Idle Thoughts, while waiting for Auld Lang Syne, Bob Costas’ next soliloquy before a football game and for Amida Brimah’s return:

• Dr. Idle, Dr. I to his close friends, begins today with mad props and bon mots for Tuzar Skipper and Mike Walker.

Tuzar: Former NFA football great. Turned his experiences at junior college into a scholarship to play at Division I Toledo next year.

Walker: Son of former St. Bernard football great Mike Walker, member of the region’s first sports family. Named a Freshman All-American at Boston College. (Dr. I’s favorite college football player.)

• Some preliminary high school football scheduling for next year:

St. Joseph at Ledyard, Sept. 17.

No dates yet, but NFA is expected to play Staples, defending Class LL champ Darien and Xavier.

Dr. I grins.

• Yes, Will Tye of the football Giants is a graduate of Xavier High, home of the awesomely awesome.

Just in case you were wondering.

• Another day has passed and Dr. I didn’t use algebra.

Just sayin’.

• Dr. I would like to congratulate Weaver boys’ basketball coach Reggie Hatchett for petitioning to play in Class LL this season.

You go, Reggie.

Too bad Sacred Heart (Class M) doesn’t have the same backbone.

• Can’t wait to watch Curt Miller coach the Sun this season.

• Dr. I wishes a happy retirement to Phil Hersh of the Chicago Tribune.

Classy guy who cared about getting it right.

• Early returns have John Sterling using “Starlin is a darlin” when Starlin Castro homers next year.

He’ll help the suddenly destitute Yankees to a third-place finish in the AL East.

• Dr. I tips his cap to old pal Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (formerly of the Norwich Bulletin) for 1) sharing his Hall of Fame ballot; and 2) voting for Tim Raines.

Peter calls him the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history not named Rickey Henderson.

Dr. I concurs.

• You know whose name also appears on the ballot this year?

Randy Winn.

No, really.

A career .284 hitter with 110 home runs.

And some nitwit will vote for him.

By the way: Dr. I would still vote for Curt Schilling.

• Belated congrats to coach Beau Lucas and the Waterford High volleyball team for its state title.

This is a varsity program not 10 years old.

• There are times when Dr. I would like Harry Carson and LT to barge into the Giants locker room and beat the bejesus out of every member of the defense.

Hence, Dr. I asks: Tom Coughlin is going to get canned and Jerry Reese stays?

Who assembled the defense, exactly?

• Note to ESPN: We need more Jim Calhoun.

OK, so he needs to stop talking over the play-by-play guy.

But there aren’t many others at the Worldwide Leader as insightful.

And Dr. I still loves “hahf-time.”

• If they meet in the playoffs: Steelers 38, *Patriots 34.

Remember where you read it.

• Congrats to Kevin Jaskiewicz and Coast Guard hoops: off to a 6-1 start.

• Best tweet Dr. I has read in a while came from our guy John Holt at Channel 3:

“Urban Meyer has written a new book about leadership and responsibility. While coaching at Florida, 31 of Meyer's players were arrested.”

• Public service announcement: “GameDay” returns Jan. 5 (New London at Waterford) to stream 10 high school basketball games this winter. Join Casey O’Neill and Keith O’Brien on theday.com. All games produced, directed and coordinated by the great Peter Huoppi.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius