well as himself. Despite facing criticism from lazy out of work bleacher bums for ripping apart their team, Elia stood firm against these accusations in his rant that was broadcast by Cubs sportswriter Les Grobstein via radio interview afterward to become one of sports’ most memorable speeches ever recorded. The speech lasted 164 seconds and contained a total of thirty-eight F bombs plus twenty additional verbal bombastic exclamaries spread liberally around, an impressive feat that is hard to match in the world of sporting events. It goes down as one of the greatest managerial rants in sports history with Lee Elia’s passionate speech serving as inspiration for many other famous athletes and managers who have followed his footsteps over time. As Fred Durst once said, “How many people here ever woke up one morning and just decided it wasn’t going to be a day? You’re gonna break some stuff?” The anniversary of Lee Elia’s rant is an occasion that celebrates the memorable moments in baseball history where legendary athletes unleashed their pent-up frustrations, emotions and feelings. In summary, this year we honor Lee Elia’s iconic speech on its 41st anniversary as a testament to his bravery, courageousness, passion for sports, and love of the game that continues to inspire many new players every season at Cubbies games even after more than four decades. So today, let us celebrate this memorable moment in baseball history by listening to Lee Elia’s rant once again!