Maybe the summer heat is taking its toll. Or, maybe it's just me. But here are some things I wonder about.

n A number of people from Hillsboro have run marathons or biked across Kansas. Those are impressive accomplishments, but why do you have to pay to participate? It seems like a racket, if you ask me. To my way of thinking, shouldn’t the organizers pay someone to run 26 miles and bike across the state?

n With all due respect, the day I have to pay to officiate a basketball game is the day I’m hanging up my whistle.

Although, now that I think about it, if the price of gas continues to go up as much as it has this past year, I may be paying to officiate before long. I guarantee you the pay for officials isn’t keeping up with inflation.

n Before the KC Royals joined the major leagues, Kansas City used to have the Athletics, now Oakland A’s. If you’re over (ahem) 45 to 50 years old, you may remember when the Athletics played baseball in old Municipal Stadium. You may also remember they used to have goats and sheep grazing on a grass hill beyond the outfield wall. But I have no idea why the animals were there in the first place.

n The Summer Olympic Games always provide a variety of inspirational stories. I’m always intrigued and amazed by the gymnasts. How is it they are able to do what they do on a 4-inch beam several feet above the ground? And why don’t more fall off? There are plenty of people, completely sober, who would have a tough time just walking across the beam.

n Finally, my dad sent to me a football version of No Child Left Behind. Educators/coaches will probably appreciate this better than most....

All teams must make the state playoffs and all must win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable. If after two years they have not won the championship their footballs and equipment will be taken away until they do win the championship.

All kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time even if they do not have the same conditions or opportunities to practice on their own. No exceptions will be made for lack of interest in football, a desire to perform athletically, or genetic abilities or disabilities of themselves or their parents.

All kids will play football at a proficient level.

Talented players will be asked to work out on their own, without instruction This is because the coaches will be using all their instructional time with the athletes who aren’t interested in football, have limited athletic ability or whose parents don’t like football.

Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the fourth, eighth and 11th game.

It will create a New Age of Sports where every school is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimum goals. If no child gets ahead, then no child gets left behind.

If parents do not like this new law, they are encouraged to vote for vouchers and support vouchers and support private schools that can screen out the non-athletes and prevent their children from having to go to school with bad football players.

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