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“Viva-La Bleu”

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it started with the world rooting for tiny Iceland.

It ended with the smallest country ever to play in the finals, Croatia, becoming the darlings.

But it was France, it’s firepower, its transition game, its explosiveness, raising the gold trophy in the middle of the pitch, with a dominant (4-2) win over the Croates.

It was a marvelous World Cup tourney, even without Team USA being part of it.

Fox TV did a spectacular job in coverage, play-by-play and in studio analysis.

The fans in the stands, wearing their colors, their hats, their painted faces. How could you not fall in love with the event.

The storylines were everywhere and worth paying attention too.

The noise in the stadium….the roaring mile of crowds watching on big screen televisions in the boulevard around the Eiffel Tower. The players running the field waving French flags. The pictures of the Champs-Elysee providing a memory for a lifetime.

The closing ceremony in the stadium was exceptional, even when the rainclouds opened up.

France, getting huge games from budding superstar Ky Mbappe and the resurgence of its big money international player Paul Pogba coupled with the consistency of Antoine Guetzemann..

Croatia, the former country cut out of the breakup of Yugoslavia, playing with passion and physicality wearing those red-and-white checkered shirts. The pride they will bring to their country, winning seven straight games till the finals. The tears in the eyes of their superstar Modric.

Belgium, with superb play from Romy Lekaku and Eden Hazard, scoring 3-goals in a row in an emotional come from behind win over Japan.

Russia’s run thru the tourney, with home field advantage bringing joy to its beleaguered homeland.

England, rebuilding with youth, with their finest run since 1966, led by Harry Kane and so many players who call the English Premeir League their home base.

There were enormous disappointments along the way.

Lionel Messi scoring just 1-goal for a disappointing Argentine side.

Cristiano Ronaldo had the 3-goal game in the sun, but it ended badly for Portugal.

Brazil heading home knowing their side is not what it used to be, the stain of a 7-1 blowout loss in the last world cup still in their mind.

Mexico came with so much promise, won their group, but you have to believe this was a disappointment for Chicharito and coach Osorio, for this was supposed to be the best team ever El Tri ever suited up. 7-World Cups later, they have never won a knockout game.

Spain was stained by the firing of their coach two days before the Cup began. And Diego Costa did not carry his team as expected.

Uruguay needed more help for Luis Suarez.

There were video replays that led to key goals, proving the VAR system works.

More than 60% of the goals came on corner kicks or set pieces.

10-games were decided in the 90th minute or later, something that never happened before.

And when it was over, France raised the Gold Cup a 2nd time in its storied history. Amid the heavy rain, the confetti and the mud, the flags, and what a dance on the field, iy end joy unmatched.

And we look forward to 2026, when the ‘Beautiful Game’ will come to the US-Canada-Mexico.

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“Names in the News”

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Here-there and everywhere.

NFL HALL OF FAME…..Retaliating against Terrell Owens decision to boycott the ceremonies in Canton is ridiculous. Why would the NFL elect not to even mention him in the Hall of Fame dinner when they hand out the yellow jackets? Why would they completely bypass him on induction day refusing to even mention his name, refusing to put together a highlife video. His on field accomplishments should be honored, regardless of whether he is in Canton or at UT-Chattanooga. Who’s the bigger embarrassment in all this?

HOME RUN DERBY SNUB…..It’s a popular event, a takeoff on the old Baseball tV show-Home Run Derby…but the stars aren’t showing up. Giancarlo Stanton, who put on a monster display two years at Petco Park isn’t going to participate. Neither is last year’s phenom Aaron Judge. Some players feel is wears you out; some fear injury; some don’t want to be embarrassed. Not what it used to be. The event is made for the fans. The players owe it to the fans.

SAN ANTONIO SHOWDOWN….The Kawhi Leonard story gets messier and messier. A quality player with a sterling reputation, demanding to be traded. Now refusing to meet with prospective teams that might want to deal for him. They want the right to see his medical records about his year long struggle with a quad injury. They want the right to to talk about a possible contract extension, so they are not just renting a player. And his reps refusing to do that, and threatening to sit out next year. Not very smart, in that if he refuses to play this final year of the Spurs contract, he still owes San Antonio another year on his contract. He’s not real smart of this action. His agents are even dumber for the tact they are using.

SAD DAY IN NHL….It appears the Ottawa Senators are about to trade the last star on their team, defenseman Erik Karlsson, who is headed to free agency after next season. Ottawa has moved a lot of players off the roster. They have questionable leadership in GM-Pierre Dorion, and shaky coaching in Guy Bouchard. Now Karlsson and star goalie Glen Anderson appear headed out of town. The franchise has never been the same since the passing of popular GM-Bryan Murray just a couple of years ago.

WILD WORLD CUP….Sunday’s game should be a dandy, France-vs-Croatia. The French, LeBleu, with a run and gun, fast break-transition offense, against Croatia with its physical grind it out style. Croatia has 3-straight come from behind overtime wins.. They physically pounded a great team from England. These two teams earned their way to the finals. Watching on TV this weekend will be Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Belgium, all talent-laden. too, who didn’t survive.

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“Bad Baseball-Seems to Be Everywhere”

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Attendance is down.

TV Ratings are down.

Strikeouts are up.

Elbow ligament surgeries seem ready to set an all time record.

More than 1200-players have appeared in games this season, threatening the all time record of 1300 a year ago, and we are not even at the All Star break.

For every great team out there, the Red Sox, the Astros, the Yankees, for every surprise team like the Mariners, Milwaukee or Atlanta, there are plenty of really bad teams.

Yes, you can subscribe to the theory the Padres last place season was part of a game plan to take this to ground zero, and wait for the plethora of young talent to get to the big leagues. But losing is losing, another lost summer.

But even with all the young kids having good seasons at different levels in the minors, there’s no guarantee Logan Allen, Fernando Tatis, Cal Quantrill will be ready to star in San Diego immediately, once they get here..

You look across the baseball landscape, and you see some really awful teams.

As we approach the All Star break, don’t blink, don’t let your eyes water, you are seeing things properly, both the Orioles and Royals are 40-games under .500, and it’s July. That’s right, 40-games under .500.

The misery that is Mets baseball is probably more about bad pitching injuries, than anything, but the everyday lineup has lots of age on it.

The plunge of the Washington Nationals has to do with an ailing ace pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, a leaky bullpen, and a (.211) hitting season from superstar about to be free agent Bryce Harper. This was supposed to be a great franchise, but it never got there, and now seems going in the wrong direction.

Miami has had a better than expected season with little payroll. Tampa Bay has gotten better as the season has gone on, to be a mid-pack team. But is there real joy to be chasing the .500-mark as some kind of real accomplishment?

The Reds wee awful early, but have ripped off a (15-6) stretch to give hope better days might be coming.

Detroit is in rebuild mode. The White Sox are jamming a lot down the throats of young players, and are 30-games under .500 already.

You wonder with the amount of money pouring into all these clubs, via TV deals, and MLB media, why it is as bad as it seems to be. Bad scouting, bad drafts, bad signings, failing free agents.

It’s a mess out there right now.

You’ll get excited to watch the (64-29) Red Sox…the 62-win Astros…or the (59-31) Yankees.

But as of this morning…there are 13-teams below .500…..and 8-clubs that could lose 100-games this season.

The grand old game, not very good right now …is it?

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“Baseball-So Where Are We?”

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These are truly the dog days of summer in baseball.

July grinds into August and spills into September, for cities and teams already out of the playoffs.

The Dodgers have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, and have put themselves into the wildcard playoff race, with still plenty of time to chase down first place in the NL-West.

That is amazing when you consider, the top five starting pitchers have all been on the disabled list, some multiple times. And they lost their key guys in the infield, 2nd-SS-3B for extended periods of time with injuries.

Who could have forecast rookie Max Muncy would hit 20-home runs, Joc Pederson would find his hitting stroke again, and Yasiel Puig would go thru the first half of the season without any discipline issues.

So LA fans have something to look forward too, even if 60-percent of the fans still cannot see their games on TV in the LA market.

Down the 405, it has been one injury after another to the Angels, who are staggering in a very tough AL-West, the division owed by the Houston Astros.

No one cold forecast the Seattle Mariners would have this type of season, putting themselves in the wildcard race, and the very young Oakland A’s would be so competitive.

Mike Trout is a superstar by himself, but seems to be wasting away another year, on a team that isn’t hitting, and has more hurt pitchers than healthy arms.

When you pay 46-million this season and see a combined (.245) batting average from Justin Upton-Albert Pujols. 4-other starters in the lineup are hitting (.215) or worse.

And to compound it, the pitching staff is ailing again. Garrett Richards cannot do it by himself, and 3-other starters on the disabled list, won’t be coming back this season.

Another lost year under the Arte Moreno-Mike Scoscia banner.

In San Diego, send the Padres mail in care of last place baseball.

You see flashes of specialness from the kid pitchers Joey Luchessi and Eric Lauer. They have a quality bullpen that is now borderline burned out. It’s been a lost season for starters Luis Perdomo and Danilson Lamet.

Journeyman starters Clayton Richard and Tyson Ross sometimes don’t get out of the 5th inning, other times do well without run support, and lose.

There’s no one to protect first baseman Eric Hosmer in the batting order.

There is more streak hitting that trust-worthy hitting from Will Myers, Hunter Renfroe, Manny Margot.

The rest of the batting order shows little consistency. So all Padres fans can do is wait and hope more quality kids are coming from a blossoming minor league farm system.

But what is there to guarantee that the next young bat will be any more consistent than the other young bats, who struggle on Monday-Wednesday-Friday.

A low batting average, and a likely record setting strikeout mark, with few home run threats in the lineup. Doesn’t sound like a playoff contender.of a franchise anytime in the near future.

Hot-humid summer weather, and the dogs days of the baseball season. Another summer in Southern California.

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“Lakers-The Day After”

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What the NBA columnists in different cities are saying-writing about the Lakers signing of LeBron James.

..Team chemistry…King James…young kids…and some goofballs”

..LeBron….all about basketball now and the business of his future career”

..Michael Jordan (6-2) in NBA finals…LeBron James (2-6)”

..Who coaches this team…..LeBron James or Luke Walton?”

..Can you really have 2-head coaches on a team?”

..LeBron-this ain’t the NBA East anymore”

..The NBA rich get richer…the poor are in purgatory…it’s life in NBA now.”

..The stars run the league….Jordan Rules…LeBron’s bylaws”

..Lakers-brilliant move followed by bombastic mistakes.”

..Who coaches the Lakers….Luke or LeBron?”

..Anybody heard from LaVar Ball lately?”

..Cleveland must be sick-took on big salaries of Larry Nance and Jared Clarkson to help the Lakers-who then used that cap space to take the Cavaliers icon.”

..Circus coming to town….LeBron and his clown roster.”

..Lakers are still not comparable to Golden State.”

..Best 1-on-1 game coming up….LeBron-vs-LaVar.”

..LeBron and Magic….basketball and business partners”

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