ANN ARBOR, Mich. – There’s no place Vernon George would rather be this Saturday night than at Ford Field with his family.
“I got season tickets for my family two years ago and this year,” said George. “We have been to every single game, never sold a ticket. We have the best time. We love it.”
But going to watch the Detroit Lions take on the Washington Commanders for the NFC Divisional Round would come with a tradeoff for the co-owner of Stadium Market in Ann Arbor.
“I got bittersweet emotions. I am so excited, so happy, so proud of the Detroit Lions; all they’ve accomplished, can’t wait for them to accomplish more. But I am sad because I’m going to be here instead of going to the game.” George said.
He will be cheering on the Lions from his store.
George was hoping the game would be Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, when he’s normally off.
“My wife, daughter, and me work all day Saturday. We don’t have anyone to cover. As you can imagine, it is the biggest game of the year, so no one is willing to come in and cover our shift,” George said.
And closing on Saturday isn’t a viable option, especially considering the store is likely to be extremely busy.
“We can’t really afford to close. This particular business supports my family and my brother’s family and then we also help our mom out, too. So, it is not an easy thing to lose that income,” George said.
Although George could make a huge profit by reselling his five tickets, he has no plans to do so.
George said he would likely give them away to family or friends.
“If I can find somebody who has probably never been to a game that I know that would like to go, that’s my thought process. I’d rather give it to someone who will have the same experience with their family, that joyful experience. But selling them for a profit is not an option to me,” George said.