Thanksgiving was just a few days ago, so this topic is relevant:
There can be too much of a good thing.
This doesn't just refer to turkey and Aunt Helen's special stuffing, either.
Rather it's about the NFL's insistence on making Thursday night the third prime time game of the week, to go along with Sunday and Monday.
ABC Monday Night Football used to be the big deal in the era of Howard Cosell and Dandy Don Meredith, but it's now become an afterthought on ESPN. The NFL steers the best games to Sunday nights on NBC.
The Sunday triple header is perfect. Catch the 1 o'clock game, another at 4:25. Then maybe grab a short nap and come back strong for the 8:30 kickoff.
There is no such accommodation for Thursday night football, nor has any particular demand developed.
For one thing the NFL schedules every team for a Thursday night, which means teams like Cleveland and Jacksonville will be on. That's not going to lure anyone away from "The Big Bang Theory."
The games are troublesome for the teams, who have to truncate the regular weekly schedule. The Steelers had one practice between last Sunday's game in Cleveland and their Thursday appointment in Indianapolis.
More importantly, it also reduces the recovery time for players. But Roger Goodell doesn't feel any of that pain.
Most fans vote with their clicker. But for the fans who pay the freight by buying season tickets, it's a major inconvenience. Who wants to get home after midnight when they have to get up for work the next morning?
Thursday night games exist mostly so the NFL Network will have semi-exclusive programming (part of the schedule is shared by CBS and NBC). Want to see the game and you don't have NFL Network? Call your cable or satellite provider and pay the premium that goes to the NFL.
It's a transparently greedy grab. It's good that there's been no more than a tepid reaction to an extra night of the NFL.
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__SEAN GONE
The Atlanta Braves signed Sean Rodriguez for two years and $11.5 million.
Two surprises here: The Pirates didn't make more of an effort to keep him, and he wound up with a bottom feeder team rather than a contender.
Rodriguez is the kind of player who has the greatest value to a good team because of his versatility.
The Pirates spent their money on an extension for David Freese in August for about the same amount that Rodriguez got. That was probably a mistake.
The Pirates have Adam Frazier to pick up a lot of Rodriguez's role, but Frazier is a liability in the field. Rookie Alen Hanson is unproven, and his minor league history is dotted with attitude concerns.
Clint Hurdle has lost a valuable part-time weapon.
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--ADDING UP
Fun math: Pitt scored 76 points against Syracuse on Saturday and still did not cover a 26-point spread.
--The Panthers' football team matched the number of points the basketball team scored a night earlier against Morehead State. Syracuse scored 61 points at Heinz Field, while Morehead State managed 63 on the court.
--Pitt's injury report did not confirm that the football stats crew had to be packed in ice after the game.
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--NO SHOW
Pitt receiver Dontez Ford scored a 79-yard touchdown Saturday against Syracuse.
When he got to the end zone, he put the ball on the ground, turned and trotted back to his sideline.
That was it. No dancing, no preening, no twerking, no hip-shaking, no posing, no chest thumping, no shuffling, no high-stepping, no pantomime, no stomping, no spiking the football, no choreographed routine with any teammates, no look-at-me stuff whatsoever.
He put the ball on the ground, turned and trotted back to his sideline.
Maybe he could stop by Steelers' practice and show Antonio Brown how to do that.
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