For Hanford High's boys water polo team, it appears there's no place like road when it comes to the playoffs.

It was announced Monday the Bullpups, the top seed in the Central Section Division II playoffs, would play their first game, a quarterfinal matchup against the winner of today's Edison-Fresno game, at El Diamante High School in Visalia on Thursday.

The problem is the Hanford High pool, an L-shaped facility with both a deep and shallow end in the field of play and, thus, not in favor with the section.

"We opted out of playing at Hanford West," said Roeber, "so it came down to availability. It's a pool we could potentially play all our (playoff) games at."

A quick look at the brackets released Friday show this is not unique to Hanford. The Edison-Fresno game will be played at Sunnyside High, and on the ladies' side, tonight Hanford will play Tulare Union at Tulare Western and Hanford West plays Garces at the McMurtrey swim complex in Bakersfield.

Hanford West's boys team was originally scheduled to play tonight's game against Exeter in Lemoore, but coach Rick Conway said Monday the game would be in the Huskies' pool.

At least there's no concerns about court size in volleyball, where Lemoore's girls will host North (Bakersfield) in the spacious Events Center tonight at 7.

So, while you're making travel plans, we'll move on to a few more items hopefully worth dessert on a Tuesday afternoon/evening as we wonder what to do Thursday when the NFL Network brings us that Bears-49ers matchup from the 'Stick that's definitely not ready for prime time, but is there anyway:

• A few months ago, an old friend asked if I would like to be working in a big city, where one gets excited about bowl games and the World Series, rather than, say, the Milk Can Game.

I think its things like the ongoing Andrea Agassi soap opera that make me happy I've spent most of my career in the Central Valley (save for a stint in the fun and sun capital of Arizona, Lake Havasu City), covering high school and college athletics.

As per the transcripts of Sunday's interview on "60 Minutes," the retired tennis Grand Slam champion is asking for "compassion" in light of revelations of his use of crystal meth in his book.

Oh, puhleeze ... can't you get together with Sammy Sosa, Manny Ramirez, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds to form your own self-help group, complete with a 12-step program that answers to a higher power such as your fans, not one decorated with pictures of dead presidents?

As I read the excerpts from Agassi's book in Sports Illustrated, all I could think is, "this has to be some of the most self-pitying crap I've ever read."

So his father had him hitting tennis balls practically 24/7/365, or he had to wear a wig for a while until deciding Mother Nature knows best when it comes to hairlines?

I had a lousy father too, and only my hairdresser knows for sure how much longer I'll keep what's upstairs. At the same time, i don't get millions of dollars for this weekly exercise in spelling and punctuation (shocking, huh?) - which, unlike you and tennis, I happen to like. And, alas, I'll likely never have a chance with Brooke Shields or Steffi Graf. And my central nervous system drug of choice comes from Milwaukee, not some shady corner, thank you.

It's called the experience of human life. It happens to all of us, athlete and fan alike. Deal with it. Just don't ask me to go along for the ride.

• Shawn Estrada makes his return to the ring Nov. 28 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula in a four-round super middleweight boxing bout.

It'll be the first action for Estrada, the 2008 Olympian with Hanford roots, since appearing on the undercard of the Edison Miranda-Andre Ward main event in Oakland in May ... yes, the same Edison Miranda who won the NABO super middleweight title last month at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in a first-round knockout.

Estrada is 6-0, all six wins by knockout.

As for Ward, a long-time Palace staple out of the Goossen Tutor Promotions camp, he'll be busy this month too, with his first bout in the Super Six super middleweight tournament on Nov. 21 in Oakland against Denmark's Mikkel Kessler. That fight will also be on Showtime.

• Tennessee's men's basketball team defeated Lincoln Memorial 97-58 in an exhibition game on Wednesday. No word yet if the Volunteers have scheduled Washington Monument or Jefferson Memorial.

Richard de Give is The Sentinel's sports editor. He can be reached at 583-2430 or rdegive@HanfordSentinel.com.

(Nov. 10, 2009)