Billboards take aim at referees in Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers game
It's been a minute, but the Detroit Lions billboard brigade is back.
At least two billboards have popped up around metro Detroit showing a referee with a cheesehead on his head.
The billboards, we assume purchased by anonymous Lions fans, seem to imply the referees are Packers fans. Monday's 23-22 loss to Green Bay is mired in controversy — controversial calls or no calls in some cases.
Amid the backlash, the NFL acknowledged Tuesday that it erred in enforcing an illegal hands to the face foul against Lions defensive end Trey Flowers.
This is not the first time a billboard criticizing officiating during a Lions game has popped up around metro Detroit.
A “Blind to the bat" billboard popped up in 2015 to protest an official's non-call of an illegal bat by a Seattle Seahawks player.
And when former Lions player Ndamukong Suh was up for free agency, several digital billboards reading only "$uh?" in white print on a blue background popped up in the metro Detroit and Grand Rapids area, also in 2015.
When Suh had one foot out of Detroit, 10 to 12 "$CRUHED" billboards went up targeting the defensive tackle.
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An anonymous group of Lions fans peeved about the blown call in a 2015 playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys bought several "Detroit Lyin' " billboards — one with a Honolulu Blue background and a referee signaling pass interference; another showing a referee's feet and yellow penalty flag on a football field.
Welcome back, billboard bandits. We missed you.
Contact Amy Huschka: ahuschka@freepress.com or follow her on Twitter (@aetmanshuschka).