Black-rimmed, lensless glasses have become a fixture among athletes in postgame press conferences and social gatherings ever since Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook donned the Clark Kent-esque frames at last year’s NBA Finals.
The trend spread to the green room at Radio City Music Hall, where Ezekiel sported a pair of lensless, 3D glasses in the anxious moments before he was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 5 overall pick in the NFL Draft. The former BYU defensive end acquired the spectacles after watching the 2011 film "Thor" and wore them on draft night in response to a dare from Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall, as well as several ex-teammates.
Ansah’s fashion statement has earned him free movie tickets for a year. On Friday, Ansah received a letter from IMAX Corporation, providing him with an opportunity to view all 3D IMAX at no charge for the next year. In December of 2007, IMAX and AMC Entertainment completed a deal to install 100 theaters with IMAX’s digital projection technology at AMC locations in 33 United States’ cities, according to the IMAX website. As of last September, there were 689 IMAX theaters worldwide in 52 countries.
“We, at IMAX, couldn’t help but notice your keen sense of style at the NFL draft this year,” the letter read. “You made quite a fashion statement with your pair of 3D glasses. As a member of the Detroit Lions, you share our love for the color blue and we would like to add an IMAX silver lining for you -- we would love to celebrate your first year in the NFL with the opportunity to see all IMAX 3D movies on us for the next year.”
Ansah (6-5, 271) may need time to relax in what could be a stressful rookie season. There is pressure for the lineman from Ghana to contribute immediately. The Lions lost veteran defensive ends Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch this offseason.
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