Pistons VP Hints At New Alternate Jersey -- But No Horses
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
The Pistons unveiled a new logo on Tuesday as part of their return to downtown Detroit, and a new alternate jersey could be coming next.
The team's executive vice president, Charlie Metzger, indicated this was a distinct possibility after a high-energy unveiling ceremony in Campus Martius Park.
"There's a lot more that we have in store," Metzger said with a knowing grin. "The NBA has made a move to Nike, our new apparel partner (beginning next season), so I think you're going to see a series of all sorts of exciting new things that we're going to be playing with this year. This is the first of many that you're going to be seeing over the next few months."
In addition to their traditional home and away uniforms, the Pistons currently have two alternates: a predominantly grey jersey with blue lettering, and a dark blue jersey with sleeves that reads 'Motor City' across the chest.
If they add a third, however, Metzger made one thing clear: It is unlikely to feature the horse that served as the centerpiece of the Pistons logo from 1996 to 2001.
"The horses, at some point, they have their role, but I don't see horses coming in the future right now," he said.
Metzger said the design process for the Pistons' new logo began about a year ago. The team went through piles of possibilities before settling on the final product.
"More than you know, hundreds and hundreds. It was a collaborative effort, and as I said, our team within the Pistons, and then in collaboration with Nike and the NBA, feel like we got it just right, so we're really excited. We've gotten early feedback and I think people feel it and they like what it's saying about us as a team," Metzger said.
The new logo is a nod to the team's past and its future.
"We always want to honor our championship history, we'll never forget that, but it's also about our new chapter now," said Metzger. "We want to combine the best of both where we've been but more importantly where we're going. This is just the first step of many that we're going to be seeing this year as we get ready to move downtown."
Metzger said the team's relocation was an impetus to update the logo.
"Once things started getting much more solidified with the move downtown we knew that the time was right," he said. "Anytime that you do a new logo you have to have the graphics right, but you also have to have a reason why you're doing it. The reason we're doing it, as you can see here today, is the excitement of coming back.
"The Pistons moved here from Fort Wayne 60 years ago, so we're really excited now to be able to present our new logo as part of all the new things that we've got going in our next chapter."
