OT: What Michigan Pro Sports Era do you have the fondest memories of?
January 28th, 2018 at 8:52 PM ^
Steve Yzerman's career. The Red Army line. The Grind Line. Lidstrom's whole career.
Michigan Football from the dawn of time until now. though the RichRod era should be stricken from the record.
Bad Boys.
Barry Sanders career with the Lions.
January 28th, 2018 at 8:53 PM ^
Beating St. Louis in the World Series. Micky Lolich, Denny McClain, Norm Cash, Al Kaline, Jim Northrup among others.
January 28th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 10:23 PM ^
i was a freshman living in south quad in 96...
and the next four years ruled!
sports went well too!
January 28th, 2018 at 9:02 PM ^
Pistons from 88', through the 89' & 90' Championships. That was so much fun ! Still burns a bit because they rightfully should have had a three-peat. But 89' & 90' were pretty sweet .
January 28th, 2018 at 9:11 PM ^
Followed closely by the Bad Boys
January 28th, 2018 at 9:17 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 9:17 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 9:19 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 9:23 PM ^
No Michigan Panthers?
January 28th, 2018 at 10:35 PM ^
some of my earliest memories of football and Michigan stadium were of Anthony Carter. i was 4 when Anthony Carter graduated.
January 29th, 2018 at 12:32 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 6:23 AM ^
That's not bad.
January 28th, 2018 at 9:30 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 9:31 PM ^
used to watch them during the summer. 70s Rick Leach football. The Fab Five. The 98 football championship. And Beilein basketball over the last few years.
You can see there's kind of a lull in there.
January 28th, 2018 at 9:47 PM ^
Interesting question. If asked to singe out one season, it would be 1984 Tigers from 35-5 to the title. If asked to single out one moment, it would be 1997 Red Wings hoisting the cup. For era I have to go with the late 80s Pistons, starting with the gradual climb over the Celtics and then the Lakers and all the drama along the way. That Piston's era featured great players with fascinating personalities and a tremendous head coach.
January 28th, 2018 at 9:55 PM ^
00s Pistons. That '04 run was so damned satisfying.
00s Red Wings were great too, but it killed me losing that Game 7 in Detroit. Would have really capped that era off perfectly.
January 28th, 2018 at 9:56 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 10:32 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 11:01 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 10:10 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 10:11 PM ^
DE TROIT BASKETBALL
"playing the right way"
The Pistons embarrassing the Lakers who thought they'd trot their way to rings for Payton & Malone
January 28th, 2018 at 10:11 PM ^
Bad Boys for me. They were my heroes.
January 28th, 2018 at 10:17 PM ^
Considering the fact that Michigan pro sports teams have done pretty much nothing good in my sports memory (aside from the Tigers 2012), my fondest memory would definitely have to be March Madness in 2013. I was on top of the world that whole month, and that Kansas game is still one of the two best basketball games I've ever witnessed. Great times!
January 28th, 2018 at 10:20 PM ^
Red Wings: Bowman era and the Ruskies
Pistons: Isaiah drafted and the Silverdome years and then finally culminating with the Bad Boys
Michigan Panthers! Champs!
Lions:........if pressed, Barry and more Barry.
January 28th, 2018 at 10:28 PM ^
I always figured 1970 would be the ideal year to be born as a Detroit sports fan.
You have:
1976: Summer of The Bird. You're probably a young kid just getting into baseball at this time and the dude captures your imagination and fascination.
1984: Tigers.
1984-1990: Buildup of the Bad Boys. That had to be the most satisfying titles of all time. You go from losing in the first round, second round, first round, conference finals, NBA finals (the latter two in heartbreaking fashion), to winning. Great life lessons in their struggle.
The Lions actually win a playoff game in your early 20s!
Assuming you go to Michigan, you get Desmond Howard, the 89 title, and the Fab Five all during your 4-5 years.
January 28th, 2018 at 11:10 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 11:56 PM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 2:04 AM ^
Satisfying is a great way to describe those Pistons teams of the late 80s. I would watch games prior to drafting Isiah. They had those home gray uniforms and the Silverdome was a big empty airline storage unit during that time. No buzz or hope. Persistent rumors about Davidson opening up the Florida market and moving the team.
The team was such a weak draw for a few years that the local media would save money on the coverage side by having George Blaha call the TV games on 50 and play that call on the radio at the same time. He'd tape different segments for both throughout the game and then tell the two audiences what was coming up for each.
And to be become the only team to take down Magic's Lakers, Bird's Celtics and Jordan's Bulls during what could be argued were each of those superstar's prime years.
For 2 to 4 years the best team in arguably the best era in the league's history.
That's an unforgettable rise.
The Red Wings at least had a championship history from the 50s to fall back on. The Pistons really had no past anywhere near that.
January 28th, 2018 at 10:28 PM ^
35-5 to start, world series win to the end.
Ernie and Al on the radio late at night during the endless summer.
That was a magical season.
bless you boys, indeed.
January 28th, 2018 at 10:44 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 10:49 PM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 9:39 AM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^
January 28th, 2018 at 11:19 PM ^
Pistons we're good
Red Wings were awesome
Michigan won a Naty
January 29th, 2018 at 12:17 AM ^
I would say the Wayne Fontes era
January 29th, 2018 at 12:24 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 12:28 AM ^
January 29th, 2018 at 3:53 AM ^
I'm going to say 1983-2008. In '83 the Michigan Panthers won the 1st USFL championship, showing me that a local pro football team didn't have to suck. Steve Yzerman was drafted by the Red Wings 4th overall, closing the Dead Wings era. Bob Probert was also picked in that draft, as were Petr Klima and Joe Kocur.
In '84 the Tigers won the World Series. The Bad Boys Pistons were working their way up to back-to-back championships in '89 & '90. The Red Wings were working their way to ending a 42-year Stanley Cup drought in '97 and then going back-to-back.
The Wings won the Cup again in 2002, and the Piston got their third championship in 2004. Close out with the Wings winning the Cup in 2008.
Minor notes: The Detroit Shock, coached by Bill Laimbeer, won WNBA championships in 2003, '06 and '08. The next local pro football team to win a championship was the Detroit Danger, whose women won the NWFL in 2002, and becoming the Demolition the next year, won the NWFA '03-05 for four in a row. Then switching to the IWFL, they won another championship in 2007.
January 29th, 2018 at 7:59 AM ^
And the Detroit Lions won a playoff game!
January 29th, 2018 at 8:23 AM ^
Deeeeeeetroit Basketbaaaaaall!!!
January 29th, 2018 at 8:23 AM ^
Deeeeeeetroit Basketbaaaaaall!!!
January 29th, 2018 at 8:23 AM ^
Deeeeeeetroit Basketbaaaaaall!!!
January 29th, 2018 at 9:24 AM ^
I was 9 years old, so those guys were larger than life for me back then.
I still have my copy of Sparky Anderson's book, Bless You Boys, which was basically like a diary he kept of the season. There is an entry for each game, with the accompanying box score. I probably read it at least ten times when I was a kid--though I'm sure I'd cringe to read it now.
Back then the ALCS was a best-of-five. Detroit won the first two in Kansas City and then went back to Tiger Stadium for game 3. Detroit won that game to sweep the series, which was very bittersweet; we had tickets for game 4.
January 29th, 2018 at 10:02 AM ^
Will always have a place in my Heart.
January 29th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
Definitely the early 90s Detroit Turbos. Paul and Gary Gait plus an NLL championship. I mean, who could top that?
January 29th, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^
Late 80s-early 90s Detroit Drive. 4 championships, and 6 consecutive Arena Bowls in 6 seasons.
January 29th, 2018 at 10:50 AM ^
I know its been said already, but the Yzerman era wings are what brought me into Sports!! After they lost in the finals to the Devils in 95 I think, maybe 94, cant remember, I w as all sports and specifically Red Wings. Went to my first game at the Joe the following year and then Shanahan was traded to the wings!!!! My buddy had the Shanahan Jersey T shirt and I had Yzerman, our first grade teacher was a HUGE Aves Fan, we would tease each other all the time. Then they won and won again, and again in 2002, then things started to fall apart, but DATSYUK!!!!! He was the absolute GOAT, humble fantastic talent and kept the tradition of winning alive. (not saying he was the best palyer ever, although...)
Not to mention this kicked off my sports cheering career! My buddy came from an OSU family, so naturally I chose Michigan. Dad was a big Packers Fan growing up and they went back to back, won one lost one. I was a soccer player and Thierry Henry, my idol at the time, was tearing it up for Arsenal and France, became a France fan, that has since faded.
But I owe it all to those Red Wings team for making Sports fun to watch!
January 29th, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^