A Night For Polish Pride

I'm proud to be Polish. I'm not much of a sports fan (except for University of Michigan football... in which case I'm a huge fan!) but I'm always cheering for the team player with the Polish last name in whatever the sport. For those of you who feel the same way, you may want send up a cheer tonight for the newest members being inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. The banquet is being held at the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, MI (suburb of Detroit).

My son is a huge fan of Mike Ditka and I was surprised to learn that he has Polish ancestry. "Ditka was the first of four children born to Michael and Charlotte. His father was the son of a Ukrainian father and a Polish mother, while his mother was of Irish-German heritage. The original family name was "Dyzcko" and was often pronounced "Disco": hence the name change." I learned this on the NPASHF web site (http://www.polishsportshof.com/). Check it out and read all about the outstanding athletes that have been inducted into the NPASHF.

Mike "Dyzko" Ditka, proud of his Polish Heritage

Fox News Detroit featured this year's National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame inductees on it's evening newscast tonight: Mike Kenn (played for University of Michigan and the Atlanta Falcons, 5 time Pro Bowler), Mark Rypien (1992 Superbowl MVP), and Bobby Hurley (NBA). Way to go guys! You do your Polish ancestors proud!

Technorati tags: Polish, Sports, Football, Basketball, Hall of Fame