Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
August 19, 2010, Washington Post

What's on my mind?

Vacation time! I'm gone for two weeks, visiting family, lying on the beach and playing golf. But I'm always thinking about sports. Here are some of my most random sports thoughts.

After watching the World Cup, I hope they change soccer's offside rule. The referees get the call wrong because they can't watch the ball and the players at the same time. Maybe once the ball is past a certain line, there's no offside.

Too bad the Washington Mystics are in the WNBA's Eastern Conference. It makes the playoffs harder for them. The Mystics would be a shoo-in to advance in the WNBA's sorry Western Conference.

I hate to say it, but my Red Sox are in real trouble. They may not make the playoffs this year.

People complained when LeBron James, above, left the Cleveland Cavaliers to play with his friends Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. But don't kids sometimes play on a specific team so they can play with their friends?

Preseason college football polls are crazy. How can you say which is the best team when no one has played any games? It's like getting a report card on the first day of school.

Even if you are not a fan, go see the University of Maryland's field hockey team. The Terps just missed winning the national championship last season and always have terrific players.

Believe it or not, there are only 50 more days until the Washington Capitals' season opener. I know it's still summer, but I say: Let's go, Caps! Rock the Red.

Fred Bowen is the author of 15 sports books for kids. His latest book is "Throwing Heat."

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