* Now that we’re well into November and still no sign of NHL hockey in 2012-13, the prospects grow dimmer that this unfathomably dumb, ego-driven lockout will be resolved in time to save the season. For what it’s worth, here’s how it played out during the previous two lockouts: In 2004-05, the season wasn’t officially canceled until Feb. 16. In 1994-95, the lockout was settled on Jan. 11–and a 48-game regular season resulted.
* Good news: The newly renovated Sun Dome looks great. Bad news: Its chief tenant, the USF basketball team, looked awful in its debut game last Saturday. Granted, you can pretty much be assured that, say, Elton John will more than measure up to the quality of the coolly upgraded digs–but an 18-point rout by UCF in front of special guests and the biggest hoops crowd in recent memory? Yo.