MidValleySports.Com

By Joe Torosian

“I come from a place where every name
And every face seem so familiar…”
—- The Avett Brothers

Kick it!

Right off the Top: How many hours have to pass before “Breaking News!” ceases being “Breaking News!”…I say this in regards to New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith getting his jaw busted and being out for the next six to ten weeks.

***

Is it just me or do the Dodgers have problems…Problems beyond just the bullpen…And if I was still a Dodger fan I sure wouldn’t feel comfortable with anything less than a four game lead over the Giants…Things could be worse for the Dodgers, they could be the Washington Nationals trying to catch the New York Mets…

Oh, I’ve always been a Mets fan!

***

For a heads up as we roll closer and closer to the start of the season: We cover four divisions (Mid-Valley, Southeast, Central, & Northwest) and 130 teams—131 if you want to count Campbell Hall.

I’m going to throw a couple of schools at you…hang with me…Flintridge Prep…Keep an eye on Flintridge Prep…Rio Hondo Prep is undermanned and Pasadena Poly has taken a graduation hit…

Linfield Christian…DeChon Burns…This team is ready to roll…but I’ve been told to keep an eye on Aquinas. They played some solid defense last year…

Shadow Hills…and its prolific running game…Very good.

I kind of got stung last year by this team…but Village Christian might be ready this time around. Of course Maranatha is going to be great, but there are going to be a lot of new faces in important places on that offense…I’m positive the Minutemen’s uniforms will be impressive.

Davir Hamilton’s transfer out of Verbum Dei, opens the door again for Cantwell to take the South Catholic League. What the Cardinals do beyond that…is all up to them.

***

Based on where each franchise and stadium project is in returning a team(s) to Los Angeles Stan Kroenke’s Rams proposal is by far the furthest along. Plus he has his own money. The Raiders don’t have any money and how much public money is going to put into the Carson project? After all don’t we have Bullet Train to build?

Does that mean the Rams are a slam dunk to come back? Common sense says yes, but if the other owners decide they have a problem with Kroenke…No.

My hope? Rams in Los Angeles, Chargers in San Diego…Raiders in St. Louis/San Antonio.

I’d say with all the rioting going on in Ferguson that it’s St. Louis’s way of telling the Raiders they’ll fit right in.

***

The memories of previous seasons are still coming…So to name a few more.

What comes to mind?

Temple City winning at La Canada in 2005…And Rams fullback Williams Do picking up a blitz by blasting a Spartan.

My conversation with retired El Monte VP Jim White in 2000 at ELAC:
Me: “Don’t you still love football?”
White: “Do you know how much bad football I’ve seen over the years?”

“We hate Tim Peterson.”—First words out of Schurr HC Elvin Dick’s mouth to MVS staffer Johnathan Saller after the Spartans won the 2006 CIF title.

Paraclete’s Brandon Buteyn’s 95-yard punt return against Rosemead in the 2008 CIF finals.

All things by Burbank’s Ulises Ochoa.

The pre-game music at La Mirada…Maybe it sucks on different nights, but the selection they played prior to September 7, 2012 game with Bishop Amat was excellent…The Matadores should have won that game though…

All things by Norwalk’s Rashad Penny.

Speaking of Norwalk, when the Lancers played at Muir in the 2013 semifinals…The play Mustangs quarterback Dejon Williams made where he scrambled all over the field and pulled a touchdown out of his hat. I’m sure the play is still up on Youtube.

Temple City at Arroyo, September 11, 2009. The Rams are leading 24-20…With less than thirty seconds remaining in the game, on third and technically 18 from the nine, figuratively third and forever, and 93-full yards from the land of the living…Knights quarterback Steven Rivera scrambled to his right and wide receiver Chris Rodriguez went deep. Rivera went fifty yards down the middle of the field and Rodriguez beat TC freshman Brandon Cox (yes, that Brandon Cox) for the jump ball and raced the rest of the way for the game winning touchdown.

A talkative Jim Singiser opened up fully to me after the game: “We escaped.”

…More to come.

***

Regards:

In regards to Matt Flynn: The New England Patriots released the career back up quarterback. No news there, he’s also been struggling with a hamstring, but it’s who they signed to replace him. Ryan Lindley…Ryan Lindley! Arizona Cardinal fans remember Ryan Lindley. Lindley was so bad that Pro Football Weekly’s 2015 preview magazine didn’t even list Lindley with it’s departing veterans from the Cardinals roster. He’s the Rick Dockery of the NFL…Makes you wonder how bad Brady Quinn is these days…The good news for Matt Flynn is when his hamstring heals the Dodgers have offered him a job in their bullpen.

In regards to Anthony White: In the current climate of high school football…Where would Temple City be today if it had found a way to keep White as its HC?

In regards to Ryan Fitzpatrick: In a ten year career, the Harvard alum has played in 97 NFL games and has started 89 of them. He has a career rating that is a tick under 80, he’s thrown 123 touchdown passes (101-Ints) and for nearly 20,000 yards. He’s done this with the Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, and Texans…and now he’s going to do it for the New York Jets…This guy is the Norm Snead, Steve DeBerg, Wade Wilson, Chris Chandler of our time.

In regards to Ryan Fitzpatrick One More Time: Fitzpatrick was drafted in the 7th round, 250th overall, by the Rams in the 2005 draft. The 230th pick of that draft was Matt Cassel by the New England Patriots. Both of these guys could be opening day starters this season…along with the top two quarterback picks of the 2005 draft: Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers.

In regards to the NFL Draft: Does any off season event, in any sport, equal the NFL Draft? With that said, I could careless if it is held in Chicago, New York, or Bakersfield…On second thought, scratch Bakersfield.

The Dude abides…

607

Psalms 100:3

Contact Joe at joe@midvalleysports.com
“Joe T.’s Scoreboard” is found at www.midvalleynews.com every Wednesday & in the hard copy of the Mid Valley News, published every Wednesday
Follow Joe on Twitter @joet13b
Listen to “The Joe Show” every Wednesday (7:00 P.M.) at www.midvalleyradio.net
LIKE “The Joe Show” on Facebook
“The Mid Valley Sports Show” is LIVE every Tuesday (7:PM) at www.midvalleysports.com (Click on “UStream” button)