Abandoned Pontiac Silverdome by Derek Farr

The Detroit News reports that the long-shuttered Pontiac Silverdome has been sold for a mere $583,000 as the home for a soccer league. However, with a cost over $55 million to construct:

"This was a giveaway," said David J. Leitch, a broker with an Auburn Hills based realty firm.

"The property alone, at $10,000 an acre, should have gone for more than that. And you have the Silverdome, its contents, and the infrastructure already in place. I had estimated it would probably go for between $1.2 million and $3 million. I can't believe it."

Such sentiments weren't uncommon Monday, after city officials unsealed bids showing the property that was home to the Detroit Lions was sold at auction to an unnamed Canadian company that plans to bring a soccer league to the stadium. The company's name will be released when the sale is finalized within 45 days, said Fred Leeb, the city's emergency financial manager. Leeb acknowledged the sale "is not a windfall," but said the Silverdome's $1.5 million upkeep drained the beleaguered city's finances.

Go to about 1:20 in the video to get past the auction promo. Much more about the Pontiac Silverdome on Michigan in Pictures!

Scoreboard by mollyali

The Game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes starts at noon on Saturday, November 21, 2009. It doesn't have quite as much on the line, but it's always a big one. Read on for the our massive post on history of this rivalry with tons of links to historical and present-day info.

Originally posted November 11, 2006

According to ESPN, UM vs Ohio State is the #1 rivalry in sports. As even today a picture of Woody Hayes is enough to send me into the berserkergang, I'm not going to argue.

Both Michigan and OSU cruised to victories yesterday, setting up a November 18, 2006 showdown of #1 vs. #2 teams and causing ABC television execs to do the ad dollar dance. We are gathering links, stories, video and more.

1940 UM vs. OSU Program Cover
from the Art of Football
Bentley Historical Library

ESPN says that when Ohio Stadium opened in 1922, Michigan christened it with a 22-0 thumping of the Buckeyes. Wikipedia chronicles this historic rivalry (and what does it say that the rivalry merits a page?), saying that many refer to it as simply "The Game". Since 1935, it's been the final regular season game on both schools' schedules. This year, as is often the case, both schools are at the top of college football's rankings, adding fuel to the fire. The best site on the UM vs. OSU Rivalry from the UM Bentley Library and the OSU Library.

The two modern symbols of the rivalry were OSU coach Wayne Woodrow Hayes and UM coach Bo Schembechler. Bucknuts, an OSU fan site, says Woody Hayes was a "hot-tempered, difficult, and aggressive man". I think they also described the surface of the sun as "a bit warm". Hayes was the perfect arch-enemy: he hated Michigan (check the Bucknuts link or scroll to the comments for a great story illustrating this) and Michigan hated him back. What many may not know is that Schembechler was an assistant to Hayes at OSU from 1959-1963. There really isn't a great site about Bo, but Wikipedia's entry on Bo Schembechler probably has the best info including great trivia like the two teams have evenly split the last fifty seven meetings (from 1949 to 2005), with 27 wins apiece and three ties. Tiebreaker!
There's a whole lot of multimedia out there. The best video we found is at the bottom of the article. On the photo front, you can click the photo to the left for a great shot from Andrew Morrell. There's a great set of photos from Michigan vs. Ohio State 2003. and (just added) photos from the 1927 UM vs. OSU game opening Michigan Stadium on Michigan in Pictures. You can hear "The Voice of Michigan Football" Bob Ufer recite Burying Woody Hayes and other classic calls.

On Google video, there's a great 3 minute intro to an hour-long special from TFN on the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. From YouTube, you can see the 1968 thrashing at the hands of OSU and Desmond Howard running back a 91 yard punt return in his Heisman season. On the musical front, you can learn about the history of the Hail to the Victors song and see it sung from the top of Ohio Stadium. There's also a photo montage to The Victors. On the slightly strange side, how about Jean Luc Picard's orders regarding the Buckeyes? (Check out this photo of Patrick Stewart at the game!)

When you put together "musical" and "strange" and add a triple the recommended dose of "Ohio State", you get something that we have to give an "R" rating but also have to admit is pretty darn funny. Via Deadspin (language, crude humor) was a link to Schembechler in good spirits, back cheering for Wolverines in an Ohio newspaper. In the article, Bo reacts to a band called The Dead Schembechlers (language, crude humor x2). All we can say is that if it turns into a battle of the bands, Michigan could be in trouble.

U of M vs. Ohio State
by Fellowship of the Rich

Radio, Television & News

The game will be shown on ABC at 3:30 PM on Saturday, Nov. 18. For radio stations, check out Michiguide.com's University of Michigan Sports Radio list.

In Let the Hype Begin Michigan TB Mike Hart says: "It feels great. It's going to be probably the biggest game in everyone's lives on our team. It's a huge game. We're undefeated, they're undefeated. We're playing for a Big Ten championship and a national championship. I don't think there's a bigger game out there."

The Freep's sports blog has History Lessons by Bill McGraw that talks about the history of the rivalry and adds that ESPN Classic will show seven of the best recent games starting this morning at 10 a.m. (1974) and 2 p.m. (1995), but they won't be airing one of the best in memory - 1969, when the 12th-ranked Wolverines upset the top-ranked Buckeyes, 24-12.

University of Michigan Wolverines Blogs & Forums

the M Zone
M Go Blog
Blue Cats & Red Sox
Michigan Football Saturdays
UM Official Athletic site
The Fort
Schembechler Hall
Mr Wolverine

Ohio State Buckeyes Blogs & Forums

BuckeyeCommentary.com
Around the Oval
OSU's Beat Michigan Week site
The Buckeye Extra
The Horseshoe Lounge
Official OSU Athletics site
OSU Expat Blog

Here's a cool Bo Schembechler commemorative video from last year:

Click here to view the embedded video.

All that reading make you thirsty? Check out the First Annual Ohio vs Michigan Wine Clash!

Turkey by Vaughan

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Michiganians will soon be hitting the road to attend family get togethers and enjoying annual traditions. To help get ready for the upcoming holiday we have compiled a bunch of informative and entertaining Thanksgiving related links for you to enjoy.

Head over to Michigan.gov and learn all about Michigan's contribution to the traditional Thanksgiving meal. You can also find some great ideas for holiday food and wine pairings in 'Tis the Season to Taste the Bounty of Michigan, Thanksgiving Dinner Wines and Celebrate the holidays with Michigan Ice Wine and dry fruit brandies. For a healthy but flavorful take on your holiday meal check out this podcast from the University of Michigan's MFit Health Division titled 'Make Thanksgiving healthy without losing flavor'. 

Check out a ton of great Thanksgiving recipes and dinner ideas on the Food Network's website.

For more Turkey Day food ideas & articles check out Absolute Michigan keyword "turkey", a search for Thanksgiving and our Michigan Grown section in Food & Dining!

2009 marks the 83rd birthday of America's Thanksgiving Parade and this year's theme is 'Together We Shine'. The theme celebrates The Parade Company bringing a spark of magic and people together to enjoy one of Detroit’s largest and free events where for one special moment, families can be entertained, share a tradition and create a memory.. America's Thanksgiving Parade is one of the country’s oldest and most celebrated parades and will step off at 9:20 a.m. on Woodward Avenue and Mack and end at Woodward Avenue and Congress in downtown Detroit on Thursday, November 26, 2009. Hundreds of thousands of parade-goers will be watching as the Parade makes its way down Woodward Avenue.

If you Motown is off your radar on Thanksgiving, how about a nice set of parade photos from the our Flickr pool, a clickondetroit.com article - "Thousands Cheered As America's Thanksgiving Parade Rolled Down Woodward " (with video), a historical look at Detroit's Thanksgiving Day Parade and a TV tuned to WDIV-TV Local 4 at 9 AM (also on for an hour nationally). If you're the prudent type, you might consider building up a calorie credit balance at the Annual Detroit Turkey Trot.

Thanksgiving Day by Dave Hogg
Dave writes: As bad as the Lions get,
Thanksgiving is always special.

The Detroit Lions’ 70th Thanksgiving Day Classic will feature the Lions hosting long-time rival Green Bay Thursday, November 26 at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field will be aired live nationally on FOX.

Via the Detroit Lions Official web site:

Four generations of fans in Michigan share a special tradition. Every year since 1934 (with a break during World War II), Thanksgiving Day in America means a time for acknowledging our nation's forefathers and giving thanks to them for blazing the paths we travel today. For Michigan, the festive turkey dinner is also accompanied with a side of Detroit Lions football.

Amaze your family, friends with what you learn about the origins and history of Thanksgiving on Wikipedia.

You can also download Detroit Pistons pumpkin stencils of - can you believe how dramatically changed the 2009-2010 Detroit Pistons are?? - Arron Afflalo, Chauncey Billups, Michael Curry, Richard Hamilton, Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, Antonio McDyess, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey, Rasheed Wallace and Hooper. Then carve one and send the photo of it to Pistons.com for their Pistons Pumpkin photo gallery.

Here's a video from last year's opener...

Pistons Shoe by Kevin.Ward

The almost completely revamped Detroit Pistons open the 2009-2010 season tomorrow night at Memphis (who will possibly be sporting their brand new Allan Iverson). On the subject of the dramatically changed Pistons including the not-so-dearly departed AI,  Natalie at Need4Sheed (repping the D regardless of where Sheed is now) had a great Detroit Pistons 2009-2010 Season Preview:

Key Losses: Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, Amir Johnson, Arron Afflalo, Chauncey Billups (does that still count) (I say "YES"), head coach Michael Curry (a good loss) and possibly the best loss in Pistons history, the end of Allen Iverson in red, white and blue.

Key Additions: Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, Jonas Jerebko and Ben Wallace.

"One thing is sure, they may not be slotted to make the ECF like they used to, but this Pistons team is going to be fun to watch."

Read on, check out another cool 2009-10 Pistons preview from Pistonpowered.com and meet the new guys in a rather offbeat manner in Absolute Michigan's Offseason Primer.

Party Like It's 1999 2004?

Alert observers may notice two more names from the Pistons 2004 championship to join Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton on this year's squad. Pistons.com blogger Keith Langlois has a nice post about Ben Wallace & Chucky Atkins that quotes new Detroit Pistons head coach John Kuester:

“(Fans) couldn’t see all the things he did from a positive standpoint,” Kuester said. “He has been a great role model for our young point guards. He’s really done an outstanding job of running the team in practice. He’s challenged both (Stuckey and Bynum) every day in practice and I’m very impressed with what he did on the court and off the court.

“It’s huge, for me being a first-year coach and having people I can trust in the locker room. That’s where Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince (are important) and I’ve talked about Ben being such a good influence on our bigs. Chucky has to fit into that category also. I’ve been very impressed with what he’s done so far.”

Along those lines, Matt at Detroit Bad Boys thinks that Chucky Atkins probably made the roster more for what he can do as a role model for Stuckey & Will Bynum than anything else. Over at the Freep they have declared that the Pistons will be a clanking machine if Rodney Stuckey doesn't step up to become a premier point guard, so here's hoping that Atkins (and Wallace) can provide a whole lot of veteran leadership (and maybe a few boards a game).

Speaking of the official Pistons web site, they've added a new Detroit Pistons Twitpic feature to their Twitter that offers some interesting glimpses behind the scenes.

If you're looking to get more in front of the scenes, how about opening night at the Palace this Friday vs the Oklahoma City Thunder? They have upper deck seats for just $15 and it's a benefit for breast cancer research at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Keep up with Pistons news & links all season long at absolutemichigan.com/Pistons and we'll see you out with the first of a three part series "Pistons Recharged" (thanks Detroit Bad Boys for the find and here's part two and part three)

I thought it would be good to open with a brief excerpt from panicky screaming with Roar of the Tigers - click through for the full version with 100% more panic. Samara says she doesn't deal well with tight pennant races ... something that could be good for some more interesting photoshopping today at Roar of the Tigers.

The 2009 Detroit Tigers have worked tirelessly over the last week to create a dramatic pennant finish. After putting the Minnesota Twins two games back, the Tigers have failed to close the race out with three straight losses and are tied with the Twins on the last day of the season. Minnesota  meets the Kansas City Royals while the Tigers face the Chicago White Sox at 1 PM at Comerica Park. The forecast is for clouds, some showers and 50s as Justin Verlander takes the mound. I suspect, however, that it will be more of a question of whether or not the Tigers bring their bats to the game today ... and especially, Mack Avenue Tigers is looking at YOU Miguel Cabrera. Here's the win/lose/tie scenarios from the Freep.

Although we've come down to the final day of the season, Detroit News columnist Jerry Green says 2009 is far from legendary as pennant races go. Some - such as 1967alpennant.com - consider the '67 race in which the Tigers, Twins and Red Sox battled to the final out.

Speaking of pennant races, Mike McClary at The Daily Fungo is trying to deal with his nervousness by looking at the exciting 1987 pennant race in which the Tigers came from behind to swipe the pennant from the Blue Jays. Here's October Surprise part 8 when the Tigers pulled ahead by beating the Jays in the 12th inning as Trammel singled home Jim Walewander (never thought I'd hear that name again). See them all in the Blast from the Past section.

If you're the optimistic sort - or you just want a chance to see some playoff baseball - you can still get tickets for the possible home games vs the Yankees on Sunday and Monday.

There's little left to say but "C'mon Tigers - let's get this job done!" ... although of course you can't say "Panic" and "Detroit" without bringing in David Bowie. Here he is in the Diamond Dogs era...

This Saturday the University of Michigan Wolverines travel to East Lansing to play the Michigan State University Spartans at Spartan Stadium. The rivalry between the two teams and their fans is intense and the Lansing State Journal takes note of this in their article "Rivalry ingrained in players from families - Intense feelings have bubbled up since childhood."

Wikipedia says that the Paul Bunyan-Governor of Michigan Trophy is awarded to the winner of the annual football game between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State University Spartans. U of M holds the series edge at 67-29-5, and the trophy has been in Ann Arbor until last year when the Spartans defeated the Wolverines 35-21 and ended a five-game losing streak in the series. Relive the Spartan 2008 victory through this slideshow from the Detroit Free Press.

The game takes place at Noon EST and pits the 1-3 Spartans vs the No. 22 ranked 4-0 Wolverines. Although Michigan has the unbeaten record and the national ranking, the home team has won the last 12 out of 17 games and the Spartans are desperate for a win following a 3 game losing streak. That being said Michigan hasn't lost to Michigan State in consecutive seasons since 1967.

You can read a transcript of a live chat with Shannon Shelton and Mark Snyder, who will cover Saturday's game on the Detroit Free Press's website. Another transcript is available at mlive.com "Live chat: Join Michigan football beat writer Dave Birkett at noon to talk Michigan-Michigan State." Also at mlive.com you can listen to "The Press Box Podcast: There's pressure on Wolverines, Rodriguez to beat Spartans." The Lansing State Journal's Assistant Sports Editor, Barry Kiel and MSU beat reporter, Joe Rexrode discuss the upcoming match-up against Michigan in this streaming video.

MSU vs U of M Video Spirit Rally

Choose sides and get in on the discussion over at SpartanTailgate.com or MGoBlog. These are great resources with all the news and updates you need regarding MSU and U of M sports.

Michigan in Pictures has a couple of posts from awhile back about Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (where Saturday's game will be played) and Michigan Stadium aka The Big House.

Somewhere we have to note Whack-a-Wolverine from the Lansing State Journal and we definitely want to hear what YOU think about the rivalry and the game!

In blue cats, orange cats, Detroit cats, oh my on Roar of the Tigers, Samara asks:

Wouldn't it be nice if the Tigers learned a little something from the Lions? Not the Lions of every other game of the recent past, but the Lions of this past Sunday. Our newly spikified blue cats stood up and roared after literally years of pathetic meeping noises. They looked alert and determined. Young players like Stafford performed more or less up to expectation; old players like Hanson delivered precisely what it was their job to deliver; none of the big guys had limbs collapse under them. If the Tigers could find it in themselves to make the same things happen, they would probably come out of this week OK.

In case you were wondering, Hitler was not amused by the Lions victory.

Photo: The Corner, Kaline's corner, Michigan & Trumbull...Tiger Stadium by MichiPictureGuy

Yesterday the last of Tiger Stadium was taken down. For more than 100 years, Michigan & Trumbull aka "The Corner" was the address of Tiger baseball, home to greats from Cobb, Greenberg & Kaline to Gibson, Trammel & Whitaker.

Last night Absolute Michigan pool photographer Ken Jacoby said "I want you to do a post tomorrow titled "Tiger Stadium is no more" and it was funny to see the coincidentally titled Tiger Stadium is no more in this morning's Freep. Check it out for a cool video by Marcin Szczpanski of the final demolition.

On Absolute Michigan & Michigan in Pictures we've done a lot of posts about the old ballpark. Some of my favorites:

• Tiger Stadium at the Corner of Michigan & Trumbull
• Tiger Stadium, in Pictures
• What Will Happen to Tiger Stadium?
• A belated 97th birthday tribute to "The Corner" which features a song by Ben Hassenger
• and Photo Friday: At the old ball game... by kcjacoby which is the gateway to a ton of photos taken by members of Exposure.Detroit who were lucky enough to take a tour of the stadium two years ago.

You can get some more Tiger Stadium posts at Michigan in Pictures and also check out the Tiger Stadium slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool.

YouTube has some nice videos including Talkin' Baseball: Tiger Stadium, Last Game at Tiger Stadium, and Ernie Harwell's memories of Tiger Stadium. Here's Jeff Daniels doing the Tiger Stadium segment from The Story of America's Classic Ballparks:

"It's lonnng gone" --Harwell by b.plus

Tigers a big source of pride in Motown from MLB.com says that:

...For all the upheaval going on around this bruised piece of the Midwest, the Tigers' little piece of it has almost become a separate reality. And they've received such a boost from their fan base that they can't help but wear the Detroit name with pride.

"I've never been in anything like this," said shortstop Adam Everett, whose wife is from the area. "I just know that this is a hard-working town and people are passionate. Going through what a lot of these families are going through, it's not easy."

More than 40 years after the 1968 world champion Tigers helped unite the city and the suburbs for one tremendous summer amidst a year of civil unrest and tension in Detroit and across the country, this year's Tigers are providing a different kind of reminder of the social impact a team can have.

Nothing now will compare to the stories of Willie Horton taking to the streets of Detroit during the riots of 1967, trying to calm down rioters, or of Mickey Lolich being summoned to his post by the Michigan Air National Guard that summer. It's a different situation the city and region face now. It isn't violence, but seeming hopelessness the area is battling.

Yet it's a time when a first-place team has again become a diversion, and a source of pride in a city that others want to put down. As a team defying expectations, somehow getting through so many of its own issues, the Tigers are proving to be a fitting sanctuary for a few hours.

Click through to this excellent article for more including a video report and GO TIGERS!!!

I started this 2 weeks ago and it just kept growing. I heard Dumars traded Mason and Hooper to the Lakers for Jack Nicholson's sunglasses and the "D" from the "HOLLYWOOD" sign.

Below are my brief thoughts and links - please add your own in the comments...

John Kuester for Michael Curry It was obvious that despite being an all-around nice guy, Curry wasn't ready to be a head coach. I don't know much about Kuester, but the word is that he had a lot to do with the Cavs offense and he has a reputation as a guy who is great at building contenders (great article - must read). I'm going to believe that it is a solid move to bring in a builder in what will likely be a rebuilding year.

Charlie V and Ben Gordon and Chris Wilcox for Sheed and 'Dice and Amir and (not pictured) Arron Afflalo and Walter Hermann I cried a little when Rasheed left and even more when McDyess did. Two solid players and great clubhouse presences who will be missed. I never formed an attachment to Afflalo and Hermann - though I did like his energy and regular-guy vibe - and despite his massive upside, Amir Johnson never seemed to have the confidence of the organization.  At the end of the day, the NBA is a young man's game and the Pistons certainly got younger here. I love Charlie Villanueva (except for the typing his name part and especially the Twitter addiction - twitter.com/cv31) but I worry worry that Ben Gordon is a sign that Rip is on the trading block. Wilcox definitely brings some potential but he seems like a trading chip ... unless (perish the thought) Jason Maxiel is.

The end of the Allen Iverson era I'm pretty sure there are choirs of angels singing about this ... or at least a special Automotion dance.

The Pistons rookie class The class of '09 seems to be doing well. Austin Daye will need to bulk up, DaJuan Summers seems to be proving his critics wrong and as the first Swede in the NBA, Jonas Jerebko seems destined for glory.

Thoughts? Comments? Links? Share them below!

urban hope by buckshot.jones

Throughout each month we post items of Michicentric interest to our Michitwitter page. In case you missed them here is a look back at just a few of the items for the month June. If you find these interesting there are plenty more for you to check out. We encourage you to add any news items, events, links to vids, podcasts or whatever you find interesting about the Great Lakes State!

The photo featured in this post is from the Absolute Michigan Flickr pool and was shot by the very talented buckshot.jones. He states:

This little garden is on the near west side of Detroit. The significance for me is it may very well be on an empty lot where one of my mother's childhood homes once stood. I also find it significant because it makes a statement about the resourcefulness of the folks in Detroit- a turning lemons into lemonade kind of a thing. Around the corner, right off Cass Avenue, sits a vacant corner lot. The locals have salvaged old couches and discarded auto bench seats and have fashioned a small park with the make- do seating placed under of the shade of a few low hanging maple trees.

A Sampling from Michitwitter June 2009

The folks attempting to save Tiger Stadium lost their fight in preventing the demolition and the Freep let us know in their article Detroit commission votes to level Tiger Stadium.

A Detroit city commission has voted to demolish the section of Tiger Stadium left standing after much of the historic ballpark was knocked down last year.

The city’s Economic Development Corp. board voted 7-1 today to authorize the complete demolition of the stadium.

We often talk about how the buy local revolution and urban farming is gaining popularity and that farming is once again becoming a viable career choice. The State News ran the article More students opting to take on farming opportunities in summer, as career choices.

Growing up in metro Detroit, Adam Montri, outreach coordinator for the MSU Student Organic Farm, didn’t consider farming to be a career choice. “I definitely grew up in the suburbs and thought of agriculture as something you did on the weekend or after school or that kind of thing,” he said. Now, Montri, who graduated from MSU in 2001, owns his own organic farm in Bath, Mich.

In our state's quest to harness the power of wind a report was released that the Thumb area is ranked #1. From Crains Detroit Business West Michigan, Thumb best for wind energy, report says

Three regions in West Michigan and one region in the Thumb area have the state’s highest potential for wind energy projects, according to a report released Tuesday by a state board.

We were shown a ray of light shining through the darkness of our current economic quagmire. The Freep reported Economist: Michigan to start to recover in 2010

Comerica Bank's chief economist predicted today that Michigan's battered economy will finally start to recover next year, aided by a rebound in the national economy.

In another positive story on Michigan's economic turnaround Michigan.gov announced Granholm Announces Companies Investing Over $247 Million, Creating More Than 11,000 New Jobs in Michigan

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that Michigan's aggressive strategy to diversify the economy and attract investment to Michigan has resulted in 15 job-creating projects, which will generate more than 11,125 new jobs, retain another 846 and bring more than $247 million in new investment to communities across the state.

One of the more interesting and unusual biit of news came from mlive.com in their story University of Michigan researchers find clues at bottom of Lake Huron to ancient hunters

University of Michigan researchers have found the first archaeological evidence of ancient human hunting activity preserved under the Great Lakes.

Using detailed government data on lake floor topography, a research vessel and a remote mini-rover equipped with a camera, scientists found what they believe are hunting pits, camps and rock structures called caribou "drive lines" on the bottom of Lake Huron.

Much discussion has been made of late that the revitalization of our auto industry would be to go back to square one and the inventors, entrepeneurs and small company jump into the game for some fresh thoughts. Wired.com brought us Tesla Motors Founder: Let Me Run Detroit

Elon Musk has tackled electric cars, space ships and modular renewable energy stations. Now he wants a real challenge: running Detroit.

“When the mess gets sorted out, I’d like to have a conversation with whoever’s in charge at the time — the car czar or whoever — and say ‘I’d like to run your plants, if you don’t mind,’” Musk said, starting that conversation Monday at Wired’s first-ever business conference, Disruptive by Design in Manhattan.

Last but not lease Detroit's art community received some huge support and encouragement. The Detroit News reported Kresge Foundation steps up gifts to Detroit causes

Call it an artist's jackpot, or a clever gambit to help Michigan hold on to some of its best creative talent.

Today, 18 Detroit-area artists officially will win $25,000 each, the first awards of an unprecedented no-strings-attached annual fellowship program designed to keep the area's top visual artists from leaving the state in search of greener pastures.

Maia warns you that she likes purple and cats. She writes that the Spirit of Detroit is the iconic statue for the city. When a Detroit team is in the playoffs, the statue is attired in the team's jersey. She says there's a reason one of Detroit's nicknames is Hockeytown (and there's a reason that Detroit is one of the greatest sports towns in the country).

Be sure to check it out bigger. She has tons of great sets including Detroit Zoo Irises 2009, Greenfield Village October 2008, Downtown Detroit and Rivera Court, Detroit Institute of Arts (slideshow).

Skate over to her Flickriver and GO WINGS!!

In 1980 Bing founded Bing Steel which eventually became the Bing Group, a supplier of materials and parts to the automotive, appliance and furniture industries. The Bing Group company history on Funding Universe presents a side of Dave Bing that few might know:

During the off-season, Bing worked for National Bank of Detroit, where he moved from teller to branch manager over a seven-year span, and then later participated in the Chrysler dealership training program. These jobs helped him learn the respective trades as well as supplementing the relatively modest wages he earned from basketball in the pre-free agent era.

In 1978, after Bing had finished out his playing career with short stints as a Washington Bullet and Boston Celtic, he began to look for a new job back in Detroit. Rejecting the familiar but no longer inspiring fields of banking and auto sales, he examined an offer from Pistons owner Bill Davidson to work as a public relations representative for Paragon Steel, a company Davidson co-owned. The steel business intrigued Bing, and he convinced Davidson to let him train at Paragon to learn every aspect of it. After working for two years in a wide variety of different departments, he left with plans to found his own company.

...began his first full day as mayor Tuesday addressing immediate crises and ongoing ones, wooing General Motors Corp. to stay in the Renaissance Center and laying groundwork to revive talks to expand Cobo Center.

Bing said he'd spoken with "one of the top execs" of the company to sell them on Detroit. The mayor did not identify that executive, but on Monday he described GM CEO Fritz Henderson as a "friend." .

"The response has been, 'We are in Detroit,' " Bing said of his conversation with GM. "What I can say from a leadership standpoint is that Detroit will do everything in its power to make sure they're competitive so that whatever decisions that will be made by any business, we can retain.

Definitely Bing walks into one of the toughest jobs in America - here's hoping that he displays the same quiet excellence as a mayor that he did as an NBA player.

Daly was voted one of the 10 greatest coaches of the NBA's first half-century in 1996, two years after being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the first coach to win both NBA and Olympic titles.

The Detroit News and The Freep both have nice tributes to the legendary coach. Shall we will never forget the incredible years of basketball that coach Daly gave Detroit, the state of Michigan and fans worldwide.

R.I.P. coach....

Thoughts That Went Through Matthew Stafford's Mind on Draft Day:

10. You don't often hear, "Congratulations, you're going to Detroit."

9. Why am I the only one who came to Radio City Music Hall dressed as a Rockette?

8. If the Lions win one game this year, I'm a hero.

7. Anybody dumps Gatorade on me and I'll deck 'em.

6. Holy crap, I think I just pulled a hamstring.

5. I didn't think anything could top the excitement of Heidi and Spencer getting married.

4. Is it me or does NFL Commissioner Goodell look like a young Larry Hagman?

3. Why am I here when I could be at that movie where Beyonce and that babe fight?

2. Why does Jessica Simpson keep calling me?

1. I'd gladly go No. 2 if it means not having to appear on Letterman.

In addition to watching the draft on stadium video boards and wondering if the Lions will screw up by picking another wide receiver #1, select another bust QB or find some completely new way to disappoint us, fans can enjoy autograph sessions, clinics and photo ops with former Detroit Lions players, tours of the Lions locker room, face painting & photos with Lion mascot Roary for kids (and probably Sam) and competition & giveways including their Draft Day Sweepstakes:

To enter, fans can visit any one of the Metro Detroit Ford Dealers through Friday, April 24 by 5 p.m. to pick up an entry form. Each dealership has a limited number, approximately 500, entry forms to distribute. There is no purchase necessary...

There will be twenty (20) premium prizes given away to people who have registered to win. Those prizes include: 10 Detroit Lions laptop bags, five Detroit Lions glass decanter sets, five Detroit Lions golf merchandise packages.

Fan can also print off entry forms on Detroitlions.com and mail to 2009 Lions Draft Day Sweepstakes presented by the Metro Detroit Ford Dealers, Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Suite 200, Detroit, MI 48226, but all forms must be received by Friday, April 24 at 5 p.m.

Of course, there's always the chance that the curse of Bobby Layne has run its course and the Lion's will select a gamechanger like Barry Sanders...

Last "Everything" at Tiger Stadium by RichKD

Tiger Stadium from Wikipedia

Tiger Stadium (formerly known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) is a stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. It hosted the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team from 1912 to 1999, as well as the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989. The stadium is nicknamed "The Corner" for its location on Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Boulevard. Many in the metropolitan Detroit area feel that the stadium serves as a living metaphor for the city.

On April 20, 1912, Navin Field was opened, the same day as the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park. The intimate configurations of both stadiums, both conducive to high-scoring games featuring home runs, prompted baseball writers to refer to them as "bandboxes" or "cigar boxes".

The folks behind Save Tiger Stadium tell us:

The reports of Tiger Stadium’s demise are greatly exaggerated. For over a year The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy has been quietly working on a plan to preserve the entire playing field and a significant portion of the beloved old ballpark. This is a plan the Detroit City Council approved last summer because we don’t want to build a monument to honor Detroit’s baseball history, we want to keep it.

What would a birthday be without song? So we present The Corner by Ben Hassenger

Yesterday Mark "The Bird" Fidrych died in an accident on his Massachusetts farm at the age of 54. I read a lot of words about Fidrych, who had one magical season in 1976 at the very height of my own love of baseball. I think the best were written by Michael Rosenberg who also wrote this excellent feature on Fidrych in 2006 and said:

Mark Fidrych reminded you of your childhood, no matter how old you were when he pitched. This was his charm, his curse, his legacy. He personified athletic innocence.

His childlike love of the game is what's remembered by many, but for the 1976 season he was also a devastating pitcher who went 19-9, finished as runner up for the Cy Young, led the majors in ERA and won the AL Rookie of the Year award. From Sports Illustrated:

...he did not pitch like any 21-year-old anyone had ever seen. He had impeccable, almost freakish, control. He hardly ever walked anyone. He walked one batter in an 11-inning victory at Texas on the fifth of June, and followed it up by walking nobody his next time out against the California Angels. He won nine of his 10 first decisions. He allowed just one run against the New York Yankees on Monday Night Baseball. He threw an 11-inning shutout against Oakland on July 16.

1954-2009 by Boston Wolverine

The second best words I read were penned by Samara Pearlstein at Roar of the Tigers who also took the photo to the left and suggests:

I suggest a memorial to one of the best things about him-- his ability to bring fun to a sometimes deeply (some would say 'overly') serious sport. Baseball is, after all, a game, and it's SUPPOSED to be fun; Fidrych understood that.

So, tomorrow, go out and do a little something 'willfully eccentric' (thanks for the phrase, commenter Matt). Talk to your car. Groom the seat of your office chair with your hands. Change pens because the old one doesn't have enough great ideas in it. Smile at yourself a little, and think of the Bird.

Much more about this weird and wonderful character can be found in the Detroit Tigers statement on Fidrych, Wikipedia's Mark Fidrych entry and at BaseballReference.com's page for Mark Steven Fidrych. Please share your comments, memories and links in the comments below.

Definitely watch this interview with Mark "The Bird" Fydrich.

Justin Verlander gets the start at 7:15 PM in Toronto. The Tigers home opener is Friday at 1:05 vs the Texas Rangers.

Michigan State's mens cagers earned their eighth trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in the last 12 years. The Spartans will face Kansas in the Midwest Regional semifinal TONIGHT (Friday, March 27 @ in Indianapolis, Ind). If you're stuck working or something, I think that the Basketball Gods will forgive you if you watch the game online. As the tale of the tape explains, there's a bit of grudge match element to tonight's game (and you can bet Izzo will be watching the clock!):

Kansas defeated Michigan State, 96-86, in overtime in the 1986 Sweet 16 in a controversial finish. With 2:20 left in the game and MSU leading, 76-72, the clock did not run for approximately 15 seconds. MSU led 80-74 with just over a minute to play, but KU scored six straight points, the final basket came on a tip-in from Archie Marshall with :10 seconds left - 10 seconds that should never have happened.

Fresh off a surprising but convincing upset victory over Duke, the Michigan State women's basketball team heads to California this afternoon in preparation for the NCAA Tournament Berkeley Regional and a date with No. 4-seed Iowa State on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Was it really an upset though? The Spartans' have laid down the D this year:

The 2008-09 Michigan State team has a chance to finish the season as one of the greatest defensive teams in program history. Currently this year's team has allowed the fewest points per game (54.9) since 1974-75 and owns the lowest field goal percentage defense (34.5%) since records were kept for the 1976-77 season. Since the addition of the 3-point line to the women's game for the 1987-88 season, the Spartans' 26.5% is second to only the first year of the line. Also, this year's squad has the best rebound margin (+7.7) since opposing rebounds were kept in 1987-88.

Go Green, Go White!

“He's a seven-day-a-week ballplayer.”
— Red Rolfe

Detroit Tiger and baseball legend George Kell passed away today.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame biography of George Clyde Kell says:

George Kell worked diligently at all facets of the game, relying on constant practice to become a solid hitter and a sure-handed fielder. He batted over .300 nine times and topped American League third basemen in fielding percentage seven times. Utilizing a strong and accurate throwing arm, Kell led the league in double plays six times, assists four times and in putouts twice. In 1949, Kell dramatically captured the American League batting title when he edged out Ted Williams by less than two ten-thousandths of a point, .34291 to .34276.

You can view a nice slideshow of Kell's career [Philadelphia Athletics (1943-1946), Detroit Tigers (1947-52), Boston Red Sox (1952-54), Chicago White Sox (1954-56) and Baltimore Orioles (1956-57)] and watch a nice video biography of Kell at the Hall of Fame. For all of Kell's prowess as a player, many Tiger fans remember him as an announcer. From Wikipedia's George Kell entry:

Kell was also known for particular colloquialisms in his style, such as always referring to a high pitch near the batter's eyes as being "up in his wheelhouse", or a hard-hit home run being "tommyhawked" into the stands. A particularly good catch was exemplified by "Speared by (Aurelio) Rodriguez! Whale of a play!" His home run call was simple but delivered with rising pitch: "Long drive...way back...could be...it is! Home run! The game-ending out, whether it meant a Tiger win or loss, usually merited a decrescendo: "Fly ball to center field...this should be the ballgame... it is."

Kell also relayed stories of his Hall of Fame career in the same folksy style. A favorite story of his was about the incident when his jaw was broken by a line drive off the bat of Joe DiMaggio. "I got up, made the play at third, then passed out."

The Detroit Tigers have a tribute to George Kell that has some memories from broadcasting partner Al Kaline and other and Major League Baseball has a George Kell video with some nice footage.You will probably also enjoy this Free Press article from 2006.

We'll leave you with a video from YouTube has some photos from Kell's career and also a lot of what appear to be family photos, and good wishes to Kell's family and friends.

ballin' by Beth☮♥♬

With the 2009 Final Four taking place in Detroit, it's probably fitting that both the University of Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans have received NCAA Basketball Tournament bids

It's the first NCAA tournament bid for the Wolverines since 1998, a #10 seed in the South Region with a draw of Clemson (23-8). UM takes a record of 20-13 into the 6:10 PM game on Thursday (Mar 19).

The Spartans (26-6) secured the #2 seed in the Midwest region. This is the 12th consecutive bid and they will face Robert Morris in the opener. Despite a disappointing loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten tourney, they are expected to do well after playing one of the toughest schedules in the country.

More UM & MSU Links (add more in the comments below!)

• Green & White from the Lansing State Journal and mLive's UM Wolverine's page.
• University of Michigan and Michigan State at rivals.com
• Michigan State & University of Michigan and at ESPN's Clubhouse
• The blogs: MGoBlog & Spartan Tailgate
• YouTube: Michigan State Spartans opening video & University of Michigan team celebrates with fans on Selection Sunday

The Real Fab Five, photo by Dave Hogg.

For any successful organization or business, you have to have integrity, and you have to make everything as straightforward as you can make it.
~Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson

(via Michigan in Pictures) Sometimes when I don't know what I'm going to post on Michigan in Pictures, it's a happy thing. Other days, like today, it's not.

Last night we lost a man who has done as much as anyone to bring athletic excellence to the Palace and the state of Michigan. On his photo from December of 2005, Dave wrote "These five guys have brought a lot of joy to the Motor City in the last 18 months." I think that Detroit Pistons owner William "Bill" Davidson certainly merits consideration as a sixth man.

William Morse Davidson was born on December 5, 1922 in Detroit. He played football in the Navy during World War II and was a member of the track-and-field team at the University of Michigan, where he majored in business, following it up with a law degree from Wayne State in 1949. He eventually transformed the family business, the Guardian Glass Co., into Guardian Industries, one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass.

From William Davidson's Wikipedia entry, I learned that Davidson was only the second owner the Pistons have ever had and that his name is on the Palace floor along with Piston legends who all played during his tenure: Dave Bing, Bob Lanier, Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson, Chuck Daly, Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas. The Detroit Pistons web site tells the story of his involvement with the Pistons and the WNBA's Detroit Shock:

Mr. Davidson owned the Pistons since 1974 and won three NBA Championships (1989, 1990, 2004), three WNBA Championships (2004, 2006, 2008) and one NHL Championship (2004). He became the first owner in sports history to win championships in three different professional sports leagues during the 2003-04 calendar year (NBA – Detroit Pistons, NHL – Tampa Bay Lightning and WNBA – Detroit Shock). In September 2008, Davidson's contributions to the game of basketball were honored when he was officially enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. (view his induction speech)

In 1988-89, the Pistons began play in The Palace of Auburn Hills, a state-of-the-art arena built with Davidson's financial support: a privately-financed facility, which when combined with the Pistons, formed the foundation of his entertainment business.

...The Pistons have played in the postseason in 19 of the past 25 years, including 11 of the past 13 seasons. Davidson acquired the Detroit Pistons in 1974 from the late Fred Zollner, the man who founded the team in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the 1940s. With a franchise-record seven straight seasons of recording 50 or more wins, the Pistons have won 384 regular season games (.669 wining percentage) since 2001, including a franchise-record 63 wins in 2005-06. The club has compiled 73 playoff wins in that same span and made six consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Detroit has won six Central Division titles in the last seven seasons and nine overall since 1987-88. Only the San Antonio Spurs have won more division titles in the same 20-year span.

The Detroit Shock joined the Washington Mystics as the first two expansion teams in the WNBA in 1998 and the team was an immediate success in the upstart league. The Shock have won three championships since their inception (2004, 2006, 2008) and set a WNBA attendance record (22,076) in Game 3 of the 2004 WNBA Finals while also becoming the first team since 1890 to go from the worst team in a professional sports league to the best team.

The Detroit Free Press has a nice article on Bill Davidson that tells more of how Davidson presided over the transformation of a team that was "basically a laughingstock" into one that has won 3 championships and appeared in the post-season far more often than not. You probably will be happiest, however, with Mitch Albom's September 2008 interview with Bill Davidson. They also have a nice photo gallery as does the Detroit News (the second photo in the gallery is great!)

Be sure to check the above photo out bigger and see more great work from Dave in his Your Favorites slideshow.

More links as they roll in... (and please add ones you find in the comments!)

• Mitch Albom's column from Sunday, March 15
• Detroit Bad Boys Bill Davidson, 1922-2009
• Need4Sheed RIP Mr. Davidson - Thank You for the Memories and Championships, You will be missed.
• Bill Davidson's NBA Hall of Fame Induction speech via Need4Sheed
• WDI Namesake, Bill Davidson, Dies has a lot of information about his charitable works in Detroit - over $200 million in donations and more in his time given.
• Farewell, Mr. D from the Pistons & NBA TV
• Definitely watch this tribute to Bill Davidson from WDIV for some great footage of Bill Davidson and of the Pistons.

Ann’s archery success led to her being featured in Life, Seventeen and Sports Illustrated. She also appeared on national television programs, including those hosted by Ed Sullivan and Dick Van Dyke. At about the same time, she was diagnosed with Type 1 juvenile diabetes. Diabetes was not considered to be a dire health risk, although it required a daily insulin injection.

In the early 1960s, Ann moved away from competitive archery and concentrated on a lucrative show business career that included traveling throughout the Midwest and Canada with a popular automobile show called Thrillcade--a surreal combination of an old-fashioned circus, auto stunt show, music concert and NASCAR event.

Despite these many successes, Ann began experiencing vision problems. She was suffering from the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, a condition that caused small veins behind the eye to rupture and bleed. Ann’s life changed again in the mid-1960s when she became a highly successful talent agent for Detroit-area rock and roll groups.

In the spring of 1969, Ann suddenly lost her sight in both eyes. She was fitted with binocular-style glasses that enabled her to see a bit more clearly, but her health gradually deteriorated. In early March 1971, she collapsed and fell into a coma. Four days later, Ann Marston died.

For more on this and other intersting stories on Michigan's past, see the current issue of Michigan History magazine, which is available on most newsstands, or call 1-800-366-3703 or go to www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.

The Mirror Image of March by PLskell

Our Michigan event calendar for the month of March features all kinds of signs that spring is just around the corner with some reminders that objects around the corner may be further off than they appear.

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush." - Doug Larson

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party! - Robin Williams

Fast Facts
March's birthstone is Aquamarine and Bloodstone. They symbolize courage.

It's birth flower is the Daffodil and Jonquil.

Daylight-Savings time occurs at 12AM March 8th. Time to spring ahead!

Think spring! The vernal equinox occurs on March 20, 2009 at 7:44 AM EDT.

February 27 - March 1
U.P. Youth Pond Hockey Tournament - St. Ignace
Come to St. Ignace, in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, for three upcoming youth hockey tournaments! Two of the tournaments will be played indoors at the Little Bear East Ice Arena, while the third tournament will be played on the Wild Ice of Moran Bay! Winter in St. Ignace is a wonderful time to visit - in your spare time you can go tubing at the Silver Mountain Ski/Tubing Hill, and snowmobiling, cross country skiing or snowshoeing on our many trails throughout the area.

February 28 - March 1
Detroit Kennel Club Benched Dog Shows - Detroit
The DKC is one of just six American Kennel Club benched shows in the United States. The overwhelming majority of dog shows are unbenched, at which dogs are judged at an appointed time, then are free to leave the show grounds. At a benched show such as the DKC, dogs stay on the bench with their owners for the entire day when they are not in the ring. This means that the public has a rare opportunity to meet with just about every breed of dog, chat with the owners, and consult with breeders to discover which breed is right for them. Since almost everyone loves to talk about his or her dog, breeders are more than happy to share information with those interested in their particular breed. And almost all of the dogs enjoy the extra attention they receive from the spectators.

March 1 - April 30
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park - Grand Rapids
Foremost's Butterflies Are Blooming is Meijer Gardens most popular annual exhibition and the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibit in the nation. March 1–April 30, visitors can escape the Michigan winter and mingle with more than 6,000 tropical butterflies flying free in the 15,000-square-foot Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory.

March 4-7
Metro Times Blowout 2008 - Hamtramck
Metro Times presents the 12th annual BLOWOUT music festival. BLOWOUT showcases over 200 of metro Detroit's most influential, unique and celebrated bands, djs and solo artists. These 200 acts perform at 15 venues over 4 nights creating the largest local music festival in the U.S. Past performers include: Eminem, The White Stripes, The Von Bondies, The Hard Lessons, The Sights, The Go, His Name is Alive, Obie Trice, The Dirtbombs, Detroit Grand Pubahs, Howling Diablos, Paradime, Motor City R&B Pioneers, Blanche, The Detroit Cobras and many more.

March 5 - 8
West Michigan Home & Garden Show - Grand Rapids
West Michigan's largest Home & Garden show is back for its 30th season and better than ever! Over a dozen gardens, three free seminar stages, floral arrangement classes and a standard flower show, plus tons of other attractions you can't miss! With over 350 exhibitors featuring every product and service you'll ever need for your home, garden or landscaping, all under one roof, this is the show to attend!

March 6 - 8
The Michigan Golf Show - Novi
This year marks the 16th anniversary of the largest consumer golf show in the nation. Come experience the best golf deals in the Midwest. The Michigan Golf Show kicks off the golf season highlighting over 400 exhibitors with great deals on every aspect of the golf game!R etailers! Resorts! Travel Destinations! Over 100 Michigan Golf Courses! And a variety of "hands-on" activities will get you ready for this season.

March 6 - 8
Detroit Autorama - Detroit
"America's Greatest Hot Rod Show", is held at Cobo Center.

March 7
Quiet Water Symposium - East Lansing
The Quiet Water Symposium celebrates non-motorized outdoor recreation and a shared concern for our Great Lakes Environment. At the Symposium visitors will find presentations by world famous authors, photographers, and expedition travelers. Other presentations may cover skills, safety, local and distant destinations. There may be presentations on bicycling, sailing, diving, and history.

March 8
29th Annual Great Bear Chase Ski Marathon - Calumet
A laid-back, skier-oriented weekend in Calumet on the beautiful Keewanau Peninsula. You can choose between 26-km and 50km distances including a separate category for 26-km classic skiers. The Junior Bear Chase is a youth Nordic ski race for skiiers up to 16-years-old.

March 13 - 15
Flushing Walleye Festival - Flushing
The event features:

• Outdoor Show Exhibits

• Fish Fry
• Trout Pond
• Outdoor Show
• Firefighter’s Pancake Breakfast
• Guest Speakers
• Texas Hold’em Tournament/Poker Night
• Youth Group
• Chili Cook-off

March 19 - 22
Lansing Home & Garden Show - East Lansing
The strongest Home & Garden show in the Mid-Michigan area fills the MSU Pavilion on the campus of Michigan State University. Incredible gardens, extensive landscaping projects, a Standard Flower Show and three free seminar stages surround hundreds of exhibits featuring construction, remodeling, kitchens & baths, retail garden centers, pools and spas and home services.

March 19 - 22
Ultimate Sport and RV Show - Grand Rapids
Michigan's finest tradition for the avid fisherman, hunter or outdoor loving family! Over 350 exhibitors will be at the show with the latest outdoor gear, travel information and fishing boats. The features are famous: World Class Taxidermy, Antique Lures, Trout Pond, Woodcarvers, Pellet Range, Fishing Simulator, Rock Wall and Fly Casting Instruction. Nearly 100 fishing and hunting semainrs will be held on 4 stages, including "Lake Ultimate," the 110,000 gallon indoor lake. Michigan sportsmen never miss it!

March 20 - 22
Carnival Weekend at Boyne - Boyne Falls
It's party time once again. Boyne Mountain pulls out all the stops as Mardi Gras moves north for the weekend. How can I get some of those beads you ask, come to Boyne Mountain and find out. Bands, costume competitions, the slush cup and parties all over the resort make this a weekend to remember. You might want to plan on using a sick day for Monday.

March 21
Krazy Daze at Boyne - Harbor Springs
Fun for the whole family awaits during this spring tradition. Kid's events include a Silly Slalom, costume judging, Nastar and more. Is it true they build a pond and let people ski and snowboard across? You bet it's true. So dress up or dress down, just make sure to be a part of the fun.

March 21 - 22
Kalamazoo Living History Show - Kalamazoo
The largest, nationally recognized, juried show in the Midwest devoted to pre-1890 original or reproduction living history supplies, accouterments and related crafts. More than 10,000 historical re-enactors from pre-Revolutionary through the Civil War, history buffs, collectors, and the general public from 18 states and Canada come together for a festive weekend to buy, sell and trade. The event attracts over 270 of the finest craftsman and dealers of living history supplies and related crafts from throughout the United States.

March 15
St. Patrick's Day Parade - Detroit
Sponsored by the United Irish Societies in metro Detroit, the parade runs along Michigan Avenue in the area known as "Corktown", so called because of the many immigrants that came and settled here from County Cork. The parade travels down a dozen or so blocks passing by historic Tiger Stadium and the Gaelic League/Irish American Club.

March 20 - 21
The Lansing Golf Show - Lansing
The Lansing Show will be celebrating its ninth year at the Lansing Center and continues to draw golfers from Mid-Michigan looking for great deals and a chance to beat the winter blahs. Free pro instruction, seminars, hitting nets, and putting greens will help get your game ready for the spring. Retailers will be offering everything from golf tees to a full set of clubs at unbelievable prices.

March 24 - 29
Ann Arbor Film Festival - Ann Arbor
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is internationally recognized as a premiere showcase for creative, inspiring, and influential films of all types: avant-garde and experimental, story-based narratives, documentaries, and animation. As the longest-running film festival of its kind in North America, the AAFF is steeped in a rich tradition of ground-breaking cinema.

Did we get them all? Not likely!! Add ones we missed (with links) in the comments below!

Apparently, the long layoff from baseball has affected our bat speed, and we missed the opening of Spring Training 2009.  In 2008, the Detroit Tigers dropped like a fly ball at a peewee game. They began the long climb back to the top last week with spring training at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.

Brandon Inge by Peggy

Spring Training Schedule & Tickets

You can get the Tiger's spring training schedule and tickets from Spring Training Online. We used to link to MLB.com for this but they decided to go after bloggers a couple years ago and we're scared of them! The home opener is Wednesday and Justin Verlander has the start. As Roar of the Tigers reports in comic strip form, Justin also has a birthday ... and a special surprise!

Meet your 2009 Detroit Tigers

Mack Avenue Tigers has decided to take on the fool's errand of projecting the Tiger's achilles heel bullpen. He also offers his thoughts on the Tigers rotation and likely batting order. Brian at Tigerblog.net weighs in on who he thinks will assume the mantle of fifth starter for the Bengals. Ian over at Bless You Boys went on his morning prowl and found some tasty morsels including Tiger prospects, Jack "I think I belong in the Hall of Fame" Morris and a little something about Adam Everett's glove. At the Daily Fungo, Mike is profiling Tigers, wishing Tiger legends and  happy birthday and also doing an interesting podcast.

Something went haywire with the 40-man roster page at Tigers Central but you can weigh in at their forums on all kinds of topics including your expections for the 2009 Tigers.  Bob Wojnowski from the Detroit News thinks that while the quieter Tigers of 2009 have some promise, he's not going to get all giddy ... yet. The Freep takes a video look new Tiger left fielder Carlos Guillen.

Tigers on TV, Tigers on the Field

I think the MLB operatives have probably wandered off to check for steroids in the water cooler, so I'll let you know that the Tigers will be featured in MLB TV's 30 Clubs in 30 Days tonight at 8 PM. All 162 Tiger games in 2009 will be televised, mainly on FOX Sports Detroit, which will also show four spring training games on March 16, 19, 22 & 29. The Detroit Tigers 2009 Schedule has them opening away (at Atlanta on Friday, April 3) with the home opener on Tuesday, April 6 at 7:15 vs the Blue Jays. You can see more Tigers video from their web site and also

Here's a cool local blog from Lakeland, FL called "Lakeland Local". In addition to spring training coverage coverage from a Lakeland resident's perspective, the blog features photos and links to photographers, local news & blogs and a nice Lakeland area event calendar (perfect for the spring training visitor who might not be all that interested in spring training). For the duration of spring training, you'll be able to find Lakeland Local in the Absolute Michigan blogroll to the right!

photo: Lakeland Flying Tigers by Lakeland Local

Lakeland, Joker Marchant Stadium, Tiger Town and Tiger Spring Training history

The Detroit Tigers began coming to Lakeland, Florida for Spring Training in 1934 and have been coming back every year, making for the longest lasting relationship between a Major League baseball team and a Spring Training host city. According to Lakeland's page on Joker Marchant Stadium, "Joker" Marchant was the longtime and popular director of Lakeland's Park and Recreational Department. When not hosting the Detroit Tigers, the stadium and Tiger Town complex are the home of the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Also see the google map of Tiger Town and check out Ballpark Digest's visit to the Joker Marchant!

Get your Tiger on with these Bengal bookmarks...

• Mack Avenue Tigers, Detroit Tigers Weblog, TigerBlog.net, Roar of the Tigers, Bless You Boys and The Daily Fungo are all excellent Detroit Tigers blogs
• If you're looking to talk it up with other Tiger fans, check out TigersCentral.com (great history there too!) and MotownSports.com's Tiger Board
• The Tigers official web site through MLB always has great photos and video
• Photos: Keep an eye on Detroit Tiger photos at Michigan in Pictures, the Detroit Tigers photo group and recent photos tagged with "detroit tigers".
• Even MORE photos: the photostream of MLB photographer Emily Smith!
• Absolute Michigan keyword "tigers" has a bunch more Detroit Tigers stories & links.
• Got another link? Add it below! Also, if you go to spring training or come across any stories we miss, please post a comment below!

Dog sled races, UP200, 2007 by e.rabior

Eric says that this photo shows a team arriving in Grand Marais, halfway point of the 240 mile race, amidst unrelenting lake effect snow.

This year is the 20th running of the U.P. 200 and Midnight Run sled dog races and Over 15,000 visitors come to Michigan's Upper Peninsula for one of the nation's premier weekends of sled dog racing. The U.P. 200 is a competitive, 12 dog, mid-distance sled dog race that is always held on the third weekend of February (Feb 20-22). The race is about 240 miles in length and is a qualifying race for the Iditarod.

You can get a look at what it's all about courtesy Wild Weekend TV if you click over to the UP 200 web site!

At the first Pine Mountain Tournament, Bob Roecker, riding for the Duluth Ski Club, shattered the American jumping record held by Alf Engen, of Salt Lake City, with a leap of 257 feet and the current U.S. record of 140 meters/459 feet is still held there.

Can you have a videogenic event like this in the age of YouTube and not have video? Of course not! The video is Pine Mountain Ski Jumps, February 16th 2008 - be sure to view in high quality by using the arrow at the bottom right of the video!

Here's a link to part two of the program. More about the Luge run at the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex from Michigan in Pictures and also visit their web site.