(WWJ) — After Sunday’s blowout win over the Vikings to clinch the NFC North title, the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, the excitement surrounding the Detroit Lions is reaching new highs.
Fans all over Metro Detroit and Michigan are dreaming of the team’s first-ever trip to the Super Bowl. Just about anywhere you go in the area these days, you’re sure to see Honolulu Blue and Silver.
And now, that includes police.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard on Monday issued an order that adds the Lions team colors to the department’s official uniform for the rest of the season.
The order authorizes all sheriff’s office personnel to wear officially licensed Detroit Lions caps or beanies as part of their uniform “to promote camaraderie and community spirit while maintaining the professionalism of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.”
The authorization is in effect immediately, throughout the Lions playoff run, which is set to begin at Ford Field on either Saturday, Jan. 18 or Sunday, Jan. 19 after a much-needed bye week.
“I believe that our team and the Detroit Lions have a lot in common. Both are a group of highly motivated people with grit, determination and a huge heart who perform at the highest level,” Bouchard said, per a press release.
“Both have faced huge challenges in their respective professions and yet, pulled together and go out every day ready to take on all challenges. We are inspired and support the Lions and to show that connectivity, I am authorizing our personnel to wear a Lions hat in their official duty capacity,” Bouchard said.
Lions fans turned out downtown in big numbers Sunday night as the team dispatched the Vikings 31-9 to put the finishing touches on a 15-2 regular season, the best in franchise history.
The Lions hype is everywhere these days, with many local businesses putting out displays of support for the team. That includes Home Bakery in Downtown Rochester, which has a life-sized Amon-Ra St. Brown cake in its front window.