WSET.com - ABC13Carter's Call for July 14, 2010

Happy Anniversary to the Coventry Commonwealth Games and to the Carters!

If I ever forget how many years I've been married (for my sake, I better not!), I've got an easy bailout. You see, this year is the 21st Coventry Commonwealth Games and it's my 21st anniversary! So whatever year it is for the Games, that's how many years we've been married. That's good to remember... just in case.

The Commonwealth Games have come a long way through the years, starting with around 44-hundred athletes their first year in 1990, now more than double that number, between nine and ten thousand participants from all parts of the state. And it's not just the athletes, add in parents, grandparents, friends and you've got a great event bringing millions of dollars to the Roanoke Valley each year. Kudos to Pete Lampman and his Virginia Amateur Sports staff for making it happen year after year!

Major League Baseball lost a giant on the morning of the All-Star Game with the passing of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

You may not have liked "The Boss", you may detest the Yankees. But make no mistake about it, George Steinbrenner was a winner. He's got seven World Championships to prove it! He returned the downtrodden Yankees to their glory days. Steinbrenner accepted nothing less than championships. His outspoken demeanor and overflowing wallet turned a lot of fans against him, but out of the spotlight he was a great humanitarian who gave back generously to his community. The Yankees will wear patches on their uniforms honoring Steinbrenner and longtime public address announcer Bob Sheppard, who died just days apart.

High school football practice is just a couple of weeks away, and college is just behind! I think Mike London is a great fit for UVa. His enthusiasm and drive to succeed will be a great shot in the arm for the Cavaliers. Don't expect miracles right away, but I think he'll put the Cavs on the right track.

The Hokies look to be strong again, stacked at running back, experienced receivers back with a confident Tyrod Taylor running the show. Bud Foster has a lot of holes to fill on defense, but he always gets the job done, doesn't he?

And the Liberty Flames should be fun to watch with Mike Brown leading the offense. And don't forget, this year's Big South champion FINALLY gets an automatic bid to the playoffs. That alone will be plenty of incentive for this season. But throw in the year-ending loss to Stony Brook and the new LU stadium improvements, there should be plenty of fire on the Mountain.

Football will be here before you know it. Bring It On!

Dennis Carter