Arts Life
Sports
Davidson Enshrined
Pistons' owner Bill Davidson joins the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
HARRY KIRSBAUM
Staff Writer
Jr
oe Louis, Hank Greenberg, Ty
Cobb, Gordie Howe, Magic
Johnson, Isiah Thomas, and
now Bill Davidson.
Davidson will be inducted into the
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame on
Tuesday, March 30, with the other
members of the 50th anniversary group:
University of Michigan baseball pitcher
Jim Abbott; Michigan State University
and Buffalo Bills guard Joe
DeLainielleure; Central Michigan
University football coach Herb
Deromedi; Detroit Tigers and. Red
Wings owner Michael Ilitch; NHL
hockey player Pat LaFontaine; Detroit
Lions linebacker Mike
Lucci; Detroit Free Press
sports writer George
Puscas; Detroit Lions
linebacker Chris
Spielman; and MSU
sports information
director Fred Stabley Sr.
The ceremony will
take place at the
Bill Davidson
Downtown Marriott at
the Renaissance Center
in Detroit.
The MSHOF is considered one of the
best in the nation, said Dr. Stuart
Kirschenbaum, MSHOF vice president
who is also president of the Michigan
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. "The illus-
trious membership is second to none."
And so is the difficulty in getting
inducted, he said.
"There's such a huge number of
applicants in our pool each year.
You're encompassing all sports, pro-
fessional and amateur, people in the
business end of it, coaches, offi-
cials," he said. Its almost like try-
ing to pay off a charge with a 20
percent interest rate — you never
quite get caught up."
Davidson joins five other Jews in
the MSHOF: basketball coach
Philip "Cincy" Sachs, high school foot-
ball coach Sam Bishop, Detroit Tiger
Hank Greenberg, University of
Michigan football great Benny Friedman
and basketball player Jacob Mazer.
Jews have migrated more to the
boardroom than play on the boards in
recent years, Dr. Kirschenbaum said.
"You look at people who are making it
on their cerebral athletic talent, rather
than their physical athletic ability," said
Dr. Kirschenbaum. –
"In today's sports, that is not to be
diminished. The people who are able to
bring these athletes into your life are
geniuses, and Bill Davidson falls into
that category."
Davidson, philanthropist and CEO of
Guardian Industries in Auburn Hills, is
the majority owner of the NBA Detroit
Pistons, WNBA Detroit Shock, AFL
Detroit Fury and NHL Tampa Bay
Lightning. His teams have won two
NBA World Championships and one
WNBA Championship.
"He's got a Midas touch and you don't
get that from being lucky. You get it
from the knowledge, the ability and the
leadership skills to put teams together
and form the success," Dr.
Kirschenbaum said. ❑
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7:30 PM
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WE'RE FART OF THE TEAM
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Jeffrey L. Rosenberg
A Family Tradition
Villa
Maria
Farmington Hills Kosher Catering
wto
• IN1
3/26
2004
66
Oo
o
Telephone (248) 626-5702
Fax (248) 865-7845
Ado Shalom Synagogue
ristorante
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825260
_Villa Maria's hosts, Michael and Lisa, invite you
to continue to enjoy the Al Valente family legacy.
Villa Maria is still owned and operated by family
members. We continue to use the recipes handed
down over the generations and use only the finest
ingredients in these treasured dishes, including fresh
produce from our own summer garden. We hope
you will enjoy dining with our family.
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