Your “Trying To Kill Opponents With Anger” Tuesday Evening Open Thread

NFL News:

• Michael Bennett has retired.
  • It’s a combination of the 11 years he’s already played, the COVID issue, and the fact that he discovered he liked spending time with his family during the lockdown.
  • He leaves with three Pro Bowls to his name and a Super Bowl title.
    • But his 359 tackles, 69.5 sacks and 13 forced fumbles will be a tough sell for the Hall of Fame.

• Well, the NFL blinked.
  • The league has proposed a preseason with no games, acceding to the union’s demands.
    • According to PFT, no preseason games will allow the league to follow a schedule recommended by a joint committee.
      • That schedule calls for three weeks of strength and conditioning work, 10 days of non-padded practice and 10 days of padded practice over the final two weeks.

• Following up on yesterday’s news about the extent of COVID testing is the amount the league is prepared to spend.
  • The figure is estimated to be about $75 million, in case you were wondering what would be the minimum amount the league might spend to get the season started.
    • Naturally, all of the PhD. candidates in the comment section have some slightly different opinions.

• Further enflaming those MAGA-ts will be the news that the league will allow players to wear social justice decals on their helmets.
  • To the point, they will allow players to have decals on the back of their helmets bearing names or initials of victims of systemic racism and police violence.
    • The league sounds resolute in standing up to the President this time around.
      • Perhaps the limited attendance due to COVID will cushion the blow of those “thousands” of season ticket cancellations.
    • Far be it for me to compare Roger Goodell to Sun Tzu, but this does sound rather familiar:
      • The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken.
  • In addition, the NFL also is planning to have “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” traditionally known as the Black national anthem, performed live or played before every Week 1 game.
    • For those unfamiliar with the song, here are some brief notes:
      • According to the NAACP, it was originally written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) and then set to music by his brother John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954) in 1899.
      • As a song, it was performed for the first time by 500 school children in celebration of President Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12, 1900 in Jacksonville, FL.
        • The school was the segregated Stanton School, where James Weldon Johnson was principal.
      • The NAACP dubbed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as the Black national anthem in 1919. The decision came more than a decade before “The Star-Spangled Banner” was adopted as the national anthem of the U.S.
    • And, here is a version performed by Aretha & apparently recorded off a 1974 RCA television.

• According to their annual financial disclosures, the Packers made $509.6 million in revenue for the 2019 season.
  • That includes $296 million in national revenue and $210.9 million in local revenue.
    • According to PFT, “National revenues” are shared among the 32 teams, so the $296 million figure represents each team’s share of the national revenues, which mostly come from TV rights.
    • League-wide, that would put total national revenue at around $9.5 billion.
  • These numbers were up 6.1 percent from the $477.9 million the team made during the 2018 season.
  • Further to Sports Business Daily’s report, if the Packers are permitted to have fans, they are planning on Lambeau Field holding between 10,000-12,000 people under social distancing rules.
    • CEO Mark Murphy said the “break even” point in attendance is less than that, so the team could turn a profit at that capacity level.

Tonight’s … entertainment?:

• MLS is Back Tournament:
  • Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew – 8:00PM | ESPN2 / TSN
    • A Group E match.
  • Montreal Impact vs. D.C. United – 10:30PM | ESPN2 / TSN
    • A Group C match
• Top Rank Boxing on ESPN:
  • Velez-Valdez (featherweights) – 8:00PM | ESPN / TSN3
    • Jayson Velez (29-6-1, 21 KOs) vs. Oscar Valdez (27-0, 21 KOs) in a super-featherweight bout in Las Vegas. Also: Berlanga-Moon (super middleweights).
• Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel – 10:00 PM | HBO
  • David Scott examines health and safety measures being instituted by the NCAA. Plus, Jon Frankel takes a look at LA’s Skid Row Running club with Founder and Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell.
• MLB:
  • Toronto Blue Jays Pre-Season: Toronto @ Boston – 7:30PM | Sportsnet

In case you missed it, Russell Wilson was on the Joel McHale-hosted Kimmel show last night.

Guest Host and @Seahawks superfan @JoelMcHale talks to quarterback @DangeRussWilson about @PatrickMahomes' new record-breaking deal, COVID safety in the @NFL, and his pregnant wife @Ciara… pic.twitter.com/MIPz7UVJEX

— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) July 21, 2020

So, not everything is deadly serious these days.