‘Ray of Light’ strategy a surefire bet

The Detroit Lions’ old logo looked like the logo of a high school team in central Michigan with no funding back in the 1960s. Moreover, their uniforms during the Thanksgiving game last year against the Tennessee Titans were dull and mundane and made quarterback Daunte Culpepper look like he played for the Detroit Pussy-Kittens. The new logo features the addition of teeth to the mouth of the lion and includes a highlighted black border. The artist has also incorporated fierce lines of movement and more detail for the mane of the lion.

The Lions really got crazy with their new logo when they decided to italicize the spelled-out “Lions” portion and added some waves of hair. Team president Tom Lewand said that the new logo gives his team “a sense of mission and direction.”

“The new identity retains many important aspects of our history in terms of our primary mark and our colors,” he added. “However, the evolution allows us to present our Lions brand and visual identity in new, versatile and distinctive ways.”

While the outstanding makeover of “Bubbles the Lion” seems meaningless, it could prove to be the most important part of the rebuilding process of the Detroit Lions. The design of the uniform and the logo shown on their helmets could lead the Detroit Lions to the Super Bowl! Think I’m crazy? Just ask the Tampa Bay Rays and the Arizona Cardinals.

The Rays and the Cardinals each made changes to their logo before their last seasons, and both teams ended up in the championship game of their respective sports. The Tampa Bay Rays were previously known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The team owner, Stuart Sternberg, commented that the change represented “a beacon that radiates through Tampa Bay and across the entire state of Florida.” At the time, I thought this idea was completely idiotic and pointless. Yet I was proven wrong when Tampa Bay, which had failed to place higher than fourth in the American League East in its 10-year existence, suddenly had an incredible season and made it to the World Series.

Then the Arizona Cardinals updated their logo, which had not received a makeover in 45 years, prior to the 2008 season. The Cardinals had finished in last place of the NFC West five out of the last 10 seasons and posted losing records in each of those seasons. The Cardinals did not change their name, but they did make their logo look a shade meaner by drawing a border around the bird and emphasizing the snarl on its beak. What happened? The Cardinals made the unlikely run through the regular season and the postseason and witnessed the return of Kurt Warner to his St. Louis Rams form, leading the Cardinals to their first-ever Super Bowl.

Tom Lewand, do not think that you are getting away with this strategy in secrecy. You obviously figured that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were the worst team in the league, changed their name and then became a World Series contender as Evan Longoria won American League Rookie of the Year.

Then you saw the Cardinals do the same thing and witnessed the miraculous rise in talent level of Larry Fitzgerald from a good wide receiver into the best receiver in the game. Now you think that giving Bubbles a makeover will bring about the greatest rebound in the history of sports.

Imagine this: Bubbles looks scary, Calvin Johnson has a breakout year, Matthew Stafford somehow becomes better than anyone thinks he is going to be (if the Lions draft him), the Detroit economy turns around and the Detroit Lions win the NFC Championship.

I am officially calling this off-season maneuver “The Ray of Light Strategy.” In recent history the tactic has proven successful, but can the Lions pull it off? While the easy answer is no, based on their lack of a superstar, a leader, a veteran line and a rebuilding plan, did anyone think the Rays or the Cardinals were going to do as well as they did prior to last season? No!

So whether the Lions take Jason Smith or Matthew Stafford with the first pick Saturday, the new logo offers them more of a chance this season than any rookie will. New York Islanders, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Browns and Memphis Grizzlies, think about adopting the “Ray of Light Strategy.” If it works for the Lions, it can work for anyone.