Gil Thorp by Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill for July 28, 2022

Why would perennial COTY Gil care if a first-year coach at another school he only just met five minutes ago ever coached again?

I don’t like the cut of this Martinez fella’s jib.

This just got VERY interesting — Valley no longer big enough for both Gil and Martinez. Big thumbs up to Barajas.

P4 “You’re tired? You just got here – you haven’t even wiped your *ss in the Valley yet – and you’re tired, and you want to bet our coaching careers on one football game? What’s your name again, sheriff? Oh, look up there, see my name? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (sip) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

While early snarker polling suggests sheriff Martinez isn’t a likable character, Thing clearly has a thing for him.

In all reality , the Sheriff certainly has anger management issues. Will Gil help him overcome them or will Gil use these issues to cost him his coaching and Sheriff’s positions ? Inquiring minds want to know , anyone, anyone ?

Stuff like this happens in HS coaching all the time.

I must have missed a lot of that “…you win every year.”

What is “goo’s green earth”?

Wait. A first year coach is “tired of coming here and watching you win every year”? Tired of coming where? And why would Thorp even care? He’d just laugh him off and walk away, not make a potential career-ending wager with a guy he just met. This is borderline absurd. No wait…. sorry. It did just cross the border.

If GilPa accepts this absurd wager from sheriff rookie, he risks losing valuable shower bonding and making sure fresh loofahs are rotated into the inventory. Just think. New football coach. Tod? Kaz? Matt Shaw? Jon Dowd? Or Steve Boone?

going back to a previous strip, what happened to Mimi and the kids? Car accident? Is Gilpa turning into a lush?

Sherriff, boots, ride into the sunset? Gilpa comes back with a John Wayne quote, “You’re short on ears and long on mouth.”

Whoa. Engagement ring & wedding band on right hand? Guess he has to with the gnarled left hand in P1. Makes me wonder who the spouse is.

The other coaches seem shaken not stirred

I don’t think he is his compadre

“Now take my hairy, bejeweled hand and shake on it, ya coward!”

I don’t think Big Hand Luke has the cajones to take down the Gilfather. He would be lucky to beat out Scooter for most bunt hits in the Valley.

Valley Tech is purple? I thought all the other teams wore blue in the conference.

Does Martinez mean win the Valley or win coach of the year?

Let’s see, I just lost 17 Seniors, of which 15 were starters & VT lost 2 that were both 2nd string. Sir, you must think I’m as drunk as you are.

We’re left in suspense. Will Gil risk 64 years of coaching on a single game. He only needs Eleven more years to get a pension in Milford. How would his family survive if he lost?

How about if Milford wins, you stop coming in this bar?

So if Gil loses, the strip comes to an end? But they just hired a new writer.

Good to know that Gil is still somewhat squeaky clean, believing that poor Bethany is gasping in the corner, clutching her pearls because someone (I’m sure for the first time) swore in a bar. And this Luke guy sure is impatient. This is his first time at these awards (and considering he hasn’t coached yet I’m not sure why he attended), and he’s tired of all the one time in a row that Gil won (as far as he knows). And considering Gil doesn’t know him, don’t tell me he may have been Coach Drool’s assistant.

This bet sure is asinine, the only explanation would be that Coach Luke is drunk. Which is possible. And speaking of possible, it’s possible, and highly likely, that you want to read Mopped Up Thorp right about now.

https://moppedupthorp.wordpress.com/

P 1.5: “…so go take a nap, hairy gorilla boy…”

I guess it would be a pretty good bet to place on Milford winning, unless they intend on ending this comic strip after the game.

Considering Milford rarely wins the conference (I don’t think they have since Tru(e) graduated, at least not more than once, not counting this flashback story we just saw, which I suppose is an alternate universe last season), Big Hand Luke has a point. This must be rigged if Gil wins it every year. Another thing that’s suspicious – the trophy is named the Gil Thorp Valley Coach of the Year award.

WTH is going on in this strip?

Gil: “Forget it, Moreno.”VT Sheriff: “It’s Martinez.”Gil: “Whatever.”

Luke is all puffy chested because he has a giant Freshman named Jaxon Kiser, ready to start both ways.

P1- A what contest? Well, mine is this big.

I hate to say it, and maybe for all the wrong reasons, but this does have me wondering where this is headed. Sort of a new direction for this strip.

P2: Monty Hall joins the discussion offstage.

How about we settle this now tag team style—you take one of these jokers and I’ll take Herc the Mauler!

145 comments so far…most I’ve seen in a long time. Seems like Henry is getting the crowd stirred up!