About

It all started for me in the 70s when the Bird was on the mound and Ralph Houk was the manager.   

I got my love of sports from my mom. She was a native New Yorker and a huge baseball fan. She moved to town after college, met my dad and stayed here.  She loved all the Detroit teams, especially the Tigers. We listened to ALL the games on the radio Ernie and Paul were ALWAYS on. Whenever George and Al were on TV, I watched those games. First game I ever went to was against Kansas City. Saw Fred Patek at short and Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrbosky pitch in relief.

Coming off the Jeff Komolo Experience, the Lions got Billy Sims and I just thought the way he ran was the greatest thing I ever saw.  The time he karate kicked that guy from the Oilers and knocked over the Gatorade table in frustration was epic. Probably fair to say this team has collectively have had more WTF? moments in our lives.

I remember Bruce Martyn screaming  "Reed Larson with a drive!" while Willie Huber and Corrado Micalef tried to turn that dumpster fire around. It was a damn good thing Mr I and Stevie Y showed up when they did.

Of course, Zeke and Kelly T got things going here for the Pistons (Remember Tripucka doing those Kelly Tire commercials on Channel 50?) I had no clue trading Phil Hubbard and Tall Paul Mokeski for BIll Laimbeer would be such a good deal.

To me, the final thing that puts Detroit ahead of every other sports city is that we have powerhouse collegiate sports teams as well. Michigan and Michigan State have won their titles, too. Rivals, for sure, but that's what makes college sports great. 

I love reminiscing about random players: Hiram Bocachica! Brook Steppe! And all the times we got screwed – from the Armando Galarraga no-hitter to Calvin's "process of the catch."

I once saw Allan Trammell at the grocery store. Saw Kirk Gibson at a Beastie Boys concert (Random!) Met Bob Probert at a bar in Windsor while he was suspended. Bob Lanier even declined to give me an autograph because he told me that people sold them.

Since I’ve been a fan, all our teams have made it to the mountain top-except for the Lions, which, we are all painfully aware of. All of us Detroit fans live and die with our teams and I wanted to make shirts that capture the feeling of our day-to-day, year-to-year, season-to-season hope and excitement.