It's Leap Day!

Well, here we are at a phenomenon that happens only every four years -- Leap Day, the addition of a day to the calendar so we can keep the clocks matching the rotation of the earth or its orbit around the sun, or whatever the Flat Earthers may believe. I'm inclusive. One way or another, it's Feb. 29, and it's making me wait one more day before the daunting task of re-setting all 12 of my wrist watches.

It's going to be a busy day. First, I'll be off to Northborough to attend the funeral of my good friend and former Patriots beat writer Dick Cerasuolo, who died earlier in the week at the age of 80. As reported in an earlier post, Dick worked for many years at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and was one of the best colleagues an individual could have. I joined the beat in 1977 and Dick retired in 2000, and the memories of our hi-jinks, shared with a number of other veteran reporters that aren't on the beat any longer, will be treasured for as long as I live.

Then later in the afternoon, I'll be recording a podcast with my good friend and sometimes broadcast partner, Alex Salachi. Alex was the long-time basketball coach at Xaverian Brothers High School and he's still a member of the executive board of the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association, and we'll talk about some of the changes in the sport that will be coming in the wake of the MIAA's vote to go to statewide tournaments in the fall of 2021.

In the meantime, I'll add one last link to Episode 14, when I was joined in the studio by Foxboro coach Lisa Downs. Her team has just reached the Division 2-South semifinal round (5:30 p.m. Monday at Taunton vs. a foe to be determined later today), so it's timely listening still.

The rest of the day will be devoted to "show prep," preparing my notes and crib sheets for Sunday's Division 1-South boys' semifinal between top-seed Mansfield and Needham, a 3 p.m.-or-thereabouts start at Taunton High School. Alex Salachi and I will handle the delayed-telecast call for Mansfield Cable Access.

And yes, I'll also be with the Foxboro Cable Access crew on Monday. Busy, busy, busy.