^{Banner photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com}

NFL Nuggets:

• First game of the season, and the first officiating error against the Saints.
  • As most of you watched, prior to the half the refs pulled an accounting error in calculating when to do the 10-second runoff, forcing the Saints to hurry their field goal attempt.
  • Since they won the game feelings aren’t as raw as they could be:
    • Said Drew Brees: “We had to kick a 58-yard field goal or whatever it was. … If we had 15 more seconds, are you kidding me? We’re going to get closer. That’s a game-changer. That can’t happen.”
  • Al Riveron was forced into making another apology to the Saints.

• Bill Belichick came right out & compared signing Antonio Brown to the chance they took in the mid-aughts on Randy Moss.
  • When asked if AB would disrupt the team’s chemistry, Grumblelord grumbled, “That’s the same thing you (the collective media) said about Randy Moss when we brought him in.”
  • Jon Gruden wished the Patriots nothing but the best with their new acquisition.
    • You know, we gave it a shot. Now New England gets their turn. Good luck to them. I can’t deal with it anymore.”

• The NFLPA has contacted the NFL, who will likely be talking to the Browns about the fans who threw beer at various Titans celebrating a pick-six in Sunday’s game.
  • There will likely be a fine to the team, an increase in endzone security, and probable banishment for said members of the Dawg Pound.
    • Although, being banned from Browns games seems more like a reward.

Thanks for flagging this with us Logan. We’ve gone ahead and contacted league security to address the matter. Please send us a DM if you have any further questions/concerns.

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) September 9, 2019

Hippo, as usual, had it right about the Seahawks-Bengals game.

Any time Andy Dalton gets to look like Tom Brady proves someone didn’t gameplan properly.

But the lack of fun wasn’t just on the field. First off, they closed my favourite pre-game watering hole. Henry’s Tavern.

Turns out, Restaurants Unlimited, the parent company, went belly-up at the end of the summer, owing $37 million to creditors plus $7.6 million in rent & supplies. They laid off over 1900 employees, many of whom were owed at least one month’s wages – which is ironic because one of the causes they attribute for their bankruptcy is “progressive wage policies” in the cities where they operated, including Seattle, Portland and San Francisco, for adding $10 million to their outlay over the last three years.

There is a rumour that parent company might be bought by Landry’s brand, based out of Houston & owned by Tilman Fertitta, third-cousin to the UFC Fertitta family, the owner of the Houston Rockets, and original investor in the Houston Texans. (He had to sell his interest in the Texans in 2008 when Landry bought the Golden Nugget casino.) He has bid $37.2 million in bankruptcy court, and the decision will be revealed on September 18th.

Fortunately, there was room at the Pyramid Brewery,

but I don’t know if I can trust a place that advertises Labatt’s Blue as their guest tap.

So I’m on the hunt for a new bar, which as many of you can attest is a royal pain in the ass. You can drink anywhere, but you want to be somewhere. Luckily, my mood improved upon seeing the left-, right-, and free-love wings of American society were on full display heading into the game.

Oh First Amendment, don’t you go changin’.

Tonight’s sports:

• Beisbol:
  • Red Sox at Blue Jays – 7:00PM | Sportsnet
  • Cubs at Padres – 10:00PM | Sportsnet1 / MLBN
  • Cleveland at Angels – 10:00PM | YouTube Live
•  Fútbol:
  • International Friendly Soccer:
    • U.S. vs. Uruguay – 8:00PM | FS1 / UNI
    • Mexico vs. Argentina – 10:00PM | UNI
• Lucha:
  • WWE Smackdown – 8:00PM | USA / Sportsnet360

Lord – who know what tomorrow might bring.