Everyone called him Mr. Ilitch. It was the kind of simple and easy respect that Mike Ilitch warranted, fostered and undoubtedly deserved.
You rarely hear James Dolan referred to as Mr. Dolan. There are other descriptions that often accompany conversation about him: Words and terms like mean-spirited, vengeful, tone-deaf, piece of work or more often than that piece of something else.
Two sporting owners, giants of commerce, in the news this week for completely different reasons.
Ilitch, the self-made man and longtime owner of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers, passed away at the age of 87.