By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette
When I began to write this column, I figured I planned to focus on one story only: Texas Tech’s quarterback Brendan Sorsby. But, as the week moved on, I realized there were at least two other things to write about: The NBA Finals and the beginning of the World Cup.
Brendan Sorsby
One court’s decision sent a shockwave across the college football landscape this week. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Texas Tech’s quarterback, Brendan Sorsby, had a bit of a gambling problem. And by a bit, I mean betting more than $90,000 on his own team’s games. Sorsby then checked himself into rehab for his gambling problem in the aftermath. Naturally, the NCAA ruled him ineligible for these bets. Sorsby responded by filing a lawsuit against the NCAA, which is where we find ourselves today.
A Lubbock County (yes, Lubbock County, Texas) ruled on Monday to grant Sorsby a temporary injunction to play football. As of now, Sorsby, despite gambling nearly six figures on his own team’s games, will miss just the first two games of TTU’s season. Breaking the cardinal sin of gambling on your own sport, something that got Iowa State’s Hunter Dekkers completely iced out of the NCAA, something that resulted in multiple NBA and MLB players being arrested earlier this year, ruled null and void. Reactions from college football seem to universally condemn the move. Some teams are threatening to not show for their games and to not schedule games against any TTU athletic program in the future. The NCAA filed an appeal Monday afternoon, but there is no telling where this will go from here.
NBA Finals
The NBA finals have been an absolute doozy. The San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks have been locked in close-scoring, nail-biting games since game one tipped off. Yesterday’s game four produced the biggest comeback in finals history and arguably one of the greatest game winners ever seen.
At one point during the game, the Knicks, in front of a sold-out, star-studded Madison Square Garden, were down by a mammoth 29 points to the Spurs. There was a calamity of errors in the final moments, a terrible De’Aaron Fox turnover, immediately followed by an improbable Josh Hart missed layup, followed up a blocked layup attempt, led to this. Just listen to that MSG crowd lose its collective mind.
2026 World Cup
The World Cup is the greatest sporting event on the planet. The greatest sport puts the greatest players in their home colors and puts them on the biggest stage. Elite performances have launched careers, wins have cemented legacies, and nations have become united. I can’t get enough.
There are some things I have not liked about the U.S. hosting the World Cup, though. Ticket prices are astronomical. Fifa tried to ban tailgating (stop someone in Kansas City from tailgating at your own risk, Fifa officials). It also banned reusable water bottles into stadiums. Public transit available to those visiting has even seen price-hiking. The U.S. has made life difficult for Iranian players and staff, going as far as to deny entry to a referee of the year Omar Artan because he is Somalian. All of these things perturb me. But, I will now allow the U.S. and Fifa, despite their efforts, to fully destroy my enjoyment of this tournament.
The opening game happened in Mexico City yesterday between Mexica and South Africa. For me, what has been the most fun in the buildup to this year’s World Cup is the fans experiencing the U.S. Whether you agree with why our international reputation has soured in recent years, the image is improving by fans from various countries showing the beauty that can be found in this country. Quite possibly, none are doing that better than German Twitter user, FreddyLA7.
When this account hit my timeline for the first time, he had around 70,000 followers. As of linking his account to this column, Freddy is at 383,000. He has been sharing his experiences in the south through Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Here are some highlights: Going to Bass Pro Shops. 1 a.m. dinner at Buc-ee’s on piles of corn. Attending a friendly match at Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. My personal favorite post, he found our holy land.
Things like this remind me there is so much beauty to be found and to experience in this country, and we sometimes take it for granted. It is also part of what makes the World Cup such a great event, bringing countries and cultures from around the globe to experience sport together. Like the Algerian national team choosing Lawerence, Kansas for their basecamp. Their song was even played on a banjo at a local bar. Maybe the Algerians even said hi to Zach Lahn while in town.
Reach out with comments, suggestions, story ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.