After disappointing many viewers who were hoping to see the Detroit Lions wear their throwbacks on Thanksgiving, the team has announced the throwbacks will indeed be worn this season. With their next two games on the road and the Lions wearing white jerseys for those, the Lions will break out the throwback uniforms for their final regular season game (Week 18), when they take on the Minnesota Vikings.
While we normally associate the Lions wearing throwbacks on Thanksgiving (and indeed, they have done so many times on Turkey Day), the throwbacks were never exclusively worn on Thanksgiving day.
After semi-retiring the throwback after the 2010 season, it was “reintroduced” again in 2017. That year as well as in 2018, the team wore the throwbacks on Thanksgiving. In 2019, the team wore the throwbacks against the Chiefs in Week 4, but returned to wearing them on Turkey Day in 2020. Then, in 2021 (actually January 9, 2022), Detroit wore their throwbacks during their final regular season game against the Packers. In 2022 (actually January 1, 2023), the team wore throwbacks for their final home game of the season. Finally, last year, the team returned to wearing the retros on Turkey Day. So, in two of the last three years, the Lions wore throwbacks for their final regular season home game.
While I certainly would not characterize this as a “tradition,” by wearing the throwbacks in their final regular season home game, the Lions will have done so in three of the past four years. It’s great to see the throwbacks at least once per season, but I think many of us would prefer them on Thanksgiving, when the team always plays and which has been somewhat of a tradition over the past few decades.
If you’re curious how the Lions select their uniforms for the season, click here.
If you read that article, you’ll note that “Alternatives are often reserved for the team’s biggest games, so a nationally televised primetime matchup made sense, from a branding perspective.” This year, the team has had several prime time and nationally televised games, but this year those primetime/national TV games have been reserved for the Monolulu blues and the new blue helmet/mono-black outfits. I guess that makes sense, since those are both “new” uniforms for 2024, while the throwbacks have been staples, off-and-on, for decades.
Other juicy nuggets from that article, which was penned in October of this year, include this. It was rather prophetic!
Linebacker Alex Anzalone, who is involved in the pants selection, joked the group has settled on monochromatic looks for what he said feels like 90% of the time.
And even though he claims he isn’t superstitious, he’s aware of how the team has struggled in the blue jersey/gray pants combo in recent years.
“We probably won’t go with the blue and gray again any time soon,” he said with a laugh.
And indeed they haven’t — even though the blue/silver-gray is “new” this year, the team views their record in prior years as a reason for not wearing the combo more than once. Conversely, the Monolulu blue uniforms have been “lucky” for the team before this season, so they’ve worn them almost exclusively at home for that reason. Interesting!
Of course, since 1957, the Lions haven’t been particularly successful in any combination. So the players and coach who make decisions on the full combos are at least aware of prior seasons’ records in certain combinations. I’ve called them superstitious in this regard, and that article confirms it!
So we’ll get to see the throwbacks this season after all. I’m actually quite surprised they’re doing it for this game since the Lions and Vikings — their January 5th opponents — are both currently at 12-2, and while there is still much that could happen in the nonce, it’s possible or even likely that game will not only be for first place in the NFC North, but it might be for best overall record in the conference and a #1 seed! With the team undefeated in the Monolulu blues this year, I’d have thought they’d want the “mojo” they produce to be working for them in what could be the most important game of the season.
As far as throwbacks go, I don’t love the Lions’, but they’re fun to see once a season. Of course, I (and I’m sure many of you) would like that once-a-season-game to occur on Thanksgiving, but given the Lions’ uni proclivities, I can certainly understand why they didn’t this year. If the new “tradition” is to wear the throwbacks for the final home game of the season, I can live with that.
Thoughts?
How low is the bar, if those uniforms are a step up?
LOL, +1. Honestly, I would say these are a step up from the mono combos. If they wore the silver pants with the sets (IMO, with both the blue and white jerseys) the throwback would not be an improvement. To each their own, but to me, just looking at the throwbacks makes it clear how much more appealing they are than what the team currently favors.
The new uniforms are great. It’s the combos they wear which are abysmal.
On point!
These have to be the blandest, most boring uniforms in the NFL. They should just drop them from the rotation; they’re clearly not good luck and it’s not like they’re throwing back to a period where they did well lol.
Eau Contraire! link
“it’s not like they’re throwing back to a period where they did well lol.”
Um. The throwbacks are supposed to represent the uniforms worn by the team in 1957. They won the NFL Championship that year.
So they are throwing back to a period where they did well.
link
It’s a lot like the Jets wearing SB III throwbacks. It’s the team’s last claim to fame.
Though it may lead to some unappealing uniforms, I can absolutely understand a team wanting to wear a look coinciding with its greatest successes.
Bring back the Barry Sanders Era sets and make them full time, including the old lion logo too!
No thanks to old version of bubbles the blob logo. Fierce bubbles superior.
At this point, the Barry Sanders (or Billy Sims) era uniforms would qualify as throwbacks.
No leaping lion logo = automatic fail. Would look ok as a fauxback with regular helmet. Dread when Detroit opts to wear on Thanksgiving to the point even blueberry look is preferable.
Going through the season. I actually consider the lions unis a downgrade from the previous set.
OMG. do not wear the old throwback uniforms. Losing era and look horrible. We have a new direction. Stick with the new uniforms.
these throwbacks are the only time i’m okay with their pants having no stripes
Anybody else expecting blue pants with these?
“…the team views their record in prior years as a reason for not wearing the combo more than once.”
Yes, your team was bad. Now it is good. None of this had anything to do with the uniform combination.
I totally agree (obviously). But try telling that to superstitious players!
I enjoy seeing the 1957 look once a year, so my first reaction was “Hooray!”
I hope the league puts the Vikings-Lions in one of the final weekend’s prime-time slots, not necessarily for the uniforms but for the likely playoff stakes.
I’m sure this has been said before, but I’ve always thought it was weird how in the NFL alternates are used for “the biggest primetime games.” I understand wanting to make it feel special, but when you’re visible to the country wouldn’t you want your main brand front and center? It’s especially true for teams that don’t get primetime games that often.
Love the Leos throwbacks. With black shoes. So hardcore. Wish we wore them all year. No BS, no shiny pointy things. Just play football.
I am glad they will wear this for a change. The black and the Monolulu looks are not great.
This kind of thinking is why they will never win a championship. It’s loser mentality. Your choice of uniform has nothing to do with winning or losing and if you subscribe to that then you have already lost.