John Stone, 34, said he wore the green-and-gold tie Monday to honor his late grandmother, who was a huge Packers fan. She died recently and was buried on Friday, two days before the NFC Championship game. The Packers ended up beating the hometown Chicago Bears for the NFC title.
When Stone's boss Jerry Roberts saw the tie, he told him to take it off or find another job. Stone said he thought Roberts was kidding, but he wasn't.
ABC News
Chicago car salesman John Stone's Green Bay Packers tie brought him trouble at work.
"I didn't know you could get fired for wearing a tie," Stone told the Chicago Tribune. "I'm supposed to dress up. I'm a car salesman."
Roberts confirmed Stone's version of the story, adding that he asked the employee at least five times to remove the tie. His dealership, Webb Chevrolet, has a promotional partnership with the rival Bears radio network, and Roberts said he thought Stone was gloating over the Packers' win by wearing the tie. He said later that he'd give Stone back his job, if he wants it.
But that offer came too late. Stone started his first day on the job at Chevrolet of Homewood, a rival dealership. General manager Guy Cesario told The Associated Press that Packers fans called him with promises to buy Chevrolets from him if he hired Stone.
The story has gone viral among Midwestern football fans, and Stone said he had no idea "all this publicity was going to come with this," according to Chicago Breaking sports.
"But you know what?" he said. "It lets me know who has my back."
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