Your “I Guess Preseason Gets Exciting Next Week?” Monday Evening Open Thread

NFL News:

• The Bengals have released safety George Iloka.
  • Iloka is due $5.3 million in salary and roster bonuses this season, and it appears GM & Cincinnati local playhouse Scrooge Mike Brown would prefer to pay their second-round rookie Jesse Bates instead.
  • Iloka has his own sanguine outlook:

You can’t just say God’s Plan during the good. It’s God’s Plan during the bad and the uncertain. So….. God’s Plan 🙏🏾

— George Iloka (@George_iloka) August 19, 2018

• In a move that clearly bodes well for my ticket resale value, the Seahawks tried to acquire Jacoby Brissett from the Colts.
  • They offered a second round pick in 2019, but the Colts want to keep him & his 4-11 2017 record under wraps.

• Seemingly available is Teddy Bridgewater from the Jets.
  • The Jets are so impressed with Sam Darnold that they appear willing to part with a QB that could help them if things go into the shitter.
    • (Ron Howard voice:) They will.
  • It’s because Bridgewater is the more-attractive trade bait.
    • Josh McCown is 39 & has a $10 million guaranteed contract.
    • Teddy is 25 & worth $5 million plus incentives

• Not speaking of collusion or better available players, John Elway is in hot water for allegedly violating a court order in the Kaepernick collusion case.
  • When talking about looking for a backup QB – since Paxton Lynch isn’t exactly working out – he was asked about “The Kneeing Bandit” ™
    • “Colin had his chance here. We offered him a contract. He didn’t take it. So, as I said it in my deposition, I don’t know if I’ll be legally able to say this, but he’s had his chance to be here. He passed it.”
    • The problem is, a month later he made the same deal available to Brock Osweiler without conditions.
      • By bringing all of this up at a presser, he violated the court order against public discussion of the case.
  • He potentially made the public, and the court, more aware of a conspiracy to keep Kaepernick out of the League.
    • It’s not the 1985 baseball collusion case, but any form of paper trail is damaging.

Tonight’s sports:

• NFL:
  • Ravens at Colts – 8:00PM | ESPN / TSN
  • Game preview:
    • It’s Week-2 of the preseason – who fucking cares?!
    • It’s Andrew Luck & his broken arm versus Joe Flacco & his soft arm for two series at most.
      • Then it’s backups & future CFL Hall of Famers.
      • FEEL THE EXCITEMENT!
• Little League World Series:
  • Southwest vs. Southeast – 8:00PM | ESPN2
• MLB:
  • Orioles at Blue Jays – 7:00PM | Sportsnet / MLBN
  • Astros at Mariners – 10:00PM | Sportsnet1 / MLBN
• WWE:
  • Monday Night Raw – 8:00PM | USA / Sportsnet360
    • There’s a bunch of new champions, so the countdown to …

… the Royal Rumble (?) has begun.

Flacco versus Luck – HOW CAN TONIGHT GO WRONG?!