Catch the Spirit

It's officially Spring.

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The Detroit Red Wings started their 2009 "spring cleaning" with a 4-game sweep of the Columbus Bluejackets. Someone should put a broom in the Jolly Green Giant's hand!
The Red Wings -

• Have the 3rd largest collection of NHL Championship banners at 11 (Montreal has 23, and Toronto 13).

• Won back-to-back championships three times:

1935-36 / 1936-37
1953-54 / 1954-55
1996-97 / 1997-98

The way they're going so far, the prospects of an even dozen, and a 4th back-to-back look very good.

A tradition of dressing the Spirit of Detroit statue was born when the Red Wings won their 2nd straight Stanley Cup in 1998. Since then the Spirit has worn jerseys of the Red Wings in 2002, Detroit Pistons in 2004 & 2005, the Detroit Tigers in 2006 when they played in the World Series, and the WNBA Detroit Shock in 2006 & 2007. The Spirit's wardrobe has also included a tuxedo when the Three Tenors performed at Tiger Stadium in 1999, and a jersey in Detroit Lions blue with the number 40 when Detroit hosted Super Bowl XL at Ford Field.


During the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs the Spirit was undergoing restoration in preparation for rededication on the 50th anniversary of its installation. Because the green giant was covered in scaffolding, the huge tiger at the ballpark was bestowed with a Red Wings jersey in its stead. It was a disappointment to some, but still completely appropriate because Mike Illitch owns both the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings.
It is unclear if the Spirit will be allowed to show its "colors" this year should the Red Wings get to the Stanley Cup Finals -- Zachary Gorchow of The Detroit Free Press reported that the Detroit Red Wings will have to pay up if they want The Spirit of Detroit to don a Red Wings jersey this spring:

No Spartan Spirit.
The Detroit Free Press, April 3, 2009

"It appears the Spirit of Detroit statue outside City Hall will not wear a Michigan State jersey in honor of the Spartans' run to the Final Four hosted at Ford Field.
"After completing a major restoration of the statue last year, the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority, which owns the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, adopted a new policy requiring any entity wanting to place a jersey on the statue to pay $25,000 to cover the cost of refinishing the statue and any possible damage. Greg McDuffee, the authority's executive director, said having a jersey on the statue erodes its finish.

"The NCAA contacted building officials in January about placing a jersey on the statue, but declined after hearing the cost. And on Monday, after MSU beat Louisville to advance to the Final Four, a university official contacted the authority about placing a Spartan jersey on the Spirit, but also declined because of the cost.

"In the past, the Spirit has worn the jerseys of the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Pistons and other Detroit-based teams when they have had playoff success. McDuffee said he didn't think that would change."

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