Day 645

• Washington's COVID list is now up to EIGHTEEN.  Eight more today.
• Toronto and Ottawa have halved their capacities for pro sporting events due to the Omicron wave.
• The quarterback and head coach of the Browns are the latest Browns to test positive for COVID, as well as their running backs coach and three defensive starters.
• Sports Illustrated, blaming the shortcomings of the protocols, now wants the NFL to postpone the Browns/Raiders game.  If they do, it won't be the only one.   
• The count, just for Monday and Tuesday, is up to 75 player positives -- that is an entire roster plus half of a second.  And that's just Monday and Tuesday.
• The Calgary Flames have just postponed their fourth straight game - as SEVENTEEN more enter the protocol from the franchise.
• The NHL has actually been asked the question as to whether it will halt play.  According to Yardbarker...  Not yet.  If it does, the NBA and college sports probably quickly follow.   
• Gem from Keith Olbermann:  "Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell:  449 Home Runs.  Hall of Famer Vlad Guerrero:  449 Home Runs.  Non-Hall of Famer Barry Bonds:  Hit Home Runs Off Of 449 Different Pitchers...  while on 449 different performance-enhancing drugs." 
• The continuing drama in Jacksonville now has allegations of physical abuse against coach Urban Meyer.  A former Jaguar now claims Meyer kicked him.
• And the continuing drama in Washington which has nothing to do with the COVID list has Roger Goodell, as usual, looking out for his owner friends.  BULLSHIT, ROGER!!   
• Final Fantasy XIV has, simultaneously, had a great time and a horrible time.  The new Endwalker expansion is going swimmingly -- too swimmingly.  2-4 hour queues to get into the game are all too commonplace for anyone who has a first-shift job, and, after another flushing of the game to try to deal with it, executive producer Naoki Yoshida announced the following:

1. An increase in the free playtime previously seven days to 21.
2. Suspension of all advertising for the game.
3. Total suspension of the free trial.
4. Suspension of any further sales for the game itself.  And before people wonder, it makes sense -- there are that many "too many" players.  Those three will be phased in in the next few days. 
5. No decision yet on suspending the World First race for the new Savage raids in early January.  We'll see about that...   
6. No addition to game capacity is currently possible.  Thank the fucking COVIDiots and Coingeeks.