Idle Thoughts, while waiting for warmer weather, the Giants not to screw up the draft and for people to maintain proper traffic flow by not backing into every parking place:

• Dr. Idle, Dr. I to his close friends, noted the throng that flooded downtown Hartford for Saturday’s parade.

Once again, Dr. I asks the politicos who refuse to champion the XL Center’s rebirth: What other entity brings more people to Hartford than UConn?

Do they know that the UConn men and women brought a combined 208,554 people to the XL Center this season? The men played eight games (121,330) and the women played seven (87,224).

Think they, you know, spent a few bucks occasionally at the nearby eateries and drinkeries?

Heaven forbid, though, that all the pom pom waving politicos who just looooove their Huskies exhaust a hint of effort to fix the 49-year-old, crumbling downtown home of the 17-time national champs.

Nah. Can’t have that.

While Dr. I is annoyed: Note to all those Big East media toadies incessantly bemoaning all those big, bad schools who chase football revenue more than basketball:

Total home attendance for the national football champion Michigan: 769,797.

Total home attendance for the national basketball champion UConn: 203,722.

Do that math.

• Quiz: Who is the UConn men’s basketball single-season leader for most defensive rebounds? (Answer below)

• For those interested: Caitlin Clark, the presumptive No. 1 pick (to Indiana) in Monday night’s WNBA Draft, opens her regular season at Mohegan Sun Arena vs. the Sun on Tuesday, May 14.

(Dr. I will be there with a sign that reads “Diana is better.”)

• Is there anyone else with Dr. I, feeling that our spin rates just aren’t what they used to be?

• From the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy:

“It’s not the pitch clock, people. Young arms are hurting because: 1. Kids try to throw 95 miles per hour when they are in high school; 2. Professional pitchers who can’t touch 100 mph are trying to gain the approval of nerds and coaches who worship at the altar of spin rate. Take away Spider Tack and you’ve got a generation of arms breaking down in an effort to register metrics invented by people who never played baseball.”

• UConn football’s 2024 home schedule: Merrimack, Florida Atlantic, Buffalo, Temple, Wake Forest, Rice, Georgia State.

Makes you want to start breathing into a brown paper bag, doesn’t it?

• Sorry. Don’t care how many games they’ve won this year. Dr. I doesn’t trust the Celtics in the playoffs.

• The number of people on social media who didn’t immediately understand John Sterling’s home run call for Juan Soto — “'S Juan-derful! 'S marvelous!” — sung to the old Gershwin tune further underscores why Dr. I is in a perpetual bad mood.

It’s Gershwin, people. Gershwin. Get off your phone and look up George and Ira. Learn something. You might even sing along.

• Are the Red Sox still playing baseball?

• The idea that Gov. Lamont was publicly pining last week to bring the Arizona Coyotes to Hartford (they’re going to Salt Lake City) suggests the man needs an awakening.

Just spitballing here, governor: Where would they play? The 49-year-old, crumbling downtown arena?

• Best of luck in the pros to Donovan Clingan.

Remember: He didn’t just reject shots. He also rejected the lure of prep school and won a state championship at Bristol Central with all his friends. That’s still allowed under today’s rules, you know.

• March Madness again illustrated that Gus Johnson is to the great Ian Eagle what a Ford Pinto is to a Lamborghini.

• A reminder that Dr. I doesn’t care about your fantasy team.

• If former UConn/Connecticut Sun great Nykesha Sales married former MLB pitcher Andrew Lorraine, that would make her a brunch item. (Keesh Lorraine)

• Quiz answer: Daniel Hamilton grabbed 288 defensive rebounds during the 2015-16 season.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro