Your “Play In Madness Madness” Thursday Evening Open Thread

The Indianapolis stripper above means it’s officially NCAA Tourney time, so let’s dispense with the news & get down to the hoopin’!

NFL Noise:

• The NFL announced their new TV deals today.
  • They are with all their current partners, and will run from 2023 through 2033.
• Among the changes:
  • Amazon Prime Video has acquired the rights to be the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football.
  • The four networks – ABC, CBS, ESPN, & FOX – all keep their current assignments, but now pay to stream the games on their digital platforms as well.
  • From 2023 through 2033, three Super Bowls each will be hosted by CBS (2023, 2027, 2031), FOX (2024, 2028, 2032) and NBC (2025, 2029, 2033), while ABC (2026, 2030) will carry two.
  • There will be an increased ability to flex games to Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football.
  • NFL Network will continue to air a select schedule of exclusive games annually.

Free agency update:

• Done deals:
  • Mitchell Trubisky to the Bills. 
    • We’re going to have to update the image.
  • Kyle Rudolph to the Giants.
    • I guess they needed a pass catching option at TE to compliment Evan Engram.
• Rumoured deals:
  • JuJu Smith Schuster is meeting with the Jets.
  • Jo Flacco is visiting the 49ers.
  • The Stafford-for-Goff trade was finally announced & affirmed.

In an escalating series of Crimebeat! allegations, two more women have come out to say they were assaulted by Deshaun Watson.

• So far, the first two civil suits allege “civil assault“, which involved touching them with his penis during a massage.
  • Including one lady who was flown in from Atlanta to provide the massage.
• The third suit alleges he went further and coerced her into providing oral sex.
  • And that “she was afraid of what someone like Watson could do if she did not submit to his demands.”
• The lawyer representing all three women contends there will be three more suits upcoming.
  • There have been other allegations, but these six are the ones he allegedly has definitive proof for pursuing.
• No criminal charges are being pursued at present.
  • But it has to be only a matter of time before the police & Roger Goodell have to do something.

When the first one was announced, most people were like, “Oh, this is a smear campaign to lower his value”. Now it sounds like a repeating pattern of behaviour, which – yeesh.

Tonight’s sports:

• NCAA:
  • NCAA First Four:
    • Appalachian St. vs. Norfolk St. – 8:40pm | truTV
    • UCLA vs. Michigan St. – 9:57pm | TBS
  • NIT first round:
    • SMU vs. Boise St. – 9:00pm | ESPN / TSN4
    • N.C. State vs. Davidson – 7:00pm | ESPN / TSN4
• NHL:
  • Boston vs Buffalo – 7:00pm | NBCSN / Sportsnet
• NBA:
  • Utah vs Washington – 7:00pm | NBATV / Sportsnet1
  • Thunder vs. Hawks – 7:30pm | TSN
  • Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers – 10:00pm | TSN
  • Charlotte vs LA Lakers – 10:30pm | NBATV / Sportsnet1

As Hippo mentioned earlier:

• Fuck North Carolina. I hope Seamus drives down from Heaven in Dave & runs over their fans.
• Don’t forget to join the [DFO] Bracket Insanity.

Get to the madness!