A brief look at the history of Flint's primary athletic facilities

 Athletic Park (1907-1955)

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 Atwood Stadium (1929-Present)

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 Guy V. Houston Stadium (1967-Present)

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 IMA Auditorium (1929-1997)

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IMA Sports Arena/Perani Arena (1969-Present)

Turf or Grass?

Historic Atwood Stadium from a helicopter.

The Flint Northwestern football team practices with Guy V. Houston Stadium in the background.

Taking a brief look at Flint's pair of Stadiums
Atwood, Houston full of Flint history

By Brandon Pope
810-452-2651 • bpope@mihomepaper.com

FLINT— Atwood Stadium has hosted many events over the years since opening in downtown Flint in 1929. The seating capacity is 11,000, however, there is plenty of standing room at Genesee County's largest stadium. In 1950, temporary seating allowed a record crowd of 20,600 fans to witness the annual Thanksgiving Day battle between Flint Central and Flint Northern.
Currently, Atwood is home of several area football teams. Flint Northern and Flint Southwestern both play their home games on Atwood's turf, as well as the city's middle school football teams.
The University of Michigan-Flint Kodiaks club football team has called Atwood home since their first season in 2010. There is also semi-pro football with the Flint Fury, who have played their home games at Atwood since their inaugural season in 2003.
Since 2010, Atwood has hosted the annual season opening battle between Flint Northwestern (coached by Andre Rison) and Flint Beecher (coached by Courtney Hawkins), which in 2011, ended in a thrilling 46-44 double overtime win for Northwestern.
The historic stadium was once the home of Flint Central football prior to the school's closure in 2009. Atwood was once home to several semi-pro football teams, including the Flint Blue Devils, Flint Sabres, Flint Wildcats, Flint Falcons, Flint Rampage, Michigan Admirals, and Genesee County Patriots. Prior to the installation of astroturf in the late 1960's, Atwood also housed minor league baseball with the Flint Gems, Flint Indians, and Flint Arrows.
The county's second biggest stadium is also located in Flint. Guy V. Houston Stadium, located near Flint Northwestern, was built in 1967, and has a grass surface. It is the home field of Flint Northwestern, and serves the city schools for track meets, thanks to a brand new $400,000 track.
Houston serves as the alternate stadium for Flint Northern and Flint Southwestern on nights when Atwood is already in use. It was once the alternate home for Flint Central, as well. Houston once housed professional women's soccer with the Michigan Phoenix, and was also a temporary home to the Michigan Admirals and Genesee County Patriots semi-pro football teams.

Week 9 high school picks

Well, the end has come quite quickly. The final week of the regular season means do or die for most teams. For others, its merely a tuneup for the playoffs, or something to hang your hat on for next season. Here's who I'm taking this week:

Birch Run @ Mt. Morris-- BIRCH RUN
Burton Atherton @ Burton Bendle-- BURTON BENDLE
Burton Bentley @ Webberville-- BURTON BENTLEY
Byron @ New Lothrop-- NEW LOTHROP
Davison @ Grand Blanc-- GRAND BLANC
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port @ Imlay City-- ELKTON-PIGEON-BAY PORT
Fenton @ Swartz Creek-- FENTON
Flint Beecher @ Saginaw Buena Vista-- FLINT BEECHER
Flint Carman-Ainsworth @ Ann Arbor Huron-- FLINT CARMAN-AINSWORTH
Flint Powers Catholic @ Goodrich-- GOODRICH
Flint Southwestern @ Flint Northern-- FLINT NORTHERN
Flushing @ Clio-- FLUSHING
Genesee @ Flint Hamady-- FLINT HAMADY
Holly @ Ortonville Brandon-- HOLLY
Lake Fenton @ Bridgeport-- LAKE FENTON
Lapeer East @ Linden-- LINDEN
Lapeer West @ Flint Kearsley-- LAPEER WEST
Montrose @ Carrollton-- MONTROSE
North Branch @ Yale-- NORTH BRANCH
Otisville LakeVille @ Millington-- MILLINGTON
Flint Northwestern @ Detroit Country Day-- DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Almont @ Ovid-Elsie-- ALMONT
Memphis @ Brown City-- BROWN CITY
Capac @ Warren Michigan Collegiate-- CAPAC
Dryden @ Morrice-- MORRICE
Marlette @ Peck-- MARLETTE
Mayville @ Kingston-- KINGSTON 

Week 8 high school picks

We're on the home stretch of the season now. These final two weeks of the regular season will be do or die for most teams. Here's who I'm taking this week:

Bridgeport @ North Branch-- NORTH BRANCH
Burton Bentley @ Burton Atherton-- BURTON ATHERTON
Byron @ Burton Bendle-- BYRON
Clio @ Lapeer West-- LAPEER WEST
Davison @ Flint Carman-Ainsworth-- FLINT CARMAN-AINSWORTH
Flint Beecher @ Durand-- FLINT BEECHER
Flint Hamady @ Morrice-- FLINT HAMADY
Flint Kearsley @ Fenton-- FENTON
Flint Southwestern @ Saginaw Heritage-- SAGINAW HERITAGE
Flushing @ Flint Powers Catholic-- FLINT POWERS CATHOLIC
Goodrich @ Millington-- MILLINGTON
Grand Blanc @ Walled Lake Western-- GRAND BLANC
Imlay City @ Algonac-- ALGONAC
Lake Fenton @ Montrose-- MONTROSE
Lansing Waverly @ Holly-- HOLLY
Linden @ Ortonville Brandon-- ORTONVILLE BRANDON
Mt. Morris @ Otisville LakeVille-- MT. MORRIS
New Lorthrop @ Genesee-- NEW LOTHROP
Saginaw @ Flint Northern-- FLINT NORTHERN
Saginaw Nouvel @ Flint Northwestern-- SAGINAW NOUVEL
Swartz Creek @ Lapeer East-- LAPEER EAST
Almont @ Armada-- ALMONT
Yale @ Capac-- CAPAC
Marlette @ Brown City-- MARLETTE
Harbor Beach @ Mayville-- HARBOR BEACH
Peck @ Memphis-- MEMPHIS 

Canadian markets starving for NHL hockey

Canadian markets starving for NHL hockey
 Time may have come for Bettman to admit defeat

By Brandon Pope
810-452-2651 • bpope@mihomepaper.com


No country loves hockey more than Canada, the nation that invented the sport in the first place. Currently, Canada is home to seven of the NHL's 30 teams, with the seventh just making its' return to the league after a 15-year absence in Winnipeg. With commissioner Gary Bettman's southern United States experiment continuing to rot away at the game, Canadian markets are doing whatever it may take to bring more teams north.
Canada's current franchises include the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and the Winnipeg Jets. There are also several other markets that drool at the thought of a struggling American franchise making their way north. Several U.S. based teams have been rumored in the relocation discussion in recent years, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, and Phoenix Coyotes.
In this article, I am going to look at the prospective Canadian markets who have come up during these relocation discussions, and determine their chances of getting a team, as well as the viability of owning a franchise in that particular market.
1. QUEBEC CITY
Now that the Jets have returned, it would only be fitting that Quebec got the Nordiques back as well. They are in the process of breaking ground on a $400 million arena that is set to be completed in 2015. Plus Canadian media giant Quebecor is willing to shell out the big bucks to draw a team back to town. Realistically, Bettman continues to say that there are no plans for relocation, but if you watch hockey as much as I do, you know that simply isn't true. They may not want to move teams, but its' time for Bettman to admit that his southern expansion has been an epic failure. If you ask me, one of the struggling teams listed above will be playing in Quebec within five years. The NHL would be stupid to continue to avoid a city loaded with passionate hockey fans.
2. HAMILTON
Hamilton has not had a team since the 1920's with the Hamilton Tigers. They have an NHL-ready arena that is the current home of the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. There is also an owner willing to do whatever it takes to get a team in Hamilton. He nearly accomplished that feat a few summers ago when he attempted to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. There are two major road blocks between Hamilton and an NHL team. The first, of course, is Gary Bettman's apparent hatred for basing teams in Canada. The second factor is the Toronto Maple Leafs constant complaining at the idea of another hockey team in southern Ontario. It may take another decade, but I believe Hamilton will get a shot at an NHL team.
3. TORONTO
Yes, I know that Toronto has had NHL hockey for a century, but I'm not referring to the Leafs. Several discussions have popped up concerning the possibility of a second Toronto franchise. The population and hunger for the game is definitely there, but I do not think that the Leafs would allow this to happen, either. Not to mention the fact that Toronto is already full of avid Leafs fans. Although it has been brought up quite often, I do not see this ever materializing.
4. SASKATCHEWAN
Indeed it does seem like an odd location on paper. However, lets not forget how supportive the fans are of the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. I believe a team based in either Saskatoon or Regina could easily support a team, but only one team. The Credit Union Cenre in Saskatoon holds 15,195 for hockey games. The only problem is the lack of ownership. Maybe in the distant future this could happen, but Saskatchewan will not get a team anytime soon.
Any of these cities could easily support an NHL franchise much better than the current cities of the struggling U.S. teams. Not just these four markets should be considered, either. London, Kitchener, Halifax, and Windsor would also support a team well. Hopefully Gary Bettman will let common sense prevail and put more teams in Canada, but he has never let common sense prevail, so why would he start now?
 
 
 

Week 7 high school picks

Six weeks down, three to go.... Then the games really count. Here's my picks for this week:

Detroit Country Day @ Linden-- LINDEN
Flint Northwestern @ Bloomfield Hills Andover-- FLINT NORTHWESTERN
Burton Atherton @ Byron-- BYRON
Burton Bendle @ Genesee-- BURTON BENDLE
Davison @ Flushing-- DAVISON
Dryden @ Burton Bentley-- BURTON BENTLEY
Durand @ Otisville LakeVille-- OTISVILLE LAKEVILLE
Fenton @ Lapeer East-- LAPEER EAST
Flint Carman-Ainsworth @ Flint Powers Catholic-- FLINT CARMAN-AINSWORTH
Flint Hamady @ Webberville-- FLINT HAMADY
Flint Kearsley @ Clio-- FLINT KEARSLEY
Flint Northern @ Midland-- MIDLAND
Goodrich @ Mt. Morris-- GOODRICH
Hartland @ Grand Blanc-- GRAND BLANC
Imlay City @ Almont-- ALMONT
Lapeer West @ Holly-- LAPEER WEST
Millington @ Birch Run-- MILLINGTON
Montrose @ Flint Beecher-- FLINT BEECHER
Morrice @ New Lothrop-- NEW LOTHROP
North Branch @ Lake Fenton-- LAKE FENTON
Ortonville Brandon @ Swartz Creek-- ORTONVILLE BRANDON
Saginaw @ Flint Southwestern-- FLINT SOUTHWESTERN
Brown City @ Ubly-- UBLY
Capac @ Algonac-- CAPAC
Mayville @ Bay City All Saints-- BAY CITY ALL SAINTS
Deckerville @ Marlette-- DECKERVILLE
Peck @ Arenac Eastern-- ARENAC EASTERN 

Week 6 high school picks

The first week of playoff berths has quickly arrived. Several teams will be looking to clinch from this point on, so here's who I'm taking in week six.

Birch Run @ Durand-- BIRCH RUN
Flint Powers Catholic @ Davison-- DAVISON
Flushing @ Flint Carman-Ainsworth-- FLINT CARMAN-AINSWORTH
Grand Blanc @ Pinckney-- GRAND BLANC
Lake Fenton @ Goodrich-- LAKE FENTON
Burton Bentley @ Flint Hamady-- FLINT HAMADY
Clio @ Fenton-- FENTON
Dryden @ Burton Atherton-- BURTON ATHERTON
Flint Northern @ Saginaw Arthur Hill-- SAGINAW ARTHUR HILL
Frankenmuth @ Millington-- MILLINGTON
Genesee @ Byron-- BYRON
Holly @ Flint Kearsley-- HOLLY
Lapeer East @ Ortonville Brandon-- ORTONVILLE BRANDON
Lapeer West @ Linden-- LAPEER WEST
Morrice @ Burton Bendle-- BURTON BENDLE
Mt. Morris @ Montrose-- MONTROSE
Mt. Pleasant @ Flint Southwestern-- MT. PLEASANT
New Lothrop @ Webberville-- NEW LOTHROP
North Branch @ Essexville Garber-- NORTH BRANCH
Otisville LakeVille @ Flint Beecher-- FLINT BEECHER
Swartz Creek @ Flint Northwestern-- FLINT NORTHWESTERN
Yale @ Imlay City-- YALE
Almont @ Croswell-Lexington-- ALMONT
Armada @ Capac-- CAPAC
Kingston @ Peck-- KINGSTON
Dearborn Heights Star International @ Mayville-- DEARBORN HEIGHTS STAR INT'L
Marlette @ Harbor Beach-- MARLETTE
Sandusky @ Brown City-- BROWN CITY