Welcome to the preliminary darkness of the off-season.

NFL Notes:

• Jordy Nelson has two broken ribs. Expect him to be deactivated later this week, despite Mike McCarthy trying to game the Cowboys into prepping for him.
  • I’m not a doctor, but even I know playing a WR with two broken ribs is basically wasting a roster spot.

• Bill O’Brien says the Patriots will “bury you” if you make too many mistakes.
  • Especially if the biggest one is your starting QB.

• It’s getting awesomer in Niner country, as the team is suing the city of Santa Clara, accusing the city of falsely accusing the team of contract violations.
  • The team is requesting a judge force the city to either sign documents agreeing the team is in full compliance with their lease, or force the city to prove which specific terms the team is alleged to have violated.
    • So Jed York has fired two coaches, one GM, and is suing the city where his stadium is based. Good thing his mother’s net worth is $2.4 billion, based on the team’s valuation being $3.0 billion. _(Forbes)

Finally, that was a delightful final 8 minutes of the Alabama – Clemson game. The Canadian feed ended just before the trophy presentation, so I hope the Commentists will let me know how savoury those ‘Bama tears were. Because all I know is this

Led to this,

Which led to this.

Delicious.

Oh, and Auburn fans had themselves a little party as well, giving Toomer’s Corner a one-ply face-lift in delight at Alabama’s defeat.

The best repository of photos from last night’s game seems to be the LA Times. They seem to go in reverse order, because they were adding to the site during the game, so page 1 is the trophy, and page 64 is the opening quarter.

Canada 150:

Today’s historical factoids run a familiar gamut:

• 1910: The first issue of Montreal’s “Le Devoir” newspaper is published.
  • Considered the “francophone paper of record”, it was founded by Quebec nationalist Henri Bourassa.
    • the paper’s motto is “Fais ce que dois” (“Do your duty”).
  • Editorial supporters of Quebec sovereignty during the two referendums.

• 2004: Police seize the biggest indoor marijuana operation ever found in Canada – plants with an estimated street value of $30 million – at a closed-down Molson’s brewery in Barrie, Ontario.
  • this is the most 21st Century Canadian story you will ever read.
  • 12 were arrested; 5 pled guilty, and one is currently serving 27 years in Louisiana
  • there is still court action in the case, as the owner of the land wants to sell, but the province is calling any profits “proceeds of crime”

Site news:

If my math is correct – and I think it is, because I’m a history teacher – this was DFO’s 300,000th comment:

That’s good hustle!

Tonight’s sports: hope you like college hoops!

• NHL Hockey: Bruins at Blues – 8:00PM | NBCSN / Sportsnet
• NBA:
  • Celtics at Raptors – 7:30PM | Sportsnet1
  • Heat at Warriors – 10:30PM | Sportsnet1
• NCAA:
  •  7:00 PM
    • Kentucky at Vanderbilt – ESPN
    • Baylor at West Virginia – ESPN2 / TSN1
    • Syracuse at Virginia Tech – ESPNU
    • Kentucky at Vanderbilt – TSN4
    • Xavier at Villanova – FS1
  • 9:00 PM
    • Indiana at Maryland – ESPN
    • Kansas at Oklahoma – ESPN2 / TSN1
    • Florida at Alabama – ESPNU
    • Indiana at Maryland – TSN4
    • Providence at DuPaul – FS1

TALK TO ME!