NFL Fans React to an Unusual Wednesday-Afternoon Game: TRAINA THOUGHTS


Fans embrace Ravens-Steelers kicking off at 3:40 p.m. ET on a Wednesday

1. It finally appears that after a six-day wait filled with postponements, the Ravens and Steelers will actually play a football game Wednesday at 3:40 p.m. ET on NBC.

The reason the game is being played in the afternoon as opposed to prime time is because NBC is scheduled to air the annual Rockefeller Center tree-lighting special Wednesday night.

A Wednesday NFL game is bizarre enough, but the fact that it's taking place in the afternoon just adds another layer in this year filled with nothing but chaos.

NFL fans can't seem to get enough of the odd day and start time for the game. The jokes and memes were flowing heavily on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

2. Remember at the beginning of the NFL season, when people were trying to say that the league's TV ratings were in trouble? Well, here's how things are going:

Texans-Lions, Thanksgiving, CBS: 23.3 million viewers
Washington-Cowboys, Thanksgiving, Fox: 23.1 million viewers
Chiefs at Bucs, Sunday, CBS: 30.3 million viewers

This hullabaloo about sports ratings is not new, though. Check out this story about "troubling sports ratings" from 1985! 

3. This week's "Bad Beats" features a pair of college football beauties with Texas Tech–Oklahoma State and Central Michigan–Eastern Michigan.

4. Internet sleuths think former Lions coach Matt Patricia has been busy tweeting from a burner account

5. A new SI Media Podcast will drop Thursday morning. If you missed any recent SI Media Podcasts, make sure you catch up and subscribe. Last week's show featured an interview with New York Post sports media columnist Andrew Marchand about the latest news from the world of sports media.

Other guests over the past few weeks include the Undertaker, Jim Nantz and Kirk Herbstreit.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play.

6. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: On this date in 1988, one of the all-time classic comedies, The Naked Gun, was released in theaters. 

7. SPORTS VIDEO OF THE DAY: With RGIII starting for the Ravens on Wednesday, let's remember the time he did this.

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 Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.