Apart from nail-biting clashes, the Thanksgiving week blew up social media for other incidents. Among those, a wild rumor is swirling around, claiming a Ford Field security guard got fired just for taking a turkey leg from the Packers‘ rookie DT Nazir Stackhouse’s plate in their Week 13 win against the Lions on Thursday, November 27. The internet instantly latched onto it, treating the clip like it was the biggest postgame storyline of the night. But what actually happened?

The video everyone’s arguing about shows Stackhouse walking off the field with a plate of food and offering the guard a turkey leg. The guard hesitates, clearly unsure if he’s allowed. But eventually he takes a bite while sneaking a quick look at the camera. That split-second moment meant nothing more than fun. But things got messier later.

Fans started debating whether stadium employees are even allowed to accept anything from the players, turning a fun moment into a workplace rule controversy. Meanwhile, zero confirmation of the rumor has been received, as the Lions, Ford Field staff, and even the Packers haven’t said anything about it.

Posts on X straight up call it “unconfirmed and most likely false.” But Reddit users have been quick to poke holes in the story.

Most notes about the rumors came from random accounts with no proof of any termination. Still, the public reactions were loud. Many were furious at the idea of a routine guy losing his job over a simple holiday gesture. Many others agreed that the guard seemed like a good sport and the moment was harmless fun.

While people came in support of the security worker, this wasn’t the only game that drew fans to stand alongside an hourly-wage worker this weekend.

ESPN reporter takes the heat from fans after calling out security worker “self-important”

Georgia Tech’s 16-9 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs slid to sixth in the ACC FBS-1 standings. But this wasn’t the only thing setting fans off this weekend. ESPN reporter Adam Rittenberg found himself in the middle of a firestorm after calling a stadium security worker “self-important” for just doing his job. For football fans already on the edge, that comment was the final spark.

The chaos started at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key was stopped and asked to show his credentials before entering the field. It was a simple ID check, a standard security protocol of a massive venue. But Rittenberg’s complaint about the guard being “too rigid” fumed the fans. What he saw as unnecessary strictness, fans saw as someone just doing their job. But this wasn’t all.

Fans didn’t hold back from blasting Rittenberg. They called him sounding entitled, saying he acted like stadium staff should magically recognize every coach and media member on the site.

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“The only self-important person here is the elite media person criticizing a normal, hardworking person working an hourly wage for doing his job,” said one of the fan comments.

Supporters of the security guard pointed out how vital strict checks are in the NFL and college stadiums. Other resurfaced similar ESPN run-ins from the past, calling it “media ego” clashing with frontline workers. Many called the reporter’s attitude “out of touch,” especially considering real threats in large arenas.

These kinds of incidents have made one thing clear: respect should be the standard, no matter who you are.