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Detroit Sports Teams Unite to Honor Beloved Fan Entering Hospice Care

Each Detroit sports franchise and Michigan State University got together for a heartwarming tribute to Andy Isaac.

Blake Silverman

A general view of Little Caesars Arena during the first quarter of a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Portland Trail Blazers.
A general view of Little Caesars Arena during the first quarter of a game between the Detroit Pistons and the Portland Trail Blazers. / David Reginek-Imagn Images
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Detroit sports franchises united Saturday for a heartwarming tribute for Andy Isaac, a longtime beloved fan, sports blogger and social media star. On Tuesday, Isaac posted that he decided to enter hospice care. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2006 and has long-chronicled his trials and tribulations with cancer treatment.

He received an outpouring of love and support from many fans, media members and his favorite teams in response to his post. The Detroit Tigers, Pistons and Lions replied to Isaac's post on X with heart emojis. On Saturday, his favorite teams took their tributes a step further, getting together for a special dedication.

Isaac was known for "Faturday," a moniker he created which documented his food journeys through photos and video reviews. He often posted "emergency food reviews" where he'd try the newest, mostly outlandish snack so his followers didn't need to.

On Saturday, each Detroit sports franchise simultaneously posted an image of their jumbotron adorned with "#Faturday" to honor Isaac.

Michigan State also joined in, posting the message at the Breslin Center, as Isaac was a Spartans fan, too.

"#Faturday forever and always," each post read. The same phrase that's included in the bio of Isaac's famed X account, @WorldofIsaac.

Kyle Koster, an editor at Sports Illustrated, spoke to his relationship with Isaac in an interview with Front Office Sports. The two worked together at Woven, which eventually became Uproxx Media. They also shared their fandom for Michigan State and Detroit sports.

“Andy’s superpower, which has only grown more impressive as the internet has evolved, is the ability to draw people in with humor and unrelenting kindness," Koster said to Front Office Sports. "I first got to know him as an avatar for all things Detroit and Michigan State, an independent voice capturing the pulse of the fan—authentically himself and willingly to share the joy, heartache and everything in between."

Isaac provided memories to anyone he interacted with, whether online or in-person. And his favorite teams want to make sure he knows that.

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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.

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