Connect with us

Detroit, MI

Meet the local company making Spirit of Detroit jerseys for over 25 years

Published

on

Meet the local company making Spirit of Detroit jerseys for over 25 years


DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Spirit of Detroit statue is ready to go for the Lions playoff run.

Monday morning, the statue was dressed in a Honolulu Blue Detroit Lions jersey to commemorate the team’s success. Once word got out, excited fans came by Monday to snap photos.

“We watched the game every weekend. We’re so excited,” Lions fan Macarena Diaz said. “Everyone’s excited. Wherever you go, they know you’re from Detroit.”

“Used to love it when we put it on when the Red Wings would win,” Lions fan Katie Mcnulty said. “Seeing the Lions on there is just really, really cool.”

Advertisement

Before sunrise, crews were hard at work installing the jersey. But even before that, Nicholas Piach and his team at Banner Sign Co. were hard at work designing it.

“Oh, it’s handsewn,” Piach said. “The major changes in the jersey this year is the dots in the numbers.”

The business has been in Piach’s family for 60 years, but it’s called metro Detroit home for 100 years. In that time frame, they’ve been apart of many sports moments.

“I think my first Spirit of Detroit was for the ’97 Red Wings Stanley Cup championship,” Piach said. “We put a jersey on when we beat the ‘Legion of Doom,’ I believe was Philadelphia. We swept them.”

From there, the jersey’s kept coming. They now even make jerseys for the Detroit Tiger outside Comerica Park.

Advertisement

“I have to tell you, not all of them worked out as good as they do now,” Piach said. “Now, it’s kind of routine for us.”

For this Lions jersey, Banner Sign Co. began work in October. It’s installed with help from another local company, Prop Art Studio.

Related video: Detroit Lions ‘We Want More’ bus tour for fans across Michigan

Detroit Lions kickoff ‘We Want More’ bus tour for fans across Michigan

Advertisement

“There’s a million pins in it,” Piach said. “You don’t see it, but there’s Velcro, there’s pins, the sleeves need to lay just right.”

It takes lots of work to only be on display for a few weeks, but the pictures and joy it brings to Detroiters will last a lifetime.

“I wanted to get a picture for my dad because he’s disabled,” said Mcnulty, who was snapping a photo. “I wanted to get it and bring it to him.”

“Anytime someone is looking at my work taking a picture of it, that is the ultimate satisfaction,” Piach said.

Advertisement





Source link

Detroit, MI

Detroit Zoo welcomes Nguvu the giraffe from Utah

Published

on

Detroit Zoo welcomes Nguvu the giraffe from Utah



The Detroit Zoo welcomed a new giraffe, Nguvu, to the herd, officials announced on Wednesday.

Officials say 1-year-old Nguvu came from Utah’s Hogle Zoo as part of the zoo’s “long-term plan for the giraffe herd.”

“This move was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival Plan, which promotes the health, genetic diversity and overall sustainability of giraffe populations in zoos – and we’re eager to support Nguvu as he adjusts to his new home,” the Detroit Zoo says.

Advertisement

Detroit Zoo


Officials say Nguvu has been working with the animal care teams for several days and will be introduced to the herd soon.

According to Utah’s Hogle Zoo, Nguvu was born in February 2025. His name means “strength” in Swahili.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Detroit, MI

Lions-Patriots scheduled for Week 10 in Munich

Published

on

Lions-Patriots scheduled for Week 10 in Munich


The Detroit Lions are taking part in the NFL’s International series for the first time since 2015 by hosting the AFC Champion New England Patriots Week 10 in Munich at Allianz Arena on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local time in Germany) on FOX.

The Patriots represented the AFC in the Super Bowl this past February after a 14-3 season and their 22nd AFC East title. They beat the Los Angeles Chargers (16-3), Houston Texans (28-16) and Denver Broncos (10-7) in the playoffs to earn their 12th Super Bowl appearance, which they lost to Seattle (29-13).

Patriots QB Drake Maye is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL entering his third season and New England’s defense is coming off a 2025 season in which they ranked fourth in points allowed (18.8) and eighth in total defense (295.2).

This is the second of Detroit’s 2026 matchups to be announced early (Week 2 TNF in Buffalo). The rest of the Lions schedule will be revealed Thursday evening.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Detroit, MI

Cool, breezy Wednesday gives way to summer preview in Metro Detroit

Published

on

Cool, breezy Wednesday gives way to summer preview in Metro Detroit


4Warn Weather – Metro Detroit is getting a bit of everything this week: from freezing temperatures to summerlike heat.

Mixed in are rain chances.

Tuesday night will feature scattered showers and a chance of a few thunderstorms as a cold front moves through Southeast Michigan.

The strongest storms Tuesday night are not expected to be severe, but a few downpours and gusty winds will be possible before the rain tapers off overnight.

Advertisement

Overnight temperatures will settle into the 40s and 50s in most locations.

Cooler air will arrive first across the Thumb and northern communities, with lows dipping into the mid- to upper 40s near Lapeer, Port Huron, and Sandusky.

Detroit and Downriver communities will be in the lower 50s.

Wednesday

High temperatures will remain below average across Metro through Thursday, but a significant warmup is on the way for the weekend. (WDIV)

Wednesday will feel noticeably cooler and breezy behind the front. High temperatures may struggle to climb much beyond the mid-50s in Metro Detroit, while communities farther north could remain even cooler at times under mostly cloudy skies.

A stray shower cannot be ruled out during the day, but much of Wednesday looks dry.

Advertisement

That cooler air will greet fans heading downtown Wednesday evening for Game 5 between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena.

Temperatures around tipoff at 8 p.m. will hover near 50 degrees with cloudy skies. By the time fans leave the arena later Wednesday night, readings may slip into the upper 40s.

Anyone heading downtown may want a jacket, especially with a lingering breeze making it feel a little cooler outside.

After the chilly midweek stretch, temperatures will rebound quickly heading into the weekend.

Looking ahead

Friday evening looks comfortable for the Detroit Tigers’ series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park.

Advertisement

First-pitch temperatures around 6:45 p.m. should be near 60 degrees under partly cloudy skies.

Saturday may end up being one of the nicest days Metro Detroit has seen in a while. Temperatures are expected to surge into the lower 80s.

Plenty of sunshine and warm conditions should make for ideal baseball weather and a busy day across parks, patios, marinas, and outdoor events across southeast Michigan.

Sunday remains warm, with highs in the upper 70s and approaching 80 degrees, though the atmosphere may become more unsettled later in the day.

Flower Day at Eastern Market in Detroit should still feature decent weather for shoppers and visitors during the morning and early afternoon, but a few showers and isolated thunderstorms could develop later Sunday as moisture increases again across the Great Lakes.

Advertisement

That means people heading to Eastern Market may want to keep an umbrella nearby, especially if spending several hours outdoors later in the day.

Even with the chance of rain, temperatures will remain warm and pleasant for browsing flowers, plants, and outdoor vendors.

The warming trend continues into early next week, with highs climbing into the 80s again on Monday with additional rain chances.

Share your weather photos with Local 4 at MIPics.

Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending