Matt LaFleur’s night got off to a tense start even before kickoff Thursday, as the Packers coach was spotted having an intense, heated conversation with a Detroit Lions fan.
Ford Field was the site for “Thursday Night Football” in Week 14, with the Lions hosting the Packers.
The two fan bases are among the most rowdy in the league, and Lions fans made sure they would show up and show out.
While most of the jeering is reserved for the players, Matt LaFleur got some of the action when he was spotted getting into a shouting match with a fan on the field before kickoff.
On the field, there was a crowd gathered as the national anthem was set to be played, including a large group in charge of holding the flag.
One of the fans in charge of holding the flag started jawing towards LaFleur, and instead of ignoring it, he began talking back and walking towards the guy.
We are now seeing field-level footage of that Lions fan and Matt LaFleur getting into that intense confrontation.
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You can hear a shocked ref stepping and saying, “What are you doing?” to the Lions fan who had no business jawing with the Packers.
Speaking to reporters after his team’s 34-31 loss, LaFleur explained the situation by saying the “arrogant fan” was “talking junk” to Packers players and later got in his face.
Punishment Revealed for Lions Fan Who Had Verbal Altercation With Packers Coach Matt LaFleur
Green Bay Head Coach Matt LaFleur got into a heated exchange with a Lions fan during Thursday night’s football game at Ford Field.
The Detroit Lions fan has been identified as Fahad Yousif. He is a die-hard Lions fan and season ticket holder. He was part of the group that was on the field before the game to hold the American flag during the performance of the National Anthem.
Following his actions, he revealed to Channel 7 that he was asked to take his seat instead of participating in the pre-game ceremony.
He was then asked to leave the game altogether – just before halftime.