Professional Sports in Detroit

By Abbey Skyler


The city of Detroit has for some time been known as Motor City. Serving as the home of Ford Motor Company and Chrysler, Detroit has an exciting history as the center of the American auto industry. Many individuals may not realize the esteemed sporting history the city of Detroit enjoys. Top sports in Detroit play a very important role in the city of Detroit, both as an economic provider and source of entertainment and city pride.

Tigers Baseball in Detroit

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

Rockers Soccer in Detroit

Despite lacking a representative club in America's premier soccer league (MLS), soccer in Detroit has still been well represented in the past. The Detroit has been home to two pro 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 started play as members of the Major Indoor Soccer League before joining the Xtreme Soccer League.

Lions Football in Detroit

NFL in the Motor City has a history just about as esteemed as that of baseball in Detroit. Detroit's Lions represent Detroit as members of the North Division in the National Football Conference in the N. F. L. The Lions began play in 1929 as the Portsmouth Spartans in Portsmouth, Ohio. Throughout the climax 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 finish of the 2011 NFL season with a 10-6 record. The Lions are currently set to play soccer at Ford Field in downtown Detroit.

Red Wings Hockey in Detroit

No discourse about sports and the city of Detroit would be complete without addressing the impact of hockey on Detroit. The Detroit Red Wings have been playing major league hockey in the city of Detroit since 1926 and the franchise was a founding member of the NHL's Original Six. The accolades the franchise has earned are so numerous it might be unlikely to name them all. The Red Wings have the most Stanley Cup titles of any franchise based in the U.S. with eleven and are only trialing the Maple Leafs and Canadiens, both Canadian teams. The Red Wings missed the NHL playoffs just four times between the 1934-35 and 1965-66 seasons. Currently the franchise has made the postseason in 25 of the last 27 seasons, including 20 straight appearances. The Red Wings play all regular season home games at Joe Louis Arena.




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