Events from the year 1972 in Michigan. The

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

(AP) and

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...

(UPI) each selected the top news stories in Michigan for 1972 as follows: # The court order issued by federal judge Stephen Roth requiring cross-district busing throughout metropolitan Detroit (AP-1, UPI-1); # The beginning of the

Michigan Lottery The Michigan Lottery offers numerous on-line and scratch-off games, giving players a wide variety of prize possibilities. Initiated under the authority of Public Act 239 in 1972, the games collect funds to support Michigan’s public school system. ...

(AP-2, UPI-4); # The defeat of Proposal B that would have amended the state constitution to liberalize Michigan's abortion law (AP-3, UPI-3); #

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...

's victory, attributed to the busing issue, in the 1972 Democratic Party Presidential primary with 51% of the vote (AP-4, UPI-2 lections; # The defeat of a ballot proposal that would have changed Michigan's system of funding public education, placed a cap on property taxes, and provided for a graduated income tax (AP-6, UPI-7); # Controversy concerning the Detroit Police Department's STRESS unit and a shootout between STRESS officers and off-duty Wayne County sheriff's deputies, resulting in the death of a deputy (AP-5, UPI-10); # The U.S. Senate campaign in which incumbent

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Robert P. Griffin Robert Paul Griffin (November 6, 1923 – April 16, 2015) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Michigan in the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate and was a Justice of the M ...

defeated Democratic challenger Frank J. Kelley (AP-9, UPI-2 lections # The skyjacking of an airliner by two Detroit residents, first to Detroit, then to Canada, and finally to Cuba (AP-10, UPI-9); # A school funding crisis in Detroit after voters thrice rejected millage proposals (UPI-5) # The automobile industry's record sales and profits and controversies over price increases, safety, and emission equipment (UPI-6); # High winds that pushed water over the shoreline and resulted in six counties being declared federal disaster areas (AP-7); # A collision near Port Huron that resulted in the sinking of the ''Sidney Smith'' in the

St. Clair River The St. Clair River (french: Rivière Sainte-Claire) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 7, 2011 river in central North America which flows from Lake Huron int ...

, blocking the navigation channel (AP-8); and # Michigan's meat law prohibiting use of udders, snouts, and spleen in making hot dogs and lunch meat was overturned by a federal court (UPI-8). The AP and UPI also selected the state's top sports stories as follows: # The 1972 Detroit Tigers winning the

American League East The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...

division championship with a record of 86–70, then losing to the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

in the

American League Championship Series The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...

(AP-1

LCS LCS may refer to: Schools and organizations * Laboratory for Computer Science, research institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology * Lake County Schools school district of Lake County, Florida * Lakefield College School an independe ...

AP-2 L East championship UPI-2); #

Duffy Daugherty Hugh Duffy Daugherty (September 8, 1915 – September 25, 1987) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Michigan State University from 1954 to 1972, compiling a record of 109–69–5. His 1965 and 1966 teams won ...

's resignation after 19 years as head coach of the

Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University (MSU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Spartans are members of the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State claims a ...

team and the hiring of

Denny Stolz Dennis Earl Stolz (born September 12, 1934) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Alma College (1965–1970), Michigan State University (1973–1975), Bowling Green State University (1977–1985), and San ...

as his replacement (AP-3 augherty AP-5 tolz UPI-1 oth; #

Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...

, including the 1971 team's 13-12 loss to

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

in the 1972 Rose Bowl and the 1972 team's 11-1 season and season-ending loss to

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

with Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler refusing to kick a game-tying

field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...

late in the game (AP-4 SU game AP-9 972 Rose Bowl UPI-3 ose Bowl and 1972 season; #

Gary Player Gary James Player DMS, OIG (born 1 November 1935) is a South African retired professional golfer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. During his career, Player won nine major championships on the regular tou ...

's victory at the 1972 PGA Championship held at

Oakland Hills Country Club Oakland Hills Country Club is a private golf club in the central United States, located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. It consists of two 18-hole courses designed by Donald Ross: the South Course (1918) and the ...

in Bloomfield Township (AP-6 ie UPI-8); #

Micki King Maxine Joyce "Micki" King (born July 26, 1944) is an American former diving (sport), competitive diver and diving coach. She was a gold medal winner at the 1972 Summer Olympics in the Diving at the 1972 Summer Olympics - Women's 3 metre spring ...

's winning the gold medal in the springboard diving event at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

(AP-12, UPI-7); # The induction of

Gordie Howe Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...

into the

Hockey Hall of Fame , logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg , logo_upright = 0.5 , image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg , caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992 , map_type = , former_name = , established = 1943 , location = 30 Y ...

and son

Mark Howe Mark Steven Howe (born 28 May 1955) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and left winger who played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) following six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA). He is curre ...

's becoming the only Michigan athlete to medal at the

1972 Winter Olympics The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially the and commonly known as Sapporo 1972 ( ja, 札幌1972), was a winter multi-sport event held from February 3 to 13, 1972, in Sapporo, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to take place outside Europe ...

(UPI-3); # The 1972 Detroit Lions compiling an 8-5-1 record and failing to make the playoffs (UPI-5); # The 1971–72 Detroit Red Wings' finishing in fifth place and failing to make the playoffs (UPI-6); # The failure of a proposed domed stadium in downtown Detroit after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the proposed manner of selling bonds to finance the stadium was illegal (AP-6 ie; # The hiring of Burt Smith as

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

's athletic director (AP-6 ie; #

Ed Brinkman Edwin Albert Brinkman (December 8, 1941 – September 30, 2008) was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a shortstop, for the Washington Senators (1961– ...

setting several Major League Baseball fielding records for

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

s (AP-9); #

Greg Landry Gregory Paul Landry (born December 18, 1946) is a former American football player and coach who played quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1968 to 1981, and again in 1984. He played for the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Colts and ...

's signing of a three-year contract with the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

(AP-10 ie; # The Detroit Tigers' purchase of

Woodie Fryman Woodrow Thompson Fryman (April 12, 1940 – February 4, 2011), was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six teams, across 18 seasons (–). A two-time National League (NL) All-Star, he helped th ...

in early August and his winning 10 games for the Tigers in August and September (AP-10 ie; and # Michigan's high school basketball championships won by Flint Northern (Class A), River Rouge (Class B), Shelby (Class C), and Ewen-Trout Creek (Class D) (UPI-10).

Office holders

State office holders

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...

William Milliken William Grawn Milliken (March 26, 1922 – October 18, 2019) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Michigan. A member of the Republican Party, he is the longest-serving governor in Michigan history, serv ...

(

) * Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: James H. Brickley (Republican) *

Michigan Attorney General The Attorney General of the State of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, m ...

: Frank J. Kelley (

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

) *

Michigan Secretary of State The Michigan Department of State is administered by the Secretary of State, who is elected on a partisan ballot for a term of four years in gubernatorial elections. The Secretary of State is the third-highest official in the State of Michigan. A ...

: Richard H. Austin (Democrat) * Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: William A. Ryan (Democrat) * Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate:

Robert VanderLaan Robert "Robbie" VanderLaan (c. 1930-November 1, 2015) was a former majority leader of the Michigan State Senate. A Republican, he ran to replace Gerald Ford as representative for Michigan's 5th congressional district in a 1974 special election, ...

(Republican) * Chief Justice,

Michigan Supreme Court The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the state ...

Mayors of major cities

Mayor of Detroit This is a list of mayors of Detroit, Michigan. See History of Detroit, Michigan, for more information about the history of the incorporation of the city. The current mayor is Mike Duggan, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2014. History o ...

Roman Gribbs Roman Stanley Gribbs (December 29, 1925 – April 5, 2016) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Detroit from 1970 to 1974. Later, Gribbs served as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals. Gribbs was the last white mayor of the ...

Mayor of Grand Rapids This is a list of mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The current mayor is Rosalynn Bliss, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2016. References {{Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat ...

Lyman S. Parks Rev. Lyman S. Parks (1917 – November 4, 2009) was the mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan from 1971 to 1976. He was the first African-American to serve in the position. He was also the first African-American elected to the Grand Rapids City Commissi ...

Mayor of Flint The mayor position of Flint, Michigan is a strong mayor-type. In Flint's previous 1929 charter, the mayor was one of the City Commissioners, as the council in a council-manager type government. 1855–1888 The mayor was one of many citywide ele ...

: Francis E. Limmer * Mayor of Lansing: Gerald W. Graves * Mayor of Dearborn:

Orville L. Hubbard Orville Liscum Hubbard (April 2, 1903 – December 16, 1982) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan from 1942 to 1978. Hubbard was an effective administrator who served 15 consecutive terms while being national ...

Mayor of Ann Arbor This is a list of mayors of Ann Arbor, Michigan, beginning with Ann Arbor's incorporation as a city on April 4, 1851. References Ann Arbor mayors, Political Graveyard website* Samuel W. Beakes, Past and Present of Washtenaw County' (Washtenaw C ...

: Robert J. Harris (Democrat) * Mayor of Saginaw: Paul H. Wendler

Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan:

(Republican) * U.S. Senator from Michigan:

Philip Hart Philip Aloysius Hart (December 10, 1912December 26, 1976) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he served as a United States Senator from Michigan from 1959 until his death from cancer in Washington, D.C. in 1976. He was known as t ...

(Democrat) * House District 1:

John Conyers John James Conyers Jr. (May 16, 1929October 27, 2019) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. representative from Michigan from 1965 to 2017. The districts he represented always included part of western Detroit. ...

(Democrat) * House District 2: Marvin L. Esch (Republican) * House District 3: Garry E. Brown (Republican) * House District 4: J. Edward Hutchinson (Republican) * House District 5:

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

(Republican) * House District 6:

Charles E. Chamberlain Charles Ernest Chamberlain (July 22, 1917 – November 25, 2002) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Life and career Chamberlain was born in Locke Township, Michigan and after graduating from Lansing Central High School in Lans ...

(Republican) * House District 7:

Donald W. Riegle Jr. Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. (born February 4, 1938) is an American politician, author, and businessman from Michigan. He served for five terms as a Representative and for three terms as a Senator in the U.S. Congress. Early life and family Donald W ...

(Republican) * House District 8: R. James Harvey (Republican) * House District 9:

Guy Vander Jagt Guy Adrian Vander Jagt ( ; August 26, 1931 – June 22, 2007) was a Republican politician from Michigan. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Vander Jagt was desc ...

(Republican) * House District 10: Elford Albin Cederberg (Republican) * House District 11: Philip Ruppe (Republican) * House District 12: James G. O'Hara (Democrat) * House District 13:

Charles Diggs Charles Coles Diggs Jr. (December 2, 1922 – August 24, 1998) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan who served in the state senate and U.S. House of Representatives. He was the first African American elected to Congress ...

(Democrat) * House District 14:

Lucien N. Nedzi Lucien is a male given name. It is the French form of Luciano or Latin ''Lucianus'', patronymic of Lucius. Lucien, Saint Lucien, or Saint-Lucien may also refer to: People Given name * Lucien of Beauvais, Christian saint *Lucien, a band member ...

(Democrat) * House District 15: William D. Ford (Democrat) * House District 16: John Dingell Jr. (Democrat) * House District 17:

Martha Griffiths Martha Wright Griffiths (January 29, 1912 – April 22, 2003) was an American lawyer and judge before being elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1954. Griffiths was the first woman to serve on the House Committee on Ways and M ...

(Democrat) * House District 18:

William Broomfield William S. Broomfield, (April 28, 1922 – February 20, 2019) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Early life Broomfield, the son of Scevillian C. and Fern Broomfield was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. His father was a d ...

(Republican) * House District 19: Jack H. McDonald (Republican)

Population

Sports

Baseball

* 1972 Detroit Tigers season – Under manager

Billy Martin Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...

, the Tigers compiled an 86–70 record and finished first in the

, then lost to the

in the

1972 American League Championship Series The 1972 American League Championship Series was held October 7–12, and matched the Oakland Athletics () and Detroit Tigers () for the right to go to the 1972 World Series. The first two games were played at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseu ...

. The team's statistical leaders included

Al Kaline Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kali ...

with a .313

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

, Norm Cash with 22

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 61 RBIs,

Mickey Lolich Michael Stephen Lolich (born September 12, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1963 until 1979, almost entirely for the Detroit Tigers. A three-time All-Star, ...

with 22 wins, and

with a 2.06

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

. * 1972 Michigan Wolverines baseball team - Under head coach

Moby Benedict Milbry Eugene "Moby" Benedict (born March 29, 1935) was a former baseball shortstop and University of Michigan coach. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Benedict played baseball and basketball at Detroit's Southeastern High School before attending th ...

, the Wolverines compiled an 18–13–1 record and finished in a tie for third place in the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

American football

1972 Detroit Lions season The 1972 Detroit Lions season was their 43rd in the National Football League (NFL). The team improved on their previous season's output of 7–6–1, winning eight games. The team missed the playoffs for the second straight season. It would also ...

– The Lions, under head coach Joe Schmidt, compiled an 8–5–1 record and finished in second place in the NFL's Central Division. The team's statistical leaders included

with 2,066 passing yards, Altie Taylor with 658 rushing yards, Larry Walton with 485 receiving yards, and

Errol Mann Errol Denis Mann (June 27, 1941 – April 11, 2013) was an American football placekicker. He played in the National Football League from 1968 to 1978, and was a member of the Oakland Raiders' Super Bowl XI winning team. When attempting kicks, M ...

with 98 points scored. * 1972 Michigan Wolverines football team – Under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 10–1 record, losing to Ohio State in the final game of the season. The Wolverines were ranked No. 6 in the final

AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...

. The team's statistical leaders included

Dennis Franklin Dennis E. Franklin (born August 24, 1953) is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) in the 1975 NFL Draft. Prior to playing for the NFL he played college footbal ...

with 818 passing yards,

Ed Shuttlesworth Ed Shuttlesworth (born June 4, 1952) is a former American football fullback. He played for the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1973. He was the leading rusher for Michigan's 1972 and 1973 teams that compiled a combined record of 20&ndas ...

with 713 rushing yards and 78 points scored, and

Paul Seal Paul Nathan Seal (born February 27, 1952) is a former American football player. He played college football as a tight end for the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1973 and professional football as a tight end in the National Football League ( ...

with 243 receiving yards. * 1972 Michigan State Spartans football team – Under head coach

, the Spartans compiled a 5–5–1 record.

Basketball

* 1971–72 Detroit Pistons season – Under head coaches

Butch Van Breda Kolff Willem Hendrik "Butch" van Breda Kolff (October 28, 1922August 22, 2007) was an American basketball player and coach. Biography Early life and career Butch was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, son of Dutch soccer player Jan van Breda Kolff. He g ...

Terry Dischinger Terry Gilbert Dischinger (born November 21, 1940) is an American former basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dischinger was a three-time NBA All-Star and the 1963 NBA Rookie of the Year, after averaging 28 points per gam ...

, and Earl Lloyd, the Pistons compiled a 26–56 record. The team's statistical leaders included

Dave Bing David Bing (born November 24, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player, businessman, and politician who served as the 74th mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 2009 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After starring a ...

with 2,056 points and 317

assist Assist or ASSIST may refer to: Sports Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team: *Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...

s and

Bob Lanier Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who was a center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lanier was inducted int ...

with 1,132 rebounds. * 1971–72 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team – Under head coach Johnny Orr, the Wolverines compiled a 14–10 record and finished third in the

. The team's statistical leaders included

Henry Wilmore Henry Wilmore is an American former basketball player who is most known for being a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American in 1972 while playing for the Michigan Wolverines. He played at the University of Michigan from 1970� ...

with 479 points and John Lockard with 236 rebounds. * 1971–72

Michigan State Spartans men's basketball The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Michigan State University. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. The Spartans have won ...

team – Under head coach Gus Ganakas, the Spartans compiled a 13–11 record. * 1971–72

Detroit Titans men's basketball The Detroit Mercy Titans men's basketball team is the college basketball team that represents University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Michigan, and competes in NCAA Division I men's basketball as a member of the Horizon League. Traditionally, the ...

team – The Titans compiled an 18–6 record under head coach Jim Harding.

Ice hockey

* 1971–72 Detroit Red Wings season – Under head coaches

Doug Barkley Norman Douglas Barkley (born January 6, 1937) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Red Wings between 1957 and 1966. After his playing career he w ...

and Johnny Wilson, the Red Wings compiled a 33–35–10 record and finished fifth in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

's East Division. The team's statistical leaders included

Mickey Redmond Michael Edward Redmond (born December 27, 1947) is a Canadian former professional hockey player. He is currently a color commentator for Detroit Red Wings games on television for Bally Sports Detroit. Playing career Redmond played right win ...

with 42 goals and

Marcel Dionne Marcel Elphège "Little Beaver" Dionne (born August 3, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers. Marcel Dionn ...

with 49 assists and 77 points scored. The team's regular goaltenders were

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...

and Joe Daley. * 1971–72

Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey The Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents Michigan State University (MSU). The team plays at the Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Michigan, on the MSU campus. The current head coach is Adam Ni ...

team – Under head coach

Amo Bessone Amos "Betts" Bessone (November 22, 1916 – January 9, 2010) was a collegiate ice hockey player and head coach. Bessone was born in Sagamore, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, and raised in West Springfield, Massachusetts, where he learned to play ho ...

, the Spartans compiled a 20–16 record. * 1971–72

Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey The Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents Michigan Technological University. The Huskies are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). They play at the Ma ...

team – Under head coach John MacInnes, Michigan Tech compiled a 16–17–1 record. * 1971–72

Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey The Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Earning varsity status in 1922, the program has competed in 100 seasons. Between 1959 and 1981, the ...

season – Under head coach Al Renfrew, the Wolverines compiled a 16–18 record.

Golf

Buick Open The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship. Regardless, many prominent players use ...

– * Michigan Open –

Boat racing

Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race The Bayview Mackinac Boat Race is run by the Bayview Yacht Club of Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the longest fresh-water races in the world with over two hundred boats entering the race each year. There have been at least six changes to the co ...

– * Spirit of Detroit race – *

APBA Gold Cup The APBA Gold Cup (originally known simply as the Gold Cup, a speedboat race) is an American hydroplane boat race, named for the American Power Boat Association. It is now run as part of the H1 Unlimited H1 Unlimited is an American Unlimited ...

–

Other

* 1971 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships – The fifth annual NCAA indoor championships were held at

Cobo Arena Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly as TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Was ...

in Detroit in March; Villanova won the team championship. *

Yankee 600 The NASCAR Cup Series has held stock car races annually at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan since 1969. Traditionally, the track held two Cup Series races, one in June, around Father's Day weekend and another in August. The ...

Music

The following albums by Michigan artists were released in 1972: * ''

Young, Gifted and Black ''Young, Gifted and Black'' is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released in early 1972, by Atlantic Records. The album climbed to #2 on ''Billboards R&B albums survey and peaked at #11 on the main ...

'' by

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

was released on January 24, 1972. Franklin won a 1972

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...

of the year for the album. * ''

Music of My Mind ''Music of My Mind'' is the fourteenth studio album by American soul musician Stevie Wonder. It was released on March 3, 1972, by Tamla Records, and was Wonder's first to be recorded under a new contract with Motown that allowed him full artist ...

'' by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

was released on March 3, 1972. The album featured the single " Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)". * '' Floy Joy'' by

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

was released in May 1972. * ''

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...

'' by Aretha Franklin was released on June 1, 1972. It was the biggest selling album of Franklin's recording career and the highest selling live gospel music album of all time. It won Franklin the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance. * ''

All Directions ''All Directions'' is a 1972 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label, produced by Norman Whitfield. It reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, making it the band's most successful non-collaborative album on the chart, and becam ...

'' by

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

was released on July 27, 1972. * ''

Flying High Together ''Flying High Together'' is an album by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label, released in 1972. It is noted as The Miracles' last studio album with original lead singer Smokey Robinson, who retired from the act to conc ...

'' by

The Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups ...

was released on July 27, 1972. * '' Smokin' O.P.'s'' by

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

was released in August 1972. * ''

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

'' by

Grand Funk Railroad Grand Funk Railroad (often shortened to Grand Funk) is an American rock band formed in 1968 in Flint, Michigan, by Mark Farner (vocals, guitar), Don Brewer (drums, vocals), and Mel Schacher (bass). The band achieved peak popularity and succes ...

was released on September 15, 1972. * ''

Talking Book ''Talking Book'' is the fifteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and musician Stevie Wonder, released on October 27, 1972, by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. This album and '' Music of My Mind'', released earlier the same y ...

'' by Stevie Wonder was released on October 28, 1972. The album featured two No. 1 hit singles, "

You Are the Sunshine of My Life "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is a 1973 single released by Stevie Wonder. The song became Wonder's third number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and his first number-one on the Easy Listening chart. It won Wonder a Grammy Award f ...

" and "

Superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...

". The album was

certified Gold Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and

The US The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. * '' Lady Sings the Blues'' by

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

was released in October 1972. It was the fifth best-selling Pop album of 1973.

Chronology of events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Births

* January 19 -

Tyrone Wheatley Tyrone Anthony Wheatley Sr. (born January 19, 1972) is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Previously, he served as the running backs coach of the Denver Broncos of ...

, NFL running back (1995–2004), in

Inkster, Michigan Inkster is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2010 census, the city population was 25,369. History The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans. It was settled by non-indigenous people in 1825. A post offi ...

* February 16 -

Jerome Bettis Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. (born February 16, 1972) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" for his large size and runn ...

, NFL running back (1993–2005) and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, in Detroit * March 1 -

Hughes brothers Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes (born April 1, 1972), known together professionally as the Hughes brothers, are American film directors and producers. The pair, who are twins, are known for co-directing visceral, and often violent, movies, inclu ...

, film directors (''Menace II Society'', ''Dead Presidents'', ''From Hell (film), From Hell'' and ''The Book of Eli''), in Detroit * April 11 - Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox catcher (1997–2011) and 3× All-Star, in Rochester, Michigan * June 23 - Selma Blair, actress (''Cruel Intentions'', ''Legally Blonde'', ''Hellboy (2004 film), Hellboy''), in Southfield, Michigan * July 28 - Elizabeth Berkley, actress (''Saved by the Bell'', ''Showgirls''), in Farmington Hills, Michigan

Gallery of 1972 births

File:Jerome Bettis 2016.jpg,

File:Jason Varitek on June 30, 2009.jpg, Jason Varitek File:Selma Blair, May 2010 cropped.jpg, Selma Blair File:Elizabeth Berkley PETA1.jpg, Elizabeth Berkley

Deaths

* February 28 - Dizzy Trout, pitcher for Detroit Tigers (1939–1952), 2× All-Star, AL wins leader (1943), MLB ERA leader (1944), at age 56 in Harvey, Illinois * March 14 - Len Ford, AAFC/NFL player (1948-1958) and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, at age 46 in Detroit * May 6 - Lyman Frimodig, the only athlete in the history of Michigan State University to receive ten varsity letters, four each in basketball and baseball and two in football, at age 80 in Lansing, Michigan * August - Benjamin Van Alstyne, head coach Michigan State Spartans men's basketball (1926-1949), at age 79 in Southfield, Michigan * September 14 - Harry Kipke, American football player (1920-1923) and coach (1928-1937), at age 73 in Port Huron, Michigan * November 8 - George Clark (American football coach), Potsy Clark, American football player and coach (1914-1948), at age 78 in La Jolla, California

Gallery of 1972 deaths

File:Len Ford from 1948 Michiganensian.jpg, Len Ford File:Harry Kipke (1922).jpg, Harry Kipke File:George "Potsy" Clark.jpg, George Clark (American football coach), Potsy Clark

References

{{Michigan year nav 1972 in Michigan,

Office holders

State office holders

Mayors of major cities

Federal office holders

Population

Sports

Baseball

American football

Basketball

Ice hockey

Golf

Boat racing

Other

Music

Chronology of events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Births

Gallery of 1972 births

Deaths

Gallery of 1972 deaths

See also

References