Super Bowl 2022 - 'Detroit Rams' gear hot items for Lions fans supporting Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford

DETROIT — A fictitious football franchise is drawing a strong reaction from the Detroit Lions fan base on the eve of Super Bowl LVI, which features the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals.

«Detroit Rams» shirts, which show the Rams' head on a Lions logo, are being sold and displayed at the Pro Sports Zone memorabilia store in Livonia, Michigan, on the outskirts of Detroit.

Although many local fans are still rooting for former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, in his first season with the Rams, the graphic continues to stir mixed emotions.

«He played in Detroit for 12 years. Unfortunately, the team didn't go anywhere, but he's such a great person on and off the field that you're still rooting for the person to do well,» said owner John Yu, who opened the store in 2008. «I still want to see him succeed.»

The shirts were designed by TheDLine company, which celebrates all things Detroit, as a fun way to continue to support Stafford, who was traded to Los Angeles for Jared Goff ahead of this season. Yu noticed the popularity of the graphic on social media and bought the design.

«We know that there's a lot going around on the internet and a lot of mixed opinions on the shirt,» said Molly Gacioch, the store manager. «We understand that it might be somewhat controversial, but every fan is a little bit different in the way that they choose to support and show their fandom, but one way or another, people can choose what they want to do and how they support a player or a team.»

Lions season-ticket holder Mark «Pilgrim» Mullins calls the Detroit Rams «ridiculous.»

California resident Errin Mikals, who first became a Lions supporter during the Barry Sanders years, says it's «catchy, but wouldn't buy it.»

However, die-hard Lions