Matthew Stafford was recognized for his time with the Detroit Tigers on Friday.
Have the Lions been out of Super Bowl contention for so long that this is what it has come to?
The flub came courtesy of “Good Morning America,” which in its 8 o’clock hour aired a story on Sunday’s opposing Super Bowl quarterbacks, L.A. Rams QB (and former Detroit Lion) Matthew Stafford and Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow.
An on-screen graphic recognized Stafford for his “12 seasons with Detroit Tigers.” Yes, their stadiums are next door to each other and their team names are both big cats, but we assure you there is a difference.
Maybe in another lifetime, Stafford — who played varsity baseball in high school, and was a one-time teammate of L.A. Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw — could have been a Tigers all-star. Perhaps he was the missing piece of the puzzle in the Tigers’ 2012 World Series bid. But not in this world.
Stafford did toss on the Olde English D and throw out the first pitch at a Tigers game in 2012.
When Stafford earned his trip to the Super Bowl, the Tigers recognized him by posting a picture of him throwing out the ball and writing, “Hey, that Rams QB looks familiar!”
agraham@detroitnews.com
@grahamorama