It’s by no means a very good signal when John Mara, the reply to the query of what would occur if George Will ate paste, is the voice of motive. However that’s the place the NFL, and Roger Goodell, discovered themselves on the homeowners’ conferences yesterday. In some way, the homeowners had been ready to withstand the urge to flex Thursday evening video games, however to not increase the restrict on the quantity of short-week video games a staff can play from one to 2. That doesn’t embody a staff enjoying on consecutive Thursdays, say Thanksgiving and the Thursday earlier than or after. Which suggests some groups (taking a look at you, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs) may find yourself with three Thursday video games this season. That is how they really feel about it:
Mara truly gave the impression of he had some concern for gamers and followers alike, although perhaps that was simply fuel escaping:
“In some unspecified time in the future, can we please give some consideration to the people who find themselves coming to our video games?” Mara stated. “Individuals make plans to go to those video games weeks and months prematurely. And 15 days forward of time to say, ‘Sorry, of us, that sport you had been planning on taking your youngsters to Sunday at 1, now it’s on Thursday evening?’ What are we interested by?”
Mara even talked about {that a} proposal just like the flex plan for Thursday nights ought to have gone to the Well being and Security Committee of the league, which is not less than a half-step towards caring concerning the well-being of the gamers, i.e. those followers wish to watch.
That didn’t cease Goodell from throwing his physique on the stay grenade that’s something which may dent homeowners’ pursuits.
“There isn’t anyone in any of our group that doesn’t put our followers first,” he stated.
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Uh-huh. Whereas Mara frightened concerning the followers who truly attend video games — and it’s barely refreshing that he not less than has a while for the 80,000 Carls from Aqua Teen Starvation Power that pay for his seat licenses — Goodell couldn’t have made it extra clear that the league doesn’t give a flying fuck about anybody who pays for a ticket. They made it clear they stopped caring concerning the stay fan once they stopped the sport to point out commercials to everybody who isn’t there when the temperature is 1°. Or once they constructed stadiums that had seat licenses requiring a second mortgage for seats which are a zipper code away from the sector.
Whereas Goodell might declare that flexing Thursday evening video games is a service for the followers, it ignores that the majority Thursday video games are dogshit as a result of three days aren’t sufficient time for gamers to recuperate and put together from their work the earlier Sunday. If the video games had been truly good, followers could be much less prone to thoughts in the event that they’re all the time Jets vs. Texans.
There was additionally this nugget from the commish:
“We take a look at knowledge with respect to accidents and impression on gamers. … I believe we’ve got knowledge that’s very clear, it doesn’t present greater damage price.”
Beware a Goodell bearing research.
Everyone knows what this actually is: Amazon has purchaser’s regret for forking over billions for crap-tastic video games involving not less than one mediocre staff if not two which are banged up and drained and incapable of the beautiful execution wanted to play good soccer. And it’s extra possible two, as a result of the NFL is full of mediocre groups. Each season there are fewer and fewer groups everybody needs to observe and extra morass. What number of genuinely good groups had been there final yr? 4? They’ll’t play one another each week.
Goodell can parrot the speaking factors he’s been programmed with all he likes, we all know the deal. Followers truthfully wouldn’t thoughts Thursday evening video games going away. For followers who attend it’s a bitch to determine after work with nonetheless one other workday on the opposite facet. Followers of the groups enjoying don’t look after it way more. Followers who simply wish to watch soccer may do with out the shitty product. Gamers hate it. It’s simply one other river of money for the homeowners that they’re attempting to maintain flowing.
Welcome again, stranger
The USWNT introduced its roster for 2 friendlies in April towards Eire, the final earlier than the squad will get collectively for the World Cup. And there was fairly a shocking identify on that staff sheet, one Julie Ertz.
Ertz hasn’t performed a aggressive match in practically two years, and at the moment doesn’t have a membership. She’s additionally seven months from giving delivery to her first youngster. She’s been coaching, nevertheless it’s some measure of the desperation that supervisor Vlatko Andonovski should be feeling about his midfield proper now that Ertz can get again into the staff with out, y’know, enjoying.
And he’s proper to assume the USWNT want Ertz badly. The 2 greatest areas of concern have been their capability to play out below a heavy press and with the ability to break up counter-attacks coming towards them. Ertz at her prime solved each issues, given her metronomic passing and impenetrable management whereas below strain, to associate with anticipation and imaginative and prescient to interrupt up oncoming assaults.
However this isn’t going to be a first-rate Ertz. Even when she indicators with a membership tomorrow, she gained’t be moving into video games for not less than just a few weeks. She may get 10-12 video games within the NWSL earlier than the match, however that’s after 600 days of not enjoying anyplace in any respect by damage or being pregnant and maternity depart.
Nonetheless, nobody has been in a position to seize her position and do it anyplace close to the extent required for the US to maintain enjoying the attack-minded 4-3-3 they like. Andi Sullivan has been overwhelmed a whole lot of the time as a No. 6. Taylor Kornieck was one thing of a catastrophe there in her one go. Lindsey Horan and Kristie Mewis simply aren’t constructed for that holding position. Ertz is that distinctive and that irreplaceable.
It’s a big gamble, however one the US has spent two years proving they should take.
Barnum and Bailey on Ice
As documented yesterday, the Oilers have been Barnum and Bailey on Ice for the previous month or so. Right here’s Leon Draisaitl giving one other instance final evening towards the Knights:
Some goober enjoying blackjack at The Mirage continues to be questioning why Alec Martinez’s jock landed on him final evening.
