NFL Notes:

• well, I expected nfl.com to have little if any mention of last night’s fiasco. All they’ve got is a short piece on the need to replace the field, without laying any direct blame for last night.
  • in follow-up, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
• RGIII has been named the pre-season starter for the Browns. Future Cowboys QB Josh McCown will be one of his backups.
  • that makes him the 25th Browns starting QB since 1999.
• Ohh, that’s not good – Joey Bosa’s mom is on record as saying they wish “we pulled an Eli”.
  • Their side of the beef is that they feel the Chargers won’t structure his contract akin to previous #3 picks.
• Poor Bears fans – Hroniss Grasu has torn his ACL and is done for the year. It’s not like Jay Cutler needs a center.
  • Completely related, Big Daddy Drew’s WYTS column today is about Da Bears.

I think I consider everyone delighted as much as I did in last night’s idiocy from Canton. I’d feel bad for game attendees, but they still got their Lee Greenwood concert.

https://youtu.be/IWlMsxJR5pk

We all know what happened. In brief:

• they had the field covered for two days, to accommodate a Tim McGraw show and the induction ceremony
• the field was painted about 10:00 AM
• the paint refused to dry
• someone got the idea to use heaters
• the heaters melted the rubber to the paint, creating a hard shell
• the field was declared unplayable.

Now come the recriminations. Or they would, if it wasn’t the soulless leadership of the NFL directing employees to say an authoritative “Fuck you” to the fans.

The only refunds currently being offered are for the cost of game tickets. Tickets bought through resale sites other than the official NFL partner, Ticketmaster, will not be refunded by the League. [StubHub has offered full refunds.] They have refused comment on whether they will reimburse for other expenses like hotels, despite the fact that it wasn’t an “Act of God” that forced abandonment of the contest. Someone, somewhere is contemplating a “Turf-gate” class-action suit.

The League has confirmed the game will remain in Canton.

When Randy Moss is able to hold the moral high ground, you there’s been a problem.

https://youtu.be/YP7v1qJ4–c

You know you done screwed up big when Peter King feels confident getting off his knees and joining the chorus. “It’s an embarrassment of the highest order.” Mighty strong words from a fellow intent on voting a rapist into the Hall of Fame.

Jim Irsay – JIM IRSAY –  has the balls to talk about “incompetence”.

Yet, somehow, he will stay Commissioner.

Tonight’s sports:

Unless you like (on ESPN) Little League Qualifiers – AND WHO DOESN’T?! – it’s all Olympics.

The big deal is Michael Phelps going for Gold Medal #20 tonight.

You can watch it LIVE! in Canada, or on tape-delay on NBC.