Possible New Lions Logo Briefly Seen Yesterday On NFLShop.com

Lions Would Not Confirm Nor Deny New Logo, Which Is Expected To Be Unveiled Next Month

A "collectible toy truck stamped with what is believed to be the Lions' new logo was for sale Tuesday morning on nflshop.com," but by early Tuesday afternoon, the truck was "pulled from the NFL Web site, though a truck bearing the old logo was for sale," according to John Niyo of the DETROIT NEWS. The Lions "would neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of the logo." It appears the new logo "will be a bit more menacing when the team's new look is unveiled, likely before next month's draft." It is "clear changes are coming," as the Lions' official online store "held a clearance sale on merchandise sporting the old logo in recent weeks" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/25). In Detroit, Nicholas Cotsonika wrote the toy truck "appeared to show a new font for the word 'Lions' and a new logo -- with some alterations to make the cat look a little meaner." The new logo "includes details of an eye, teeth and a mane." Lions GM Martin Mayhew, when shown a picture of the logo, said that he had "never seen it before." Mayhew: "My glasses are a little dirty, so I might not be able to see it" (FREEP.com, 3/24).

MIXED REVIEWS: In Michigan, Philip Zaroo wrote the new logo "has potential." It "did look a bit horsey," but it "still looked less bubbly and more menacing than the seemingly obsolete" old logo. The team "succeeded admirably ... by maintaining the integrity of the original design but giving it a more intimidating feel" (MLIVE.com, 3/24). But YAHOO SPORTS' Matthew Darnell wrote the Lions' changes are "pretty minor, and I can't tell the difference at all in the colors" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/24). In Detroit, Drew Sharp writes the "new variation looks like 'Bubbles' during an autopsy." There is the "appearance of eyes, but they're blank." There is a "mouth, but it's agape." Changing the logo "doesn't mean just altering the silhouette." It means "changing the personality of the brand." Sharp: "This doesn't do it for me. It only reaffirms the lifeless perception of this organization" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 3/25).