In this blog we've already referenced the Art Institute as being one of the few buildings still standing from the 1893 World's Fair. But another tidbit of note is something that happens whenever a team from Chicago makes it to the playoffs(normally the final round) of whatever sport it is playing in. On those occasions, the Museum decks out the lions on the front steps in a helmet corresponding to the sports team in the finals.
This tradition dates to the 80s, when the lions first donned Cubs helmets to commemorate the 1984 postseason run(interestingly enough, this was also the last time that the lions would wear Cubs gear, even though the team has been back in the playoffs 5 times since then). The next team honored were the 1985 Bears, whose helmets were made by the same people that make the Weber grills. Strangely, the lions didn't wear any Bulls gear during their dynasty. In 2005, the White Sox made the World Series, and the lions donned Sox helmets. In 2010, the lions wore Blackhawks helmets to honor their Stanley Cup run, and then once again wearing a helmet to honor the Bears when they played for the 2010 NFC Title.
Since then, the lions have donned helmets once more. In fact, they are likely still wearing them now. I am of course talking about the Blackhawks' current winning of Lord Stanley's Cup. The dressing up of the lions is a long and proud tradition, one that ought to go for many more years.
No comments:
Post a Comment