LBears-Pats in two hours, and the NFL just posted the hype video. Call it the Drake Maye showcase.
MThursday night, 8:15 on Prime. Chicago on the road, and this one has actual stakes. Both teams need a win badly.
LForget the hype video. The Bears pass rush is the story. Seventeen sacks already, and New England is down both starting guards.
MAlijah Vera-Tucker on IR, and now Christian Gonzalez is questionable with an illness. Maye's got two backup guards in front of him.
LSo Drake Maye, rookie, Thursday night, Bears front four coming after him. I'm taking Chicago minus three, and it's not close.
MNot close? Chicago's offense hasn't exactly been lighting it up. This is a road game on a short week.
LDoesn't matter when the other team can't block. Maye will be running for his life by the second quarter.
MBut that's what everyone said about their last road game! And then Caleb Williams had to escape the pocket fifteen times.
LThat's the difference. Williams escapes and makes plays. Maye hasn't shown he can do that against this level of pressure.
MSo you're betting on a Bears offensive line to keep him clean. Bold.
LI'm betting on their defense to score more than their offense. There's a difference.
MFair. A.J. Brown is active for this one, so the Bears have their best weapon back.
LAnd that matters because — I checked — Chicago is 2-0 when Brown plays. He opens up the whole field.
MSpeaking of active, huge news from boxing that's flying under the radar: the Stevenson-Haney fight completely collapsed.
LWait, Shakur Stevenson is a free agent? From Zuffa?
MFight Hub TV says Zuffa released him. Robert Garcia's already out there saying, 'What's Shakur looking for?'
L'When's he gonna fight to demand 15 million?' Robert Garcia doesn't pull punches.
MHe's got a point. The fight fell apart over weight and rehydration clauses. Stevenson has been out of the ring for over a year.
LThat's the thing nobody wants to say. He's the most talented lightweight on the planet and he can't get a fight made.
MCan't or won't? He turned down the Haney fight because of a couple rehydration pounds?
LCome on, rehydration clauses are a big deal. That's a safety issue, not a negotiation tactic.
MIt's both! He's trying to protect an edge, and now he has no promoter and no fight.
LThe real loser is the fans. That fight was the best matchup boxing could make this year.
MAgree. And now Garcia's implying Stevenson might not fight for a while. That's brutal for a guy in his prime.
LDifferent world entirely: Lewis Hamilton addressed the African Grand Prix in Rwanda tonight.
MBBC reports Hamilton says people should 'approach it with humility' on the human rights issue.
LThat's a tricky line. He's not dodging it, but he's not exactly taking a stand either.
MI read it differently. He's saying, let's actually go there and see before we judge from a thousand miles away.
LEasy for a seven-time champ to say. The Rwandan government doesn't exactly have a clean record.
MBut if F1 never goes anywhere with a complicated history, it stays in Monaco and Silverstone forever. That's not the sport growing.
LGrowing into what — sportswashing? There's a reason the Middle East races get protested.
MI'm not saying ignore it. Hamilton's not either. He used the word 'humility' for a reason.
LHumility doesn't put human rights on the agenda. It takes a back seat and lets the money do the talking.
MI think that's exactly what he's avoiding. Go see it, meet people, then decide if it's right. That's more than most drivers do.
LFine. He's not hiding. But I'd respect it more if he just said he wants the race and the check.
MSpeaking of respect, the NHL had a real moment last night: MacKinnon dropped the gloves. Fighting is up early this season.
LWyshynski at ESPN is all over it. Nathan MacKinnon in a fight? That's like your accountant starting a bar brawl.
MHe's no goon, but the league's averaging more fights per game in the first two weeks than any season in the last five.
LI love it. Old school hockey, and the players know the fans want it.
MLet's not pretend it's purely for the fans. Guys are sending messages about ice time and respect.
LExactly! When your best player drops the gloves, the whole bench gets a foot taller.
MMacKinnon's message was received. Colorado won, and he still had a point night.
LHockey's just better with a little edge. No one tunes in for a skating clinic.
MReal quick on the NBA: Ty Jerome dropped 45 last night, and one account called it a fluke.
LA fluke? The guy was carving up a playoff team. Forty-five points is forty-five points.
MOff the bench, against a team that wasn't exactly playing G-league. He earned every bucket.
LSome fans just can't accept a role player having a career night. It happens in the opener every year.
MHe'll come back down to earth, but that's not the same as a fluke. That was skill.
LAnd one more thing: the NFL posted a Mac Jones dictionary joke, and the replies are unhinged.
MThe league account has jokes now? What's next, a Dan Orlovsky stand-up special?
LLook, it's a slow news day, but at least someone at the league office is enjoying themselves.