Tribe fan as a member of the El Paisano staff circa 1987…Note the hair on the side was cropped by the editor…I had a much more distinct Oscar Gamble look in those days.
By Joe Torosian
“It’s the holiday season
With the whoop-de-do and hickory dock
And don’t forget to hang up your sock”—Andy Williams
Kick it!
Right off the Top: I take no responsibility for tonight’s Cleveland loss…my pre-game preparation was thrown off kilter…and I didn’t get a chance to light Jobu’s cigar…So the Tribe was on its own.
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In regards to Downey and Paramount for the San Gabriel Valley League crown…I was told about three years ago to never, ever, put money or trust on the Pirates in a big game.
“Joe, Paramount will break your heart every time.”
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After a week off to get healthy, I like the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday at home against the Carolina Panthers…Cam Newton will continue to get beat up and not because the Rams will take cheap shots but because the Panthers braintrust will continue to expose him in the offense they run.
Someone was trying to sell me on the idea that Todd Gurley isn’t playing well…I wasn’t buying…When the offensive line learns how to run block (not pass block because that would be asking for too much of a miracle) then you can make a fair criticism of Gurley.
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Didn’t I say something last week about taking Los Altos over Charter Oak?…I think I did…
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People often talk about how they’d like to see who would show up at their funeral and what would they say…I get it…I’ve thought about it…but these last two weeks I’ve sort of experienced it.
With the closing of the Mid Valley News people continue to share how sorry they are and ask what I will be doing going forward. Of course, I share what I’ve been sharing the last two weeks. The Mid Valley News is closing but Mid Vally Sports is not. MVS sprang out of the Mid Valley News but has been running on its own for nearly seven full years.
We’re still here!
Now with that part cleared up…I just want to say thank you…I’m usually a sarcastic, silly, having nothing but fun sportswriter when I put this column together…But it’s a little hard to be that way when all of you (at least it seems like all of you) have been so kind.
You’ve said the nicest things about us and to us…and it really makes happy.
So, thank you! It means more than you’ll ever know…and maybe it is just you knowing that we try…try really hard to keep it light, fun, and from getting nasty…
God Bless!
***
Addison Russell hits his grand slam for the Cubs and Andy VillaTheDevil tags me in a Facebook quote in an attempt to stick it to me…A fake Cubs fan trying to stick it to me doesn’t mean anything…
It’s like that scene in the original Fright Night movie…Peter Vincent (The Vampire Killer) aims the cross at Jerry Dandridge—not Bob Dandridge—(the vampire)…and says, “Back, back, spawn of Satan!”
Dandridge reaches out and crushes the cross in his hands, looks at Peter Vincent and says: “You have to have faith for this to work on me!”
Note to VillaTheDevil: You have to be a REAL Cubs fan for your slights & jabs about the Indians to work on me.
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Joe T.’s High School football novel is available through Amazon.com
“Joe captures the essence of high school football and does it with a local flavor that makes this book especially interesting.”–Mike Maggiore, HC West Covina Bulldogs
“A literary snapshot of what goes on over the course of a high school football season…an awesome read and a story that truly will transcend time.”—Jim Singiser, AD/HC Arroyo Knights Football
“Thrill, dread, anxiety, love, agony, success, and failure; basically all the emotions you feel as a football player/coach as you do in life, all wrapped up in a single book.”—Marc Paramo, HC Rosemead Panthers Football
“I read the book and really enjoyed it a great deal. I would think coaches and parents could learn a lot.”—John “Coach” Kentera, former sports talk host at Mighty 690 & Mighty 1090
So the Pacific League title is on the line last Friday…Crescenta Valley and Burbank…all the marbles…all the chips…and the visiting Falcons out draw the hometown Bulldogs…If the Bank had 200 people in the stands some of them had to be cardboard cutouts…
Coach Broussard and his staff deserve better with how this team has performed.
***
Vernon Wells!
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Director of La Mirada Football Operations, Jim Phillips will be happy to know I like the Matadores this week against Mayfair in the Suburban League title bout.
Mayfair HC, Derek Bedell has created lots of energy…but it’s not quite Monsoon season yet…La Mirada has too much but look for the rain to fall in 2017.
***
The answer to the question asked of me is a loud, “YES!”
I probably should take another 150 words or so and say THANK YOU to everyone who has purchased my book (Tangent Dreams, available through Amazon) and been so incredibly generous in what they’ve had to say about it…
…And the answer is yes, if you wish to purchase copies of Tangent Dreams for your team I can get you a great, great, great, bulk price…Just let me know when you want the order to be in.
And thank you, again, for your support.
***
On this night in 1974: Dale Bunn and Obie Graves sparked Monrovia to a 41-8 victory over Mark Keppel in Mission Valley League play…For San Gabriel, Alex Tapia’s 10-yard run to paydirt keyed the Matadors to a 13-0 victory over El Monte…For Rosemead running back Dave Burns 1-yard run in the second quarter was the difference in a 10-3 win over Mt. View. The Vikings reached the red zone five times during the course of the game and came away with only a field goal…In the Pacific League, Greg Riley’s touchdown gave Pasadena a 7-0 win over Alhambra…El Rancho quarterback Peter Janke completed 14 of 15 passes for a 190 yards and a touchdown as the Dons beat Arcadia 24-3…Muir took down Montebello, 19-7…and in the Rio Hondo League, La Canada upset South Pasadena, 21-0, Bell Gardens beat Duarte, 24-19, and San Marino went to Temple City and worked the Rams, 45-28. TC turned the ball over six times (3-pics/3-fumbles)…Shining in the loss for the Rams was wide receiver, Larry Clause and his CIF record 18 catches…Clause’s time at the top was short as later that season Crespi’s Mike Brady caught 19 in a game against Salesian.
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Last Add NFL: I thought it was interesting to read a comment about how the networks all show the players protesting the national anthem but avoid the post-game prayer at midfield like the plague.
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Midbits (same as ‘Tidbits’)
Midbits: I’m not a costume guy…I don’t want to bag on anybody…but I cringe when I see adults go to work dressed in costume…I also cringed when I saw a dad in his mid-thirties walking his kids from house to house on Halloween with a Tall Boy in his hands…
I was did a report on Halloween (mid-90’s) and learned that 65 to 75% of the dough spent on the holiday is spent on adults…not the kids…Including the Tall Boy…
Midbits: I generally vote no on most measures/propositions in California, but when Uncle Jerry Brown tells me to vote a particular way…I always vote the opposite…I don’t care what it is…The Opposite, it worked for Costanza.
Midbits: The Rams one more time…I wouldn’t call the Jared Goff-Case Keenum situation a quarterback controversy…Both would have to be playing for there to be a controversy…This is more of Jeff Fisher picking his poison for the reason he’ll be fired at the end of the season.
Midbits: Speaking of UCLA football…it is the fool in his heart who says there’s no God…
Midbits: Is it wrong for me to say, “Go Washington Huskies!”…?
***
MLB GAMES JOE T. HAS WATCHED THIS SEASON (Minimum 5-innings)
New York Mets: 123
Los Angeles Dodgers: 30
San Francisco Giants: 20
Chicago Cubs-18
Cleveland Indians-14
Toronto Blue Jays-8
The Dude abides…
649
Psalm 142
Contact Joe at joe@midvalleysports.com
Author of “Tangent Dreams: A High School Football Novel” available through amazon.com …and “The Dead Bug Tales” available this fall.
Follow Joe on Twitter @joet13b
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