DETROIT – Green Bay Packers head Coach Matt LaFleur had strong words about a Detroit Lions fan who “got in his face” on the field before the game.
“I thought it was an arrogant fan that wanted to get part of the action,” LaFleur said after his team’s 34-31 loss.
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. “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.”
It looked like LaFleur was gesturing for officials to get the fan off the field, and he echoed those sentiments after the game.
“I would like to see security or something step in there and get him out of there because he shouldn’t be doing that,” LaFleur said.
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
