Man Fired Over Packers Necktie Gets Job Offers

John Stone declines offer to go back to work at car dealership that let him go

A Chicago father of two who was fired from his job on Monday for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to work said he's already gotten at least three job offers.

In fact, one of them is from the Oak Lawn car dealership that let him go.  But John Stone won't be accepting that one.

"My tie is not going to affect me selling a car," said Stone, who'd sold 14 cars in the little more than a month that he'd worked at Webb Chevrolet.

Stone says the saga started at 9 a.m. Monday, just hours after the Packers trounced the Chicago Bears in Sunday's NFC championship game.  A Packer Backer for years, he showed up to work wearing the Green and Gold.  Within a half hour, he said his boss, Jerry Roberts, asked him to take the tie off.

Stone said he thought Roberts was joking and went to help a customer to finish a sale.  Later, Stone said he was again asked to take off the tie or go home.

Roberts said that he didn't outright fire Stone, but understands the assumption.

"Our objective is to provide good customer service, not antagonize the customers the day after a big loss," explained Roberts, the dealership's general manager.  "Had he worn it the Saturday before the game, it's in the spirit of good sportsmanship and the rivalry, and that's acceptable.  The day after the loss, I didn't feel it was in the spirit of good sportsmanship and so he was asked to take the tie off. 

Robers said that as long as Stone doesn't wear the tie, he's welcome to come back to work anytime.

"He can come back today, in fact, we've gotten a lot of leads through the Internet today from people who want to buy cars from him," said Roberts.

Stone is holding his ground.

"I don't think that was smart, over a tie.  I wouldn't come back there," he said.

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