Sports

Gift Tip: Nothing Says Lions or Tigers Fanatacism Like Ugly Sweaters

July 21, 2014, 12:45 PM by  Alan Stamm


Just $65 each from the NFL, or $60 from an online sports memorabilia shop.

Bill Shea of Crain's covers the sports business beat like mustard on a hotdog, as confirmed anew by a blog post Monday about sure-to-thrill Christmas gifts for superfans on your list.

Hark! The tasteless angels sing. . . . In what's apparently an effort to capitalize on the recent trend of ugly Christmas sweater parties, . . . the NFL has introduced a line of officially licensed tasteless "High Quality 12 Gauge 100% Acrylic" pullover crew neck sweaters. . . .

You'll laugh, but you'll see them at Ford Field this winter. The NFL doesn't sell more than $3 billion annually worth of licensed merch by accident. It knows what people want.

His post displays the Lions versions above, though the blogger -- a Cleveland native -- jokes (maybe) that he'll order an ugly Browns sweater.

For early shopping convenience and thrift, Shea helpfully notes that sweaters costing $65 at nflshop.com are five bucks cheaper at Clark Toys, which also has comparably ghastly TigersUM and MSU Christmas designs. 

If you wonder who's to blame for this tackiness, Allison Berry of Time magazine points an accusing finger straight at Bill Cosby -- "a modern-day pioneer of the trend" in his 1980s role as Cliff Huxtable. Chevy Chase earns, if that's the right word, an assist by way of "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation" (1989). There even are three books about ugly Christmas sweaters and theme parties.

"The tops are bigger than ever, but in a very hipstery, oh-so-ironic way," Berry claims.

If all this has you jotting a gift list reminder, there's no need to act fast. Though operators are standing by, supplies are unlimited.


Read more:  Crain's Detroit Business


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