Gil Thorp by Henry Barajas and Rachel Merrill for August 17, 2016

Wake Forest started its preseason camp over a week ago now. Why bother with the football, Tru(e)?

Great advice, Gil. Tru(e)‘s having trouble getting a grip. That’s certainly a subject Barry has mastered.

Incredible lack of tact by Gil here, Tru’s struggling with Boo’s death so he keeps trying to get him to buddy up with her killer’s son?

It certainly wasn’t an ordinary thing to do when Boo referred to herself as “Multiple Choice” so she could insult True upon meeting him.

Would anyone in high school who had a friend killed think of the friend as being an ordinary person? “Let’s go with a plaque. It’s good enough for an ordinary guy like Joe.”

Panel 4 – Gil: “No, we don’t have to talk about Barry. In fact. f**k him and his dad.”

Is Gil implying they should put a plaque on Barry?

Sure coach, when are you going to give him the reality check and make him understand that this whole thing is his dad’s fault and not the ‘fat cow of a judge’ aka Ken Brown’s mom. This reality check should involve a Gibbs head slap or a Moonstruck moment to make Barry snap out of it.

If Barry unexpectedly passed, what kind of a monument do you think they would build for him?

What a relief it is seeing True grew back his digits. How dare you smart asses call him Stubby and laugh at his misfortune. P2- GilPa playing internet poker during school hours. If True does a good deed being a buddy for Young Bader, does he finally get his own coffee mug?

Well Tru(e) WWBD? How about throwing batting practice for your new best pal, Young Master Bader. Then drill him right between the eyes with one of your 95 mph fastballs. 2 birds, one stone.

P2, Tru(e) with that lobster claw you’re sporting there, I can fully understand your grip problem. The Gil mug and the trophy are both missing from Gil’s desk. Call for a lockdown. Nobody leaves until I get my stuff back.

Oh, and Gil, how is Young Master Bader Tru(e)’s problem. Last I heard, you were still the coach.

If I stuck post-it notes on my screen where Gil has them, I wouldn’t have to read P1.

Wait, I’ve got it! The memorial could be a small mockingbird sculpture. But the mockingbird has punked-out hair and coca cola earrings.

…yeah….“…do we have to?…” finish this inane story already…..

P2 – Another softball lobbed up for me. They’re doing it on purpose now. Can I resist not making the obvious joke in MUT? Probably not, we’ll see later.P3 – Finally we get the unexpected plot twist where Tru(e) gets Bader back in with the team. Been waiting a month for this. Gil may not be a good coach, and he may not be a good athletic director, and he may not be a good advisor…wait, what was my point?

OK, time out. I’m sorry Boo got killed and all, but as I vaguely recall (and it’s been awhile now), she was basically a selfish and nasty person who never showed a kinder and gentler side. So what’s with all these efforts to memorialize her as some kind of very special human being?

Boo also couldn’t quite get a grip on it, which explains all those batters she hospitalized.

Could we PLEASE move on from this? Ugh… Rubin and Whigham, you guys are awful, can you please let someone else take over? I used to love this strip, and everyday I still read it, but now it’s more like slowing down to look at a 4 car pile up!

@seismic-2: and why Tru was left feeling unfulfilled.@MOP: Ok you called dibs, I won’t jump on the obvious, make me proud.@Bitsy: No Coke, Pepsi! Hamburger, Hamburger, Hamburger@Tru: How about a Headstone with Joyce Kilmer quote: "A nest of Robins in her hair. Slurs are made by fools like me but only R&W can make want TV.

Anyone ever think this story arc has stretched out so long because R&W can’t figure out how to end it? I mean, they’ve introduced two of the most despicable, unlikeable characters in the history of Milford, said characters are making no effort to endear themselves to their peer groups, and the other Milfordians are reacting to them as you’d expect normal, skeptical people to react. How the f*** is ol’ Gil Thorp (I heard from one of the Monty Python troupe that GIl is really 206 years old) to resolve this with one pithy bit of widsom? Ain’t happenin’, IMO….

Day 131 of this story arc: There seems to be no end in sight. Our sole source of amusement, MUT, hasn’t been posted up yet. Hope is fading.

Okay, quick poll – how many commenters want Tru(e) to actually act like a teenager and say to Gil “F*** you, old man. I’m off to Wake Forest, so I’m not gonna try to patch things up between Bader and the baseball team. Everyone hated him even before his dad got in trouble with the law – why should we be bothered to reach out to him?”

Art’s just happy that he’s no longer Milford’s most hated father of an athlete. And speaking of hate, you’d hate to miss today’s Mopped Up Thorp.

Oh no, even the reincarnated dead brothers of Milford athletes are going insane from this storyline! http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/national/mother-fuming-after-her-2yearold-son-viciously-attacked-by-peacock-at-local-park_

St. John Smythe here. I’ve been following this for some time and have to ask if the junior golfers at Milford GCC are getting any direction this year.

Just for the record, Santa endorsed Coke. I can’t drink either anymore 1) TYPE 2 D, 2) SODA POP has been linked to the formation of Kidney Stones. I’d go without Beer to avoid KS.

@Mop: I was hoping for an almost literal transposition: I can’t get a grip on it, coach. Gil: that’s why you should make nice with Bader, he can show you lots of techniques. Myself, I think of Boo as a person. Uh, um, now about that monument, no use crying over spilt milk.