Day 551, Part Two

• The good news is, as of this morning, only one of the eight positive tests is a player.  That said, however, the New Orleans Saints have little to celebrate this Tuesday morning -- at least six offensive coaches and a nutritionist have tested positive for the coronavirus, sources have told ESPN's Adam Schefter.   It was announced earlier in training camp that all coaches and staff for the team were, in fact, vaccinated.
• It appears Seattle will host the 2023 baseball All-Star Game.  2022 will be held in Los Angeles.
• Ryan Braun has officially hung up his cleats.  Retired today.
• NORM!!!!  Lost Norm MacDonald today -- long and private cancer fight.  He was 61.
• The Buffalo Bills are joining at least the Raiders in requiring all fans at their games to be vaccinated.
• The victory for the books and for the underdogs in Week 1 of 2021 was the largest-scale such victory straight-up in a Week 1 since 1983!  The 7-9 was the worst since Week 10 of 2019, when they went 5-8 in a 13-game schedule.
• Even after last week, the bookies are making the Packers 11.5 point favorites at home over the Lions on Monday Night Football.  That's a sucker's bet right there.  Take the Lions and the points.  
• The ratings numbers are in for Sunday of Week 1:

1. Both networks had doubleheaders this first week, so there's no comparison with the late CBS DH (10.0 rating, about 19.5M viewers (KC-CLE or MIA-NE).  Compare that to last year's FOX late:  About 15% down rating and 20% down viewers.
2. Early doubleheader for CBS vs. last year's single:  7.5 rating, almost 14M viewers, up a tick in both respects.
3. Early doubleheader, FOX:  Half the nation got Philly-Atlanta, and it ended no surprise in that regard:  6.0 rating, about 11.2M viewers, down about a sixth (17% each) in both respects.
4. Late doubleheader, FOX:  Slackers/Saints in 80% of the markets.  8.3 rating, 16 1/4M viewers (37% drops in both.)
5. Sunday night:  9.6 rating, about 17 2/3M viewers for CHI-LAR for NBC:  About a 7% loss in both.

Pretty much about what I expected.  A bloodbath of various regards, except for the AFC early in both numbers.  CBS did decently, FOX stunk.   

• What was not expected was LV-BAL on Monday night actually got the best Week 1 Monday night rating in eight years:  15.3 million -- yeah, it was a three-way simulcast with the Mannings doing ESPN2 and ABC showing the ESPN feed, but it was a good number for them, leading to the full ratings for the week up 7% Thursday - Monday, largely on the beginning national game and the ending one.