One event missing from the local sports schedule this summer is the Nationwide Tour event held at the Peek. It was knocked off the schedule for various reasons and I'll miss covering it. Just like with our minor league baseball and hockey teams in Erie, we had the chance to see future stars in their respective sports at the up-and-coming level. Still some great golf in the area starting with the EDGA Match Play Tournamament this weekend at Downing.
Speaking of golf, I can't see Tiger Woods winning the US Open after not having played in a competitive tournament since the Masters in April, but I guess if anyone can do it, he can.
Good to see that Robbie Ftorek will be back to coach the Otters last season. The team showed progress and it seems that he just loves to teach these young kids. I think it will pay off next season.
If there was any doubt about the validity of the Erie Bayhawks NBA D-League team that begins play next fall, the fact that Cavs Head Coach Mike Brown came to Erie for the affiliations announcement this week proved it's legit. Can't wait to see this league in action come November.

I don't know if I agree with some of the golf experts that his was the "greatest" US Open ever but it certainly had a lot of drama and stories that few have had in the past. The ultimate underdog in Rocco Mediate, the ailing "Hero" that is Tiger Woods and the drama of how this whole 91-hole tournament unfolded from Thursday through Monday. There is an old saying in golf....... "Great players aren't always great, only when they have to be"............ and Tiger proved that time and time again last weekend. From double bogeys to eagles...from birdies on the eighteenth hole both Sunday AND Monday to snatch victory away from Rocco....to dealing with a bad knee that was probably worse that we could imagine. While Tiger wrote another chapter in his legacy, I feel bad for Rocco Mediate. He has to live with the fact that he was a missed putt or two away from being the US Open champion and he may never get that chance again.
The only question now, how much of a price did Tiger pay for winning. Did he do more damage to his knee that will require a lot of rest and rehab. Perhaps the rest of the year may be lost and that includes two more majors, the FedEx Cup and the Ryder Cup in '08. Only time will tell.

It was impressive to see the OHL supply the top four picks of the recent NHL draft and no less than seven of the first ten picks. Certainly was a banner year for OHL talent led by Steven Stamkos of the Sarnia Sting, coached by former Otters coach Dave MacQueen. Dave told me when when we interview him for the Otters show last January, that the most impressive things about Stamkosare that he is a good person off the ice, not selfish on the ice, and like all good players, makes those around him better. Look for him in the NHL next season.
Congrats to all the new members to the Erie Chapter of the Penna. Hall of Fame inducted on Tuesday night. Some of the new inductees, like Eric Hicks, Deitrich Jells and Shelly Brown were some of the first high school athletes I covered when I began my stint in Erie in the late
1980's. Well overdue was the induction of Craig Latimer, the "Quad-father" as he is called and what he has done for the recreational athlete in the area with the Quad Games for more that two decades, When you cover athletics 52 weeks out of every year, at times you feel you are part of their journey to greatness, seeing them develop as athletes and as people. That's a very gratifying part of my job covering local sports. One thing I've noticed over the years, when an athlete is a good quality individual in high school, he turns out that way as an adult. That's a credit to coaches and parents alike.