Your “The Wheels On The Bus Go ‘Round and ‘Round” Wednesday Evening Open Thread

NFL News:

• No new coaching decisions today.
  • Alonzo Highsmith has left the Packers front office to become the Browns’ VP of football operations.
    • A former running back who spent 8 seasons in the NFL, he goes to Cleveland to work alongside new Browns GM John Dorsey, who was the Packers head of scouting.
    • He was a boxer after his playing career ended. He finished with a 27-1-2 record, with 23 knockouts.

• You can tell it’s post-season based on which teams now have to deal with player drug charges.
  • Today: Tampa.
    • Bucs safety T.J. Ward: 2 counts – weed; “drug paraphernalia”.

• Jon Gruden is being frozen out of Titans meetings in advance of Saturday’s playoff game.
  • Due to his eventual Raiders coaching status.
  • Andy Reid ain’t care; he’s invited Gruden into the room.

• Good news followup – donations to Andy Dalton’s foundation by Bills fans have now topped $170,000.

Finally, the Hall of Fame finalists were announced yesterday. The nominees are:

1. Tony Boselli,
2. Isaac Bruce,
3. Brian Dawkins,
4. Alan Faneca,
5. Steve Hutchinson,
6. Joe Jacoby,
7. Edgerrin James,
8. Ty Law,
9. Ray Lewis,
10. John Lynch,
11. Kevin Mawae,
12. Randy Moss,
13. Terrell Owens,
14. Brian Urlacher,
15. Everson Walls.

Robert Brazile & Jerry Kramer are the seniors committee finalists.

To quote ESPN:

The Class of 2018 will be chosen by the Board of Selectors at a meeting Feb. 3 in Minneapolis, Minnesota — the day before Super Bowl LII. At that meeting, the list of modern-era finalists will be trimmed to 10 and then to five. The five finalists will then be chosen on a yes-or-no basis, and those who receive 80 percent approval will be enshrined next August in Canton, Ohio.

If you ask me, it should be Lewis (ick), Dawkins, Moss, Faneca & Law. I leave it to people with vested interests or Acela Quiet Car reservations to debate the Moss-Owens issue, but only one of them gets in because they split voters. If they held their nose for Moss they won’t pick Owens, and vice versa.

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL:
  • Senators at Red Wings – 7:30PM | Sportsnet
  • Blackhawks at Rangers – 8:00PM | NBCSN
• Basketball:
  • NBA:
    • Cavaliers at Celtics – 8:00PM | ESPN
    • Raptors at Bulls – 8:00PM | Sportsnet1
    • Thunder at Lakers – 10:30PM | ESPN / Sportsnet1
  • NCAA:
    • U*NC at Florida State – 7:00PM | ESPN2 / TSN
    • Syracuse at Wake Forest – 7:00PM | ESPNU / TSN3
    • St. John’s at Creighton – 8:00PM | FS1
    • Missouri at South Carolina – 9:00PM | ESPN2 / TSN
    • Oklahoma State at Oklahoma – 9:00PM | ESPNU / TSN3

A shocking amount of NCAA coverage in Canada tonight. I LIKE IT!