OT: What Michigan Pro Sports Era do you have the fondest memories of?

Submitted by Putt4Birdie on
To lighten things up a bit, what Team Era do you look back on and say, "Hell Yeah, that was a Badass time to remember.." We've had some Great teams in different sports but my all time favorite was the Scotty Bowman Era Red Wings. The Left Wing Lock, Stevie Y playing Defense, the Russian 5! I could easily sit back and re-watch our transformation into Champions and enjoy every minute of it.
MGoBoard

MGoFunkadelic

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.

Joined: 10/03/2013

MGoPoints: 12481

truferblue22

January 28th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^

96-98 '96 Michigan Hockey, '97 Wings, '97 Michigan Football, '98 Wings, '98 Michigan Hockey. to top it all off the '96 Wings and '97 Michigan Hockey were among the greatest teams of all time, albeit without winning the final prize. what an era.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 13323

YoBoMoLoHo

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 . 

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 273

rob f

January 28th, 2018 at 9:30 PM ^

are my most cherished pro team, special mention must go to the'76 Tigers and Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. Though the Tigers were never a factor in the AL East race, finishing 24 games behind the Yankees, Fidrych made magic that season. http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2016/05/when_bird_was_the_word_ti… Never ever have I seen anything like it, before or since! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Detroit_Tigers_season

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 193856

MGlobules

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. 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 47516

SpaceDad

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.

Joined: 05/15/2015

MGoPoints: 494

antidaily

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.

Joined: 05/21/2009

MGoPoints: 7506

ST3

January 28th, 2018 at 9:56 PM ^

The team went 38-7-3 during his four seasons at QB. They went to 3 Rose Bowls in 4 years. I also happened to be a student at UofM at the time.

Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 52332

ST3

January 28th, 2018 at 11:01 PM ^

I liked the mid-80's Tigers. They should have won more division titles, etc. I liked the pre-Mark Aguirre Pistons. Adrian Dantley had some great low post moves. McHale gets all the love for his post game, but Dantley was every bit as good.

Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 52332

mgodrew3223

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!

Joined: 03/17/2017

MGoPoints: 686

Mannix

January 28th, 2018 at 10:20 PM ^

Tigers: Sparky & Leyland eras
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.

Joined: 01/15/2009

MGoPoints: 12243

NoHeartAnthony

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.

 

Joined: 08/31/2009

MGoPoints: 1

gtwill

January 28th, 2018 at 11:10 PM ^

I was born in 1970 and I totally agree with you. You hit all of my fond memories. I remember sneaking an earphone and radio into my catholic high school freshman year, threading the wire through my clothes and listening to Ernie Hartwell call the ‘84 Tigers in English class with my hand resting over my ear to hide the earphone with my palm.

Joined: 09/13/2014

MGoPoints: 890

potomacduc

January 28th, 2018 at 11:56 PM ^

I was born in early ‘71. 1981-1990 was a great decade. It started with the drafting of Isiah & finished with a 2nd NBA Championship. It was the perfect story arc from a 61 loss team to dominance. Sprinkled in between were the ‘84 Tigers & ‘89 NCAA Championships. It was a GREAT ride.

Joined: 03/18/2009

MGoPoints: 3144

NateVolk

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.

Joined: 07/19/2010

MGoPoints: 6863

UMxWolverines

January 28th, 2018 at 10:49 PM ^

The Goin' to Work Pistons were fantastic to watch, the 2005 NBA finals will probably be forgotten because it was the Pistons and Spurs, but what a back and forth finals that was. I was crushed when they didn't repeat. I watched nearly every game that year. I just hate that basketball has become nearly unwatchable for me since then, it's reffed so much differently now compared to back then. The 06 to 14 Tigers were a pleasure to watch too, don't care that they didn't win it all.

Joined: 03/01/2009

MGoPoints: 65354

Mr. Elbel

January 29th, 2018 at 12:24 AM ^

I'm not old enough to remember the late 90s well. So I have to go with about 2002-2009. Pistons and wings did great of course, Tigers had their resurgence as well, and 03 and 06 were fun years for M.

Joined: 03/02/2014

MGoPoints: 21379

milhouse

January 29th, 2018 at 12:28 AM ^

Honestly, I have to say the Michigan Panthers. As a kid, I LOVED them. They had Anthony Carter! They won a championship! My blue collar family could afford season tickets for us. If I'm truly being honest, I was a die hard Panther before I was a die hard Wolverine.

Joined: 05/29/2010

MGoPoints: 2988

I Bleed Maize N Blue

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.

Joined: 09/27/2008

MGoPoints: 58657

EGD

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.  

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 35199

BlueLava009

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!

Joined: 07/20/2014

MGoPoints: 750