NFL News:

• Antonio Brown issued a(n empty) trade threat in response to criticism of Sunday’s performance.
  • A former Steelers PR rep, Ryan Scarpino, who worked for the Steelers from 2010-17, tweeted his thoughts, and I guess Brown still follows him and got a little touchy someone went after the king.

https://twitter.com/AB84/status/1041710739642376193

– FYI, this is Scarpino’s twitter page, because nothing says “hip to today” like The Allman Brothers. (don’t @ me)

• Also, Ape asks the truly important questions:

so is Fan Bingbing a sit or start for Week 3?

— Mike Tunison (@xmasape) September 18, 2018

• As Clay Matthews opined after the game, not only did the League back its officials (because they aren’t asking for more money) but they also have decided to add on a “fuck you, Clay” by declaring his hit to be an official teachable moment.
  • They have decided that Matthews’ “technique of grabbing the passer from behind the leg or legs, scooping and pulling in an upward motion, is a foul,” and is sending the tape to all officials for study.

Well, here’s a good one: (from ESPN)

• In a letter sent to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame C. David Baker on Tuesday, many high-profile Pro Football Hall of Famers said they would not attend the annual induction ceremony until Hall of Famers receive health insurance and an annual salary that includes a share of league revenue.
  • The letter outlines that the total cost for every Hall of Famer to have health insurance is less than $4 million, which is less than that of a 30-second Super Bowl ad, or about 3 cents for every $100 the league generates in revenue.
    • Compared to Major League Baseball players, who spend even one day on an MLB roster are entitled to health insurance for the rest of their lives, while players who spend 43 days on a roster get a lifelong pension. In contrast, NFL players receive no such benefits, and the players note that “the NFL is the only major American corporation that is set up this way.”
• They also have words for national disgrace Roger Goodell, calling him “overpaid” and saying that the league “is notorious for the hard line it takes against players.”
  • “Commissioner Goodell, there are better uses for that money.”
• Their leverage?
  • Until our demands are met, the Hall of Famers will not attend the annual induction ceremony in Canton
• PFT, not wholly unsurprisingly, has chosen to go after the players who signed the letter, pointing out: (all are quoted directly)
  • It’s very convenient of [Lawrence] Taylor to care about this issue now that he’s retired, even though he undermined the issue when he was an active player [by crossing the 1987 picket line] and was in a better position to effect change.
  • Sanders and Warner (are) both NFL Network employees. Would they be willing to walk out on their NFL Network jobs in solidarity with the fellow players they say are being mistreated?
  • Carl Eller is listed as a signer, his name is misspelled as “Carl Ellard.” That one player’s name isn’t even spelled correctly would strongly suggest he didn’t actually participate in the drafting of the letter.
  • Of course, the cause isn’t “helping retired players” generally, it’s paying Hall of Famers specifically.
    • Hall of Famers were usually among the highest-paid players while they were active, and can still make good money with endorsements and autograph shows today. If there’s an effort to improve benefits for retired players, shouldn’t it start with the players who need the most help?

I don’t have the time right now to devote to “Hope Clicks Eternal”, my award-adjacent dive into the social media feeds of teams that either lost huge or surprisingly. However, the first two weeks did give us some delightful takes – first, some anger from down in the Bears feed,

And every fucking year u do this! @ChicagoBears u fucking hurt me and there I go again every year hoping it will get better and all you do is fucking suck … nah m fuck you I'm done ! It's been to many year of this fucking bull shit

— Hector Fuentes (@Torito4x4) September 10, 2018

and then some delusion from the Patriots twitter.

I'm hoping that this game was a set up to see what the Jags have this year..@Patriots laid low and didn't waist energy on full potential
= study the Jags potential for playoffs. Know how to destroy them later in the season!

— FixItFabulous (@FixItFabulous) September 18, 2018

Truly, it must sting to be so stupid. I can’t wait to see the Seahawks feed if Dallas clobbers them in their home opener.

Tonight’s sports:

• Hockey:preseason
  • Senators at Leafs – 7:00PM | Sportsnet
  • Oilers at Canucks – 10:30PM | Sportsnet
•  Beisbol:
  • MLB:
    • Blue Jays at Orioles – 7:00PM | Sportsnet1
    • Cardinals at Braves – 7:30PM | ESPN / TSN
  • AAA: Triple A National Championship
    • Memphis Redbirds vs. Durham Bulls – 7:00PM | NBCSN
      • from Columbus, OH
      • a one-game playoff
• WWE:
  • Smackdown – 8:00PM | USA / Sportsnet360

I’d say thank BLEERGH we only have two more days until football, but it’s Jets-Browns. JUST CALL IT A TIE NOW!