Your Sports Guy Online

Category: Travel

  • Last Detroit Team to Win a Championship

    Last Detroit Team to Win a Championship

    From the time I can remember, I have always watched and been a fan of Detroit sports teams, as well as a University of Michigan fan (college sports). My grandfather (Papa), my cousin, and I would watch sports together. Sometimes it would just be me and my Papa listening to Tiger’s games on the radio with Hall of Fame announcer Ernie Harwell commentating with that signature voice.

    I will never forget that October evening when my friends and I were playing outside, listening to the Tigers play the final winning game in the 1984 World Series at home in the historic Tiger Stadium. You would have thought a bunch of eleven-year-old kids had just won the lottery! In fact, we sort of did because, sadly, that would be the last time our beloved Detroit Tigers won a World Series.

    The Detroit Tigers have won a total of four World Series titles and eleven American League (AL) pennants. Baseball is divided into two leagues – the American and the National. We’ve made it to the World Series a few times, but only came home with winning the following years:

    • 1935: Defeated the Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 2
    • 1945: Defeated the Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 3
    • 1968: Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3
    • 1984: Defeated the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1

    Unfortunately, our Detroit Lions have not had as many title wins as the Tigers have. Of course, we won championships before there was an official Super Bowl, defeating the Cleveland Browns in 1957! Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Lions football games with my Papa. He made it quite interesting by making bets of 50 cents (or as he called it, “two bits”) with me and then magically letting me win every time!

    My cousin, who’s more like my brother since we are only four days apart and neither of us has siblings, learned so much from our Papa about football. To this day, both of us love the game very much. We used to play mini games with an imaginary football with our Papa on the living room floor while we watched the Lions games. We would also go outside and play one-on-one in our grandparents’ front yard, with our Papa commenting from the front porch.

    Although neither of us played football (he played hockey and I softball), we are huge Lions fans. He loves it so much that he has season tickets and does some serious tailgating at all the home games. We’ll either ride with friends or rent a charter bus to downtown Detroit to watch the Lions play at Ford Field. And guess what? Our Lions are actually a winning team right now! Especially under the leadership of Coach Dan Campbell and the ownership of:

    • Sheila Ford Hamp Principal Owner & Chair
    • Martha Ford Morse Owner/Vice Chair
    • William Clay Ford, Jr. Owner/Vice Chair
    • Elizabeth Ford Kontulis Owner/Vice Chair
    • Martha Firestone Ford Owner/Chair Emeritus

    The last Detroit team to win a championship was the Detroit Red Wings, winning the Stanley Cup in 2008. That same year, the Detroit Shock (women’s professional basketball) won the WNBA championship.

    The Detroit Pistons basketball team also has a history of being a strong competitive team for many years, most notably winning championships in 1989, 1990 and 2004.

    More recently, my alma mater, the University of Michigan Wolverines men’s football team, won the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship – GO BLUE!

    What is the most successful Detroit sports team?

    The Red Wings have historically had many winning seasons. I remember going downtown Detroit to watch them win many games at Joe Louis Arena in the 1990s, with Stevie Yzerman at the helm as our longtime captain, skating alongside Sergei Fedorov, who was also a captain at different times. In total, we have won eleven Stanley Cups – there is a reason we are known as “Hockey Town”!

    According to Pro Stock Hockey, “The Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups, the most of any U.S.-based NHL team.

    1935-36, 1936-37, 1942-43, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1953-54, 1954-55, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2007-08.

    The Red Wings have retired numbers for seven players:

    #1 — Terry Sawchuck, Red Wings goalie in the 1950s and ’60s.

    #5 — Nicklas Lidstrom, Wings defenseman from 1991-92 to 2011-12.

    #7 — Ted Lindsay, left winger who played 13 seasons for the Wings in the 1940s and ’50s.

    #9 — Gordie Howe. The legendary Wings right winger is certainly one of the best to ever take the ice. Able to shoot right- and left-handed, Howe set scoring records during his long career that stood for years until Wayne Gretzky came along. He played a league record 26 seasons in the NHL (tied with Chris Chelios, another Red Wing), and was also the oldest player to play in the NHL when he was 52.

    #10 — Alex Delvecchio, who played 24 seasons, all for the Wings, in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

    #12 — Sid Abel, center who played 12 seasons for the Wings in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s.

    #19 — Steve Yzerman, center who played his entire 22-year NHL career with the Red Wings, and he was team captain for 19 seasons — more seasons than any team captain in any major professional sport,”.

    What is the biggest rivalry in Detroit sports?

    Off the top of my head, the biggest rivalry in Detroit sports, I think, is College football: University of Michigan (U of M) vs. Ohio State. In fact, when my oldest son was in middle school, he asked if I would be upset if he went to Michigan State University, since I went to U of M. I said, “Of course not, sweetie, we’re friendly in-state rivals. But if you go to Ohio, I will disown you!” I was just kidding, but it is that serious of a rival.

    There is also the Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks rivalry. Most notably, when I think of rivalries, I think of the games against the Green Bay Packers (22), the Chicago Bears (19), and, most recently, the Minnesota Vikings (5) versus our Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. This longstanding tradition began in 1934, and we have played 84 games in total so far.

    Let’s not forget the Detroit Pistons’ longtime rivalries: Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

    Wikipedia notes that, “The Tigers–White Sox rivalry is a Major League Baseball rivalry between the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox of the American League Central division. The series has been one of the oldest in league history. Both teams were founded in 1901 as charter members of the American League,”.

    Last Detroit team to win a championship

    In conclusion, although we were hopeful for the Tigers this year, they unfortunately lost to the Seattle Mariners in one of MLB’s longest postseason games, which lasted fifteen innings. We are still hopeful for the Lions this year as they have had a good start to the season so far. The Red Wings look good as well. But as it stands, the last time a professional team has won a championship was in 2008.

    (Photo Credit: Pure Michigan )

    #DetroitVSeverybody !

  • What is the Most Popular Sport in Canada

    What is the Most Popular Sport in Canada

    Growing up in the Mitten State, one that borders Canada and shares coastlines with Lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior, we Michiganders are no strangers to Canada’s most popular sport, hockey.

    Furthermore, because we share a great love of hockey with our fellow North Americans, we in Michigan are also familiar with the Canadian National Anthem, as it is played at our hockey games as well. Both the United States flag and the Canadian flag are flown at most hockey arenas in our area, too.

    Additionally, if you live in Michigan, you will also run across Canadian coins hidden in the mix with our money, and you’ll also find that most retailers accept these coins along with our U.S. currency (at least the change/coins, not necessarily the paper money).

    I wonder if Western states like Washington accept Canadian coins like we do from their British Colombia neighbors or claim hockey as one of their favorite sports as we do in Hockey Town (also known as Detroit/Motown/The Motor City). We have a few very fitting nicknames!

    As fellow neighbors to Canada, a local Washington radio station, 92.9 The Bull, reports these are top four sports in their area:

    4. Soccer

    3. Baseball

    2. Football

    1. Hockey,”.

    According to Alliance Visas, “Canadians value several Canadian sports not just for fun but also as a means of fostering the country’s unity. A wide variety of popular sports in Canada offers perfect opportunities for Canadians to display their talents and compete at the international level, including Canada at the Olympics medals standings,”.

    Below is what Alliance Visa considers Canada’s top five most popular sports to be:

    5) Cricket:

    Although Canada is not sanctioned to participate in test matches, the national team is allowed to participate in One Day International Matches. The country has had a very competitive women’s cricket team and the U-19 that has taken part in three U-19 World Cup events.

    4) Baseball:

    Baseball has a long history in Canada and is one of the most popular sports in Canada. The oldest baseball park in the world is still in operation in Labatt Park in Ontario. The country has only one Major League, the Toronto Blue Jays.

    3) Soccer:

    Soccer has gained popularity in Canada over many years. Although soccer in Canada was played under a variety of rules, the main concept of soccer was there. The first soccer game had taken place in Toronto in October 1876 between two local clubs. The Canadian Women soccer team has succeeded numerous times at an international level. The team qualified for the 2012 London summer Olympics and performed remarkably well throughout the tournament.

    2) Lacrosse:

    Lacrosse was declared a national sport of Canada in 1859 and a summer sport in 1994. It is played by thousands of people across Canada. Lacrosse is governed by the Canadian Lacrosse Association formed in 1925.

    1) Ice Hockey:

    Ice hockey remains the most popular sport in Canada, as the sport has been named as the official national sport in Canada. The Canadian Ice hockey league, “National Hockey League (NHL)” is established both in Canada and the United States. Canada has 7 teams currently playing in NHL, namely Calgary, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Winnipeg,”.

    So, yes, I was correct in guessing that Washington, like Michigan, also loves hockey since we share borders with our Canadian friends. However, I would not have guessed that baseball made the list, too. It’s very cool to know because it is my all-time favorite sport to play and watch!

    What is the national sport of Canada?

    Canada’s official government website declares, “The game commonly known as ice hockey is hereby recognized and declared to be the national winter sport of Canada, and the game commonly known as lacrosse is hereby recognized and declared to be the national summer sport of Canada,”.

    Well, that makes sense, as all of my friends with kids who play hockey also happen to play lacrosse. In fact, some of my friends’ sons who have already graduated and went away to a Michigan college got to go on a sports scholarship for lacrosse. It has been a growing sport here in the Mitten State, and I understand why.

    Inside Lacrosse reports about the teams at the University of Michigan, “The Michigan lacrosse story began in 2011, when Wolverines athletic director Dave Brandon announced on May 25 that the university was elevating both the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs to varsity status. 

    While the men started their journey into the NCAA the following season, the women’s program began in 2014 under the program’s first head coach, Jenny Ulehla,”.

    Yay, GO BLUE! It figures my alma mater would have a strong men’s and women’s program. They already have a fabulous women’s softball program and, of course, a first-rate men’s football team that recently won the Big Ten Championship game in 2022 after an undefeated season of 15-0, despite hardships and controversy.

    Is lacrosse good for kids?

    Yes, lacrosse, like soccer, has a ton of movement that is good for cardio health, and it encourages a strong development of hand-eye coordination, agility, and stamina. I wish the game had been an option for me as a little girl – I would have played it for sure.

    Metro Parent writes, “Widely perceived as an East Coast sport, lacrosse programs are now growing in the Midwest – and being offered at some Michigan schools beginning as early as third grade. Travel teams, where kids try out to play competitive lacrosse, also have emerged in the area. And the number of Michigan high schools that currently carry the sport has grown to 100 for boys varsity lacrosse and 68 for girls varsity lacrosse for Division I and Division II, according to the Michigan High School Athletic Association‘s website.

    In Metro Detroit, kids’ involvement in the sport can range from participating in community recreation leagues to playing it year-round through a combination of school and travel teams, leagues, summer camps, private lessons and clinics. Regardless of where kids fall on the continuum, according to several area lacrosse experts, coaches and players, one thing is for certain: Once kids start playing the game, they’re often hooked – because there’s nothing else quite like it,”.

    What is the most popular sport in Canada

    In conclusion, Canada’s diverse sports culture reflects its rich heritage and community spirit. From hockey to lacrosse, sports unite Canadians, fostering national pride and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.