Your “All’s Well That Ends Well” Monday Evening Open Thread

NFL Notes:

• Josh Norman has agreed to a one-year contract with the Bills.
  • A base salary of $6 million, with another $2 million in incentives.
  • It becomes official once the free agency window opens on March 18.

• The New Orleans Saints plan to place a first-round tender on restricted free-agent quarterback Taysom Hill.  
  • It means that if someone wants to sign him, they have to give the Saints their 2020 first-round pick.
    • If the Saints want to match the offer, it will cost them $4.67 million.
  • They can do this because they control the option year on his contract.
    • Which gives them a little leverage in contract negotiations.

• CBA News:
  • Russell Okung, player rep & candidate for NFLPA President, has accused the NFL of “bad faith” bargaining.
    • He hasn’t defined what he considers the bad faith to be, but he’s said it out loud.
      • And he’s filed a formal complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.
  • The voting deadline for players has been extended from Thursday at 11:59PM to Saturday at 11:59PM.
    • There’s no word why the extension was made, but the NFLPA said, “[e]very vote matters, and we encourage all players to review the materials sent via email in order to make an informed decision.”
  • A “small group of owners” wants the CBA vote among the players to fail, so they can lobby for an 18-game schedule.
    • This “small group” has not been identified.
    • They also believe the currently presented agreement gave away too much revenue to the players.

Finally, it appears Tom Brady is taking investment advice from Curt Schilling, as he has started up his own media management company – 199 Productions.

• Because I’m lazy, Bleacher Report says that Deadline says 199 Productions is, “a global multiplatform content company to develop original premium content including documentaries, feature films and television shows.”
  • Curt Schilling, if you’ll remember, famously started his own multimedia company called “38 Studios”, which defaulted on $75 million in loans provided by the State of Rhode Island.
    • After corporate bankruptcy proceedings, the State recovered $2.5 million.
• The production company is, obviously, named after Brady’s 199th overall draft slot in the 2000 NFL draft.
  • His first project will be with the Russo brothers, of “Avengers” fame, called “Unseen Football”.

Speaking of rock-solid investment strategies, how’d your day go?

Myself, I watched the cost of my season tickets rise by $200 as the Canadian dollar melted away value due to the combined shock of the market & oil price crash.

Had I paid Friday, the exchange rate was $1.335. As of market close today, the exchange rate was $1.36. Now, I have until next Monday to make my play, but do I panic & settle tonight, or wait & see if there’s an inevitable recovery.

THE TENSION!

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL:
  • Panthers at Blues – 8:00PM | Sportsnet
• NBA:
  • Raptors at Jazz – 9:00PM | TSN
• NCAA: it’s season-ending tournament week!
  • Horizon League Basketball Tournament:
    • Wright State vs. Illinois (Chicago) – 7:00PM | ESPNU
    • Northern Kentucky vs. Wisconsin (Green Bay) – 9:30PM | ESPN2
  • Southern Conference Basketball Tournament: Championship game
    • East Tennessee State vs. Wofford – 7:00PM | ESPN
  • West Coast Basketball Tournament:
    • Gonzaga vs. San Francisco – 9:00PM | ESPN
• Wrasslin’:
  • WWE Monday Night Raw – 8:00PM | USA / Sportsnet360
    • only one month to Wrestlemania 36, where the Corona virus will be up against MRSA in an empty Raymond James Stadium.

Meeting The Maestro for drinks after work today. I hope he’s not disappointed by what he sees.