This National Anthem Situation is about to get serious...

Those who are protesting should take the word of my anonymous friend seriously:

Enjoy this while you can.  It's about to become illegal.

It sounds, already, like it's about to become dangerous...  to both your ability to play and, quite possibly, your life or the life of someone you care about.

The latest two stories (along with the estimated 100,000,000 who watched The Greatest Reality Show On Earth Monday night...) bear this out.

First off, the University of Nebraska.  Three University of Nebraska players knelt during the National Anthem this week, joining the growing number of protests to the racial strife and inequality in this country.  (For the record, players from both Michigan and Michigan State raised fists before their games.)

The governor of the state of Nebraska called it disrespectful.  At least one regent of the University wants the three thrown off the team -- NOW!  Several death threats have been registered against the players, some saying they should be shot or ceremonially hung before the next home game's playing of the Anthem, according to an interview quoted to USA Today.

Now, correctly, the president of the university, Hank Bounds told these people... to promptly shut the fuck up (taken from the USA Today article):

“I have served in the military," Bounds wrote. "I understand love of country and love of the flag and I know that freedom is not free. I recognize that some are upset by what they saw on Saturday night. But let me be clear. The University of Nebraska will not restrict the First Amendment rights of any student or employee.”

Of course, it sounds like it could be worse.

You could be LeBron James right now.  Certainly, him protesting during the National Anthem would make a very large statement.

He will continue to stand, and one of the reasons appears to be fear of retaliation against his now-12 year old son.

During the annual pre-season Media Day for the defending NBA champions, James said he understands Colin Kaepernick and all, but he looks at his 12 year old son and really wonders what's going to happen when he's 16 and goes out for a drive.

This situation is going to get out of hand.  And, especially with a White nationalist (a nationalist who is White, not 100% sure how deep the racism actually goes) and a Wall Street whore who views Blacks as "Super Predators" being our "options" for President, I sense this is already pear-shaped and going to get quite worse!!

I give it about Election Day before an Anthem protestor is finally attacked physically on the spot.

I Hate People, Part MMMDCCXLVIII

I knew it was going to happen.  And I knew I was going to hate it.

Last week, as most baseball fans probably know, the city of Los Angeles said goodbye to the only voice of the Dodgers they basically knew, Vin Scully.

They had his bobblehead on Tuesday, a ceremony and a special letter from Vin on Friday, a commemorative coin on Saturday, and a special program for his last home game on Sunday (which, almost fittingly, ended on a division-winning walk-off home run!).

And they're all on eBay.

Several bobbleheads the Dodgers have given away to honor Vin the last several seasons pockmark eBay.  Someone got SIXTEEN of them and is selling them for $55+ each!  Someone, and I'm not sure which one, got over 100 of one of the bobbleheads and is pocketing $144 for each of those!!!

The coin, someone reported, was being sold for $50 or so a pop, and someone snagged 160 of them somehow, or more!!!

There's an auction for the letter up on eBay that's over $40 as I type.

They're even selling the program they gave out to the 50,000+ at the Stadium -- somewhere in the area of $5-10 or so for that!!!

Did I tell you I hate people?

Is there any wonder this is why???

I mean, it's clear that there are a bunch of shitheads who knew what was coming this last weekend and decided to cash in on our good friend Vin.

Seriously.

GO.

FUCK.

YOURSELVES.

Week 3 Score Report 2016 -- and some SERIOUS ratings numbers...

Last week of 16 games per week until about Thanksgiving.  15 games this week.

• Week 3 Score Average:  46.94  (Last year:  48.31, two years ago:  46.5)
• 48 game per game total score average:  45.688 (Last year:  47.104, two years ago:  44.6)
• Home teams started the week 4-5, but the entire late schedule went to the home teams, as did Sunday night.  Home teams were 10-6 on the week, 27-21 for the year.  (Last year:  8-8, 26-22.  Two years ago:  9-7, 30-18)
• The over was 9-7, making 26-21 for the year.  (Last year was 10-5 for 25-20 to 25-23.  Two years ago was 8-8 with anywhere between 18 and 22 overs for 26 unders)
• One game went middle against the spread (Baltimore was anywhere from a 1 to 2.5 point favorite over Jacksonville and won by 2.)
• Big week for the underdogs straight up, as favorites only went 7-8 against the number and 8-7 straight-up.  For the year, that's 20-23 against the number and 25-18 straight up.
• 226 penalties this week (almost matching last year's 229).  Big story of the year appears to be the team with more penalties is losing:  5-8 on the week, 17-26 on the year.
• Something tells me Goodell was not happy with the ratings, and gave up this week, at least for this week:  Though there were four Cliffhangers (11 for the year (23%)), there were SEVEN non-competitive games this week.  Happened three times last year and was either met or exceeded three times the year before.  The big stat from that:  There'd only been five such games in Weeks 1 and 2 COMBINED.
• Three Last Chance Misses, counting one of the Cliffhangers.  14 of those, with 2 overlaps.  Meaning that 23 of the first 48 games were either a Cliffhanger or that the team behind had a feasible last chance for one and missed.
• Only seven games this week ended within one score.  29 out of the 48 for the year (60.4%)
• The games within one score at some point in the fourth quarter (nine this week):  36 out of 48 (75%).
• Last year:  No Cliffhangers Week 3, 6 Cliffhangers total.  Two years ago:  2 to total 8.
• Ending within one score last year: Six for the week, 23 total (47.9%).  Two years ago:  Only 18 total.
• Within one score at some point in the 4th last year:  32/48.  Two years ago?  29.
• Interesting Point to Ponder #1:  Through three weeks, there have been as many games decided by one score this year than there were games within one score at any point in the fourth quarter two years ago.
• Interesting Point to Ponder #2:  For the third week in a row, the Monday night game in the regular time slot was non-competitive.
• Interesting Point to Ponder #3:  There has been neither a Cliffhanger nor a Last Chance Miss on the Sunday nighter this year so far.
• Interesting Point to Ponder #4:  There have been 12 games in which the game was decided through three quarters.  Only TWO have come from the main 1 PM Eastern/10 AM Pacific start times.
• Interesting Point to Ponder #5:  Raising speculation that the election may be becoming the main focus of ratings this year, the Los Angeles Times reports through Sports Media Watch that Monday Night Football had it's lowest overnight rating EVER.  Not just ESPN-era.  The 5.7 overnight rating for Falcons-Saints was the lowest ever recorded in the history of the series.
• There's a reason for that:  Overnights for nine networks airing the debate?  FORTY-SIX POINT TWO.  Meaning almost half the television sets in the country which were on at all were watching those two motherfuckers barf all over the stage.
• The final rating was 4.9 -- and that is the lowest-rated Monday Night game ever.  To give comparison, the last two years of Monday night had 40% higher ratings.
• SMW reports the CBS regional half of the doubleheader was down 13% from last year, but the national half was rather consistent with last year.  FOX is the only network seeming to buck this trend, and did again for it's single window on Sunday.

What the fuck are you DOING, ESPN???

So, at the behest of my anonymous friend, I pop on to ESPN.com for a moment.

Sunday night game...
Les Miles fired...
THEN Jose Fernandez' death (which NEVER became the top story on the website all day, and certainly wouldn't now -- let me finish and you'll see why...)
THEN Vin Scully's last home game, punctuated with a division-winning walk-off home run!
Football...
Football...
Football...

And that's the headlines on the front page as of 6:42 PM PDT.

And then, just as I'm typing this..  (Literally just as I'm typing this, I had checked seconds before and got that list!) NOW...  An hour and 15 minutes or so after most other sites confirmed it...

You finally have the time to tell us Arnold Palmer passed away today.

There are people whom, under no circumstances, want me to use your service as a source when the news merits it.

THIS IS WHY, FOUR-LETTERED NETWORK...

Week 2 Fine Blotter racking up in a hurry

Either last year was an anomaly, or the NFL is striking back, especially on celebrations.

At least two TWO TIME LOSERS...

• New York Giants:  Reports indicate Odell Beckham Jr. has been fined $36,462 for a crack-back block.  Now, because this is his sixth fine in a little over two seasons (and second in two weeks -- and he's facing an old rival this week (so much so the referees pulled them both aside before the game)), apparently the next one will get him suspended for his record -- and, if the past is any indication, that suspension could be 2-3 games.
• Denver Broncos:  Also fined in back-to-back weeks, Darian Stewart, $9,115 for Roughing the Passer.  Should've been multiplied by four.

Other fines for Week 2...

• Buffalo Bills:  Stephon Gilmore, $9,115 for a face mask.
• New York Jets:  Two $9,115 fines for taunting:  Eric Decker and Sheldon Richardson.
• Carolina Panthers:  One can almost expect, the way the league is going this year, that we may be headed toward the college rules on celebrations.  Two $12,154 fines for celebrations:  Devin Funchess and Kelvin Benjamin.
• Minnesota Vikings:  Stefon Diggs, $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Chicago Bears:  Akiem Hicks, $18,231 for Roughing the Passer
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Javon Hardgrave, $18,231 for a Horse Collar Tackle
• Green Bay Packers:  Mike Daniels, $18,231 for Roughing the Passer
• Oakland Raiders:  Marquette King, $18,231 for a Horse Collar Tackle.  King is the Raiders' PUNTER.

Once Again, The Burgeoning Race War In This Country Invades College Football

Another example of the rising racial tensions in this country hit Eastern Michigan University earlier this week when white supremacist graffiti was found in a dorm this week.

A protest was planned -- peacefully -- for the end of last night's game between Eastern Michigan and Wyoming.  The students marched on the field, joined by at least one Wyoming player.

The protest went completely as negotiated with the University and planned -- unlike one earlier this week when some dipshit decided to attempt to run over as many protestors as she could with her SUV!

The great thing, according to the Deadspin report, was that CBS Sports Network, covering the game, chose, also, to cover the protest as a news story -- not only when it happened, but with everything which led up to it.

As I've said with several other posts on the subject, it's on and it's no longer avoidable:  Something's going down here.  And something's going down here real damned soon, if it's not already beginning in progress.

We talk about the illegal hits, but even the legal ones do damage...

Two from Deadspin here.  The first is another Deadspin Targeting Ejection of the Week from Friday night.

And then, an example from this morning that even a legal hit probably does brain damage.