Mike Ilitch RIP

[CanadaJohn]

Sad to see the passing of a great man in the sports world. Mike Ilitch was the type of owner that sports fans around the world would die to have own their favourite team(s). As owner of the Red Wings and Tigers in Detroit, he put a lot of time and effort into making those two franchises always relevant in their respective sports and always contenders. He was also a great patron for the often downtrodden City of Detroit. He was planning to open a new hockey arena there next season.

My thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends and admirers in North American sports.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...izza-mogul-owner-of-detroit-tigers-dies-at-87

 

[Redress]

Sad to see the passing of a great man in the sports world. Mike Ilitch was the type of owner that sports fans around the world would die to have own their favourite team(s). As owner of the Red Wings and Tigers in Detroit, he put a lot of time and effort into making those two franchises always relevant in their respective sports and always contenders. He was also a great patron for the often downtrodden City of Detroit. He was planning to open a new hockey arena there next season.

My thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends and admirers in North American sports.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...izza-mogul-owner-of-detroit-tigers-dies-at-87

There is already talk of renaming the arena after him. The thing with Illitch and his family is that they are pure class. When Wings defenseman Vladamir Konstantinov was permanently injured in a car accident following the Wings cup win(he and a couple others had a limo so they would not have to worry about driving drunk. Unfortunately, the limo driver apparently was drunk), he talked to Konstantinov's wife, told her that if she ever needed anything, call them, and that he would be taken care of for life. Konstantinov still lives in Detroit.

How legendary owner Mike Ilitch made Detroit 'Hockeytown'

The Ilitches long had loved hockey - their sons played it - and they sponsored youth hockey in the Detroit area starting in 1968 with the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey Program. Buying the Wings was realizing a dream.

Devellano, now a senior vice-president with the organization, was hired as general manager by the Ilitches. He recalls having lunch with them on July 12, 1982, when Marian Ilitch wondered how many season ticket holders the team had. "The answer was 2100," Devellano said.

That soon changed.

"Mike Ilitch was all in, to put it mildly," Devellano said.

Within two years, the Wings were back in the playoffs. They missed again in 1986, but in 1987, Joe Louis Arena throbbed with fans as the Wings advanced three rounds before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the conference finals. A decade later, the Wings won back-to-back Stanley Cups, and Ilitch's reputation as a generous owner became legendary.

Steve Yzerman 'extremely saddened' by death of Mike Ilitch | Tampa Bay Times

"Both Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch, as well as their entire family, have had an immeasurable impact on not only my career, but my life," Yzerman said in a statement. "Going back to the age of 18 when I arrived in Detroit, the guidance, generosity, concern and love Mr, Ilitch had always shown me and my family are things I will forever be grateful for.

“I was extremely fortunate to have played my entire career for a man who's love of hockey and burning desire to win were the catalysts which drove the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cup Championships after purchasing the team in 1982.

“Mr. Ilitch has left an incredible legacy in baseball, hockey and Metropolitan Detroit. He will forever be
remembered for all the ways he enriched our lives. Mike Ilitch will live on vividly in my mind and heart forever.”

 

[haymarket]

A little personal story about Mike Ilitch. My wife used to work at the same school in 2001 and one of her friends became the mother in law of Mike's son Chris Ilitch. On October 134, 2001 - just a month after the 911 events, we attended their wedding at the FOX Theater in Detroit along with about 1200 other people. It was amazing in all ways you can imagine with the stage extended over twenty rows into the theater to accommodate everyone. We ate at these big round tables with actual Christmas tree size centerpieces that were about five feet tall. Later in the evening Mr and Mrs Ilitch personally went around the place and we were thanked for coming to his sons wedding. Total class. He made you feel like you were doing him the honor.

He will me missed in Detroit.

 

[calamity]

Sad to see the passing of a great man in the sports world. Mike Ilitch was the type of owner that sports fans around the world would die to have own their favourite team(s). As owner of the Red Wings and Tigers in Detroit, he put a lot of time and effort into making those two franchises always relevant in their respective sports and always contenders. He was also a great patron for the often downtrodden City of Detroit. He was planning to open a new hockey arena there next season.

My thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends and admirers in North American sports.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...izza-mogul-owner-of-detroit-tigers-dies-at-87

When I lived in Detroit back in the 80's, Mike turned around the Wings and Tigers. Not an easy feat. RIP Mike.

 

[ocean515]

Sad to see the passing of a great man in the sports world. Mike Ilitch was the type of owner that sports fans around the world would die to have own their favourite team(s). As owner of the Red Wings and Tigers in Detroit, he put a lot of time and effort into making those two franchises always relevant in their respective sports and always contenders. He was also a great patron for the often downtrodden City of Detroit. He was planning to open a new hockey arena there next season.

My thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends and admirers in North American sports.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...izza-mogul-owner-of-detroit-tigers-dies-at-87

Many years ago, I made my first call on Little Caesars' Pizza on Woodward Ave in Detroit. Housed in the upper floors of the Fox Theater, I was excited to finally be going to the center of my automotive obsession, Detroit, Michigan.

Absolute shock ran through me as I traversed through the devastation of downtown Detroit. It was as if Armageddon had been visited upon the city.

And then there, amidst the boarded up store fronts, abandoned cars, and empty lots, sat this spectacular relic of a bygone era, the Fox Theater.

His complete restoration of the mighty Fox Theater was his way of telling the world Detroit was not dead.

I later learned of Mike Ilitch's devotion to the city and the passion he had to try and create a Renaissance that would bring a once great city back from the ashes.

Sad to learn of his passing. Detroit has lost a true holder of the flame.

 

[Grand Mal]

Sad to see the passing of a great man in the sports world. Mike Ilitch was the type of owner that sports fans around the world would die to have own their favourite team(s). As owner of the Red Wings and Tigers in Detroit, he put a lot of time and effort into making those two franchises always relevant in their respective sports and always contenders. He was also a great patron for the often downtrodden City of Detroit. He was planning to open a new hockey arena there next season.

My thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends and admirers in North American sports.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...izza-mogul-owner-of-detroit-tigers-dies-at-87

He made the Wings one of the classiest franchises in sports. Anywhere.

 

[JC Callender]

He was all in with his teams and I was often surprised at how easily they seemed to end up with great players. It obviously took money, but it's not like Detroit is a desirable location. We had Porcello, Verlander, and Scherzer on the same team, with Miggy! And of course the awesome Wings teams. Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of either baseball or hockey, so I could only wish the Lions has such a great owner. RIP Mike.

 

[Redress]

Sad to see the passing of a great man in the sports world. Mike Ilitch was the type of owner that sports fans around the world would die to have own their favourite team(s). As owner of the Red Wings and Tigers in Detroit, he put a lot of time and effort into making those two franchises always relevant in their respective sports and always contenders. He was also a great patron for the often downtrodden City of Detroit. He was planning to open a new hockey arena there next season.

My thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends and admirers in North American sports.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...izza-mogul-owner-of-detroit-tigers-dies-at-87

Best story ever about him: Little Caesars founder quietly paid Rosa Parks' rent for years - CNN.com

Shortly after her famed defiance of segregation sparked the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, Parks moved to Detroit and became an important presence in the city for years afterward.
But in 1994, Parks was robbed and assaulted in her home at the age of 81.
Keith, himself an important legal figure in the civil rights movement, worked to find Parks a new, safer apartment at the Riverfront Apartments in Detroit, according to the Sports Business Daily.
Ilitch read the story in the newspaper and called Keith, offering to pay for Parks' housing indefinitely. With no fanfare, Ilitch continued paying for the apartment until Parks died in 2005, Keith said.

 

[CanadaJohn]

Best story ever about him: Little Caesars founder quietly paid Rosa Parks' rent for years - CNN.com

Awesome!!

I was also impressed that he offered any military person who received an honorable discharge from their service assistance in opening up a Little Caesar's franchise to give them a leg up on making it once their service time was up.

A great guy - Detroit will miss him - hope his extended family continues the same level of contribution, but children seldom have the same passion and outlook as their parents did.

 

[Redress]

Awesome!!

I was also impressed that he offered any military person who received an honorable discharge from their service assistance in opening up a Little Caesar's franchise to give them a leg up on making it once their service time was up.

A great guy - Detroit will miss him - hope his extended family continues the same level of contribution, but children seldom have the same passion and outlook as their parents did.

They talked last night that in one case, a vet who came back minus legs was given a franchise outright. That particular franchise recently celebrated it's 5th year open.

 

[CanadaJohn]

They talked last night that in one case, a vet who came back minus legs was given a franchise outright. That particular franchise recently celebrated it's 5th year open.

Cool. I love that kind of story, and the Rosa Parks story, much more than all the fancy Bill Gates Foundation stuff, etc., that is basically a vanity play on charity. Looks like the Ilitch's made it a part of their lives to use their good fortune to reach down and touch the lives of others less fortunate in very personal and meaningful ways. Again, just awesome.