I tried to get a “Wednesday Motivational” out of TWBS through a séance with my santero neighbors. Turns out the oracle (turtle) only knew Spanish. And, I was too high to translate. Sorry, I’m an atheist; had to take the edge off my snark to make it out alive.

Still, it’s Wednesday, so I’m up for some positivity in here. First, if I still were Catholic, I’d be sure TWBS got into Heaven. That is, after arguing with St. Peter about why he shouldn’t be in Heaven. During Seamus’s tirade, St. Peter would text Lucifer about dungeon vacancies down there, but the Lord of Lies would totally ghost him. And finally Jesus would come out and ask TWBS “Was that Gerald guy for real?”, and Him and TWBS would bond over cuckold jokes.

Amén.

Turning to terrestrial matters, I really do believe it’s gonna be OK, eventually. I have hope. To be precise, I am sure that there will be a 2020 NFL season. Should Gamblor were to charm me, I’d put $100 USD that the season will start in September, 2020. In short, we have to remain positive, and I have complete faith in the NFL’s greed.

While the NBA, NHL and MLB are still working our what to do with their seasons, the NFL had the draft and schedule release—full of caveats, but a complete schedule nonetheless. During these last weeks, smack in the middle of the NFL offseason, states have been announcing that professional sports can resume. Meanwhile, NFL teams have been opening facilities (Beerguyrob covered all this magnificently in last night’s Open Thread), and I presume the league has been developing PPE uniforms, chloroquine* Gatorade, hand sanitizer stickum, and new waiver clauses to all contracts.

* Do not take chloroquine, unless you’re President.

The new collective bargaining agreement added two playoff teams for the 2020 postseason. Until the season is played, that’s honey for everyone but the eventual #2 Conference seeds. The broadcast contracts run until 2022 so ***Obvious Crap Alert*** the NFL needs 2020 and 2021 to be as profitable as possible. Time is on the NFL side, and the league is crapulent enough to deliver.

TWBS used to say I was an optimist, then we usually argued about who thought worse about humanity. But we both thought that one has to work within the circumstances and only worry about what’s within our control. And sometimes, you just gotta get detached,

, and trust that the NFL is not going to exercise discretion during the first season of the Las Vegas Raiders.

I still remember when Tony Romo had a Fantasy Football venture in 2015 that the NFL shut down. For the league, it is never about integrity. Then again, the purpose of any private company is making money. Virtue does not fund any commercial operation, and I’m sure even food banks employ assholes.

So fear not. The NFL season will start on time because it’s run by capitalist pigs who consider scruples an obstacle for growth. High school seasons have been cancelled. 2020 college football it’s still in the air. The NFL could well become the only game in town. Ooof, the windfall is so nauseating in a very, very soothing way.

If, per Wednesday tradition, a positive exhortation is required, how about “let’s be less judgmental with ourselves for supporting corrupt entertainment concerns”.  I certainly try. Then again, I’m a smoker and a boxing fan. So, with the NFL, guess I’m in three product-over-nefariousness camps.

As to NFL players, I’m not worried. Actually, what I’m not worried about is being condescending towards NFL players, by thinking that I know more than them about the risks to themselves. Whether it’s concussions, El Covid, foggy plexiglass facemasks, 17 games in 2021, or playing for Dan Snyder, it’s the players who take that risk—and I respect their decision to play a dangerous game. When they play, I’ll watch. This timeline needs a lot of frivolity.