Dr. I: If you won’t let them into ECC gyms, at least let them watch
Idle Thoughts, while waiting for the Big East tournaments, Opening Day and for Wheel of Fortune to start awarding prizes for spin rate:
• Dr. Idle, Dr. I to his close friends, doesn't necessarily agree with the Eastern Connecticut Conference's decision to keep fans out of gyms during this COVID basketball season.
But, alas, Dr. I is no epidemiologist. So he's not going to start screaming.
Cautiousness is never a bad thing, particularly in a pandemic.
Dr. I is, however, chafed at the quality — or lack thereof in this case — of the livestreaming capabilities at certain league schools. Some schools went on the cheap, didn't buy graphics packages and didn't subscribe to the more established NFHS Network, in favor of offer something else that looks like amateur hour.
Fix it.
Because if you are going to prevent people from entering the gym, you ought to offer a legitimate alternative. They shouldn't have to guess at time and score and deal with perpetual glitches.
• High on the Stupid-o-Meter comes the alarming number of media types falling into the morass of hot takes and flavors of the month, telling us that Luke Doncic is better than Larry Bird.
Make it stop.
It's Larry Bird.
Forget the championships and MVPs for a second. Go watch "Larry Bird's 50 Greatest Moments" on NBA TV.
When Doncic can do, say, 14 of those 50 things, maybe we'll have a
conversation.
• Always loved chatting with Renee Montgomery at UConn and while she played with the Sun. Thoughtful and insightful. Now she's part of WNBA ownership. You go, Renee.
• Is it just Dr. I, or is it a little off-putting that every time James Bouknight draws contact, his grimace suggests he's been bitten by a forest animal?
What does he think is going to happen in the NBA?
• Dr. I's pal Joe Morelli from GameTime CT, tweeted this on Friday night: "So Waterford beat Ledyard, which beat NFA, which beat Fitch, which beat East Lyme, which beat
St. Bernard, which beat Waterford, which beat New London, which beat NFA, which beat St. Bernard."
That's what is making this basketball season so much fun.
• Note to readers: Here is your opportunity to make Idle Thoughts more interactive. In the comments section, list all the things dumber than NFL mock drafts.
Bet you can't.
• Need a laugh? Tune into GameDay next time we're streaming a Fitch game.
There is nothing funnier than playby-play voice Casey O'Neill breaking into his Scottish/Irish brogue every time Fitch's Seamus Greaves makes a basket. We can't help but giggle ourselves.
• Congrats to former GameDay favorite/St. Bernard grad Max Lee, who hit the game winning 3-pointer for Eastern Connecticut last week in a win over UMass-Dartmouth.
• Can anyone honestly say that Big East women's basketball has been more competitive for UConn than the dreaded American?
• Who goes on the disabled list first this year: Judge or Stanton? Dr. I sets the over/under at May 7.
• So the Celtics have "tuned out" Brad Stevens?
Provided neither of the tuners are named Tatum or Brown ... who really cares what they think?
• Is Dr. I a lucky guy? (Well, not always). But he was last week when he sat at the same table as retired coaches Roger Bidwell, Gil Varjas, Pete Barry and Ed Harvey. That's somewhere around 2,500 combined wins.
• Happy birthday (Saturday) to the great John Pelletier.
He would be otherwise known as "Rookie," who was the scorekeeper, assistant coach and comedy relief for New London Legion for many years.