Packers Tie Costs Car Salesman His Job
OAK LAWN, Ill. (WBBM) -- A Chicago area car salesman's loyalties to the green-and-yellow of the Green Bay Packers have cost him his job.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports, when John Stone showed up for work Monday at Webb Chevrolet, at 9440 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Lawn, he was wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to celebrate the Packers' 21-14 victory over the Bears in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
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But Webb Chevrolet has identified itself with the Bears in its advertising, and after being told several times that he would get fired if he didn't take off the tie, Stone was terminated.
Stone claims he thought general manager Jerry Roberts was joking when Roberts kept telling him to take off the tie.
Roberts says the tie was like salt in the wound for Bears fans such as himself – too much, even, to keep a good salesman like Stone who sold 14 cars last month.
Roberts was interviewed by phone by ESPN on Tuesday morning. He said he wore the tie to honor his grandmother, a longtime Packer fan who died last week.
He also said he has as job interview today with another Chevrolet dealership in Homewood.