MidValleySports.Com

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

As the first day of my third camp in five weeks begins, I’ve had plenty of time to listen to sports and sports talk while driving north.

I didn’t believe my first thought — it couldn’t be true —but it was later confirmed when I saw the lowlights of the WNBA All-Star Game.

It was infuriating. First off, overall, while the league has a few stars, they’re just not that good, and they put on a clown show.

Second, if I were invested—not necessarily with money—but in wanting and generating goodwill toward the league, I’d be yelling at the commissioner and calling out every player on social media.

Third, as a fan who is drawn to the league by the one thing it offers—competitiveness—I would have been/and was insulted.

If you needed a demonstration of the privileged athlete, making more than they deserve, with contracts they shouldn’t have, it was on display at the WNBA All-Star game.

It’s bad enough when the NBA does it, but at least—the very least—you can fall back and appreciate to some degree the athleticism when they put on a clown-show.

The WNBA’s already a clown-show that people are investing heavily in to make work. The improved contracts the players and league have received need to be viewed for exactly what they are—investments.

Investors said, “You’re playing hard, you’ve got some talent, here take this and develop it.” 

The WNBA, in the absolute delusion it lives in, actually believes it has earned its current salaries and standing in mainstream sports. So much so, it thought it could take its showcase weekend and do a weak imitation of the NBA.

I’ve worked really hard to watch, learn, and give the league the appropriate props. And I came to appreciate its best asset—beyond Caitlin Clark—and that’s a regular season that matters. Weeknight games where the players played like they knew the investors were watching.

For 16 years I was getting a paycheck writing sports for Mid Valley News when others were losing their jobs writing sports…I never missed a single deadline—never thought it was acceptable.

(And I never wrote a column listing my top sports movies of all time.)

I’ve been told going on three days a week in the offseason with “RamView” is a bit much. I asked the individual who said that what would be enough for the people who have invested in me? 

Investors I need to honor with my best work possible. All the while never thinking/believing/or deluding myself into everything being cool, or that I’ve made it.

I co-direct five different camps a year for young people through our Outsiders program. We have investors, and we never—Never!—take our foot off the accelerator and chill.

The WNBA—with so many warts to call out—really biffed a major opportunity and gave its detractors massive ammunition.

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

The Dude abides…

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Romans 10:14-15
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
“RamView” M-W-F
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