Your “Dammit Ratbirds – You Had One Job!” Tuesday Evening Open Thread

I don’t care – it’s the NFL photo of the year.

NFL News:

• Eric Dickerson has already begun trolling Jeff Fisher by saying Jim Harbaugh would be a great Rams coach.
  • Because if anyone knows about tampering with college football, it would be SMU grad Eric Dickerson.
  • At the thought of the Michigan job, Chip Kelly shuddered when he considered how cold it would be for all his Hawaiian quarterbacks.
• Early names mentioned as Rams full-time coach for 2017 are: Tom Coughlin, Mike Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan,  Jim Bob Cooter and Josh McDaniels.
  • It’s honestly too bad that Marty Schottenheimer has Alzheimer’s disease, because he could develop the offence into a running juggernaut, hiding some of Goff’s early mistakes.
    • Only to lose the job to Norval once they’re good.
  • Interim head coach John Fassel – not up for consideration.

• The MVP talk around Dreamboat has been turned up again after last night’s 406-yard performance against Baltimore.
  • the worst part about the hagiography is that letting the Ravens back into the game, only to snatch victory from them, seems to have enhanced the myth around this season of redemption & revenge.
  • while I have nowhere near the loathing for the Pats like some others on this-here site, no. NO. NO!

• With Ryan Tannehill out for the season, the Dolphins have decided to rest better investment Mike Pouncey as well. It’s a “nagging hip injury” and definitely not an “Aaron Hernandez” thing.
  • This will allow them to activate Dion Jordan to back up Anthony Steen at center.

• Stealing from Crimebeat! again, but Michael Floyd is in a whole heap of trouble. He’s lucky Joe Arpaio is gone.
  • He was arrested and charged with obstructing a roadway, DUI impaired to the slightest degree, DUI BAC over .08 and failure to obey a police officer. He was booked and then released from the Scottsdale jail at 4:55 a.m.
    • per ESPN & police reports, he was asleep with his foot on the brake at an intersection.
      • when queried about where he got consumed the alcohol, he responded with “on the team plane”.
  • he was also arrested for DUI while at Notre Dame.

Your long-form recommended read of the day is from nfl.com, and is on Seattle GM John Schneider.

It covers the length of his career, and for a League puff-piece it covers all the bases:

• His upbringing near Green Bay.
• His harassment of Ron Wolf for a job with the Packers.
• His moves to Kansas City & Washington before returning to Green Bay.
• How he ended up going to Seattle.
• How the hiring of Pete Carroll felt like he was already being fucked over.
• How they learned to work with each other.
• Insight into their draft strategy.
• Success, and beyond.

It’s no 2000-words about the firing of Jeff Fisher, but you got all you needed on that from Internet Dad yesterday. And I figured, why repeat; Fisher never did, and look where that got him.

College Bowl season starts this Saturday:

Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016

Early bowl games have the best sponsors. “Famous Idaho Potato Bowl”, because “Humanitarian Bowl” was too Mormon. The “Marmot Boca Raton Bowl”, because Colorado clothing makes sense in Florida.

I’m a touch disappointed DFO-CON couldn’t make the Vegas Bowl work.

Finally, responding to a request initiated from Devon Still, the League has decided to allow teams to choose which cancer cause to promote/combat during October. The program will still be called “A Crucial Catch”, and they can change their cause annually.

• The campaign will still focus on preventing and detecting cancer through education and screenings, rather than committing funds to cancer research.
  • which will take some heat off the NFL for their questionable donation practices: _{(per mmqb.com)}

The fundraising model has also been scrutinized. For every “pink item” sold, the NFL receives a royalty from the merchandiser, which it donates in full to the ACS. The NFL does not profit off sales of this merchandise. But the royalty is a fraction of the wholesale price, which is a fraction of what consumers spend (about 12.5% of the retail price, according to a 2013 report by ESPN’s Darren Rovell).

• No word on if “Cleats for a Cause” will continue next year.
  • Despite testimonials & questionable science, Dorial Green-Beckham will be informed that he cannot use this to promote Yeezy Boost 350.

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL Hockey: Blackhawks at Rangers – 7:00 PM | NBCSN / Sportsnet
• NBA Basketball:
  • Timberwolves at Bulls – 8:00 PM | ESPN / TSN
  • Thunder at Trail Blazers – 10:30 PM | ESPN / Sportsnet1
• College Basketball:
  • South Carolina State at Clemson – 7:00 PM | ESPNU
  • Temple at Villanova – 7:00 PM | FS1

Seriously, Ravens, you can’t do one nice thing for the fans? WE FORGOT ABOUT RAY LEWIS!