Detroit Professional Athlete of the decade

As we continue our year in review, we must also remember that this is also the end of a decade. It got me wondering about who would be the Detroit Professional of the past decade? What would the qualifications be? Should a distinction be awarded on stats, or on accomplishment? How high shall we rank popularity of fans?

They are all a part of the formula, but the sad fact here is Detroit Sports over this past decade have been rather poor. Sure three World Championships were delivered to this city, and the Detroit Tigers made a World Series experience, however the Tigers were also one of the worst team in MLB history in 2003, the Detroit Lions have been a joke for a long time, and while the Detroit Pistons looked to be on a magical run they only won one title and have regressed quickly into obscurity.

Let us take a look at this by team. Nominees from the Detroit Red Wings seems pretty easy, Captain Steve Yzerman and Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Both delivered two Stanley Cup Championships to Detroit, while Lidstrom also won six Norris Trophy’s as the best Defenseman in the entire NHL. For the Pistons we have to go with Chauncey Billups or Ben Wallace, both were key parts of the magical Piston run, and their departure signaled the end of an era. In the case of the Lions, Kicker Jason Hanson gets nominated by default. The Tigers don’t really seem to have a nominee. No one player made a lasting impact on this team over the past 10 years. The closest thing we have to that is Curtis Granderson, so by default he is the Tigers nominee.

In the end I think we have to go with Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings. For six of the past ten years he was voted to be the best at his position. He brought two Stanley Cups to Detroit, one as Captain. In fact many Red Wings fans would say that he was the single most important piece of the Red Wings organization that has won four Stanley Cup in the last 15 years.