Joe Torosian's Outsiders Sports

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

I’m getting excited about college football, but is anyone else a bit tired of USC-San Jose State? I know they haven’t played since 2023, but it feels like they play all the time.

The Trojans playing the Spartans is like taking your girlfriend to AM-PM on the first date.

“Baby, order anything you want.”

Message:
Friend: Joe T., where do you think LeBron is going to land?
Joe T.: I like Argentina over Switzerland, and am rooting for Norway over England.

Friend: What about LeBron?
Joe T.: Since Monday, USA women’s soccer legend Carli Lloyd has refused to back off on her comments about Christian Pulisic…and Colin Cowherd has gone from declaring Pulisic as America’s soccer messiah to disowning him completely following Monday’s collapse against Belgium.

Friend: Joe, who is LeBron going to sign with?
Joe T.: Note to Colin Cowherd: Soccer is not cool…I work with young people, and soccer is not cool. It’s a sport many like, but it does not have a leg up (so to speak) on the other established sports. And stop trying to elevate this with the same language that was used forty years ago.

I have no problem with the NBA calling out and holding the Clippers accountable for whatever they did to manipulate the salary cap to retain Kawhi Leonard.

But this literally affects nobody other than the Clippers and NBA pride…take a draft pick from them and move on. It only hurts the Association if Leonard is playing in Inglewood this fall.

Example of how the world has changed. Serbian forward Nikola Kusturica has reached a multi-year agreement to play for UCLA.

A multi-year agreement? Whatever happened to letter of intent?
I’m good with all of it. Let’s just not call them student-athletes… and let’s end any–and all–NCAA authority over these schools in football and basketball.

Friend: You going to answer me?
Joe T.: It’s not inspired reading, it’s not exciting, it’s deep stuff that (for me) needs to be read twice, but you should look into the research that counters the accounts about CTE being found in football players.

The outrageous, devastating, jaw-dropping is always highlighted (as with Climate Change narratives), while subtler truths are downplayed or dismissed by the media.

It’s not a denial that something isn’t happening, but regarding football players being diagnosed posthumously, it does hinge on the subjectivity, limitations, and views of those conducting these studies.

I read an article in The Athletic about MLB strikeouts. Mark Reynolds, then of the Arizona Diamondbacks, struck out 223 times in 2009.

Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber is currently at 140 strikeouts. At his current pace, Schwarber will finish the season with 252 Ks.

In comparison, over twenty seasons, the late Tony Gwynn struck out 434 times. The San Diego Padres Hall of Fame outfielder never struck out more than 40 times in a season.

Friend: Joe T.?
Joe T.: Can I ask, at any level, how did you feel when you struck out? Nothing was worse than striking out. Ground out, pop up, foul out anything was better than striking out.

Striking out is/was the epitome of failure…and the worst of the three true outcomes that have seriously wounded baseball: Home run, walk, strike out.

Then again, Schwarber is making 30-Rocks this season… I’d be willing to strike out 252 times from April to October for 30 million.

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

Friend: Don’t you care about where LeBron goes?
Joe T.: Exactly.

The Dude abides…

1,326
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
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By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

Call me crazy,  but when you give up three goals in less than twenty minutes, it doesn’t mean you got robbed. It means you choked.

If we want to get into conspiracies, since he’s tight with Argentina’s Javier Milei, Trump probably called FIFA to make sure the fix was in for Messi & Friends.

Since everyone is ascribing so much power to Trump, I figure I might as well cash in.

Speaking of milking something, Egypt’s collapse yesterday was its biggest fold since the ’73 “Yom Kippur War.”

I’m not a Lakers fan, but I really like what they’re doing this off-season: the trades, the signings, the draft picks. I have a feeling the LeBron Era will soon be relegated to the Cedric Ceballos section of franchise history.

I hated to see Marcus Smart move on, but given his age and what he might want at this point in his career, I can see why they didn’t bring him back.

Kevon Looney is a good addition, and Jonathan Kuminga, if they can swing it, would knock it out of the park.

Also, given that Dodger ownership is calling the shots at Crypto, I wouldn’t expect them to suffer for too long with Luka Doncic going forward if he doesn’t produce. No one player will ever be bigger than this management team.

Last Add Lakers: I think there is a lot of untapped upside to Walker Kessler.

Good News For The Rams Department: Alaric Jackson won’t face criminal charges. It looks like Jackson’s got community service in his future.

At some point, the NFL will chime in with a two-game suspension to virtue-signal a message of some kind.

I thought Jackson could be looking at a six-game benching, but without criminal charges, that’s a little harder sell for the league. So, I expect it to be two games.

With a 38-54 record, there are worse things in life than being a Mets fan…I mean, you could be an Angels fan. An Angel fan, who saw Shohei Ohtani hit his 300th home run last night–for the Dodgers.

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

Is it just me, or does it feel like Wimbledon hasn’t happened this year?

Thoughts on the Final Eight:
France—Thank goodness the Napoleon is richer, creamier than most desserts—and has no raisins! But it’s not enough to overcome Dien Bien Phu.
Morocco—I actually have a student rooting for them, but have they recovered from losing to the French at the Battle of Isly?
Spain—Had a friend get yelled at for showering twice in one day during a visit to Valencia.
Belgium—The King Leopold II redemption tour won’t be enough.
Norway—How long did they last during WW2? Three hours?
England—The whole King/Royal family thing bugs me. Maybe if Cromwell was still employed as the Lord Protector.
Argentina—Blanking around and could be about to find out. Cruisin’ for a bruisin.
Switzerland—What language do they speak in their locker room? I hear it’s High German… You’d think, after all these centuries, they’d come up with something of their own.

Note: I am fully committed emotionally to Argentina, but I’ll let Norway hold the clipboard because I liked the 633 Squadron.

Really Last Add Lakers: Walker Kessler? Have the Lakers pinned their hopes and millions of rocks to a whiskey brand?The Dude abides…

1,325
Jeremiah 29:11
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

In 1994, soccer in the U.S. was said to have reached a turning point… In 2026, we’re still waiting for it to complete the turn.

How marvelous…

As a Casual, I will not do a postmortem on last night’s 4-1 loss to Belgium.

I’m just going to ask the Actuals.

Question: Is Christian Pulisic as good as we are being told…or has he been manufactured in America’s desperate need for a soccer hero?

(Note: Pulisic’s Chobani advert after the loss featuring him and his mom was bad timing.)

I thought the Yellow Card on Team USA’s Weston McKennie at the 35-minute mark was weak. Or at least seemed weak from the soccer I do remember.

Is soccer really this soft, or have I misremembered?

Is Belgium that good, or did the U.S. make them look better than they actually are?

I found Spain versus Portugal to be a bit of a let-down.

Speaking of Spain, they’ve pitched more shutouts, 5, in the World Cup than the Orioles in the ’66 World Series against the Dodgers.
(BTW: #77—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth.)

Let the world have the World Cup and soccer. I’ll put my America-loving credentials up against anybody’s, but I did not, do not, and never want to, see international success in soccer.

I like distinction. I like anomalies where it’s okay/safe to have an anomaly. I like ballparks with short-porches in right (but for some reason, I don’t like short-porches in left).

I like American football, and I don’t want to be like everyone else. Perhaps this is a result of too much Twilight Zone as a kid. (I don’t want Number 12 to look just like me. I don’t want conformity.)

I sense that the desire within our culture to be great in soccer is, at its root, a deeper desire to fit in with the rest of the world.

I don’t want to fit in with the rest of the world. I can respect the rest of the world, like the rest of the world, and appreciate the rest of the world…but like I love my family more and deeper than your family…I love my country more and deeper than other countries—including Argentina, Armenia & Wales.

That said, I will always watch the World Cup because the passion is compelling.

I’m all in on Argentina… I’ll see what happens after that, because Messi & Friends have been playing with fire —I don’t think Egypt will be a duck-walk.

Final Add World Cup: When talking heads tried to pivot to moral victory and positive results for American soccer at the conclusion of last night’s game…I loved what Alexi Lalas said about being sick of moral victories, and what Carli Lloyd said about Christian Pulisic.

It was refreshing and desperately needed in commentary about the NBA, MLB, and, yes, NFL.

When you suck, you should be told you suck and not coddled.

I know, I’ve been told I suck, told I can’t speak, can’t write, and declared racist-sexist-homophobic…and every time I’m told those things, it gives me energy to press on.

You know what’s going to be compelling in 2030? I hope, I think, and it could be: “The Christian Pulisic Redemption Tour.”

I hope it happens.

The Dude abides…

1,324
Colossians 3:23
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
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By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

Many of the same people screaming injustice over Folarin Balogun’s Red Card suspension are now screaming injustice over him being cleared to play.

Do you think it has anything to do with Trump’s name being attached to it? Lol.

I’m watching the World Cup for the very same reason I watch the WNBA—the passion.

It is everything to those who play and those who support, and that’s what makes it compelling. The WNBA is much, much, much further down the scale, but that passion is must-see. I love it.

I’ve enjoyed the World Cup…

But…

I still think—except for some power-packed stretches—it is as boring as an evening with an Actuarial Accountant.

The key is the nations, and that’s not a revelation. It’s a great example/visual to separate the people from their leaders’ corruption.

They love their country; their leaders may suck, but they love their country and want the best for it. They’re not rooting for the U.N., a global government, or NATO. They’re rooting for their country, and the right to talk trash like Brazil’s Neymar did to the Norwegian goalie.

That’s a great thing.

When I was a kid watching Wide World of Sports, if the U.S. was playing the Soviets in archery, then archery supremacy was everything to me. If we were playing the USSR in harness racing…then we had to beat those Commie douchebags.

(My Soviet angst stems from seeing the Munich gold medal basketball heist back in ’72. I’ve never gotten over that.)

So, good for the World Cup bringing that out.

But, because I love MY country, and think winning the World Cup would be the worst thing for American culture & sports, I’m rooting for Argentina.

And I’ll be rooting for Belgium tonight.

Mexico was my backup, but that’s done. El Quinto Partido …is a real thing.

I’m leaning Beowulf & The Norwegians as my #2. (Yes, I know the backstory of Beowulf, but all of Scandinavia can claim him.)

And honestly, Belgium needs a win more than Canada did. They haven’t had a great moment in a long time. Perhaps they can begin to turn the page on King Leopold II & The Congo tonight with a win against the U.S.

Another reason I’m rooting for Belgium is that I want to see how long it takes until Trump is blamed for the defeat.

Sometimes, I’m just here for the meltdowns.

I wish I knew enough about soccer to complain about some of the penalty kicks, but I don’t. I thought I knew that if you got to the ball first, it didn’t matter what happened after, but I guess I was wrong.

Yes, I’m Casual, but at least I’m not a poser.

Note to MLB & Players Union: For fans’ sake, can you reach a bargaining agreement that precludes taking a pitcher out of the game if he’s completed seven perfect innings?

That should never happen, but it especially shouldn’t happen in July.

I promise, letting a pitcher finish a game will do more goodwill than another home run derby.

#76—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth…

The Villanova Effect is the NBA’s new analytic. And that’s the reason Jaylen Brown got booted from Boston to Philly for so little.

You’re certainly not keeping Jason Tatum because he’s the most inclined to step up when things get tough—that’s Brown.

But Brown lacks the Nova-gene, and in 2026 it means he’s gone.

We’ll talk more about it later this week, but props to the Lakers, Clippers, and Grizzlies for getting out of the LeBron, Kawhi, and Ja business.

Although, I don’t know how Ja Morant fits alongside Scoot Henderson up in Portland. I’ve been gone for a week, has that conversation been had?

The Dude abides…

1,323
Matthew 6:5-8
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
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Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

As a Casual, aren’t the Actuals making too much out of Team USA’s loss to Turkey last night?

Or are the people yacking like Actuals really just Posers, who don’t understand how the World Cup/Soccer works?

Last Add World Cup: I know this can be said of all sports, but I do love the elation of a soccer player after scoring or winning in the World Cup.

Besides teaching, sports can make us so happy. Hardly breaking news, but watching the highlights, even a cold-soul like myself, can be happy for the kid from Ecuador.

Note to Lakers: Tear off the band-aid, go full Sonny Weaver: “Move off LeBron—no matter what.”

Note to LeBron: Don’t destroy your son…do not work a deal to have Bronny follow you.

Note to Bronny: No one is going to respect your game until you break away from pops. (And that’s hardly Scoop City.)

Forget what others say, what do you think? Is Lamar Jackson a top five quarterback in the NFL?

I don’t think he’s a bad quarterback. I think he’s a very good quarterback, but I would take Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and—yes—Justin Herbert over Jackson.

(Rapidly rising are Drake Maye & Caleb Williams)

At QB it’s all about who can make the Big Time Throw (BTT)…which is an actual PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade that I subscribe to.

A Big Time Throw is defined as:
Excellent ball location and timing — Precise placement that gives the receiver the best chance to make a play (often in a spot where only the receiver can catch it).
Generally thrown further down the field (deeper passes with lower expected completion percentages) and/or into a tighter window (smaller margin for error due to defensive coverage).
High-value play opportunity for the offense, such as creating big gains, red-zone scores, or converting under pressure.

In 2025, Stafford was rated as making 58 BTTs. The next closest were Caleb Williams at 37, Bo Nix at 35, Sam Darnold at 34, and Drake Maye at 32. Jackson had nine.

While Stafford averaged three per game, Jackson averaged less than one.

Which begs another question: Do Rams fans really know/appreciate/understand what they have in Stafford?

This could be interpreted wrong, but in basketball terms, Paige Bueckers looks great. The 15 pounds she put on in the off-season have really helped her. Caitlin Clark should take note.

The Dallas Wings lost to the Las Vegas Aces last night. A’ja Wilson had a big game for Vegas…but the Wings’ Jessica Shepard registered 22/14/4.

Watching the Aces in their red uniforms, I couldn’t help but feel some nostalgia. The unis were a direct nod to the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels of the Tarkanian Era. Good move on their part.

The Mets fire Carlos Mendoza…finally, a little blood. Now, can somebody give Theo Epstein a phone call?

#75—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth…

Regarding Jazz Chisholm, does anybody remember U.L. Washington?

The Chicago White Sox have won 41 games this season. In 2024, they only won 41 for the entire season.

This is my 95th consecutive column (posting Monday-through-Friday), nothing better than banging out 400 words or more every morning…But camp season is upon me.

I plan to post next week, but I will be at CIT Academy (Counselors-in-Training) in Arroyo Grande–so posting may be hit-or-miss.

July 13-17, I will be directing kids camp, and July 27-31, I will be directing a youth camp.

I hate breaking rhythm, but I know some of you couldn’t be happier—consider it a gift from me to you. Lol.

The Dude abides…

1,322
1 Corinthians 2:2
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b