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

NFL fans embrace Ravens-Steelers kicking off at 3:40 pm 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 Christmas 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.

i mean, how do you not watch ravens-steelers with rg3 at quarterback in a must-win situation on a wednesday afternoon at 3:40pm? the nfl is a soap opera for dudes* and i absolutely refuse to hear slander of any sort

— Luc (@LGoeders7) December 2, 2020

I am waiting all day for Wednesday afternoon. #Steelers #Ravens #SNF

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) December 2, 2020

That RGIII will likely throw a pass to Dez Bryant for the #Ravens in a game that’s played at 3:40 p.m. on a Wednesday is extremely 2020. #RavensFlock #ravensvssteelers

— Joseph Deinlein (@JDeinleinMH) December 2, 2020

Football at 3:40 on a Wednesday pic.twitter.com/dOmbyhmN6q

— Sone (@TheSoneBro) December 2, 2020

Wednesday football at 3:40? pic.twitter.com/WfezyBpJmn

— Zach McCrary (@ZachMcCrary2) December 2, 2020

You know how screwed up a year 2020 is when RGIII/ Dez and the #Ravens are playing the undefeated #steelers on a Wednesday. Is this #maction? Or the #nfl? Either way it’s par for the course pic.twitter.com/rWT0zQQL0R

— The Philly Sharp (@ThePhillySharp) December 2, 2020

So Carrie Underwood song today should be: I’ve been waiting all day for Thursday ni, Sunday aft, Monday ni, Tuesday ni, Wednesday Afternoon football @NFL @SNFonNBC @carrieunderwood @Ravens @steelers

— Alex Richardson (@arich13uk) December 2, 2020

Waiting on this Steelers / ravens game like ... pic.twitter.com/aRopohW6qI

— Boss Dawg (@typestruth) December 1, 2020

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

Texans at Lions, Thanksgiving, CBS: 23.3 million viewers
Washington at 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.

Bad Beats
Welcome back college basketball! pic.twitter.com/6RdZRJRHJm

— Stanford Steve (@StanfordSteve82) December 1, 2020

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.