Your “Oh, Okay – More Sports?!” Tuesday Evening Open Thread

NFL News:

• Richard Sherman took being Richard Sherman like a man last night, when questioned about the call that kept the Packers game-winning drive alive:
  • “I can’t have that penalty … regardless of how I feel about it. I have to find a way to make that play without getting flagged.”
  • Considering that exact play is how he’s made his reputation, it sounds like a man who understands you can’t get away with everything.

• For those of you who hate Ohio State, feel free to tweet a “thank you” to Nick Bosa.
  • When his core muscle injury is healed up, he’s going to sit the rest of OSU’s season in order to prepare for the draft.
  • PFT bravely calls it “a greater commitment to his own future, rather than risk(ing) [that future] for the glorification and enrichment of a system which treats him like an unpaid intern.”

• The new theory, because people are bored, is that Le’Veon Bell is going to return on October 30th.
  • At 4:01 PM, after the trade deadline, but still during Week 8, which will allow him to gain enough credit for a full season and trigger his free agency.
  • It’ll also give him more time to work on his poetry.

• The Alliance of American Football – the Ebersol version of the XFL – is scheduled to start its season one week after Super Bowl LIII.
  • In case you’ve forgotten, it’s an eight team, ten week league.
    • Oh, and all the teams have names now: (these are also the first week matchups)
      • Atlanta Legends & Orlando Apollos
      • San Diego Fleet & San Antonio Commanders
        • because “San Diego Commanders” would have been TOO perfect for DFO.
      • Memphis Express & Birmingham Iron
      • Salt Lake Stallions & Arizona Hotshots

Finally, it appears the Patriots have…Sorry, let me rephrase this in the local vernacular:

• FACK! IT APPEAHS THAT YOU-AH CAN’T NO LONGAH SHOW THE PATS OPPONENT HOW YOU-AH REALLY FEEL! FACKIN’ GOODELL’S MAKIN’ THA GAME SAWFTA!!

Statement from the New England Patriots: pic.twitter.com/VapBDpzzdg

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 15, 2018

• Patriots fans, however, come out on two sides:

• Reggie Bush seems to have the appropriate take on all this:

Now if he smacked the piss out of one of you clowns you would be all over social media crying ready to sue him! Fans need to chill before somebody get hurt! You don’t have to like the opposing team but you need to show respect or don’t go! https://t.co/cdNy09AV4o

— Reggie Bush (@ReggieBush) October 15, 2018

Tonight’s sports:

• MLB:
  • Brewers at Dodgers – 9:00PM | FS1 / Sportsnet
• NHL:
  • Canucks at Penguins – 7:00PM | Sportsnet1
  • Coyotes at Wild – 8:00PM | NBCSN
• NBA:
  • 76ers at Celtics – 8:00PM | TNT / TSN
  • Thunder at Warriors – 10:30PM | TNT / Sportsnet1
• International Friendly Soccer:
  • U.S. vs. Peru – 8:00PM | ESPN2
• WWE:
  • Smackdown – 8:00PM | USA / Sportsnet360
    • It’s “Smackdown 1000”, so there’s going to be returning vets & surprises galore!

Hey, without realizing it, the NBA regular season opens tonight.