Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur came into Thursday night already fired up even before the game started, as he got into a heated altercation with a Detroit Lions fan on the field during the national anthem.
The fan, wearing a Brian Branch jersey, reportedly taunted Matt LaFleur and his players and a Green Bay Packers team official stepped between them to prevent a melee. The 45-year-old head coach was caught on video saying “Shut the f**k up” to the fan.
Matt LaFleur shared his perspective about what happened while speaking to the reporters after the Green Bay Packers 34-31 loss.
Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
“Yeah, I’ve never been a part of something like that,” LaFleur said via USA Today. “He was talking junk to our players, giving them the throat-slash sign. You’re trying to de-escalate it, and then he gets in my face. So I thought it was pretty unsportsmanlike.”
“I’ve been on many fields, and usually, they police that much better. I thought it was an arrogant fan who wanted to get in on part of the action. I would like to see security or something, step in there and get him out of there, because he shouldn’t be doing that,” he added.
A frustrating day for Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers’ recent loss to the Detroit Lions was a big blow to their playoff aspirations since they now have a 9-4 record.
After the game, Matt LaFleur said he is determined for his team to face the Detroit Lions somewhere down the road in the postseason.
“Like I told our team, we have to earn the right to potentially come back here,” LaFleur said. “It’s not going to be easy, and we have to put in the work, but I’m confident in the resiliency of our group.”
