1. I’d be willing to bet good money that when the NFL season is over and Super Bowl LIX is all done this February, I’m still going to have absolutely no idea what the new NFL kickoff is all about.
If a sport is going to make a rule that complicated, I can’t be bothered learning it, so I’ll just enjoy my ignorance for the 2024 season.
ESPN’s Joe Buck attempted to explain the new rule before Thursday’s Bears-Texans Hall of Fame game and I was more confused than ever when he was done rambling on.
This was not Buck’s fault in any way, shape or form. Anybody put in position to explain that ridiculous rule would’ve gotten the same result.
Despite the rule having way too many caveats, I got a kick out of listening to Buck try to inform viewers of what’s going on with kickoffs for a few reasons. Buck tried to talk quickly to cram everything in and it just made the existence of the new rule more absurd.
Buck, who had to be under orders from the NFL or ESPN people, tried to push the narrative that the new rule was going to be “exciting” and “fun.” How can it be fun when nobody understands what the hell is going on?
Troy Aikman’s face when Buck was done was priceless. Aikman let out a little laugh, but his expression cleary said, “Good grief, what are we doing here?”
Despite doing a pretty good sell job for the NFL, Buck gave us a glimpse into what he was really thinking when he said, “Got all that? We’re gonna hang on for dear life tonight,” when he was finished describing the new rule.
Joe Buck gives a breakdown of the new Dynamic Kickoff rule for 2024. (via @ESPN)
— NFL (@NFL) August 2, 2024
📺: @ProFootballHOF Game on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4cRhi1hzka
2. A brand-new episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina dropped Friday morning and it features an interview with Puck’s sports correspondent John Ourand.
Ourand discusses the latest news regarding the NBA refusing Warner Bros. Discovery’s matching offer for Amazon’s television package and WBD subsequently filing a lawsuit against the league.
Will this ever go to trial? Why did the NBA want to move on from WBD after a 30-plus year relationship? Why did WBD let the NBA negotiate with outside companies? Ourand tackles all those questions.
In addition, Ourand handicaps the Charles Barkley sweepstakes that will take place between Disney/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon. Or will WBD try to keep Barkley in the fold since he’s still under contract for seven more years after the 2024–25 season?
Following Ourand, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we discuss Major League Baseball not having a national voice, ignorance when it comes to the Olympics and HBO’s Pete Rose documentary. In addition, I read SI Media With Jimmy Traina Apple reviews for the month of August.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina below or on Apple and Spotify.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.
3. It’s become a Hard Knocks tradition to show what happens when the team’s top rookie reveals his signing bonus.
In a preview clip for this season’s edition featuring the Bears, quarterback Caleb Williams told his teammates his bonus was $25.5 million. The reaction in the room was tremendous.
Specifically, backup quarterback Tyson Bagent gave us an all-time moment.
When Caleb revealed his signing bonus to the team 😭#HardKnocks with the @ChicagoBears premieres August 6 on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/4csvbHmamM
— NFL (@NFL) August 2, 2024
4. If you’re one of my fellow degenerates who uses DraftKings, beware. The company is going to be adding more juice to wagers offered in New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Vermont as a “tax surcharge.”
Looks like FanDuel is about to get a lot more business.
"DraftKings has announced that it intends on adding a tax surcharge on every winning wager in select 'high-tax' states starting in 2025."https://t.co/nAhglNkWfx
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) August 1, 2024
5. I had several people reach out to me for my take on Thursday when the judge overturned the verdict against the NFL in the Sunday Ticket case. I thought I was going to get $3,000 to $4,000 based on reports and now I’m getting bupkis. What do you think my take is? My take is that it sucks and I would’ve liked money.
If you want a legal and professional take, check out Michael McCann, who is the best in the business at covering this type of stuff.
I read the NFL Sunday Ticket ruling and why the NFL won despite the jury finding NFL liable. Although the judge allowed certain expert testimony, he now concludes he was wrong to do so since it was too speculative and confused the jury. Here's my article: https://t.co/FxntB1PT6S.
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) August 2, 2024
6. There was a bonus SI Media podcast episode this week with the WWE’s CM Punk.
Punk previewed his SummerSlam match against Drew McIntrye with Seth Rollins as guest referee this Saturday by breaking down which individual he thinks is the “biggest dips---,” and also discusses why the WWE is so different under Triple H and reveals that he wouldn’t have returned to the company if Vince McMahon was still running things.
In addition, Punk talks about what it was like getting injured so quickly after returning to the WWE, what he thought about Rollins’s reaction to his return, how he feels about “Monday Night Raw” moving to Netflix.
Punk also reacts to the photo of Shane McMahon meeting with AEW’s Tony Khan, reveals whether he roots against AEW, why he has left Twitter, what it was like watching the WrestleMania 40 main event, talks about what a possible feud with Cody Rhodes would look like and much more.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina below or on Apple and Spotify.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: In honor of SummerSlam this Saturday, relive the quickest match in SummerSlam history.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joe Buck Trying to Explain New NFL Kickoff Rules Made for Amusing Television.
