Champions Day

This season was called "...the most amazing sweep of sport achievements ever credited to any single city" by the Windsor Daily Star.

Finally, despite the festivities falling in the middle of off season for football, a number of Lions traveled hundreds, even thousands, of miles to attend the Banquet.

[7] On Sunday, April 19, 1936, Radio Stations WJR and WSPD broadcast a half-hour-long program dramatizing the events that crowned each of Detroit's champions: "The thrilling ninth inning of the Tiger-Cub final World Series game; the Lions victory over the New York Giants; Louis' battle with Max Baer and the final game in the Stanley Cup series between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs..."[8] Jimmie Stevenson, chief sports announcer of WJR was master of ceremonies.

After each dramatization representatives of each branch of the sport spoke: "Mickey Cochrane, manager of the Tigers; Potsy Clark, coach of the Lions; Jack Adams, manager of the Red Wings; Wally Kilrea, representing Donnie Hughes, youthful boss of the Olympics; [Joe] Louis and [Dick] Degener.

Presenting the plaque was Michigan governor Fitzgerald and accepting on behalf of the city was John W. Smith, president of the Detroit Council.

Also participating in the ceremony was Walter O. Briggs, Jr., (front office executive of the Tigers), Louis Giffels (Red Wings player), and Tommy Emmet (Lions' public relations director).

[17][18] The plaque bears the inscription: "A nation appreciative of those qualities of character essential to success in competitive athletics salutes Detroit, which in this year of 1936 richly merits recognition as the City of Champions."

However, following Louis's unexpected loss to Max Schmeling June 19, the image of the prize fighter was removed and replaced with the diver.

There were a number of individual and team accomplishment during this time, including: Despite the excitement of the 1935–36 sports season in Detroit, Champions Day was not regularly recognized after the first event.

In his book Detroit: City of Champions, author Charles Avison theorizes that World War II was a primary factor in this amazing story and holiday losing its prominence.