New Detroit Lions Nike Uniforms: Flawless Victory

The horrible specter of the new Lions NIKE uniforms mortified me beyond rational thought. TLiW readers and Twitter followers alike tried to talk me off the ledge, but I was having none of it. NIKE is wont to make post-modern art school disasters out of uniforms, and the Lions just completed a solid, modern update of a timeless look.

Many pointed out that under NFL policy, the Lions couldn’t make significant changes to their uniforms within five years of their 2009 makeover. But if we’ve learned nothing else this offseason, it’s that the league office has no problem ignoring or rewriting its own rules.

town hall meeting, Lions President Tom Lewand quelled my fears by confirming we “wouldn’t see much difference” visually, and that those of us with brand-new Matthew Stafford and Ndamukong Suh jerseys “are safe.” Sure enough, the big reveal came, and . . .

Meet your 2012 Detroit Lions Nike Football Uniform, same as (or remarkably similar to) your 2011 Detroit Lions Reebok Football Uniform.

The Lions opted to take NIKE up on all of their technological innovations, with advanced fabrics cut to fit snugly, “zoned mesh integration,” an articulated shoulder, and the “flywire” collar that keeps jerseys locked down onto pads.

But in terms of the colors, numbers, stripes, and marks—the things that make the Lions uniform the Lions’ uniform—nothing has changed. Depending on reports, the pants are either “shinier silver” or “duller gray”; clearly lighting and the eye of the beholder come into play there.

There are many out there who were hoping the Lions would eliminate the black piping, revert the numbers to their blockier state, and/or tweak the swoopy wordmark, but nope: the look is identical.

Good.

Some don't understand why I take this so seriously. Branding yourself a “Lions fan” is exactly that: branding. You’re taking the team’s identity and wrapping yourself with it. People have often cynically called sports fandom “cheering for laundry” . . . well, when they change the laundry, that’s a big deal.

When you walk down the street in a Lions jersey, you’re signalling to others that you have invested significant time, money, and emotion in supporting the team.You allow, even invite, others to associate your own personal brand with everything the organization does. Every time the Lions win, we bask in the glory. Every time Ndamukong Suh gets a speeding ticket, friends, family, and total strangers bust our balls and lady balls.

Don the Honolulu Blue when the team is doing well, and it reflects well on you. Sport the gear when the team is doing poorly, and you run the risk of lowering yourself in others’ opinion.

This goes a step further. Amongst fellow Lions and NFL fans, jerseys (and other gear) become a matter of taste and fashion. Two years ago, I saw a fellow Lions fan in a supermarket rocking the eye-bleeding silver alternate jersey from the early Millen Era—only instead of the Charles Rogers model in the only picture of that monstrosity I could find, it was an Az-Zahir Hakim:

At a glance, I could tell several things about this person:

• They were, at best, naïve about football in 2004.
• They were unable to visually differentiate between “awful” and “awesome” in 2004.
• They are profoundly clueless about football now.
• They either remain ignorant of the difference between “awful” and “awesome,” or
• Cannot afford a more respectable jersey, and in either case
• They have absolutely no compunction about looking like an idiot in public.

You don't want to be that person. *I* don't want to be that person. I want to be the person who showed up to the 2009 home opener in a brand-new authentic home Matthew Stafford. I also, as I’ve said before, want this look, this Lions uniform, to be instantly identified with this era of Lions success—especially since, as relatively bold of a departure from the past it is, it’s still instantly identifiable as the Detroit Lions’ uniform.

That shouldn't change, and I'm thrilled it didn't.

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Nike Detroit Lions Uniforms: Threat or Menace?

Nike premiered their Vapor Jet NFL gloves at the 2012 Pro Bowl. These are the first taste of the new 2012 uniforms that Nike will be supplying all teams, and . . . yikes. Those hoping Nike just translates the current classy, unmistakably Lions uniforms—like me—must immediately begin flop-sweating. From the official @usnikefootball Twitter account:

“Just the beginning.” Sends a chill down my spine. “If you were feelin the new Cleats and Gloves tonight,” Nike says, “download the Nike BOOM app fast for the next exclusive reveal.” Love that they had Suh model the BOOM app, but I’m mortified by what they’re going to do to the Lions image.

I know a lot of you out there don’t get my whole uniform fascination, but it’s important. We’re fans of the Detroit Lions, a franchise with eighty-three years of tradition. Everyone loves the Lions throwbacks—but you know what? Our “throwbacks” are as old as anyone’s and they’re still recognizable as Lions uniforms.

As legendary and venerable as the Packers franchise is, when they go to their primordial closet they don these eye-bleeding monstrosities:

 My eyes! The goggles . . . they do nothing!

Not only are those duds hideous, they're totally urecognizable as belonging to the Green Bay Packers.

Except for one weirdo year the Lions hired Indiana University's coach and he forced red uniforms on the team, the Detroit Lions uniforms have been unmistakably the Detroit Lions uniforms for the better part of a century. The formula is simple: Honolulu blue plus silver.

Sure, maybe you add or remove some stripes, some trim, some black or gray or white, but the basic formula never changes. The result is both classic and iconic, modern and timeless. The current home unis are great, and the away whites are some of the best-looking uniforms on the planet. I mean, come on, here’s my authentic Matthew Stafford home jersey:

It’s gorgeous. It doesn’t need mesh patterns or interlocking filigreed zigzags or faux carbon fiber textures or Serengeti-themed artwork inlaid in mesh on the back. It doesn’t need 67 seams holding together 23 patches of various size, shape, and contrasting color. It doesn’t need to be a canvas for some Nike design team’s furious ideation brainstorm.

It just needs to be Honolulu Blue and silver.

Tell that to Nike on Twitter at @usnikefootball.

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The Detroit Transplant’s Lions Nike Pro Combat Kits

The Detroit Transplant is a very cool Detroit-focused sports blog, penned by a graphic designer named Doug. Last year, he (along with the rest of us) learned that that the NFL had chosen Nike to begin supplying all uniforms and apparel in 2012. Doug mulled the possibilities, and late last year applied his considerable talents to four possible Lions Nike Pro Combat uniforms.

Here’s my favorite, a reboot of the infamous black alternates:

I loved this one, especially the detail of the blue tire tread patter on the numbers, sleeves, and socks. However, I was less enthused by the liberal application of black in the home and away concepts; in my mind they look very “Panthers” and not very Lions. Doug responded to similar feedback with a second set of three Lions Nike Pro Combat concepts; they’re very much to my liking. The white helmet, especially, intrigues me.

However, as cool as these designs are, and as much fun as we’re about to have discussing them, I feel compelled to note: I love the current unis. I think they’re the perfect balance between unmistakably the Detroit Lions’ uniforms, and being fresh and up-to-date.  They’re clean, they’re classy, they have a touch of style in the numbers. I think the Lions finally got the uniforms perfect, and I’m worried the move to Pro Combats will mess them up.

As you can see in Doug’s designs, the busier, Oregon-esque stuff looks really cool on the second-skin fabric . . . but simple, clean looks just don’t look clean. It’s almost as though the fit and finish of the Pro Combat uniforms not only enable intricate patterns and nontraditional design elements to look good, but demand them. Otherwise, it just looks like dudes out there in long johns.

To that end, Doug Tweeted (@drdougfresh) that he's going to start working on a complete brand ID package for the Lions. He warns that "traditionalists" like myself may not care for it . . . but I'm looking forward to it anyway. Thoughts'?

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