Homewood car salesman sacked over Packers tie doing well in new gig

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Car salesman John Stone shows off his infamous Green Bay Packers tie Friday at his desk at Chevrolet of Homewood in Homewood. Stone was fired from another dealership in January because he wore the Packers tie. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media

Updated: November 10, 2011 5:56PM

Just about eight months ago, John Stone learned firsthand just how intense NFL rivalries can get — he was sacked from his job as a car salesman for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to work smack dab in the heart of Bears country.

What a difference an offseason can make.

Shortly after the 35-year-old Stone lost his job at an Oak Lawn car dealership, he got a chance as a salesman at Chevrolet of Homewood, 18033 S. Halsted St.

Since then he’s brought in customers from as far away as Milwaukee. And four times he’s been named salesman of the month — an honor that goes to the associate who sells the most cars in a month.

“I love it here,” Stone said of his new colleagues. “It’s like family.”

Similar to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Stone’s been a hot topic leading up to Sunday’s Bears-Packers game at Soldier Field. He’s been on local TV news and featured on websites such as Yahoo! Sports, nfl.com and espn.com.

That’s why manager Al Hassan greeted Stone Friday with, “Here comes Hollywood.”

“We’re just kidding,” Hassan said. “Honestly, he does a great job and is very persistent. We caught a break.”

Owner Steve Phillipos agreed: “He’s all heart.”

Phillipos, who “thought it was terrible” when he heard how Stone lost his job, told general manager Guy Cesario to reach out to Stone, who was hired days later.

“We’ve never looked back,” Phillipos said. “He’s a gentleman. He cares about his customers. People come in looking for him. It’s a marriage that works for both of us.”

Stone is glad he got a chance after he was fired for wearing the tie a day after Green Bay beat the Bears in the NFC title game.

His former bosses were incensed he wore the Packers tie, especially when the dealership advertises on the Bears’ radio broadcast and furnishes loaner vehicles to the team.

“It’s a business,” he said. “But you treat your employees with respect.”

Nevertheless, Stone is enjoying his reborn notoriety.

“It’s fun to me. I love it,” Stone said.

At the start in Homewood, some Packer fans stopped by to visit.

“They’d say, ‘Is that Packer guy here?’ They’d shake my hand, pose for pictures,” Stone said.

Believe it or not, he’s had no problem with Bears fans.

“After all the jokes and the smoke has cleared the air, they need a car. I treat everybody the same. Even if you (think you) can’t buy a car, I find a way to make it possible,” Stone said.

His grandmother, whose funeral was two days before the title game, got him hooked on the Packers as a kid.

“She has family up there,” he said. “When she was growing up, it was the Green Bay Packers.”

Stone got hooked on Green Bay when he was in high school and free agent Reggie White joined the Packers in 1993.

“From then on, it’s been the Packers for me,” he said.

He wore the tie to honor her and cheer on his team.

His new dealership, whose employees are mostly Bears fans, still benefits from Stone’s Packer love.

A Green Bay fan in California read about Stone on the Internet this week, called Cesario and planned to treat the salesmen to pizza.

Stone’s first customer Friday was Ozell Adams, a Steelers fan who did not hold a grudge although Green Bay beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

“Ah, they got lucky. I won’t hold it against him,” said Adams, of Chicago’s South Side.

That’s not to say Bears fans won’t hold it against Stone if the Packers win Sunday.

He predicts the Packers “will kick their butt,” 38-17.