Joe Torosian's Outsiders Sports

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

Right off the top, final in Lambeau tonight: Packers 28, Falcons 10.

I’ve been advancing that the Arizona Cardinals should trade Marvin Harrison Jr. for the last two weeks…Today I saw a link and read whispers about the Rams making a deal for him.

Besides Harrison having done nothing so far in his NFL career that would merit a deal bringing him to the Rams, why would the Cardinals trade him to a contending team in their own division?

A second-round pick from the Dolphins could be 33rd overall; a second-round pick from the Rams could land anywhere from 61 to 64th overall.

Poor take.

Does Jimmy Garoppolo make a move now and go to the New York Giants, or does he keep his powder dry and wait for a better opportunity?

With quarterbacks dropping faster than DK Metcalf is dropping passes from Aaron Rodgers, I’d keep my powder dry.

You know you’re a football fan if you’re making plans to watch the Falcons-Packers tonight on Prime.

Which begs the question: have you seen enough NFL football to say you’ve seen enough…and that you don’t need to see every game?

Maybe it’s my inadequacies, but I feel like every time an NFL game is on, I need to watch it. If I’m going to talk and write about it, I have to watch all of it—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I don’t feel this way about college ball, spring development leagues, or arena ball…but I do about the NFL.

When I wrote my first football book, I thought I knew football until I got into the weeds and realized I didn’t know as much as I thought. I leaned heavily on four head coaches to help me pull it off.

I’ll accept disagreement, but I believe that in football, you are always learning. And that’s why the Falcons-Packers is interesting.

When I hear a national sports media personality say they aren’t interested in Falcons-Packers, or that they turned it off at halftime, I’m infuriated.

It’s your fricken job!

I got paid twice a month at The Mid back in the day…And every time I saw “Sportswriting” in the memo box, I thanked God for the opportunity.

The Dodgers and Yoshi got worked by the Padres and Manny Machado last night…Should Dodger fans have any concerns about October?

Last Add DK Metcalf: Props to the Seattle Seahawks for getting rid of Metcalf when they did.

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

The most interesting thing in baseball right now is the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers tied for first in the American League West…while both are two games under .500.

The Seattle Mariners are four games back, and technically still alive for the A.L. West crown…and since we’re here—Stan Kroenke’s newly acquired property—the Los Angeles Angels are 60-98 and on track to lose 100.

The Dude abides…

1,361
Proverbs 21:16
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

If USC loses to Oregon at home on Saturday, how emotionally devastating will it be for the Trojan/Lincoln Riley cause in 2026?

USC is 4-0 (San Jose St., Fresno St., Louisiana, Rutgers), their opponents are a combined 6-7 with wins over: Eastern Michigan, Cal Poly, Sacramento St., San Jose St, Lamar & UAB.

Safe to say, Troy really needs this win.

Speaking of important games, the Minnesota Vikings are going to Tampa Bay and plan to start Kyler Murray at quarterback.

The Northmen are 2-0 with Carson Wentz, and the Buccaneers are struggling. Murray really needs to show out.

Last Add Tampa: Defensive lineman Vita Vea, 31, got the fat extension going into the season and has produced one pressure and one tackle in two games….By contrast, Aaron Donald, playing for the first time since 2023, had three tackles and a pressure in one game.

If we thought the NFL was catering to these streaming platforms, we might need to rethink it with the Falcons-Packers matchup for Prime on Thursday.

Kirk Herbstreit is really going to need emotional support to get through that one…

Will the Dodgers and Padres have an on-field brawl before the playoffs are over?

It’s an awful thing to admit, but I’m not really interested in MLB at the moment…It feels dead.

I like the Rams against the Broncos this week…

Terrible news about Jaxon Dart.

The New York Jets have signed quarterback Will Levis to the Practice Squad…I still think there’s stuff to discover about Levis. If Baker Mayfield can mature, so can Levis.

Third week of the season, and the NFL, with the blessing of the NFL Players Union, is sending the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys to Brazil. And it’s not even a prime time game…

I cannot believe people in the sports media are being paid—paid a lot of money—to say the New York Giants should sign Colin Kaepernick.

I’m not saying these media types should be fired, but when an athlete takes a controversial stance, the people signing their checks usually distance themselves…And they do it publicly…in full Carlie Irsay-Gordon fashion.

What would happen inside the MLB offices if Tampa and Milwaukee faced off in the World Series? Would commissioner Rob Manfred even allow that to happen?

And what would a Rays-Brewers World Series do to the payroll/salary cap argument heading into collective bargaining?

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

The Dude abides…

1,360
Galatians 1:6-10
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

Does anyone still listen to Dodger games on the radio? I tried to today.

It seems odd—I’m not complaining—that the music used to open Sunday Night Football (Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You“) was released in 1988, and the Monday Night Football music lead-in was Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” which was released in 1981?

Is it just me, or does it feel like creativity has been capped? If not, are you really telling me there’s nothing else that’s been produced in the last 38 years that networks and platforms feel comfortable with?

I haven’t come to a conclusion on the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night…but I do believe the Rams can lose.

Sean McVay says the secondary was “stickier” than most realize against Fog City last Thursday. I know what I saw, but unlike PFF, I’ll take McVay’s word for it and focus harder.

Given his style of play, what are your over/unders on how long Cam Skattebo’s career will last? I have him getting sidelined by midseason, a less-than-spectacular return next year, and not making the final cut in August of 2028.

…And I like watching Skattebo play.

My conclusion for tonight is Buffalo 35, Detroit 17.

I dislike the NFL spreading itself out across so many different platforms…but I don’t dislike Prime. It has better access, does sports well, and I get Al Michaels.

I have a hard time believing it will happen, but on the off chance that it does…where do the Los Angeles Chargers go—what do they do—if it doesn’t work out with Jim Harbaugh?

What if Harbaugh decides the Spanos Bad Mojo cannot be overcome and chooses—no pun intended—to bolt?

Something about the way things happen to the Chargers almost feels otherworldly…Can a team be cursed? And if so, what brought on this curse? (I’m wondering if it’s when they left the Mighty 690 after the 1997 season.)

Last Add Overs/Unders: With Steve Belichick’s resignation as DC, does Bill Belichick return to Chapel Hill for another year?

North Carolina said that Steve’s values didn’t align with the university’s values…I didn’t know higher education had any values left.

With football, baseball, Ballmer, and Baton Rouge gobbling the headlines… It’s been awfully quiet the last few weeks on the Lakers front.

He’s not playing great, but Jo Adell is contributing to the Cleveland Baseball Team’s playoff run.
(I can’t call them the “Guardians,” it sounds too much like an STD.)

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

Last Add Dodgers: I had the radio on, and Justin Wrobleski was starting against the Cincinnati Reds. Wrobleski goes three innings, K’s three, doesn’t give up a run, doesn’t give up a hit, and doesn’t walk a soul on 32 pitches—and they yanked him.

The Nerds will provide several analytic reasons for this. But my mind went to Blake Snell only going one inning yesterday before exiting with a groin issue, and the team using six pitchers after that.

Common sense—and I’m not a hundred percent sure that’s baseball anymore—says Wrobo needed to eat some innings to give the bullpen a break.

I really didn’t care, but I liked the narrative of a starting pitcher getting off to a great start. A young lefty giving six or seven solid innings…and then the sensors in the dugout began to flash — Wrobleski was yanked… and I turned off the radio.

The Dude abides…

1,357
2 Timothy 2:8
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

On my car radio in Los Angeles, I can pick up four sports talk stations: ESPN 710 & 830, Fox 570, and 97.1 (FM) The Fan.

On the way to work Sunday Morning…the ESPN affiliates were running the Los Angeles Angels game, and 570 was broadcasting the Dodgers pregame. None of these games were relevant to the pennant.

And the NFL was kicking off…This is why people go to non-terrestrial radio and podcasts for their sports content.

Taking my daughter to school this morning—with the NFL and college seasons in full vigor, drama with Sark, Arch & Rowe—97.1 The Fan gave me a segment on the top ten hot dog toppings.

Looking forward to the Rams on Monday night…everyone is writing them off…no more talk about the Super Bowl and an undefeated season…and they could easily end up 2-4, 2-5 by mid-October…but when they hit the field in the divisional round of the playoffs in January, everyone’s going to claim that they expected them to be there all along…Such is football in Los Angeles.

A year ago, the sports media set the Green Bay Packers up as the Super Bowl favorites in the NFC. Now they’re talking about Matt LaFleur being the problem.

Normally, I’d want to watch a good game on Saturday, but now—Go Ole Miss!

The Manning War Room called a meeting. They put Arch in the hot seat and told him, “Yes, the AI of Sark & Holly Rowe was funny, but you need to apologize. There’s a brand to protect, and too much money on the table to walk away. So apologize.”

I thought this one was the funniest.

Arch issued an apology, but my money would be he didn’t mean it, and neither did his family. It was all about keeping the engine humming.

Note to Female Reporters: Welcome! Maybe not as a play-by-play voice, but welcome to sports. But if you can’t run with the big dawgs, stay on the porch. The world you’ve entered doesn’t have to modify itself to accommodate you. Be a Lara Rutledge, be a Michelle Tafoya, don’t be a Holly Rowe.

So if you are an Arizona Cardinals fan…while you know it was a great win in SoFi last Sunday, you also know you’re not going anywhere in 2026. Why not trade Marvin Harrison Jr. before he completes another so-so season and loses what remains of his value?

You can always find someone to catch the ball, but Harrison could get you a Top 100 draft pick or two. Kansas City’s receiving corps is awful, the Chargers should be desperate, and Baltimore ought to be in the market — I’d make that deal in a heartbeat.

Next Add Chiefs: Were they that good on Monday, or were the Denver Broncos that bad? Do you think Kenneth Walker will be healthy enough to run like that all season? Is KC going to get away with Patrick Mahomes not going downfield the whole year?

Last Add Chiefs: Kahlil Benson, the UDFA out of Indiana who started at left tackle on Monday, played 69 snaps, allowed zero sacks, and only three pressures. I’m not expecting Benson to be great, but his performance is making me wonder if players coming out of Indiana will get a second look, second consideration, and the benefit of the doubt because they played for Curt Cignetti.

Will they be a type like Villanova players under Jay Wright, Michigan players under Jim Harbaugh, and Notre Dame players under Marcus Freeman?

The Chicago Bears will beat the Minnesota Vikings this week at Soldier Field, but if Carson Wentz drops 30 on the defense, questions will have to be asked.

The same goes for the Cincinnati Bengals, who are heading to Houston to play the Texans. If Joe Burrow lights up that “Greatest Defense Ever” this week, after it got torched by Josh Allen last week, eyebrows will be raised.

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

Last Add Cardinals: If the Redbirds can go into SoFi and beat the Bolts, they can win at home against the Seattle Seahawks and Drew Lock.

The Dude abides…

1,356
Philippians 4:13
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

It’s funny how on Thursday you think the whole world revolves around you and your favorite football team…and by Monday morning it’s just another story.

I want to thank Steve Sarkisian, Holly Rowe, the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator for taking the Rams off the spot.

Myles Garrett getting his knee scoped…the narrative is, why didn’t they get this taken care of before the start of the season?

Have you ever torn a ligament, had meniscus surgery? I’ve had both happen to the same knee. I wore a brace with all the metal parts before and after surgery. For years, I wore a sleeve because it made me comfortable—for years.

The knee is a fickle thing, and if I have any doubt about my knee, if there’s any question of it holding up, I’m going to do what it takes to have peace of mind. To this day, I will bring a sleeve for my knee with me when I go work a camp.

Did you notice that when Garrett came back to practice, he was NOT wearing anything on that knee?

So immediately, the Harry Hystericals run to the Rams, mismanaging the whole situation. The organization that has been so well run since returning 10 years ago somehow mismanaged a player they traded massive capital for and have millions invested in.

That’s stupid. That’s I need a reason to panic. I need a victim, and I need a villain.

Seeing Garrett run around without a brace or sleeve on his knee gives the impression that no one was quite sure…and after Thursday, they were sure.

Also, as much as I’m loath to say it, give Fog City and Trent Williams their props for playing great.

And now there’s talk of Aaron Donald not playing next Monday, the sky is falling, and Georgia Frontiere has risen from the grave…

Well run, well coached, this is the best time ever to be a Rams fan…But know, the Rams will always take the hard road.

Since I try to stick to a word count, I had to scrap a funny bit on the New York Giants throwing swing passes to the flat against the Dallas Cowboys.

Things like: what are the three things you can count on in life? Death, taxes, and the New York Giants completing swing passes against the Dallas Cowboys in the flat.

I don’t remember the kid’s name; I don’t want to put him on the spot, but when NBC flashed a pic of the Cowboys’ 34-year-old defensive coordinator, my first thought was he was cheap.

My thought by the end of the game? He’s not ready.

I was wrong. I thought the Cowboys defense would rise to competent…And, while I like Jaxon Dart, I didn’t think he would leap forward like he showed last night.

He was getting the ball out of his hands so fast…and because it was against Dallas, it was fun to watch.

I’m not a huge Jalen Hurts guy…but if he carries the Philadelphia Eagles the way he did yesterday, give him the MVP. Hurts saved them from a humiliating loss.

(Small props to the TaxSkins Stefon Diggs for doing his share.)

Pam Oliver back on the sidelines for a 32nd consecutive season for Fox…I was kind of happy to see her. I had heard she had serious health issues…

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

As a Bears fan, I’d be bothered by giving up 24 in the first half and 31 by the end of the third. Chicago ended up surrendering 37.

So I’d heed the words of the Wolf. Scoring 59 is awesome, but can you do that every week?

The Buffalo Bills dropped 36 on the Houston Texans? I was being told the Texans defense was the equivalent of the ’85 Bears’ 46 Defense?

Maybe the Detroit Lions did miss their window.

Are you telling me alcohol causes fights in stadiums? Who would have thought…

I don’t know why Sark walked out on Holly Rowe…but I’m more than good with it… and if there’s any testosterone left in Austin, then Texas should be good with it as well.

There’s too much media entitlement, and I don’t like the entitlement. The encroachment is ridiculous. Interviews before kickoffs, interviews between quarters, interviews in and out of halftime, and then postgame. In baseball, they do interviews in the dugout while the game is going on, and they mic players on the field.

And for what? For garbage.

There’s nothing you learn during these interviews. Access should be a privilege, not an entitlement.

Postgame, okay, I understand to an extent, but if the media wants the interview, it means they gotta take “The Mendoza” as well.

Lastly, if a coach doesn’t want to talk, fine. If a coach is verbally humiliating to a reporter…okay… I’ve had both happen to me, cool, but where I draw the line is: don’t humiliate me and then complain that I/We/Paper/Website keep our distance after and don’t cover their team.

Coach Week 1 After A Loss: “I’ve got nothing to say! I don’t want to talk to you!”
Coach Week 5 with a 0-5 record: With a ‘just-folks’ smile and shrug, “Yeah, we’re young…”

The Dude abides…

1,355
Mark 9:2-13
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
Follow Joe on X: @joet13b