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Peterson: What it takes to be elite

I’ve seen many high school athletes who could be considered to be either great, very good or just plain good. But to be classified as elite is to reach the upper plateau of sports. Now, I know the word elite is one of the most overused nowadays — especially in the world of professional sports. The category in high school has to be applied very carefully. I’ve seen more than a few individuals who had the stats to qualify. But stats can sometimes be misleading and I’ll cite the case of a basketball player (no names) who played a couple of decades ago. He averaged well ...

Peterson: Even COVID can’t dim ‘Madness’

In the wacky and wild year that COVID 19 has imposed on all of us, it seemed that “March Madness” was also in peril. But that wild and crazy time is still in effect. Sure, the players are still required to wear masks on the basketball floor, at least for the prep cagers. And they still have those ridiculous cardboard figures in the stands for college and pro events. But there were real, live people in the stands at Dollar Bay High the other night for the matchup of the Blue Bolts and Jeffers. Those two are top-level teams in our area, both capable of going deep in the ...

Peterson: MTU now dominates NMU

It was one of the more memorable sports events I can remember from my younger days. In the winter of 1964, the Michigan Tech men’s basketball team (there were no girls sports then) upset Northern Michigan University at Sherman Gym. What made the 85-82 win so special was that it came against a Northern team that had often dominated the Huskies over the years. Under coach Verdie Cox, the Tech cagers had struggled to reach the .500 mark. The 1962-63 season was a notable exception when a team led by Doug Schueneman and future NFL player Bob Lurtsema, the team went 17-6 and won ...

Peterson: There’s only one Kevin Luke

I’ve dealt with countless coaches in my some five decades on the sports scene. The majority of them have been courteous and cooperative, willing to go the extra mile to ensure their team gets the right coverage. I’m talking about people like late Ontonagon football coach Bob Carlson. Now, upon first meeting Carlson, I was taken aback a bit by his brusque nature. But after we got to know each other and he knew I wasn’t going to betray his trust, there was no problem. He dutifully supplied the stats that are required for any story. And if his quotes weren’t always long ...

Peterson: Today’s Tigers lineup a mystery

There was a time when I could readily tell you the starting lineup of the Detroit Tigers. Take the 1968 World Series champs: Don Wert at third; Ray Oyler at shortstop; Dick McAuliffe at second; and Norm Cash at first base; Al Kaline, Mickey Stanley and Jim Northrup in the outfield; and Bill Freehan at catcher. Denny McLain and Mickey Lolich were the pitching mainstays. Or even the 1984 Tigers, one of the best teams never to repeat as champions. But aside from Miguel Cabrera, who might or might not be healthy enough, at designated hitter, I really couldn’t come up with the ...

There’s a new game going on in the National Football League these days: It’s called Quarterback Search and it’s hot in practically every league city. It’s not that quarterbacks haven’t always commanded their share of attention. Names like Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Joe Montana are still household names. But with the large number of big-time QBs retiring (notably Drew Brees and Philip Rivers) and an even large number apparently ready to get a pink slip, the rush is on to find a signal caller who can get you to the promised land, much like Tom Brady did in ...