Obbie VS Motor Mouth MLB Greats

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

A few days ago, Steve Obrien and I debated the NBA Greats.

Now, it's time for Round Two and will his age of 35 and my 51 years on this planet make a difference with the National Past Time?

Will the Steroid Era affect our opinions?

We know that baseball is based on numbers, and computers have started to change the way managers adjust their strategies.

Managers rely more on their bench coaches especially as technology has played a larger role in their decision making process.

One can only wonder how many players have played in MLB Stadiums over the past century.

But we've decided to choose 20 pitchers and 20 hitters to stimulate the debate. .

When you think of pitchers, do you take complete games and multiple inning saves into consideration? What about the designated hitter?

Here we go. Once again, the order of the numbers doesn't reflect where the players stand. The bold names are where we differ.

Once again, it will be Motown VS Beantown.

Here is our Top 20 in Each Category.

MYSELF HITTERS:

1. Ty Cobb
2. Ted Williams
3. Hank Aaron
4. Miguel Cabrera
5. Babe Ruth
6. Stan Musial (Photographed)
7. Joe DiMaggio
8. Pete Rose
9. Willie Mays
10. Tony Gwynn
11. Al Kaline
12. Lou Gehrig
13. George Brett
14 Roberto Clemente
15. Johnny Bench
16. Reggie Jackson
17. Rod Carew
18. Robin Yount
19. Cal Ripken Jr.
20. Paul Molitor

STEVE OBRIEN HITTERS

1. Mickey Mantle

2. Babe Ruth
3. Willie Mays
4. Ty Cobb
5. Ted Williams
6. Rickey Henderson
7. Lou Gehrig
8. Pete Rose
9. Derek Jeter
10. Tony Gwynn
11. Rogers Hornsby
12. Honus Wagner
13. Mike Schmidt
14. Miguel Cabrera
15. Hank Aaron
16. Ken Griffey Jr.
17. Wade Boggs
18. Carl Yastrzemski
19. Dave Winfield
20. Ichiro Suzuki

MYSELF PITCHERS

1. Cy Young
2. Walter Johnson
3. Bob Feller (Photographed)
4. Steve Carlton
5. Greg Maddux
6. Tom Glavine
7. Bob Gibson
8. Roger Clemens
9. Sandy Koufax
10. Randy Johnson
11. Jim "Catfish" Hunter
12. Nolan Ryan
13. Warren Spahn
14. Jim Palmer
15. Christy Mathewson
16. Rollie Fingers
17. Tom Seaver
18. Hal Newhouser
19. Robin Roberts
20. Don Drysdale

OBBIE PITCHERS

1. Cy Young
2. Roger Clemens
3. Tom Seaver
4. Sandy Koufax
5. Randy Johnson
6. Nolan Ryan
7. Bob Gibson
8. Walter Johnson
9. Greg Maddux
10. Steve Carlton
11. Pedro Martinez
12. Mariano Rivera
13. Warren Spahn
14. Trevor Hoffman
15. Bob Feller
16. Curt Schilling
17. Dennis Eckersley
18. John Smoltz
19. Luis Tiant
20. Tommy John

Like any list, championships were indeed a factor with these players. Some players were big factors in ending their team's long championship droughts or winning a franchises first title like Schilling with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.

There were starting pitchers that re-invented themselves and became legendary closers.

Smoltz and Eckersley were two that stand out.

In addition to having a fine career as a hurler, Tommy John's Surgery has saved the careers of many pitchers.

I will be writing a future story on current Jupiter Hammerheads Pitching Coach Joe Coleman, (photographed with me taken by Candice Ebling) who has the challenge of developing young pitchers for the Miami Marlins.

Coleman and I discussed at great length the challenges that he has of making sure his pitchers learn proper mechanics to prevent future Tommy John Surgeries at Roger Dean Stadium.

Coleman is in the Class A Florida State League and had a fine career in the MLB. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers by the Washington Senators on October 9, 1970 in an eight player trade that featured the last 31-game winner in the Major Leagues, Denny McLain.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Obbie VS Motor Mouth NBA Greats

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

As the 2014 NBA Draft gets set to take place in 48 hours, it remains to be seen as to which player/s will emerge as the next superstar/s in this class that could lead to championships as well as a being a future Hall of Famer.

I recently became good friends with Steve Obrien, 35, a native of Methuen, Massachusetts and we decided to compare our lists as to the Greatest Players in NBA History.

Since I'm 51, it's neat to compare generational differences of opinion.

We'll also be doing another list for Major League Baseball.

The list we've compiled doesn't necessarily reflect the order as to how we place these players.

But since Obrien is a Boston Celtics fan, and I've covered the Detroit Pistons through the years, it's nice that we can rekindle the rivalry that was so strong in the 1980's during the Bad Boys Era.

The Bold Names is where we differ.

I welcome you readers to submit your lists.

Here is Our Top 25.

MYSELF:

1. Magic Johnson
2. Larry Bird
3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
4. Michael Jordan
5. Bill Russell

6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. LeBron James
8. Hakeem Olajuwon
9. Patrick Ewing
10. Julius Erving
11. Jerry West
12. John Havlicek
13. Tim Duncan
14. Dennis Rodman
15. David Robinson
16. Kobe Bryant
17. Karl Malone
18. Rick Barry (Photo With Me)
19. Elgin Baylor
20. Bob Cousy
21. Dirk Nowitzki
22. James Worthy
23. Oscar Robertson
24. Isiah Thomas (Photo With Me)
25. Charles Barkley

STEVE OBRIEN

1. Larry Bird
2. Magic Johnson
3. Michael Jordan
4. Tim Duncan
5. Oscar Robertson
6. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
7. Wilt Chamberlain
8. Bill Russell
9. LeBron James
10. Kobe Bryant
11. Karl Malone
12. John Stockton
13. Isiah Thomas
14. Charles Barkley
15. Hakeem Olajuwon
16. Clyde Drexler
17. Bob Cousy
18. David Robinson
19. Julius Erving
20. Jerry West
21. Elgin Baylor
22. John Havlicek
23. Shaquille O' Neal
24. Dirk Nowitzki

25. Kevin Durant

One of the major factors that I use when I put a player on this list is whether they win a championship.

There are some players that never won a title because of the dominance of a superstar and running into a team that was in the midst of a dynasty.

But I will say this about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Not only did they win championships, but the NBA Finals were played on Tape Delay in the late 1970's and the league was broke.

When Johnson and Bird made the jump to the NBA, they put the league on the Map and that paved the way for the players that followed them.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com

Homemade Basketball Thoughts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

1. Am I impressed or surprised that Pistons billionaire Owner Tom Gores paid Stan Van Gundy $35 million over five years to be the President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach?

I would say a combination of both.

For $7 million per-season, the Pistons are getting a man that has an NBA head coaching record of 371-208 with a .641 winning percentage. This winning percentage is the sixth highest among NBA coaches with at least 500 or more games of head coaching experience.

Van Gundy's teams have reached the playoffs seven times, including three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, two with the Orlando Magic and once with the Miami Heat.

Stan coached Orlando for five seasons, took the Magic to the NBA Finals once and his regular season mark was 259-135 with a .692 winning percentage.

The Pistons know they're getting a bold and disciplined coach that emphasizes defense. There will be no players boycotts on road trips at practices and his teams will play hard for a full 48 minutes.

What people probably don't realize was Van Gundy had a good college coaching record. In eight seasons, he was 135-92 (.595) proving that he can coach and develop young talent.

With the Pistons coming off a 29-53 record, Van Gundy knows he has to work with the young and the veterans knowing this squad is far from the finished product.

What I like most about the hiring of Van Gundy is now the Pistons won't be able to botch Greg Monroe's upcoming free agent status. If Van Gundy wants him, he and Gores will financially find a way to keep him playing at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, providing Monroe wants to remain in Detroit.

It will be a basketball, not a financial decision.

Even though the Pistons lost their recent lottery pick to the Charlotte Hornets, if Detroit can land a good player in round two, more power to them. Once upon a time, Dennis Rodman was drafted in this round. I'm sure Michigan Wolverines Power Forward Mitch McGary (6-10) would be a popular choice.

The Pistons won't have to worry about losing next years first round pick because that situation is over with and there is a distinct possibility they could make a draft deal to get back in.

If a Monroe agreement can't get worked out, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

When Grant Hill departed for the Orlando Magic in 2000, all wasn't lost.

Joe Dumars orchestrated a sign and trade with Orlando for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins.

Hill didn't think he could win a title in Detroit.

His judgement was a mistake as Detroit would win its third championship in 2004.

While Hill's Detroit numbers of 21.6 points-per-game, 7.9 rebounds-per-game and 7.3 assists-per-game looked good, Atkins and Wallace entered the Pistons starting line-up. Wallace would develop into an All-Star in the coming years with his rebounding and excellent defense.

After departing the Pistons, Hill would play in 47 games in the following four seasons do to a recurring ankle injury.

His next 12 seasons as a former Piston were injury plagued as he averaged 13.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists with the Magic, Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers. He had great weather, no snow or ice but also never won a championship.

2. Regardless of who Van Gundy hires as general manager, it's good to see the return of former Pistons Coach Brendan Malone as an assistant coach. They worked together in Orlando, and at 72-years old, Malone is one of the most knowledgeable basketball minds. We all know the late Chuck Daly relied on him during the Bad Boys Era which produced two championships.

One person I would like to see Van Gundy mold is Bill Laimbeer. He was the guy that was the Master Of Mind Games on the court, and winning WNBA Championships with the Detroit Shock has to count for something.

He played hard, was no-nonsense and his strong locker room presence was always respected. Just ask Mark Aquirre. I could see Laimbeer building toughness in star center Andre Drummond and forward Josh Smith. Laimbeer was a great outside shooter and Smith could learn a lot from him.

Although he was disliked by his competitors, I remember watching ESPN's Outside The Lines and Charles Barkley heavily endorsed Laimbeer as a head coaching candidate. It would be unfortunate if he doesn't get that chance down the line.

Van Gundy has mentored Hall of Fame Center Patrick Ewing into a potential head coaching candidate. There is no question he can do the same with Laimbeer.

One thing that hopefully Laimbeer has learned over the years is having a better working relationship with the media. After all, being the face of a franchise, he'll have to sell the fans and get them to come to the arena.

Once upon a time, former Tiger Kirk Gibson had a stormy relationship with the press. Now he's managing the Arizona Diamondbacks and their playing days, approaches were quite similar.

3. The I-696 route has hit the Pistons as Detroit will have an NBADL team in Grand Rapids.

Marketing the Entire State of Michigan has worked well for the Tigers and Red Wings.

As of 2012, Grand Rapids population was estimated at 190,411 which ranked 124th in the US.

The West Michigan Whitecaps and Grand Rapids Griffins are the teams in the area.

The Whitecaps are the Tigers Class A Midwest League affiliate and play at Fifth Third Ballpark (9,684).

The Griffins play at Van Andel Arena (10,834 Ice Hockey). The Red Wings relied on this 2 1/2 hour drive en-route to their 23rd consecutive post season appearance.

Grand Rapids was the home of Boxing's Floyd Sr., Jr., Jeff and Roger Mayweather and James Toney.

4. Where will Joe Dumars ultimately land again in the NBA?

My best guess and the most logical spot would be with the New Orleans Pelicans.

For him to get involved in his Home State Of Louisiana and guide a team which has never reached the NBA Finals would be a challenge he'd be anxious to tackle.

He graduated from McNeese State and played there from 1981-1985. He was born in Shreveport, LA on May 24, 1963 (51) and Pelicans/Saints Owner Tom Benson would love to win a championship in two sports.

Dumars former boss Bill Davidson pulled the trick with the Pistons and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Having a three-time NBA Champion, six-time All-Star, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall Of Fame in 2006 wouldn't be a bad resource with his championship basketball mind.

For Dumars in Detroit, there was a lot of good and some bad. But in the end, Dumars knew his time was coming to an end. His No.4 is retired and without him, the Pistons wouldn't have three championship banners hanging from the rafters at the Palace.

5. While this thought isn't related to the Pistons, it's related to the University of South Florida, My Old Stomping Grounds.

I'm glad that Steve Masiello, 36, completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky.

Manhattan showed a lot of class by putting him on unpaid leave in April because he hadn't earned his degree. When USF ran a background check, it found that Masiello misrepresented himself on his resume, thus it terminated his contract.

Manhattan admitted that Masiello used poor judgement, but didn't intentionally misrepresent himself.

Masiello, who led the Jaspers to a 25-8 record and the NCAA Tournament, and a near upset of Louisville this past season. He has a 60-39 mark with a .606 winning percentage in three seasons as coach.

What Masiello did was nearly commit Career Suicide. It's inevitable he'll leave Manhattan one day for a higher paying job.

We'll never know what he would have accomplished at USF.

But for now, he Owes Manhattan at least 2-3 years because what the Jaspers did by bringing him back and Preserving or Saving His Coaching Career was Priceless.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

NFL Viewpoints

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

1. I was totally touched by the gesture that Jack Meredith, a 32-year old Buffalo Bills fan made when he had a tattoo placed on his right-arm of late Owner Ralph Wilson Jr.

Wilson, who died at the age of 95 in March, was an unbelievable person. I had the pleasure of meeting him during Super Bowl XLIII Week in Tampa when he was selected before the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2009.

When I met Wilson, the only way that I could talk to him was by addressing him as Mr.Wilson. Rest In Peace, Mr. Wilson.

Meredith plans to add another tattoo of Bills legendary QB Jim Kelly next month. Kelly is currently fighting Cancer and recently completed his latest rounds of treatments.

While I have no tattoos nor do I ever have plan to get one, I respect a person that pays tribute to great people with this form of symbolism especially to a pair of local icons.

2. More on the Bills. As much as I know that Donald Trump's involvement led to the downfall of the USFL in the mid 1980's thinking the league could compete against the NFL in the fall, I have to admit that when the team gets sold by the Wilson family, I hope he succeeds in his quest to buy it.

Trump has deep pockets and will turn the Buffalo Bills from a Small to a Big Market team in a New York second. This billionaire will add credibility to this organization and we know that he'll spend good money to get the best players. How many coaches he fires is another story, but he'll be able to land big names.

The only player he won't get will be Herschel Walker as his running back as he did with the New Jersey Generals. But you never know, he could hire him to work in the front office.

3. The best thing that ever happened to former Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel was that he slid to No. 22 overall to the Cleveland Browns. I heard he even sent a text message to the Browns to take him and they traded up to the No.26 spot in the first round to do this.

Have to admit after hearing his recent sound bites, Manziel was humbled that he was passed up 21 times. He said he expects to earn his job and nothing will be handed to him.

This is called Humble Pie, but I have to admit that I'm actually rooting for him to do well. The City of Cleveland isn't a place that most athletes want to go. Even home town NBA legend LeBron James bolted for Miami.

But after Manziel's selection, the Browns sold 1,500 season tickets and will sell plenty more. Manziel dropped because of his off the field baggage as teams wondered if he would be dedicated to football instead of endorsements.

If he performs well in Cleveland, The Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame will make him an Honorary Member.

Time will tell if Manziel ever turns out to be a late first round steal like Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) or Aaron Rogers (Green Bay Packers). But if he performs to his abilities, works at his craft, then there will be 31 teams regretting that they passed on him.

Because of the hype, defensive players will be gunning for him and he'll have a Bulls Eye on his chest.

If the Browns win the Super Bowl, I predict that there will be two Manziel Statues, one on Lake Erie and the other in front of the stadium.

If he becomes a bust, there won't be a bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in nearby Canton, Ohio and the Browns management will be eating "Crow."

4. Not a good time to be an aging NFL Owner.

On March 9, 2014, Lions Owner William Clay Ford died at the age of 88, just five days before his 89 birthday on March 14. During his ownership dating back to 1964, Ford's teams were 310-441-13 with one playoff win. The .441 winning percentage was the worst of a team that existed since 1964.

Aside from one trip to the NFC Championship Game, the closest Ford ever got to a Super Bowl was when Metro Detroit hosted games at the Pontiac Silverdome and Ford Field.

Say what you want about his lack of on field success, but I will say that in an era that if Owners didn't get stadiums built, they'd move their teams out of state, Ford never utilized this hostage tactic with the Lions.

Rest In Peace Mr. Ford.

Sixteen days after Ford's death, the Buffalo Bills lost their Owner Ralph Wilson on March 25, 2014. While Wilson didn't win a Super Bowl, under the direction of QB Kelly, they appeared in four straight championship games.

There is a saying that deaths can happen in threes and that indeed is the case with the passing of Tampa Bay Bucs Owner Malcolm Glazer on May 28, 2014 at the age of 85.

Prior to his ownership, Tampa Bay had won only 87 games in 19 seasons with three playoff appearances under the late Hugh Culverhouse.

That changed with Glazer as Tampa Bay amassed 131 regular season wins, seven playoff appearances and won a Super Bowl. They also built beautiful Raymond James Stadium. He bought the Buccaneers on January 16, 1995.

5. I'm still waiting to see what team will move to Los Angeles. Will it be the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers or the St. Louis Rams? All of these stadium issues have expiring leases and the teams seem to be getting very little cooperation from their respective communities.

I wouldn't even begin to make a prediction, but how does the LA Rams sound? That could happen again and makes a lot of sense since their owner his Southern California ties.

6. While it will be weird not seeing an AFC team on Thanksgiving, the NFL did get it right as CBS took advantage of it's cross-flex option. The South Florida Market, Miami Dolphins, or the return of former Lions Coach Jim Schwartz of the Buffalo Bills weren't good enough story lines.

The Detroit Lions face the Chicago Bears for the first time on the holiday since 1989 at 12:30 p.m..

It will seem like old times with these rivals on CBS when the network used to own the NFC Broadcast Rights.

This brings back memories of the late Pat Summerall and John Madden tandem.

No Brent Musberger, Irv Cross, Phyllis George or Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder on the NFL Today.

The other match-ups aren't bad with the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Chip Kelly led high octane offense of the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox at 4:30 p.m.

NBC gets to show the San Francisco 49'ers new home as they face the Super Bowl Champions Seattle Seahawks at 8:30 p.m.

While all three games should be entertaining, CBS makes out like a bandit getting an old traditional NFC North Rival. They can only hope the Lions under new Coach Jim Caldwell gives them a good offensive show along with additional improvement by QB Matthew Stafford.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

No Repeat Of History at Marlins Park

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

The last time we came to the Orange Bowl Location, history was made.

Henderson Alverez threw the 282nd No-Hitter in MLB History and the fifth since the Marlins were formed in 1993.

This was the first no-hitter that I've ever seen in person.

Miami swept the Detroit Tigers in this three-game series from Sept 27-29 culminating with the season ending finale by Henderson Alverez, photographed celebrating.

Miami would finish the season with a 62-100 record and were 34 games behind first place Atlanta (96-66) in the National League East.

Miami's payroll for this dismal season was $36 Million which was 29th in MLB. This averaged to $1.1 Million per-player.

As I researched this statistic, it was interesting to note that the Detroit Tigers have connections to three of these no-hitters.

On June 10, 1997, the Jim Leyland piloted Florida Marlins, saw pitcher Kevin Brown throw a 9-0 gem defeating the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park.

To win on the road in windy San Francisco should count as two no-hitters.

Current Tiger Anibal Sanchez defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 in the Marlins former home, Joe Robbie Stadium on September 6, 2006.

Leyland was once again a part of a no-hitter, but on the wrong end of it as Alverez defeated Detroit 1-0 on September 29, 2014 at Marlins Park in his last regular season game as Tigers skipper.

Here on May 24, 2014, another former Tiger was on the hill for Miami against the Milwaukee Brewers.

His name is Jacob Turner and he entered the game with an 0-2 mark with a 6.59 ERA.

His no hitter ended in the top of the second inning as Carlos Gomez, photographed twice, doubled to deep right field.

Turner pitched 6.1 innings, gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out two.

His ERA dropped to 5.35 with the outing, leaving the game with a 1-0 lead. Turner threw 89 pitches, 57 for strikes.

Turner would go on and get the win and improved his record to 1-2.

On Friday Night, the Marlins began their Memorial Day Weekend three-game series and with Miami deciding to leave the retractable roof open.

Giancarlo Stanton and Garrett Jones put on a power display by each hitting two homers, all were solo shots but that wasn't enough as Milwaukee pounded Miami 9-5. The paid attendance was 18,989.

Going into Saturday's game, Milwaukee battered the Marlins 20-6 in their last 26 meetings and had a five-game winning streak.

In 2013, Milwaukee was 5-1 against Miami and shutout the Marlins three straight games from July 19-21 in Wisconsin.

The Marlins game on Saturday would be a 4:10 p.m. start by no means a conflict with the Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers just a handful of miles downtown that would begin at 8:30 p.m. at the American Airlines Arena.

There would definitely be no parking issues for this inner city double-header.

There would be No Repeat of what would happen in September. With the temperature 87 degrees on the outside, the only air was the air conditioning.

The Marlins (26-24) defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1. The paid attendance was 25,819. The Brewers dropped to 29-21. Miami snapped it's five-game losing streak to Milwaukee.

Milwaukee still leads the all-time series with the Marlins 60-57, but is 29-34 in South Florida.

On Sunday, Milwaukee ripped Miami 7-1 to improve the all-time series against the Marlins 61-57, and 30-34 in South Florida.

Ryan Braun led the way in this contest by amassing four hits, scoring two runs with one RBI, in front of a paid attendance of 21,897.

The three game series drew a total paid attendance of 66,705 which Milwaukee took two of three.

The only difference between the last time these teams met in South Florida was both were struggling squads.

In 2013, Milwaukee finished 74-88 and dealt with the 65-game suspension of star player Ryan Braun which originated in Miami 7.13 miles and 15 minutes away at the Biogenesis Clinic of America.

He missed a total 86 games, 21 due to a right thumb contusion.

In 2014, Braun, photographed, has quietly put some respectable numbers on the board with a .315 average, seven homers and 23 RBI in 36 games.

In 2014, Milwaukee is currently in first place in the National League Central with a 32-22 record while Miami is close to halfway towards it's win total of 2013 with 28.

The Marlins are 28-25 and they've slightly raised their payroll to 47.5 Million which is still 29th in MLB.

Before the game, I had a chance to speak with Hall of Famer Tony Perez, photographed with me to the left, while former Tigers Pitching Coach Chuck Hernandez holds the same title for Miami.

The former Cincinnati Red legend, Perez looks fantastic at the age of 72 and is a part of the Marlins front office.

This is a young staff that has an ERA of 3.78 and is in contention in the National League East .5 games behind division leading Atlanta 29-25 at the time of this post.

It will be interesting how this young squad progresses and whether the fans fill Marlins Park.

There is still a lot of backlash aimed at Miami Owner Jeffrey Loria who has a new expensive stadium, but has yet to field a competitive team.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

How Saturdays Used To Be Spent

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When Legendary Wrestler "Warrior" died on April 8, 2014, just three days after he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, I was having a conversation at work with a colleague named Keith Klatman joking around about The Sport Of Wrestling.

When I was growing up in Metro Detroit, My Saturday morning programming consisted of The Roller Derby and Big Time Wrestling.

Back in those days, these sports were fake, sideshows and nobody took them seriously.

But boy, they were fun to watch.

As I mentioned Roller Derby names such as Ralph Baladaris and Big Earlene Brown, Klatman's Eyes and Energy Level increased significantly!

He couldn't believe that anybody in his office knew anything about these pseudo sports.

This guy was doing a good job multitasking but couldn't hide his enthusiasm of his childhood. He welcomed these distractions.

Brown was a large African American Woman who used to jump and squash her competitors while Baladaris was a fast and strong little guy. The teams I remembered were the Detroit Bucks and LA Thunderbirds.

Even on the comedy show Sanford and Son, Fred Sanford would talk about watching The Roller Derby quite often.

When I roller skated while I was in my 30's as exercise, I respected these people even more. I was using roller skating as a way to rehabilitate my knees after having two operations on my right knee to rebuild strength.

I never cared about learning the rules of The Roller Derby. It was neat seeing the physicality of the sport and how the fans reacted.

Years ago, The Roller Derby and Big Time Wrestling were held at Cobo Arena and Olympia Stadium in Detroit, MI.

In South Florida, Klatman told me that those events were held at the Hollywood Sportatorium (15,532) in the unincorporated area of Hollywood, FL, which was a two lane road out in the middle of nowhere. He used to attend many of these events.

There were many times I asked my father to take me, but because of his heavy workload with two companies plus he didn't care for these sports, I just watched these events on TV.

I eventually saw a wrestling match about 20 years ago at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida, during The Broward County Fair and enjoyed it.

But long before there was Warrior, Hulk Hogan and many others, I remember the Good Old Days of Wrestling when Lord Layton, Pompero Firpo, the dynamic tag team tandem of Louis Martinez & Flying Fred Curry, The Shiek, Great Kabooki, a Japanese wrestler, Dandy Dan Miller, Andre The Giant, and Dick The Bruiser.

The Shiek was known for throwing fire into his opponents faces while Kabooki with his painted face would do a pre-match ritual, then sneak up on his opponents and attack them. Once the opponent overcame the attack, Kabooki would get pounded and put his hands up seeking mercy, but wouldn't get it. Kabooki would continuously get hammered. He like many wrestlers was the recipient of choke holds.

The Shiek had a manager named Eddie Kriechman, whose mouth was so loud when bragging about his wrestlers, especially the Shiek, that he would make famous boxing trainer Don King seem like he's shy. We all know that King is definitely not quiet.

Kriechman could wake up a dead person.

Miller was known for The Arm Claw Hold and believe it or not, if I get into a fight, I use this and let me tell you, it works.

When I was growing up, the road to a wrestling career was life after football.

This is another topic for another time.

But in the case of Dick The Bruiser, otherwise known as William Fritz Afflis, he played for Purdue University then for the Green Bay Packers as a lineman in the early 1950's.

Dick The Bruiser put wrestling on the map during the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's.

Dick The Bruiser died on November 10, 1991 at the age of 62 in Tampa, FL. Apparently he was weightlifting at home with his adopted son Jon Carney and ruptured a blood vessel in his esophagus.

The Warrior's death appears to be an all too familiar one. He died of a heart attack caused by heart disease.

Let's face the facts, during this era, there is no doubt that wrestling is dominated by steroids.

I'm not implying that Warrior used them, but passing away at the age of 54 with his obvious size and stature speaks for itself. He died a millionaire but his life ended way too soon in Scottsdale, Arizona.

But now it's time to let the mind wander.

Could you imagine what a Dick The Bruiser vs Hulk Hogan (6-7, 302) or Warrior match would be worth on Pay Per-View these days?

How would Dick The Bruiser do against Ric Flair or Dusty Rhodes?

I never thought that to see a wrestling card on pay-per-view prices would range from $50-100. This
was and is unheard of.

Today, Professional Wrestling is a Billion Dollar Industry.

But welcome to 2014.

This is an era where Mixed Martial Arts has surpassed Boxing and Wrestling's popularity continues to reach new heights with interest and massive pay days for it's participants.

Hulk Hogan's appearance in Rocky III was a big boom for wrestling.

Yet, by the same token, there is a price to pay from a health standpoint.

It's amazing how the death of an incredible wrestler would bring up memories of a sport that nobody cared about years ago.

But I have to admit, just talking to Klatman did remind me of How Saturdays Used To Be Spent as I watched these matches growing up in Southfield, MI.

If My father had sold weightlifting equipment at his former sporting goods store, All Pro Sporting Goods in Oak Park, Michigan, I might have been able to entice him to go to Olympia Stadium or Cobo Arena.

Back in Detroit, it's impossible to compete for the entertainment dollar when living in a major sports town with the Red Wings, Tigers, Lions and Pistons, then add the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans.

Although in this day and age, I'd be curious to see if these matches would be popular again at home.

In the meantime, it's still great thinking about How Saturdays Used To Be Spent.

It's only fitting that I'm writing this story on a Saturday, when years ago from 9-Noon, I would be watching these programs either on a Black And White or Color Television.

Yes, i said a Black And White Television, something this generation would never relate to.

Long before cable, when there were only 5-6 television stations to watch. Now there are hundreds, plus streaming on the internet.

In Detroit, we had 7 stations since Windsor, Canada, was across the border. We had the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Guess I'm getting a bit older.

But not too old to remember the great memories of the past and How Saturday s Used To Be Spent.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Red Wings GM Ken Holland

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

On Monday February 24, 2014, I decided to put Detroit Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland into My Detroit Mt. Rushmore for Detroit Front Office Executives.

On Wednesday, Holland proved why he deserved to be on this list by acquiring Center David Legwand from the Nashville Predators in the final minutes of the NHL's trade deadline. It was a move designed to bolster a position which has been decimated by injuries. It showed the city and his team that he wants to maintain the winning tradition. No fire sales and selling, just buying.

Before the Olympic Break, I had the opportunity to speak with Holland in this Q & A Interview about some of the latest developments with the Red Wings when Detroit played the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center.

Q: Are you relieved that the Red Wings will be taking future face offs in a new stadium?

A: Yes. It's a big step. It's really important because it allows our organization, franchise and city to remain competitive in the NHL.

Q: What do you think the new facility should look like?

A: One of the benefits of being one of the last buildings built is the opportunity to tour a lot of the buildings. I know the people from the Ilitch family and the people they have hired have taken the opportunity to go tour, plus the hockey people like Myself and Coach Mike Babcock, have suggested some of the good things we like in certain buildings.

Hopefully, we can take the best of all the buildings. I know they've asked other buildings if you could do things differently, what would you do? A state-of-the-art stadium would be fantastic not only again for our team and city, but it will really help in the re-vitalization of Downtown Detroit.

Q: Ken, I'm an old school guy, have you heard anything about Olympia being used in the name of the new arena? Olympia Stadium would sound great!

A: I haven't gotten involved in the conversations. I will say this. The history of the Red Wings is very important to our ownership. We're one of the few franchises that we don't have a third jersey. We've done very little tinkering with our jersey.

When the Ilitches bought the team in the early 1980's, they wanted to have the history and respect it. So I'm sure those things will be discussed and talked about. The history of our team will be up front first and foremost.

Q: But do you have a gut feeling, and I'm just asking you for a gut feeling, whether Olympia would be a part of the name?

A: I don't really know. At the end of the day, you can name some rooms and other parts of the building different things. In this day and age there is naming rights. I don't know if they're looking at naming rights.

My thing is to keep the Red Wings competitive on the ice. We do go to regular meetings. They've asked our input in the designing of the locker room. We want a state-of-the-art locker room as we go on the road and see other locker rooms.

They ask us what I like about different rinks in the NHL. It's not my job on a day to day basis.

Will Olympia be in the name? I really have no idea.

Q: Since I live in South Florida, the Miami Marlins recently built a new stadium on the site of the historical Orange Bowl. Did you ever hear if the old Tiger Stadium site was ever considered?

A: I don't know. I'm sure the planning started 4,5,6,7 years ago. I'm not sure what was ever considered. Someone did there work that made the current location the best sense. I'm sure there were a lot of great areas and opportunities. You have to buy land, the city made a major move by doing some re-zoning, had to put parcels of land that they owned with the development package. I'm not sure what was ever considered.

One good thing about this location is it's close to Comerica Park, Ford Field and more of these big venues brings people downtown. You can start by having bars and restaurants then younger people start moving downtown. Build out from there. One of the advantages of this location is it's closer to other locations.

I moved to Detroit in 1994, and what's good about this is we can start by bringing energy and different businesses. The city can go from there.

It's important to have a Downtown District in every city in the USA and Canada for that matter.

Detroit is on the way back. It takes time to kind of lose your sex appeal and it takes awhile to build back your sex appeal. The people of Michigan and Detroit are going through the process to get Detroit back to what it is. It's one of the great cities in America.

Q: Now we can move on to some easier hockey questions and we'll start with the Red Wings move to the Eastern Conference. Some thoughts?

A: It's going to be fantastic for us. It's going to take time. Other than Toronto, Montreal, and the other "Original Six" teams, (Boston and NY Rangers) to go along with the Pittsburgh Penguins, whom we played in the finals twice in 2008 and 2009; the other teams we played once a year and in some years we didn't play them.

Even though Anaheim is on the West Coast, we had a good relationship/rivalry with them because of the playoff match-ups through the years. I think it's going to be awesome with us being in the Eastern Conference. It's going to take 2-4 years to build up relationships and rivalries with some of these cities beyond the "Original Six."

Q: Now that you're not switching time zones as much, would you say that the team will benefit with more practices with less travel wear and tear?

A: I don't know that the 82-game regular season in the Western Conference was that bad. We have our own private airplane. The schedule makers did work with us.

The wear and tear was in the playoffs. In a seven game series in California, you're flying back and forth. If you're fortunate enough to win the series, there could be another seven game series to Western Canada going back and forth.

As we go forward, and we're able to make the playoffs, there will be less wear and tear in the Eastern Conference. We'll build up more rivalries, plus there will be more road games in prime-time on TV for our fans in Detroit. Fans love rivalries. We have Toronto and Montreal that go back in the beginning of time.

Hopefully, over the next 10-15 years, we'll have playoff series with Tampa Bay, Florida, Washington, and another with Pittsburgh. The more playoff series you're in with both cities, there is a build-up of emotional energy for that team which is good going forward.

Q: Would you say that the early returns to the Eastern Conference are good?

A: I love it!

Q: Let's talk about your Coach Mike Babcock. With a 22-year playoff streak on the line trying to reach 23, is this one of his best coaching jobs?

A: He did a tremendous job last year with a lot of people out. He kept us afloat structure.

This year, he's played a lot of kids. This has been a great year for our team because we're set-up going forward. If we didn't have the injuries, we wouldn't know about Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, and Tomas Jurco.

They've had opportunities. We count on these guys night after night after night. Hopefully, our organization will be much deeper in March than we were in November. When we head into the off-season, we have to make a decision about our team. We've watched these kids play.

We played in Vancouver and Sheahan went head-to-head against Ryan Kesler a world class player. You normally don't get that opportunity to watch these players play in those situations.

But this year, we have.

The Red Wings (29-21-13) get to showcase their young talent on Sunday as Detroit faces the New York Rangers (34-26-4) in Madison Square Garden on NBC at 12:30 pm.

Another "Original Six" match-up with both teams driving to make the playoffs in The Big Apple.

Despite the fact that Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk will be out for an extended period of time, this team will only get scarier in the playoffs upon their return.

The only curiosities that I have at the moment are the progression of these kids and how much Legwand contributes. But being a hometown player despite Legwand's pending free agency, I couldn't imagine Holland making a trade for a rental especially for a guy that waived his no-trade clause to come home.

As much as I used to enjoy watching Lions Hall of Fame Running Back Barry Sanders march to the top of the all-time rushing chart, I am looking forward to seeing how many teams the Red Wings pass if they're able to get a a red hot streak.

We've all heard the phrase being "Thrown into the Fire," these kids are definitely getting "On the Job Training" at the highest level in the NHL and the rest of the teams know it.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.