Paul Kuharsky's Complaints Of The Week Focus On Brett Favre, Christian Pulisic, More

How about Aaron Judge’s 61st home run Thursday night? How majestic, the way it sailed into monument park in the deepest part of Yankee Stadium.

Wait, what? Oh, it didn’t make it. It was caught at the wall by Kiké Hernandez?

Sorry. I got confused because for a few seconds after the telecast shifted from Judge’s swing to where the ball was going, the camera focused on monument park, the black batter’s eye and the giant scoreboard, with no outfield grass or Hernandez even in the picture.

I wonder if the over-zealous camera man got a demerit or something.

Because in a big moment when the television audience is up and the game was on the line in the ninth inning, Mr. Cameraman took a deep fly ball and tracked it as if it was a moonshot that would put Judge past Babe Ruth and pull him level with Roger Maris.

We all make mistakes, but it’s best they don’t come at a crucial time. That was a bad one.

Complaint Of The Week: Christian Pulisic

The guy the United States needs to be a centerpiece for the National Team at the World Cup in Qatar starting Nov. 21 against Wales is not getting the playing time he so desperately needs in order to be in top form.

He fell out of favor with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, who was fired after six English Premier League and two Champions League matches. The winger has written in an upcoming book that Tuchel promised him a start in a Champions League match last year and then backed out of it.

So Pulisic has a better chance of finding playing time for Tuchel’s replacement Graham Potter.

But Friday morning Pulisic was scratched from a U.S. friendly against Japan, the second-to-last warmup match before the World Cup, with an unspecified injury.

Pulisic tends to get dinged quite a bit. It’s one thing when he’s playing and getting beat up by defenders while being dangerous. It’s another when it comes in training with the national team where he needs to be a primary pillar.

The U.S. failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, which would have been the first in Pulisic’s career window. Now things aren’t lining up very well for his first appearance four years later.

Here’s hoping he’s healthy and can play well against Saudi Arabia next week, that it makes an impression on Potter and upon his return to Chelsea he trains well enough to earn increasing chances as more than a late-game sub.

Complaint Of The Week: Brett Favre

Look, I know the résumé and the down-to-earth charm. America likes a Hall of Famer who tosses a ball around in his Wranglers. And who hasn’t been tempted to buy a MicroTouch trimmer based on his endorsement? (You haven’t? Don’t be. They’re garbage.)

Favre is reportedly in the middle of a home-state scandal in Mississippi where federal welfare funds were misappropriated for a state-of-the-art volleyball venue at Southern Miss, where his daughter played. The plan was to push at least $5 million in funds toward the stadium.

It’s a somewhat complicated story, and we like our news very basic and straightforward.

He’s not been charged with any crime, but this should still be a much bigger deal. Plenty is being written about the case, but it hasn't picked up steam as a conversation topic.

Nancy New was a friend of the governor’s wife and ran a nonprofit that “was in charge of spending tens of millions of flexible federal welfare dollars outside of public view,” per Mississippi Today. She pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts related to the scandal.

A recent court filing said: “The evidence suggests that (Mississippi Department of Human Services) Executives, including Governor (Phil) Bryant, knew that Favre was seeking funds from MDHS to build the Volleyball Facility … and participated in directing, approving, or providing Favre MDHS funds to be used for construction of the Volleyball Facility.”

Favre has denied knowing where the money was from.

It’s a case that deserves scrutiny and does not make him look good. But he seems to be largely skating in the court of public opinion that is generally, quickly harsh.

Complaint Of The Week: Self-Awareness

How about the self-awareness here? You’re taught not to watch the ball. But when you think you’ve crushed one worthy of this bat flip and slow jog, you might want to look at the result of the swing you’re admiring.

I hope the rest of the Stripers never let him live this one down.

When he's not writing about his complaints, Paul Kuharsky hosts OutKick 360. Read more of his work at PaulKuharsky.com.