MidValleySports.Com

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…

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Matthew 6:5-8
jtbank1964@yahoo.com
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