Update: Gordie Howe Fans Will Pay Tribute for 12 Hours Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena

Gordie Howe's visitation and funeral next week are open to the public.
Fans of the incomparable Hockey Hall of Famer can pay respects Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings., the team announces Saturday. Wednesday's 11 a.m. funeral, also open to the public until pews fill, is at  the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. 9844 Woodward Ave. in Detroit's North End.
Howe's body will be cremated, son Murray Howe says in a text message to the Associated Press, WXYZ reports.

Detroit Red Wings photo from Gordie Howe's 88th birthday celebration at Joe Louis Arena in March.

► Online salutes: A Gordie Howe Tributes page is set up by the Wings on Facebook.
► Suggested charities: Rather than sending flowers, Howe's family lists three worthy donation recipients:

• Gordie Howe Traumatic Brain Initiative. Donate online or by check to ProMedica Foundations, 5217 Monroe St., Suite A-1, Toledo, OH 43623.
• The Howe Foundation, 3128 Walton Blvd., Suite 255, Rochester Hills, MI 48309.
• Gordie Howe Fund for Alzheimer's Research: Saskatoon Community Foundation, 101-308 Fourth Ave., Saskatoon, SK | Canada | S7K 2L7. 

Original article, Friday:

Gordie Howe, nicknamed "Mr Hockey," who was considered one of the greatest players in NHL history, has died at age 88, CBS Detroit reports.
Howe, who was a 23-time All Star, played his first 25 year in the NHL with the Red Wing. He retired in 1971 from the Wings, but he returned to the ice to play with his sons, Marty and Mark, with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association.
Two years ago, he had a significant stroke. He ended up traveling to Mexico, where he had a stem cell treatment that family members said had given him a miraculous recovery, CBS Detroit recounts. 
In March, he celebrated his 88th birthday at Joe Louis Arena.
Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch posted this on Facebook:

“The Red Wings organization and the National Hockey League would not be what they are today without Gordie Howe. There is no nickname more fitting for him than “Mr. Hockey.” He embodied on and off the ice what it meant to be both a Red Wing and a Detroiter. He was tough, skilled, and consistently earned success at the highest level. His achievements are numerous and his accomplishments immeasurable. It is truly a blessing to have had him both in our organization and our city for so many years. He will be deeply missed.”

Statement from the Howe family on Facebook:

Hockey Legend Gordie Howe, age 88, passed away peacefully this morning with his family by his side. The Howe family would like to thank friends and fans for their love and support. Gordie had a special connection with Red Wings fans and was always touched by their commitment. We are celebrating the life of a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and a friend to all. Arrangements will be announced once they are finalized.

Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard in article on Red Wing site:

“We were used to seeing Mr. Howe around the room, so not being able to see him every once in a while is going to be strange, it’s going to be different. He was such a great man and touched a lot of people in this hockey world. He’s going to be missed dearly.”

Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg (on Red Wing site):

“The first year I was here he came down into the locker room and introduced himself. It was pretty cool because I had never met him before, so to actually meet him in person, shake his hand and to finally meet Mr. Hockey was an unbelievable feeling.”
“He was always close to a joke. So for me as a young guy then, not knowing that he was joking was funny. He always told me to shoot more often; if you don’t shoot you don’t score. Both he and Ted spent a lot of time here and that’s one of the things that makes it so special here. Those guys spend a lot of time in the locker room and unfortunately we hadn’t seen Gordie in quite awhile now, but Ted is still around.”

Bob Wojnowski column:

Before sports became glamorized and specialized, before the biggest stars did the flashiest work, Gordie Howe did it all. He did it with magical hands and pointed elbows, with incomparable toughness and irresistible kindness.
There’s a reason Mr. Hockey stood alone, and stood longer than anyone, spanning 32 seasons across two leagues and multiple generations. He endured longer than anyone could have imagined, past a normal retirement date, past an ordinary mortality date, all the way to Friday, when he passed away at the age of 88

Mitch Albom colum:

"Superman just bid us farewell. It’s hard to believe, Gordie Howe dying, because for so many years, he seemed immune to all of life’s blows."

Lou Mleczko, a former reporter for the Macomb Daily and Detroit News, on Facebook:

"I had the great experience of covering the Red Wings during the 1968-69 season for the Macomb Daily and Red Wings Magazine. Even as a lowly cub reporter, Howe was always accessible for post game interviews even when the Wings lost badly. He could dominate a game like no other player whether it was on the power play, penalty killing, or on his regular shift. Some of his plays were so spectacular that even crusty veteran reporters in the press box would leap to their feet in astonishment after seeing Howe do his magic on the ice. I will always cherish these wonderful memories of Gordie."

Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning vice president & general manager, and former Detroit Red Wing:

"It was very saddening to hear the news of Gordie's passing this morning. He has been an icon not only in Detroit, but throughout the entire hockey world for as long as I can remember. As one of the greatest players to ever play in the NHL, the majority of his career being in Detroit, it was an honor to wear the same uniform, spend time with, laugh, joke and seek advice from him. Gordie's humility and kindness left a permanent impression on me, greatly influencing how I tried to conduct myself throughout my career.
“His impact on the Red Wings organization is still evident today."
"I travel the world and constantly hear stories from people who love the Wings and share memories of the glory days when Gordie and his teammates ruled the NHL. For all players fortunate enough to play for the Wings, we should take time to thank and honor Gordie, for he is a significant reason why Detroit is such a special place to play."

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Paul McCartney to perform in Detroit at Joe Louis Arena on Oct. 21

The concert will be McCartney's first appearance at Joe Louis Arena and his first visit to the Motor City since 2011, during his On The Run tour.
McCartney has performed 22 shows this year, including stops in Japan, South Korea, Europe, the UK and the US. The Out There tour features popular music from McCartney's entire career, as a solo artist and a member of Wings and the Beatles. The set list also includes material from his most recent studio album, NEW, which was released in 2013.
Some of the most iconic moments from the last 50 years of music will be relived during the concert. McCartney and his band have performed in many impressive venues, including the Coliseum in Rome, Moscow's Red Square, Buckingham Palace, the White House, Mexico and the last ever show at San Francisco's Candlestick Park, where The Beatles played their final concert.
The band of the last 10 or more years includes Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums).
The tour also uses technology and production like massive screens, lasers, fireworks, unique video content and, of course, the music.
McCartney kicked off the year at the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards with Rihanna and Kanye West, performing "FourFiveSeconds," played a Valentine's Day concert in New York City and appeared on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary special.

Tickets

Tickets ($29.50, $69.50, $99.50, $168 and $253) go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. and can be purchased online at OlympiaEntertainment.com or LiveNation.com. They can also be bought at the Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, all Ticketmaster locations and Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call 800-745-3000.
American Express Card Members can buy tickets before the general public, beginning Thursday at 10 a.m. through Sunday at 10 p.m.

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Longtime heavyweight champ Klitschko takes on Philly's Jennings

NEW YORK - All Wladimir Klitschko needs to do is survey the landscape to get beyond his age's being anything more than a number, not that it has been much of a problem at all.

One week after the 39-year-old heavyweight champion puts his many title belts on the line against Philadelphian Bryant Jennings on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, Manny Pacquiao, 37, and Floyd Mayweather, 38, recognized as the No. 2 and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighters in the world, will fight for the biggest purse in the sport's history.

Philadelphian Bernard Hopkins, 50, lost his multiple light-heavyweight titles to Sergey Kovalev last year but is still rated No. 2 by Ring magazine.

So when Klitschko (63-3, 54 knockouts), fighting in the United States for the first time in seven years, bemoans the fact that his sparring partners are much younger than he is, the fact remains that the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder continues to be the dominant heavyweight on the planet.

"They are just so much younger than I am," Klitschko said. "I remember when I was the young, hungry guy. I see a lot of them in me. I see a lot of Bryant Jennings in me. He's young and he's hungry."

If the script plays out the way it has since Klitschko knocked out Chris Byrd in the seventh round on April 22, 2006, to become heavyweight champ for a second time, the outcome will be of little surprise. Despite his age, he takes into the ring with him a significant power advantage and a stiff jab that most suspect will be problematic for Jennings (19-0, 10 KOs).

The fight will be Klitschko's 18th title defense, third most in heavyweight history behind only Larry Holmes (20) and Joe Louis (25, the all-time record for any weight class).

On Tuesday at the final news conference here, Klitschko appeared genuinely excited to be fighting again on American soil.

Despite being the heavy favorite, Klitschko said he is not taking the North Philly native lightly, which would be understandable. He's not talking about retiring anytime soon, and there is the potential for a very enticing fight in the not-so-distant future against newly crowned WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder.

"There is a certain reflection of the region where the fighter is coming from, of the trainers that he was working with," Klitschko said. "I think that I'm going to expect a Philly fighter. A fighter from Philadelphia that is similar to [Joe] Frazier and [Tim] Witherspoon and many other fighters from the region. I think it's going to be challenge."

A big question for Jennings, 30, is how he will try to fight Klitschko, who is a better puncher on the outside and has one of the highest knockout percentages in boxing.

The older, grizzled champion sounds prepared for whatever Jennings throws at him.

"I understand that we're all limited in our capabilities," Klitschko said. "Bryant Jennings can fight as Bryant Jennings. He cannot fight like Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali or somebody else."

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Jennings undaunted by Klitschko's tall task

NEW YORK - As he wrapped up his final press responsibilities Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, Bryant Jennings made it seem as though he's bringing more than just his two hands into the ring on Saturday.

"This fight is for myself, my team and everybody who is part of the team," the North Philadelphia heavyweight said. "We all share the same dream."

On Saturday, Jennings (19-0, 10 knockouts) will have the grandest dream of his lifetime standing across from him - a chance to dislodge Wladimir Klitschko (63-3, 50 KO), the lineal heavyweight champion of the world and holder of the throne the last nine years, from his titles.

Jennings, 30, is aware of the challenge that the 39-year-old Klitschko represents. He looks to notch his 18th consecutive title defense, which would tie him with Larry Holmes at No. 2 all-time. And he is not talking about retiring very soon, so it is conceivable that the dominant champion could one day eclipse Joe Louis' gold standard of 25.

Just days before the fight, though, Jennings, rarely smiling, appeared undaunted by the task ahead of him.

"It's a wonderful world, it's a wonderful opportunity at the top of the food chain," Jennings, nicknamed "Bye-Bye," said. "This is an epic situation and it's what every heavyweight fighter dreams of."

The smaller man - he's four inches shorter than the 6-foot-6 Klitschko and on average fights about 20 pounds lighter than Klitschko's typical 245 - Jennings has not revealed how he plans to pull off the upset.

Surprisingly, Jennings has the longer reach (84 inches to 81). However, Klitschko is adept at peppering opponents with his jab. And when required, he is comfortable taking his power inside to fight at close range.

A three-sport athlete while a student at Ben Franklin High School, Jennings' trainer Gary Shaw says his fighter's athleticism will be a factor.

"He's the best athlete that Klitschko has ever faced," he flatly states.

Klitschko, who last defended his title in the United States in 2008, said that when the bright lights in the Garden come on, Jennings will be in for a surprise.

"There is no grandmother in the ring, no trainer," Klitschko said. "It's just going to be me and Bryant Jennings in the ring. Nobody is going to hop in there. It's just going to be two gentlemen who will explain with their fists who is stronger."

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Keeping Fit U.s. Using The 'Little Guys' To Keep Military In Shape

The great heavyweight fighter Joe Louis once embarked on what was called his "Bum of the Month" tour.

This meant that once a month, or more often, Louis would slap around an unknown pug who wasn't really tough enough or skilled enough to be in the ring with him.

He did it because there were so very few fighters really worthy of fighting Louis.

So, to make money in those pre-TV days, stay in shape, and remind the sporting world that he was the best, Louis took on whomever was available.

He fought more than 100 such fights in places like Topeka, Kan., Waycross, Ga., Odessa, Texas, and Moline, Ill.

Because his opponents were such second-raters - who ever heard of Sugar Lip Anderson? - the fights weren't even official title bouts. They were labeled as exhibitions.

But the crowd had a good time. And the local fighter would be able to brag that he once had the honor of being knocked senseless by Joe Louis.

It seems to me that this country has found itself in a position similar to that of Joe Louis.

Just as Louis had the physical ability to demolish anyone who challenged him, we have the military power to do the same.

We could, if we wished, blow up the entire world and everybody on it, including ourselves. Or we could single out one small part of the world and just erase it.

Who is as strong? The Soviet Union, maybe. But it's not convenient for either of us to settle the question. At least not at the moment.

As strong as we are, though, there seems to be a need in many of us to remind others of our strength. And to remind ourselves.

That's why there was such heartfelt pride and jubilation when we roared into Grenada and defeated a swarm of Cuban construction workers.

And it's the reason there's almost unanimous support in Congress, and probably among the American people, for the way we zapped those Libyan patrol boats last week.

The appealing thing about both these adventures is that they aren't really full-scale wars, which we don't want to get involved in right now.

We're calling the Libyan action a "confrontation." I don't recall what we named the Grenada invasion.
In that way, they're similar to Joe Louis' "Bum of the Month" fights, which were pushover exhibitions. The patrol boats from Libya were pushovers, as were the construction workers on Grenada. There's no risk of our losing, and they serve as military exhibitions.

When you think about it, we said we sent our planes over the Gulf of Sidra as part of a military exercise. What better exercise could there be than actually sinking a few patrol boats and bombing a couple of radar sites?

So, what I'm suggesting is that President Reagan give some thought to adopting the old Joe Louis "Bum of the Month" tour as part of our national policy.

Moammar Khadafy surely isn't the only national leader who has been making a pest of himself. And Libya isn't the only relatively small country that's been unfriendly to us.

Look at a map of the world. They're all over the place. You can't even pronounce many of their names, the foreigners.

I'm not saying that we should just go in and start shooting missiles at them for no reason. Nor should we do anything to provoke them into attacking us. As Larry Speakes, the White House spokesman says, that's not why we went into the Gulf of Sidra. We just needed the exercise. And in this fitness- conscious age, who would deny us our exercise?

But I'm sure there are a lot of little countries who, if we gave them an opportunity, would be willing to do something to provoke us. That's all those pugs were doing when they climbed in the ring with Joe Louis taking advantage of a rare opportunity to go up against the best.

What did it cost them, really. A few cuts and bruises, and a broken nose maybe, all for a lifetime of memories.

And what did it cost Khadafy? A few small boats. A few missiles. A few dozen of his citizens. All for the acclaim of his Arab friends and the world's many crazies.

So I think President Reagan, whether he knows it or not, is on to something that could become quite popular - his version of the old "Bum of the Month" tour.

The crowds will love it. But as a natural-born crowd pleaser, I'm sure he already knows that.

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Joe Louis Walker plays it his way

Joe Louis Walker, the mighty modern electric and acoustic blues guitarist and singer, appears this weekend at Warmdaddy's in South Philly.

"You know, I like to think of myself as a chameleon," Walker says. "When I picked up the guitar as a kid, I picked it up to be a guitar player - not a blues guitar player."

Walker, born in San Francisco, started playing in churches starting at age 8. "Church was where me and my cousins gigged, where we had to play everything from Junior Walker and the All-Stars to sacred songs to the blues," he says. "The hippies came to my neighborhood, so I got a little of that, too. It was the whole combination of things there."

In 1968, he met up with Chicago guitarist Mike Bloomfield and became his roommate, confidant, and drinking partner. "His sound was one worth emulating," Walker says. Of Bloomfield's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he says, "It was long overdue, that honor."

Bloomfield's death in 1981 shook Walker, who "got off the treadmill," leaving the music scene. In the following years, he freed himself from drugs and drinking. He attended San Francisco State University and got a degree in music and English. "Education was a wonderful thing," he says. "Still is, as I'm never without a book."

He performed holy songs with the Spiritual Corinthians Gospel Quartet in the Bay Area. "There are a lot of negative forces out there," says Walker. "I watched it happen to so many good ones. I played gospel music exclusively for a time, and that became part of my diet. I love jazz, soul, and R&B and play jazz, soul, and R&B. Then there's rock. I do it all."

By 1985, Walker decided to return to the music life. He began to make records that prove him adept, fluid, and fierce on both acoustic guitar and electric. He's an emotional player and vocalist who reinvents the blues with each record. That includes 1986's Cold is the Night, the 1998 sociopolitical classic Preacher and the President, and the soon-to-drop Everybody Wants a Piece.

That new album has raw, righteous songs such as "Black & Blue," a mix of roadhouse blues, deep funk, and raging, ringing, harmonious rock.

"Hey, man, I put on John Lennon records in the morning and Muddy Waters records at night," Walker says with a laugh. "That's who I am and what my music is."

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Joe Louis Biography

The world heavyweight boxing champion from June 22, 1937, until March 1, 1949, Joe Louis held the title longer than anyone else in history.

Synopsis

Born on May 13, 1914 in Lafayette, Alabama, Joe Louis went on to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Known as the Brown Bomber, Louis held the belt for nearly 12 years, a boxing record, and posted 25 successful title defenses.

Early Years

Boxer. Widely considered one of the greatest and most beloved boxers in the sport's history, Joseph Louis Barrow was born May 13, 1914 in the cotton-field country near Lafayette, Alabama. The son of a sharecropper, and the great-grandson of a slave, he was eighth child of Munn and Lilly Barrow.
Louis's family life was shaped by financial struggle. The Louis kids slept three to a bed and Louis' father was committed to a state hospital when he was just two years old.
Louis had little schooling and as a teen took on odd jobs in order to help out his mother and siblings. The family eventually relocated to Detroit where Louis found work as a laborer at the River Rouge plant of the Ford Motor Company.
For a time Louis set his sights on a career in cabinet making. He briefly attended the Bronson Vocational School for training and in his off-time took violin lessons.  But it was while at school that a friend recommended he try boxing.
While not an immediate success—he debuted as a lightweight and was knocked down three times in his first fight—he showed promise. By 1934 he held the national Amateur Athletic Union light-heavyweight title and finished his amateur career with an astonishing 43 knockout victories in 54 matches.

Pro Career

Louis bruised his opponents with a crushing left jab and hook. By the end of 1935 the young fighter was showing that his amateur success was no fluke. He fought 14 bouts that year, earning nearly $370,000 in prize money.
On June 19, 1936 Louis suffered his first professional defeat, a 12th round knockout to Max Schmeling, a German fighter and former heavyweight champion who'd earned the adoring praise of Adolph Hitler.
The defeat stung Louis, but it was offset by the chance to fight Jim Braddock on June 22, 1937 for the heavyweight crown. The Brown Bomber, as he came to be known, knocked out the defending champ in the eighth round setting the stage for a 12-year-run as the heavyweight king all the while becoming a sports icon for blacks and white across America.
Part of it could be chalked up to the sheer fact that fans loved a winner. Of Louis' 25 title defenses, only three went the full 15 rounds. But in winning, Louis also showed himself to be a gracious, even generous victor. Louis, who enlisted with the army in 1942, threw his support behind the country's war effort, and went so far as to twice donate his purse money to military relief funds.
He officially retired on March 1, 1949. A short-lived comeback, owed more in part because he was broke, soon followed. But Louis failed to capture his earlier magic. On October 26, 1951 he called it quits for good after Rocky Marciano knocked him out in the eighth round at Madison Square Garden.

Post-Boxing Life

The years after his retirement from the ring proved uneven for Louis. He was still a revered American figure, but money was a constant issue for him. In an effort to find some footing he tried out a number of careers. He wrestled and partnered with a rival in setting up a chain of interracial food shops.
In 1970 his wife Martha committed Louis to a psychiatric hospital in Colorado because of his cocaine addiction and paranoia. He was later confined to a wheelchair following surgery to correct an aortic aneurism.
When he passed away from a heart attack on April 12, 1981, Louis, who married four times in his life and had two children, was working as an "official greeter" at Caesars Palace.
Louis was inducted to the Ring Magazine Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1982 he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

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