Al Roker hates softball

I don't mean to pick on the noted NBC weatherman, but I figured it was safer for my soul to take a shot at a prominent, recognizable name in weather prediction than, say, the man upstairs.

But hey, it's Saturday morning. I just went outside and you know what, it's a pretty nice day. Still, that doesn't change the fact that a whole bunch of games have been canceled for the today, including Bound Brook at Somerville, which I had planned to attend.

This is the second straight weekend that Saturday's weather forecast was grim all week, only to have it turn out to be a nice day. Yet, once against the day's games were washed out.

I can only hope that these cancellations are being done because of poor field conditions and not in anticipation based on weather reports. We know how accurate those always are.

I understand, for logistical purposes -- busses, umpires, etc. -- a decision needs to be made as far in advance as possible, but all I'm saying, athletic directors, is don't jump the gun.

Everyone likes to kick back on a Saturday -- I'm fired up I won't miss Mets-Brewers -- but we have such a short window to get these games in, and plenty of days with actual bad weather, that we should do our best to get these games played when we're able, and be sure they're unplayable before canceling them.

And while I'm venting, how the heck is Kristy Lee Cook still alive on American Idol???


PROGRAMMING NOTES

* This week's softball notebook actually made it online! Yay! It can be found at http://c-n.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080412/SPORTS03/804120316/1013.
For the latest Top 10, as well as the Softball Athlete of the Week, check out the VARSITY section of the print edition of the Courier News.

* After a one-day delay, the latest podcast is also up and running since Thursday. You can check that out at www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia.
If you cannot find the April 10 episode, try using the direct link on the C-N.com home page.


COMING NEXT WEEK

MONDAY:
There's talk of eliminating the duel-crossover games in the Raritan and Valley Divisions of the Skyland Conference, starting next season. I am all for this. Monday, on The Inner Circle, I will tell you why.

TUESDAY NIGHT:
In advance of Wednesday night's seeding meeting, I will break down the Somerset County Tournament following Tuesday's games. I will share how I would see the tournament, complete with team-by-team analysis and my reasons for why I will rank the teams the way I do.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
Check back at the Inner Circle after 9 p.m. as I will post the actual seeds as soon as I return from the meeting at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. We will also record the year's third episode of the Bats and Balls podcast that night, where -- among other things -- we will review the seeds, provide an overview of the tournament, and I will set myself up to look the fool, as usual, with some general predictions.

THURSDAY:
I will take an in-depth look at the tournament, and, of course, try and fully predict how it will turn out. After my woeful run at prognosticating last season, I think I'm going to keep a tally on The Inner Circle as to how well my predictions go this time around, just so you can all laugh at me.