Before Matthew Stafford was the starting QB for the LA Rams or won a Super Bowl with them in 2022, he spent over a decade in Detroit where he played 12 seasons, claiming franchise records for most passing yards and TDs. Now, in a twist of fate, Matthew Stafford is returning to Detroit almost exactly three years after the blockbuster trade with the Rams where he was traded for Jared Goff, our current starting QB, to take on his old team with the hopes of knocking his past home-town out of the playoffs. Now, while this is certainly an incredible storyline, some Detroiters haven’t felt so sentimental about their past star QB coming back to play against us in our first home playoff game in over 30 years!
In fact, one bar in Detroit’s Eastern Marketplace district has gone so far as to ban Matthew Stafford Lions jerseys altogether! Owner of Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar, Erik Olsen, has decided that wearing a Matthew Stafford Lions jersey will get you barred altogether this upcoming Sunday when the Lions take on Stafford and the LA Rams in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
The decision was announced by the owner on the bar’s official Facebook page this past Wednesday, the post shared a picture of four different Matthew Stafford jerseys covered by a big red circle with a line through it, along with a caption that read, “PSA: please refrain from trying to enter Thomas Magee’s on game day with Lions Stafford jerseys. You’ll be turned away at the door. It’s our first home (playoff) game in 30 years, use some common sense. Regards, Ownership.”
To add to the storyline and make the game all that more meaningful, this is also going to be the first-ever playoff game for the Lions at Ford Field coming after a season where the Detroit Lions tied their franchise record for most wins in a season, which has resulted in this being one of the most expensive first-round NFL playoff games to attend in recent history.
While the atmosphere at Thomas Magee’s, which is located on the corner of the Fisher Service Drive and Russell Street, is sure to be a perfect venue for Lions fans, you can expect it to be jam-packed along with every other sports bar in Detroit!