Lions superfan: I was ejected for standing and cheering

Earl Spring says he'd been to 123 Detroit Lions games with nary a problem. Until Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, when he was ejected from the stadium for the first time.

At least that's what Spring claims in his postgame video rant — still dressed in his Macho Man-style garb as Super Fan, complete with his seat number tattooed on his forearm and his silent partner, Detroit Don — that he posted on Facebook.

He wasn't going to take it sitting down, eh?

Which, he says on the video, he was told by security was his only crime was: standing up and cheering while the Lions' defense was on the field. He suspects it was some Bears fans who snitched on him.

Asked about it Monday, the Lions said in a statement: "Ford Field policy is not to comment on specifics regarding security incidents with fans and guests at stadium events. The incident in question has been reviewed and corroborated both internally and externally. Event staff are in place on game days to ensure that the NFL Fan Code of Conduct is enforced so that all fans can have a positive experience."

Anyway, Spring's video gained some momentum when it also was posted on deadspin.com (it was quite a weekend for local sports fans going viral, who with those suffering Michigan fans also being made into Internet memes). And it is entertaining, but be warned it includes just a bit of PG-13 language.

And Monday morning he appeared on WKQI-FM's "Mojo in the Morning."

Several callers who were at the game supported Spring's version, but a few said he harassed some Bears fans and one said he used a racial epithet.

While he admitted to some "friendly banter," Spring denied using a racial term and any harassing of fans occurred as he was being escorted out.

"It was an unfortunate afternoon, because I would end up missing the rest of the game," Spring said. "I was buzzed. They never threw me out for anything other than I said they were standing and cheering. I did yell at a Bears fan on the way out. I never used a racial comment, I don't have a racist bone in my body. And that's the facts. I'll stand by it all the way."

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Contact Steve Schrader: sschrader@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @schradz