NFL News:

• The opt-out list got a bit larger today, with some notable names:
  • Patriots: Dont’a Hightower, Patrick Chung, Brandon Bolden, Marcus Cannon, Danny Vitale, and Najee Toran.
  • Bears: Eddie Goldman
  • Bills: Star Lotulelei

• The Bengals agreed to terms with Joe Burrow today.
  • It’s a fully guaranteed $36 million deal, with a $23.9 million signing bonus.
    • Mike Brown wanted to pay in Skyline gift cards, but Burrow’s agent was too smart for that.

• Patrick Mahomes has bought ownership interest in the KC Royals.
  • Now he has something to do after Spring workouts – he can walk across the parking lot & watch from the owner’s box.
    • Considering his dad was once a MLB pitcher – but never with the Royals – it makes a certain amount of financial planning sense.
  • One assumes it’s a ceremonial 1% ownership, much like the Dolphins used to sell off in order to attract casual billionaire fans.

• The City of Green Bay is projecting up to $160 million in losses from the lack of fans attending Packers games.
  • Mostly from lost tax & tourist revenue.
  • The rest of the story is behind a paywall, so I have to assume there were projections about layoffs & reductions in social services.

• Stealing from Crimebeat! – former 49er Dana Stubblefield has been found guilty of raping a 31-year-old woman. 
  • He was found guilty of rape by force, oral copulation by force and false imprisonment and acquitted of raping a person incapable of giving consent.
    • He contacted a babysitting website & she was the person they sent him for the interview. The rape occurred after the interview & she had left, when she was invited back to the house with a promise of “compensation” for her time that day.
  • It’s his third post-retirement conviction:
    • He pleaded guilty in 2009 to lying to federal officials investigating a performance-enhancing drugs ring catering to professional athletes.
      • He was sentenced to probation after cooperating with investigators.
    • In 2010, he pleaded guilty to stealing his former girlfriend’s mail by submitting a fraudulent change of address for her to the U.S. Post Office
      • He was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

I learned today that Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s middle name is “Cornelius”. And so, from hence forth, this shall be the graphic that accompanies his name:

Verily, I am a child.

Tonight’s sports:

• MLB:
  • New York Yankees at Philadelphia Phillies – 6:00PM | FS1
    • COVID-tests permitting
  • Blue Jays at Nationals – 6:00PM | Sportsnet
  • Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros – 9:00PM | FS1
• MLS is Back Tournament:
  • Columbus Crew vs. Minnesota United – 8:00PM | ESPN / TSN
  • Portland Timbers vs. FC Cincinnati – 10:30PM | ESPN / TSN

NHL “pre-post-season” started today, and NBA “pre-post-season” started on the weekend, so we have that to look forward to as well. But since I don’t care about those games until they count, I’m not listing them.