Lions Fans Mock Referees by Wearing Clown Makeup, Throwing Flags After Packers Game Controversy

Following Monday night's battle between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, there was an [...]

Following Monday night's battle between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, there was an expectation that the fans in Motor City would be ready to show their frustration at the next home game. This belief was ultimately proven correct when the Minnesota Vikings came to town. Multiple fans in the crowd were dressed as referees, including some that donned clown wigs and makeup.

As the cameras continued to show throughout the first half of Sunday's game, there were multiple fans that wanted to show their anger after watching the referees help Green Bay take home the victory on Monday night. Some had the clown makeup, others wore ski masks to emphasize the robbery aspect of the conversation, while others just opted for the striped shirt and a black hat.

Interestingly enough, there was one fan that actually brought his own yellow penalty flag to the stadium and was actually shown throwing it onto the field in anger after a first-quarter play.

As it turns out, these referee outfits actually came into play during the first half of Sunday's game. There was a sequence where a Lions defensive back intercepted a Kirk Cousins pass in the end zone. However, Justin Coleman was penalized for pass interference after shoving a Vikings receiver out of bounds.

The play went to a booth review for an extended period of time after replay showed that the Vikings receiver had actually touched the ball after going out of bounds, which is an illegal play.

Ultimately, the play stood as called, which negated the interception and gave the Vikings new life near the goal line. They responded by scoring a touchdown, which sent the crowd into a state of rage.

The issues with the referees did not end with this one play, however, as the Lions fans also found reasons to boo near the end of the second quarter. With an opportunity to score a touchdown, quarterback Matthew Stafford rolled out to the right and launched a pass to the end zone. It was incomplete, but the Lions still had more opportunities to make a play. However, one of the offensive linemen was called for holding, which pushed the Lions back 10 yards. Holding is a common penalty called, but the play was viewed by many as questionable as best.

Ultimately, the call did not affect the Lions as Stafford still found receiver Marvin Jones for a touchdown with seconds remaining in the half. The Lions were able to tie the game at 21 all heading into halftime, but that doesn't mean that the fans forgave the referees.

Photo Credit: Rey Del Rio/Getty

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