Traina Thoughts: NFL Network Experiencing Some Of Its Best Ratings Ever

A variety of NFL Network shows have experienced big ratings gains in 2017.

1. When I last left you in Friday's Traina Thoughts, I told you that ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown pregame show had taken a big ratings hit this season, down 14.8 percent compared to 2016. What I didn't cover on Friday is the flip side to this story. The NFL Network's Sunday pregame show -- NFL GameDay Morning -- is experiencing a ratings surge. The show, hosted by Rich Eisen and features what has to be the biggest cast in pregame show history, is up 17 percent, averaging 620,000 viewers compared to 529,000 viewers in 2016. The 620,000 viewers are the most the show, which has been on the air since 2006, has ever averaged through the first nine weeks of the regular season.

Overal, the NFL Network is up 11 percent during the regular season over last year. The station's weekday morning show, Good Morning Football, is up 8 percent over 2016, while its evening show, NFL Access is up 9 percent.

It looks like the people behind those NFL boycotts have some work to do.

2. In case you haven't seen it yet, the scene in San Francisco yesterday, with Niners wideout Marquise Goodwin scoring a touchdown hours losing his baby boy, was pretty surreal.

Marquise Goodwin scored this emotional 83-yard touchdown just hours after he and his wife, Morgan, lost their newborn baby boy due to complications during pregnancy. (h/t @MaioccoNBCS) pic.twitter.com/zTrqhNBNQc

— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) November 13, 2017

Goodwin made the announcement before the game on Instagram and then posted his emotional moment after.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marquise Goodwin (@marquisegoodwin)

3. Paul George, who had 37 points in a 112-99 win over the Mavericks last night, had a great answer after the game when he was asked if he got Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook anything for his 29th birthday.

4. More proof that The Rock leads the best life. He drinks tequila with this pancakes.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

5. LeBron working on a secret shot?

6. If you haven't read the piece Stephen Curry wrote for the Player's Tribune about Veteran's Day and the whole "stick the sports" nonsense you should.

7. Does A-Rod know about this?

​

8. RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: I covered the anniversary of the Montreal Screwjob last week and the latest Something To Wrestle With podcast is a nearly five-hour episode on Bret Hart. In honor of those things, here's one of the memorable Monday Night Raw moments when the Attitude Era was just starting to take off -- Bret Hart snapping during a promo and cursing up a storm while attacking Vince McMahon.

The best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts. And check Jimmy Traina's weekly podcast, "Off The Board," on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.

BONUS ITEM: Don't like tonight's game at all, but if I had to make a pick for a potential wager, it would be under 38.