A break from sports

There are times when the most moronic of athletes deserve a break from criticism.
This is one of those.
Fires are raging all around the foothills of Los Angeles County. One is almost 105,000 acres in size and stretches some 20 miles. It's burning through land that hasn't been burned in 60 years and – oddly enough – isn't getting help from the warming Santa Ana winds, one of the main contributors to fire season in Southern California.
Two firefighters are dead. As of late this afternoon, their brethren are trying to find ways to rescue five people who stayed behind in Little Tujunga Canyon, which is north of Los Angeles, and now want out. The east side of the fire is threatening the L.A. area's answer to Lookout Mountain plus a 104-year-old observatory.
We'll have time to get back to games on the pro, college and high school level. But not now. Instead, we'll send nothing but the best thoughts and wishes for families, friends and firefighters in the fire area.