Here's why Detroit Lions fans are wearing blue ski masks at Ford Field for Seahawks game

Most of the Detroit Lions fans at Ford Field are protecting their identities with blue ski masks, as well as losing their voice. The masks are a new fashion statement for home games at the request of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, beginning with Sunday's home opener vs. the Seattle Seahawks.

Gardner-Johnson has become an outspoken leader for Detroit and its fan base after joining the Lions this offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles. In anticipation of the Lions first home game after defeating the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Week 1, Gardner-Johnson asked fans on social media to start the ski mask tradition at Ford Field.

How it happened

Gardner-Johnson put on a ski mask in the Lions locker room after Detroit beat Kansas City, 21-20, on the road 10 days ago. He strutted around the locker room, yelling "it's not the same Detroit" to thousands on Instagram livestream.

The moment went viral and Lions fans embraced the message. It has been decades of the "Same Old Lions" and this new-look Lions team is ready to snap that mindset. Gardner-Johnson said the ski masks are a sign the culture in Detroit has changed and said early in the week Ford Field would be filled with them.

“You’re going to see on Sunday, blue ski masks everywhere,” Gardner-Johnson told reporters Tuesday.

He doubled down on the interview and went on Twitter to ask fans to show receipts of purchased ski masks for Sunday.

Response

Lions fans answered Gardner-Johnson's call immediately. Within hours, online stores like Amazon were temporarily sold out of blue ski masks and the tweet had hundreds of replies with receipts or masked selfies.

It gained traction quickly, but Gardner-Johnson quickly clarified the ski masks were only for football and had no intent of violence behind it.

It seems like a tradition that could stick, with even celebrities showing up to Ford Field rocking blue balaclavas in addition to regular fans in the stands.

Motivation

Gardner-Johnson said it was an ode to GM Brad Holmes calling the Lions villains, the typical association people have for ski masks. Instead of rocking paper bags to Ford Field, fans can wear ski masks to usher in the new era of Detroit being a threat in the NFL.

“What did coach and Brad (Holmes) say?” he asked reporters earlier this week. “We’re villains, right?”

He went to explain further:

“It's part of us, it's just the culture, I'm changing it. No paper bags. Ski masks, we're taking what's ours."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How Detroit Lions fans' blue ski mask trend happened