Packers employee fired for comment

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WLUK) - Exactly what was said may be never known, but it did cost a long-time Packers employee his job.

He is 53-year-old Mike Wood. Wood was a part-time maintenance employee who had been with the Packers for more than 20 years.

He was fired on November 1st -- the day the team matched up against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings.

All sides say the comment in question was made a few days before then, while Wood and Packers Coach Mike McCarthy were in the stadium tunnel.

Wood claims in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he told McCarthy to "get the boys read to kick some butt this weekend." But he says his supervisors believe he told McCarthy "not to lay an egg."

On Friday, McCarthy refused to say exactly what was said but he did say it was offensive.

"I don't really know the man but he made a comment to me, I made a comment to him. It's not the worst thing that's been said but I would not say that to a fellow employee," said McCarthy.

A team spokesperson declined FOX 11's request for an on-camera interview but said Wood was fired because he violated the organization's code of conduct.

The team also released a statement. It reads: "The organization has standards of conduct that apply to all employees, full-time and part-time, in order to maintain a respectful workplace. Mr. Wood's supervisors determined he made an inappropriate comment, and he was relieved of his duties."

Wood is a full-time employee in Green Bay's public works department. He did not return repeated phone calls from FOX 11.

McCarthy said he did not ask for the dismissal but did contact the team's field manager after the comment was made.

"It was a one minute conversation that was the last I heard of it ... I asked what his name was," said McCarthy.