Your “Just Another Sign The Season Is Upon Us” Tuesday Open Thread

NFL Roundup: plenty of news today

• Ugh. Fresh on the heels of the good news that Kenny Easley has been chosen by the Senior Committee for possible Hall of Fame consideration comes Jerry Jones & Paul Taglibue being nominated for the Hall in the “Contributor” category.
• The League has given the “Al-Jazeera Four” of Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, Packers linebacker Julius Peppers, Steelers linebacker James Harrison, and free-agent defensive lineman Mike Neal until August 26th to submit themselves for interview in relation to that PED report also tied to Pey-Pey.
  • the NFLPA has asked for third-party arbitration to determine if the players have to testify.
    • the League says refusal to testify will result in suspension for “conduct detrimental to the game”.
  • Deebo reiterated his position that he’ll talk, but only
    • at his house; and
    • if Rog will join him on the couch.
• Potential disasters, Bills category:
  • Tyrod Taylor got a $92 million contract.
    • Accidentally caught Jim Rome in the car while searching for the Brazil-Sweden match. His salient point was that “$100 million is a franchise quarterback. $92 million is a franchise unsure about its quarterback.”
  • Marcell Dareus faces a four-game suspension over “missing or failed drug tests related to his use of marijuana”.
    • The Bills’ response: “We are very disappointed Marcell chose to put himself first, before his teammates, coaches and the rest of the organization through his recent actions.”
  • Manny Lawson faces a one-game (possibly more) suspension for a domestic “incident”.
• Good news, Cardinals category: the Honey Badger is off the PUP list and ready to practice.

  

• Hilarious news, 49ers category: It’s all been fixed in San Francisco, because they just signed Christian Ponder to a one-year deal.
• Violence update: Patriots category:
  • mark February 13, 2017 on your calendars, because that’s when Aaron Hernandez’ murder trial for the two 2012 nightclub shootings will begin.
  • Center Brian Stork was tossed from practice after throwing punches at Bears linebacker John Timu during a joint practice.
    • Always learning: Ted Karras – nephew of Alex – is a Pats backup Center.

Albert Breer, who is much easier to read than listen to, has a good column on how Marv Lewis is trying, trying, to get the coaches to impart anger management techniques to some of their more ‘competitive’ players.

Finally, Washington police chief Cathy Lanier, “the first woman to lead the department and one of the nation’s longest-serving and most popular big-city police chiefs”, announced Tuesday that she is stepping down to become head of security for the National Football League. She’s got a hell of a bio, including being a teen mom and completing two Masters degrees. I don’t know how the League will deal with such competence, but I’m sure it will try and break her.

Look what the UPS fairy brought me today:

Oops, I meant something actually important.

THAT’S RIGHT BABY!!! My season’s tickets arrived. This year’s gift was a digital receiver so I can hear Steve Raible and Warren Moon whilst in the stands. And the usual brochure brought some actual surprises:

Walk-through metal detectors? You mean, no more pegging from a revenge-filled woman in a yellow poncho? NICE!

Craft beer corner? Overpriced? PROBABLY! But, actually trying? ACCEPTABLE!

Upgrading the in-stadium food & beverage selection? ‘BOUT TIME!

I look forward to providing reports on all of these.

Tonight’s sports:

• Nationally, it’s all Olympics.
• Regionally, good luck.

Preseason Week 2 is almost upon us. SOON, ALL WILL BE RIGHT!