Mike DiMauro: Dr. I: Of posing, posers and Luke Schoonmaker

Apr. 29—Idle Thoughts, while waiting for Carlos Rodon to throw a pitch, sunnier weather and for a glorious, expeditious end to Road Construction Season:

— Dr. Idle, Dr. I to his close friends, is grateful he missed the UConn men's trip to the State Capitol the other day.

Can't think of many things more odious than fawning politicians.

Unless it's the hypocrisy connected to how the same groupies have let UConn's part-time, downtown home arena (a half-mile from the Capitol building) decay without anything more than cursory attention for the last decade.

But then, the Huskies have only won five national championships. The women only have 11. And who has time to talk business when there's so much picture-taking to do?

Bet all those photos got posted to the same social media sites state lawmakers don't want half our kids to see anymore, too.

— It's never too early to wonder such things: Do you think Santa's sleigh will have enough launch angle later this year?

— If Fran Drescher from "The Nanny" married former Baltimore Orioles catcher Chance Sisco ... and then divorced him for former Major League outfielder Ben Francisco ... that would make her Fran Sisco Francisco.

— Dr. I wonders: If you are a basketball player in France, do you pass the time playing your teammates in a game of H-O-R-S-E or C-H-E-V-A-L?

— Dr. I remains deeply disappointed in Dave O'Brien.

Terrific play-by-play man on ESPN for basketball and football. But an absolute shill on NESN during Red Sox games. Unwatchable.

— Has anyone else this weekend thought to look back and chuckle at the abject inaccuracy of all those nitwit, mock drafts?

— Quote of the day belongs to former Georgia/Marquette/Indiana men's basketball coach Tom Crean: "Players that make excuses in the summer for why they can't work out are usually hard at work in season blaming others for failure."

— The Yankees are boring.

— Today's deep thought: Have you ever noticed the people who tell you to calm down are the ones who irritated you in the first place?

— Dr. I was worried when the great Doc Emrick retired. Half the fun of the NHL playoffs was the byplay between Emrick and Eddie Olczyk (Edzo).

Happily, Sean McDonough and Ray Ferraro are equally magnificent. (Dr. I secretly loves Ferraro's Canadian accent, which never disappoints with "organ-I-zation" and "a-GAIN-st.")

— Not to belabor this, but Jim Penders has a top 10 college baseball team in Storrs, Connecticut.

That is every bit as remarkable — perhaps more so — than the basketball success at State U, given the program's geographical and meteorological disadvantages.

— Speaking of: If UConn baseball is the best team on campus this spring, the second best is the baseball broadcast team of Joe D'Ambrosio and Randy Brochu. Always worth a watch/listen.

— How will we ever cope without Tucker and Lemon?

Hope the doorknob didn't leave a lasting impression for either.

— First-round draft choices in the 2023 NFL Draft: Boston College 1, Notre Dame 0.

— Congrats to Luke Schoonmaker, a recent draftee of the Dallas Cowboys.

Luke, who was a tight end at Michigan, is the son of Ledyard native and former St. Bernard boys' basketball coach Scott Schoonmaker, now the ultra successful superintendent of schools in North Branford.

Luke should rest easy knowing he'll excel in at least two games next year: against the Giants.

Many of us New York Football Giants loyalists know Big Blue hasn't covered a tight end since around the time Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis.

— Dr. I plans to be there when the East Lyme Vikings finally get to play a baseball game on campus.

Spies say sometime in May.

Meanwhile, can we try a little harder with Bridebrook Park?

Dr. I would never stoop so low as to call it a dump.

But the day may be fast approaching.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro