Seahawks at Lions: 'Ruthless' Detroit Fans to Wear Ski Masks; Here's Why
Once upon a time, Detroit Lions fans who bothered to show up at the games staged by their notoriously woeful team wore brown paper bags over their faces as a statement of their embarrassment.
But on Sunday, when the 1-0 Lions play host to the Seattle Seahawks? "You gonna see on Sunday, blue ski masks everywhere," Detroit defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson said.
What's the gimmick here? After a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, Gardner-Johnson was wearing a blue ski mask during the team's post-game celebration. And now he wants it to catch on as a "thing.''
"Part of us, it's the culture. I'm changing it," said the veteran newcomer to Detroit, adding that the ski masks - meant not to signify cold weather, of course, but rather to play "bad guy'' - are a good fit for the Lions fan base.
"From what I've seen, the crowd, we've probably got the most ruthless fans in the game," he said. "So, I think, from talking crap, they feed off of us, they yell the loudest ... They just love their Lions team, so the more we win, the more we'll see true Lions fans."
Cynics can question that "love.'' We might also wonder if Detroit fans are really more "ruthless'' than the fans of Gardner-Johnson's previous team in Philadelphia. (Hint: They're not.) But we do applaud him on his approach, especially when he said, "I'm not worried about interceptions. I'm worried about winning games, keeping my coaches and teammates happy and everything else will just flow. Respect the grass, and the grass respects you."
As the two teams prep for the Sunday showdown (it's the early game on FOX), Gardner-Johnson added, "I just love being a part of something that's real. ... I think a lot of guys get misconstrued, 'You're just here for money and all that.' Nah. I'm out there having fun. Football right now is at an all-time fun for me. Forget the money."
But remember the ski masks.
