Krause: Standards aren’t consistent in sports world

Idle chatter while wondering if Tyler Seguin has earned the privilege of playing from hereon out ?In a way, it’s difficult to blame the kids from Swampscott and Hamilton-Wenham high schools for last week’s boys lacrosse fracas ? not when hostility and retaliation flowed so freely last week in the closing moments of the Los Angeles Lakers-Dallas Mavericks game. Not when someone from the Philadelphia Flyers can take an unnecessary (but legal) run at a player (Patrice Bergeron) who’s already had two concussions.You learn by what you see ? and by what you watch. We can’t continually have one set of standards for adults and another set for kids. It doesn’t work.Sunday, John Saunders of ESPN said he’d always defended hockey fighting on the basis that no one really gets hurt during an on-ice scrum. That was before Derek Boogaard of the New York Rangers was found dead in his home.Boogaard was recovering from a serious concussion that had kept him off the ice since December – one that he suffered during a fight. Saunders concluded his commentary by saying he’s fearful he’s been wrong all these years.Perhaps all of us have.John Lackey is a human being, prone to ups, downs and all-arounds, like the rest of us.But I swear, Lackey would be much better received if he’d just come out and say he didn’t pitch well, instead of trying to dress it up the way he does.People would cut him much more slack if he’d just admit he’s terrible when he’s terrible.Is anyone out there complaining about the Adrian Gonzalez trade now? Didn’t think so.Whatever else happens as the Celtics continue to reshape and reassess, we should all be thankful Doc Rivers is returning.In an area where we’ve been blessed with several outstanding managers/coaches, it’s easy to overlook Doc. But you do so at your peril.I’m not 100 percent down with this latest MIAA Super Bowl reshuffling. I understand you can’t fit every team into Gillette Stadium if you’re going to accommmodate the folks in Central and Western Mass.But not including your marquee teams this fall? No Everett? No Lynn Classical or Lynn English? I agree everyone should get a chance to play there ? but you can’t have your top-drawing teams looking for a place to play. That just doesn’t work for anyone.But if we can get a game in Lynn come December, maybe I’ll change my tune.The only thing the Bruins need to do is stop giving up cheap goals, and there’s no strategy you can devise for that.Just play smart hockey, and the rest will take care of itself.Because of the light pole situation at Breed, the first round of the John Holland Tournament on May 28 will be played at 3 and 5.We’re set up for the potential of having two of the top teams in the state playing against each other in the final (May 29): Classical and St. Mary’s.Patriots owner Bob Kraft says he’s afraid that a protracted, ugly, bitter lockout may alienate fans.Perhaps he could have thought of that in March.But he can take heart. NFL fans are like sheep. If you give them a game, they will go to it.Steve Krause is sports editor of The Item.