NFL News:

• Morgan Burnett is leaving the Packers for the Steelers.
  • Just another hole to fill in while wasting Clay Matthews’ prime.

• Ryan Grant, he of the non-elite ankle, has signed with the Colts.
  • It’s not the four-year $29 million deal the Ravens offered, but a one-year $5 million “let’s see” kind of deal.

• Mike Pouncey is going to be centering for Philip Rivers for the next two years.
  • That’ll give him time to work on Antonio Gates’ stabbing motions.

Finally, I’m just going to use Rovell‘s introductory paragraph, because it says it all:

Charlie Ebersol, who directed a documentary on the XFL that aired last year as part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, announced Tuesday that his league, the Alliance of American Football, plans to debut Feb. 9, 2019, the week after Super Bowl LIII. The season will run 10 weeks and will have 50-man teams.

The probable WCW of alternative football leagues is bringing in Bill Polian as an executive to run the league, and will have Troy Polamalu overseeing the player development. Advisers to the league also will include former NFL players Hines Ward and Justin Tuck, as well as Dick Ebersol – who I assume is helping with the TV deal. CBS is contracted to show the initial game and the championship, while the rest will be available either on the CBS sports app or on the CBS Sports Network.

To talk about the money side of it, I’m going to again use Rovell verbatim, because while the guy might be a fucking blowhard, at least he gets hard over writing about money, and is more accurate these days than Ron Jeremy:

While McMahon’s league is backed by McMahon’s money, Ebersol’s league is backed by others, including former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and The Chernin Group, which, among other investments, owns a significant share of Barstool Sports.

Ahh – that’s why Barstool toned down the garbage in recent weeks.

There will be eight teams (cities TBA) owned by the league entity, but run locally. They will be able to protect locally-developed college players via regional drafts; they want to build the fanbases using players the cities might’ve heard of. Proposed rules include no kickoffs, a 30-second time clock, and all two-point converts. The three-point stance will be prohibited.

According to Variety, there will be integrated fantasy options with real prizes — for fans themselves and the players they root for. “In addition, the Alliance of American Football will create bonus structures for players based on wins, statistical milestones and fan engagement. It also promises players scholarships for post-secondary education for every year played in AAF along with post-football-career planning and counseling.”

They have a website.

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL:
  • Penguins at Islanders – 7:00PM | Sportsnet
  • Flyers at Red Wings – 7:30PM | NBCSN
  • Devils at Sharks – 10:30PM | Sportsnet / NHLN (US)
• NBA:
  • Raptors at Magic – 7:00PM | TSN2
  • Thunder at Celtics – 8:00PM | TNT
  • Rockets at Trail Blazers – 10:30PM | TNT
• NCAA:
  • Men’s NIT Basketball Tournament:
    • Penn State at Marquette – 7:00PM | ESPN
    • Mississippi State at Louisville – 9:00PM | ESPN
• WWE:
  • Smackdown – 8:00PM (ET/PT) | USA / Sportsnet 360 (ET only)

So, the AAF in 2019, and the XFL in 2020. CAN THEY HOLD THEIR ALL-STAR GAME WRESTLEMANIA WEEKEND?