yave1964 Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 My Grandfather was from Pontiac Michigan and settled in central Ohio in the late fifties when GM opened a new plant in Ontario Ohio but the saying is, you can take the Wolverine out of Michigan but no the Michigan out of a Wolverine, or some such. He went home to visit family off and on throughout the rest of his life, most of the visits centered around sporting events and after the mid sixties his new best friend namely me would tag along. He always swore I went to a Tigers game in 68 the year they won the series but as I was only three I do not remember it. He and my Uncle who was a huge sports fan used to tell me that I watched Gordie Howe play as well but I was too young. I do remember going to the old Olympia, watching a very bad Wings club with Danny Grant as my first hero, my grandfather told me that Dionne would be a superstar but a year later when Dionne was among the leagues first free agents and went to the Kings the love affair ended. The Wings went from bad to worse to even worse and the three and a half hour drive became less frequent in the winter. I do remember my first visit to the Joe, it was within a few years of the Joe opening, my Grandfather and Uncle rode up front in an old station wagon, I rode in the back along with two cousins, we were all in our teens by then, we faced backwards and the back window was rolled down for the trip, we smoked and told dirty jokes and lied about girls all the way up. I think I was the only one of the three in the back who had even a smattering of interest in the game. We lost. The Wings lost a lot back then, I remember it was against the Rangers, USA Gold winning coach Herb Brooks was out there coaching the Rangers and Ron Duguay with his perm flowing in the breeze, I had no idea that a few years later he would play for Detroit and be a favorite of mine. At the time I hated his showboating. I believe that Bob Suave was in net for the good guys, I remember Reed Larson who was a favorite of mine because it was shortly after the Miracle on Ice when it was discovered for the first time that you could play Hockey even if you were born in the USA and not the frozen North and Larson was from Minnesota so he was a favorite of mine with his blistering tfrom the blue line. Someone got into a fight, it might have been big Jim Schoenfeld or maybe Greg Smith. I remember Duguay getting penalized for a trip and laughing and smiling on his way to the box, the fans were hating him that day. A few other 'cousins' who we only saw whenever the family went north were there as well, it may have been the last time I can remember ever seeing any of them. Grandpa and Uncle Joe drank with their family/friends who met us at the game, they drank a lot and then drove home with three teens hanging out the back window of a station wagon waving at truckers and trying to get girls who we passed to notice us and not realizing the absurdity of the situation. The men even stopped at a bar for one more after we crossed into Ohio. It was a different World. Looking back it was a wonder any of us even survived the trip, lol. Sports ties us into the fabric of the world, it helps to pinpoint a day and time and remind you of things that otherwise would soon be forgotten. That is why to this day when I go to a game I always try to take one or more of the kids/grandkids along. No drinking though and no hanging out the back window of a station wagon. I am 52 years old now and may have memories from a few games mixed up in my head and have half of this information wrong but I think I got most of it right. We lost something like 5-1 or 6-1. It was an ugly game. It was an ugly team, the Wings back then made this years club look like Stanley Cup contenders. I am gonna miss the Joe and all the memories, the dozens of games that I attended, watching the All Star game on Television with Gordie returning, watching Brodeur stick it to us in 1995 and the Wings sweep the Capitals and Flyers back to back, seeing Shanny and Yzerman collapse in joy when we bested the Canes in 2002, watching every minute of Lidstrom's brilliant career. Beating the Pens in 2008 and losing to them in 2009. Literally thousands fo fans showing up when the team was on the road to watch playoff games on the jumbotron. So many memories. It is going to be like losing an old friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfondajane Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Your last statement was the way I felt about the Civic/ Mellon Arena! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpikeDDS Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Of all the things I'll miss, the smell is one. The horn is another. Even if they took the same horn into Pizzarena, I don't think it would sound the same because the acoustics will be different. My favorite memories at the Joe were actually before they were great. I could leave dental school, drive to the Joe, go to the ticket window on game day and pick up a press seat ticket. They would have a few single tickets for the press that would go unused, so I would pay and get a GREAT seat! Did that a number of times. I don't think I could get away with that now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted March 15, 2017 Author Share Posted March 15, 2017 2 hours ago, SpikeDDS said: Of all the things I'll miss, the smell is one. The horn is another. Even if they took the same horn into Pizzarena, I don't think it would sound the same because the acoustics will be different. My favorite memories at the Joe were actually before they were great. I could leave dental school, drive to the Joe, go to the ticket window on game day and pick up a press seat ticket. They would have a few single tickets for the press that would go unused, so I would pay and get a GREAT seat! Did that a number of times. I don't think I could get away with that now. Yeah I think the first year or two that Illich owned the team he gave a car away almost every home game just to get people in the building. By then I was grown and in the Army living in Germany but still rabidly followed the boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpikeDDS Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 On March 14, 2017 at 8:01 PM, yave1964 said: Yeah I think the first year or two that Illich owned the team he gave a car away almost every home game just to get people in the building. By then I was grown and in the Army living in Germany but still rabidly followed the boys. That was back in the day! Were you able to watch games on "The Zvie"? ;-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 I have some unique memories of the Joe. I've only been to a few hockey games there, before I was banned from the US. Went to a memorable New Years eve game between the Wings and Hawks in the early 80's. Kinda sucked because midnight was spent on the Tunnel bus coming back. I remember it being a good game, but don't remember the score. I have some special memories of the Joe, as a young 14 year old, I'd go down to my favourite spot at our riverfront and watch the Joe methodically being built in the spring and summer of 1979.This was before cams and the net, so it was neat to watch the cranes and the construction workers doing their thing. I used to have my Mom make me a lunch and I'd go down to our beautiful riverfront parks and watch the whole thing. This always gave me a special feeling about the Joe. The other thing that stands out is the name. Well before corporate greed moved into the arena names, the Joe Louis MEANT something. It was a standing tribute to one of the greatest boxers of all time, and a beloved Detroit native. All those years, Mr.I could have given in to greed, changed the name, let a multi-billion dollar corporation take over the name, hell...even HIS Little Cesears, but he alwasy resisted. People don't talk about that enough, he passed on MILLIONS of dollars to let that name stand, to honour the GREAT Joe Louis, that says a lot about Mr.I.....a LOT> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 3 hours ago, jammer2 said: The other thing that stands out is the name. Well before corporate greed moved into the arena names, the Joe Louis MEANT something. It was a standing tribute to one of the greatest boxers of all time, and a beloved Detroit native. All those years, Mr.I could have given in to greed, changed the name, let a multi-billion dollar corporation take over the name, hell...even HIS Little Cesears, but he alwasy resisted. People don't talk about that enough, he passed on MILLIONS of dollars to let that name stand, to honour the GREAT Joe Louis, that says a lot about Mr.I.....a LOT> That IS something that should be mentioned more. Very honorable of one of the great owners of all time. Another reason to salute Mr. illitch. You got banned from the US? LMAO! (hopefully it's a funny story...God I hate that countrys Customs...no other country I've been to makes you feel like a criminal like our good neighbors power trippin' customs officers ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 Damn i'm getting old.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 How cool is THIS....Bob Probert's widow Dani Probert spread some of Bob's ashes in the Penalty Box at the Joe during the last game....that is just AWESOME!! http://www.windsorstar.com/sports/hockey/ashes+late+enforcer+probert+spread+penalty/13294807/story.html Needless to say, I'm sure Bob approves from his perch up there.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kings Redeem LA Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 My brother got to see a game at the Joe right before its closure. He contacted me with a pic of the scene, saying he wished he could share the moment with our pops and me. I'm sorry I never got inside or even near the place, but I'm glad for the many who did. I, too, have bemoaned how ridiculous and ubiquitous corporate influence has become. I get that stadiums are great for advertising, but it's pathetic when ads obscure the viewing experience by flashing on the plexiglass above goalies, when some teams' venues change their names every year or two to keep up with the latest company owner. Corporate sponsorship has gotten so that it seems damned near every segment within a game has some commercial sponsor. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets to where we're gonna have announcements like These player hydration breaks sponsored by Gatorade, These stacked player towels brought to you by Disney's Moana beach towel, This unexpected ass scratch on camera brought to you by Nikon, and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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