Pizza delivery driver claims he was fired for criticizing Ohio State’s defense to coach’s wife

A man claims he was fired from his pizza delivery job for criticizing Ohio State’s defense to the wife of Buckeyes defensive coordinator Luke Fickell.

The man, who is a college student and was working at Iacono’s in Shawnee Hills, Ohio, reportedly told WSYX in Columbus that he delivered a pizza to Fickell’s wife two days before the Sept. 29 Ohio State-Michigan State football game.

The man says he told Fickell’s wife that the team needed better tackling and that she laughed. He says the comment was made over the phone while he was taking the order, not when he made the delivery.

She apparently didn’t find the joke too funny; the man says he was fired from his job the next day after Fickell’s wife called the restaurant and said she would never order another pizza from them again.

The pizza place would not comment on the report.

Ohio State gave the following response to WSYX:

“An OSU Athletics spokesman says it would not be uncommon for a consumer to register a complaint with a retail manager over a negative experience, if the Fickells did indeed have such a discussion. It is unfortunate that this individual has lost his job, but the responsibility for this should not rest with the Fickell family.”

Looks like the delivery man learned a lesson about sticking to business matters while on the job. This is easily the oddest fired employee story since this one.

Incidentally, Ohio State won that game 17-16 and is 6-0 on the season.

Helmet smack to Off the Bench