Covid on My Mind – Monday Open Thread

Week 2 of the Preseason starts this Thursday, and there will be games all through Sunday. I am looking forward to those games as much as updates from incoming packages. Right now, we’re at the Sorting Facilities, where I’m sure each and every worker is masked, washes hands every ten minutes, and must rush to an isolation booth to sneeze. So no, I’m not worried at all.

The NFL crammed a full season last year, without vaccines. I trust their eagerness to be even more cavalier this time around. Not that the NFL needs to; back in July, the league announced that Covid-19 outbreaks among unvaccinated players will be grounds for a forfeit and players from both teams will not be paid. Best case scenario, these measures will result in movie-style, boot-camp peer pressure, complete with pillowcase soapings.

Full attendance by fans at the games is still in force. Howevah, the NFL does not require fans at games to be vaccinated; this is from July 20, but the best source I found.

Yeah… I bet the games will look great on TV / computer during the 2021 regular season. Hell, I can’t see myself inside a 20%-full movie theater—not even for Dune ffs. BUT, going to a January, 2022 post season game will be evaluated in due time, omicron-variant permitting.

 Today in Personal Decisions:

Lamar Jackson: He returned today to practice after contracting Covid for the second time (1^st time was in Nov. ’20). Whether if he’ll get vaccinated, “it’s a personal decision … I’m just going to keep my feelings to my family and myself. I’m focused on getting better right now. I can’t dwell on that right now … how everybody else feels.”

Do I have a take on that?

There is an “approved medical or religious exemption” for vaccination in the NFL-NFLPA Covid-19 Protocols for 2021 Training Camp and Preseason. Maybe your control-F skills are better, but I didn’t see what would be an “approved religious exemption”. I do know a guy who can attest “I, as your Spiritual Pastor, am unconcerned with your physical health. Glory to Moloch”.

Still, it’s quite the Kids’ Table for the unvaccinated, which is fine by me. Serious public health concerns should trump individual rights. Make no mistake, this is not a principled stance, but a spiteful one in light of the smoking ban in bars and restaurants. You pro-health nuts have condemned movies to rely on sound direction and idiosyncratic tics for tense scenes indoors. Damn monsters.

And no, I haven’t had a cig in months. Months!

Practicing Today:

–Deshaun Watson. The important stuff: his trade request remains in place and the Texans are willing to hear offers. Watson is a defendant in 22 separate lawsuits for sexual misconduct, two include allegations of sexual assault; no criminal charges have been filed. My opinion on that legal situation?

The NFL is still reviewing what to do with Watson, per PFT. Would link to it, but part of the Florio charm is seeking him out—and I do not want to deny you of that.

Also Practicing

–Saquon Barkley. “The time has arrived” declares the NY Post. “The wait is over”, the NYP whispers over your ear in a sultry, Harvey Fierstein voice. Top chaff.

The grain: today, practice; tomorrow, 🤷🏼‍♂️. The RB will not be playing in preseason games. As to Week 1, “guess we’ll see” said Barkley.

Out of Practice

–Patriots TE Hunter Henry (shoulder). MRI pending today.

SPROTS TONITE 

Returning Olympic Medalist To Have Pick Of Cameos For 2 Lines Of Stiffly Delivered Dialogue https://t.co/IZ6ofq6Bd5 pic.twitter.com/aGgMtC0beC

— The Onion (@TheOnion) August 9, 2021

With the end of the Olympics, the pickings are slim. All times Central:

Major League Béisbol

Medias Blancas (Giolito, 8-8) @ Twines (Burrows, 0-0) – 7:00 PM

Cerveceros (Peralta, 8-3) @ Ositos (Mills, 5-4) – 7:05 PM

NY Y*nqu*s (Taillon, 7-4) @ Reales (Hernández, 3-1) – 7:10 PM

Marlins (Thompson, 2-4) @ Padres (Musgrove, 7-7) – 9:10 PM

Fútbol – Secsi Mexi (Apertura, 2021)

Pachuca (1-0-1) hosts Atlas (1-1-0) – 9:00 PM

NBA Summer League

Yeah, something this momentous deserves a listing

Just ribbin’ ya. They’re playing in Las Vegas. Here’s what’s on tap:

Magic v. Warriors – 7:00 PM (ESPN3)

Clippers v. Bucks – 8:00 PM (ESPNU)

Suns v. Jazz – 9:00 PM (ESPN3)

Finally, I watched an OK movie yesterday: “The Last Letter from Your Lover”. Two things stood out. First, what makes a good love letter during courting. There’s gotta be emotion, maybe even some reverence. (Counterpoint). But there’s gotta be passion and communicating the intent to act on it. Something more obvious than a “I’M DTF” acrostic, but nothing worthy of a restraining order. It’s a delicate balance.

The second was a scene of a lovelorn guy sending a text, and then staring at the screen while the other was [typing animation] for some seconds, but no text was received. Nice drama-by-tech moment, could even be relatable.

I burns for ya, fitbaw. Come back to meeeeee.