Saturday, June 22, 2013

Professional Sports in Detroit

By Abbey Skyler


The Detroit area has always been known as Motor City. Serving as the home of Chrysler and Ford Motors, Detroit has a rich history as the center of the American auto industry. Many folks may not realize the wealthy sporting history Detroit enjoys. Big league sports in Detroit play a crucial role in the city, both as an economic supplier and source of entertainment and city pride.

Tigers Baseball in Detroit

Even though it is often outshined by major cities like Boston, New York and Philadelphia, baseball in Detroit has a history as rich as either of its East Coast competitors. The Detroit Tigers are members of the MLB's American League Central Division and have been playing in Detroitsince 1894. The club is a charter member of the American League and one of just four franchises still active in its original city. The Tigers have won four World Series titles ('35, '68, '45 and '84), 10 American League pennants, and gave a home to unforgettable baseball figure Ty Cobb for 22 seasons. The Tigers played all home baseball in the same location, Tiger Stadium, up until the completion of Comerica Park in 2000.

Rockers Soccer in Detroit

Notwithstanding lacking a representative club in (MLS) America's premier soccer league, soccer in Detroit has still been well represented in the past. The The city has been home to two major league indoor soccer clubs. The Detroit Rockers were members of the National Professional Soccer League from 1990-2001, winning a championship in 1992. The Detroit Ignition commenced play as members of the Major Indoor Soccer League before joining the Xtreme Soccer League.

Lions Football in Detroit

Football in the Motor City has a history nearly as vibrant as that of baseball in Detroit. Detroit's Lions represent the city as members of the North Division in the NFC (National Football Conference) in the National Football League. The Lions started play in 1929 as the Portsmouth Spartans in Portsmouth, Ohio. Throughout the height of the Great Depression the team was acquired and moved to Detroit in 1934. The Lions have won four NFL Championships (1935, 1952, 1953, and 1957) and made the playoffs at the conclusion of the 2011 NFL season with a 10-6 record. The Lions currently play soccer at Ford Field in downtown Detroit.

Red Wings Hockey in Detroit

No discourse about sports and Detroit would be acceptable without discussing the impact of hockey on Detroit. The Detroit Red Wings have been playing pro hockey in Detroit since 1926 and the franchise was a founding member of the Original Six. The regard the franchise has earned are so countless it would be unlikely to count them all. The Red Wings have earned most Stanley Cup titles of any franchise based in the U.S. with 11 and are only trialing the Toronto Maple Leafs (13) and Montreal Canadiens (24). The Red Wings missed the NHL playoffs just four times between the 1934/35 and 1965/66 seasons. Now the organization has made the postseason in 25 of the last 27 seasons, including 20 straight appearances. The Red Wings play all of their home games at Joe Louis Arena.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment