What did Eminem say to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford?
One of Detroit’s most famous sons has taken a stance after asking the city’s former QB to let the Lions win when he comes to town with his new team.
To say the Detroit Lions and their fans have been waiting a long time for a playoff win at home would be an understatement. Quite frankly it’s been three decades since the team won a postseason game. To that end, one can understand why rapper Eminem - a known Lions fan who even raps about the team and football - has made his position clear.
What has Eminem said to Matthew Stafford?
As is always the case, context is key. At 51 years old, 15-time Grammy-winning rapper, Eminem, was just 19 years old the last time that he and other citizens of Detroit witnessed their team advance in the playoffs. With that in mind, you can imagine or at least try when it comes to the level of excitement that surrounds the Lions Wild Card Round showdown with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday evening. To make things even more intriguing is the fact that the Rams will come to town behind quarterback Matthew Stafford, a player who spent from 2009 to 2020 in Detroit. This is where Eminem comes in, as he like many other Lions fans would like to see a change in fortunes for the team.
Speaking in a video on social media, the artist begged former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, the man who will suit up for the Rams, to let Detroit win. “Stafford, what’d I say? You owe me this favor, bro,” Eminem said. “I was there for you when you won it. I was there for you. I was right there. I rapped for you, Stafford! Bro, I rapped for you! Can you just let us have this one? Just this one.” Of course, the likelihood that Eminem’s plea has any effect is probably next to zero, but it was still funny to see regardless.
A refresher on Eminem and Matthew Stafford
Though we imagine you know full well who Eminem is, you may have missed his performance during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show alongside Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, and Anderson .Paak. Yes, that was the same Super Bowl in which Stafford led the Rams to victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. This is all to say that when it comes to Eminem, we are talking about an avid football fan and one who has rapped about several stars in the sport including Tom Brady, Troy Polamalu, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Dawkins, and many more. Fans of the ‘8-mile’ star will almost surely remember his reference to the 0-16 Lions in his song “Legacy.”
Where Stafford is concerned, the 35-year-old was drafted by the Lions with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft and would go on to spend more than a decade with the team before being traded to the Rams in exchange for then-Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff and multiple draft picks in 2021. In total, Stafford spent 12 years leading Detroit’s offense, something that will surely play on his mind or accentuate his approach when it comes to putting down the Lions at Ford Field on Sunday, something we have to imagine he wants to do - Eminem aside. At any rate, the Lions who ranked No. 3, come into this game with a 12-5 record and the NFC North title, while the Rams enter with a 10-7 record after finishing second in the NFC West. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET on Sunday night. Don’t miss it.