NOVEMBER 17 • 2022 | 39

Former Michigan Boxing Comm-
issioner Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum 
is featured in a recently released 
podcast about Joe Louis, the Detroit 
native who ruled the boxing world as 
heavyweight champion from 1937-49.
A listening party and premiere for 
“Joe Louis, The Punch of Detroit,” 
which also served as the launch of 
the fifth season of the award-winning 
Detroit History Podcast by veteran 
Detroit historian and journalist Tim 
Kiska, was held last month at Third 
Man Records Cass Corridor in Detroit.
“The party was a first-class event,” 
said Kirschenbaum, who participated 
in a Q&A session that took place after 
the Joe Louis podcast was played.
Kiska contacted Kirschenbaum 
early this year and asked if he would 
be interviewed for the Joe Louis pod-
cast. Kirschenbaum then helped Kiska 
arrange an interview for the podcast 
with Joe Louis Jr., Joe Louis’ son.
“The interview with Joe’s son gave 
additional credibility to the podcast,” 
Kirschenbaum said.
A 2010 inductee into the Michigan 
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, 
Kirschenbaum served as Michigan’s 
boxing commissioner under four gov-
ernors from 1981-92 and he’s now the 
state’s boxing commissioner emeritus. 
He’s known throughout the world as a 
leader in the regulation of boxing and 
for his passion for the sport.
Kirschenbaum is a close friend 
of the family of Joe Louis, who died 

in 1981. He was the guardian for 
Martha Louis, Joe Louis’ widow, in 
her final years. She died in 1991 and 
was buried alongside her husband in 
Arlington National Cemetery.
Joe Louis Jr. and Kirschenbaum 
did a video about Joe Louis that 
was shown during Detroit Pistons’ 
games at Little Caesars Arena during 
February (Black History Month).
Kirschenbaum is one of 24 boxing 
insiders interviewed in the Ringside 
2, a new book by Doveed Linder. 
Heavyweight champions Lennox 
Lewis and Evander Holyfield and pro-
moters Don King and Kathy Duva also 
are interviewed.
For information about the Detroit 
History Podcast, go to 
detroithistorypodcast.com.

STUART KIRSCHENBAUM

MICHIGAN JEWISH SPORTS FOUNDATION

Head’s Up! Rosenblatt 
Scores Tournament
Game-Winner
Ben Rosenblatt picked a great time to get his 
first point of the season for the Elon University 
men’s soccer team.
The junior from Huntington Woods scored 
on a header about 20 minutes into a Colonial 
Athletic Association tournament semifinal 
game Nov. 6 against Drexel, and that turned 
out to be the only goal in a 1-0 victory for the 
Phoenix, the tournament host.
Rosenblatt jumped over two Drexel defend-
ers to get to a pass from about 30 yards away 
from teammate Marco Vesterholm, and he 
knocked the ball into the net off the near post.
Thanks to Rosenblatt’s goal and Elon’s 
team-record 11th shutout of the season, the 
No. 1 tournament seed Phoenix (11-3-3) earned 
a berth in the tournament championship game 
against defending tournament champion and 

No. 3 tournament seed Hofstra on Nov. 12.
It’s been a memorable season for 
Rosenblatt, a Berkley High School graduate 
who was a Jewish News High School Athlete 
of the Year and a recipient of a Dr. Steve and 
Evelyn Rose Stars of Tomorrow Scholarship in 
2020.
The defender-midfielder helped Elon defeat 
North Carolina 3-0 on Oct. 18. It was the 
Phoenix’s first regular-season win over their 
nearby in-state rival. They were 0-14-1 in the 
regular season against the Tar Heels before 
that victory.
North Carolina hadn’t been beaten that 
badly in a regular-season nonconference 
game since it lost 3-0 to Akron in 2010.
“Us beating North Carolina is like, say, a 
mid-major Central Michigan beating U-M in 
football,” Rosenblatt said.
“North Carolina is a blue blood in college 
soccer, and they play in the ACC, which is the 
best conference for college soccer. It took a 

while to sink in, but we weren’t shocked about 
beating them. I don’t think anyone expected 
us to beat them by that score.”

ELON UNIVERSITY

Ben Rosenblatt, center, celebrates scoring 
the only goal in Elon’s 1-0 win over Drexel in 
a Colonial Athletic Association men’s soccer 
tournament semifinal game.

Former Michigan Boxing 
Commissioner Dr. Stuart 
Kirschenbaum answers a question 
during the premiere and a listening 
party for a Detroit History Podcast 
about boxing great Joe Louis.

Stuart Raider, left, and Don Rudick from the Michigan 
Jewish Sports Foundation present a ceremonial oversized 
check for $20,000 to the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Greenberg Invitational Tees Of
 
Against Cancer
The Hank Greenberg Golf and Tennis Invitational has a serious side. 
It’s a fundraiser for many causes, mainly cancer research and treat-
ment.
That fact was driven home recently when Stuart Raider and Don 
Rudick, the president and executive director of the Michigan Jewish 
Sports Foundation, which presents the invitational, gave a $20,000 
donation to the Karmanos Cancer Institute.
The $20,000 was part of the proceeds from this year’s Greenberg 
Invitational, held June 6 at Franklin Hills Country Club.
“Cancer has been the main cause of the invitational since it began 
in 1984,” Rudick said. “Hank Greenberg had cancer at the time (the 
former Detroit Tigers star died from metastatic kidney cancer Sept. 
4, 1986 at age 75). More than $1 million has been donated to cancer 
and other causes through the years thanks to the invitational.”
Another $5,000 from this year’s Greenberg Invitational was donat-
ed to a scholarship fund set up at Northwestern University to honor 
longtime Detroit sports radio talk show host and television personality 
Jamie Samuelsen, a Northwestern graduate who died from colon 
cancer Aug. 1, 2020 at age 48.
A group of Samuelsen’s friends and Northwestern fraternity 
brothers started the annual scholarship, which helps defray the cost 
of tuition for a Northwestern undergrad who is interested in sports 
journalism.
A story on the scholarship fund posted on the 97.1 The Ticket web-
site urges readers nearing age 45 to get screened for colon cancer.

quick hits
BY STEVE STEIN 

Podcast Packs a Punch Thanks to 
Ex-State Boxing Commissioner

