March Madness x3: MSU Spartans, UM Wolverines & Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Posted on by farlane

ITH-UM-11511-0038MSU Basketball #10summit league mens championship oakland oral roberts

Darius Morris by JS_Owens || MSU Basketball #10 by Blackbeard Ben || summit league championship by elishapage

After weeks of uncertainty, the state of Michigan was rewarded with not one or two but three NCAA Tournament bids!

The University of Michigan Wolverines (20-13) received a #8 seed, higher than most expected and meet #9 seed Tennessee at 12: 40 PM on Friday in the West Regional in Charlotte. It’s a high seed but a tough slot as they will likely face #1 seed Duke in the 2nd round if they advance. The good news is that Duke is considered by many the weakest of the #1s and Tennessee is 4-7 over their past 11 games.

The Michigan State University Spartans (19-14) managed their 14th straight NCAA bid, a #10 seed. They square off against #7 seed UCLA at 9:20 PM on Thursday in the the Southeast Regional in Tampa, Fla. If the Spartans win, they would probably meet #2 seed Florida on Saturday. While MSU always seems to endure some struggles, this season has been especially trying.

Michigan’s third bid went to the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies (25-9). They received a #13 seed and will face one of the dominant teams of the season who fell on hard times late, #4 seed Texas (27-7) in Tulsa on Friday at 12:15. The Golden Grizzlies are #2 in the country in points per game and shooting percentage, something they will really need Friday!

You can check out the bracket on ESPN, read more at the Freep and also check out Pat Forde’s Big Breakdown of the Tourney.

Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Detroit's Joe Louis Arena

Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, photo by chinkon.

I saw a photo of the Joe this morning that made me wonder about the history of the Joe Louis Arena, home of the 11 time Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. Wikipedia’s entry on the Joe Louis Arena says that “The Joe” was:

Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight champion Joe Louis, who grew up in Detroit. This makes it one of three remaining NHL arenas without a corporate sponsorship name (the others being Madison Square Garden in New York City and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island). It is also the fourth oldest venue in the NHL.

…The Detroit Red Wings played their first game at Joe Louis Arena on December 27, 1979. Later that first season it hosted the 32nd NHL All-Star Game on February 5, 1980, which was played before a then-NHL record crowd of 21,002.

Check this out bigger in Cinkon’s slideshow and also see the Joe Louis Arena slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!

The Best of the Detroit Lions: Barry Sanders

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

barry barry

barry barry, photo by daveraoul.

Yahoo has a feature on the five greatest Detroit Lions players. Though them might have missed the tackle on kick-returner Mel Gray (Charlie Sanders anyone?), they definitely nailed the rest with defensive back Dick “Night Train” Lane, linebacker Joe Schmidt, quarterback Bobby Layne and their unquestioned #1, Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.

The Barry Sanders entry at the Pro Football Hall of Fame begins:

One of the game’s most electrifying runners, Barry Sanders rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions (1989-1998). He was the first running back ever to do so. The 1988 Heisman Trophy winner was also just the third person to gain more than 2,000 yards in a season, a feat he accomplished in 1997.

Sanders, after forgoing his senior season at Oklahoma State, made his pro debut just three days after signing with the Lions, who had made him their first-round pick and the third overall pick in the 1989 draft. He absolutely dazzled a Pontiac Silverdome crowd when he dashed for an 18-yard gain on his first carry as an NFL running back. But that was just the beginning. His 1,470 yards rushing that season, a-then Lions record, fell just 10 yards short of the league’s best for the year.

Read the rest and if you want to put a little jingle in Barry’s probably already jingling pockets, head over to barrysanders.com. If you need a little Barry to wash the Lions dismal decade out of your thoughts, head over to YouTube for the Barry Sanders highlight reel.

Dave writes that he misses this guy. Check the photo out bigger and in his slideshow.

Biggest Hockey Game Ever: The Big Chill at the Big House

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

The Big Chill

The Big Chill, photo by andykee.

On Saturday, December 11 2010 the University of Michigan Wolverines met the Michigan State University Spartans in The Big Chill at the Big House (Wikipedia entry). AnnArbor.com pegs the crowd at a world-record smashing 113,411 who saw the Wolverines pummel the Spartans 5-0.

It’s not the first time UM/MSU have set the record. In October of 2001, the 2 programs met at Spartan Stadium in The Cold War which drew almost 75,000 who saw the teams skate to a 3-3 tie. Check out this video of the record-setting crowd and here’s the highlight reel from the game.

See the photo bigger in Andy’s slideshow and check out AnnArbor.com’s slideshow from the event.

Sparky Anderson, a Detroit Tigers Legend

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Sparky Anderson

Sparky Anderson, photo by Baseball Images.

Remembering Tiger Manager George “Sparky” Anderson on Absolute Michigan recounts how the Hall of Fame coach who managed the Tigers from 1979-1995 and was the first manager to win a World Series for both a National League and American League team. His 1,331 wins are the most in Tigers’ history

Read on for all kinds of columns and video about this Detroit Tiger legend.

See it bigger in Baseball Images’ Detroit Tigers slideshow.

More Detroit Tigers from Michigan in Pictures.

Michigan Windstorm of October 2010

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

NSPier10262010

NSPier10262010, photo by Twinz8.

Over the last 24 hours winds have roared through Michigan. While closed schools, downed trees and lost power are a problem for some, to some photographers & weather lovers (and of course surfers), the wild wind is a boon.

mLive has a report with some video from Grand Haven, a surfing hot spot (surfgrandhaven.com). More about Michigan surfing from Absolute Michigan.

Be sure to check this out bigger and check out more shots from the Grand Haven North Pier in Paul’s slideshow.

More Michigan weather from Michigan in Pictures!

10/10/10: Football, Fall and our Future

Posted on by farlane

4th & Goal ...
4th & Goal … photo by NightFox Photography

Tomorrow is 10/10/10. While it could be that something catastrophic or wonderfully amazing happens, if it doesn’t you may be looking for a few things to fill the time.

The Big Ten

The University of Michigan Wolverines meet the Michigan State University Spartans at 3:30 PM today. MSU has won the last two meetings and both teams are undefeated and in the AP Top 25, with the Spartans at #17 and UM ranked #18. Tomorrow, green & white or maize & blue will have something to crow about … and the Paul Bunyan Trophy. While State is my alma mater and 2nd favorite college football team, I’m going to side with my dearly departed grandmother and a childhood of 3 yards and a pile of dust with Bo and say Michigan 35 – State 32 as Denard Robinson continues his campaign for the Heisman right over Greg Jones.

The Tenth Month

October in Michigan means apples and cold nights and fall color and haunted houses. Dig in.

10/10/10

October 10, 2010 is being promoted as a global work party by the 350 Movement. Simply put, 350 is the parts per million of CO2 that science says will roll back global warming. Plant some trees, explore going solar, lay plans for transforming your business to meet the challenges of the future, get out with friends on your bikes or find another way to say “Michigan is in this for the long haul”

Check Cory’s photo out bigger and see this and more in his slideshow.

UM vs MSU: Wolverines and Spartans Play Saturday!

Posted on by farlane

Vincent Smith - TD!msuVwmu1

Vincent Smith – TD! by SDJ~Photography and msuVwmu1 by M.Hallowell

This Saturday at 3:30 PM the Michigan State University Spartans travel to the Big House for a date with the University of Michigan Wolverines. Our Michigan vs Michigan State Football Rivalry page on Absolute Michigan says:

The Paul Bunyan-Governor of Michigan Trophy is awarded to the winner of the game between the Wolverines and the Spartans. U of M holds the series edge at 67-30-5, but the Spartans have held the trophy for the past 2 years. Right now both teams are in the AP Top 25, with the Spartans at #17 and UM ranked #18.

If you’re looking for tickets, stubhub has them for $175 – $1422. If you can’t swing that, it’s on ABC with the pre-game at 2:45 PM. The .00007% of Lions fans who are missing Matt Millen will be happy to learn that Millen has been picked as an analyst for the game by ABC. Millen won’t be the only coach in the press box because MSU coach Mark Dantonio (recovering from a heart attack) will be in the box as well.

Click through for more on the game including videos highlighting both programs.

You can see more of the Wolverines in Steve’s Michigan Football 2010 slideshow and get your Spartan on with State News photographer Matt Hallowell’s football slideshow!

There’s more University of Michigan and Michigan State University posts on Michigan in Pictures!

Wakeboard Jump

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Untitled, photo by spacelola.

Check this out bigger in her Ann Arbor slideshow!

Hope summer is making you jump for joy – there’s lots more Michigan jumping on Michigan in Pictures!

Comerica Park, Home of the Detroit Tigers

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Extra! Extra!

Extra! Extra!, photo by RLHyde.

The page on Comerica Park at ballparksofbaseball.com says that in the mid 90s:

…Tigers President John McHale said that Tiger Stadium had 10,000 of the best seats in baseball, but was supported by 40,000 of the worst. It was clear that Tiger Stadium lacked many of the amenities of newer parks being constructed at the time. In 1995 the city agreed to help fund a new stadium and in March 1996 voters approved a plan to build a new ballpark in downtown Detroit. Following other ballparks that were built during that decade, the Tigers new ballpark was built mainly of steel and concrete, with a brick exterior. Constructed in downtown Detroit, construction began October 29, 1997.

For the first time in over 100 years, opening day baseball was played at a different location other than at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Nearly 40,120 fans filled Comerica Park on opening day, April 11, 2000.

The $300 million ballpark is 345′ down the leftfield line, 330′ down right and 420′ in straightaway center. For the name, Comerica Bank pays the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority $2.2 million per year. Here’s a satellite map of Comerica Park at 2100 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

Whatever you feel about the Tigers’ move from Michigan & Trumbull, it’s hard to deny that Comerica is a beautiful ballpark. The Detroit Tigers section for Comerica Park has some sweet panoramas of Comerica Park and past ballparks that the Tigers have called home.

Ryan says that this looks better the bigger it gets, and he’s right. Check it out on black or background bigtastic.

Need more? Here’s the Comerica Park slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!