By PETE CONNELL

A few things on the mind as the "dog days" start.

* The 2008 Summer Olympics. Are you having a hard time working up to fever level for this huge sports/entertainment extravaganza?

During the next two weeks-plus nearly 10,000 of the world's best athletes will be doing their thing halfway around the world in Beijing, China. (Betcha' you can't name a quick 100 of them...how about 50).

Pure athleticism will not be the only focus of those who will watch the games. The international community will express concerns about China's poor record on granting human rights to millions of its citizens. The image of Tienamin Square will be larger than Times Square on New Year's Eve, than Madison Square Garden during March Madness.

The Bird's Nest, the prime arena for the events and the ceremonies, and other venues cost obscene amounts of money at the expense of millions who couldn't care less about the games. Seems the veneer of politics and deprivation will tint the view of millions around the globe who will watch.

And, speaking of veneers, how successful will be the efforts to clean up air pollution during the games and how many individual and team performances will be affected by it?

The U. S. seems to be a lock to take home the gold medal in men's basketball. We're loaded with the elite from the NBA, as we were four years ago when Team USA was upset by Greece and the grumbling went on for a while. There are 12 nations in the pool this time around. Several of their rosters are sprinkled with current and former NBA players. The biggest is Houston Rocket Yao Ming who will be playing "home" games as well as playing for national pride. Could be interesting.

And, here's hoping Elizabeth Beisel, the 15-year old swimmer from North Kingstown High School, can bring a medal home.

One other thing - in their infinite wisdom the International Olympic Committee has eliminated baseball and softball from the next Games. That's a tough nougat to digest.

* August, when you and I were kids ... and I'm assuming some of you are way past the age ... was another month of vacation and the last one in the "endless summer" before school beckoned us back after Labor Day. Such were the "old days." Evidently they're gone forever since young people will be strapping on the backpack and climbing aboard the big yellow coach in the last week of August.

But, some of their chums and classmates will have gotten the jump and oriented themselves to the school environment.

Football players.

The Interscholastic League ruled earlier this year that grid practice can begin 17 days before the Injury Fund mini-games scheduled for the first full weekend in September. That's Sunday, Aug. 17! All other fall sports teams can get formally working out on the following day, Aug. 18.

Whatever happened to those "lazy, hazy days of summer"? Nothing. There's just fewer of them.

The first football practice session will be a helmets-only no-contact day. The next four days, the boys can don helmets and shoulder pads but still no contact; days 5-10 allow full pads intrasquad-only contact scrimmages and, on day 11, they can start knocking heads with other teams. Sunday, Aug. 24, is a mandatory day off for all players so parents etc. can plan that end-of-summer cookout or whatever.

* A routine summary of game action in the Rhode Island Summer High School Hockey League compiled by this observer for the issue of July 24 included a brief incorrect reference to one of the teams in the league's National Conference, the Hawks, and the circumstances of their premature termination of play.

The NC, one of three divisions in the RISHL, is a general alignment of the schools that play in the top Interscholastic League Division I in the winter season. The summer Hawks roster was filled out by several players who attend and suit up for the Bishop Hendricken winter sextet. The club was coached by Al Cordeiro.

A game in June that matched the Hawks and Burrillville at the Smithfield rink was called after a penalty-filled first period that involved several of the principals both on and off the ice. A report of the contest was made to league Director Don Armstrong, who also teaches at Hendricken.

He and Cordeiro mutually agreed that the "no game" would not be replayed to a conclusion and the Hawks would cancel the remainder of their summer schedule of five or six games.

The Hawks were not "kicked out" of the league for unsportsman-like conduct as the report here indicated. The team has loosely reformed as the CT Flames and includes several of the Hendricken players. Conference playoffs are due to begin on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

The game in question and its aftermath did little to enhance the image of summer hockey hereabout. Lost, overlooked or ignored were the spirit of competition and fair play, the facts of it simply being a meaningless summer recreational activity among teens who like to play the game and the small satisfaction that, in the end, adult minds prevailed and made the right decisions.

But, shame on all of you who created and fostered this situation.