The Spirit of Detroit statue is all set for the Lions’ playoff run, proudly wearing a Honolulu Blue Detroit Lions jersey to celebrate the team’s achievements. On Monday morning, the jersey was installed, and eager fans gathered to take pictures with the statue.
Lions supporter Macarena Diaz expressed her excitement, saying, “We watch the game every weekend. Everyone’s thrilled, and no matter where you go, people know you’re from Detroit.” Katie McNulty, another fan, fondly recalled past jerseys on the statue, adding, “I loved it when they dressed it for the Red Wings victories. It’s amazing to see the Lions jersey on it now.”
Before dawn, workers were busy putting the jersey on the statue, with Banner Sign Co., led by Nicholas Piach, responsible for the design. Piach explained, “The jersey is hand-sewn, and this year’s design features new dot patterns in the numbers.”
Piach’s family business has been a part of the metro Detroit community for over 100 years, and has witnessed many local sports milestones. Piach reminisced about their first Spirit of Detroit jersey during the 1997 Red Wings Stanley Cup victory, saying, “We dressed the statue after we beat the ‘Legion of Doom’ in Philadelphia, sweeping them.”
Since then, the company has regularly created jerseys, including those for the Detroit Tigers outside Comerica Park. Piach shared that the process has become much more routine over the years, adding, “It wasn’t always this smooth, but now it’s second nature.”
Banner Sign Co. began work on the Lions jersey back in October, with assistance from Prop Art Studio to complete the installation.
