Idle Thoughts, while waiting for Santa, The Day Holiday Classic and for Mike Glennon to throw for 400 yards today:

• Dr. Idle, Dr. I to his close friends, wonders why Dan Hurley is prone to speaking in such absolutes.

After the Auburn win: "You've got to try to kill us to beat us."

It didn't appear Michigan State did that the next day. The Fighting Izzos simply allowed UConn to run offense late in the game.

After Maryland Eastern Shore the other night: "I will not allow us to look like that again, or else you'll see a different group of people on the court."

Does he plan on using the waiver wire?

Of course UConn will look like that again. Know why? Everyone else does, too. It's competitive, high level college basketball. Bad nights happen.

He won't ALLOW UConn to look that way again? It's like parents saying they won't allow their teenagers to roll their eyes anymore.

No need to pander to the fan base. Just keep winning.

• Reminder: The Day Holiday Classic is Dec. 20 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Waterford/Ledyard at 6; East Catholic/Bristol Central (and recent UConn commit Donovan Clingan) at 8.

Tickets are $10 (one ticket good for both games) and may be purchased here: https://mohegansun.com/events-and-promotions/schedule-of-events/the-day-holiday-basketball-classic.html

• Dr. I remains amused at the dim bulbs who robotically dismiss the news around UConn's Jim Mora, much like the old "nothing to see here; move it along" gag, which police in the movies holler at the scene of an accident.

Let's see: Court documents were quite specific. UCLA is still on the hook for three lawsuits related to the hottest button issue in college athletic departments today: student-athlete welfare. The idea that Mora was dismissed as a defendant means the plaintiffs simply are going after deeper pockets.

Are you in need of further explanation? Dr. I could always provide subtitles.

• Men's basketball score of note from Friday: Boston College 73, Notre Dame 57.

• OK. So aside from his fake Louisiana accent the other night, did Brian Kelly do something else wrong?

He just told Notre Dame and all of its apologists that the football program there has a ceiling.

Can Notre Dame recruit the same level of athlete as Clemson and Alabama? Sure. Just not enough of them, as results from the college football playoffs have shown us.

Notre Dame's championship days are over until its standards reflect those at Clemson, Alabama and a few others. Kelly left for 1) more money; and 2) a better chance to win a national championship. Murph and Sully probably hate that their football program has become a steppingstone. Blame the administration, not Brian Kelly.

• Congrats to Billy Crocker on the new coaching gig at Div. III Eastern University in Pennsylvania.

Crocker, a new Waterford High Hall of Famer, got blamed for everything else at UConn except the subpar Wi-Fi inside Gampel Pavilion. Hope he wins a national championship at Eastern.

• Shoutout to Rod Cornish for streaming Cassius Chaney's fight the other night at Hot Rods.

Cassius didn't win (lost via split decision) but a good time was had by all.

Here's to more watch parties in gin mills throughout the region.

• A word on the recent coaching retirements of Paul deCastro (Stonington soccer) and Jason Bakoulis (NFA football):

Y'all better not be done coaching. Too much to offer.

• Dr. I will say it: The Ryan Center at URI is the best arena on campus to watch a game in New England.

• Dr. I was convinced the Eagles would bench Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter last Sunday to further evaluate Nate Sudfeld.

Turns out the New York Football Giants beat 'em anyway.

• Michael Wacha, James Paxton and Rich Hill?

BWAH HAH HAH HAH.

• Has anyone else noticed that Tyson Wheeler and UMass basketball have wins over Penn State and Rutgers thus far?

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro