Joe Torosian's Outsiders Sports

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

The Rams dropped their 2026 unis last night, and I’m so glad it is done.

I love the white and blue. I love the 1951 historic. My only problem is that somewhere during the 2026 season they will employ those horrific Midnight Mode/Blue/Rivalry uniforms.

It’s hideous and a contributing factor in why it will take another five to ten years for the franchise to own its own market. The Rams, a franchise run so well, have yet to realize they can lead rather than pander.

The Dodgers, for visiting the White House, are being referenced as sell-outs for not standing up for LA. Fans on social media are declaring shame on the Dodgers, saying they will burn all their Dodger gear, and root for the Angels.

Do I believe people hate Trump? Yes.
Do I believe people are mad at the Dodgers for going to Trump’s White House? Yes.
Do I believe some fans will get rid of their Dodger gear? Yes.
Do I believe most of them are hypocrites for their silence during the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence flap? Yes.
Do I believe angry Dodgers fans will now become Los Angeles Angels fans? Now, you’re just being ridiculous.

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

LeBron James has chosen Philadelphia. Good move to do it before NFL camps fully open–otherwise, he’ll sink deeper into irrelevance.

While I didn’t care where he landed, I was also pretty sure he’d be heading east. Between San Antonio and Oklahoma City, toss in Jokic at Denver, and what they’re assembling in Minnesota… there’s no room to get back to the finals in the west.

I give LeBron credit for taking the 2-year/8-Rock contract. The 76ers should be fun…but we’ll see who’s on the floor at the end of March.

And, start the clock on how long it will take Bronny to find his way to the City of Brotherly Love.

Does Tom Brady have anybody in his life who loves him? Does he allow anybody in his life who loves him to speak into his life?

Apparently not, because the greatest quarterback of all-time, the guy with seven Super Bowl rings, somehow feels the need to do a publicity dance with Logan Paul.

This only helps Paul.

Deflate-Gate didn’t hurt Brady…but a whorish desire to remain relevant and in the spotlight will. This makes me legitimately sad. What’s next for him? Survivor? The Traitors? First Take with Stephen A.?

The Baltimore Ravens have waived former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia, a Heisman finalist who hyped himself as the best QB in the country, went undrafted in April.

I’m wondering if new Ravens HC Mike Minter had the same talk with Pavia that Super Bowl-winning Ravens HC Brian Billick had with former Arizona QB Ortege Jenkins in the first season of Hard Knocks.

After releasing Jenkins at the start of camp:
Billick: Did you get your degree?
Jenkins: Not yet.
Billick: Yeah, you want to get that done.
(Translation: Get that education because you’re not playing professionally.)

Final Note: To get into the United Center in Chicago on Saturday to see the WNBA All-Star game, you’ll need $188. For 2-grand you can sit court-side.

The Dude abides…

1,331
Romans 10:14-15
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
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By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

Is anyone other than the media on pins and needles waiting for LeBron James to make a decision? NFL uniform reveals are more compelling.

(Tell me LeBron’s negotiations don’t involve bringing Bronny with him? Please.)

Saw a great question this morning…Will Lamar Jackson ever win a Super Bowl?

Jackson is a 34-Rock cap hit this year…excellent. He’s an 84-Rock cap hit next year…horrific.

Answer: No, he’s never going to win a Super Bowl.
(Note: If he does, I’ll be happy for him.)

I was indifferent on Sophie Cunningham…until she refused to back track on her comments about men playing women’s sports. Now, I’m all in—Point that finger, babe.

Chick’s tough…a lot tougher than some of the so-called men playing in the NFL.

I’d feel better and be Intuit if the Clippers can find a way to get Bennedict Mathurin back at small forward. I like Darius Garland at the point, I like first-round pick Keaton Wagler at shooting guard…and I will absolutely love it when owner Steve Ballmer greases a few more palms to get Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto.

Kyle Tucker has played 96 of a possible 103 games in 2026…Where do Dodgers’ fans stand on his signing now? Has it changed? Do you miss Michael Conforto?

“Where have you gone Andre Ethier? Dodger fans turn their lonely eyes to you.”

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

Wow…the long national nightmare is over…Fernando Mendoza has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.

As a Rams’ fan, are you overly concerned about the Seattle Seahawks?

They have to replace Tariq Woolen, and I still don’t think they have a high-end pass rusher…DeMarcus Lawrence just turned 34…Leonard Williams just turned 32…Jarran Reed will be 34 in December…This doesn’t mean they’ll be bad…but are they truly elite?

Byron Murphy had a solid second year along the front…Devon Witherspoon is among the best CBs…Nick Emmanwori is rising…But…the Rams dropped 21, 37, and 27 on this defense last year.

Offensively—Cooper Kupp is another year older, Rasheed Shaheed is a burner, but not a great receiver…They’ve got JSN…AJ Barner…and hopes for Elijah Arroyo… Rookie Jadarian Price will be the feature back.

I like tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas…not crazy about their interior line…and Sam Darnold is ordinary against the extraordinary, and extraordinary against the ordinary (see New England Patriots, Super Bowl 60).

How can you not roll Rams in the NFC?

Note to Lakers’ Fans: Would you be down with a return of Kyle Kuzma?

Last Note Basketball: Former Lakers center DeAndre Ayton turns 28 today…I can’t believe he’s only 28. It feels like he’s been around since the days of Gary Payton.

By the way, Gary Payton turns 58 today. “The Glove,” because of his style of play, would be among the most hated in the NBA in 2026.

Not because Payton was dirty…but because Payton played defense.

The Dude abides…

1,330
1 Corinthians 13:7
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

If you’re looking for a non-story…Ty Simpson hasn’t signed his contract…Yawn.

…And neither has Fernando Mendoza.

Final Thought on Simpson: I do not want him to be QB2 this season…unless he comes out of the gate like Dan Marino did in 1983. The Rams have placed their trust in Stetson Bennett, so I trust Stetson Bennett.

If you want a story to chew on—depth at both tackle spots.

And, for now it all looks good, but the wide receiver room feels thin to me.

Was Ryan Clark round-filed by ESPN because they didn’t want him out front on their Super Bowl coverage this coming season?

That’s something to think about…but, then again, Mina Kimes is still getting a paycheck…

And, as they’ve acquired the NFL Network, they’ve kicked Charles Davis to the curb. I like Charles Davis.

I’ve never sat through Pat McAfee…is it worth the watch? It seems like he’s running ESPN these days.

A few years ago, who would have thought there’d be a world where Ryan Clark and Emmanuel Acho would both be off the air? And people say things aren’t getting better.

Top 12 returning College QBs…(In no particular order, the schools they began at, along with their 2026 NIL $ status.–Sources: on3.com, Yahoo, Sports Illustrated)
Oregon—Dante Moore (UCLA): $5M (top 5 nationally, often #2–4 among QBs). Strong endorsements (Nike, Beats, DoorDash, etc.) and Heisman contention boost this.
Texas—Arch Manning: $2.5M (down from peaks of $5–6.8M earlier). Still highly marketable due to the Manning name, but recent performance and playing-time adjustments have affected it.
Ole Miss—Trinidad Chambliss (Ferris State): $5M. Ranked near the very top of college football QBs.
Notre Dame—CJ Carr: $3M (top 30–40 nationally). Consistent high earner for the Irish.
Ohio St.—Julian Sayin: $2.5M (around #50–53). Competitive program and NIL deals (e.g., Wingstop) support this.
Miami—Darian Mensah (Tulane, Duke): $6.5M (top overall or near-top QB valuation). Miami’s resources and his transfer hype drove big offers (reportedly $8M+ bag in some discussions). Recent luxury watch deal adds to it.
USC—Jayden Maiava (UNLV): Likely $1–2M range. USC’s market helps, but specific recent figures are less prominent.
Indiana—Josh Hoover (TCU): Likely $1–2M or lower. Solid but not in the national spotlight like the others.
Georgia—Gunnar Stockton: $1–2M (e.g., $1.4M in some mid-2026 reports). Strong program but less national hype than peers.
Texas A&M—Marcel Reed: $3M. Solid valuation with deals like private jet partnerships.
LSU—Sam Leavitt (Arizona State): $4–6M range in various trackers (often top 5 QBs). Transfer to a high-profile program helps.
Oklahoma—John Mateer (Washington State): $2–3M+ (earlier estimates around $2.7M). Power conference move helps visibility.

Thought: Another reminder that I should have learned to play the guitar, I should have learned to play them drums…

Stetson Bennett’s Career Earnings: $2,984,218.

If there’s any baseball stat that exhausts me, it’s when broadcasters and nerds hype exit velocity or distance on a homer.

How about just keeping a stat on whether it cleared the fence or not…?

However, in the case of Athletics’ rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, the velocity of the foul ball that took him down might be interesting to know.

Kuroda-Grauer had emergency surgery for a ruptured testicle from a foul ball…Yamma Hamma Fright Night!

How about keeping a stat on cup checks? Does the MLB even practice cup checks? And if Kuroda-Grauer was wearing a cup, maybe it’s time for an investigation.

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

Only Add WNBA: A $31 ticket will get you into Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to see the Connecticut Sun play the Fever tonight… $4,000 will get you a seat behind the bench.

The Dude abides…

1,329
Philippians 1:20-21
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

Gosh, did that suck!

I know I’m opening myself up for criticism, but that World Cup final felt like 120+ minutes of two teams trying not to lose.

(I won’t even go into the horrific second Yellow Card that left Argentina with 10 men on the pitch.)

I watched the World Cup from start to finish— I needed something to take my mind off the Mets.

I rooted for Argentina, and it was a fun ride.

But it’s over…hallelujah!

I care about the World Cup the same way I care about the WNBA… It’s about, in the words of the late Jim McKay, “the human drama of athletic competition.”

Last Add Spain over Argentina: Spain dominated, Spain deserved to win, but if an Argentine kick doesn’t sail high late in “extra time,” it’s a 1-1 match…and it goes to a penalty shootout.

Soccer is palatable every four years, but it is a game with a lot of holes, and remains little more than Communist Kickball.

Is the firing of Ryan Clark a case of blanking around and “finally” finding out? Dude always seemed like someone you’d never want to have dinner with.

After 30 years, ESPN is pink-slipping Karl Ravech today…and Mina Kimes continues, and, I assume, so does Beth Mowins.

I’ll say it again: I like what the Lakers have done this off-season… and I’d love to see them acquire Jonathan Kuminga… Isn’t it amazing how much fresh air there is around the organization after moving on from LeBron?

Excited for the Lakers, but I’m still rooting for the Knicks.

Speaking of the off-season, have the Clippers had an off-season?

I was in a church league playoff game when I was 18…the refs were horrible, we got hacked to no end, we lost, and when it was over–before the closing prayer–I said, “You got what you wanted! Go to Hell!”

Yeah, I said that.

Most of us, when we’re young, don’t handle ourselves well in the midst of “athletic crisis.”

This is why I’m cutting Caitlin Clark slack for her antics. She needs to take the hit, she needs to mature and understand that no one is on her side, expect nothing, and press on.

But she’s young, and when we’re young we’re not wise. It takes time.

The Los Angeles Angels have the worst record in baseball. They’ve been among the worst, most anemic MLB franchises for a decade…but with an average attendance of 33,000, they currently rank 12th in baseball.

I think the Halos were still wearing periwinkle the last time I ventured to the Big A.

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

In another reminder of how bad my baseball season has been. Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan gave up six home runs yesterday to the Cleveland Baseball Club.

Welcome To My Nightmare Dept.: Ryan is also on my fantasy baseball roster.

Final MLB Thought: The Red Sox have won 14 straight and seem to have plenty of room left on the bandwagon.

Bernie Carbo lives!

To those asking…yes, there will be a RamView today.

The Dude abides…

1,328
Mark 5:35-43
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!
You can talk A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, but the face of the WNBA is Sophie Cunningham.

Cunningham’s finger point went viral; she served as a ring girl for the UFC, and last night she knocked down six treys in the Indiana Fever’s 109-75 victory over the Las Vegas Aces.

Seriously, name a bigger presence than her this WNBA season?

I’m picking France over Spain. Mainly because the food’s better, but also because they’re better.

I’m not taking Argentina over England just for family reasons. I’m taking Messi & Friends because I love the complaining/whining/crying and everything that follows an Argentine win. England looks better, but Messi always finds a way

Regarding Saturday’s Red Card on Switzerland’s Breel Embolo, I love how the controversy has gone from unprecedented and outrageous down to, “you just don’t do that with twenty minutes left in a World Cup match.”

Many of them complaining are part of the same sports media that was constantly whining about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s flopping in the NBA playoffs.

I want Aaron Donald back in a Rams uniform as much as anyone, but he needs to be back in the building in August—not midseason.

He’s definitely in shape, but football shape is something different, and I’m good with him needing time, but he should return now and not late October.

If the team is playing well and the young guys are getting the job done, his coming in as a bye-week savior will be/could be a disruption.

As great as he is, he’s AD not JC.

Last Add World Cup: I found it interesting that both England and Norway still have a Christian cross as an emblem on their national flags.

As secular as those nations have become, in 2026 I find it amazing that they haven’t been changed.

Anyone remember the flap over the LA County seal that featured a tiny cross on it to represent SoCal’s mission history? The ACLU sued, the county caved, and later the cross was restored.

Really Last Add World Cup: Besides the flopping (and everyone looking like they’ve been accidentally shot by Claudine Longet), another thing basketball has in common with soccer is players want to get theirs.

If you’ve ever played basketball and were involved in a blowout, scorers tend to fall into the “get mine” trap.

Norway’s Alexander Sørloth had Erling Haaland open—clearly open—with a 1-0 lead…and instead of dishing, Sørloth decided to get his…And Norway got nothing but a ticket back to Oslo.

I keep hearing there’s a problem with the Dodgers visiting Donald Trump at the White House…After examining all my feeds, it seems only sports media has a problem with the Dodgers visiting the Trump White House.

Does anyone remember Bill Plaschke’s column on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence? I do…and it was all good with him.

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

The Dude abides…

1,327
Micah 6:8
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b