March 26, 1997 - THEE BRAWL
March 26, 1997 – THEE BRAWL

Let me begin by thanking everyone who took the time to text, send me an email, post something on Facebook, and just taking time out to remember my birthday today.  I’m starting my 41st trip around the Sun on this little blue marble of ours.  I can’t imagine anything that would be better than sharing these laps with all of my friends and family.

I’m really not worthy of you taking the time to remember me today … and I remain ever so grateful that you did.  God Bless You all for being in my life.

I started thinking about all of the other folks who share today’s date as a birthday.  I think of folks like Mike Reiland & Becca Hull (folks I met through my time in the Jaycees) and Melinda Gaukel (who I’m honored to work with at the Michigan Bankers Association).  Then I got my daily trivia email and it included a list of “famous people” who also share today as a birthday.  A few of these I already knew, but most caught me by surprise.  The list includes:

  • Actor Leonard Nimoy/Mr. Spock (LLAP)
  • Red Wing Goalie Jimmy Howard
  • Singer Steven Tyler
  • Actress Keira Knightly
  • Singer Dianna Ross
  • Comedian Martin Short
  • Actress Jennifer Grey
  • Writer Tennessee Williams
  • Poet Robert Frost
  •  U.S. Representative & Former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
  • NBA Guard John Stockton
  • Singer Teddy Pendergrass
  • NFL Running Back Marcus Allen
  • US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
  • Actor Alan Arkin
  • Actor James Caan
  • Composer Alan Silvestri
  • TV Host Leeza Gibbons
  • Singer Kenny Chsney
  • Guitarist James Iha

And that’s just to name a few.

After reading that list, I got curious about what else has gone down on this day in history.  I discovered that in 1979, the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty was signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and US President Jimmy Carter.

But the thing that really made me smile is knowing that the Detroit Red Wings, in 1997, did their best to give me the greatest hockey birthday present a guy could ever ask for.  For it was on 3/26/97 that they faced off against the Colorado Avalanche (the scourge of the NHL at the time) and showed people like Claude LeMeuix, Patrick Roy, Adam Deadmarsh and others that YOU DO NOT MESS WITH MY RED WINGS!

Just take a look at this video, if you don’t believe me:

It may have been years ago that THEE BRAWL took place, but for me – I remember it to this day.

Thanks Red Wings for that present.  Thank you all for thinking of me for a 41st year.  May your next laps around the Sun be as bountiful and as wonderful and as special as you all have made mine.