Blog posts by category: Sports
Category: Sports
Posted by Susan R. Pollack (The Detroit News) on Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 1:06 PMFollow Detroit Red Wings to Toronto and Hockey Hall of Fame festivities
For Detroit hockey fans, Toronto is the place to be Nov. 6-9 when the city's Hockey Hall of Fame honors legendary former Detroit Red Wings Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman.
The trio, along with Brian Leetch and Lou Lamoriello, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame museum, and the induction weekend activities include a
* "Meet the Detroit Red Wings" free team autograph signing
* A Hockey Hall of Fame game at Air Canada Centre between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs
* A "Legends Classic" hockey game between Canadian and World hockey legends
* The Induction Ceremony Gala . Check here for ticket information . Weekend hotel packages start at $99 Canadian per night at www.SeeTorontoNow.com (check here)
Through Jan. 15, the Hockey Hall of Fame features the first North American showing of a comprehensive collection of Olympic Medals --- 137 from 46 Olympic Games dating back to 1896.
Even without tickets to the Induction weekend games, Red Wings fans may catch the hockey action at the city's top sports restaurant and bars, recommended by Toronto tourism representatives:
* Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant: This upscale sports bar and restaurant doubles as a museum-like tribute to number 99, Canada's living hockey legend. www.gretzkys.com
* Harbour Sports Grille: With more than 50 TVs and two big screens, this sports bar is a magnet for ardent Toronto sports fans. www.harboursportsgrille.com
* Loose Moose Tap & Grill: Located steps away from Air Canada Centre, the Loose Moose is always packed on hockey night. www.theloosemoose.ca
* Shoeless Joes, Harbourfront: This sports-themed, casual dining restaurant is located on Toronto's waterfront. www.shoelessjoes.ca
* The Bottom Line Restaurant & Bar: Steps away from the Hockey Hall of Fame and Air Canada Centre, this bar is ground zero for downtown sports action. www.bottomlinerestaurant.com
* Grace O'Malley's Restaurant and Bar: Serves up globally-influence pub fare and offers visitors a chance to experience the Canadian obsession with hockey. www.gracies.ca
* Irish Embassy Pub & Grill: Catch the game on four plasma screens in an imposing 19th-century bank building located in Toronto's central finance district. www.irishembassypub.com
* Madison Avenue Pub: Locally referred to as 'The Maddy', this iconic Toronto pub is the latest spot to catch the game with a spectacular new sports lounge. www.madisonavenuepub.com
* The Foxes Den Bar and Grill: Tucked in among high-end boutiques, museums and galleries, this spot caters to Toronto's more laidback sports fans. www.foxesdenbar.com
* The Keating Channel Pub & Grill: Take in the game on the pub's giant screen satellite system; www.keatingchannelpub.com
Category: Sports
Posted by Susan R. Pollack (The Detroit News) on Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 6:05 PMFollow the Detroit Red Wings to Columbus Arena District this week
Fans following the Detroit Red Wings into enemy territory -- Columbus -- next week can plan some of their fun in advance. Just check out the Arena District Web site here to find out what's happening in the downtown neighborhood around Nationwide Arena. The Stanley Cup 1st Round playoff action against the Columbus Blue Jackets heats up at 7 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday.
If you have time and want to eat somewhere other than the stadium, the Arena District offers numerous restaurants, including such familiar names as BD's Mongolian Barbeque, Buca di Beppo Italian, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Max & Erma's.
Personally, I'd rather try some of the lesser-known in Michigan spots, such as Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, The Big Bang, R Bar, O'Shaughnessy's Public House, Ted's Montana Grill, Cotters or The Frog Bear & Wild Boar Bar nightclub.
Most district restaurants are hosting viewing parties for fans who don't have tickets.
If you get bored, you can watch Arena District Television (ADTV), a giant outdoor video board, lights up the district with music videos, film shorts, local information and, of course, advertising.
Just be advised that the testosterone level will ve very high: it's the first time the hometown Columbus team has made it into the play-offs. There will be a massive Blue Jackets party on the arena plaza before the big games.
Category: Sports
Posted by Greg Tasker (The Detroit News) on Thu, Aug 7, 2008 at 10:02 PMA swing through the Midwest
These may be the waning days of the Tigers once-hopeful 2008 season, but there's still plenty of fun and inspiration to be found with America's pastime.
Just ask the folks at Big League Tours. The Indianapolis company offers a four-day swing through four Midwestern cities and their Major League ballparks. The lineup: Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Each stop includes field-level tickets to a game, an exclusive meet-and-greet with a former Major League Baseball player and a behind-the-scenes stadium tour.
"For me, the summer season has always been synonymous with baseball," says Glenn Dunlap, founder of Big League Tours. "A trip like this, which visits three of the top four stadiums in the Major Leagues (as ranked by fans in a Sports Illustrated survey) in just four days, would especially be a great last hurrah for families before the kids head back to school."
The tour starts Tuesday. The first stop is Comerica Park, where the Tigers will take on the Toronto Blue Jays. The trip ends in Cincinnati on Friday. Packages begin at $800 per person and include four-star hotel accommodations and ground transportation.
Check out Big League Tours for more information.
Category: Sports
Posted by Leslie Ellis (The Detroit News) on Tue, Oct 24, 2006 at 4:43 PMWorld Series: St. Louis accommodations, transportation
If you didn't book a room in advance, but still want to head to St. Louis this week to experience the World Series atmosphere, you'll have to accept one of three realities: 1) You may have to spend MUCH more than you'd customarily spend for a room. 2) You may have to stay somewhere you usually wouldn't. 3) You may need to stay farther away from the action than is convenient. The Explore St. Louis travel site is a good place to start your hunt for hotel rooms available by date. But, be warned, pickings are SLIM. If you're not averse to bunking up with other travelers at a hostel, check hostelworld.com. As of Monday afternoon, the site showed Best Western Westport Park Hotel still had spaces available. If you find yourself in dire straits, you may consider posting an emergency message seeking a room on craigslist.com, an online classified site. Now, let's say you've found a room (good luck!), the next thing you'll need is transportation while you're there. The Explore St. Louis site will come in handy again, with its comprehensive, downloadable guide to transportation in the St. Louis area. For tips on getting to the area, check out this Detroit News article on Tigers fans heading to St. Louis (scroll down for box with travel basics). If you find rooms and want to share the location with other fans, or if you have other St. Louis tips to offer, shoot me an e-mail at lrotan@detnews.com with "World Series" in the subject line and I'll update the blog accordingly. Stay tuned!
Category: Sports
Posted by Leslie Ellis (The Detroit News) on Mon, Oct 23, 2006 at 11:59 AMWorld Series: Bring it Cards!
Whether you're a Tigers fan headed to St. Louis or a Cards fan headed to Detroit, I'll be your virtual tour guide this week! We'll start off with the basics of St. Louis including : vital stats on wikipedia, things for the ticketless to do in St. Louis, more ideas, Top 10 Things Fans Can Do in St. Louis - scroll down a bit for the list - and the details on Monday night's pep rally. Now, if you're a Cards fan heading to the Motor City, check out: the State of Michigan travel site on Detroit, the Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau, and wikipedia's entry on Motown. Check back in each day this week for more details and odds and ends. If you have a line on available accommodations in either city or other travel tips, shoot me an e-mail with the subject line "World Series travel" to lrotan@detnews.com. Go Tigers!
Category: Sports
Posted by Leslie Ellis (The Detroit News) on Fri, Jun 9, 2006 at 4:14 PMWorld Cup madness
It's that time again! Fans around the world are getting whipped up into a frenzy for soccer's biggest tournament: the World Cup! The event is taking place in Germany this year, so it's probably too late to find tickets, hop on a jet and take part in the party yourself, BUT, the travel channel has an armchair alternative: Drew Carey's Sporting Adventures: World Cup 2006. Join the comedian as he takes in the games, explores the country and mingles with fans and you'll definitely score! GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
