The World Cup Issue

The Odyssey from Christopher Nolan arrived in theaters this weekend. Matt Damon and the superstar cast is making the rounds promoting the nearly 3-hour saga.  Stuart of Denver alerted Yard staff that USC Trojans have jumped on the promotional bandwagon.  The USC Athletic Department proudly proclaiming that the Trojans football odyssey begins on August 29 against San Jose State. The Trojans lineage is linked to Troy. The funny costumes the band wears and the horse harken back to ancient times.  The Trojans marketing department must not have read Homer’s 3000-year-old tome.  Odysseus was not a Trojan.  He was on the other team.  His team brought in the Trojan horse and sacked the city of Troy and stole Helen. It was a stunning home loss for Troy.  It would have gotten any Trojan head coach sacked on Monday. The Yard hopes Trojan football is on a ten-year Odyssey at sea.

The Yard has never been a soccer pundit.  AYSO was founded in 1964 in a garage in Torrance, CA.  The founder's expansion did not make it to Glendale, CA until the 1970’s.  By that era, the Yard was involved in many other recreational activities that did not include soccer.  The Yard progenies thought they wanted to play soccer for a hot minute. And it was hot that fall in Pasadena.  The Rose Bowl fields offered little shade protection and our middling enthusiasm for the sport set with the November sun.

The World Cup is the largest worldwide sporting event held every four years.  The US men get the spotlight this year to highlight their potential.  The US Women will compete for the title next year like they have every four years since 1991. It is something the men have not done since the 1930’s.  The greatest male athletes around the world either play basketball if they are tall or play soccer if they are like 5’7” Lionel Messi. The greatest athletes in the US could play soccer but probably pursue other sports if qualified.

The drama of the World Cup in the United States is beguiling. The US has not seen this many foreigners seamlessly entering our borders in years.  Even the Iranian soccer team cleared customs.  There were stories of Vikings storming grocery stores in search of Ranch Dressing. The Scots in kilts slamming down all the Sam Adams in a tri-state area.  The teams stayed in villages all over the country and meshed their cultures. Who even knew Canada and Mexico were co-hosts?

The storylines for this final are fantastic.  Argentina had to slay the British monarchy and did so with a dash of sudden.  David and Victoria Beckham were high fiving with Mick Jagger before Messi did what he does in an Argentine victory.  Beckham is part owner of the inter-Miami FC that Messi plays for. Star player gives former star player the shiv in the end. Argentina has been doing that to Britain since the 60’s.  Britain still has the Falklands.

Argentina and Spain have interesting narratives.  Lionel Messi was born in Argentina, but his legend sprang from Barcelona FC in Spain.  Messi led Barcelona and their fanatical followers to several European championships. He is their all-time leading scorer. He famously took a photo holding Spanish teen superstar Lamine Yamal in his arms.  The legend is real, but that photo is kind of creepy.  Messi rocking a Javier Bardem No Country for Old Men pageboy awkwardly holding the future of Spain. It was a publicity stunt for the FC.  Who is the genius in that marketing department?

No more Kings!

Doc Holliday had a huckleberry in Tombstone and so do the Dodgers, the San Diego Padres.  There was constant chatter out of San Diego in 2024. Manny the Mouth and Fernando the Juiced were tearing up the league and the Dodgers demise was forecasted.  The Dodgers overcame the 2-1 Series deficit and went on to win the 2024 WS and then again in 2025. San Diego has not recovered, and the Chargers are not coming back to heal that winter pain. Thursday July 2, the Pads hit three homeruns in the first two innings taking a 6-0 lead in Los Angeles. They ended up getting pummeled 12-7. Friday night, they took a 3-0 lead into the 8^th before Teoscar hit the game winning Grand Slam. Saturday night Yamamoto struck out 10 in seven innings in a 3-0 defeat. For a modest $21 million, Machado has hit 18 home runs, played a solid 3^rd base while batting .188. Tatis hitting .290 with 5 HR’s for his $20million. The All-Star break is approaching, and the Friars $213 million payroll is 14 games out and fading.  Machado is 34 and never happy. Tatis is 27 and steroids tainted.  Neither are clubhouse leaders just the highest paid. The Giants were our nemesis. They are barely ahead of the Rockies and well past their expiration date. Arizona was all the rage when they went to the 2023 WS. They have not made the playoffs since.  Now they are just another middling team in Arizona. The Padres had offered promise to their title starved ciudad. They were false prophets.

The King James era began its decay on February 2, 2025, when the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic. The Yard wrote one of our best pieces going deep undercover on Google revealing details of this historic transaction. One key detail was that Lebron was not consulted regarding the trade. James had exerted his influence over the organization since the 2020 title.  The King came and he delivered the Laker nation their 17^th title.  He broke the NBA all-time scoring record as a Laker surpassing Laker Kareem.  Kareem has a statue in front of the Lakers home court, whatever it is now called.  Lebron never will. He was an interloper in Laker history, not a legend in Laker lore.

The news was national headlines that Lebron was leaving Los Angeles.  James announced he was not coming back, and pundits bemoaned the Lakers’ loss.  The Lakers had no intention of re-signing him for another year.  He had worn out his welcome with the Buss family and Rob Pelinka.  When the Lakers were trying to find their next superstar, it was Lebron.  After the 2020 title, James inserted himself in personnel decisions and Jeanie and Rob let him.  He advocated for Russell Westbrook as the missing piece to another title.  Laker fans know how that went and there has not been another title since 2020.  The Lakers had to draft Bronny James because Lebron wanted to play with his son. The Lakers traded for Luka to replace the King as the face of the franchise. There was a science project this past year to see if maybe they could share the ball. Luka got the three-year $165 million deal, and James was exit stage left.

Magic City and Maz

We received feedback regarding the piece on the 1968 Detroit Tigers WS championship.  Incarnation Elementary school is where Yard delinquents listened to the 1968 game on the radio.  Several of the 1971 Incarnation alumni subscribe to the Yard.  They promptly reminded staff that it was not 5^th grade Mrs. Dawson’s class, but 6^th grade with Sister Leona.  Leona was a Yard favorite who spent countless hours in parent-teacher conferences with Yard parents. Leona was a lifelong family friend who even attended a Dodger game with her three T’s of trouble: Tim, Tom and Tony.  

 We also were called out for citing hall of famers who never played in the Super Bowl.  Dan Marino’s name was mentioned.  I was notified by many that Dandy did play in SB XIX.  In just his second year in the league, Marino’s legacy was etched when he became the youngest starting QB in SB history. He still owns that record. The game was played in the old Stanford stadium for some reason. Joe Montana and the SF 49’ers bulldozed the Dolphins 38-16.  Marino would pass for over 300 and 1 TD but two picks. Marino would play 17 years for Miami. He would never play in another SB.

Yard beginnings in career work life began with a southern firm called Lanier Business Products. LBP was led by the irascible Gene Milner. Lanier offered sales training to neophytes to learn how to sell dictation equipment. Lanier bought the technology from Thomas Edison, so it goes back a bit. Dictation was an archaic business product that is buried alongside 8-track tapes.  Lanier is where Jim Rome got his start after UCSB. The sales training was in Atlanta, GA at a converted Ramada Inn off I-85 in an area that preceded gentrification.  Tattletale Gentleman’s Lounge was a stumble away. Sales newbies and sales trainers made the clandestine trek to the Tale.  Atlanta has a legendary strip club history. The Gold Club raised the bar in 2001 luring in NBA superstars like Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman. Special favors were provided to their famous clientele and profits soared.  The Gambino Crime family was thrilled until the FBI got involved and started deposing NBA players. Gold Club closure and jail for the owners came next.

Twenty-five years later, the Atlanta Hawks will be hosting Magic City Night at State Farm Arena on Monday March 16. The event pays tribute to Magic City which the Hawks contend is a cultural institution.  Magic City advertises itself as the Premier Atlanta Strip Club on their website. We don’t think there will be table dances at the arena, but we are advised to bring some small bills. Not sure if the “like a good neighbor” State Farm guys are thrilled with this promotion.  The backlash has just started, and the Hawks marketing department is on LinkedIn update alert.

The Ides of March are upon us. In 44 BC, it was when Julius Caesar was dramatically removed from the Roman Senate.  Leaders of state seemed to be getting removed a bit of late.  In 2026, March 15 is when the NCAA March Madness selection show is scheduled. The Yard has always pledged our allegiance to the NCAA basketball tournament.  It is a national event that links communities small and large on either side of the political spectrum. It can be pure joy until Bryce Drew hits a 23-foot runner at the buzzer to eliminate your team. Unless of course, your pool had Valparaiso that afternoon. The first two days of the tourney are the most exciting 48 hours in sports.  April 6, there will be an NCAA Champion and Notre Dame will probably still be pissed at the NCAA.  Let the Madness carry us through the insanity.

Senior night can be a special night in an NCAA basketball player's life. Graduating and graduation adjacent, these seniors are recognized by the university, family and friends celebrating their journey.  It was a real big deal before the one and done era.  Kobe and Lebron were none and done and don’t think they missed it. Patrick Ewing had a senior night and so did Reggie Miller.  The UCLA greats from John Wooden’s ten championship teams all had epic senior nights including Lew Alcindor, Marques Johnson and Gail Goodrich. Today’s elite programs have few graduating seniors who play.  The “players” are usually in the NBA prior to their senior night.  It was the only night seniors at Kentucky got on the floor. In 2026, senior night is farcical at times.  With NIL, players are staying in college longer.  Not to get an education but to get paid for playing college sports. The Yard supports that.  Athletes are going to court to get years five and six of their college eligibility. Athletes claim lost seasons to Covid seasons or other injuries.  Bluto Blutarsky could barely get away with this rationale.

RIP:  Pittsburgh Pirate HOF Bill Mazeroski died last week at the age of 89. Maz will always be known for his dramatic walk off Game 7 bottom of the 9^th homerun to win the 1960 World Series over the Yankees. His HOF career batting average was .260.  He hit 138 HR’s and 853 RBI’s.  It was pedestrian stats for the Hall. He is still the only Game 7, bottom of 9 walk off HR to win the WS. Everyone saw Joe Carter’s but that was Game 6. Yard youth loved the pugnacious 2^nd basemen called Maz and Glove.  He did win 8 Gold Gloves.  He won another title with the Pirates in 1971.  The Baltimore Orioles were heavily favored to repeat as WS. Maz was coming off the bench, but Roberto Clemente was at the height of his powers and carried the day.  Yard Youth got to see those Pirates on June 16, 1970.  Maz went 0-4 with four assists. Matty Alou went 0-4 leading off and Willie Stargell 0-4 batting cleanup.  Dodger Don Sutton pitched a 4-hit shutout and the Blue won 1-0.  The Pirates would win the WS the following season.  Mazeroski played his entire 17-year career for Pittsburgh. Good speed Glove, they might need you for spring ball upstairs.