A Day in Detroit - Tribe/Tigers and the Stanley Cup

[tbone]

Late in getting this up on the boards, but I figured it would be a pleasant distraction from the infirmary at Carnegie and Ontario.

Deadspin and other blogs mentioned the travels of the Stanley Cup over the weekend, here's what we saw.

The DiaTribe/TCF's own Mr. Cousineau, myself and another buddy (CBadd) ventured up to Motown last Saturday to see our buddy who had recently up there and take in the ballgame. Well, once the ballgame was a lost cause we decided to meet up (we were scattered in different parts of Comerica) at Chris Chelios' bar, Cheli's, which is comparable to Thirsty Parrot, as it's just outside the park in left field, but even closer.

We get to Cheli's and there's a commotion in the outside part of the bar. We soon learn a handful of Red Wings, two of which threw out the first pitch, were on the band stage sharing the Stanley Cupwith the fans. For a good half hour (at least) they were either taking turns hoisting up the Cup or filling it with beers and letting the fans drink from it. Detroit fan was LOVING it. So this went on for 30-45 minutes, then they moved up to the rooftop of the place, and spent another half hour saluting the fans from up there and spraying the crowd below with bubbly. Sidebar, the band who played after the party moved offstage were a fantastic "oldies" cover band, who were lead by an Art Alexakis (Everclear) lookalike.

After watching this for a while, I run inside to use the john, only to see the party had moved inside and the Wings are standing on the bar inside doing the hoisting and/or drinking out of the Cup thing again. We watched it for another 20-30 minutes, and ended up heading out to get something to eat (at Pizza Papalis... great pie there BTW). In the Detroit Free Press the next day they said the Cup took a spill at some pointand had a dent in it that had to be banged out.

I'm no hockey fan, but it was among the cooler things I've ever witnessed.

Well, here's all the pictures. Some are, well... 12 hours into the night at the upstairs of The Old Shillelagh, we'll say, so be kind. (sadly, they turned the downstairs into a "club" but Billy and Jerry still are playing the upstairs every weekend night. I hit them up every time I'm in town)

http://flickr.com/photos/timmybennett/s ... 515708055/

and some short videos as well...

outside 1
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-Xb3ObSGNlc

outside 2
http://youtube.com/watch?v=17TON0QBSvc

inside 1
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k1VZS0fo0_A

inside 2
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WZouVAzFdJc

[buckeyehoppy]

T-Bone...I'm jealous...you had an audience with The Stanley Cup!!!...dayum!!!

Very nice, indeed. The Cup is the greatest trophy in sports. It's awesome to even be in the same room with the thing. I remember going to the Hockey HOF in Toronto a few years back and posing with the Cup. Great experience!

You had a chance to see it in a much more relaxed setting. Good for you!

[TOTribeFan]

Holy CRAP!!! I was there too! I saw the whole thing, and I have to agree that although I am NOT a Wings fan (I'm from Toronto), it was a very cool impromptu event. We stumbled upon it after having dinner at Hockeytown. I have pics and video of the whole thing as well, and they are a great memory....