The Day Bob Seger Got The Detroit Lions Game Ball
Last week I briefly touched on an encounter I had with Bob Seger after a Detroit Lions game years ago. You can see that story here, about celebrities you picked that you’d like to see at the playoff game on Sunday.
In that story, I mentioned seeing Bob after a game during the Jim Schwartz era. Here’s how that entire story goes.
I believe it was in 2010 or 2011. I was cutting my grass when I was thinking about what to do for dinner. I floated a text to some of my friends and thought I’d take the family up to Clarkston for something to eat. I was told they’d be coming by The Woodshop after the game and to meet there.
A little after the Lions’ victory, Coach Schwartz stopped by, along with linemen, Stephen Peterman and Dominic Raiola. Uncle Kracker then showed up, with Kid Rock and Bob Seger.
I recall Bob being such a normal guy. He wore jeans with rips in the knees and was so easygoing. I’d met him before, but I don’t think he remembered me, and that was fine. He talked to my kids, who were very young at the time, about school and other things calling them by name. Just a great guy.
Then he told me about the game ball. Yes, the coach had singled him out in the locker room and given him the ball. He told me that the coach went on about a person who’d meant so much to the area and a person people admired. He said right after that he threw him the game ball. The team cheered as he caught it. How do I know he caught it? Because he told me under no certain terms.
“Hell Yeah I caught it!” he said to me. He was so excited about that ball you’d have thought they threw him a Grammy award. You could tell at that moment how much this team and this city meant to him.
That guy has led a great life, but he could live anywhere. He chooses to live here. He’s, as one of my friends would say, “one of us” and I was happy to see him at the game yesterday.
-Meltdown-
Bob Seger: 10 Statistics that Might Surprise You
Bob Seger has a career that many artists only dream of, from selling millions of records to being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
While Seger bid touring farewell in 2019, legions of fans still adore this “Beautiful Loser” and always will. In honor of his birthday on May 6, we take a brief look at 10 interesting Bob Seger statistics that might surprise you.
Retired From Touring, But None Done With Music
In June 2021, Seger spoke with David Fricke and reflected on his life in music and the December 2020 passing of longtime Silver Bullet Band saxophonist Alto Reed.
Seger said Reed phoned him to tell him about his colon cancer diagnosis and said, “I listened really hard to him, and he said ‘how grateful I am for my wonderful life.’ … I thought that was so beautiful, and I thought he was so brave. I don’t think I could go out (on tour) without him.”
As far as the touring part of his career goes, Seger said, “You know, I’ve had a great life, oh my goodness. I loved what I did. Never worked a day in my life, really. The hard parts were in sleeping in hotels, having rotten food.”
However, it seems as though Seger isn’t completely retired from music. He touched on his experience during the pandemic and how Bruce Springsteen offered some supportive words saying, “I was getting kind of down on myself, down on the world and down on everything. [Springsteen] said, ‘Bob, go out there and start writing, start singing, start playing, start recording.”
Don’t Forget About the Bob Seger YouTube Channel
If you ever feel like getting lost in the wonder that is Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, you might want to wander over to the Seger YouTube Channel. Not only does the channel feature official music videos, but there’s also various live clips of Seger over the years, which are real gems.
Much like with streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, Seger was one of the last few major artists to not have an official channel on the platform.
When the channel was first unveiled in January 2020, president and CEO of Universal Music Enterprises (parent company of Capitol Records) Bruce Resnikoff said, “What’s really important is that Bob is first and foremost a storyteller, and we now live in a world where artists are able to tell their stories and give their message to old fans and new fans in way that goes well beyond touring and live appearances. In the world of YouTube and videos, we get a chance for Bob to tell his story in way that’s very real to people, and to reach a much broader and younger audience.”
Meltdown started on the mighty WRIF on the evening of Halloween, 1995. Technically, his first on-air shift was the morning of November 1st. Moving to the Motor City from Buffalo, N.Y., he has built a career and family. Over his almost three-decade stint at RIFF, he's had the privilege to work with some of the biggest personalities in Detroit radio history. He boasts of being just the second-afternoon drive jock in the station's illustrious 53-year history.
Along with his love for rock music and attending concerts, he's also an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast and hockey player. He plays year-round and manages to squeeze in a few charity games throughout the year. Meltdown writes about the Detroit Red Wings, rock music, and Detroit concert venues.
