Mike DiMauro: Dr. I: Bouknight's career continues to swirl the bowl

Oct. 22—Idle Thoughts, while waiting for Bob Costas to stop talking, ECC championship week and the New York Football Giants to never lose again:

— Dr. Idle, Dr. I to his close friends, asks: So when do you suppose someone — anyone — is going to explain the facts of life to James Bouknight?

He wasn't ready for the NBA on or off the court at any time at UConn, where he was hurt constantly and also arrested and charged with evading responsibility and interfering with a police officer.

Somehow, the Charlotte Hornets, illustrating why they're closer to the Washington Generals than the Celtics, thought it prudent to draft him 11th overall in 2021. At least it provided the UConn program a talking point — hey, look, we still produce first-rounders here — but still a young man woefully unprepared for professional life.

What has followed: He has averaged all of 4.6 points per game in the NBA and was demoted to the developmental league last year. Now comes a recent DUI arrest, as reported in the Charlotte Observer, where he was "allegedly observed a little before 2 a.m. (last) Sunday unconscious in his car in an uptown parking deck, hit two police vehicles, and had a gun."

Per a Charlotte television station, when "Bouknight was found, his car was allegedly running and he was holding a Glock handgun. Officers tried to wake up the Hornets player using a PA system, blasting airhorns and using light, but he didn't wake up until an hour later."

Lest we forget that Bouknight was kicked out of front-row seat during a UConn game last year. Security members didn't have the backbone to eject Bouknight from the arena. He simply retreated to the student section amid cheering.

— Dr. I now offers free gambling advice to his constituency:

Next time you see this guy Mike Muchlinski has the plate for a Yankee game, bet the opponent.

Muchlinski has been the home plate umpire in 14 games involving the Pinstripes this season. The Yankees are 1-13.

Far be it from Dr. I to be a conspiracy theorist or dive right into "cheater, cheater pumpkin eater." But 1-13? Hmmmm.

— Great line the other night on the Lakers' shooting woes:

"If a Laker had been the shooter at Ford's Theatre, Abe Lincoln would have made the 20th century."

— Presented without editorial comment: If the high school football season ended today, the first round of the state Class MM playoffs would feature No. 5 Killingly at No. 4 Thames River.

— If you like college football, Brandon Walker @BFW is a must follow on Twitter. Sarcastic, irreverent and hysterical.

There was confusion over whether it was third or fourth down during last week's Alabama-Tennessee game, creating a delay. Walker tweeted, "Now we have to wait on a building full of Tennessee and Alabama fans to count to four. This could take hours."

— Twitter joke of the week: I asked my phone: "Siri, why am I so bad with women?" She said: "I'm Alexa you moron."

— Coming next week on GameDay: Full coverage of ECC championship week. Livestreams of the boys' and girls' Div. I and II championship soccer games, the field hockey and volleyball finals and full highlights and interviews from ECC swimming.

— Nothing like begging: UConn recently offered fans two free tickets to any men's or women's basketball game in November at the XL Center. Caveat: They had to buy tickets to the upcoming football game against BC before midnight Oct. 11.

— Congrats to local golfer Andrew Cavasino. Spies say he shot 65 (yes, 65) at Great Neck CC the other day.

— Dr. I's rankings of the Star Spangled Banner as played by local high school bands this season: 1. Ledyard; 2. Waterford; 3. New London. Montville, meanwhile, retains the lead for top concession stand. (Rocky Stone's burgers are second to none.)

— Hold on, folks. Only a few more weeks of these nitwit political ads.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro