GM Will Pause Truck Production For This Sunday's Lions Game

Not much can fell a car factory, especially one which makes ultra-profitable heavy-duty pickup trucks. Supply issues, a strike, a once-in-a-generation pandemic, stuff like that. Now, you can add a football game to that list.

The Detroit News reports that GM will delay a shift start time on at the Flint Assembly Sunday so employees can watch the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game. Ordinarily, the shift starts at 9:45 PM on Sunday, but will be delayed by an hour to 10:45 PM so workers can (hopefully) catch the end of the 6:30 game. 

Flint Assembly is the only Michigan GM plant that runs on Sundays, and it builds the hugely important — and huge — Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pickups. "We know this is a rare moment in Detroit sports history and we want our team to savor the moment, while still assuring we’re providing our customers and dealers with the trucks they need," said a GM spokesperson in a statement to the Detroit News. One hopes with tongue firmly in cheek.

It is the first time the Lions have made the NFC Championship game 1992. The team will play against the San Francisco 49ers in an away game at Levi's Stadium. If victorious, the team will advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1957. For a football-loving state like Michigan, this is a big deal.

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