Leading off today: With the 30th Empire State Games in the books, it's never too soon to plan.

   Reporters would do well to get the ball rolling on reserving hotel rooms in the Binghamton area at the first available opportunity, as the 2008 event will be held there and quality space is always at a premium in Southern Tier locales.

   As for 2009, The Poughkeepsie Journal says bidding at this point has come down to Poughkeepsie and Albany. Executive Director Fred Smith has to make a recommendation to Parks Commissioner Carolyn Ash by the end of September. Since 2009 is the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's river voyage, don't look for the ESGs to stray back into Rochester, Buffalo, Ithaca, Plattsburgh or Syracuse until at least 2010.

   Considering that the University of Albany has been hosting New York Giants training camp, taking dorm rooms and competitive venues off the table each summer, Poughkeepsie looks like the leading candidate for 2009.

   More ESG observations: I know quite well that money is tight at newspapers of all sizes across New York -- and the entire country, for that matter. But I find it inexcusable that any newspaper with a daily circulation of 75,000 (make it 50,000 for papers on the eastern side of the state) couldn't send a reporter to Westchester County this weekend.

   And I find it especially disappointing that a paper like The Post-Standard chose to send no one to the ESGs. With an average of more than 1,000 participants from each of the six ESG regions, it's reasonable to figure that at least 500 athletes and coaches were from the Syracuse newspaper's circulation area.

   Though the Central Region has a dismal history of medals in team sports the past three years, there are still a number of top-notch athletes competing in the scholastic, open and masters divisions. Doing recaps via the telephone and compiling agate off The Associated Press wire of the web just don't cut it when if comes to coverage.

   And, God forbid, there's no substitute for having your own reporter less than an hour away in the event of a serious injury or a major controversy at one of the events.

   Nice bit of planning by Newsday which did its weekly Q&A with Comsewogue's Pete Mitchell, coach of the gold medal-

winning Long Island boys lacrosse team. It contains an editor's note pointing out that an absurd 595 players tried out for the team.

   Speaking of lacrosse, Hudson Valley girls coaches Joe Corace of Mahopac and John Callanan of Suffern got vindication in the form of a silver medal. They had come under fire for awarding 11 of 20 roster spots to players from their own schools. It turns out they knew what they were doing, with the only setback a 17-9 loss to Long Island.

   Norwich swimming coach Rick Marchant won the masters' 100-meter freestyle (:58.4) and the 100 individual medley (1:09.07) in the men's 55-59 age-group.

   Hoover redux: Problems continue at Hoover (Ala.) High, which was featured on MTV's Two-A-Days, which we mentioned in yesterday's blog.

   The school board is still investigating after several Hoover teachers claimed in June that grades were changed for two senior athletes by employees who were not teachers.

   Hoover, which has won five of the last seven state Class 6A championships, has been a source of much attention, especially because of the MTV series. The Birmingham News says sentiment in the community is to complete the investigation before the season starts -- in part to protect fundraising initiatives. Sam C. Pointer, a former federal judge heading up the probe, expects work to continue into the school year.

   The dismissal of principal Richard Bishop last week set off a new dispute that could lead to much more dirty laundry being aired.

   Assuming that a network bigwig can line up Paris Hilton or Danny Bonaduce to guest star, I'd say we're looking at another cable TV reality series.

   Interesting reading: Knoxville's The News Sentinel delved into the changing coach/parent relationships in Tennessee scholastic football last week.

   The piece did not break any new ground or offer anything especially profound, but some of the comments by coaches and administrators were fairly frank.

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