DETROIT – The coach of the Packers talked about the pregame swearing match he got into with a Detroit Lions fan who was on the field to hold the giant American flag for the National Anthem.
Matt LaFleur was asked about the exchange after videos surfaced on social media before kickoff of the Thursday Night Football battle between the Lions and Packers at Ford Field.
This isn’t the first time LaFleur has lost his temper against the Lions. During their last meeting on Nov. 3, cameras caught him yelling some obscenities toward the Lions' sideline after a touchdown that put the Lions up 24-3 in the third quarter.
This time, LaFleur was jawing and gesturing at a fan in a Brian Branch jersey. The fan was on the field to help hold the giant American flag that gets brought onto the field for the National Anthem.
“I’ve never been a part of something like that,” LaFleur said after the game. “He was talking junk to our players, giving them the throat-slash sign, and, you know, you’re trying to de-escalate it, and then he gets in my face.
“I thought it was pretty unsportsmanlike. I’ve never seen that. I’ve been on many fields, and usually they police that much better. I thought it was an arrogant fan that wanted to get part of the action. I would like to see security or something step in there and get him out of there because he shouldn’t be doing that.”
If you’re a lip reader, you can tell that LaFleur was not at all happy with how the fan acted. He and a few Packers players approached the fan, who was ushered away by two referees.
You can watch the video below.
WARNING: There’s strong language in the tweet and video below.
Wild: Matt LaFleur just told a Lions fan on the field who was taunting in his face to “shut the f**k up” 😳pic.twitter.com/Hb0O1VSSao
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 6, 2024
