The Great Detroit Helmet Debate: Stripes or Just Really Skinny Lions?
Ah, the Detroit Lions helmet. A thing of beauty (especially when it's on a winning team, nudge nudge). But have you ever stopped to wonder about those two mysterious lines running down the middle? Are they...
- Super-speedy lion streaks? Maybe the Lions are so fast they leave afterimages on their helmets? (Wouldn't that explain some of their seasons?)
- Battle scars from particularly ferocious cheetahs? Hey, cross-species rivalries are a thing, right?
- Secret messages only pigeons can decipher? Birds of a feather and all that. Maybe they're sending coded plays to Calvin Johnson's spirit animal.
Fear not, intrepid fan! The truth is far less exciting (but probably more aerodynamic).
Here's the Deal with Those Lines
Those two stripes, my friends, are simply Honolulu Blue stripes. Yes, that glorious shade of blue named after a tropical paradise. They're a classic design element, meant to evoke feelings of...well, probably not the beach. More like, you know, lions and motor city muscle.
The stripes are a nod to Detroit's industrial heritage and maybe a not-so-subtle reminder to those pesky Chicago Bears that the Lions have some claws, too.
Fun Fact Alert!
The Lions actually wore a blue helmet with stripes for a hot minute in the 1950s. But then they switched to silver, and the stripes migrated onto the silver helmets we all know and love.
So Now You Know!
...Unless you're still convinced they're secret messages for pigeons. In which case, hey, more power to you. Just don't tell Jack Sparrow.
FAQ: Become a Helmet Guru
Feeling like a helmet historian? Here are some quick answers to frequently asked questions (or questions you never thought to ask, but hey, now you know!):
How to identify a fake Lions helmet? Easy! Real ones don't come with cheese curds stuck in the facemask.
How to impress your friends with your Lions knowledge? Casually drop the term "Honolulu Blue stripes" into conversation. Bonus points for knowing it wasn't always Honolulu Blue.
How to convince your significant other that the new Lions helmet design is objectively cooler? This one might require bribery (tickets? jerseys? a signed football?).
How to get pigeons to decipher the secret messages? Leave a trail of birdseed leading to a picture of Matthew Stafford. It might work, it might not. Science is unclear.
How to rock a Lions helmet with confidence? Easy. Just pair it with a winning smile (because we all know that's coming soon, right?).
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