Article content

Scratch a professional sports fans and you might uncover a fashion critic.

For every diehard who believes it’s the man who makes the clothes, you’ll find another who gets agitated by the cut and the colour and can get into a heated discussion about what makes a truly classic uniform.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Lions heading back to black? Back to video

With the Canadian Football League set to unveil new duds for all nine teams on May 12, marking the change of partnership supplier to Adidas from Reebok, fashionistas who follow the B.C. Lions are hinting on social media about a back to black shift.

“Darth Vader with some orange striping … looks to be an all-black looks with orange highlights … have the Lions traded in orange as their primary colour?”

If indeed the old black magic is back — Lions executives, head coach Wally Buono and selected players have seen prototypes but are sworn to secrecy — rap artists and Johnny Cash impersonators will be pleased.

Black is not only slimming (according to houses of haute couture) it’s menacing (Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, L.A Kings, Boston Bruins, New York Yankees pinstripes). The dark side of black? An analysis of National Football League and National Hockey League teams showed that those wearing black are penalized more. You see, black is also associated with evil and sinister deeds. It’s an implied threat — but perhaps something the Lions could use in a rebuilding year, coming off a 7-11 season and a fourth straight elimination in the first round of the playoffs.