Labatt Blue Light “Throwback Tea” causing a stir with Bills Mafia

Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau posted a compelling image on his Instagram Stories Thursday afternoon, sparking a vortex of conversation about throwback helmets and alternate uniforms.

In the photo shared by Rousseau, a throwback red Bills helmet sits atop a Labatt Blue Light box, a can branded koozie resting against the helmet that reads “Throwback Tea” in decidedly Bills-themed colors.

It’s quite possible this is just expert marketing by Labatt — leveraging the buying public’s desire to embrace all things throwback — and geared to convince more people to buy their product. But it’s also possible there’s more to it than just a great campaign idea.

It would seem that a very healthy majority of the fan base wants to see the Bill re-introduce red helmets as part of an alternate uniform. Quarterback Josh Allen has stoked those fires, having jogged out of the tunnel at Highmark Stadium wearing a visor-cloaked red throwback helmet.

Let me be clear, I love the red helmets — there’s no helmet among the franchise’s history that I truly dislike. It’s just that I’d prefer the franchise waits to run it back with red helmets until after winning a Super Bowl. Those red helmets conjure up four visibly difficult sports memories (and also some poorly executed dark navy ‘aughts uniforms). It’s not certain I’m more superstitious than any other self-respecting member of Bills Mafia, which is to say I’m “very-stitious.” Am I alone in this desire to wait out the addition of a Lombardi Trophy? Maybe it’s time to throw such caution to the wind.

What do you have to say, Bills Mafia? Are you intrigued by Greg Rousseau’s post, and do you believe it’s possible there’s more than just smoke to this showing by Labatt? Do you want the Bills to resume wearing red helmets, even if for just a game or two each season?

In all honestly, I’d welcome a campaign to bring back the original helmets worn during the franchise’s inaugural and second seasons. Founder and owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr., a Detroit, MI native, borrowed helmets from the Detroit Lions for the Bills’ first two seasons in the AFL.

As a sidebar, the photo included with this article states the following:

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JULY 28: A vintage Buffalo Bills helmet on the field during New England Patriots Training Camp on July 28, 2019, at their facility at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

If not archived in error — and the description appears both very intentional and specific — then why on Earth was a vintage Bills helmet on the field during New England Patriots training camp in 2019?

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images