By George B. Eichorn
1. University of Michigan defeats Ohio State, 42-27, for first time since 2011 enroute to their first Big Ten Championship since 2004 and first College Football Playoff appearance ever. 11-1 Wolverines are led by All-American Heisman Trophy runner-up Aidan Hutchinson and national AP Coach of the Year Award winner Jim Harbaugh.
2. Taylor (Mich.) wins Little League World Series over a team from Ohio, 5-2, the Mitten State’s first LLWS title since 1959 when Art “Pinky” Deras led Hamtramck. Jackson Surma was the difference-maker for Taylor, knocking in four runs in the title game on a single and a double.
3. Michigan State Spartans, led by Big Ten Coach of the Year Mel Tucker, goes 10-2, in 2021. Kenneth Walker III was a consensus All-American, Walker Camp and Doak Walker Award winner and a Heisman Trophy fifth-place finisher.
4 Michigan Wolverines, led by AP National Coach of the Year Juwan Howard, finish 23-5 (14-3 Big Ten), are a no. 1 seed yet lose to no. 11 seed UCLA 51-49 in the NCAA Elite Eight. afterwards they lose Isaiah Livers, Zavier Simpson, Mike Smith, John Teske and Franz Wagner to graduation or early entry NBA Draft. Big man Hunter Dickinson stays for 2021-22.
5. Lions are a hugely disappointing 2-12-1 thus far in 2021 under new Head Coach Dan Campbell, new GM Brad Holmes and new principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp. QB Jared Goff replaces longtime Lions QB Matthew Stafford in a major trade.
6. Tigers show improvement with a third-place AL Central finish. Rookie pitchers Casey Mize, Tarik Skukal and Matt Manning, catcher/OF Eric Haase and OF Akil Baddoo show promise for first-year skipper A.J. Hinch.
7. Red Wings show improvement (15-13-3 entering NHL Covid-lockdown) with rookies Lucas Raymond (10 goals and 28 points), defenseman Moritz Sneider (21 points) and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (9-7-3 and 2.78 GAA), a Calder Trophy finalist with Carolina last season.
8. Pistons open a new season with No. 1 overall draft choice Cade Cunningham at guard. Despite his presence they own a franchise-tying 14-game losing streak.
9. MSU men’s hoops makes it 34 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament appearances yet loses to UCLA 86-80 in the opening round.
10. Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix winners on Belle Isle are Marcus Ericsson and Pato O’Ward. The event will move back to downtown Detroit in a stunning announcement come 2023.
11. Ferris State Bulldogs are just the fourth Michigan school to win the football Division II title since it was created in 1973.
12. Hall of Fame inductees with Michigan ties in 2020-21: (NFL) Steve Hutchinson, Calvin Johnson, Alex Karras and Charles Woodson; (MLB) Derek Jeter and Ted Simmons; (NBA) Ben Wallace and Chris Webber, and (NHL) Ken Holland and Marian Hossa.
LOCAL DEATHS:
Gerry Abel, Joe Altobelli, Fred Arbanas, Kimera Bartee, Tom Bigby, Roger Brown, Danny Byrd, Charlie Burns, Karen Bush, Al Carnes, Edwin Coil, Dick Colpaert, Wayne Cooper, Ray Cullen, Curly Culp, Richard Curbelo, Jerry Davie, Frankie de la Cruz, Don Demeter, Tony Esposito, Jim Evans, David Feldman, Bob Ferry, Paul Foytack, Dennis Franks, Bill Freehan, Miroslav Frycer, Frank Gallagher, John Geddert, Andrew Glantzman, Bill Glass, Howie Glover, Johnny Groth, Arthur Hills, George Keen, Bob Keselowski, Stan Kwan, Albert Langlois Jr., Gene Logghe, Olivia Long, Mike Lucci, John Marshall, Mike Marshall, Richard Maskin, Bob McCammon, Bob McMaster, Paul McMullen, Barry Meschke, Oxford High School student-athletes, Dr. Ben Paolucci, Bob Parks, Pat Patrick, Terez Paylor, Bill Rands, Tom Rashid, Floyd Reese, Scott Reid, Bruce Rodwan, Ron Samford, Ron Saul, Marty Schottenheimer, Dennis Smith, Sekou Smith, Ray Snell, Stuart Stock, Cecil “Cy” Souders, Pat Studstill, Sergei Tchekmarev, Leonard Thompson, Tim Thompson, Tony Tolbert, Tim Tolman, Wayne Terwilliger, Al “Big Smoke” Turner, Vito Valentinetti, Coot Veal, Lorenzo Washington, Bryan “Bugsy” Watson, Jim Wiley, Roger Zatkoff, Charlie Vincent.
