Scatterthoughts for August 27th

• I already miss the Urbandale All-Stars. They played well, played hard, and played for love of the game. The boys also gave refreshingly honest, and often insightful, answers to Chris Hassel's questions.
• Can you imagine being 12 and winning a World Series game?! I wish.
• Ames High's Harrison Barnes talked with Andy and me on our radio show about his final six. He gave solid reasons for all six---Duke, NC, OU, KU, UCLA, Iowa State---but I found most interesting his comments about Duke helping make him a good man.
• The older I get, and the more I go to Major League baseball games, the more I appreciate Principal Park and the Iowa Cubs.
• It sounds like Brett Favre has little support in the Vikings locker room. Where's the loyalty from his teammates? He's being treated like he didn't sweat and toil through training camp with those guys... Right. Never mind.
• The daughter of former Roosevelt track star Kim Carson has Acute Leukemia. Bailey is 5 years old. Saturday at Lillian's in Valley Junction, unique handbags are being sold with all proceeds going to Bailey. If you can, please stop by "Bags for Bailey" between 1 and 3.
• Rusty Wallace says we all need to pump our brakes about a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Iowa Speedway. It's good advice. Nationwide Series is enough for now, and far more affordable.
• I know Valley lost 20 starters, but I'm not too worried about the Tigers struggling, are you?
• How can the Cubs be this bad? And the Cardinals this good?
• I've made fun of the Bengals for years, and now I kind of like them. That's the power of HBO's Hard Knocks. I even get a kick out of Ocho Cinco.
• USA Today came up with every college football team's "Golden Years". For Iowa, it's 1956-1960 under Forest Evashevski. For Iowa State, 2000-2005 with Dan McCarney.
• Need help coming up with a fantasy football team name? http://football.razzball.com/fantasy-football-team-name-generator
• Alright, I admit it, the new guy for Journey is really good. I still prefer the original.
• Come on football season. Get here!