Idle Thoughts, while waiting for pitchers and catchers, infielders and outfielders and for Yooooooooooooouuuuuuuk to win the batting title:

• Mr. Idle, Mr. I to his close friends, will be the fellow weeping uncontrollably this week as January departs.

First, Alabama throws Notre Dame down a flight of stairs, prompting the classic tweet, "ND will change sign outside locker room to 'Play like Alabama today.'"

Then immortals Brady and Belichick swirl the bowl in the AFC title game.

If February is this good, Mr. I may have to breathe into a brown paper bag.

• Just asking here.

But after Marv Levy and Jim Kelly, is there a coach-quarterback combo that has lost more big games than Belichick and Brady?

Not that it merits all the "Brady's demise" blather on Boston sports radio.

Swear some of these people need to be watered twice a week.

• Think Manti Te'o's favorite movie is "Ghost?"

• Then there's that other fraud, Armstrong.

Spills his guts to Oprah.

What, Dr. Phil wasn't available?

• If you're like Mr. I, you've pledged to read more books in 2013.

So we'll all start with Rick Koster's "Poppin' a Cold One" if you don't mind.

Rick is a franchise player here at the old Day Paper.

And a better guy.

Go to eKensington, Barnes and Noble or Amazon to download the book to your favorite device. It's $3.50, by the way.

Less than the cost of a Venti Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte with skim milk at Starbucks.

(Of course, so is a new iPhone).

• Mr. I is with his pal Tom Doyle who says the Celtics should trade Rondo.

This just in: Team going nowhere this season.

Rondo could merit a functional post player in return, now that Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green isn't, you know, looking so hot.

• Think Manti Te'o's favorite actor is Claude Rains?

• Do you realize UConn football will be playing Maryland and Michigan in consecutive weeks next September at Rentschler Field?

• Providence-UConn on Thursday night at the Dunk.

Be there.

• Get well soon, Bob Reagan.

The king of sports talk in this region.

Bob is the loudest voice of them all at the Thames Barber Shop.

And frankly, we need him back.

• Is it supposed to excite Mr. I that the Yankees just signed someone named Dan Johnson?

• Mr. I is really starting to like Ryan Boatright.

Front row again the other night at the UConn women's game.

Jumping around with all the students.

Even held up a poster-sized photo of Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.

• Headline the other day on espn.com: "Pavano injures spleen shoveling snow."

(There are some things that just do not need commentary).

• Now hold on.

You mean John and Jim Harbaugh are brothers?

• Congrats to Mr. I's pal Dom Amore of the Courant for winning state Sportswriter of the Year from the National Association of Sportswriters and Broadcasters.

Dominic is one of the good guys.

• Mr. I laughed uproariously the other day upon seeing Penn men's basketball's sterling 3-15 record.

Sure glad they fired Glen Miller.

All his fault.

Right.

• Quinnipiac men's hockey: Ranked No. 2 in the nation.

Coach: Rand Pecknold, graduate and former assistant coach at Conn College.

You go, Rand.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.