Long before the hulking Joe Louis Arena graced the north shore of the Detroit River, another sport drew local fans to a vacant lot on that very spot. Detroiters of a certain age will recall it as a prime place to view the submarine races.
At no charge, loving couples could park their ’65 Mustangs, ’67 Cougars or ’69 GTOs under the moonlight at the future JLA site to admire the underwater ships sliding silently and gracefully below the dark surface, over to Windsor and back.
And now The Joe, opened in late 1979, is about to sleep with the fishes.