Joe Torosian's Outsiders Sports

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

The NBA trying to gin up excitement of LeBron James playing the Lakers on Christmas Day…is like NBC trying to build intrigue over Ross getting together with Rachel in 2026.

Speaking of The Battle for Christmas Day… it’s over. There’s nothing the NBA can offer against the NFL’s blast of the Packers at Bears, Bills at Broncos, and Rams at Seahawks.

The only hope for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is that Netflix, which is carrying the Christmas slate, will be as horrible as it has always been when doing sports.

If football fans can find a way around Netflix’s usual buffering crisis, they will likely be greeted by Elle Duncan and Mina Kimes. (As Alice Cooper sings, Welcome to my nightmare!)

Speaking of football… I’m thrilled Kyler Murray has been named the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback. It gives me the same joy I get when Fog City spends a third-round (99th overall) pick on a kicker.

The season, of course, has to play out, but I do not understand the optimism for the Vikings in 2026. It’s going to take a lot of injuries and a lot of meltdowns to advance Minnesota deep into January.

And they’ll also be counting on Kyler Murray…and why would any organization count on Kyler Murray?

#90—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth.

Last Add Netflix: Will they be hosting Kirk Cousins-Maxx Crosby Super Fight 2?

I’m not a betting guy, simply because I don’t know how or anything about it…BUT…I saw oddsmakers discuss why the Rams—even as the favorite—are not likely to win the Super Bowl so betters should go with the field.

Isn’t the smart money—if you want to make money—best to be placed on the other 31 teams anyway? So in my low-level thinking, I don’t understand why that’s a big deal.

To paraphrase the late great Jim Healy: “That means you got to bet 10 zops to make five, instead of betting 10 zops to make 20.”

Did I hear a report about San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey having calf tightness? I wonder what the betting line is on the 49ers today?

I’ve been accused of defending Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker a little too much…So, I might as well ask: presently, is a .340 OBP considered good?

Do you believe in the Kansas City Chiefs? Yes, they got Patrick Mahomes a running back in Kenneth Walker III…but they didn’t get Mahomes anything that could be considered special at wide receiver…and do they really think they can wring something out of Travis Swift’s aging body?

I bring this up because—until injuries and the Spanos Curse sets in—it’s hard to pick against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Last Add Chiefs: Who are they depending on? Rashee Rice? Defensively, who are they depending on? An aging Chris Jones?

Sending Patrick Mahomes into the 2026 season without an elite receiver is like Brad Pitt showing up at an awards show without a date.

How many catches does Tutu Atwell need this year to break the shackle of being a draft bust? I’m here for it…even as a Rams fan, I think Sean McVay did a disservice to Atwell.

In the AFC, I don’t believe in Buffalo, Baltimore, or Houston. Cincy is growing on me, and I’m really curious about Jacksonville. The Jags have a tough schedule to open the season, so we’ll find out real fast…which will give me plenty of time to slither off the bandwagon.

Here’s a betting thought: What would the odds be of the Rams and Bengals meeting for the Super Bowl again, in SoFi, and the final play of the game, again, coming down to Aaron Donald sacking Joe Burrow?

Abstract thought, I know, but who would have thought the Dodgers would win Game Seven of the 2025 World Series with Mookie Betts making a double-play to secure the title?

The Dude abides…

1,337
Isaiah 46:4
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

The best part of the NFL Hall of Fame induction week/weekends has always been the speeches. I love the gratitude expressed, and it stands out even more in 2026 as ingratitude has joined victimhood as the emotional currency of our culture.

Adam Vinatieri pushed it a bit with his Hall of Fame speech. The least appreciated might have been his calling Drew Bledsoe the greatest quarterback in Patriots history. That was funny.

I feel different about the San Francisco 49ers now, but, to be honest, when they were winning titles in the ’80s I never hated them. I rooted against them, wanted them to lose, but it was hard to hate great football.

Roger Craig having to wait this long to get to Canton was criminal. If Craig had played in Pittsburgh, I’m sure he would have been inducted before the turn of the century.

Deshaun Watson is trending to be the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Week one. If he is the starter and let’s say a competent one…Will we get the same treatment Michael Vick got when he came back to the NFL?

Teddy Bridgewater has had more retirements than Barbara Streisand…

Speaking of quarterbacks, I’d like to see the Rams’ Sean McVay loosen his preseason rules just enough to let Stetson Bennett take a few snaps.

I saw a post of  “A Midsummer Night’s Magic” from August 10, 1986…Loved the highlights, but I had to sadly laugh at how much summer has been jacked up so that August 10 (heat aside) no longer feels like summer.

(Soapbox Moment: I don’t care about the excuse or rationale, no kid should be back in class before Labor Day.)

I was kind of surprised no one mentioned that Don Nelson, who passed away yesterday at 86, actually spent two seasons with the Lakers before his run with the Boston Celtics.

When I was a kid watching Nelson play, I didn’t realize he was 6-6…so he gave me hope that I could play in the NBA.

…And Nelson didn’t look anything like me.

Everyone’s talked about DiJonai Carrington’s felonious assault on Sophie Cunningham. I don’t know if there’s anything left to say, but I’ll dive into it when people finally admit what Kevin McHale did to Kurt Rambis in the ’84 NBA Finals was the same.

Maybe because I hate the Celtics, I can’t help but think there’s still some justice out there to be attained.

Carrington’s social media post about privilege only reinforced she’s a jackwagon with bad wigs…and anyone, if they so choose, can be a jackwagon with bad wigs.

Regarding jackwagons, if you ever met Tommy Lasorda away from a camera, you know exactly what I mean–and I loved Lasorda.

What I thought was more harmful to the WNBA this weekend was Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon resting starters A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young. She rested them for the team’s nationally televised game against the New York Liberty on Sunday.

Hammon used the standard yada yada of protecting her players’ health; it was a back-to-back, long road trip, and they had to fly cross-country.

Note: The WNBA has a 44-game regular season. It starts at the beginning of May and goes to the end of September. That averages out to eight games a month.

Like the players’ performance in its All-Star Game, the league has an unearned sense of NBA entitlement.

Aces versus Liberty on a Sunday network broadcast is a showcase, and Hammon played the entitlement card.

The hard things have to be done to gain credibility, and instead of taking the road least traveled, the WNBA continues to stay on the easiest—and it’s making all the difference.

Enes Kanter and Royce White have put the league in a difficult pickle of defining what a woman is. And since advocates believe gender is a social construct (130 genders and counting according to W.J. Beischel)…how can anyone argue with how someone identifies?

If Ben Simmons wanted to come to the Lakers for the minimum, would you be willing to take a swing on him? Have him on the roster as a defensive role player?

And since the Dodgers are running the Lakers, isn’t it the Dodger way to pick up a dead horse and get ten more miles out of him?

Question to Dodgers Fans: Who worries you more? The Milwaukee Brewers or the Chicago Cubs…or the Atlanta Braves…or the Philadelphia Phillies?

#89—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth.

Last Add Dodgers: Looking at old school stats, did you know that Kyle Tucker—a left-handed batter—actually does better against lefties than he does against righties? For what it’s worth.

Laremy Tunsil, Washington TaxSkins left tackle, has a torn triceps. He will miss a lot of games, and Dan Quinn’s bags are packed and ready to go… taxi’s waiting, he’s blown his horn…

The Dude abides…

1,336
Luke 9:10-17
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

The Hall of Fame game…wasn’t boring.

I know we all got hungry eyes, but there’s nothing like football. Nothing.

I’m not going to say Carson Beck will be a star, big-time starter, or anything special…but Jacoby Brissett feels like a trade deadline candidate this morning.

Remember, the Arizona Cardinals don’t want to win. Beck gives them someone to look at, someone to think about, and easily move on from when considering a quarterback for 2027.

Larry Fitzgerald? Yes.
Roger Craig? Long overdue.
Adam Vinatieri? No argument there.
Drew Brees? Okay, but too soon.
Luke Kuechly? I guess…first ballot? I saw his whole career, I know he’s got the accolades, but I never think of Kuechly as someone who tilted the field and needed to be prepped for.

I think the NFL likes having inductees who can walk across or onto a stage under their own power.

Last Add Brees: NBC’s Melissa Stark channeled her inner Jim Nantz by asking Brees about Hurricane Katrina before his thoughts about winning the Super Bowl.

I’ve always said I’d root for the Dallas Cowboys when they played the Russians. Now, following a Katrina rehash, I’ve decided to root for the Cowboys when they play the Russians and the New Orleans Saints.

Will the Clippers ever get Kawhi Leonard to Toronto? It seems like the NBA doesn’t want it to happen. Could it be the NBA is no longer all in on having Steve Ballmer as an owner?

Myles Garrett saying, Hi.

Got to see the Rams yesterday at LMU. It was fun and interesting. The fun was being under the Clear Channel tent with nice people, and free food and drink– it felt like I was back to being credentialed.

The interesting was on the field.

Some great coaches have that stoic reserve, and that’s not Sean McVay. In a football context, he’s hard to take your eyes off of. Dude’s not that tall, but he’s in full command on the field.

McVay runs his own show, and you’d think that would be an automatic for every coach, but it’s not.
Matthew Stafford looked great, and Stetson Bennett is clearly QB2.

Myles Garrett looked enormous, and Keagen Trost was taking snaps with the ones.

Keeping everything in context, the Rams looked good.

Question: Have the Boston Red Sox peaked too early? They are 31-5 since late June, 17-3 since the MLB All-Star break.

As Chaka Kahn once sang, “Tell me something good.” I need a post-season alternative to the Dodgers, and am willing to bandwagon with the BoSox.

#88—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth.

Last Add Hall of Fame Game: It was interesting NBC brought up Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini…only because there have been other things in the past regarding the NFL they haven’t touched on.

I think it serves as a good baseline to see what they decide to report on for the rest of the 2026 season.

Note: Mike Tomlin might be something special at the desk. I agree, he sounded great.

Finally, NFL HCs on the Hot Seat:
Washington—Dan Quinn: Weakest team in NFC East…Jayden Daniels has to prove he’s not “Robert Griffin IV”…if he doesn’t, Quinn is gone.

Tampa Bay—Todd Bowles: This team looks like it’s ready for a change.

New York Jets—Aaron Glenn: We’ve heard of Bridge Quarterbacks, Glenn is looking more and more like a Bridge Coach. When this team is ready to win, they’ll be winning for someone else.

Indianapolis—Shane Steichen: Indy’s been patient. Steichen needs a playoff appearance.

Cincinnati—Zac Taylor: The Bengals haven’t fired a coach midseason since they canned Bruce Coslet in 2000. Taylor’s under contract through 2027…without a meltdown, and because of the Brown family, he might finish it out.

Philadelphia—Nick Siranni: Who takes the fall if there’s a meltdown? Saquon Barkley is older, A.J. Brown is gone, so a limited Jalen Hurts has fewer weapons. The O-line is aging. Siranni always feels like he could be fired or win a Super Bowl in the same season.

San Francisco—Kyle Shanahan: I don’t think this will be a firing, but if the 49ers go through a collapse, there could be a reset. Shanahan is under contract through 2027–could a bad 2026 lead to a mutual parting of ways? Could Shanahan be the next HC of the New York Jets?

The Dude abides…

1,335
Luke 5:20-22
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

As the first day of my third camp in five weeks begins, I’ve had plenty of time to listen to sports and sports talk while driving north.

I didn’t believe my first thought — it couldn’t be true —but it was later confirmed when I saw the lowlights of the WNBA All-Star Game.

It was infuriating. First off, overall, while the league has a few stars, they’re just not that good, and they put on a clown show.

Second, if I were invested—not necessarily with money—but in wanting and generating goodwill toward the league, I’d be yelling at the commissioner and calling out every player on social media.

Third, as a fan who is drawn to the league by the one thing it offers—competitiveness—I would have been/and was insulted.

If you needed a demonstration of the privileged athlete, making more than they deserve, with contracts they shouldn’t have, it was on display at the WNBA All-Star game.

It’s bad enough when the NBA does it, but at least—the very least—you can fall back and appreciate to some degree the athleticism when they put on a clown-show.

The WNBA’s already a clown-show that people are investing heavily in to make work. The improved contracts the players and league have received need to be viewed for exactly what they are—investments.

Investors said, “You’re playing hard, you’ve got some talent, here take this and develop it.”

The WNBA, in the absolute delusion it lives in, actually believes it has earned its current salaries and standing in mainstream sports. So much so, it thought it could take its showcase weekend and do a weak imitation of the NBA.

I’ve worked really hard to watch, learn, and give the league the appropriate props. And I came to appreciate its best asset—beyond Caitlin Clark—and that’s a regular season that matters. Weeknight games where the players played like they knew the investors were watching.

For 16 years I was getting a paycheck writing sports for Mid Valley News when others were losing their jobs writing sports…I never missed a single deadline—never thought it was acceptable.

(And I never wrote a column listing my top sports movies of all time.)

I’ve been told going on three days a week in the offseason with “RamView” is a bit much. I asked the individual who said that what would be enough for the people who have invested in me?

Investors I need to honor with my best work possible. All the while never thinking/believing/or deluding myself into everything being cool, or that I’ve made it.

I co-direct five different camps a year for young people through our Outsiders program. We have investors, and we never—Never!—take our foot off the accelerator and chill.

The WNBA—with so many warts to call out—really biffed a major opportunity and gave its detractors massive ammunition.

#85—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth.

The Dude abides…

1,332
Romans 10:14-15
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b