Something about the start of this fall just doesn’t feel right. Maybe it’s the hockey lockout. Maybe it’s the absence of Ed Hochuli’s biceps. Whatever it is, it’s got me a little perplexed. And when I get perplexed, I vent. And there is plenty to vent about in the sports world this week:

•There is a curious amount of equivocating being done by a lot of folks commenting on the Messalonskee football situation. If you haven’t heard, football head coach Wes Littlefield resigned Sep. 20, a day after an incident at practice involving one of his players. Last Tuesday, Littlefield was charged with misdemeanor assault by the Oakland Police Department.

Littlefield and his supporters are crying that this is the unfortunate result of an incident that has been blown out of proportion and school administrators are guilty of a knee-jerk overreaction.

It is true that only those who were at that practice know what actually happened. But one fact is clear: police have investigated and determined that Littlefield crossed the line sufficiently to be charged.

Maine criminal code defines an assault has occurred when a “person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury or offensive physical contact to another person.” Obviously, the second part of that sentence is the key. Littlefield could have tapped the player on the shoulder and the player could have found it offensive.

But police must also believe Littlefield intentionally, knowingly or recklessly committed an act the player would find offensive. Which essentially means he was resorting to physical intimidation.

That’s fine with the “old school” among us. Physical intimidation as a coaching tool is near and dear to their hearts because in their minds it teaches players discipline.

Physically intimidating a child does not instill discipline. It instills fear. It teaches the opposite of discipline. It teaches that as an adult you are allowed to bully a child, especially if you are an authority figure.

It has no place in coaching children. Kudos to Messalonskee administrators for sending that message by refusing to back Littlefield. Coaches who can’t accept the message need to find another hobby.

•With the Red Sox failing off into the sunset, fans would be wise to start paying attention to the rest of MLB. Red Sox fans might be the among the most passionate, but we are also among the most provincial, so one can safely assume few have noticed the AL East, AL Central and Wild Card races are coming right down to the wire. The postseason will be even more wide open. And there will be plenty of star power to keep you hooked. Just give it a shot, you won’t regret it. Even if my prediction of a Rangers/Nationals World Series is correct.

•Todd Cifelli stepped away from baseball coaching duties at Lewiston High School and Pastime Club this week. It  is impossible to convey just how much he did to make Lewiston baseball relevant again in just seven years coaching. He did it by holding his players accountable to themselves, their team, and their city and demanded they respect the game and their opponents. And he served as the optimum example to them by working harder than any high school coach in any sport. American Legion baseball, which is dying in this state, has lost one of its greatest assets, but Maine baseball as a whole has gained a great advocate. With Cifelli spending more time as a scout and instructor, you can bet players around the state will get better, and get noticed.

•The widespread panic over the Patriots’ 1-2 start needs to cease. The defense, last Sunday’s meltdown in Baltimore aside, is getting better. The unit is so young there are bound to be some growing pains. The offense will shake off its uneven start and return to elite status, especially if Josh McDaniels comes to his senses and phases out Danny Woodhead and Julian Edelman instead of Wes Welker. The key is keeping the offensive line healthy. They’ve been a little shaky so far, but if Logan Mankins, Dan Connolly, Sebastian Vollmer and Nate Solder are still playing in December and January, they will be one of the best teams in what will be one of the weakest AFC playoff fields in years.

•Boy, I’m going to have a lot of sleepless nights this winter worrying about the Fenway sellout streak extending into 2013.

•If nothing else, the Ryder Cup has proven to me that, unless I am personally acquainted with the participants, I really need laundry to root for in order to get excited about individual sports. Oh sure, I can sit down and watch one of the majors for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon and appreciate the players’ skills and conduct under pressure. But I can’t get emotionally invested in the sport unless they’re playing for something larger than themselves. 

•Incidentally, I know it doesn’t fit the hysterial narrative of the angry social media mob, but the replacement refs got the call right in Seattle.