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Peterson: Nothing like Harwell on the radio

There was a time, not so long ago, when a person could tune in the old family radio and hear the down-home baseball announcing of Ernie Harwell. The late Harwell’s broadcasts of the Detroit Tigers ranks right up there with some of the fonder memories of my youth. Like fishing one of the many “jump across” creeks that were so abundant a half-century or so ago. On any day, you could fish those creeks and fill your creel with a number of colorful speckled trout. And you were so inclined, you could cook up a meal right there on the banks of the creek. It would be hard ...

Peterson: Don’t trust movies for the truth

If you’re looking for the facts, and nothing but the facts, don’t look to sports movies for it. It’s a fact that Hollywood will do whatever it has to do to embellish a story. The movies “Rudy” and “Hoosiers” — two of the most popular sports flicks ever made — illustrate that. Rudy was the low budget film about an undersized Notre Dame football fan who made his dream of playing for the Irish a reality through persistence. Rudy Ruettiger, who appeared at Baraga High School as a motivational speaker a few years ago, was small (5-6, 165 pounds). But he starred in the ...

Ruling is going to have effects

The recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding college athletics will have far-reaching effects. Although some parties believe the change in compensation for college athletes will not cause sweeping changes, I don’t see how it can’t. The high court ruling stated that the NCAA shouldn’t be able to set limits on what an athlete is compensated for. “The NCAA is not above the law,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh stated in concurring with the court’s decision. It’s been a belief of many college coaches and administrators that the NCAA has taken just that stance in the ...

Peterson: Jordan had it right about NBA

One of the most accurate statements ever made about the current National Basketball Association came from perhaps its finest player ever.  When asked how today’s NBA teams would match up against his Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan responded. “It would probably be close for awhile, but most of us are now in our 60s.” Whether he made the comment with tongue in cheek is moot. It’s a true statement. Let’s face it, the game has changed drastically since Jordan was playing. Or the Boston Celtics, LA Lakers and Detroit Pistons of the same era. There was a time when I ...

Hinch deserving of credit

A baseball season is much like a marathon run. It’s a long and grilling procedure, with many bumps in the road. Given that, I believe that AJ Hinch is doing a commendable job with the Detroit Tigers in his first season in Motown. It’s not that the Tigers are going to win an American League Central pennant. The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians both appear to have more talent than Detroit does. But what Hinch has done is help make the Tigers at least competitive, and that’s something Detroit fans haven’t seen in some time. And the upgrade in pitching is the main ...

Peterson: Stars getting more airy

It’s getting pretty close to desperation time when the sports TV personalities start running shows in which sports stars wax philosophical. I’m talking about the segment run last week by Kenny Mayne of ESPN with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers couldn’t come up with a concise answer about why he and the Packers management can reach an agreement for the upcoming season. Rodgers, an educated man with a degree from Cal-Berkley, spoke vaguely about culture and character lacking in Titletown. In the same breath, he talked about his admiration for his ...