Your “Blah Blah Blah…We Can’t Hear You” Wednesday Evening Open Thread

NFL News:

• The NFL has responded to yesterday’s news about CTE in athletes’ brains:

We appreciate the work done by Dr. McKee and her colleagues for the value it adds in the ongoing quest for a better understanding of CTE.

As noted by the authors, there are still many unanswered questions relating to the cause, incidence and prevalence of long-term effects of head trauma such as CTE. [snip] The NFL has made 47 rule changes since 2002 to protect players, improve practice methods, better educate players and personnel on concussions and strengthen the league’s medical protocols. The NFL deploys 29 medical professionals on the sidelines for each game.

The NFL is committed to supporting scientific research into CTE and advancing progress in the prevention and treatment of head injuries.

• In other words:
  • Go fuck yourself;
  • Smoking doesn’t cause cancer; and
  • Who are you to question King Roger I?

• We will find out by 4:00 PM Eastern today if Lucky Whitehead has a future in the League, as that is the deadline for another team to claim him off waivers.
  • Rappaport says Whitehead has been contacted by five teams.
    • His agent has a double-entendre’d level of confidence:
      • “I can’t see why any team with a 90-man roster right now that needs return help wouldn’t pick him up.”
  • Whitehead says he wouldn’t go back to the Cowboys.
  • The NFLPA is looking into filing a grievance, especially if he doesn’t get claimed.

• Butthole Updates:
  • My doctor’s appointment has been moved from this Friday to August 9.
    • I choose to interpret this as all results negative, and will imbibe accordingly.
  • Megatron’s will remain closed, as construction & mechanical delays will prevent Atlanta’s shiny new stadium from opening the roof by opening day.
    • From Deadspin via the AJC:

He said it typically takes 40 days to “mechanize” such a roof after its last “construction move.” Since three more construction moves of the roof are scheduled in the coming weeks, the 40-day clock won’t even begin until after those moves. And Cannon indicated the process could take longer than 40 days because it will be sandwiched around a heavy schedule of events in the stadium.

Finally, two reads to make you aware of:

1. The MMQB has an article titled “The Reprogramming of Cam Newton” which is meant to read like the Panthers are trying to create CAM!…WHOA CAM! 2.0, but comes across like Curt Gowdy is calling a Communications major “an intelligent young man” during a 1970s college broadcast.
2. Big Daddy Drew has put out the call for contributions to “Why Your Team Sucks”. I expect your sharpest rage-icisms.

Tonight’s sports:

• Beisbol:
  • A’s at Jays – 7:00PM | Sportsnet
  • Cubs at White Sox – 8:00PM | ESPN / TSN2
• Futbol:
  • CONCACAF Gold Cup Soccer 2017:
    • U.S. vs. Jamaica (Final) – 9:30PM | FS1 / UNI / TSN
  • International Champions Cup Soccer:
    • FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United – 7:30PM | ESPN2
    • Paris Saint-Germain vs. Juventus – 9:30PM | ESPN2

RAGE! RAGE AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT! – what Trent Green does when the fridge door closes.