Ponderous thoughts I was pondering ...

Foxboro's Alaysia Drummonds, left, will be returning to the Warriors' lineup.

Ponderous thoughts I was pondering while bemoaning the transition of my backyard from a lush, green carpet to an expanse of Shredded Wheat in just the short span of two hot, dry weeks:

** It's July, and that means the return of one of my favorite summertime activities -- summer leagues for the local high school basketball teams.

Over the last few years, I have gravitated more to the girls' basketball league at Franklin High School run by the Panthers' long-time head coach, John Leighton, because most of the local schools have chosen to compete there rather than at Mass Premier Courts in Foxboro. Nothing against MPC, I'm told -- but some of the coaches believed that the competition level in the girls' league had dropped in recent years, with some of the larger schools dropping out to play elsewhere, leaving smaller schools with less-developed talent pools to be manhandled by the power programs that remained.

At Franklin, most of the top programs in this corner of southeastern Massachusetts are represented.

Hosting site: Franklin High's two courts.

Six Hockomock League schools will be represented, including four-time state champion Foxboro (and a semifinalist last year), Mansfield, Oliver Ames, Attleboro, North Attleboro and host Franklin, which will field two teams. The Tri-Valley League is represented by Kristen McDonnell's Norwood team as well as Medway, Medfield, Bellingham, Millis and Hopkinton. The Bay State League will send Walpole and Natick into the fray, and let's not forget Bishop Feehan (playing under the monicker "Rock Ball"), which has been to three straight Division 1 title games.

Starting this Monday and running through Aug. 6, there will be eight games played twice a week, four each on the two 84-foot courts inside the Franklin High gym, starting at 5 p.m. Teams will play by unique summer-league rules, which include 20-minute halves of running time, clock stoppage only inside the last minute of play, and usually only one free throw on what would be a two-shot foul situation. It's all to keep the games moving so four games can be played on each court during a four-hour window.

And of course, the teams' regular-season coaches can't be on the sidelines for the summer games. That's beholding to an archaic (and totally outdated) MIAA rule that prohibits varsity coaches from coaching their own teams out of season. But that rule was amended several years ago to allow coaches to watch from the stands without actively coaching, which is how I can have enjoyable conversations with people like Foxboro's Lisa Downs, Mansfield's Heather McPherson and Feehan's Amy Dolores during the games.

The competition is usually pretty good, although not all of the varsity players can show up at every game. Some are still active in their summer AAU programs, or participating in camps for the other sports they play, or just enjoying some serious beach time. But I'm generally pleased to see the level of commitment these kids have to give up some of their personal time to play summer ball with their winter teammates-to-be. And this is really where the process begins for the coaches to see how the holes in their teams caused by graduations will be filled when play begins in earnest five months from now.

On Monday, the games I'll be most interested in seeing are in the 6, 7 and 8 p.m. slots -- Feehan vs. Franklin White at 6 (Court 1), Mansfield vs. Natick at 7 (Court 2) and Walpole vs. Foxboro at 8 (Court 2). Of course, I announce Mansfield's games on Mansfield Cable Access, and do occasional games for Foxboro and Feehan on Foxboro Cable Access and North TV respectively.

The games are open free of charge to spectators, with Court 1 the usual varsity court as you first walk into the gym, and Court 2 the adjacent one, Be forewarned -- sometimes the stands are not open on Court 2 because exercise equipment is set up in their place to accommodate early football workouts. It pays to bring a small folding chair.

Here's a link to this year's schedule: Franklin Summer League

** As good as I might think this Red Sox team can be, my optimism has been crushed repeatedly this year by the abysmal performance of their bullpen. So many strong games by the starters, particularly Garrett Crochet, have been wasted because the procession of rag-arms sent to the mound after the sixth inning can't hold a lead.

Crochet: Wasted so far.

And where the hell has been the run support for Crochet? I found it hilarious, though, that in a recent game, when the Sox got him eight or nine runs early on, he had one of his worst efforts and gave up five runs, although he did manage to salvage the win. 

One more gripe -- when things start to go wrong, this team tends to fall apart entirely, especially the defense. Wild throws and dumb decisions quickly turn a salvageable situation into utter chaos.

By the way, I wasn't upset when they traded Rafael Devers. Disappointed, yes, but more in the player because I felt he had become selfish and a distraction. His performances in San Francisco since the trade have not changed my opinion any. In the long run, with a little more enlightened roster building, the Sox should be better off.

** I'll keep my political rants to a minimum. I just see the passage of Donald Trump's Big Ugly Bill as just another addition to the list of things that Democrats will have to fix once they re-take the presidency, the House and the Senate. And as the harm from Medicaid cuts and funding for social programs starts to grievously wound the GOP's MAGA base, that support will erode quickly -- starting with the 2026 midterms.

However, I do have one fear. Trump now apparently has the power to suspend elections by declaring martial law according to the provisions of the Big Ugly Bill. I have got to believe that if he attempts to take that step, all hell will break loose.

This country is in deep distress. Even if Trump should drop dead within the next year, that still puts the Maybelline Hillbilly, J.D. Vance, in the seat of power. And even if the Democrats regain control of the Senate and House and are able to impeach and remove Trump from office in 2027, you still have to deal with Vance to get to Hakeem Jeffries (who will then be Speaker of the House) in the line of succession.

My most fervent wish is to outlive all this and see the America I love restored to a nation that reveres freedom, liberty and inclusion. At 71, the odds may be against me -- but dammit, I will try.

** By the way, has anyone seen gasoline at $1.98 a gallon anywhere in the country? No, I don't believe so. Just another pile of bullshit that the increasingly addled Trump slings at the nation on a regular basis.

Of course, I own two cars for which regular gas is verboten. My two Panzers use premium, which is a 180-degree turn from the me that owned two hybrids in a period from the mid-2000s until 2019. The trade-off is that I drive half as much, or even less, than I did prior to my retirement.

** Great crop of bunnies this year in the backyard. These young buns are absolutely fearless and they have accepted me as one of their own. I guess they realize that I'm not a threat to them. They've seen how badly I walk when my knees are aching, and they know there's no way I could chase after any of them even if I wanted to.

Sometimes, there's nothing more peaceful and relaxing than sitting in the yard, watching these innocent creatures cavort around and nibble the grass which a cooling breeze wafts across the yard from the adjacent pond. 

** Have you seen that the American equivalent of Dr. Joseph Goebbels, White House string-puller Stephen Miller, has sued the Los Angeles Dodgers for alleged violations of Trump's executive orders regarding diversity, equality and inclusion? 

What a fucking asshole. It's no wonder that his former classmates at Santa Monica (Calif.) High School regard him as the most hated alumnus of the school? Apparently, he was this much of a dick when he was a kid, too. 

How do people like this attain positions of power in this country?

** I've about had it with the approach taken by insurance companies to win your business without telling you how they do business.

Worst national offenders in my opinion are Liberty Mutual's campaign featuring "Limu Emu and Doug," the GEICO gekko and the Aflac duck, and I've also had it with Jake from State Farm. But the one that makes me hit the remote switch is the series of local ads on Red Sox games called "The Bostonians" for Plymouth Rock Assurance. There is nothing at all that would convince me to do business with a firm represented by a house filled with mascots or stereotypes trying to purport itself as a situation comedy.

I think that's one of the reasons why I chose Arbella to handle my car insurance. Their ads generally tell me about their service and how they will serve me, and when I have needed them to perform those services, they have followed through.

And no, I don't get a break on my insurance bill for mentioning that.

** Hey, King Philip football fans! Mark down Friday, Sept. 5, on your calendars. That's when I return to the microphone for North TV's coverage of live high school football as the Warriors take on the Timberwolves of Walpole High, a 7 p.m. start. 

I'm not sure where those games will be appearing, however. I'm told by my boss, Peter Gay, that we may have to shuffle around the North TV channels because of recent technological upgrades. But one way or another, we will be there for you and I'll let you know how and where once we get closer to the season.

MARK FARINELLA wrote for The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro for 42 years prior to retirement in 2018, but he's proven that there's no easy way to get rid of him, as he will begin his eighth season of high school TV sports announcing in the fall. Contact him at theownersbox2020@gmail.com.