Major League baseball is a wonderful filler, and for those of us that grew up on the game, it frequently brings us back to our youth.
This is college sports country, however, and fortunately the cavernous divide between the end of March Madness to the depth-chart shuffling of August was filled with N.C. State's chaotic search for a basketball coach, the Hurricanes' Stanley Cup run and North Carolina's entertaining trek to the final game of the College World Series.
But it's now July, and college football is just around the bend.
Of the many rankings one can find online, one listing four ACC coaches among the worst 10 in the nation was particularly interesting.
A list on SI.com, the Web version of Sports Illustrated, rated N.C. State's Chuck Amato as the worst in the nation and referred to him as "Chuck 'Red Shoes' Amato."
It's easy to take pot shots at a man many Wolfpack fans describe as a "clown" because of his attire and disposition. But five bowl games in six years hardly is the reflection of the worst coach in the nation.
Could Amato be in trouble if State fails to go at least 6-6 this season? No doubt. The program has taken a dive the last two seasons, and one can argue State failed to live up to expectations, even with Philip Rivers.
Perhaps Amato is overrated by diehard State fans, but he's not the worst coach in the nation. That notion is just plain silly.
It wasn't surprising to see John Bunting's name on the list, even though many UNC supporters believe their sixth-year coach has the program steered in the right direction.
Bunting managed to escape the bottom five; he's in the "others considered for worst" list.
The Tar Heels have suffered plenty of embarrassments during his reign, played in just two bowls and haven't won more than seven games in a regular season. Carolina, however, has no excuses for its mediocrity and occasional humiliation on the gridiron.
But, Bunting has made strides, hired a respected staff and progress is projected by many. Like Amato, this is a key year for him.
Georgia Tech's Chan Gailey is rated the third worst coach in the nation.
Gailey won't get much respect in this corner, but his four Tech teams each have won seven games. The Yellow Jackets have been maddeningly inconsistent under Gailey, and he commonly makes head-scratching decisions during games. Would he be recommended here for a vacancy? Unlikely. But he's hardly No. 117 out of 119.
Virginia's Al Groh was listed as one of five coaches considered for the bottom five.
Like Gailey, Groh makes numerous puzzling in-game decisions. He can recruit and runs a pro-like outfit, which makes sense considering his vast NFL experience, including a stint as New York Jets head coach.
Virginia, though, has routinely underachieved under Groh, despite four straight winning seasons, twice grabbing eight victories, and Groh's unlikable demeanor has rubbed the media and fans the wrong way.
In actuality, none of this means anything. But it's certainly fun to whet the whistle thinking about college football, even if it means dabbling in a little controversy.