Idle Thoughts, while waiting for high school football, college football, pro football, Monday Night Football, fantasy football, football previews, football training camps and, well, you get the idea:

• Mr. Idle, Mr. I to his close friends, would like to issue a public service announcement to Aaron Hernandez:

Things could be worse, you know.

Think about this: Mr. I read the other day that a convicted killer named Kimberly McCarthy was about to become the 500th person executed in Texas since the state resumed carrying out the death penalty in 1982.

Makes Mr. I wonder:

What if you did your Tony Soprano thing in Houston while playing for the Texans instead of here playing for the Pats?

Seems to Mr. I that if you ever got convicted of first-degree murder in Texas, you'd ultimately become a candidate to fry.

At least Attleboro isn't Amarillo.

• Mr. I is having issues with the hullabaloo surrounding our guy Matt Harvey's decision to appear in ESPN The Magazine's Fifth Annual Body Issue.

Mr. I's belief: If you got it, flaunt it.

But the same issue will also feature 77-year-old golfer Gary Player in the same state of undress.

This is like being out at 3 a.m.

Nothing good can come of it.

Mr. I would like to speak for the rest of the country here when he suggests we'd all rather see Mr. Player in the rough, not in the buff.

• One last thing on this: The magazine hits the streets July 12.

Suggestion for the New York Post, which has already retired the trophy for best headlines: "Start Spreadin' The Nude."

• Hope you all saw the Post last week after Brian Cashman's spleen venter:

"An F Bomb! For A-Rod!"

Magnificent.

• If golfer Dottie Pepper married New London barber Louie Pica, divorced him for former hockey player Michael Peca, divorced him for former Oakland Raiders lineman Bill Pickel and finally settled on defensive end Julius Peppers, she'd be her own tongue twister.

(Dottie Pepper Pica Peca Pickel Peppers).

• Are we absolutely sure the Amica Pitch Zone is accurate?

• Thank you, Doc Rivers.

Pierce and KG, too.

• Is Mr. I worried about the Yankees?

Please.

They were four out on Labor Day once (2005) and overtook Boston for the A.L. East title.

So why worry now with the equivalent of an interminable NBA regular season (82 games) left?

• Mr. I isn't quite breathing into a brown paper bag yet at the thought of Skylar Diggins' arrival here Tuesday night. Just sayin.'

• Someone explain to Mr. I how Jordan Hamler, the best baseball player in the ECC this season, didn't make the coaches' all-state team.

Aren't these coaches, you know, supposed to know something about baseball?

• Congrats to the following football players from New London High who are off to play in college or prep school:

Lamont Waites and Sammy Miranda (American International College), Grant Pezzolesi (Maine Maritime), Ackee Barber (St. Thomas More).

• Mr. I erred (hard as that is to believe) in his last installment.

He alluded to the accomplishments of various Nasser family members from Groton.

Turns out it's Daniel (not Bernie Jr.) who just graduated from the UConn School of Dental Medicine and Bernie Sr. who was inducted into the National (not state) Wrestling Hall of Fame.

At least Mr. I got the name "Nasser" right, however.

• Rest in peace, Tony Susi.

Tony is the patriarch of one of the great baseball families among us, a great dad to Tony, John and Mike.

One of the all-time good guys.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.