by
Strike the harp and join the mirth
Over a team of dubious worth
Fa la la la la la la la la
Stumped about what to get Detroit football fanatics on December’s gift list?
If you sense that the Lions’ 2-7 record won’t be more cheerful by Christmas or Hanukkah, consider garments from an aptly named online seller: Ugly Teams.
It offers wacky ways to let loyalists wear their shame on their sleeves and torsos -- $60 vests, $70 sweaters and hoodies, a $75 sweater dress and an $80 retro sweater (below) paying tribute to the team’s first season in Detroit.
"Being a fan isn't always pretty," says the Palo Alto company's slogan. (Tell us about it, right?)
All items are acrylic except the historic style, which is cotton. and come in five sizes from small to XXL. They're officially licensed, and Ugly Teams suggests they're are "perfect for ugly Christmas sweater parties, pub crawls, ugly sweater runs, family holiday photos, tailgating and sporting events." (For free shipping, use this coupon code: DEADLINEDETROIT.)
The 1934 throwback sweater is from a 10-3 season when the Lions finished second in their six-team division behind the Chicago Bears. Coach Potsy Clark’s team scored 238 points overall (averaging 18 per game), while the defense allowed just 59 by opponents – lowest in the 11-team league.
That old school pullover marks the Lions’ first season in Detroit after four in Ohio as the Portsmouth Spartans. Depression-era players had home games at the University of Detroit Stadium and trained at Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills.
The 2015 team (also a depression era?) hosts the Oakland Raiders at Ford Field this Sunday in a 1 p.m. game televised by CBS.
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If Being a Tigers Fan Isn't Already Humiliating Enough . . ., Sept. 3, 2015
This $80 cotton throwback evokes the team's first season playing home games at the University of Detroit Stadium.
