Quickly (or knowing me, not so quickly), a non-football related note (gasp!).

I’m a sucker for the Olympics. I have friends who tell me they’re stupid, boring, don’t matter, strange sports, etc., and maybe some or all of that is true. But I don’t care. It’s athletes competing for their countries on the world’s biggest stage, and you better believe there are people in nearly every country in the world who care about this. I feel the same way about the World Cup, but we’ll get to that in 2010.

Another thing I love about the Olympics is that for most of these athletes (disregard Kobe, LeBron and the rest of the “Redeem Team” for a second), this is it. They don’t get a Super Bowl, a World Series, a Stanley Cup, a World Cup. They are the absolute best in the world at one specific thing, and this might be the only chance they get to show that off.

So care. Tune in to NBC for the Beijing Games, which start with tonight’s Opening Ceremonies. Buy a Californian and read about the events (we’ve got a TV schedule and highlights in each day’s edition). And for goodness sakes, give those athletes the attention they all deserve. I’ll point three with local ties: Billy Nelson, who grew up in Taft and runs the steeplechase; Larsen Jensen, a former Garces swimmer who has a chance to medal; and a cyclist competing for Malaysia, Josiah Ng (this one is a bit of a stretch), whose Malaysian parents live in Bakersfield.

OK, I’ll step off my soapbox. Back to the gridiron, where today’s team (I lied when I told you it'd be Taft, that's actually coming Saturday) is looking to rekindle 2006 — and forget about last year.

ARVIN BEARS

Coach: Edgar Mares (eighth year)

2007 record: 3-7 (1-4 SSL, 2-4 home)
Average points: 13.6
Average points allowed:28.1
Average rush yards: 186.4
Average rush yards allowed: 249.1
Average pass yards: 40.6
Average pass yards allowed: 111.7
Best win: Arvin 14, South 7
Worst loss: Garces 48, Arvin 0

Key players: Noel Lopez, sr, QB/K; Daniel Gonzalez, sr, RB/KR; Jose Flores, sr, FB/LB; Edgar Contreras, sr, WR/DB; Travis Hicks, sr, OL/DL; Baltivar Martinez, sr, OL/DL.

Key losses: Eric Castro, WR/DB; Israel Velasquez, OL/DL; Fernando Rosales, DB; Joey Caraballo, RB/LB

Offense: In contrast to the coaches who subscribe to their particular system no matter the circumstances, Arvin will be versatile with the ball, switching up formations depending on opponents and its own personnel. This year, that means mostly an I-formation with a tight end, though the Bears will often line up in the shotgun as well. This has as much to do with a talented offensive line as it does with quarterback Noel Lopez, whom Mares calls “our best athlete.” Of course, Mares also said Lopez had some attitude problems last year, and that that’s got to stop if Arvin will revert to its 2006 SSL championship form.

Defense: The Bears have used a 5-2 defense in the past but, with a shaken-up defensive staff, may use more of a 35 look this fall. That scheme will minimize big plays — could be important with Arvin’s schedule — but it could be difficult for the defense to make big plays, too. One guy who will be counted on is Luis Tamayo, who Mares said is small for a linebacker but a bulldog with a nose for the ball.

Outlook: This is a very tough call to make. Two years ago, Arvin came from nowhere to win the SSL title, and the same year they had a league champion JV team — full of players who are seniors now. They have experience and enough talent to compete and the right non-conference schedule to prepare them for a grueling SSL slate. Can they pull off another surprise and win the league? I don’t think so. But if Mares can get the team’s attitude turned around (last year, he said there was too much junior-senior jealousy), it’s not out of the question that Arvin could knock off one of the league’s three Central Section champions. My final verdict? More like ’06 than ’07, but with a tough schedule, it won’t be enough to shock the county again.

Quotable: “Our goal is to improve each week. We play against Bakersfield teams in the (non-league) season, so hopefully when league rolls around, we’ll give those guys a game and maybe surprise them.”
— coach Edgar Mares

Schedule: Sept. 5 Highland
Sept. 12 at Foothill
Sept. 19 at Garces
Sept. 27 at South
Oct. 3 Burroughs
Oct. 10 BYE
Oct. 17 Taft
Oct. 24 at Shafter
Oct. 31 Wasco
Nov. 7 Bakersfield Christian
Nov. 14 at Tehachapi

Prediction: 5-5, 2-3 SSL

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX

July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley

Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland

Aug. 3: César Chávez

Aug. 4: Delano

Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK

Aug. 6: Shafter

Aug. 7: Wasco

TOMORROW (really, this time): The first of the SSL's big three — Taft