Detroit is known for automobiles, rock ‘n roll and sports. The fans in Detroit are loyal to the Pistons, Tigers, Lions and Red Wings throughout the year. Detroit is known as the world’s traditional automotive center and the city’s two most famous nicknames are Motor City and Motown. Other nicknames include Rock City, Arsenal of Democracy (during World War II), The D, D-Town and Hockeytown.

Hockeytown loves the Red Wings, and for good reason. The Detroit Red Wings have won the most Stanley Cup championships of any NHL franchise based in the U.S., and are third overall in total NHL championships, behind the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. They currently play home games in the Joe Louis Arena. Watching the Red Wings make the playoffs, win the conference championship and then move on to win the Stanley Cup is one of the joys of Detroit fans. And last year’s Stanley Cup win was the sweetest!

The Detroit Tigers have not been enjoying as much success as the Red Wings lately, but are holding their own in the MLB’s AL Central. The good news with the Tigers only doing average is that you can find fairly cheap Detroit Tigers tickets at Comerica Park or online. One of the American League’s eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in 1894.

Of course the Detroit Pistons have been a formidable team in the NBA in recent years, winning the NBA Finals in 2004 and making the playoffs very regularly. From Antonio McDyess to Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons look like they are going to continue to play some very good basketball for a while.

Here are some interesting facts about the Pistons:

• Former Pistons player Adrian Dantley, current owner William Davidson, and former Pistons coach Dick Vitale will enter the Hall in September 2008. Vitale will be inducted as a contributor for his career as a broadcaster.
• Which player passed Dennis Rodman to become the Detroit’s all-time leader in playoff offensive rebounds?: Ben Wallace in only 62 games while Rodman took 94 games to get his record 277.
• In which years (back to back) did the Pistons win their first NBA championship?: 1989 and 1990.
• Who was the 1990 NBA finals MVP?: Isiah Thomas.
• Pistons players are believed to have conspired with gamblers to shave points and throw various games during the 1953-54 and 1954-55 seasons. Specifically, they are believed to have thrown the 1955 NBA Finals to the Syracuse Nationals.

Finally, no Detroit sports article can be complete without mentioning the Detroit Lions. The Lions have had a long and storied history in the NFL. The Detroit Lions began as the Portsmouth Spartans for the 1929 season, drawing players from defunct independent professional and semi-pro teams in the local Ohio-Kentucky-West Virginia tri-state area. In 2007, the Lions started 6-2. However, they finished the season by going 1-7, their final record being 7-9. Unfortunately, they haven’t started off in 2008 that great. But it is a long season and they have some good players this year, so anything is possible. The Lions have always been an exciting team to watch, regardless of their record.

Being a Detroit sports fan is a wonderful thing. Any time of year you can find a pro game going on and a Detroit team to root for. And going to a Pistons, Lions, Red Wings or Tigers game is always a blast.