In the past, donning a Detroit Lions jersey and hat was akin to breaking out a pair of Zubaz and a Jonas Brothers concert T-shirt.
Talk about an NFL fashion faux pas. Onlookers would snicker under their breath, point and stare, offer their sympathies or cover their children's eyes.
I should know. I've often put on Lions gear only to be treated as though I was wearing white pants after Labor Day.
Black socks and shorts.
Sandals with socks.
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Flip-flops at the White House.
I've been told that if you hold onto something unfashionable long enough, it eventually will return to vogue. But with no NFL championships since 1957 and only one playoff victory since then, I thought the Detroit Lions' logo had gone the way of bell-bottoms.
But thanks to a 4-0 record and two dazzling, odds-defying
second-half comebacks against the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys, Honolulu blue and silver is fashionable this season.
So are the names of the Lions' budding superstars -- Calvin Johnson (wide receiver), Matthew Stafford (quarterback) and Ndamukong Suh (defensive lineman). Those jerseys will make great stocking stuffers this Christmas.
Heck, if Detroit beats the Chicago Bears tonight on "Monday Night Football" -- the first time they've played on MNF since 2001 --you might see Lions colors draped over supermodels walking Paris runways.
Hmmmmmmmmmm ... what would New England Patriots QB Tom Brady say if his wife, Gisele Bundchen, modeled a Detroit Lions-themed Vera Wang dress at a New York fashion show?
Anyway, I've dusted off an aging Lions cap, unearthed a sweatshirt I buried in a dresser drawer during 2008's 0-16 campaign, and rescued a prized Barry Sanders jersey from certain banishment to the attic. And, if memory serves, I should have a Detroit windbreaker jacket stowed away somewhere in a box full of old college clothes.
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Even my iPod, wrapped sublimely in a Lions skin, makes a fine NFL fashion statement this fall.
It's time for me to add a little variation to the purple, green, gold and white palate that dominates the Minnesota and Wisconsin landscapes.
No more NFL fashion interventions from friends wishing to woo me into wearing Vikings or Packers clothing. People can point and stare elsewhere. The derisive laughter is finally silenced. Children may now see my Lions ensembles without fear of permanent mental scarring.
I can finally wear Honolulu blue and silver with pride.
Now, if only I could track down my old Detroit Lions Carhartts.
Contact News Tribune sports editor Rick Lubbers at rlubbers@duluth news.com or (218) 723-5317.
