There, spring football is over.
We had a good playoff game in St. Louis last weekend, and because Fox is starting World Cup coverage this weekend, they gave the UFL championship game to ABC.
That ends 10 straight weeks of trips to Los Angeles, plus the playoff game.
Plenty of airplane seat time, plenty of hotel time and plenty of studio time. Fox covered 21 football games, and I was there for 20 of them. New personal best.
So it’s time to get into summer mode. Like the last few days of plus-90 heat index didn’t make us aware that summer is here.
It’s Strawberry Festival weekend, so along with the rain, the corn dogs and all the other interesting food and events, we have a softball tournament down at Elston Park.
Men’s games on Saturday and coed games on Sunday, weather allowing.
I’ve also got two Legion baseball games on Sunday afternoon over in Rantoul, Illinois, so it’s double-down time.
We also have some summer softball during the week, and next weekend I head out of town again, this time with Post 72, as they head to Evansville for four games from Friday through Sunday. There are opponents from the area and the team will be playing at Bosse Field as well as the University of Southern Indiana.
Just a selfless plug, but all four games will be on the radio, so if you happen to tune in …
The last trip to LA was relatively harmless, but American Airlines did get the last laugh in on me.
You have read over the last few columns about how I have put in lots of miles at LAX changing gates, and had gotten a bit of a feel for how they did things. I did save a lot of steps.
Well, the last trip they pulled a switch on me, but in reverse.
I went to where I thought the flight would depart from, which had worked in the past.
Not this one. I went there and in about an hour got the text that I was indeed heading to gate 158B, the last gate at the last end of the farthest terminal.
A few last steps for old times’ sake.
I actually drove to St. Louis last weekend, and got a real surprise when I crossed the state line at Terre Haute into Illinois and discovered that gas was exactly one dollar a gallon more expensive!
I did not get that memo. I wish I had stopped in Terre Haute and filled up. Learned a pricey lesson. I will fill up Sunday before going to Rantoul.
So, time for the reset.
Congrats to Southmont softball on reaching the semi-state. A great season. Congrats to North Montgomery on getting to the baseball sectional championship game, and congrats to Crawfordsville’s girls track and field team on winning their second sectional in a row and to the girl’s tennis team on their sectional title!
The Athenians boys golf team played in the regionals yesterday, as did Southmont’s Austin Foley and North’s Isaac Hamby. All three area schools represented. Congrats to one and all.
And a good-luck to WeBo on making the state softball championship game. They run into the same Tecumseh squad that ended South’s season last week. A Monon Conference team won a state title (Cascade football) and now WeBo is in the title game. Pretty good for a new, small conference.
I hope everyone has a good time at the Strawberry Festival, in whatever you are doing.
To everyone else as the summer gets into full swing — safe travels.
Jeff Nelson is a frequent contributor to the Journal Review and works professionally for Fox Sports working with the Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts and many more professional teams.
