Idle Thoughts, while waiting for pitchers and catchers, March Madness and Gerrit Cole's impending Cy Young Award:

• Dr. Idle, Dr. I to his close friends, would like to take issue with the pregame premise the other night at the XL Center that UConn is the "basketball capital of the world."

Sorry. More like a suburb. The basketball capital of the world wouldn't have 3,000 empty seats for its No. 1 team playing defending champ Baylor.

Dr. I also hears there are more than 2,000 seats still left for Oregon and nearly 4,000 for Tennessee. And we won't even discuss football or men's basketball attendance.

Now let the excuse making commence.

• OK. There is nothing better in the ECC than when Ledyard High public address announcer Bill Glenney plays the drum solo from "In The Air Tonight" and the entire Ledyard student section drums along.

And while we're at Ledyard, Dr. I votes to have the school's Chamber Choir do the National Anthem at all league events until further notice.

• Yes, we are doing a girls' basketball all-decade team, too.

So those folks who chose to call Dr. I a "sexist" on social media, erroneously thinking there would only be a boys' team: Unless your name is Google, stop acting like you know everything. (Yes, Dr. I stole that, but it's pretty good nonetheless).

• Someone needs to explain to Dr. I why Baylor coach Kim Mulkey isn't in the Hall of Fame.

She has nearly 600 wins and three national championships.

Let's go here.

• Speaking of Baylor: If junior guard Moon Ursin married L.A. Clippers coach Doc Rivers, that would make her Moon Rivers.

• Dr. I's new favorite basketball players to watch: Yaniel Hernandez of Fitch and Jared Martin of NFA. They do as much without the ball as they do with it. This counts.

• Sometimes, Dr. I wonders how many Titos and Tonics NFL rules committee members partake before their gatherings.

This clock rule that Mike Vrabel manipulated the other night — intentionally taking penalties to kill time — has to go. Not that it wasn't enjoyable watching Coach Hoodie blow a synapse or two. But the definition of the word "penalty" should preclude the offending team from benefitting. Duh. So fix it.

• Dr. I has considered grief counseling to cope with the end of the Jacoby Ellsbury Era in pinstripes.

• The Red Sox cheated, too?

Gloryoski. Is there anybody in that town this side of BC that doesn't cheat?

• Dr. I thoroughly enjoyed watching "Luke and Mike" singing the other night at These Guys Brewing Co. in Norwich.

That would be NFA baseball coach Luke Gabordi and former New London baseball coach Mike Wheeler who do everything from Otis Redding to Ed Sheeran.

They are terrific. Worth a night out. And the, you know, lemonades at These Guys are worth trying, too.

• Dr. I saw a "50 percent off" sign in the window of Dollar Tree the other day.

Kind of overkill, wouldn't you agree? Like a bran muffin with a prune juice chaser.

• This guy Joe Judge better know something about defense.

• So Kyle Rudolph pushes off in the end zone last week against the Saints. No penalty is called. Dr. I asks: What is the point in reviewing pass interference if the NFL pulls a Sgt. Schultz?

• Note to Lancer Nation: NFA has replaced you as the best student section in the ECC. You can redeem yourselves Thursday night when GameDay streams Old Lyme (the kid Aedan Using is worth a look) at Waterford.

Will Lancer Nation accept the challenge?

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro