Sports Quotes of the Year: 2012

Quote of the Year:

“I personally think he's an idiot."

-Red Wing Ian White on Gary Bettman

Dumb Quote of the Year:

"Is he a brother or a cornball brother?  We all know he has a white fiancée. There was all this talk about he's a Republican, which, there's no information at all. I'm just trying to dig deeper as to why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods was like, I've got black skin, but don't call me black. So people got to wondering about Tiger Woods early on."

-Rob Parker

And the rest…

“My husband can not throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time.”

-Gisele

“And Randy, not like any other superstar I've met, he has more quit in him than any of those other players.

-Cris Carter on Randy Moss

"(One fan) actually called me a racial slur to begin the game with. He was the only one I had a problem with. People in Boston don't even do that."

-Carl Crawford

"I remember when I went to the ownership meetings in Colorado in August, and I was walking back from dinner with Tony La Russa (retired Cardinals manager) and we're talking about statistics and about WAR. And, no offense to the player, but when I woke up that morning they had on the (ESPN.com) site that Darwin Barney that day was ranked ahead of Miguel Cabrera in WAR. And I don't mean anything against Darwin Barney, but there wasn't a person in Major League Baseball who on that particular day would have traded Miguel Cabrera for Darwin Barney. So, when people say WAR is all-encompassing, that loses the argument to me right there."

-Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski

"We are not prepared to open another season until we have a new collective bargaining agreement,"

- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman signaling the start of another player lockout.

"No curfew. I live in the basement. I got everything I need. Home cooking … it's awesome."

-Mike Trout on living at home

"I'm ready to go. I'm Applebee's out."

-Jim Leyland on the end of Spring Training

"I have to go over my carefully prepared ad-libs."

-Vin Scully

"Some of them are zombielike. Some honestly have an empty-corpse quality."

Washington State football coach Mike Leach describing his seniors after a 2-4 start

"People always ask me: 'When is the new Pele going to be born?' Never. My father and mother have closed the factory."

-Pele

Douche Bags of the Year 2012

It’s time for the annual Douche Bag of the Year Awards. So many douche bags this year….

Here are the nominees:

Barack Obama: He accused Romney of being a tax cheat, felon, and other slurs. Although re-elected, the Obama campaign was the sleaziest since 1828.

Mike Love: He fired the original Beach Boys.

Jeffrey Loria and Bud Selig: When will Selig’s reign of terror end? When will Loria’s? Loria should be banned for life.

Ozzie Guillen: Castro is a murderous thug.

Kristen Stewart: The great Trampire of 2012

The Kardashians: Please go away. The only one in that family that has ever done ANYTHING is Bruce Jenner.

Anonymous: Cyber attacks on countries defending themselves is immoral. The Palestinians are NOT victims.

Chris Mathews: He has lost his mind. Praising Hurricane Sandy? Really?

The Media: Worst demonstration of bias since the Soviet Union collapsed.

Austerity Protesters: You guys can cut now or have nothing later.

Mayor Bloomberg: The soda ban and performance during Sandy leave a lot to be desired.

Gary Betman: You might have killed the NHL. Congrats.

Sabermetrics community: You guys embarrassed yourselves during the MVP debate.

And the winners:

Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno/Penn State: ‘nuf said.

Previous winners: Reality TV people (2009), LeBron James (2010), Casey Anthony (2011)

Greatest Detroit Sports Moment #2: McCarty's Goal (1997)

Darren McCarty scored the goal that sealed Detroit's first Stanley Cup since 1955...The Flyers called themselves the Legion of Doom...the Wings turned them into the Legion of Broom with the sweep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaYDDpTkv30

Greatest Detroit Sports Moment #7: Yzerman in OT (1996)

The Red Wings enjoyed an amazing regular season in 1996. In Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, St Louis took Detroit to Game Seven. In the second overtime, the captain scored the game winner. Detroit won the game 1-0 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the evil Colorado Avalanche. Steve Yzerman's goal is now one of the most replayed moments in hockey history.

Cultural side note: listen to the crowd sing "Whoop there it is" after the goal forever dating this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAOYjVxP2wc&feature=related

Greatest Detroit Sports Moment #10: Igor Larionov's 3OT Winner (2002)

The pesky Carolina Hurricanes put up a fight in the first three games of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals. They won Game One in overtime and lost Game Two 3-1. Game Three went three overtimes before Igor Larionov scored to break Carolina's back. The 'Canes never recovered and were outscored 6-1 in Games Four and Five as Detroit won another Stanley Cup.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84lZw2pkz7U

Greatest Detroit Sports Moments #14: Probert vs. Coxe (1987)

This is the greatest fight that I have seen in hockey. It's #14 on my all-time list of great Detroit sports moments...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFAReX5k9cA

Recap:
#14. Probert vs. Coxe
#15. Barry Sanders

Every Champ Every Sport: 1971-2010 Part IV

Post 4 of 5:

Three Time Champions:

Cincinnati Reds-3 (1975-76, 1990)

Detroit Pistons-3 (1989-90, 2004)

Florida Gator Football-3 (1996, 2006, 2008)

Indiana Hoosier Basketball-3 (1976, 1981, 1987)

Kentucky Basketball-3 (1978, 1996, 1998)

New England Patriots-3 (2001, 2003-04)

New Jersey Devils-3 (1995, 2000, 2003)

New York Giants- 3 (1986, 1990, 2007)

Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders-3 (1976, 1980, 1983)

Pittsburgh Penguins-3 (1991-2, 2009)

Washington Redskins-3 (1982, 1987, 1991)

Four Time Champions:

Detroit Red Wings- 4 (1997-8, 2002, 2008)

Duke Basketball-4 (1991-2, 2001, 2010)

Nebraska Cornhuskers Football-4 (1971, 1994-5, 1997)

New York Islanders-4 (1980-3)

North Carolina Basketball-4 (1982, 1993, 2005, 2009)

Notre Dame Football-3 (1973, 1977, 1988)

Oakland A’s-4 (1972-74, 1989)

Oklahoma Sooner Football-4 (1974-5, 1985, 2000)

San Antonio Spurs-4 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)

UCLA Bruins Basketball-4 (1972-3, 1975, 1995)

Every Champion Every Sport: 1971-2010 Part III

Post 3 of 5

Teams with 2 Titles:

Boston Red Sox- 2 (2004, 2007)

Colorado Avalanche-2 (1996, 2001)

U Conn Basketball-2 (1999, 2004)

Denver Broncos-2 (1997-98)

Florida Basketball-2 (2006-07)

Florida Marlins- 2 (1997, 2003)

Florida State Seminoles Football-2 (1993, 1999)

Houston Rockets-2 (1994-5)

Kansas Basketball-2 (1988, 2008)

Los Angeles Dodgers-2 (1981, 1988)

Louisville Basketball-2 (1980, 1986)

LSU Tigers Football-2 (2003, 2007)

Miami Dolphins-2 (1972-3)

Michigan State Basketball-2 (1979, 2000)

Minnesota Twins- 2 (1987, 1991)

NC State Basketball-2 (1974, 1983)

Penn State Nitny Lions Football-2 (1982, 1986)

Philadelphia Flyers-2 (1974-5)

Philadelphia Phillies- 2 (1980, 2008)

Pittsburgh Pirates-2 (1971, 1979)

St Louis Cardinals- 2 (1982, 2006)

Toronto Blue Jays- 2 (1992-93)

Every Championship Team Every Sport: 1971-2010 Part 2

One time champs: A-L

Anaheim Angels-1 (2002)

Anaheim Ducks-1 (2007)

Arizona Basketball-1 (1997)

Arizona Diamondbacks- 1 (2001)

Arkansas Basketball-1 (1994)

Atlanta Braves- 1 (1995)

Baltimore Orioles- 1 (1983)

Baltimore Ravens- 1 (2000)

Boston Bruins-1 (1972)

BYU Football-1 (1984)

Calgary Flames-1 (1989)

Carolina Hurricanes-1 (2006)

Chicago Bears- 1 (1985)

Chicago Black Hawks-1 (2010)

Chicago White Sox- 1 (2005)

Clemson Football-1 (1981)

Colorado Buffalo Football-1 (1990)

Dallas Stars-1 (1999)

Detroit Tigers- 1 (1984)

Georgia Bulldog Football-1 (1980)

Georgia Tech Football-1 (1990)

Georgetown Basketball-1 (1984)

Green Bay Packers-1 (1996)

Golden State Warriors- 1 (1975)

Indianapolis Colts- 1 (2006)

Kansas City Royals- 1 (1985)

Every Championship Team-Every Sport 1971-2010

I thought this might be fun to put together. This is the first of five posts. It is every team to have won a title in the NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL, NCAA Football, and NCAA Basketball from October, 1971-2010 (or since I was born)...There are some interesting entries.

Here is the first group of Champions: Those with One title by city (letter M-Z).  I plan to post the remainder of the one time champs tomorrow.

Marquette Basketball-1 (1977)

Maryland Basketball-1 (2002)

Miami Heat-1 (2006)

Michigan Basketball-1 (1989)

Michigan Football-1 (1997)

New Orleans Saints-1 (2009)

New York Knicks- 1 (1973)

New York Mets- 1 (1986)

New York Rangers-1 (1994)

Ohio State Buckeye Football-1 (2002)

Philadelphia 76ers-1 (1983)

Pitt Panther Football-1 (1976)

Portland Trail Blazers-1 (1977)

St. Louis Rams- 1 (1999)

Seattle Supersonics-1 (1978)

Syracuse Basketball-1 (2003)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-1 (2002)

Tampa Bay Lightning-1 (2004)

Tennessee Volunteers Football (1998)

Texas Longhorn Football-1 (2005)

UNLV Basketball-1 (1990)

Villanova Basketball-1 (1985)

Washington Bullets (1978)

Washington Huskies Football-1 (1991)

All Time NHL Team

Starters:

C- Wayne Gretzky

RW- Gordie Howe

LW- Ted Lindsay

D- Ray Bourque

D- Bobby Orr

G- Patrick Roy

Bench:
C: Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Jean Beliveau

LW: Bobby Hull, Mark Messier, Brendan Shanahan

RW: Mike Bossy, Maurice Richard, Jari Kurri

D: Doug Harvey, Dennis Potvin, Nick Lidstrom, Larry Robinson, Eddie Shore, Paul Coffey

G: Terry Sawchuck, Ken Dryden, Martin Brodeur

Coach: Scotty Bowman

Stanley Cup Finals

Interesting matchup...

The Blackhawks have not been in the Finals since 1992 and have not won a cup since 1961. The Flyers have not been to the Finals since their Legion of Doom became the Legion of Broom and lost to Detroit in 1997. They last won a cup in 1975.

So, we will have a champion that has not won in a very long time.  On the other hand, I despise both teams and franchises...Hawks win in 6.

Michigan Games of the Decade for the Aughts #21-25

21. Red Wings: 2 Flames: 1 (2OT) (April 22, 2007): The Red Wings knock off the Flames in double overtime and win the first round playoff series. Johan Frazen scored the winner. In Game 5, Flames goalie Jamie McLennan slashed Frazen in the stomach. He was suspended, but Frazen got revenge by eliminating Calgary. Silly Canadians!

22. Indiana: 97 Pistons: 82 (November 19, 2004): The Malice at the Palace. The game itself was not memorable. However, Ron Artest started a brawl. Pacers players attacked fans and fans tried fighting Pacers players. One of the crazier incidents we will ever see. Somehow Detroit got the blame for that idiot Artest's actions.

23. AL: 7 NL: 5 (July 12, 2005): Detroit hosted the MLB All Star Game. AL won in a ho-hum game.

24. Spurs: 96 Pistons: 95 (OT) (June 19, 2005): Game 5 NBA Finals. The first four games were blowouts. Detroit had this and then Sheed missed his assignment. Horry scores. Pistons lose in 7. That was a turning point in Piston history.

25. Appalachian State: 34 Michigan: 32 (September 1, 2007): This might be the most embarrassing loss in Division 1 history. Wait...Richrod engineered a loss to a worse team (Toledo) the following year...

The Greatest Hockey Games Ever Played

Here are the greatest Hockey Games of the Last Hundred Years...I picked one game for each decade.

1910s: Montreal Wanderers: 10 Toronto: 9 (December 19, 1917): The first game in NHL history.


1920s: New York Rangers: 2 Montreal Maroons: 1 (OT) Game 2 Stanley Cup Finals (April 7, 1928): The Rangers lost their goalie. Their 44-year-old coach, Lester Patrick, took over in goal and led New York to a 2-1 overtime win. The Rangers won the series 3 games to 2.

1930s: Red Wings: 1 Maroons: 0 (6 OT): Game 1 Stanley Cup Semifinals (March 24, 1936): Mud Bruneteau's goal in the 6th overtime wins Game 1 for Detroit.

1940s: Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Detroit Red Wings: 1: Finals Game 7 1942 Stanley Cup Finals (April 18, 1942): Toronto finishes off a comeback in which they trailed 3 games to none.

1950s: Detroit Red Wings: 4 New York Rangers: 3 (2 OT): Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 (April 23, 1950): Pete Babando scored the cup winner in the second OT of game 7.

1960s: Chicago Blackhawks: 3 Montreal Canadiens: 0: Game 6 Stanley Cup Semi-Final (April 4, 1961): Montreal was the five-time defending Stanley Cup Champs. Chicago stunned the world by upsetting the Canadiens in six games. They shut out Montreal in Games 5 and 6.

1970s: Montreal Canadiens: 3 Soviet Red Army: 3 (New Year’s Eve 1975): In an exhibition, the Canadiens and Red Army skated to a tie. Many hockey fans consider this the greatest game ever played.

1980s: Miracle on Ice (February 22, 1980): U.S. beats the evil Soviets. You know the story.

1990s: Detroit Red Wings: 6 Colorado Avalanche: 5 (OT): The Brawl: Turtle boy Claude Lemeiux cheap shotted Kris Draper and broke his jaw the previous year. Darren McCarty got payback and a GW goal. The game featured one of the great brawls as the Avs were finally brought to justice.

2000s: Detroit Red Wings: 3 Carolina Hurricanes: 2 (3OT): Game 3 Stanley Cup Finals: The Hurricanes actually believed they could beat the Wings. HAHHAHAHAHAAHAHA. They did win Game 1 and Detroit won Game 2. Game 3 broke the Hurricanes. Even though Detroit went up 2-1 with lots of hockey left, Carolina was not the same team after Igor Larianov’s overtime goal.

All Time Red Wings Team

Starters:

C- Steve Yzerman (1983-2006)

RW- Gordie Howe (1945-1971)

LW- Ted Lindsay (1944-57; 1964-65)

D- Red Kelly (1947-1960)

D- Nick Lidstrom (1991-Present)

G- Terry Sawchuck (1949-1955; 1957-1964; 1968-1969)

Bench:

C: Alex Delvecchio (1950-1974), Igor Larionov (1995-2003), Sergei Federov (1990-2003)

RW- Mickey Redmond (1970-1976), John Ogrodnick (1979-1987; 1992-1993), RW- Bob Probert (1985-1994)

LW- Sid Abel (1938-1943; 1945-1952), Brendan Shanahan (1996-2006), Syd Howe (1934-1946)

D- Marcel Pronovost (1949-1965), Larry Murphy (1996-2001), Vladimir Konstantinov (1991-1997), Reed Larson (1976-1986), Chris Chelios (1998-2009), Viacheslav Fetisov (1994-1998)

G- Chris Osgood (1993-2001; 2005-Present)

Coach- Scotty Bowman (1993-2002)

Plays of the Decade

Here are my plays of the decade. I have one for each of the four majors plus a Detroit moment.

Play of the Decade: In the first game played in New York following 911, Mike Piazza hit an eighth inning two-run home run to give the New York Mets a 3-2 win over the Braves. Tom Glavine said it was one of the few losses that did not bother him.

Detroit Moment of the Decade: There were three contenders for this. The winner: Magglio Ordonez’s pennant winning walk-off homer to beat the A’s and send the Tigers to the World Series. The other two contenders are below.

NFL Play of the Decade: David Tyree’s catch vs. New England. Tyree caught the ball with his hand-to-helmet. I never thought anyone would top the Lynn Swann Super Bowl catch. It saved Eli Manning, saved the Giants, and saved the Super Bowl. It set up the game winning TD catch by Plaxeco Burress.

NHL Play of the Decade: Statue of Liberty. This will be a homer pick. In Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, Patrick Roy wanted to stick it to the Wings after making a save. He held the puck up like a trophy and looked like the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately for Roy, he did not have the puck. Brendan Shanahan found it and scored. Wings won the game and then smoked Roy in Game 7.

NBA of the Decade: Al Michaels has a cow. The Pistons made short work of the dysfunctional Lakers and won the NBA Title 100-87 in Game 5 of the Finals. The Lakers were lucky to win a single game in the series. The national media scoffed at the Pistons. When the Palace shot off fire works following the victory, ABC’s Al Michaels had a conniption fit.

Teams of the Decade: The Aughts

Team/NHL/Detroit: 2001-2002 Red Wings: This team was a walking Hall of Fame exhibit. Nine players are either in the Hall or will be. We will never see a team with so many Hall of Famers again. As such, SI also voted them team of the decade.

The Wings went 51-17-10-4 for 116 points and the President’s Trophy. They went 16-7 in the post season. After falling behind 2-0 to Vancouver in the first round, they went 8-1 before running into the Avs. Colorado was a great team and it took the Wings seven to dispatch them. It was the series that witnessed the infamous Statue of Liberty play. That was not Roy’s only embarrassing moment as he fell 7-0 in Game 7. The Finals were anticlimactic. Wings won 4-1 over Carolina.

MLB: 2009 Yankees: The Yankees won 103 games and went 11-4 in the postseason. This team seemed like they were on cruise control throughout the season. They were the only 100 win team to win the WS throughout the decade and were really the most dominant team.

NFL: 2004 Patriots: The 2004 Pats were the defending champs. They went 14-2 and steamrolled the Colts and Steelers on the way to the Super Bowl. They won the Super Bowl over the Eagles. There was a lot of trash talking in that SB. It was the Pats third championship in four seasons.

NBA: 2000 Lakers: The Lakers went 67-15 during the regular season and the Finals. It was the first of three straight.

CFL: 2001 Miami Hurricanes: The Hurricanes went 12-0 and averaged 43 points a game while surrendering 10 points a game. They had one close game all season and featured 16 first round draft picks and 23 NFL players. Most football historians consider them one of the greatest teams ever.

CB Team: 2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels: Roy Williams’ squad went 34-4 and 13-3 in the tough ACC. They were ranked #1 in the pre-season and were the first team to be a unanimous #1 in the preseason Coaches’ Poll and preseason AP. During the tournament, they routed everyone including Michigan State in the final.

Greatest Games of the 80s #11-20

11. Tigers: 1 Royals: 0 (October 5, 1984): The nail biter. Happy Birthday to me! The Tigers win Game 3 of the ALCS and the Pennant. Milt Wilcox is unhittable scattering 3 hits. Willie Hernandez finished up and Darrell Evans beat Willie Wilson in a foot race. No Buckner moment here!


12. The 1989 Rose Bowl- Wolverines: 22 Trojans: 14 (January 2, 1989): Bo goes bowling. USC led 14-3 at the half behind Rodney Pete. Michigan’s running game and defense took over in the second half and Leroy Hoard was the MVP. It was Bo’s last bowl win and UM finished #4 in the country with only close losses to Miami and Notre Dame.

13. 32nd Annual NHL All-Star Game- Wales: 6 Campbell: 3 (February 5, 1980) : Howe Returns. Gordie Howe returns to Detroit for the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, it’s at the Joe and not the Olympia.

14. Celtics: 108 Pistons: 107 (May 26, 1987): Bird steals the ball. The Pistons looked to win at Boston Garden for the first time since the Caesars ruled Rome. A win gave Detroit a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston with a chance to close out the Celts at home. Then, Bird steals the ball. It was the same game Robert Parrish cheap-shotted Bill Laimbeer.

15. Tigers: 7 Twins: 6 (October 10, 1987): Disaster delayed. The Tigers looked doomed after dropping the first two of the ALCS to Minnesota. Pat Sheridan’s 2-run 8th inning shot off Jeff Reardon launched the comeback that never was.

16. Tigers: 6 Blue Jays: 3 (10 innings) (June 4, 1984): The Bergman Experience. Dave Bergman spent seven minutes batting against Roy Lee Jackson. He fouled off 7 pitches after working a full count. Then, he hit a 3-run shot to win the game and launch ABC Monday Night Baseball’s new season.

17. Pistons: 186 Nuggets: 184 (December 13, 1983): The highest scoring game in NBA history. Nowadays, 105 points is a lot. Back then, teams could score. Four players scored 40 or more (Kiki Vandewegh-51, Alex English-47, Isiah- 47, and John Long-41). Twelve players landed in double figures. Imagine scoring 184 and losing…

18. Tigers: 6 White Sox: 0 (April 15, 1983): Damn you Jerry Hairston! Milt Wilcox had a perfect game going into the 9th. Jerry Hairston singles with 2 outs in the 9th to spoil Wilcox’s perfecto.

19. Knicks: 127 Pistons: 123 (OT) (April 27, 1984): Isiah goes off. Game 5 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Isiah was having a poor game and then scored 16 points in the last 94 seconds to send the game to overtime. Unfortunately, the Knicks won the game and the series.

20. Tigers: 3 Blue Jays: 2 (September 27, 1987): The Comeback begins. The Tigers went into Toronto and lost the first three games of the series. They trailed 2-1 in the 9th when Kirk Gibson homered off Tom Henke to tie the game. The Tigers won in 13 innings and went 5-2 down the stretch. It sent Toronto into one of the great tailspins in history. They did not win again. The Tigers gained 5 games in the last week and won the division by 2 games.

Man of the Year

Well, it’s that time again. This is my 4th annual person of the year. This is sooo much better than Barbara Walter's thing. Previous winners include: Rahm Emmanuel (2006), Al Gore (2007), and Barack Obama (2008).

and the nominees:

Glenn Beck: Who would have thought Glenn Beck would become the next biggest thing? He helped organize the Tea Party Protests, exposed ACORN, and brought down Van Jones.

Central Michigan Football and Dan LeFevour: Does he have to graduate? LeFevour is the all-time touchdown record holder for NCAA Football, the team scored its third MAC title in four years, and
CMU is #25 in the nation.

GOP Governors: Bob McDonnell (Virginia) and Chris Christie (New Jersey) sweep into office. They won the independent vote big in a probable portent for the 2010 midterms.

Hockey Hall of Famers: Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, and Luc Robitaille: All members of the 2002 Red Wings and all inducted this year. There will be more Hall of Famers to follow from that team.

Leonard Nimoy: Spock returns and then lands a gig on Fringe. Not a bad retirement.

Sarah Palin: Has the best selling book of the year, became an Obama-esque celebrity, and dueled Shatner on late night.

Shaquille O’Neal: Shaq paid for the funeral of that little girl murdered after her mother sold her into prostitution.

Bruce Springsteen: Bruce had a big year with a new album. He finished a 2-year tour, spent the last few months playing entire albums live, and was the closing act for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame concert. Is it 1985 or 2009?

Sully Sullenberger: Sully landed that plane in the Hudson River saving all hands.

The Black Eyed Peas: Big year for the Black Eyed Peas with the big album, several #1 hits, and Will.I.Am's bodyguard beat up the worthless Perez Hilton.

And the winner is: Leonard Nimoy!!!

Greatest Games of the 1950s

1. 1950 Stanley Cup Finals: Game 7: Wings beat the Rangers in double overtime 4-3 to win the Stanley Cup. Ted Lindsay began the parade of champions tradition on the ice after the game.

2. The Snow Bowl: One of the worst blizzards ever hit Columbus. The two teams combined for 45 punts as each side waited for the other to make a mistake. Michigan blocked a punt for a safety and another one for a touchdown. Michigan wins 9-3. Ohio State fired Coach Fesler and hired Woody Hayes.

3. 1954 Stanley Cup Finals: Game 7: The Wings won 2-1 in overtime beating the Canadiens.

4. 1952 Stanley Cup Semi-finals Game 4: Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay got death threats. Wings beat the Leafs 3-1 sweeping the series. After the game, Howe and Lindsay skated around the rink making machine gun motions at the crowd. The Octopus made its first appearance during this playoff run.

5. 1957 Western Conference Playoff Game: Detroit vs. San Francisco: Y.A. Tittle and the 49ers led 24-7 at half time. Lions won 31-27.

6. 1952, 1953, and 1957 NFL Title Game: In 1952, the Lions made their first championship game appearance since 1935. They won 17-7 over Cleveland. In 1953, they repeated 17-16 over the Browns. In 1957, they won 59-14 over those same Cleveland Browns.

7. 1954 Stanley Cup Finals: Game 5: Montreal: 1 Detroit: 0 (Overtime). Yeah, the Wings lost, but what a game.

8. No Hitters: Virgil Trucks went 5-19 in 1952. He no-hit Washington on May 15 and the Yankees on August 25. So, he was 3-19 when he did not no-hit someone!

Jim Bunning no-hit the Red Sox on July 20, 1958. He later threw a perfect game against the Mets while with the Phillies. When he retired, only Walter Johnson had more career strikeouts than Bunning.

9. 1954 Rose Bowl: Michigan State joins the Big Ten and wins the national title. MSU: 28 UCLA: 20.

10. 1951 All Star Game (played at Briggs Stadium): The AL beat the NL 8-3. George Kell homered. Ty Cobb threw out the first pitch and Harry Heilmann died the day before the game.