The Packers Tie That Got A Car Dealer Fired

Posted by Danny Goldin on January 25, 2011   Jump To Comments

Yesterday, the alienation of Jay Cutler was the hottest news on the press. Today, a bizarre story out of Oak Lawn, Ill., steals the spotlight. Check the link for the full story, but here are the nuts and bolts:

- Car salesman wears Packers tie to work on Monday morning
- He’s told by his boss that he’ll be fired if he doesn’t take it off
- He doesn’t take it off, and is fired

Now, there are a number of other issues at hand here.

A) The car dealership apparently runs current promotions with the Bears
B) The employee, Larry Stone, was apparently wearing the tie to honor his late grandmother, a Packers fan who just recently passed away
C) The boss, Larry Roberts, is reportedly Caucasian, and the employee, Larry Stone, is reportedly African-American (not that this should be a factor, but you have to hope that this story doesn’t turn into an issue of race)

Anyway, I’m not going to pretend to be a lawyer here. I’m SURE this case will be taken to court, and I have no clue what the final verdict will be (though an agreement to terms beforehand is certainly in play, as well). You have to wonder if there’s anything written in Stone’s contract about dress code, because if not, it’s his right to be able to express himself. At the same time, while I’d love to express my support for the Packers fan, I’ll also say this; if I was looking to buy a car and went to make a purchase on the Tuesday morning after the Bears’ Monday night win over the Packers earlier this season, and I walked into a dealership and was approached by an employee wearing a Bears tie, I’d walk right out and head to another dealership.

So, we’ll have to see where this story goes. It’ll be VERY interesting.

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