Your “The Sound of Silence” Tuesday Evening Open Thread

NFL Nuggets:

Most of the news today is bureaucratic in nature:

• The NFL decided back in June that each team could set its own attendance policies, based on consultations with local authorities.
  • Teams are still deciding on what home openers will look like, but today’s updates are:
    • The Chiefs are planning on having 16,000 fans to their opener.
      • This is in accordance with their plan to limit attendance to 22% of Arrowhead’s capacity.
    • The Titans are planning on having no fans in attendance.
      • It’s not really their choice, but they are being forced to abide the local & county health officials.
    • The Falcons will have no fans for their first two home games.
      • They were caught between a state governor who wants everything reopened health codes be damned, and state & local officials who insist on stricter measures than the Falcons could implement right away.
        • Also, liability laws in Georgia could open the Falcons up to lawsuits if people could prove they got exposed at the game.
• The NFL has decided against the plan to make referees full-time employees, citing costs.
  • They will continue to be classified as “part-time” employees, with a three-month “dark period” continuing to exist after the Super Bowl.
    • This is/was when guys like Ed Hochuli would go work their “regular” jobs like being a lawyer.
  • It’s believe the emphasis on improved video review is behind the league’s decision.
    • “Oversight” mitigates making the refs “full time”.
• Alex Smith has been activated off the PUP list & is eligible to begin workouts with Washington.
  • He’s endured 17 surgeries since he Theismann’d himself against Houston.
  • Thanks to the contract he signed in 2018, he’s owed $5 million this season, with a potential to earn upwards of $21 million in total salary.
    • Either way, he’s a cap hit of $24 million to Washington.
    • He’s earned $173 million since entering the league.

I am very cross with Google today. Aside from their steadfast refusal to obliterate my search history, when I typed “The Sound of Silence” into it, it returned the Disturbed cover as the top choice,

instead of the one I actually wanted,

None of this “OK Boomer” shit on my computer apparently. I’d have been okay if it was a completely new song that just happened to share the same title. But no – exact same fucking song, but in that nu-metal style that made people think Fred Durst was the hardest motherfucker out there at the turn of the century. You’d think the amount of vintage porn I “happen across” would influence which version of a song they’d prioritize. But I guess algorithms aren’t what they used to be.

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL:
  • Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders – 8:00PM | NBCSN / Sportsnet
    • Game 4 – Isles lead 3-0
      • so much for that prediction.
  • Vegas Golden Knights vs. Chicago Blackhawks – 10:30PM | NBCSN / Sportsnet
    • Game 5 – Vegas leads 3-1
• NBA:
  • Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets – 6:30PM | TNT / TSN
  • Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 9:00PM | TNT / TSN
• MLB:
  • Rays at Yankees – 7:00PM | ESPN / TSN3
  • Blue Jays at Orioles – 7:30PM | Sportsnet1
  • Cardinals at Cubs – 8:00PM | FS1 – No positive tests yet!
• MLS:
  • Toronto FC vs. Whitecaps FC – 8:00PM | TSN4

Vacation break #3 starts tomorrow. This time, it’s to celebrate by wedding anniversary. WineWife has earned a nice getaway after putting up with me for 22 years. If I don’t come back, remember – I probably deserved it.