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The Detroit Lions confirm to FOX 2 Detroit and the Detroit Free Press that a fan's season tickets have been revoked and he's no longer welcome in Ford Field after he posted a photo on Snapchat of two black fans sitting during the National Anthem, accompanied with the words: 'ignorant n******."
The photo was taken during the opener at Ford Field against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday.
WXYZ Detroit provided the full contents of the post:
Stacey Graham is a Lions season ticket holder and a picture posted on social media of her at the game Monday included the caption, “you wanna sit down for the national anthem? You don’t like out country the get the “F” outtt” It also included the words “Ignorant N’s” over the picture.
The photo triggered an immediate backlash after being widely reported by local media. FOX 2 went all in, interviewing the black female fan in the photo and trying to track down the white man who took it. The woman, Stacey Graham, says she sits during the anthem because of the lyrics in the third stanza about killing self-emancipated slaves.
Eventually, reporter Randy Wimbley talked to the culprit's neighbor on camera, and found evidence online of the man admitting he was behind the post (after he had first denied it).
The Lions issued a statement on Wednesday:
"Providing our fans with a safe and enjoyable experience at all Ford Field events is of the utmost importance and an absolute priority for our organization. A core component of our guest conduct policy is the expectation that all fans are respectful and considerate to each other regardless of their personal beliefs or differences."
