Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave. Big day tomorrow as they’ll draw the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and the race that Go Go Greys runner Lovely Grey is expected to enter (per Dave), the Edgewood Stakes. Full coverage on social and the Barstool Blog.

"My previous actions don't meet the standard I hold myself to. They don't."

This story stinks.

And, like, it is a big story. Greg Bedard embarrassed himself on Felger and Mazz this week, trying to suggest that this was not something worth talking about. Same for a few other shows and hosts. No one WANTS to talk about it, but it’s a real story.

Based on multiple rounds of candid pictures and, now, his own words, Mike Vrabel and reporter Diana Russini appear to have had more than just a working relationship for years. They’re both married, both have kids, and yeah, talking about it sucks.

Vrabel was asked about new pictures and declined to talk about them, saying in part, “… my priorities are my family and this football team. In that order. ... My family needs me this weekend, and that's where I'll be."

Indeed, the head coach and final decision-maker for the Pats is missing the third day of the Draft, where the team has seven picks. He did not rule out missing more time when he was asked about that possibility on Thursday night. If the plan is to put family first, that might not be a bad thing.

I’ll only speak for myself, but I thought there was at least a chance Vrabel was going to be fired Thursday, after the NY Post photos of him and Russini allegedly in a NY bar six years ago (!!!) went online. What other photos were out there, and what had Vrabel told the Krafts? Then, on Thursday afternoon, the team released a statement, saying in part

"The New England Patriots fully support Mike Vrabel's decision to prioritize his family first, as well as his own well-being," the team said. "Mike has been open with us about his commitment to being the best version of himself for his family, this team and our fans, and we respect the steps he is taking to follow through on that commitment.”

A life raft - this was a big show of support from the team, hours after the new photos came out. And a sign he’s not going anywhere - he was safe. The NFL says they are not investigating, and I don’t think he should be fired.

I feel like Vrabel has handled what has to be a brutal personal situation pretty well - how will Russini eventually respond? Her old tweets went viral in a bad way on Thursday, before she finally deactivated her account. All we have is her Athletic resignation statement, which is not really holding up.

I don’t really have a hot take on this, other than it’s nuts that Bedard and others didn’t see the magnitude of this story. And are Vrabel, his family, and the team prepared for more photos dropping? Are the Krafts?

I’m glad Vrabel is putting family first. But between what might be next, the coach missing a Draft Day (terrible movie), and Russini’s next response, it doesn’t feel like this story is quite over yet. But sorry, Greg Bedard and others, it is a story.

Meanwhile, WEEI has dismantled its afternoon show, again. Plus Red Sox, Pats Draft, and a very busy MutStack Notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #169

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On yet another afternoon shakeup at WEEI…

It’s not that important, but let the record show we had it first. We had it here last week, when it wasn’t 100% official but was basically 100% official. And Dave Portnoy’s MutStack.com sure as shit had it first Wednesday, before anyone else. Some people, like the talented Jim Murray at 98.5 The Sports Hub, gave us credit. Other industry insiders and major newspapers did not. Noted 📝

First, the news, then the rumors of what’s next.

After another thumping in the ratings (unofficially, Felger & Mazz beat WEEI Afternoons 15.3 (#1) to 2.7 (#14) in the Boston winter ratings. More on these in the notes below), WEEI finally decided to pull the plug on its worst show.

This version of WEEI Afternoons lasted just over a year. It made no impact in the ratings and will go down as one of the worst and least-remembered shows in Boston sports radio history.

Andy Hart, Nick ‘Fitzy’ Stevens, and producer/fill-in host Dan Bahl were told on Wednesday that they were all out. I don’t know if they were told together or individually, but I’m told the timing was surprising to some involved. I’m also told that Nick took it very well and made sure to thank different people around the building.

And that’s not surprising. Nick is a good guy, as is Andy (I don’t know Dan). They were put in a terrible position by their boss, Mike Thomas. To avoid paying Nick more, they let him work 2-3 days a week from home. In the same vein, former Patriot Ted Johnson - who, for all intents and purposes, is the star of the show - works 3-4 days a week and comes in an hour after the show starts. Andy Hart was there every day, asked to host even though he wasn't really a host.

Formatted that way, Mike Thomas built the show for failure. I don’t think it would have been that much better if all three did 20 hours a week together, but it would have helped. I have no doubt Nick and Andy will both land on their feet - both guys are hard-working and easy to work with, based on my experience with them.

There was tension on their show, as evidenced by the blow-up documented here last week. It sounds like there was a bit of an Andy-and-Ted vs. Nick dynamic; Nick was aware of this, and that helped lead to what happened last week. The station sending Andy and Ted to the NFL Draft last year and leaving Fitzy in Boston sent a message to everyone that he was the obvious third wheel from 2-6 PM.

For a multitude of reasons, it was not a good show. As a listener, I’d argue Ted Johnson is the worst part. Based on the hundreds of responses to my post on X.com, I have a lot of company in that same opinion. But Thomas loves him, loves ex-athletes, and he’ll stay.

WEEI is planning to announce the new show on Monday morning at 9 AM during The Greg Hill Show. In a promo read on Thursday, Adam Jones said that “they” would join the morning show and that “this will be a first.” I assume in this case, they would be the new afternoon show cast members.

So, who will they be?

I spent hours trying to get this cold for you, the loyal MutStack subscriber, here for Friday morning. But since we’re in the MutStack Trust Tree, I don’t have it 100%. Mike Thomas is playing this very close to the vest and, to his credit, has done a good job of keeping it under wraps. In his email to staff on Wednesday, he did not say who would host the new show.

I fully expect Thomas to leak this to the Boston Globe or someone else before Monday. But before he does, I’ll give you a few scenarios of how it might play out based on talking and texting with almost a dozen sources over the last 48 hours. Below is just informed speculation.

WEEI Afternoons 3.0: Ken Laird, Rich Shertenlieb, and Ted Johnson (and producer Mike Lockhart).

If you made me guess, this would be the new show. Ken’s position as program director was eliminated when Thomas was demoted a few weeks ago. Rather than lose him, I believe they’re going to put him on-air. He’s been on vacation this week, returning Monday, just in time for the announcement. There’s another on-air spot he could land, but this seems the most likely.

I have heard from three different sources that Shertenlieb is expected to return to Boston radio with this show. Rich famously left 98.5, flamed out at WZLX, then abruptly stopped doing YouTube content a few months ago. A source recently reached out to say that Rich was untagging himself from old WZLX social media posts, suggesting he might be preparing to return to a job in Boston. Thomas talked to Rich when he left 98.5, but the money was not close. WEEI freed up a bunch of money this week, and maybe the desperation of being on the bench and watching Fred Toucher clear bonus after bonus was enough motivation to take a bonus-laden deal with WEEI himself.

Ted Johnson stays because Thomas loves him. But you need two full-time hosts because Ted is not in 20 hours a week.

WEEI's firing of producer Dan Bahl didn’t make much sense until I heard that Rich wanted to bring in producer Mike Lockhart. He’s the guy Rich paid when 98.5 fired him a few years back.

So, this is my best guess as of Friday morning, but it’s only a guess at this point. And it’s not the only possibility.

Ken and Curtis with Ted Johnson. This is what I would do: Ken and Chris Curtis are the best weekend show on WEEI. But is Greg Hill okay with losing Curtis as a producer? I doubt it. But one source said that as part of all these moves, Christian Arcand is moving off nights/Red Sox. Could Arcand replace Curtis as the “sporty” producer for Greg’s show? Red Sox pre/post sounds like it could be a rotating position going forward, with some of the WooSox guys filling in.

Jones and Keefe to afternoon drive. In this scenario, Ted and Arcand (who often hosted together at 98.5) go to midday, and Ken Laird goes to Red Sox baseball. This feels much less likely, but it would not be a total shock.

WEEI talked to at least one national host who never heard back. Maybe a Sports Hub part-timer is coming over, but I have no sourcing around that, and those guys love to talk. Arcand potentially moving shifts throws a wrench in all this, but maybe I have that wrong, and he’s staying at night. There’s no way it’s some national simulacast, right? I guess it could also be Rich, Ted, and Arcand on in the afternoons, with Ken going nights and Red Sox that way. Or Ted, Ken, and Aracand as producer/updates in the afternoon, no Rich, rotation for Sox pre/post.

I have spent way too much time on this. None of these changes will make a real dent in the massive lead for 98.5, unless WEEI really changes course and starts mocking Felger and Mazz. Or getting into more on-air battles. BE DIFFERENT. None of this feels like that, even if Shertenlieb comes back.

Wish I had it cold. I don’t, and am fully prepared to get this wrong, but that’s what I got. We can react in full to the new show here next week and to how WEEI got to such irrelevance in a sports-crazy market. Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts.

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On the Patriots’ First Round Draft Pick…

I spent very little time consuming NFL Draft content this year. I had only two wishes for the Pats draft.

1. Draft an OL in the first round ✅

2. Draft UConn WR Skyler Bell in Round 2 or 3.

The Pats got one of the seven “can’t miss” tackles in Caleb Lomu late in the first round. Works for me. AJ Brown comes aboard in June. Get me Bell and a young TE and keep making these easier for Drake Maye.

On this video from the Red Sox…

I just can’t get over this.

For sure, it’s a staged video where the Red Sox social crew wanted to get owner John Henry interacting with the fans. Henry has been to most home games this year, which feels like an effort to make him seem more human and less Monty Burns.

So he’s among some players who have walked over from the team parking area at Fenway Park, signing autographs for the loyal supporters who have waited there.

Who the hell is asking for John Henry’s autograph?

There’s one kid who’s in every part of the video, front and center, getting every autograph he can. I get that.

But in another shot, there appears to be a 20-something (30-something?) wearing Red Sox gear, smiling, and getting the owner’s autograph.

Why? Because he made a bunch of money as a commodities trader and hedge fund manager? Because he had a good hunch about soybean futures back in the day? He’s decided to take that same approach with his baseball team, unwilling to risk money on talented players in favor of a more cost-efficient spend on younger players. He’s owned a team that’s moved on from players like Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and Alex Bregman because of money.

He’s turned the big-market Red Sox into the Tampa Bay Rays.

As I watch this again, this 100% feels like staged, sad PR play by the social team. But going forward, please don’t ask for John Henry’s autograph unless it’s on a blank check to sign more talented players.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ Episode 26 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast is aptly titled, They Suck. Because the Red Sox right now, indeed, suck. I didn’t write about the Red Sox here this week because I spent over an hour talking about them late Thursday night with HogDale and Ed. The idea of pitching and defense working in 2026 always seemed silly. The team needs to trade for a BIG bat or fire someone. Or both. Watch and subscribe on YouTube and then listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

⚾ The Red Sox have played 26 games, and in 12 of those, have scored two or fewer runs. That includes six of the last seven 💤💤💤💤😴💤🥱🛌🏻

🏈 Mike Vrabel’s surprise press conference on Tuesday caught WEEI without a live feed, and they had to play clips of the coach talking for the first time since the Diana Russini Sedona photos went live. 98.5 The Sports Hub was able to carry it live and react right away. Major win for 98.5.

📻 Got a couple of texts about The Sports Hub's little Vacation Week, with both Toucher and Hardy and Zolak and Bertrand off all week. It’s a busy week, with the playoffs, the NFL Draft, and the Red Sox/Yankees. So yeah, a little surprising, but these guys have taken this week off before. And given the fact they have no direct competition at this point, it’s a low-risk move as far as ratings go. The audience is smaller during these vacation weeks, and the numbers show it.

🎙️ The numbers. I guess there might be an issue with the winter ratings, so consider these unofficial for now. I have Toucher and Hardy at 18.8 (#1) vs. The Greg Hill Show at 4.4 (#7). I have Zolak and Bertrand at 11.7 (#1) and Jones and Keefe at 2.8 (#11). Plus the afternoon numbers above. Very, very bad book for WEEI, even with the Super Bowl.

🎙️ Oh, one more on Nick and Andy being fired from WEEI- 0% to do with Mike Vrabel talk. Silly Internet bullshit that people are using for clicks and views. The most vocal critic of Vrabel in all this has been Marc Bertrand - I’ll be curious what he thinks Monday at 10 AM when he gets back from vacation.

🎙️ And one more on Ted Johnson - very tough opening segment on his show yesterday talking about Vrabel. Not sure how you can listen to that and think you want to build a show around it. Yikes.

🏀 I am not worried about the Celtics.

🏖️ Barstool Spring Break Co-MVPs: Tate and Dante

👑 Family Feud - Rooting HARD for Team #1

I think that’s enough Stack for this week.

Back tomorrow at the Barstool Blog, talking about which horses can actually win The Derby in 2026. Derby Week! And much more. Good luck with all your bets this weekend. And thanks for reading.

Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave this week. Big Go Go Greys update in tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby Prepping w/ Mut at the Barstool Blog. And a preview of the Saturday Showdown at Oaklawn between Sovereignty, Journalism, and White Abarrio. Can’t wait.

Busy week for the Mike Vrabel/Diana Russini story.

→ Russini resigns as the NY Times starts an investigation into the Sedona pics, saying in part, “‘I do so [resign] not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career. I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published.”
→ Nashville Radio Host and noted Mike Vrabel hater Jared Stillman tweeted, “A source close to Dianna Russini tells me that they believe Dianna and Vrabel were caught by a PI and that the PI was hired by Dianna's husband and that it isn't about money because the source says Dianna's husband already has plenty of it.”
→ Media waits for any comment from Vrabel on the issue

Look, I have no problem with what former Patriot and now radio host/radio color guy Scott Zolak said yesterday in the clip above - I appreciate his honesty. I personally did not find it pathetic at all - Mike Vrabel has put Zo and many others in a very tough position.

Because while yes, this is a personal issue, it’s also become a very public one. Zo has to work with Vrabel and the Patriots. He values those relationships enough not to jeopardize them by commenting on a topic that, a week later, we still don’t have all the details. Nowhere below do I claim to know anything other than what’s been reported.

I think Zo and many others in the Patriots/general media are waiting for Vrabel to say something here.

He has to say something. And once he does, the story will go away because the 2026 news cycle is so, so short. I’m surprised he has not made any sort of statement yet - he’s required by the NFL to meet with the media next week before the NFL Draft. It wouldn't be shocking if he released something (Friday news dump?) and then pointed back to it when he’s eventually asked about it. Whether those pictures in Arizona show two friends hanging out or signs of alleged “canoodling,” as My Boss Dave has put it, the coach has to address it.

There is no one else I’d want coaching this team, but there’ll have to be some sort of conversation with his players, too. I wonder if the team will have their own comment, maybe hand-in-hand with their head coach.

Zo’s show has talked about it plenty - his co-host, Marc Bertrand, along with Felger & Mazz, have been open and discussed every issue of this topic. I think they’ve been very fair. The Greg Hill Show - which interviews Vrabel every week during the season- has been less active on the topic. And just like the case of Zo, I sort of get it.

I get the sense there will be many media members ready to comment once Vrabel speaks; all eyes will be on the coach. And as I wrote here last week, I’ll be curious if the local Pats media is more critical of Vrabel, even by accident, if they believe he was giving the national reporter more info than the local beat guys.

I have no issue with what Zo said or how he’s handling this. I don’t get the sense his audience will have an issue, either. It’s awkward, it’s messy, we don’t have all the info, and we’re still waiting for the next comments from Vrabel. I’d much prefer Zo’s honesty to having him say nothing on a controversial topic, as one local announcer did this week. More on that below ⬇️ (What a big market tease)

Meanwhile, we have a ridiculous youth baseball celebration to discuss. The Celtics are in the playoffs. WEEI had a rare on-air fight. And the usual MutStack notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #168

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On this perposterous travel baseball celebration…

The first time I scrolled past this on X.com, I just assumed it was fake. I’m an absolute boomer, so I keep getting burned online by fake and AI videos. But after doing a little research, it turns out it’s a real team that recruits players and plays in some of the biggest Perfect Game tournaments in the country.

And as boomer, you know I absolutely hate this.

The GoPro camera on the helmet…the insane bat spike…the basketball dunk… all of it. Hate, hate, hate it. And I get it, the guys behind this are a YouTube content factory. But at 12 years old, these kids are still very impressionable. It’s the wrong way to learn the game. You’re teaching them to go viral vs. good sportsmanship.

Does that make me sound old as shit? Good, I don’t care.

There is a very Bananaball aspect to this - I don’t like that either. But I’m also not a “hand the football to the official after a TD” truther. I like the NFL allowing these guys to celebrate more over the last couple of years. The energy in the World Baseball Classic was awesome. This just feels gross, given the kids’ ages.

As a father of two boys about this age, I view sports as fun, yes, but also as a way to learn about life. About failing and trying again. About being a good friend and teammate. About learning personal responsibility.

I was curious what my boys would think of the video, so I played it for them. Before I even started it, my youngest said, “That’s Pottstown.” Yes, the team is called the Pottstown Scout Team. Turns out they know all about them from YouTube. I hit play.

“That’s tough.”

“Yeah, so tough.”

Saturday Edit - Turns out it’s “Tuff,” not “Tough.” I am an idiot.

I’m not so out of the loop that I don’t know that in this case, tough = cool. They were big fans of the “celly,” as they called it. I gave them my opinion.

“You’re just mad because you could never hit a home run like that,” said the oldest, as they both laughed in a very mocking manner at their father. If I could have hit with those loaded U-Trip bats they use now……But I digress. They ran off to play MLB The Show, so I didn’t go into some big lecture about sportsmanship and content vs reality - I’ll save that for the car rides to one of their six games this weekend.

And I bet it really is an age thing. Olds like me hate this stuff, while teenagers are watching every new Pottstown video and short.

I wanted one more opinion on this, so I reached out to a respected baseball coach in our district. He’s about my age and has coached every level, up and down, for a long time. I sent him this video and asked what he thought, acknowledging I might use it here today.

“This is obviously a gross example of this going way too far. Generally, I’ve mellowed over the last 10 years of coaching youth baseball. Ten years ago, I would have hated it completely. If a kid hits a home run, they should celebrate. But turning it into a ridiculous choreographed dance number is an entirely different issue. I try to steer kids towards celebrating with their teammates, rather than it being about themselves.

I have no problem with a team coming out in youth baseball to wait for the kid at the plate who homered - but in high school and college, the line can get crossed when they start chirping at each other.

A big thing I hate is the kids on defense giving an opponent a high five on the way around the bases. I hate that - your job at that point is to back up your pitcher because he’s your teammate, and that’s the last thing he would want to see. I could probably write 30K words on what I like and don’t like - I think it’s very subjective.

As a coach, I want it to be fun but positive and team-centered versus trash talk when it can be avoided.”

I had not noticed that the opposing third baseman actually does high-five the kid who homered - now I’m annoyed at the other coach, too!

It’s not 1992 - times have changed - it’s a whole different world now, I get it. But I have no love for this at all. Hopefully, there are enough coaches and parents out there who agree with me. This being the new norm would suck.

Comments are open below for your own takes on this - and plenty of space to call me a boomer, too.

On the playoff expectations for your Boston Celtics…

It seems pretty obvious, right?

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On this real moment from WEEI Afternoons…

To easily sum up how different sports radio in Boston is today vs. 10 years ago, it took The Greg Hill Show almost three hours into their show on Wednesday to play this semi-viral moment that happened on their station’s afternoon show the day before. Greg Hill actually said, “Oh, I didn’t hear that.”

In 2016, Kirk & Callahan would have played it in the first segment of the show. In 1996, The Big Show would have had a Pete Gustin bit ready to go for 2:20 PM in that first hour. And the listeners would have eaten it up. Callers would have taken sides. Producers would have tried to get each guy on.

But those days of radio are long gone. No, in 2026, this gets buried at 8:55 AM, and the host of the show either pretends not to have heard it as an excuse not to play it earlier, or actually didn’t hear it. I’d believe either with Greg.

Fizty vs. Ted Johnson was a pretty good dust-up, as far as in-show sports radio dust-ups go in 2026. It’s clear some of the off-air tension on the show finally boiled over for whatever audience they have listening at this point; the numbers say not many. Maybe if they did this more, the audience would be bigger.

The way I’ve heard it, Andy Hart and Ted would be happy to do their show themselves, maybe with producer Dan Bahl. Fitzy is well aware of this - being on remote 60% of the time doesn’t help. I wrote here a few weeks ago about a Friday show where Fitzy said he wasn’t feeling well and just bailed on the last two hours, while on remote. The fact that no one on the show even mentioned he was leaving or had already left was another sign of the lingering tension.

That once Market Manager and now Program Director Mike Thomas has talked to Chris Gasper and Phil Perry about joining the station (and presumably that show) has probably not helped matters. “The shakup continues to loom,” texted a Boston radio insider this week.

I don’t blame Fitzy for this outburst, and I also don’t blame Ted for being bored at Fitzy’s droning on - he’s guilty of constantly repackaging something someone else on the show just said seconds later. It’s bad, and it happens a lot. Ted is a bore, and his “remember when” Patriots talk is a massive tune-out for me.

It won’t happen, but they should have it out like this more often. I’d much prefer this to some stupid list or boring guest…or Ted trying to monologue on anything. Mike Thomas allowing Ted to work a part-time schedule while also letting Fitzy be at home three days a week doesn’t help our chances of more in-show fireworks. Thomas also put more tension on the show by setting it up this way. I don’t blame Fitzy for being pissed or for his reaction here.

Will we get more of this? No, feels like Tuesday’s battle will be remembered as a one-off. The show will be revamped by Patriots training camp, and we’ll have another failed Mike Thomas production to add to the resume.

Additional Note: Sooooooooo, as I am about to publish here on Friday morning, there are some real rumblings that there could be an on-air shake-up at WEEI as soon as today. I am not reporting that yet, but it’s very much in the air. I will update this as I get additional info either way. 👀👀

Saturday Update: Sooooooo, no official news yet. Glad I didn’t hold the Four-Pack until I got the story. The two people I reached out to have no connection to each other and have no reason to steer me wrong. They have been rock solid in the past. A third person I spoke with talked to their own sources and heard what I heard. I think this is a case where MutStack won’t be wrong, just early, on this. But for now, no news to report.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ We welcomed Ed Hand in as a new voice on this week’s Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Good win Wednesday, but at 7-11, it’s been a bad start to the season. How does it get better? Watch and subscribe on YouTube and then listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

⚾ Jarren Duran deserves a lot of credit for being so open about his own mental health issues on the Netflix Red Sox doc. And I’ll excuse him for flipping the bird to a fan in Minnesota after Duran said in the postgame that the fan told the player to “kill himself.” There’s a better way to handle it - like grabbing security, pointing the guy or gal out, and getting them ejected from the game - but I understand his response. This is his third or fourth incident with fans, so he’s clearly become a target. No one is condoning it, but the reality is the taunts are likely to get louder now that he’s given this reaction. We’ll see how he responds the next time.

⚾ To his credit, Red Sox TV voice Dave O’Brien brought up the incident the next day on the broadcast. He laid out the facts, stated his opinion, and left space more than once for his on-air partner and former Red Sox infielder Will Middlebrooks to respond - but Middlebrooks declined, choosing silence. Never gave an opinion or a take. Not a story about dealing with fans himself. No defense of Duran. Just…silence. Tough spot, I get it, but you have to say something. Eventually, Dave moved on to tell us he was going to the dentist on the off day. I wish Will had said, well, something, given he’s the former player in the booth.

⛳ My fix for golf coverage on TV is simple - more golf shots, and fewer interviews. Or crowd shots. Or human interest pieces. Or the Leaderboard. I’m a simple man, show me more golf shots!

🏇🏻 I talked to a few people around racing this week, and while it could happen, moving the Preakness back a week is no lock. I wrote about the impact here on the Barstool Blog when the report broke.

⚾ Got mine this week, these shirts are 🔥🔥🔥 Need to see these at Fenway this weekend.

That feels like enough Stack for this week. Will update if I get WEEI news later today.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. And thanks for reading. And watching.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

Thank god for Mut that UConn lost. I have also put Mut in charge of finding me every grey horse that runs every weekend and looks good and is 3 years old or younger. I expect Silver Syndicate to run huge today at Oaklawn but at a very short price.

Note from MutStack.com Founder, Mut:

Congrats to Dave and Michigan. That’s the silver lining to UConn losing - I am still employed. I gave it my all in the luxury suite, UConn gave it their all on the court, but UM was too good. More on Silver Syndicate below.

The Celtics will likely beat the Pelicans on Friday night, clinching the #2 seed in the East and allowing the starters to rest in their season finale against the Magic on Sunday. They’ll go into the playoffs as a big favorite to win the East (+145 on DraftKings on Friday morning) and one of the more likely winners on the 2026 NBA Championship (+550 third choice on DK behind the Thunder and Spurs).

I can’t believe they're in this spot - and I can’t believe Jayson Tatum has played this well since his return.

Those are his season averages above, since his return from a ruptured Achilles. Not referenced are his 32 minutes per game and his 39 and 40 minutes in his last two games, respectively. His shooting was off on Thursday, and his 3-point % is down from his career average, but he looks like Jayson Tatum. He’s drawing a ton of defensive attention and doing a great job of finding the open Celtic - he’s always been an underrated passer.

Tatum’s return to form so quickly is a surprise, but so is the fact that the team is even in this position to contend upon his return. I didn’t have much faith in Joe Mazzulla or Jaylen Brown to have the team contend without their best player - I’m happy to have been dead wrong. Brown did anything and everything in Tatum’s absence. Mazzulla should be the NBA’s Coach of the Year for the work he did with this roster. Baylor Scheierman banging big 3s in the 4th quarter of a huge game against the Knicks is a great example. The team was shooting too many 3s early on; they adjusted, and Mazzulla has been a huge part of it.

The Celtics almost beat the Knicks without Jaylen Brown on Thursday night. Shit, without Josh Hart’s insane 4Q, the Celtics do beat the Knicks. Note, it was just Nikola Vucevic’s third game back from injury - he’s going to be a HUGE factor in the playoffs.

Look, five months ago I was talking tank, so, as usual, #MutWasWrong.

The Thunder are loaded. Spurs are very good. But the East? No one on the East would scare me based on the way this team has played with and without Tatum. This team not only could be but should be in the NBA Finals. Wild to write that, but it’s true. Happy to have been so wrong about this group.

Meanwhile, I went to Fenway Park. The biggest NFL story of the week involves the Patriots. UConn had a great season. And a Boston Sports radio MutStack Exclusive.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #167

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On the end of UConn’s great season…

“I just thought the two fouls on those three guys in the first half, I thought we had a real good chance to go into the half with the lead … [that] really put us down at the half…We just had to make more shots. We had great opportunities, I thought, from three. If you make three or four more, you have a great chance to win it. But how are you disappointed at all in your group?” - Dan Hurley

The greatest college basketball coach in America summed it up perfectly on TBS after his UConn team lost to Michigan Monday night in Indianapolis.

UConn did not play its best game in defeat, but Michigan did not play its best game in victory. But UConn had a chance late; they just could never get the big shot to go. The Solo Ball layup. The Alex Karaban three that came up just short - huge chances that did not go for the Huskies.

Michigan is good enough to survive a 2-for-15 shooting night from three. UConn had to make more than 27% (9-for-33). Hurley’s offense got his team constant good looks, but they did not fall. Frustrating. Between that, losing the turnover battle, and the foul trouble, it was too much to overcome.

There were missed calls on both sides - I think the losing team always feels like they got the wrong end of the whistle. Yes, I’ve watched the highlight reel of bad calls against UConn…I just think there were bigger factors in losing the game. I’m not ready to watch the DVR recording of the game yet. And with the Masters this weekend, it won’t be anytime soon.

Hurley got the most out of this team, and they have nothing to hang their heads about.

I was very lucky to be on Indy - thanks to Dave, Tom Moore, Hurley, and, as usual, #thankyoukirk. The UConn fans there were awesome. Took a million selfies with people, met some legends like Little Red…I love the UConn Fan Community. Got to meet football coach Jason Candle and transfer QB Bo Polston at the send-off rally. Besides the result Monday night, an awesome week.

With Hurley running the program, UConn is not going anywhere. Hopefully, Coach does not see me as a bad luck charm and ban me from the Final Four next year in Detroit. It will not be a surprise when he and UConn are back there.

As always, Go Huskies!

On the Vrabel/Russini pictures…

It’s a slow week in the NFL, so by now everyone has seen them, and the cat is out of the bag - Pats HC Mike Vrabel and reporter Diana Russini are allegedly friends, based on these photos taken from a resort in Arizona.

Vrabel responded quickly to the NY Post after they published the pics, saying, “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.” The Pats have not yet issued any sort of statement.

Russini told the newspaper, “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”

“These photos are misleading and lack essential context,” said Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg. So they’re standing by Russini.

And look, their alleged friendship will lead to some fallout. I agree with the guys on Pardon My Take when they suggested on Friday that Russini will probably be doing a lot less reporting on the AJ Brown trade than she has been. The same probably goes for the Patriots in general.

Can she still do her job? 100%. Any time Jon Heyman reports on a Scott Boras client, we all assume it came directly from Boras, as the two are reportedly close. WFAN host Keith McPherson confronted Jon Heyman on-air, joking that Heyman is “part of Boras Corp” and asking how much of Scott Boras’ clients’ contract commissions he receives when breaking news, specifically regarding Juan Soto. But Heyman is still breaking news and working. Reporters are friends with the people they cover.

So, where did the pictures come from?

Front Office Sports had an exclusive late Thursday about how the photos ended up being published 👀

An anonymous tipster reached out to the (TMZ), saying that Vrabel was hanging out with an unidentified woman. When TMZ staffers evaluated the photos, they eventually realized that it was Russini. The anonymous tipster was not from a known paparazzi or photo agency, and requested an unspecified sum in the “four figures.” As TMZ’s newsroom deliberated whether this was a legitimate story or too “bedroom police-y,” the Post’s Page Six vertical ran with it, rendering the debate moot, a source said.

Fascinating. Why did TMZ pass? Kinda shocked the photos were not even worth $10k. And are there other photos that might confirm that this was a group trip, as Russini suggested? That’s worth investigating.

Where these pics came from feels like the next level of this story - a story that will eventually go away because the news cycle in 2026 is 24 seconds, not 24 hours.

But for now, they’re front and center. Vrabel is scheduled to speak to the media in a few weeks before the NFL Draft. Could he issue a statement before that and refer to it when he asked about this? That was Bill Belichick 101.

Either way, there will be questions. And the answers will be interesting, to say the least.

On the empty seats at Fenway Park on Wednesday…

I’m told “getting ratio’d” means having more comments than likes on a Tweet, so I didn’t quite get ratio’d on this Red Sox tweet the other day. But Red Sox fans were big mad that I pointed out the empty seats at Fenway Park on Wednesday afternoon. It was a day game, it was not warm out, and the team is off to a slow start. All fair.

My point was not to rip Red Sox fans by showing 1000s of seats empty around Fenway- my point was that those fans are making their own statement on the “Sell the team” movement by not going to games.

Red Sox reporter Chris Cotillo mentioned my post and pointed out that even going back to last year, “April games have been an issue.” The Sox announced 28,000 in attendance on Wednesday - I can confirm it looked and felt like A LOT less than that. Friend of MutStack and loyal Kirk Minihane Show fan, the talented Mikey GrabBag, pointed out that “from 2004 until Covid, Fenway had two (2) total games under 29,000 in attendance. Sox are deadest they've been in Boston, and Mut is right.” I didn’t double-check the numbers, but it sounds right. Ownership cares less about winning now than they did back then, and fans have noticed.

The big story Sunday and Monday at Fenway was those “Sell the team” chants. Red Sox reporter Rob Bradford told WEEI Thursday that before those two days, he and people he talked to had NEVER HEARD THAT CHANT AT FENWAY. He went on to give My Boss Dave credit for this movement, and I agree. That Dave cares so much about the Red Sox at the start of the season is a big part of this.

So is the fact that, coming off their first playoff appearance in years, the offseason was highlighted by the loss of Alex Bregman. There was potentially more fuel for those chants late Thursday, when the Associated Press reported the team’s actual cash spending on their 2026 roster is 12th in MLB - this with the third-most revenue in the sport. BAD.

The Red Sox won, so there were no “Sell the team” chants on Wednesday at Fenway. But if they keep losing, and the John Henry Clown nose tees are a nightly sight, and the chants get louder…At that point, maybe the Boston Globe will mention it?

As for the game, the Red Sox are 1-0 when MutStack is in the building. Sonny Gray was excellent. I didn’t want to support Henry at the concession stands, but with all those empty seats, there were no lines for anything. If you wanted to pay $20 for a 16-oz alcoholic seltzer, there was no wait. Same for bathrooms. Weekday-day games are kind of great if you can make it work.

And if the team is good and you believe in ownership, you’re more likely to make the effort to get there. I’d say the empty seats and “Sell the team” chants are a sign that the die-hard fanbase has questions about both.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast is much more fun to record when the Red Sox win. They won two in a row this week, and we laughed more in the first three minutes than we did on the show we recorded on Easter Sunday. Watch on YouTube and subscribe there - then go subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ Over the last few weeks, I have written about the financial issues of 98.5 The Sports Hub and their parent company, Beasley Media. I had wondered if those issues might end up costing them a signature host. But in a MutStack Exclusive, I’m told that Marc Bertrand has signed a new, long-term contract to stay with the station. He had reportedly been working without that deal for a few months. Zolak and Bertrand continue to dominate in the ratings, and keeping Bertrand is a big deal for the Hub - especially as they start to look for what will be next in afternoon drive after Felger and Mazz. I don’t get the sense that WEEI had the budget to jump in and steal Beetle away. Nor do I think he’s dumb enough to make that leap. Good move for both him and The Hub.

🏇🏻 As Dave mentioned, Go Go Grey’s Silver Syndicate gets back on the track Friday afternoon.

Silver Syndicate is the 8/5 favorite and has a big pace advantage early. He ran one of the fastest Timeform US races all year for this distance and age group on debut. Then last time, he went fast against a good group and faded for third. Now he’s had a break and catches a field he could wire - I’m guessing that will be the plan? His half-brother Book Em’ was 2 for 2 at a mile, so this distance should be no issue. Also worth noting that trainer Ron Moquett has been hot - hitting at almost 20% over the last 30 days.

The biggest contenders look like #6 Feral cutting back from a mile, #5 Centerline going first for Super Trainer™️Brad Cox, and #2 Vintage Cowboy, who goes second time for Steve Asmussen. Has big chance on paper to break through here. I’ll plan to go live on X.com at 4:30 for a Silver Syndicate pregame. Safe trip for the speedster!

🏀 Dan Hurley is very superstitious…do you think he blames me for the loss?

🏈 If you told me some of the local Patriots media might be harsher in their coverage of Vrabel going forward, if they believe he was spoon-feeding Russini news and notes this past season, I would probably believe that.

📝 Some assorted notes for the Final Four trip…Dave is 100% locked into the Red Sox, watching them on his phone before the National Title game and constantly checking the scores… I pulled an all-time good-guy move for Jeff D. Lowe during the trip, and I wonder if he’ll mention it at some point…Jeff gfted me an amazing UConn pullover, so if he doesn’t, that’s okay…Tate takes his job covering Rico very seriously…Tate covering Meek covering Rico in Las Vegas will 100% be worth watching…Crowds at Barstool Live were awesome…

📺 They can promote it 5 million more times this weekend, but Rich Eisen hosting SportsCenter on Sunday night makes me 0% more likely to watch.

🏇🏻 “In my view, CAW is not a problem to be solved or something that needs to be severely restricted or limited,” said Scott Chaney, executive director of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB). “It’s a reality in racing that you deal with by trying to figure out what is the best long-term approach for the health of horse racing.”

A million middle finger emojis. I don’t have the space to fully address these idiotic comments here today, so I’ll address them in tomorrow’s Barstool Blog horse racing post.

That feels like enough Stack for this week.

Enjoy the Masters this weekend. Good luck with all your bets. And thanks for reading.

Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

Lots of people are saying if UConn loses, it’s Mutt’s fault. I’m saying if UConn beats Michigan in the final, it will be the worst thing to ever happen to his career. Good luck to all the teams this weekend

Note from MutStack.com Founder, Mut:

100% of the focus is on Illinois. One game at a time. Go Huskies.

A wild 24 hours.

On Tuesday, Dave tweeted that if I was able to get a video plea from UConn head coach Dan Hurley to send me, a UConn Grad and fan, to the Final Four, Dave would take me along to Indy.

This post from Coach Hurley at 12:10 AM Wednesday morning showed he was at least aware of it. So on Wednesday morning, I drove down and got a good spot in line at the UConn Final Four send-off on campus in Storrs, CT. I had some signage that might get his attention. Between that and his post, I felt pretty good. Then I talked to the guys on Picks Central.

“What if he doesn’t stop?”

I hadn’t really planned for that. But once they said it, I panicked. I texted Big Cat, who has just had Hurley on Pardon My Take. I responded to some random DMs who offered help. I was getting nervous.

Then I saw Tom Moore.

Tom Moore is the UConn Basketball GM. Before that, he was a UConn assistant. Before that, he was the head coach at Quinnipiac. Before that, he was a UConn assistant under Jim Calhoun. And before all of that, he was the coach at Worcester State here in Massachusetts. There, he coached Chris Dube, my 7th and 8th-grade coach at Varnum Brook Middle School.

Coach Dube had Coach Moore come and speak to our 8th-grade team at the end-of-season banquet. After the event, I asked him about what basketball camps might be good to attend that summer for a short, slow point guard. He promised to send me a list. Sure, he would…

Well, he did, along with a nice note. A note that I kept and actually brought with me on Wednesday.

When I saw Moore, he was walking out towards the parking lot, about 75 yards away. I grabbed the note from my bag and chased him down. He seemed startled - and then he seemed very surprised when I showed him the note. We talked for a minute, and I explained what was going on. He seemed like he kinda understood - maybe just being nice. Then he told me that the coaches would not be walking out the same place as the players. Not good.

Then, for some reason, he took pity on me. He took me to where Coach Hurley might be coming out and told me to wait. Five to ten minutes later, well, the result is above.

Luck? Fate? The silver linings to being a hoarder? All of the above, I guess.

But without Coach Moore, I never get the video. I owe him big time.

Thank you, Coach Hurley. Thank you, Tom Moore. Thank you, Dave. #thankyoukirk, always.

Meanwhile, UCONN IS IN THE FINAL FOUR. LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOO.

The Red Sox stink. We have a shakeup at WEEI. And the usual MutStack Weekly Notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #166.

Baseball season! ⚾⚾⚾

And we’re so close to 7K subscribers. Only takes a second to subscribe.

Year Four of being 100% free, and if you have not hit the blue button yet, I appreciate your consideration. Go Huskies.

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On an abysmal start to the 2026 Red Sox season…

I need Breslow to get boo’d off the field Friday like I need air to breathe.

Share MutStack

On this UConn Final Four run…

I mean, wow. WOW. The win over Duke was an all-timer. Of course. Basically, it was the 2004 ALCS played out over a few minutes vs. a few days. UConn had no business winning that game. It was the first game in a long, long time where I just sat and watched the last 8-10 minutes over and over. So many things had to go right to win.

All that being said, 1999, UConn 77 Duke 74 remains the biggest game and win in program history. I’ve seen some people online saying this one tops 1999; it does not.

Between 1999 and 2004, and again in 2026, UConn and Duke have played three of the best Final Four games of the last 30 years. I think the fact that they don’t play in the regular season, really ever, makes the games more special. It also helps that UConn keeps winning these big games.

There’s probably a list of 1000 good reasons why UConn is here, but a few stand out as the most impactful to this UConn graduate.

🏀 Dan Hurley turned down the Lakers. He’s not going to coach forever, but his impact is just immeasurable. He’ll play anyone. He can recruit at the highest level. His in-game coaching is A+. His offense is NBA-level good. The stat that doesn't get enough love is his 17-1 record in the last four NCAA Tournaments. The one loss was a 2-point loss last year to eventual champ Florida. I mean, he’s doing this in Storrs, in the Big East, with a smaller budget than many of his biggest rivals. He’s also so good for college basketball. I had my doubts about this team at times, but never about Hurley.

🏀 Silas Demary Jr. You could just tell early on - he was put on this earth to play point guard for UConn. Smart, tough, excellent defender, good passer. He’s just so good. He reminds me of some sort of Tristen Newton/Ricky Moore combo. I think he’s set up to have a big weekend in Indy.

🏀 Braylon Mullins. These highly-touted freshmen can go one of two ways. They either play at a high level and keep getting better. Or, they get to a point where you can tell the leap is not coming this season. Mullins has been the former - he is a special player who just keeps getting better. Not just the amazing “Wow” shot against Duke - there’s been so many other elite, elite offensive plays and moves in the back half of the year. The way he moves without the ball. His passing. How about those two key steals against Furhman? The 2025 Mr. Basketball in Indiana will have a lot of fans in the stands Saturday Night.

Illinois is very good - better than they were when UConn beat them in November. And better than they were when UConn beat them in the 2024 Elite Eight. Freshman Keaton Wagler is much better now, too. And Illinois is HUGE up front. But I love the idea of Hurley having three days to prep for their defense. And this team will not quit; we saw that last Sunday.

I can’t wait for this game. I can’t wait for the UConn energy in Indy.

On a shakeup at Sports Radio WEEI…

No, this is not about WEEI finally blowing up the disastrous WEEI Afternoons. But the man who built that show has been demoted. Or promoted. It’s a little confusing.

But Mike Thomas, the Market Manager for Audacy Radio in Boston, no longer has that title. Here’s what “industry publication” Barrett Media wrote Thursday.

Furthermore, Barrett Media has learned that Mike Thomas will step into the position of SVP Programming in Boston. The role change includes joining Mitch Rosen and Chris Kinard as Sports Format Vice President. Prior to becoming Audacy Boston’s Market Manager, Thomas excelled in programming the sports format. He helped build and lead 98.5 The Sports Hub to massive success before exiting to lead ESPN 1000 in Chicago. How his job change affects Ken Laird moving forward is unclear though sources tell Barrett Media WEEI would like to retain him.....

He did not waste much time updating is LinkedIN profile

It’s one of multiple cuts/moves for Audacy this past week. So, here’s what I’ve been told: Thomas is being demoted to Program Director at WEEI. The SVP title is whatever. He was brought in back in 2021 to fix WEEI, with a reputation for building 98.5 The Sports Hub into the monster it is today. And that’s what his role will be going forward, according to a source.

WEEI has a program director, former Kirk and Callahan producer Ken Laird. Looks like he’s out of a job, at least his current one, based on Barrett Media’s note. I was not able to confirm by Friday AM.

Thomas has a big ally in the WEEI morning show host, Greg Hill, who not only has the station’s best ratings but also close connections to its biggest advertisers, through both his show and charity. It feels like Hill has locked himself into a lifetime gig with Audacy, and he and Thomas have become tight, per sources. I don’t get the sense that everyone on the staff has the same relationship with the former Market Manager.

Thomas has a similar hot-and-cold rep over at the station he “built,” 98.5 The Sports Hub. Some staff members seem to love the guy, while others mock his reputation as the architect of the station’s big success.

The numbers show that WEEI has cratered since Thomas took over. Mark Hannon built The Greg Hill Show, not Thomas. Jones and Mego, WEEI Afternoons, Gresh and Fauria to some extent…those are Thomas shows, and none had any real success. Even the obvious pairing of Jones and Keefe took years to happen. Now he’s going to focus on WEEI while also working on the Audacy sports brand nationally?

I mean, I guess?

When moves like this are made, I reach out to many people. Some current and some former employees of both WEEI and The Hub. One response stood out among the half-dozen or so.

“Wow. Falling upwards at Audacy continues. What about WEEI’s track record since he started there suggests he should be elevated to oversee sports content in other markets? No one has dined on the success of being handed great talent 15 years ago like Mike Thomas, with 98.5 (The Sports Hub). Truly a dumb company run by dumb people.”

My last interaction with Ken Laird was not great. I called him and told him I knew they had already given my night shift to Rich Keefe. He stammered and said we should get on a call with Thomas. The next day, over Zoom, that was that. But I had a lot of fun with Ken on K & C, and hope he’s not 100% out of a job.

Impact level…minimal on the listener, for now. The on-air budget is pretty low as it is, so I can’t imagine any cuts. Could Laird go back to producing or do some Sox on air? Maybe. Or stay on as assistant PD? Or maybe…something else??? More on that in the weekly notes.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ So yeah, just a brutal start for the Red Sox. We went live after the loss to the Astros on Wednesday for Episode 20 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. A lot of laughs for a 1-5 team. Watch and sub on YouTube, and then listen and sub where you listen to your podcasts. If you have been listening in the offseason, you’re not shocked at this slow start.

🎙️"Gasper and Perry are out.” Got this text over the last 10 days or so. WEEI and Mike Thomas had spoken with both Chris Gasper and Phil Perry about full-time roles at the station. I’m guessing money was/is a big issue. And I do wonder if there’s a hiring freeze of sorts at WEEI, given the various cuts across the company this week. We’ll see, but it's pretty quiet in both, best I can tell.

🎙️ Here’s one to simmer on: Rich Shertenlieb. I’m told he’s starting to untag himself in old WZLX photos on Instagram. I don’t really know what that means (also, please follow me on IG), but one person suggested he might be getting set for a new gig. Is there a chance he’s willing to take a deal with WEEI for less money and more bonus structure, just to get back in the game??? He talked to Thomas when he left the Sports Hub. He’s stopped posting YouTube videos. WEEI is desperate for change in the afternoons.

I know, it sounds nuts, but maybe it doesn’t? To be clear, this is an unsourced, MutStack original thought. But if you’re hearing anything, let me know…

🎙️ Also Nuts - Okay, one more, this one from a Boston radio personality - is there even a 1% chance this ends up getting Laird and Curtis a full-time show on WEEI? Middays? Move Jones and Keefe to afternoons, and keep Teddy J?

 Ken and Curtis is a good weekend show. Hail Mary idea, don’t hate it.

🎙️ Joe Weil does a very good job on Red Sox Radio pre and post.

🎥 I wanted Blackberry to be a better movie. It felt like a movie I’ve seen 100 times. And that’s Mut Talking Movies.

🏀 The way Tatum has played since his return (better than we could have hoped) and given rest of the East right now…the C’s should be in in the NBA Finals.

🤑 Getting back on campus and Wednesday was great, but also a reminder that the UConn Bookstore is one of the easiest places in the world to spend money. Not cheap.

🏀 Excited to see Rico in his element out at the Final Four.

🏀 Just realized UConn is 1-0 in the NCAA Tourney vs. Illinois, while Jeff D. Lowe and I are in the same building watching…

‼️Under 70 days til Laconia

⚾ Seriously, boo the crap out of Breslow Friday at Fenway

🐰 A Happy and Happy Easter to you and yours

Certainly feels like that’s enough Stack for this week. I’ll be very active on social at the Final Four, so follow along.

Back Saturday on the Barstool Blog to preview the final big Kentucky Derby Prep Weekend of the Year. A lot of work to do on Friday night. Good luck with all the bets this weekend. And please reach out if you’re in Indy.

Thanks for reading. And watching. Go Huskies.

Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

Owners Note - I don’t like Mut

It was pretty clear Dave was not happy with me Monday on Wake Up Barstool. He was a man of his word and returned MutStack publishing ability to me when Iowa beat Clemson on Friday night. But even in Chicago Gambling Cave…I thought the winning bet might change his mood.

I feel bad Jeff D. Lowe got caught up in this. We were texting after I was offered the bet, and he was a big help in making the arrangements to leave on the fly from Chelmsford on Friday afternoon - without letting my wife know until I was in the Uber close to the airport - to make the Iowa game on time. I left the house a fucking mess, and she might like me less than Dave right now. I got lucky that my flight was delayed 30 minutes. Is Dave less mad if the surprise was not ruined? I don’t know.

It wasn’t quite as neverracking as the Packers bet Dave made the day I was hired (that also cashed by the way), but it was close. At one point, I stood to the left of the insane Planet Fitness massage chair, and after about five minutes, a very nice producer named Nick had to tell me I was out of the shot for the live stream.

As usual - I’m an idiot.

I saw people asking why I left after the Iowa game and missed the UConn first half - do people really think I had a MutStack written? My boss told me I could not write one, so I didn’t. Again, Chain of Command.

I’m glad the cave rode with and cashed the bet - hitting a group bet with friends remains one of the best things about legal sports betting. I enjoyed hitting a live bet with Dana Beers when Florida covered the -57.5 we laid in the second half. And another on Cal Baptist +16.5. Shoutout, DraftKings.

Chicago crew was great. Rico is a very easy guy to watch basketball with - you can tell how much he loves college hoops. I had never met him before Friday, but Nicky Smokes came up to me in the bullpen while I was writing and gave me a very formal handshake that has stuck with me this week for its respectfulness. Big Cat was a gracious host.

But yeah, I remain out of the good graces of My Boss Dave. He’s mad because he thinks I called the very nice Go Go Greys jumpsuit he gifted me in Vegas, “goofy.” I did not. I thought the pants were baggy and wasn’t 100% sure if we were all wearing them because I am an insecure child with anxiety issues. I should have texted Dave to ask him. I called my friend Kirk and said as much. But I said baggy, which they really aren’t.

When I went on KMS last week, Kirk relayed that I said, “baggy, not goofy.” But then on stream Friday night, Dave is telling me Kirk is texting him saying I said goofy. And here we are, with a four-word owner’s note and officially uninvited to any future events with Dave. Not great with the Triple Crown a few weeks away.

All my doing. No one to blame but my own issues. Fences to mend, for sure.

As I said in the video in last week’s Stack, I appreciate the subscriber support. Glad Iowa won. And for my own selfish reasons, rooting heavily for UConn (and Michigan) to win tonight.

Meanwhile, it’s Red Sox season, and NESN debuted a terrible new on-screen scorebug. A journalist skewers John Henry. An amazing message from Dan Hurley. Plus, MutStack notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #165.

Baseball season! ⚾⚾⚾

And we’re so close to 7K subscribers. Only takes a second to subscribe.

Year Four of being 100% free, and if you have not hit the blue button yet, I appreciate your consideration.

Subscribe now

On Opening Day, NESN’s new ugly scorebug, and the expectations for your 2026 Red Sox…

That NESN scorebug…woof.

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On this detailed video of John Henry’s lack of spending and the new age of sports and private equity…

This a long video - one with over 3 million views on Twitter/X.com. Normally, I would never watch a video this long, but if you’re trashing John Henry and Sam Kennedy, I’m in.

I don’t like either gentleman. Henry? Well, it’s bullshit that it’s been over 2000 days since he took questions from the media. He’s given that task to the naturally smarmy Kennedy, whom I just don’t like personally. When it was very fashionable to do so, he made comments about my co-workers and me at WEEI. Basically kicked us while we were down, to gain points with, well, I’m not sure who. It was a dick move. Just listen to him talk - he’s a hard guy to like if you support the Red Sox and don’t dislike him as much as I do.

Back to the video. It’s a good video, but it doesn't break any news. It’s a detailed aggregation/breakdown of Henry's decision to spend less of the Red Sox's (and the Fenway Sports Group's) overall revenue on his baseball roster. I have written about it here for years and on the Barstool Blog for months. The Sox are in the bottom third of spending-to-revenue ratios in all of baseball - for a big-market team like the Red Sox, that is unacceptable.

Joon Lee (the video host) points to private equity as the bad guy here. These groups come in, buy into professional teams, and all of a sudden, winning becomes less important than the bottom line. He says Henry and the Sox have done just that.

We have plenty of examples of private equity ruining everything. Take youth sports - these groups have started buying into playing venues like travel hockey rinks and indoor turf facilities. In some of these, you can no longer take pictures or videos of your own kids playing sports - you have to buy into their photo or video service. I’m serious. Good luck trying that with The Mutnansky Family. We have not encountered that here with our two boys, but one baseball travel league in our area does force you to use a certain app to track games, stats, etc.

Lee uses Alex Bregman as an example of the team taking a private-equity-like stance by not committing long-term money and years to Bregman this past offseason; I think they should have. But I also think the Rafael Devers trade was a much better example of what Lee is talking about here.

Under the guise of trading Devers b/c he didn’t want to play first base, they unloaded 100% of his salary in a move that rivals the suckiness of the Mookie Betts trade. The goal was to dump that salary, no matter what. Devers was beloved in Boston, but it didn’t matter - they decided the contract was too big, just a few years after he signed it.

I wonder if Lee will make a similar video about the Patriots. Their actual cash spending on players (vs. the fake salary cap) has been reported to be in the bottom third of the NFL over the years.

For me, as a young fan, sports became a business when Roger Clemens left the Red Sox. Or when Bill Parcells signed Curtis Martin to a contract the Patriots couldn’t match because of some clause Parcells cooked into the deal. Lee seems to be coming to grips with sports as a business now, in 2026.

If he sticks with baseball, how about 20 minutes on teams like the Marlins, who, despite a beautiful new ballpark and vibrant baseball community, are spending a league-low $80 million on their team in 2026. How do they or baseball justify that???

I’ve tried to come to grips with the fact that I love baseball, but Red Sox ownership sucks. Sam Kennedy is a dink. And Lee helps prove that with this in-depth video. But sports are not going back to the way they were when we were growing up. Hell, look at what college sports have become!

The good old days are gone. Henry is just one of dozens of franchise owners less committed to winning and more committed to profit. I fear it’s going to get worse before it gets any better.

On this amazing quote from Dan Hurley…

“I feel like I’ve got a responsibility.”

If you don’t watch that whole John Henry video, I implore you to watch this.

I love this guy. One of the many reasons UConn’s Dan Hurley is the best coach in the country is that he’s so honest with his answers. In this clip, he’s 100% right when he talks about remembering the teachers and coaches who are hardest on you - those who expect the most of you.

I had an Honors English (brag) teacher in high school that I still think about when I’m writing. My 7th- and 8th-grade basketball coach (Coach Dube) would run us into the ground, have us do drills where we were diving for loose balls everywhere, and have us wear a shirt and tie to school for road games. They were both tough in their own way - it might have felt like “too much” at the time, but that’s what sticks. And I’m thankful for both of them.

With my kids now active in sports, I WANT tough coaching for them. I have told many coaches to “yell at my kids like they were your own.”

The media wants to make Hurley and Tom Izzo into Bob Knight because that shit sells - it gets clicks. But as a parent? Give me that every day of the week over a coach who is just there to babysit. It’s probably harder than ever to be that type of coach, but Hurley’s success at the highest level shows that it works.

Good for Coach Hurley. I love the way he coaches, and I hope we get to see it on Friday, Sunday, and again next week in the Final Four.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ Even with a game in the books, the predictions episode of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast is worth a listen. Watch and subscribe on YouTube, and then listen and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

⚾ With the season underway, expect at least 2x new episodes a week, usually after a series is over.

⚾ There are a lot of hoops to jump through if you’re trying to watch every Red Sox game this season. I created a handy Red Sox TV/Streaming Guide here on the Barstool Blog.

🎙️ Former WFAN host Brandon Tierney was let go from the station earlier this year. Then he took some shots at this old station (I would NEVER do that…). He also took some shots at WFAN’s current morning host, Gregg Giannotti, calling him a bad teammate. Gio fired back, saying Tierney begged to come on the station to talk St. John’s last week (sad if true), and that Tierney was the most thin-skinned host ever, and that was the reason he failed at both CBS Radio and WFAN. Tierney fired back, then Gio said all these former co-workers of Tierney reached out to him and thanked him for ripping him. Some great back-and-forth drama and maybe a lot to follow - but I followed it. Watched all the clips, read all the summaries - I cared about two people I don’t really care about.

The point is, this was a great moment for sports radio. This feud got me to care about WFAN for a few days, and I have no dog in the fight. I can only imagine WFAN listeners ate this shit up - I know one did, because he texted me right away when Gio attacked Tierney earlier this week. I saw where Craig Carton is rooting for this thing to keep going - he’s right, good for business!

I wonder if anyone at WEEI saw this and realized how impactful a rivalry can be. Probably not, right?

🎙️I am not the only one surprised that, as of now, Sports Radio WEEI seems content to keep its current lineup intact for the Red Sox season. I’m confident the station has had talks with both Chris Gasper and Phil Perry about full-time roles, but I’m not sure what the holdup has been. I brought this up with two people close to the situation this week, and they both said money was the obvious holdup. I wrote here a few weeks ago that Mike Thomas did not seem to have much urgency in making the next move. I thought for sure we’d see change before Opening Day - I was wrong.

➡️ I did hear a prominent Audacy salesperson left for the Sports Hub recently, thanks in part to $$.

🎙️ No surprise that raw, overall audience, for both 98.5 The Sports Hub and WEEI have trended downwards since the Super Bowl. 25-54. The Hub will get a boost from the Celtics. We’ll see what kind of boost WEEI gets from the Red Sox - it was much less than I expected in the fall and into the playoffs.

🏀 It’s not personal - it’s about my bracket. I have Michigan cutting down the nets, so I’ll be rooting for them to beat Alabama tonight. I will also be locked into the Barstool NY gambling stream for Dave v. Rico. Has the chance to be an all-timer. My Barstool NY sources tell me the Picks Central crew is fired up. 👀

😮 This trailer is a work of art #menofhonor

🏀 We are so due for Braylon Mullins to hit like three 3s in a row in this Tournament. And for Solo Ball to do the same. Huskies sitting on a big game tonight….get me to 10 PM.

Certainly feels like that’s enough Stack for this week.

Back Saturday on the Barstool Blog to preview two huge Derby Preps in the Arkansas Derby and Florida Derby. Good luck with all the bets this weekend

Thanks for reading

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

I am very disappointed in Mut. Kirk Minihane has said he is 100% positive that Mut called my gift to him goofy. Mut said he didn’t, but also won’t say Kirk is wrong or a liar. I can no longer welcome him into my world. Also, the jumpsuit isn’t even baggy on him. Mut will not be allowed to keep the jumpsuit, which was a gift from my heart.

Note from Publisher of MutStack.com, Mut:

I didn’t say it. I said baggy. Which, again, doesn't let me off the hook for even wondering if the plan was to wear the Go Go Greys jumpsuits on Friday in Las Vegas. I can’t pull the clip now, but as we talked about on Kirk’s show Wednesday, and I believe he agreed, I said baggy. No goofy.

It was an amazing weekend, which I’m writing about tomorrow on the Barstool blog.

I am going to ask Dave to keep the jumpsuit once I publish tonight. I’ll report back next week.

Trending on X.com today. Why can’t it say MutStack?

Blind Mike gives me shit for this not really being a Friday Four-Pack. Usually, I’d push back. But on this one, he’s going to have a point.

It’s been a long day, and we’re getting right into it. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #164. The streak rolls on.

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On a whirlwind trip to Chicago…

Maybe you guys can relate. Also, I had a mustache in the 7th or 8th grade, not at 7 or 8 years old. It’s been a long day. But seriously, thank you guys. And gals. Without your unreal response this morning, this would never have happened. #thankyou #mutsluts

I mean, come on.

It’s getting more and more obvious that A.J. Brown will be a Patriot. The Eagles can save millions of dollars by waiting until AFTER June 1st to make the trade. But between this clip…the whispers I’m getting from Philly that Brown will “100% be traded”…it feels like a lock.

I’ll be okay if it’s a first-round pick going to Philly as part of the trade. I hope it’s a 2027 1st-round pick, if possible.

I see people trying to grade the Pats’ offseason. It’s impossible until we see which No. 1 receiver they get. Brown, Jennings, Aiyuk. No matter what else they do, they do not get a passing grade for the offseason without a No. 1 WR for Drake Maye.

On the wild reaction to my Red Sox blog on Thursday…

I have never gotten such a negative reaction to something I’ve written on the Barstool blog. Go read it while you’re here. And feel free to agree with these people.

Just these over and over again. For hours. A barrage.

The Red Sox are clearly manipulating the service time of both Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Both guys have pitched well enough to break camp with the Sox. But because the team can gain an extra year of an affordable contract if they keep them in AAA for six weeks, they’re going to do it.

People seem angry that I’m pointing this out.

If the Sox were trying to build the best team, I think both guys would be on the roster. But the team traded for Johan Oviedo, and they want to get him some run - he also has options, by the way.

The AL East is the most competitive division in baseball. There’s a chance a playoff spot comes down to a couple of games. If they struggle in April and we point to Oviedo as the reason, you’re allowed to rip Breslow. I know I will.

I would have Connelly Early in the rotation to start the season. And Ovideo would be at AAA.

The Red Sox are doing it a different way, it sounds like. If it were based on how they pitched this spring, I think they’d be doing it my way.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ A very WBC-heavy Dirty Water Podcast this week. But we did get to some big Red Sox issues, including the plan with the 5th starter, where it sure looks like the Sox are manipulating the service time on a few young studs. Watch and sub on YouTube, and then listen and sub wherever you get your podcasts. Opening Day is next week, let’s go.

⚾ NESN will carry 145 Red Sox games this season. They announced this week that Lou Merloni will call about 120 of those. It’s about effing time. Lou is excellent in the booth, and after years of rotating guys, I’m glad they finally realized he’s better than the rest. I also remain a huge Dave O’Brien fan and think he and Lou can be one of the better booths in baseball now that they get some real extended games together.

➡️ Having a full Kirk Minihane Show on Wednesday was…well, awesome. If you have any extra Laconia tickets, please DM me. I have a diehard KMS fan looking for maybe up to four.

➡️ This is now three straight weeks of writing about the financial issues of 98.5 The Sports Hub’s parent company, Beasley Media. This is not good - as BRW points out, this was the Audacy bankruptcy plan from three years ago. More on this next week.

🎙️ Not much in the way of WEEI/Hub gossip. Heard The Greg Hill Show is looking at some … interesting names to fill in while Courtney Cox takes maternity leave. They’re not good names, and I’ll be curious if it comes to fruition.

🎙️ I’d just have Mego in every day - she is good with those guys.

⚾ The WBC was great. I’d consider moving it to the All-Star break and taking two weeks off every three years if it got more MLB players involved.

🏀 Really need UConn to beat Furman tonight.

That feels like enough Stack for today. Back on the Barstool Blog to recap Vegas and talk a pair of Derby Preps in the regular Kentucky Derby Prepping with Mut. Hopefully around noon Saturday. Much to discuss.

Seriously. Thank you, guys. Thank you, Dave. Thank you, Dan. Thank you, Kirk.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Thanks for reading. And watching.

Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

Today’s Mutstack has been cancelled, and all future Mutstacks are suspended until further notice for extreme ungratefulness. No further questions at this time.

Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

Our first live-to-video MutStack.com owners’ note. Fair response to my request, but I had to ask. I have a job.

Very, very frustrating Thursday in Las Vegas.

In talking to Frank Scatoni last week, he warned that you could end up in a situation where you look back and realize you had a chance to qualify, but your winners were split between two entries. “You don’t want to let them happen.”

And in the end, that’s what happened.

Thanks to Dave, I had three entries. One entry finished with $35.80. Another with $33.10. You needed $65.40 for a seat. I ended up hitting a nice play at Parx on a ‘bad’ entry, and started moving picks around.

And if I had had the balls to play the Parx horse on an entry that started well, I’d be prepping for the NHC races tomorrow.

But just too conservative early. Too rushed and scrambling late. I had it in my mind to have some bullets in the last few races of the contest, but by then, I had passed on too many low to mid-priced winners and had to chase.

I probably focused too much on longer prices in a contest that ended up being very low-scoring. I hit my first play of the tournament, it paid $11.90, and that should have been a sign to bet those types of horses. But once I missed a few, I started reaching.

Bad luck? Sure. Go watch Sidearm’s trip in the 10th at Gulfstream. Or A Moment A Love in Race 5. Or this insane wide trip from Lotsa Trouble in the 7th in NY, where the comment line says “fanned nine wide into upper stretch.” Felt like 99. But I had my chances.

Even the last race of the contest, like, I wrote down to bet the 4 if I needed a price play. This was days ago. Thursday? I ended up missing it because I had not realized that he had drifted up in price. He opened 5-1, and I said, “Well, can’t bet him.” Turns out if I had, I’d have had $61.44 on my best entry. Still a few bucks shy, but I can’t make that mistake.

I’m going to do a full review for the Barstool Blog next week, but it is an awesome event. I can see why people chase seats all year. I’d do much better qualifying when Saratoga is running, that’s for sure.

Being around other racing lunatics is awesome. I got some very nice comments from people about the racing coverage here and on the Barstool Blog. That was nice. Not getting a seat was not. I spent three weeks obsessing over and prepping for this, and falling short sucks.

I’m writing this Thursday night in a mostly empty Horseshoe Events Center. I’ll be back here tomorrow, doing whatever Dave, Elio, and the crew need me to do to help them out. My 284th place out of 1037 wasn't good enough to play tomorrow, and it doesn’t mean shit. Other than that, I can’t wait to start qualifying for 2027.

Meanwhile, interesting first week of Pats Free Agency. We’ve got some #MutMail questions to answer. How about those comments from Tony Mazz on 98.5 The Sports Hub this week??? And your weekly MutStack notes.

And it’s all ahead in Friday Four-Pack #163

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On the Patriots’ week in free agency…

IN: WR Romeo Doubs, G Alijah Vera-Tucker, Edge Dre’Mont Jones, S Kevin Byard. Others: S Mike Brown, FB Reggie Gilliam, TE Julian Hill, and LB K.J. Britt (for depth and special teams)

OUT: WR Stefon Diggs, LBs Anfernee Jennings and Jahlani Tavai, C Garrett Bradbury, Jaylinn Hawkins, Austin Hooper.

Lacking the #1 receiving threat. That’s a big hole. I guess they’ll wait out the Eagles on A.J. Brown? That has to be the play, right? Jauan Jennings is still out there, but will they pay him? He’s probably another #2 receiver.

They can’t think Doubs plus Boutte plus Douglas plus Hollins plusWilliams is enough, right? RIGHT? They have to know that’s not enough for Drake Maye. Diggs helped unlock Maye’s MVP season.

I like Doubs, but he’s not a #1. He’s never had a #1 season in Green Bay. Diggs was a #1. Brown is a #1. I just can’t believe they might not realize this.

Again, the Eagles save money if they trade him later, I get it. But this is a pretty big gamble by the Patriots.

About money. The team has money to still add a receiver. If they end up kicking the can down the road on spending, it will be a bad look. You have to sign Gonzalez, and you’re about to spend real money on Maye. Now is the time to commit.

I like the other moves. Byard is a terrific playmaker. When Vera-Tucker is healthy, he’s Pro Bowl caliber. But the lack of a No. 1 receiver looms over all of this. As does, to a much lesser extent, the long-term replacement for Hunter Henry. Hopefully, they address that in the draft.

I’d grade this first week as incomplete because the hole at WR is just too big to ignore. If they don’t end up with one, it will be a massive fail.

On this comment about Beasley management from Mazz…

“One station loses, the other one’s got to make enough for all of them.”

That was not some throwaway line from Tony Mazz this week.

From Radio Ink last month:

Beasley Media Group has elected to use a 30-day grace period for interest payments totaling approximately $10.2 million that were due February 1, marking the latest development in the company’s ongoing efforts to manage debt after its 2024 refinancing.

Their stock has been trading under $4, down about 25% over the last six months. Like many traditional radio companies, Beasley is struggling financially.

I think it’s very fair to say that Mazz said something out loud that many 98.5 The Sports Hub employees believe - that their great success is having to carry many other stations, not just in the Boston cluster, but across the country.

How is that showing itself now? Well, I know in the last year, Sports Hub hosts waited months for their bonus checks for their #1 ratings. I heard the same about commission checks for their salespeople. That has to suck when you know your station is getting the job done and that, as hosts and salespeople, you did your job. Yet, you’re begging to get paid out. It’s a moral killer.

And I’ve heard recently through the grapevine that some of their on-air contributors, some of whom have been waiting months to get paid by Beasley, are still waiting. That is brutal. Not just for them, but as a full-time host, it makes you feel like an asshole that these people are coming in to work for free. Bad vibes all around

Bigger picture? Maybe it means Beasley can’t retain its talent. Eventually, there will be contracts that come up. Are you really going to ask No. 1 hosts to take a pay cut??? How will that play out? This is in play for a company with financial struggles.

Now, could WEEI take advantage? I don’t know if they have the money to jump in, either.

Felger’s response, “Mazz, why do we have to go there?” was hilarious. It also tells me it was a real comment on something these guys have bitched about off-air. Felger seems to hate that stuff - he wants the radio to succeed.

But it’s hard to have much faith in that if even a company with a sports-radio powerhouse like The Sports Hub is facing financial struggles.

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On your MutMail Questions…

For just the second time in over three years of this newsletter, I put out the request for some #MutMail questions. And you guys delivered. There were a lot.

Germ asked in the comments last week,
Which former co-worker do you dislike more? Mikey Adams or Chris Curtis?

I heard that the caller to Kirk’s show last week said that I should respond to Curtis going at me on The Greg Hill Show. I would, but I have not heard any direct shots. I’m sure there have been. Someone sent me a clip of Greg mockingly saying “Substacks” or something. Curtis and I were friends; he stayed on the morning show with Greg, and I went back to nights, and that was sort of it. I’ve written about his on-air mishaps and WEEI’s ratings, so he’s probably not a fan. Mikey, just, yeah, no thanks. I dislike him more, by a wide margin.

HotTakes69
how do the red sox owners answer the simple question - why have you gone from a top 2-3 payroll team to 14th, simple question

They’ve said they spend more on other things, like research and tech. But it’s a bullshit answer. You know that. There’s no excuse.

tommy massis
Did you collect any of the trading cards they hand out on the strip

I did - I need to add to the collection from the last time I was here in 2020. Also, Las Vegas remains stupid expensive.

Jack
How excited were you when Dave Andrews knew you as the Mut stack guy before the dozen March

There are lots of MutStack guys and gals out there that lurk in the shadows. Andrews does a good job with the 98.5 guys, but I was happy to thrash him in trivia

A_48321
Rank the top movies to fall asleep to

This list changes. Right now it’s “The Sting” with Robert Redford and Paul Newman. Something about the music and the pacing of it. Usually, asleep before Redford’s character goes to Chicago.

Overall? Moneyball, Darkest Hour, and Seinfeld are all in the rotation. Spotlight is another. Dark subject matter, but the dialogue does it for me.

Nipplez (Gear Head Mike)
With Laconia tickets going on sale in less than a week, will you be at both nights or just Saturday? And will there be a Belmont Stakes event somewhere?

I don’t know, Nipplez. There is a small casino near Laconia that might work. Thankfully, with DK Horse, we can watch and wager anywhere. But whatever Kirk needs me to do. Sounds like Marty Mush is in, too? He keeps saying that, at least.

Worse situation? Kirk having Klemmer or New England giving Romeo Doubs WR1 money while being at best a WR2?

Close, but Doubs. The Pats don’t have a #1 receiver. Team Minihane has a No. 1 player in Kirk when he comes back. Just need Klemmer to be the #2 and get those geography questions.

David In Maryland
Why did the Mutstack Vlogs end? They were my Moneyball for helping me get some shut-eye

Not officially ended, they’ll appear again, I’m sure. But it’s been a while, that’s fair.

Appreciate the questions, especially from the Minifans. Three years between mailbags seems too long, so I’ll try to make this quarterly.

On your weekly MutStack notes…

⚾ This week’s Dirty Water was dominated by WBC, Mark DeRosa, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer talk. Big spot for Team USA Friday Night. Watch and listen on YouTube, then subscribe to the podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.

🏇🏻 Maach
Would you bet the new octofecta bet at Turfway even if it was with Portnoy's money?

So I saved this question for here because, holy shit, what is Turfway doing?

“TwinSpires is excited to promote an exciting new wager type available at Kentucky Thoroughbred tracks,” TwinSpires vice president of marketing Evan Morris said. “The Jackpot 8 is a high-upside bet designed for everyone-no deep racing knowledge required. With an easy entry point and large jackpot on the line, we see this as a genuine opportunity to attract new fans to the sport.”

The wager has a $1 minimum with a 22 percent takeout. Of the pool remaining after takeout, 75 percent goes to the jackpot and 25 percent to multiple winners, which is emphasized here because there are no consolation payoffs. Multiple winners are playing for 19.5% of the total pool. Anything less than correctly tabbing all eight finish positions is a losing ticket except in the case of a mandatory payout.

That's right - you have to pick the first EIGHT finishers in a race. In the correct order. It’s a horse racing lottery ticket. It’s not for real players - it’s for people who are at the race track with real players who just want some action. I’ve been with friends at the track who will go to the guy who scratches tickets from the machines in New York…WHILE THEY’RE AT THE TRACK. This is that, but with horses. And just wait until one of the stars of Horse Racing Twitter misses this bet because some jockey didn’t fight for 6th place. Jackpot bets are bad enough without being this gimmicky. I hate this.

⁉️ Yeah, not a great interaction. In my mind, it was like 10-15 seconds total, but clearly I lingered. If you’ve ever had a bad day betting on horses or sports, that ‘fatigue of losing’ at the end of the day. Yeah, that was me. Gotta be better. Today is a new day.

🏀 This came up on Picks Central this week, but I still believe UConn is one of the four or five teams that can win the NCAA Championship. At their best, they can play with anyone. That said, I’d like to see them win this Big East Tournament in NY. Some momentum and confidence heading into next week would be HUGE for this team. Excited to see Tourney Braylon Mullins.

🏇🏻 One thing that’s apparent to me in just a day and a half around other horseplayers here in Vegas - my way of handicapping feels archaic. I read the form, watch replays, take notes, and look for track bias. There is so much software out there that people are putting to good use, including AI, that seems much more advanced. I might have to take a break after the Triple Crown season to reassess my approach. If you’re using any of this stuff, let me know.

🙄 I see the Bettor Health Act has some buzz in Massachusetts again. This is a legislative bill that “aims to address harms that can come with wagering.” It also bans sports betting ads during televised sporting events, as well as in-play and proposition bets. Oh, and massively raises the tax rate for sports betting operators. People much smarter than me say it would destroy MA Sports betting. To me, it’s a silly publicity stunt that would be bad for sports bettors, and I can’t believe it’s coming up again

That feels like enough Stack for today. Back on the Barstool Blog to recap Day 1 of the NHC and talk Derby Preps in the regular Kentucky Derby Prepping with Mut.

Now back to helping the boys win this thing. Winner gets $825k.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Thanks for reading. And watching.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

I want to wish Mut good luck next Thursday qualifying for the NHC. That is all.

Thank you, Dave.

So yeah, six days out from Vegas.

In a perfect world, this week’s Four-Pack open would be about how I’ve had a great week in these NHC feeders….that I’ve found an approach that works…that I have multiple entries in the big qualifying tournaments this weekend… that my confidence is sky-high!

Instead, that image above tells the real story. Those are my finishes in the feeders and qualifiers over the last couple of weeks. I’ve been ready to go live on social media at the end of all these tournaments, but I’m never even alive for a placing going into the final race.

I can pick winners. Three for three in the Debry preps last week on the Barstool blog is a good example. On Sunday, we had the 8-1 Class President in the Rebel, and I made a good score. But all I could think about was crashing in a qualifier. I just have not found the right combination of winning favorites and longshots in these feeders. And it hasn’t been that close.

I had an hour-long conversation on Thursday with Frank Scatoni, who has been writing about and playing in horse racing tournaments for decades. He’s trying to help me out with the reality that next Thursday, in the First Chance/Last Chance tournament that Dave gifted me three entries to, I have to manage those three entries correctly. I just need ONE of them to finish in the top 40 or so to make the NHC, so if one ticket gets a big winner, I’ll have to be ready to adjust.

The good thing is I can do all of the handicapping work before the tournament starts on Thursday. Then I’ll be able to focus on the board and adjusting to my target bankroll to advance. But the losing is wearing on me. Since we’re in the trust tree, I’m not sleeping much. I’d like to see the ball go through the hoop once or twice here before next Thursday. Feels a little bit like that image of Charlie Brown with the rain cloud over his head.

I got a text from a racing friend this week. He reached out to wish me good luck.

“Listen. Don’t overthink. Just trust your gut. Shits gonna go down that’s gonna make you second guess and question yourself. Stick to your guns.”

I’ve read it a few times since then.

There are a few chances left to qualify before next week, but it’s looking more and more like that will be my best shot at making the NHC. And I’m a massive long shot. I think when Klemmer asked me this week, I said I’m 40-1 to make it. It’s probably more like 400-1.

So yeah, flying to Las Vegas on Wednesday. First Chance/Last Chance all day Thursday. Then the NHC starts on Friday. The plan is to cover all content on social media and the Barstool Blog. I am planning on a normal Four-Pack here next week. As part of that, I’m looking for mailbag questions for next week’s newsletter. Have not done one of those in a while.

You can comment here with questions. DMs are open on X.com. Or mut at barstoolsports dot com. You can email me there. And send along your Vegas recommendations, too.

Until Vegas, we fight on. Firing away later Friday and hope to be alive late!

And a great Friday it is!!!!! WBC Baseball!!! Tatum is back!!!! NFL Trade buzz involving the Patriots!!!! These exclamation points are me trying to stay positive!!!! Hopefully it works!!! Much to discuss in this week’s newsletter!!!!

And it’s all ahead in Friday Four-Pack #162

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On a MUST for the Patriots offseason…

We open with a rant about this shitty New England winter. And two-hour delays. I do eventually get to the Pats.

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On the return of Jayson Tatum…

I’m typing this at 5:34 AM, but I think Tatum is back tonight?

I’d tell you that I’m excited to be done with the Boston sports radio discourse on Tatum’s docuseries, but it’s just going to evolve into a conversation about Tatum and Brown’s relationship. As I wrote a few weeks ago, the NBA is fueled by off-court drama. “Lebron said this. Steve Kerr said that. Harden wants to be traded here.” It completely overshadows the on-court product.

I was part of this, agreeing with Jeff Goodman for years that Brown and Tatum did not complement each other as players on the court, and at times, didn’t seem to enjoy playing together. Then that changed, both of their games evolved, and they won a championship.

Tatum is coming back to a team that has played well above anyone’s expectations, thanks in part to the play of Brown. People are going to look for signs that Tatum is annoyed it’s not his team anymore, or something like that. Or that Brown is annoyed at Tatum coming back.

Maybe I’m just being naive, but I just assume they’ll go right back to being one of, if not the best, duos in the NBA. I love watching Jayson Tatum play basketball, and if I had a favorite player, it would be him. He’s an elite, elite scorer who has morphed into one of the best all-around players in the league. For some reason, he makes people crazy. I actually don’t think he’s as appreciated as he should be in Boston, and I get the sense that people around the NBA value him wayyyyyy more than many Celtics fans do. The Tatum Haters (of which there are many) will be out in full force. Maybe not tonight, they’ll probably wait a game or two before saying he shoots too much and needs to pass the ball more 🙄🙄🙄

Assuming he comes back, at let’s say 90%, the Celtics are the team to beat in the East, and I don’t think it's close. Brad Stevens’ trade for Nikola Vučević has gone under the radar - he gives them a whole different look and is going to have a boatload of open 3s here down the stretch and into the playoffs. Joe Mazzulla is second right now on DraftKings in the Coach of the Year odds, but he’d get my vote. Even if you didn’t want them to tank, this was supposed to be a bridge year at best. Instead, they’ll likely be the No. 2 seed in the East. Mazzulla’s roster has eleven different Celtics averaging at least 15 minutes. JB Bickerstaff will probably win it, but I’d argue that what Mazzulla has done without Tatum is > Detroit’s success. It’s close, but I’d go Mazzulla.

As I write this, it occurs to me that I’m a Tatum Fanboy. Guiltily as charged. I was content if he sat out the season, as long as it meant he’d be coming back 100% next season. Now he’s back from a torn Achilles in less than 300 days, and you’re allowed to start thinking about a Celtics/Thunder Finals.

The talk will probably not be about that; it will be about Tatum’s facial expressions or Brown’s body language. But I’m excited to watch Jayson Tatum play tonight, even if the drama of his return gets more buzz than the actual basketball.

On the 2026 World Baseball Classic…

At my age, it’s tough to get me to change my opinion on much. But after years of mostly ignoring it, I’m pretty excited for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

I’ll say off the top, I have no problem with what Tarik Skubal is doing. The Tigers' ace is on Team USA, but he's only planning to pitch in one game because of the event's timing and his preparation for the MLB season.

“Contractually, it wouldn't matter if the timing was in the middle of the season. It really wouldn't matter. I would just go suit up and play," Skubal said this week, in response to people saying he was doing this because he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season. I believe him.

And this has always been my issue with the WBC. It’s a great event, but it’s not the Olympics. And the timing is kinda terrible. If a player wants to put the team paying his salary ahead of the WBC, especially a pitcher who is being asked to ramp up well before MLB Opening Day, I totally get it. Fun event - but it’s not the Olympics.

As far as this year, yes, 100%, I’m more into the tournament.

I’m convinced that we’re staring down the barrel of a long MLB lockout in 2027. I won’t be totally shocked if we lose the whole season over the two sides battling over not just a salary cap, but a salary floor. I’ve seen some suggestions that the Players’ Union would want a floor around $150 million. There are WAY too many owners that have no interest in spending that - there are 12 teams under that number for 2026. A few of those would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to $150 million. Between that and the players’ detestation of a salary cap, yeah, it’s going to be a long lockout.

It helps that Team USA has Red Sox star Roman Anthony in the outfield. My podcast partner Hogdale has brainwashed convinced me that Anthony is an MVP candidate right now, three months shy of his 22nd birthday. He homered in his WBC exhibition debut on Tuesday and could break out in a big way.

Seems like I’m not the only one into it. This video of Shohei Ohtani’s home run in Japan’s game early Friday has 15 MILLION views in just a few hours.

My kids are into it, too. They want jerseys (f-off, Fanatics). They want to root for Anthony. And they love baseball. So yeah, that’s part of it. The Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday primetime games are good, too.

Team USA is the favorite to win. A USA/Japan final would be wild. Hasn’t always been my favorite event, but I’m locked in this year. Hopefully, in Summer 2028, for Team USA at the Olympics.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ We started this week’s Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast making fun of Aaron Judge's address to his team this week at the WBC. He can be a great hitter, and that can be an awful clip. Both things can be true. Red Sox 5th starter battle, the lineup, Marcelo Mayer, and much more. Watch and subscribe on YouTube and then listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ Pretty quiet week on the WEEI news front. I believe management is still talking to people, including Phil Perry and Chris Gasper, about roles with the station. I think those talks still revolve around WEEI Afternoons. But I don’t think those talks have advanced much, or if there’s a real timetable for change before the Red Sox season. I continue to ask around and will report news as I get it.

🎙️If Mazz was on remote one day from Felger and Mazz and he just left the show during the show, people would notice. And Felger and Jim Murray would probably bring it up. So it caught one person’s attention last Friday when Nick “Fitzy” Stevens, all of a sudden, was not back for hour three of WEEI Afternoons. I was not listening live last Friday, but the podcast confirms it. He’s there to end hour two and then gone after that, without any mention, at least on the podcast, from anyone else on the show. Maybe I missed it - I did not listen to the entire podcast. But it’s still afternoon drive in a major market, so this person found it strange. Listening back, so did I. Strange.

⚾ At one point, Underdog was a fantasy sports company, offering DFS-style sports drafts. Then they were going to make a push to be a sportsbook. Now, they’re planning to focus on Prediction Markets. As such, they’re going through changes. It sounds like one of those changes in no longer hosting Jared Carrabis and his very popular Section 10 Red Sox podcast, as well as his national baseball podcast with Dallas Braden, Baseball is Dead. A loyal reader here suggested WEEI make a push for Carrabis. Seems unlikely. Carrabis and Section 10 are huge brands, and I’m sure they’ll get it sorted out for Opening Day.

👀 For the KMS fans wondering, Jared DID text me on my birthday this year. I get the sense he got the nudge from a famous podcast host and mini golfer, but that’s not important. Have not talked to him since then, but we’re in a good space.

⁉️ Big, like BIG, Dozen Trivia Match scheduled for next week.

🏀 Big, big fan of the NBA on NBC Throwback logos and scorebug. More retro broadcasts, please.

➡️ Kirk, Dave, and Justin took calls today. Kirk’s right, very nervous about Vegas. Also, shout out to former Patriots’ center David Andrews, MutStack reader!

📺 I saw that Barstool Tate just finished his first viewing of The Wire. As a multi-time viewer, it’s an amazing show and an easy Top 5 all-time for me. Can I just say I think Season Two gets far too much shit? I’ve heard people say they skip over it. Those people are morons. You get an all-time open with the Pryz “Ring of Fire” scene. You get the amazing Ziggy/GG scene at the store, one of the best scenes in the whole series. We get Beatie Russell. We get the dock crew. McNulty on the boat. I could go on. Season 2 is much better than Season 5. And that’s Mut Talkin’ TV.

That sure feels like enough Stack for this week. Back to the NHC grind.

Good luck with all the bets this weekend. And thanks for reading. Send in those mailbag questions!

And hey, if you made it this far, consider sharing this week’s newsletter with other fans who might enjoy it. Or share something I wrote that was really stupid and make fun of me. Either way.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave this week. Good luck and safe trip for his Go Go Greys’ Silver Syndicate Sunday in Race 8 at Oaklawn. Some thoughts on the race Saturday in Kentucky Derby Prepping with Mut Volume 7 on the Barstool Blog.

Author Earl Nightengale is credited with the saying, “You become what you think about most of the time.” At least that’s what Google says.

For most of the last week, I have been thinking about qualifying for the NHC.

When Dave gifted me entries into the “First Chance/Last Chance” event here in last week’s Four-Pack, he gave me a great opportunity to qualify for the biggest handicapping tournament in the world. I was on cloud nine…for about 24 hours. Then the reality set in.

It’s really freaking hard to qualify for the NHC.

I’ll have three chances out in Vegas on March 11. Turns out that event is one of the wildest shows of the NHC season. “A mini-NHC,” one veteran told me. And you end up getting the best tournament players in the world because it offers the first chance to qualify for the 2027 NHC. Players who are already double-qualified for this year’s event are playing for a seat next year.

And I might just be a shitty tournament player. It’s why I was not qualified yet and had sort of given up trying. Losing over and over has a mental toll. It was easier to just write it off as a lost cause. But over the last nine days, I’ve recommitted and started to prep for Vegas.

🏇🏻 Have talked to multiple people who have been in or part of the event, taking notes like I was in college again. More calls scheduled.

🏇🏻 Listened to hours of tournament-related podcast interviews with good players, taking notes on their strats for the NHC and tournament play.

🏇🏻 Watched hundreds of races, either for replay notes or as part of these tournaments I’m playing in now.

Oh yeah, the tournaments. I’ve played in six over the last week. The results have been abysmal. Finishes of 36th of 99, 62nd of 69, 111th of 418, 12th of 33, 13th of 58, and on Thursday, 19th of 19. I cashed one place bet of 10 total bets in that one. Dead last.

The ONLY sweat I’ve had came on Wednesday, when I needed to finish 11th or better to earn a ticket to Friday’s BIG $75 tournament. I was in position all day until a photo finish in the finale at Tampa Bay. I needed the #8 to beat the #3. Shoutout DK Horse for the excellent video feeds for these races.

Not an awesome headbob for your humble handicapper. I did get my $18 bucks back, which I fired into Thursday’s 19th of 19 finish. Sweet, sweet churn.

When I’m not thinking and working on this, I’m doing actual work and occasionally coming out of the basement to say hello to my family. I’ve ordered a handicapping tournament book online, which arrived Friday morning. Another is on the way. And I started listening to Denis Whitley’s "The New Dynamics of Winning - Gaining the Mindset of a Champion.” It was suggested in an old handicapping book I found. Gotta be mentally prepared to win if you want to win.

Of course, this will all get much more intense on March 12, when 800 people with over 1000 entries are packed in The Horseshoe Las Vegas ballroom, battling for 50 or so NHC entries. That’s a live event, too. I’ll have three shots, and that’s another issue - how to play with multiple entries? I’ll have to attempt that before Vegas. But these are not free events, and MutStack is on a budget.

Friday afternoon is a big qualifier, $75 to get in. That’s the one I played in last week and ran 111th of 418. I’ll be back in there today, and if there’s any sweat, we’ll go live on Twitter. I’ll probably go live either way.

If I don’t text or email back, please take no offense; this is why. Comments and DMs are open with all your advice. Based on the results this last week, I’ll need it.

Meanwhile, I love this new MLB feature. President Trump tries to save college sports. My sources have weighed in on the next move for Sports Radio WEEI. And I made my Dozen Trivia debut.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #161

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On the brilliance of MLB’s new ABS system…

Brilliance is a strong word. But I mean it.

As MLB’s Spring Training ramps up, more and more people are getting this first look at the new ABS system, myself included.

The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system allows teams to challenge umpire balls and strike calls using technology. Players can immediately challenge by tapping their head, with teams receiving two successful challenges per game. Once you get two wrong, you’re out of challenges until extra innings.

A batter, catcher, or pitcher can challenge. They’ll have to do it pretty quickly after the pitch - the umpire can wave it off if they wait ot long or they think they got help from the dugout; managers can’t challenge.

Then they’ll go to their sponsored replay view, and as you can see in the video, we eventually get here - it shows where the pitch was. If the ball touches any of the strike zone, it’s a strike. Based on what I’ve watched so far, the whole process takes about 10-20 seconds. It’s similar to a line challenge in tennis. So if it happens, say, 10 times in a game, you're adding about 2 minutes back into the game.

But it's SO worth it. Not only do we get more accurate calls on close pitches, but this is going to become a little game within a game itself. We’ll have stats on every player and ump. There might be a streak of four or five of these that go against the umpire - now the crowd is into it.

How about in a real big spot in the game, 3-2, strikeout to end the inning…wait a second…challenge…BALL 4. You can’t manufacture that drama in a spring training game. But Red Sox / Yankees in September, 8th inning, Judge at the plate. Sounds electric. Sign. Me. Up.

In the short term, it will make umpires better. MLB will weed out the bad ones with this system, too. And long term, I’ll say it because you’re probably thinking it too: yeah, ABS might just replace umpires on balls and strikes altogether. I could see that happening. But that won’t be anytime soon.

Umpires have a hard job, totally get it. But based on just a few games this spring, they miss a shitload of close calls behind the plate. This helps clean that up and make umpires - and the game - better. And gives us a little ABS Mini Game in the process.

The addition of the Wild Card. The Pitch Clock. Now ABS. They do it kicking and screaming, but baseball does eventually make changes to improve the game.

In or Out on ABS? Hit the comments and let me know.

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On WEEI’s plans for afternoon drive…

On Monday, as New England was battling the Blizzard of 2026, WEEI rolled out an afternoon drive show of just producer Dan Bahl and co-host Nick ‘Fitzy’ Stevens on a remote. It was a tough listen.

As we close in on Red Sox Opening Day and the station works to revamp that show, I feel confident that one of those two will be part of the new afternoon drive product.

I believe that, once again, change is coming to that timeslot. Multiple people I talked to this week outlined what a new WEEI Afternoon Drive show might look like in the next weeks and months.

Ted Johnson is a favorite of WEEI Market Manager Mike Thomas and would stay on as a co-host on the new show. I rooted hard for Teddy J when he wore No. 52 for the Patriots, but I can’t say the same about Ted Johnson, the radio host. Zero sense of humor and far too much 'remember when’ radio for me. Thomas likes that “back when I played” stuff - based on the last year of ratings, the Boston radio audience does not. But I’m pretty confident he stays. Maybe he even joins the show full-time now!

Paired with Johnson could be one of the names I mentioned last week, Phil Perry or Chris Gasper. Perry and Johnson work together on TV, and that might be a draw for management. He’s pretty solidified as a “Patriots Guy.” Can he pivot and host a show full-time? The current WEEI Afternoons is already pretty football-heavy. This just feels like a different version of that.

The Boston Globe’s Chris Gasper is the other potential co-host for Johnson. He’s more well-rounded and has more on-air experience than Perry. It's wild to think that, after all the battles between the Boston Globe and WEEI over the years, Gasper would come aboard full-time, but I’m told there is interest from both parties. One source confirmed what I had reported here previously: that Thomas and Gasper had discussed this move before. Both money and Gasper’s Boston Globe Today commitments were hurdles too high to clear. Half of that is no longer an issue, as the TV show was canceled last March.

My question to both guys would be simple: why? I’m serious. Perry is on the Pats beat, on TV a ton, and co-hosts one of if not the most-listened to Patriots Podcast in the market. Isn’t the next logical step NFL Network or ESPN?

Gasper gets to go to all the big games, write a few columns, and do some easy-lifting shifts with Jim Murray at 98.5 The Sports Hub. I guess if the money is crazy, sure. I can’t imagine it is.

On this new show, the current WEEI Afternoon hosts, Andy Hart and Fitzy, are out. But producer Dan Bahl is the other piece of this. Audacy is doing this nationally, where many of their shows are going to two hosts and then a producer who acts as a host (but gets paid like a producer). Bahl is someone WEEI really likes and would stay on as producer/host on this new show. I guess this was a topic among Boston radio people out at the Super Bowl.

So Perry or Gasper (I don’t think both, but maybe?), Ted Johnon, and Dan Bahl.

Your bonus checks are safe, Mazz.

I ran this by former No. 1 Boston Radio host and current Barstool teammate Kirk Minihane this week. His point was that right now, The Sports Hub is ripe for the picking, saying it felt like WEEI when The Hub first came along. But it would need this new show to go after Felger and Mazz and mock them for their takes. Perry and Johnson both have to work with Felger over at NBC Sports Boston - they’re not the guys to do that. Even if Perry left and went to WEEI full-time, I’ve not seen that in his personality.

All of this could fall through over money, and Hart and Fitzy stay. But multiple people have told me that these talks are happening now. If they do convince Perry or Gasper to come aboard, it would be the fifth different afternoon show on WEEI since the end of 2022. None of them has come close to Merloni and Fauria’s Fall 2022 ratings. Each new version of the show has helped push more and more listeners away, based on the ratings.

Sounds like the station is looking to make a change. Based on the ratings, I don’t blame them. I like both Perry and Gasper, but I don’t see this as the show that helps get WEEI back on track in the afternoons.

If there is a change, it will happen here pretty soon, I would imagine. Like last week, I’ll update here in the next few days if we get any further info.

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On President Donald Trump trying to fix college sports…

“Shit is absurd. We’re just gonna keep doing things the way we’re doing them at UConn. If at some point, the sport has changed so much that I can’t be effective doing it that way, then I’ll get out of college coaching.”

That was Dan Hurley last month, when asked about the loophole that allows players who were drafted but never played in the NBA to return and play in college. James Nnaji was drafted 31st overall but is on the Baylor roster. BYU and Louisville have former G League players.

College basketball is broken.

Do I think President Trump is going to fix it? I don’t. And a celebrity meeting with Tiger Woods, Nick Saban, Tim Tebow, Jonathan Kraft, and others feels more like a PR stunt than a solution. But it’s something.

The sport feels unrecognizable from when I was growing up. And I know, I’m a dinosaur, but this version of college hoops is tough to embrace. And my team is good! How about the good-to-great mid-major teams that have their roster pillaged of their best players each season as the haves come calling with big NIL money. Locally, UMass Lowell saw a roster turnover of 12 (!!!) players this past offseason. You’re having to rebuild your team every year. Why would you want to do that?

Shit, Bill Self and Kansas pay Darryn Peterson all this money to come play for you, and he’s begging out of games. There has to be a better way.

To be clear, I have no real answers. One might be that you have to stay at a school for two years before you can get drafted or transfer. That might mean the NBA creates its own feeder program for players, and you might lose some college talent to that format. Or more players go play overseas. You’ve started paying players - and you should be - but I fear there’s no going back now.

It’s been a great season of college basketball. But this doesn’t feel like college basketball anymore. We’ll get some funny photo-ops at this Trump thing next week, but I doubt it will do anything to help fix college sports. I hope I’m wrong.

On your weekly MutStack notes…

⚾ Fasoli! I don’t know why I look so angry in this thumbnail. It was a very fun Episode 14 - Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. I was watching the beginning of UConn vs. St. John’s on my phone at the end of the show, that might have been it. We talked about Roman Anthony, ABS, and so much more. Watch and subscribe on YouTube and then listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

⁉️ This thumbnail…I don’t know what to say. But yeah, The Ice People played in our first Dozen Trivia Match this week. I gave some terrible answers. Elio and Hog were awesome. David Andrews showed signs of multiple NFL concussions. Very funny. Check it out and don’t hold my terrible answers against me.

🏀 MutStack Trust Tree: Watching Duke and Michigan last Saturday, I’d have told you UConn can’t beat either one. Then Tarris Reed Jr. woke up. That blowout of St. John’s on Wednesday showed this team has a higher ceiling when Reed is locked in. That UConn team and that Reed can beat anyone in the country.

📰 I’m no fan of the Boston Globe, but I can’t get worked up about their decision not to print or deliver a paper on Tuesday, in the aftermath of the blizzard. They still printed one and delivered it the next day, so this didn’t save money. It just avoided employees having to go to Tauton, MA, where they got about 30 inches of snow. In 2026, anyone made about this is pretending.

🏈 Drake Maye to Isaiah Likely? And A.J. Brown? Yes, please.

🏇🏻 We have the official dates for Saratoga 2026. Opening Day is July 3. Closing day is Labor Day, Monday, September 7. DraftKings Travers August 29. This will likely be the last summer of extended Saratoga, with the new Belmont Park slated to open this fall.

That’s enough Stack for this week. Three Derby Preps this weekend, so a busy post tomorrow at the Barstool Blog.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Thanks for reading. And watching.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

In breaking news I have decided to bring the proprietor of MutStack to Las Vegas for the National Handicapping Challenge in March. I have also gifted him 3 entries to try and qualify for the tournament. Worst case he will be in charge of documenting how we do in Vegas. This is the definition of falling upwards.

Note from Proprietor of MutStack.com, Mut:

My actual reaction to the text from Dave this morning was “Holy shit, thank you, Dave.”

And that’s my reaction here. Wow.

Dave called me about the NHC this week when he was on DDTG. I didn’t fully realize we were live when he called, probably because of the Level 10 Sinus Infection I’ve been battling. Shout out to the Z-Pack that saved my life. Or it could have been my kids SCREAMING for more screen time. Do they really need a full week for school vacation?

As I told Dave on the call, I have struggled with tournament play. And I’ll get into all of this way more Saturday in Kentucky Derby Prepping with Mut on the Barstool Blog, but qualifying for the NHC is just tough.

Simply put, the NHC is the premier tournament for horseplayers.

The seats that Dave is giving me are for what they call the Last Chance tournament in Vegas, the day before the NHC starts. If I win a seat from that tournament, I’m in the NHC. You have to qualify for the NHC; you can’t buy your way in.

You can have a max of 2 seats in the NHC. What Dave is gifting me are three chances to win one of those. It’s crazy generous of him. I’m going to try to get a seat over the next three weeks, before that, cause it will be good tournament practice, too. I need it.

The winner of the NHC gets almost $1 million. And they’re crowned Horseplayer of the Year. Shit, they’re given an Eclipse Award. But it’s a grueling tournament. If you make the final day, you’re staring at three straight days of nothing but handicapping races and trying to find winners from tracks all over the country.

There’s a different strategy involved from just firing race-to-race at Saratoga, which is what I’ll have to focus on next month. The Last Chance format will mirror the NHC. Top finishers earn berths to the immediately following NHC Main Event. Crazy.

Dave is already qualified. So is Elio. I’m going to go all out to join them. And thanks to Dave, I’ll be going to Vegas in the process.

This is an awesome opportunity. Huge thanks to Dave. Selfishly, I hope to qualify and compete with him in the NHC. If I don’t, I’ll be doing whatever I can to help him out. Vegas!

Meanwhile, Red Sox owners remain unlikable. A.J. Brown to the Pats, please. The C’s have a huge opportunity. And we’re starting to hear some WEEI gossip.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #160.

Holy shit. I’m headed to Vegas. Thank you, Dave.

Subscribe for free, so it brings me good luck. And as a thank you to Dave, who owns MutStack.

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On recluse Red Sox owner John Henry…

So, this went kinda viral this week.

We hit the six-year anniversary of the last time Red Sox owner John Henry bothered to take questions from the Boston media. It came the day after the team traded Mookie Betts to the Dodgers. Since then, Henry’s direct communication has come mostly through emails to the newspaper he owns, the Boston Globe. Or Boston Sports Journal. Oh, and he was part of a Fan Fest Red Sox Town Hall in 2023, when he told Jared Carrabis and others that “It's expensive to have baseball players.” When NESN aired the Town Hall later, they actually edited that line out; it was that bad. As was the crowd reaction.

In reply to my Henry post, I got a bunch of variations of this -

“Yeah, who cares?”

I’m not telling you how to feel as a fan. I hate when people do that. I’ll just give you my quick take.

I care.

If the team was winning, Henry would be speaking.
The team has moved on from three ‘stars’ in Mookie, Xander, and Devers. These were beloved players in the fanbase. I’d like the guy who signs checks to explain how we got here and whether he thinks it’s good for the franchise.
Henry famously said the team was not investing in pitchers over 30. Ranger Suarez turns 31 in August, and you gave him a lot of money. And years. What changed?
Will you be one of the teams fighting for a salary cap in the offseason?
Do you regret that Alex Bregman Cigar Smoke Victory Lap IG photo?
Why are the Red Sox constantly out-bid for free agents?
Why do the Red Sox run like a small-market team?

And there are a million more questions I would like to ask. And I believe, as the owner of one of the most historic franchises in all of sports, Henry should have to answer. Or a non-answer, but be there in front of the media for the questions.

I’m sure the team expects the players to answer questions after a tough loss. Why shouldn’t the owner be held to the same standard?

His little lapdog and mouthpiece, Sam Kennedy, just talks around any real questions and sounds like a salesman trying put you in a new 2026 Corolla. Tom Werner has some ownership, but I’d guess 99% of fans think Henry is the real owner.

It’s Henry I want to hear from. But for 2,195 days now, basically, nothing.

Henry and Co. bought the team for $660 million. It’s now valued at 7x that - $4.8 billion with a B. It’s increased in value that much, in part, because fans keep pouring money into the team. Based on my Twitter mentions, some fans don’t care if Henry ever speaks to the media again.

But a lot more than that do. And you can count me among them.

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On A.J. Brown to the Patriots…

“Vrabe is the type of coach, he’s gonna call on you in the meetings. He gonna want to make sure that you’re staying engaged. He’s going to go over the keys to the victory of the week. And you’d better know them, to the back of your hand.

“I used to write in my notebook at the time. I didn’t really like Vrabe. I didn’t like him. I admit that, he knows that. So I used to write ‘I hate Vrabe. I hate Vrabe. I hate Vrabe.’ Right? But, I was doing that to pretend like I was taking notes to look like I was engaged.

“Because he was so hard on me when I was rookie. I didn’t really understand it. And so, it was at the time that I was telling Vrabe like ‘Hey, I’m humble already. You don’t gotta humble me.’ But I really didn’t understand what he was trying to push me to be.”

"That's who (Vrabel) is. And it makes the team come together. Because nobody's bigger than the team. Nobody's bigger than the program. So you have to respect it.”

Yes. Yes. Yes. A hundred times, yes, on A.J Brown to the Patriots this offseason.

It’s a little early for offseason checklist stuff, but I want to go on record as 100% in favor of trading for Brown. If you have to trade back from the 1st to the 2nd round to get it done, so be it. Or trade your second-round pick, fine with me.

You saw what Stefon Diggs did for Drake Maye this season. I think Brown is a better player and, given his history with Vrabel, will be as motivated as Diggs was to come in here and prove himself.

A big, physical receiver who has averaged NINE touchdowns per 17-game season, Brown is a stud. He appears ready to move on from the Eagles, and the Eagles feel ready to move on from him. One person I talked to who follows the Eagles closely told me, “He's gone,” when I asked his opinion of a Brown trade this offseason. Given how glowingly he spoke about Vrabel and about growing up as a Patriots fan on the DudesOnDudes podcast, Brown seems amenable to the New England move. The Patriots should be diligent in their pursuit of the three-time All-Pro receiver.

Use the money you had allocated for Diggs to pay Brown. Then draft a tight end in what is reportedly a tight-end-rich draft. That’s a good start toward continuing to surround Drake Maye with the best possible pieces for his Year 3. Diggs was good here, but Brown > Diggs. Not much debate about that.

The Patriots have been sneaky cheap over the years, with team spending towards the bottom of the league. Given new life with Maye’s emergence as a franchise quarterback, you have to hope the team is willing to spend NOW. It’s unlikely you get another season of AFC QBs getting injured. Mahomes, Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow all stand in the way of getting back to a Super Bowl. The Pats are going to have to be aggressive here in the offseason.

And landing A.J. Brown would be a good start.

On a big opportunity for the Boston Celtics…

This was a weird answer from Al Horford last night, when asked about leaving Boston for Golden State in the offseason.

“Deeper than basketball stuff.”

Horford said this when he signed with Golden State, "I think that where Boston was as a team, even though I called them my home and everything was there for me, they just weren't in a position to offer me the opportunity that I wanted." I think we all assumed he meant a title chance and that with Jayson Tatum hurt, he didn’t view Boston as a true contender. He had a lot of good things to say about the organization after the game last night, so this was just… weird.

It’s a reminder that a lot of times, the NBA is fueled by drama rather than basketball. Something Lebron said or some burner that Kevin Durant tweeted from gets much more attention than what’s happening on the court.

On the court? On the court, the Celtics should be focused on winning the Eastern Conference because they have every chance to do so. They thumped the Curry-less Warriors Thursday night, showing no signs of rust out of the All-Star break. But with the Celtics, the off-court drama lingers.

Jaylen Brown is battling with Beverly Hills police over their shutdown of a private event he hosted during the break. Tatum is taking heat over the production of a docuseries titled THE QUIET WORK, about his return from the Achilles injury. Full disclosure - when they teased it during the All-Star game on Sunday night, it got a massive 🙄🙄🙄 from me. Feels like something that could have waited for the offseason, if it was really needed at all.

Then you have both WEEI and 98.5 The Sports Hub, as well as NBC Sports Boston, recycling the “Can Tatum and Brown exist together?” narrative that has been around for a while. I’ve taken part in that myself. And it’s a question for the offseason, for sure.

But right now, on the court, this is an NBA Title Contender, especially if you plug in a healthy Tatum. They lost three of four to the No. 1 seed Pistons and don’t play them again this season - that’s a good thing. If you see them in the playoffs, they’d have to adjust to Tatum. And big man Nikola Vucevic, who has scored 20+ against Detroit in six of the last eight games he played against them while he was with Chicago. I love Vooch, and he gives Joe Mazzula a Horford-like weapon on offense.

Again, assuming Tatum comes back on March 1 and rounds into, let’s call it 90% Tatum by the playoffs, I’d take Boston over anyone in the East. On the court. Off the court? I wish there were less focus on All-Star parties, docuseries, and vague reasons why players left.

No one thought the C’s would be in this position, including Horford. Let’s hope they stay focused on the opportunity on the court and not the other drama that seems to fuel NBA coverage in 2026.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ We got Red Sox baseball this weekend! To celebrate, Episode 13 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast is now available. Hog is pushing for a Bryce Harper trade, but I don’t think Craig Breslow has it in him. Hijinx ensue. Watch and subscribe on YouTube or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ The WEEI Rumor Mill is starting to cook. Two names whispered to me as potential targets for on-air positions: The Boston Globe’s Chris Gasper and NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry. I know they had previously spoken with Gasper about an afternoon drive role, but money may have been an issue. Has that changed? Perry is known for his Pats coverage but has done holiday fill-in work as a host for The Sports Hub. I don’t know if these talks have been about full-time or contributor roles, to be fair. But it’s not surprising. Many, many texts out there, and hope to have more for you soon. March (before Sox Opening Day) has always been a month of change for the ratings-challenged sports station.

Update: After posting, heard from a very reliable source that indeed WEEI has talked to Gasper about the afternoon drive (2-6 PM). More details as I get them

🎙️ One leftover rumor from the Super Bowl and Radio Row. There were at least a few Audacy stations and personnel in San Francisco who viewed WEEI's sending Greg Hill to host the afternoon drive show as a ‘test’ for a full-time move to 2-6 PM. I don’t see it, given Greg has been entrenched in mornings for decades, going back to WAAF. I also can’t see WEEI breaking up its highest-rated show.

🏀 Can’t spin it at all - that was a bad UConn loss Wednesday night at Gampel. The type of loss that makes you wonder if they can actually be a Final Four team this year. What has happened to Tarris Reed? Someone besides Braylon Mullins has to be able to score. Mullins remains a special player.

🏒 Congrats to Team USA women’s hockey, but this video bothered me.

🎥 I don’t know what I was expecting with The Smashing Machine, but I was wildly underwhelmed. It was just sort of…boring? Yeah, boring. The Rock is a good actor, but I never felt I was rooting for him. Or against him. I don’t know. I was bored. I didn’t know the Mark Kerr story at all, and don’t follow UFC that closely. Would I have liked it better if I had? Ryan Bader was really good in a supporting role. I found myself rooting for him more than The Rock’s character. Would not recommend. And that’s Episode 2 of Mut Talkin’ Movies.

🏇🏻 I can’t believe they tore down Arlington Park so the Bears could move to Indiana. Brutal.

📍Annapolis, MD. Come on, Chris Klemmer.

👀 That said, very, very nervous about making my debut on The Dozen. Jeff D. Lowe does a great job, but I don’t want to suck. And I will. Hopefully, Elio and Hog can carry me. I have been practicing.

🙄 I don’t miss many topics here in the Four-Pack. But last week I missed Jordon Hudson, Bill Belichick’s girlfriend, wearing an Orchids of Asia tee-shirt the Saturday night of the Super Bowl for Duke/UNC. Orchids of Asia is where Patriots owner Robert Kraft spent some personal time back in 2019. Embarassing shit from Jordon. And from Belichick. I hated that. Maybe I’m just getting old. But that sucked.

I think that’s plenty of Stack for this week.

Holy crap, I’m headed to Vegas. Time to get to work. Much more tomorrow in Kentucky Derby Prepping with Mut on the Barstool Blog. Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Go Team USA. Go Tommy Fleetwood. And thanks for reading.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave this week. We did get a full update on Go Go Greys Stables, which we’ll highlight tomorrow in Volume 5 of Kentucky Derby Prepping with Mut on the Barstool Blog.

This is all I needed to see.

In the aftermath of the Patriots' disappointing Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks, head coach Mike Vrabel waited to greet every player as they went into the locker room. And the message was clear—

“We have to make sure that whatever happens in there, we’re pissed off together.”

There’s a video below where I bitch about how the game played out Sunday in San Francisco. But my confidence in this team, this coach, and the quarterback remains sky high. Check out this clip from the NFL Films copy of the game.

We’re a year removed from the disaster that was Jerod Mayo. Drake Maye has Vrabel and Josh McDaniels to guide him. Provided the Krafts spend real money to surround their young QB with talent, this team is going to be a major player in the AFC for the next decade.

There’s no crisis of confidence here. Is there some nitpicking about the game and some questions about how the team gets back to the Super Bowl next season? Of course. But the above-the-fold headline is that the team had an unbelievable season and exceeded even the wildest of expectations.

In the aftermath of the AFC Championship win in Denver, Drake Maye told the fans in Denver and the TV audience on CBS, "Pats are back, baby.” He was right. The Super Bowl sucked, but the Pats are back, baby.

Meanwhile, yeah, the final word on Super Bowl 60 and how people have gotten the blame game wrong. The anniversary of a embarassing Red Sox social media post. And a busy MutStack Notes that includes the debut of Mut Talkin’ Movies.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #159.

💌 Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. You’re guaranteed to get lucky if you subscribe. Or get your wife or girlfriend to subscribe. Or boyfriend or husband.

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On the final word on Super Bowl 60…

Forgot to mention Vrabel punting on 4th and 1 and then NOT going for two later - both really dumb. Deserved more criticism.

On the Red Sox one-year from this dumb photo…

Yep, this was a year ago today. Fine, if you want to be a dink about it, it was 366 days ago. Red Sox owner John Henry is lighting up a victory cigar after the signing of Alex Bregman. A year later, as we prepare for the 2026 season, are the Boston Red Sox in a better position than when this photo of the owner in $600 jeans was taken?

If you look at the roster, it’s close. Out are Bregman, Rafael Devers, and Lucas Giolio, as far as big names go. In are Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, Wilson Contreras, Caleb Durbin. I’ll add Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer to that list, too. Both guys are going to be important to any success this year. But I’d say overall, yes, the roster is slightly better than a year ago.

But as far as team philosophy, spending, and how I view ownership and Craig Breslow? Worse. Much worse.

The Bregman signing, as silly as this photo looks now, was a glimmer of hope that the Red Sox might be willing to pay free agents at the top of the market. The Big Market Boston Red Sox were back! Then Bregman walked. Then they lowballed Pete Alonso. Then they didn’t make offers to Schwarber and E. Suarez. Then Bres pivoted from power to pitching and defense. Then they traded prospects away as part of salary dumps to get under the luxury tax thresholds. And of course, Breslow botched the Devers trade. The fact that they even MADE the Devers trade is bad, but you got nothing for him. The best player in that trade, James Tibbs, you traded for fricking Dustin May! Holy crap. Then Bres botched the trade deadline, again. How’s that Joe Ryan trade?

This past calendar year has only strengthened my belief that Breslow is not the guy to build the next Red Sox World Series winner. And that John Henry should just sell the team.

I love baseball. I’m excited to watch Anthony, Mayer, Garrett Crochet, and Suarez. But do I have full faith in ownership and management to go the extra mile (spend $$) if this team is a contender this season? I do not.

But we’ll always have this picture. Congrats on one season of Alex Bregman, John.

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On the Celtics at the All-Star Break…

Henry’s cigar celebration was obviously, in retrospect, not warranted. Now, if this post were Jaylen Brown spiking the football, he has every right.

Without a minute from Jayson Tatum and with Brown leading the team at almost 30 PPG, the Celtics are playing as well or better than they did a year ago. I mean, I was pushing for them to tank just a few games into the season. Now they’re pushing for the No.1 seed in the East.

Brown’s scoring has been a huge part of it. And Peyton Prichard’s scoring. And Derrick White at the point. And the defense of Jordan Walsh. The energy and efficiency of Hugo. The whole thing. The players get the most credit.

But also credit to Brad Stevens - a GM I actually trust. He drafted several players later in the draft who are impacting the team right away. And the move for Anfernee Simons led to landing Nikola Vucevic, who looks like a HUGE piece off the bench and fits the team better than Simons when Tatum returns.

As much as, if not more than Stevens, credit Joe Mazzulla. I don’t believe many teams would lose a Top 5 player, respond this way, and end up in this position. His ability to mix in all these new pieces without Tatum has him in Coach of the Year conversations, rightfully so. With Tatum back practicing and looking more and more like a March return, this team can win The East. Pistons? Knicks? Cavs? I’d take a healthy Tatum and the Celtics over all of them.

It’s a little unfair since we’ve seen half a season, but if you were ranking the Boston teams in order of most likely to win a title next, the Celtics are #1. I never would have believed that at the start of the season.

Can’t say I’ll be locked into the atrocious NBA All-Star Weekend. But coming out of the break, the Celtics will be a must-watch for fans looking to fill the void left by the end of football. And for that, Brown can brag about his team all he wants.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ A very funny episode of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast this week. Hogdale is ill, and the train derails later in the episode. The lineup, the Trevor Story issue, and Craig Breslow being bad at his job are all in focus. Watch and subscribe on YouTube, or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

🎙️ Everyone was back in their regular shows this week for 98.5 The Sports Hub and WEEI. There were a couple of stragglers. Scott Zolak, who called the game on the radio, was not back in time for his Monday show. And then there was Greg Hill, who joined his show live from San Francisco, about 90 minutes into the show.

A WEEI listener alerted me that the promoted and sponsored Greg Hill Big Game Watch Party was rebranded as a Chris Scheim-hosted event sometime during the weekend. I’m told Greg decided at the last minute to stay out west for the game, which forced the change.

Nitpicking? Sure, that’s what I do here most Fridays. But as the station’s biggest star, I’m surprised he was not the first voice people heard Monday morning at 6 AM after the Super Bowl. And that he bailed on a station event. If this had happened on the watch of Glenn Ordway or Kirk Minihane, they would have made fun of Greg. Glenn would have had a Pete Gustin bit ready to go. Kirk and Gerry would have spent an hour on it. And it would have been funny. But that type of radio is dead in Boston. Only Fred Toucher seems okay ripping people now. Chad Finn will not write about it, so it goes unmentioned. Which is dumb. I noticed. The listeners noticed, Greg, even if you want to pretend they didn’t.

🎙️ Not a surprise, but people at WEEI were not happy with how things went down RE: The Super Bowl. Sounds like Jones & Keefe thought they were going, only to be told the week before that the plan had changed to send Hill, Wiggy, and Ted Johnson. Can’t imagine Andy Hart and Fitzy were excited about being benched, but both guys were ready to go for the postgame radio. A reminder: WEEI has made numerous lineup changes in March over the years. With 41 days until Red Sox Opening Day in Cincinnati, we’ll be keeping an ear out for any potential changes. As of Friday morning, nothing to report.

🎙️ Felger & Mazz doing four hours on “Are you worried about Drake Maye????” on Wednesday was peak F&M.

🔊 New, live, Eric Church album today. Almost makes you happy to be alive.

🏒 Outside of hockey, I don’t see investing much time in the Winter Olympics. College hoops, Pebble Beach >.

⚾ With Yoshida still here, Nick Castellanos does not make sense.

👀 I miss the Kirk Minihane Show every day. But the gossip this week…Gus still not working…Coleman’s tweets…Justin post loss…Coach Cully…yeah would have been a scene.

🍿 I like gambling movies. There are many bad gambling movies. One of the best (if not the best) I’ve seen is the A24 movie, Mississippi Grind. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn, it’s about a down-on-his-luck gambling/poker loser who finds an eccentric friend who is on his own journey. Mendelson plays the loser role to perfection; he’s the star here. He believes Reynolds is his good-luck charm. A road trip ensues. Great chemistry. Love the Midwest/New Orleans feel. Some very depressing moments. Depressing movies are okay. Great soundtrack. It’s back on Netflix now, and if you like gambling movies, you should watch it.

And that’s Mut Talkin’ Movies.

That sure feels like enough Stack for this week.

Back Saturday to preview the Risen Star Stakes in Kentucky Derby Prepping with Mut on the Barstool Blog. Great racing set for Saturday.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Thanks for reading. And watching.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

Quick update from San Fran. No Mut was not close to making the cut for the trip. He hasn’t worked nearly long enough for us and right now the Minihane Ship has all their ships parked at dock.

Lots of questions about Zolack skipping trivia last night. He had the Pats Welcome Party. Do I wish he told me earlier than 24 hours when he committed to it two weeks ago? Yes. But I can’t stay mad at Zo. I just chalk it up to him being a moron. I’m used to dealing with morons in my travels.

Today is the debut of Silver Syndicate at Oaklawn. This weather has screwed with his training so he probably needs a race. But he is a very good horse and may be good enough to win even without it. If he does’t run well today he’s an auto hammer bet for his 2nd. We have high hopes for this one.

Go Pats
#7

Note from Founder of MutStack.com, Mut:

Go Pats, indeed.

“Look, I don’t have a dog in the fight in this one. May the best team win. And in terms of the Patriots, this is a new chapter in New England. And I’m glad everyone has embraced the Mike Vrabel regime, all the amazing players that have worked so hard to get their club to this position. We did it for 20 years. There was a little bit of a hiatus in there, but the Patriots are back and it’s a very exciting time for everyone in New England.” - Tom Brady w/ Jim Gray on Monday

Hi. My name is Mike. I’m an about-to-turn-46-year-old father of two. And Tom Brady not at least suggesting he’s rooting for the Patriots on Sunday bothered me.

There, I said it. I feel better.

As of Friday morning, the most viral social clips coming from Radio Row at the Super Bowl from both WEEI and 98.5 The Sports Hub were related to Tom Brady’s unwillingness to say he’s rooting for his old team. So clearly, I’m not the only one who feels this way. Former players like Vince Wilfork and Asante Samuel both chastised Brady for the very political answer.

And I get it; there are some valid reasons for Brady to take that approach. He’s a broadcaster on Fox, and if they have a Patriots game next year, people will come back to this comment and say he’s “rooting for the Pats” in the booth. He’s a part-owner of the Vegas Raiders, a team about to hire Seattle’s Klint Kubiak as the next coach in Vegas. There are other reasons he might not want to do it, like he’s jealous of the team’s success. And/or Drake Maye’s success. I don’t consider those valid. And I don’t believe that he’s still mad at Robert Kraft for the way things ended here. Nope, don’t buy it.

Should it bother you, me, or anyone? Of course not! But like many of you, I invested significant time watching and rooting for Tom Brady. I spent HOURS on the radio defending him in those old Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady debates. And the insane Deflategate penalties. And the Patriots’ foolishness in not wanting to pay him at the end in New England. Hell, I defended the TB12 Method, freakin’ bought the book!

The Brady who used to win that great parking spot at Gillette Stadium, thanks to his offseason workout habits, is long gone. He’s been replaced by Brady Corp. He’s moved on from those glory days, even if we haven’t.

It’s been that way for a while. He cares too much about his brand - and his ownership stake in the Raiders apparently - to show some real emotion about the team he won six Super Bowls with. Or the coach who was his teammate for a bunch of those. Shit, Brady threw 10 career TDs to Vrabel - TWO IN SUPERBOWLS.

We love the athletes we root for. Well, most of them. And we want those athletes we love to love us back. In this case, it feels like Brady is saying publicly, “I’m over it.” If that annoyed you, it’s okay. As a 46-year-old man, I’m willing to admit it made me sad. And mad. Sad and mad. He’s still better in the booth than Tony Romo. He’s still the GOAT. But a little hat-tip to New England, Tom. That’s all we’re looking for. I guess that was too much for Brady Copr.

P.S - All will be forgiven if Brady does some “Let’s GOOOOOO” post Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, I think the Patriots can and will win Super Bowl 60. Drake Maye did not win the MVP. How I’m betting The Big Game on Sunday. And a Radio Row edition of MutStack Notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #158.

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On how and why the Patriots win Super Bowl 60…

And other assorted ramblings on The Big Game.

On Drake Maye not winning MVP…

What a way to end a terrible few weeks for awards voters.

Matt Stafford was named the NFL MVP on Thursday night. Should have known when his whole family was there for the event. I would have voted for Drake Maye, who had a better season and had fewer offensive weapons around him. Removing Maye from the Pats would have had a much bigger impact than removing Stafford from the Rams. Maye lost by just a few points in the closest MVP vote since 2003.

All of which was overshadowed by Sam Monson, who voted for Justin Herbert, who was not even a finalist.

At best, the first-place vote for Herbert was just a terrible vote from Monson. He spent much of Thursday night defending it, saying, “The guy had the worst offensive line in the NFL all season, and despite that, he was working miracles in almost every single game. Stafford's OL became 2/5ths as bad as Herbert's for 5 minutes, and he became a turnover howitzer.” Is there a “Working Miracles” stat I missed?

Of course, when you look at QBs under pressure, Maye was the best in the NFL. Maye also played in front of an OL with two rookies - the Pats are the first Super Bowl team ever to start two rookies on the OL.

So, yeah, maybe it was just a bad vote. But at worst, it was a clout vote just to gain some social media buzz. Which, for an MVP voter, would be gross. I don’t rule this out at all. Of course, Monson wrote a long article in 2014 titled, “Tom Brady is no longer a top-5 QB.” Brady was MVP, finished runner-up three more times, and won FOUR MORE SUPER BOWLS after that. So there’s a chance he just has terrible football opinions.

People are giving him credit for admitting it was his vote. Why? These votes should all be public. The guy voted for a QB who was 20th in EPA/Play this year, let the shame rain down upon him. And I have no idea if this swung the MVP vote or not - maybe he had Stafford second? I can defend Stafford winning; I can’t defend a Herbert vote. I’ll say it here for a third straight week, “If you’re going to ask fans to take awards and accolades like this seriously, the people who vote on it should probably take it seriously, too.” That also applies to the 2 voters who selected Josh Allen, too. 🙄

Mike Vrabel's Coach of the Year award was well deserved. As was Adam Vinatieri finally getting into the Hall of Fame. Watching the NFL Honors, it occurred to me how wild it would have been if we just found out last night that Belichick and Kraft didn’t get elected to the Hall of Fame. It would have been the only story on Super Bowl Friday - the league actually caught a break that leaked so early. Kraft, like Belichick, should already be in.

Between Maye not winning MVP, Kraft not getting into the HOF, and Brady not rooting for New England, Vrabel has significant ammunition for a pregame speech about disrespect if he wants it.

Justin Herbert, MVP…what an idiot.

On how I’m betting Super Bowl 60…

There will be a lot of money bet on the Super Bowl. A friendly MutStack reminder to please bet responsibly - this is supposed to be fun.

Wild Card Results 1-2 | Divisional Results 1-2 | Champ Results 0-4 (2-8 Playoffs)

The Friday morning odds at DraftKings are the same as they’ve been for about two weeks: Patriots +4.5 (-105), Seattle -4.5 (-115). Moneyline +190 and -230. Total 45.5.

Even if I were not a Patriots fan, I would be betting on the Patriots on Sunday.

From a football standpoint, I think the market is still underrating New England’s defense. If you include the playoffs, in games Milton Williams has played, they’re allowing just 3 yards per carry. Per Action Network, that would lead all of football over the last three years. This is an elite defense.

And they get to face a quarterback who turned the ball over a league-high 20 (!!!) times this year. For all the Sam Darnold love, he threw 14 INTs and lost six fumbles. Much smarter people than I say that Seattle Guard Anthony Bradford stinks. Reminder, the Hawks’ best pass-blocking back (Charbonet) is OUT. Seattle tries to protect Darnold with quick throws and rollouts. I don’t think those will be as easy against the Patriots. Between the Williams-led pressure and the tough-to-diagnose schemes, I think Darnold will struggle.

Drake Maye could struggle, too. The offense has been shaky at best over the last three weeks. This is where I’m relying on my faith in Josh McDaniels, who is coaching in his 10th Super Bowl. I think he’ll design plays to take advantage of Maye’s running game. The Seahawks have been vulnerable to TEs this season and have given up yards after the catch. Diggs, Henry, and Henderson (in the screen game) feel like guys who could be the focal point of the passing game.

I have been hammering the idea here and elsewhere that as the games mean more, Maye would be unleashed in the running game. That remains a key factor for Sunday.

Historically, over the last 22 Super Bowls, underdogs are 15-7 ATS. In the last 17 Super Bowls with a dog of 3+ points, they’re a solid 13-4 ATS. In Super Bowls of 4.5+ points, the underdog is 12-2-2 ATS in those games, covering 7 in a row. This is all Pro Patriot.

I mentioned Josh having been here before - I really like the idea of that experience paying off in this game. Same for Vrabel, as he played in Super Bowls. This game also gets us into Mike Vrabel as an underdog: Vrabel is 35-26-2 ATS (57.4%) as an underdog, going .500 ATS or better in all seven NFL seasons. When Vrabel faces a team with a 66%+ win pct, he is 17-10 ATS as an underdog, covering by 5 PPG, per Action Network. He and Mike Tomlin are the Gold Standard of underdog NFL coaches.

Just talking about betting, +4.5 is actually an easy bet to handicap and make based on the Patriots still-underrated defense, Darnold’s turnover potential, the history of 4.5-point dogs, and the team’s experience edge on the sideline.

Based on all of that, my biggest positions on Sunday will be, as of now:

Patriots +4.5 (-105) see above ⬆️⬆️

H. Henry 40+ REC YDS (-110)
Hawks allowed the 6th most yards and 4th most catches per game to opposing TEs during the regular season. 49ers (6/60) and LA (4/76) both had productive games out of the TE spot. Henry has two 100-yard games in the last two seasons - this year against a historically bad CIN D and last year against…Seattle. I’ll be laddering Henry as well. I think he can have a big game.

Drake Maye 40+ RUSH (+103)
Seattle was good against the QB rush this year, but faced just two of the top 15 rushing QBs in the league. Maye and McDaniels will take advantage of this.

A.J. Barner OVER .5 RUSH YARDS (+110)
He’s their short-yardage guy from the TE spot. Has hit this in three of the last four and NINE times this year.

Number of different players to attempt a pass OVER 2.5 (+185)
Has hit in three of the last four Super Bowls. Josh McDaniels loves a good trick play. Cooper Kupp and Mack Hollins have pass attempts in their career.

The rest of my DraftKings Card (fun, not close to full-unit bets)
Patriots ML (have this too)
Hunter Henry 1st TD Scorer +1400
C. Gonzalez MVP (+10000)
Milton Williams MVP (+25000)
Diggs MVP (+10000)
Drake Maye ATD +380
Darnold or Maye 300+ Pass Yards (+265)

Some great promos and boosts on DraftKings already, and a Live Millions Promo during the game on Sunday. Again, bet with your head, not over it.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ Craig Breslow said over and over that the Red Sox needed a real middle-of-the-order bat. And then, failed to deliver. That was the main topic this week on Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Plus some reasons Hog and I like the Pats on Sunday. Watch and subscribe on YouTube or listen and subscribe wherever you get your audio podcasts. Note the explicit tag, as usual.

🎙️I listened to a lot of sports radio this week. Probably too much. WEEI’s decision to send Ted Johnson and Wiggy to the Super Bowl was a good one. Former players stopped in, they made some headlines, and it worked out. I can’t tell whether Greg Hill really wanted to be there, to be honest. The MakeShift WEEI Afternoons featured a lot of “WE” talk, leveraging the emotion of having two ex-Pats there; it felt like a Patriots Pep Rally every day. A lot of Remember When Radio. Credit for getting Joe Milton first.

Zolak & Bertrand/Felger & Mazz did a much better analysis of the game. Z&B with Josh McDaniels, and then Mike Vrabel’s right-hand man, John “Stretch” Streicher, stood out. F&M with Mad Dog is always good. He’s a troll, but Jarrett Stillman as a Vrabel hater is pretty funny.

Admittedly, the Pep Rally/Remember When stuff is not for me. But I get it. Will the move have a big ratings impact? Doubtful.

🎙️ WEEI ended up benching regular afternoon hosts Andy Hart and Fitzy, using them as guests on other shows. If they bitched about it on the air, I didn’t hear it. Good for them; I would have been furious. So now they just go back to their normal shows on Monday?

🎙️ We did have some RADIO WARZ this week. As the Boston Herald reported, WEEI’s Chris Curtis called out Felger and co-host Jim Murray for “stealing sports takes” from Curtis over the years. Murray told the Herald, matter-of-factly, “As far as ‘stealing his takes’ well, that would require me having to listen to Chris Curtis, which I don’t.” In this case, Felger's comparison of Brady to Larry Bird was what drew Curtis’s ire. The common link is that both players were icons in Boston, but didn’t love the city or the team they played for after retiring.

Ken and Curtis is actually a good show, but come on, Chris. This is not some unique take, and I’m confident I’ve heard Felger (and others) make it before. Chris's reaction speaks to his own frustrations at WEEI and/or his ego, which he’d probably readily admit is a big one. He did famously say he “set the dialogue for the city.” Felger and Murray never responded on air, which is lame. I’ll say that I have heard Jones and Keefe take more open shots at The Hub. And Fred was shitting all over Hill and Curtis for their Mike Vrabel interview, so maybe we’ll get a real RADIO WARZ soon. We can only hope.

🎙️Mike Salk went on Felger & Mazz and blamed himself for shortlived Salk and Holley Show.

🔥 The best stuff I saw from Radio Row This Week: Andrew Callahan on Mike Vrabel in the Herald. The Tom Brady/Cowherd clip about Josh McDaniels. Jameis Winston on Barstool Live on Thursday. The Barstool Flag Football game.

🏇🏻 So yeah, very busy race weekend. Two Derby preps on Friday, then two more on Saturday. Plus Silver Syndicate debuts for Dave and Go Go Greys on Friday. I’m planning to go live on X.com on Friday at 2 PM EST to talk about the Friday races. Then recap those and preview the Saturday races in the weekly racing blog at Barstool tomorrow.

🏀 UConn/St. John’s tonight at the Garden is a hell of a way to kick off Super Bowl Weekend. Huskies have the quietest 18-game winning streak in college basketball history.

🏀 The Celtics trade of Simons for Vučević was a good one. I’d call them cheap for a bunch of trade deadline salary dumps, but they traded a bunch of guys who weren’t playing and got under the tax apron. I think that means they can sign buyout players now? Cavs got better with Harden, true. But a Tatum return would put them right in the mix for the East.

🙏🏻 A very nice remembrance of Kirk Minihane Show Friend, Rhymo, on Thursday in Dorchester. He loved the show, and it was clear his family appreciated that he found it and enjoyed it so much. What a character. He will be missed.

That’s enough Stack for this week.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Go Pats.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave. Though he confirmed this morning in this clip that I am NOT on the list for the Barstool Super Bowl suite.

I am choosing to ignore that and focusing on the “I love Mut” part, instead. Glass half full in 2026, folks.

“If you’re going to ask fans to take awards and accolades like this seriously, the people who vote on it should probably take it seriously, too.”

I tried to tell you last week!

Now, dumb votes for the MLB Hall of Fame are wayyyyyy different than what happened to Bill Belichick, but the point remains - these people are morons.

Bill Belichick is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Days later, it still doesn’t make much sense.

The fallout was one of the few things I’ve ever seen unite everyone on social media in one direction. Patrick Mahomes, JJ Watt, Ron DeSantis … ALL the big stars rushing to their phones to announce their shock that at least 11 people did not vote for the greatest football coach of the modern era to be inducted into Canton. So far, only two voters have come forward to acknowledge their “No” votes.

• Vahe Gregorian (KC) blamed the system, voting for three senior players who might not have another chance to get it.

• Mike Chappell (Indy) says that Bill’s cheating was an issue for him, and instead voted for Robert Kraft and two senior players.

There are many more ‘No’ votes out there. Three predictions and one question on what happened, which was a sports media gift for the Super Bowl Bye Week.

I predict that the Hall of Fame will alter their voting process for 2027 and beyond. Asking voters to sift through senior players, coaches, and contributors in the same group makes no sense; and it’s clearly one of the main reasons we’re here.

I predict that, even though we all want it, the Hall of Fame will never make its votes public. They love their little Football Secret Society too much. These writers are the same guys who would rip a player to shreds if he didn’t answer questions after a game, but they don’t want to answer questions about their vote. 🤡🤡🤡

I predict Bob Kraft will get into the Hall of Fame this year. Between the incredible success with the Patriots and his impact on ending the 2011 NFL Lockout, he should already be in. Kraft getting in before Bill? Oh, that has to burn Bill’s ass.

We know from Seth Wickersham’s reporting that the Patriots’ cheating scandals were a factor in the current Kraft delay. And now it’s being used against Belichick. So, will these voters pull the same shit when Tom Brady is eligible in 2028?

My friend Kirk Minihane brought this up the other day (nice to have KMS back in old school, podcast-only form this week). If they’re consistent, they will, right? Especially if they’re taking Deflategate into account.

Can you imagine? The process is that someone in the voting block presents each player to the group of voters. So, after Mike Reiss presents Brady, someone has the balls to bring up the possibility of TB12 deflating footballs as a reason not to vote for him? Legit laugh out loud funny. We need a live feed of that.

It’s all so dumb. These guys are such hypocrites. They want you to respect the Hall and the process and all that bullshit, yet play moral judge and jury with their votes. They would never give Brady the Kraft/Belichick treatment. And after this week? Shoot, they might induct Brady a year or two early as a make-good.

Bill has had a rough couple of years, between not getting an NFL job, his very public relationship, and a down year at UNC—this was GREAT for his Q-Rating.

He’ll have to needlessly wait a year, but you can’t tell the story of football without Bill Belichick. And that story now has an interesting Hall of Fame footnote, thanks to spinless voters

Meanwhile, I can’t get over this Patriots stat. Jayson Tatum might not return this season. Some early Super Bowl betting notes and an interesting radio plan for WEEI and the Super Bowl.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #157.

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On an unthinkable Patriots stat heading into Super Bowl 60…

Shoutout Tecmo Super Bowl.

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On Jayson Tatum’s return to the court…

Five days ago, I placed a bet (Bonus bet, shoutout DraftKings) on the Celtics to win the NBA Championship at 17-1. I’d be happy to lose that bet if it means a healthy Jayson Tatum for next season and beyond.

I placed it, in part, because he looked like a lock to return this season. Great workouts, only positive reports. There is no team in the East that scares me. After thinking the team might tank sans Tatum, they’ve been very good. His return would make them the team to beat in the conference if they weren’t already.

Tatum told ESPN this week that he’s not 100% committed to coming back this season, because “he wants to get it right the first time, so it's just a lot to think about." Good for him.

It’s an obvious point to say that if he’s not 100% healthy, he should not come back. Duh. Joe Mazzulla went on The Sports Hub on Thursday and said physically, Tatum has had “no setbacks.”

If there is any doubt, I’m hopeful the team has his best interests in mind and will ensure he doesn’t rush it. I hope the new owner is on board with this - I was worried he might feel like the team has to be great this year.

We’ll see how this week’s trade deadline plays out, but the Celtics could still be the team to beat in the East if Giannis ends up out west. Tatum’s long-term health > this year’s playoff success. It sounds like the uber-competitive Tatum realizes that. Here’s hoping the rest of the franchise does, too.

On some early Super Bowl 60 betting thoughts…

I don’t have one of these. Not even a taste.

I have a fun Drake Maye MVP ticket, but that’s it. I put too much respect on Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson. Bad job by me

Reports have Dave’s ticket as the biggest future on the Patriots via DraftKings.

Nine days out from Super Bowl 60, I reached out to Director of Sports Operations for DraftKings Johnny Avello to see what kind of early action they were seeing on Pats/Seahawks.

“Right now, Seattle is taking most of the money to cover, while New England is getting more attention on the moneyline. This is typical for a big game – bettors take the favorite to cover, and the underdog to win,” he told me.

As for props, he says, “We have so many different props up for this game, but Jaxson Smith-Njigba is getting the most attention early on. Currently, he is our most bet player in various categories including First Touchdown, Anytime Touchdown, Most Receptions and Most Receiving Yards among other categories. He is also the second most bet player to win Super Bowl MVP, right behind his quarterback.”

I should ask Johnny for help betting on these games at this point.

Wild Card Results 1-2 | Divisional Results 1-2 | Champ Results 0-4 (2-8 Playoffs)

Fun! And by fun, I mean disaster!

Full game breakdown here next week. This week, some early historical Super Bowl 60 betting notes that might interest you.

Over the last 22 Super Bowls, underdogs are 15-7 ATS. In the last 17 Super Bowls with a dog of 3+ points, they’re a solid 13-4 ATS.

Per Action Network, the Seahawks are currently 4.5-point favorites vs. the Patriots in Super Bowl 60. Dating back to Super Bowl 30 -- 30 years ago -- We’ve had sixteen close with a spread of 4.5 or more - The underdog is 12-2-2 ATS in those games, covering 7 in a row 👀

Some bets I’ve already made. Fade at your own risk - I’m way overdue. These were available (with current odds) on DraftKings as of Friday morning.

Patriots +4.5 (-105) and Patriots ML (+195)
I’ll save the deeper dive on the game for next Friday, but the outline version is that Sam Darnold was trending down, really from about Week 12 on, before that explosion on Sunday against the Rams. The Patriots' D is not getting enough credit for how much better they’ve been, as morons focus on the snow in Denver. I’ll take Vrabel and the points in a setting that has historically favored the dog (see above).

Milton Williams MVP (see updated odds)
Williams has been a beast for the Patriots since returning from injury. He stood out Sunday in Denver as a true game wrecker, just like he was a year ago in the Super Bowl, when he had two sacks and two hurries in just 23 pass-rushing snaps. In a low-scoring game where neither QB balls out, Williams is worth a few bucks at big odds. Coffee money bet.

Christian Gonzalez MVP (see updated odds)
Two picks might get it done, again in a lower-scoring game. Coffee money.

Drake Maye ATD (+295)
Has come down a bit (+380 at the start of the week) over the last few days, and I get it. Evident in these playoffs, he’s been running more and expect that to continue in the Super Bowl. Designed run for a TD against the Broncos. His legs are a real weapon.

Number of different players to attempt a pass OVER 2.5 (+185)
Has hit in three of the last four Super Bowls. Josh McDaniels loves a good trick play.

Some great promos and boosts on DraftKings already, and a Live Millions Promo during the game next Sunday.

On your weekly MutStack notes…

🎙️ Super Bowl week involving the Patriots means the two sports stations in Boston are sending their shows to Radio Row or whatever they’re calling it now. 98.5 The Sports Hub is sending Zolak & Bertrand and Felger & Mazz.

WEEI is taking a different approach. Rather than send one show, they’re sending Greg Hill, Wiggy, and Ted Johnson to host in afternoon drive. There are sponsor dollars attached to sending those three, as I understand it. I thought that would move Andy Hart and Fitzy to the AM drive with Courtney Cox, but WEEI is taking a different approach.

Ken Laird and Chris Curtis will host in AM drive with Cox, while Andy and Fitzy will be part of middays with Jones and Keefe, and nights with Christian Arcand.

Tough look for Hart and Fitzy, essentially getting benched Super Bowl week. As of Thursday night, one source told me it was unclear if the hosts would even be on every day next week.

I actually don’t think these are bad moves; Ken and Curtis is a good show. It’s just the message you're sending to Andy and Nick…not great. So you bench them this week, then come back next week and tell them to recap the Super Bowl on Monday afternoon? Wild.

I can tell you, 98.5 The Sports Hub is having fun with this, complete with Scott Zolak poking fun at WEEI’s arrangement at the end of his show on Thursday. The off-the-air shots have been much more vicious.

🎙️ One more WEEI note: heard from a few people that there was a rumor circulating in Foxboro on Thursday that at least one person from the station was going to San Francisco and would be paying their own way. Fun!

🎙️ Gene Steratore was TERRIBLE on that Stidham backwards pass. Why have a ref in the booth if he’s going to be that bad?

📱 The screen-time battle rages on at the Mutnansky household, with my oldest son secretly discovering his phone’s screen-time password and bypassing his app limits every day for a week before we noticed. Annoyed, but also impressed.

🏇🏻 Kentucky Derby Prepping w/ Mut is back tomorrow on the Barstool Blog. The cold weather leaves us with just the Holy Bull this weekend, but plenty to talk about, including the Derby favorite Ted Noffey being out until the summer.

⚾ A fan is suing the Red Sox over their ticket fees. This should be fun.

🙏🏻 There are many one-of-a-kind characters in the world that The Kirk Minihane Show created. But as producer Dave Cullinane posted Wednesday night, Rhymo was truly 1 of 1. He passed suddenly this week, and I want to send condolences to his son Michael and his family. Rhymo had a genuine love for KMS and KMS Basketball, to the point that at one practice, he actually ran with us. He was critical of my many, many turnovers, but it came from a place of love and support. I know I speak for so many other Minifans when I say I will miss him.

That’s enough Stack for this week.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Thanks for reading.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave this week. I’ll be looking for him and Elio on the Pegasus World Cup Betting Challenge leaderboard

What Tony Romo are we getting on Sunday afternoon?

He’ll be on the call for CBS with Jim Nantz as America’s Nightmare, the New England Patriots, travel to Denver as strong road favorites in the AFC Championship.

Are we getting the Romo who called Josh Allen ‘Mahomes’ last week? The guy who struggled in that Bills/Jags game? Myself and others have been all over Romo this season, pointing out his many issues. He and Nantz have been ‘off’ for a few years now. I’d argue they had much better chemistry when they started.

“It’s much ado about nothing,” one CBS exec told Front Office Sports about the very public Romo criticism.

I’m at the point where I can’t tell if Romo’s struggles are good or bad for CBS.

On one hand, I wish Tom Brady was calling this game. He played with Jarrett Stidham in 2019, even giving him the nickname ‘Stiddy’. And you have the Brady/Drake Maye Patriots connection. I also think Brady is better than Romo now, and I glean more from Brady on the call than I do from Romo.

On the other hand, Romo could say anything and it would not surprise me at this point. Loose Cannon Romo could go viral at anytime. It might be for calling a player by the wrong name or getting a ruling wrong, but it’s always in play.

I guess that’s a good thing for CBS? No ones not watching an NFL game (any game?) because of the announcer. But there’s a world where something dumb Romo says ends up being as big a headline as the game the next day. At least online.

He’s a lock to change his opinion on a replay in a matter of seconds. And he’ll make some weird noises. Let’s hope a big Patriots win overshadows Romo’s performance - good or bad - in the booth.

Meanwhile, I underestimated two key Patriots heading into the season. Awards voters in sports get it wrong. NFL Picks for Championship Weekend. And another bad sign for Sports Radio WEEI in Boston.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #156

Only three football games left in the NFL season. Let’s make it count.

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On the Patriots in the AFC Title Game…

It’s gonna be a light snow.

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On something in sports that makes me irrationally mad…

This is really dumb. And there are a lot more important things going on in the world. But I have to scratch this itch.

The NFL’s All-Pro Teams came out over the last few weeks, with Matthew Stafford besting Drake Maye for First Team honors. And like, I get it, 46 TDs is a big number for Stafford. He also threw for more yards than Drake Maye. He had an awesome year. The voting was 31-18, which was more lopsided than I expected, but I can see a vote for Stafford. I would have voted for Maye, but it was close.

I had assumed that all 50 voters had Stafford and Maye in first and second place, respectively, in some order. I was wrong. From Ben Volin in the Globe:

I’m flabbergasted. Three voters did not have Drake Maye as 1st or 2nd Team All-Pro?

Take their votes away. I’m not being dramatic. If you watched football this season and didn’t think Drake Maye was the best or second-best quarterback in the NFL, you should not be voting on these types of awards. A quick review:

• Passing Yards: Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 (1st overall), followed by Maye with 4,394 (around 4th), and Allen with 3,668 (around 11th).

• Passing Touchdowns: Stafford dominated with 46 (1st), Maye had 31 (around 3rd), Allen had 25 (tied around 9th).

• Interceptions: All three were efficient — Maye and Stafford each with 8 (tied around 17th), Allen with 10 (tied around 23rd).

• Completion Percentage: Maye topped at 72.0%, Allen at 69.3%, Stafford at 65.0%.

• Yards per Attempt (Y/A): Maye led with 8.9, Stafford at 7.9, Allen at 8.0 (approximate from sources).

• Passer Rating: Maye had the highest at 113.5, Stafford at 109.2, Allen at 102.2.

• QBR (ESPN’s efficiency metric): Maye ranked 1st at 77.1, Stafford 4th at 71.1, Allen 7th at 65.3.

WHAT ARE WE DOING?????

As I said, this should not bother me. I get stuff wrong all the time. But these ‘professionals’ watched football all season, and someone missed how much better Maye was than Allen. There are only 50 voters, so almost 10% of them blew this.

This is from this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame voting. It’s sort of silly (dumb) that two people voted for Rick Porcello. Good Red Sox pitcher, not a Hall of Famer. Nick Markakis getting a vote, again, maybe funny, but more dumb.

But…Ryan Braun got 15 votes??? The same Ryan Braun who took PEDs, got caught, held a press conference where he basically accused the FedEx delivery guy who collected the sample of tampering with it in some bizarre rant about being framed? The same Bruan who, two years later, admitted he took PEDs and accepted a 65-game suspension from MLB? Manny Ramirez got caught juicing multiple times by MLB, and people still voted for him - they’re morons, too.

If you’re going to ask fans to take awards and accolades like this seriously, the people who vote on it should probably take it seriously, too.

This stuff should not bother me. It does. Maybe I’m the moron. That’s probably the case.

On your Championship Weekend NFL Picks…

Wild Card Results 1-2 | Tremble ATD❌ | Steelers ML ❌
Divisional Results 1-2 | Tonges ATD ❌ | Bills ML ❌

Had the right read on Pats/Texans, so that made for an okay weekend. Only two games this week, so extended thoughts on both below. Odds as of Friday at DraftKings, and my bets are bolded.

PATRIOTS AT BRONCOS
Pats -4.5 (-112) Total 42.5 (Over -115)

So yeah, the social media sharps are falling all over each other to bet the Broncos here. “Too many points….the drop-off from Nix to Stidham is not that steep…Patriots played no one this season…Denver defense is elite…”

But what if Denver’s defense is not that good? What if the Pats’ D has been better since Week 10? That’s what DVOA says, and I am a DVOA disciple. Forget DVOA, use your eyeballs - the Pats’ D is locked in. You had Chargers’ receivers saying they had no idea what coverage New England was running. Then CJ Stroud has one of the worst games you’ll ever see from a QB.

Now this unit gets to face Jarrett Stidham? Nix doesn’t take sacks - Stiddy took 13 (!!!) in his four starts over 2022-23. I don’t think the Broncos will be able to or have any interest in running at Milton Williams and this defense. So it will be up to Stidham against Vrabel and this defense. And then Drake Maye and McDaniels against what might be an overrated defense. Really? I’ll lay the points, Pats -4.5.

The Broncos’ defense allowed the 9th most yards to opposing TEs this year. Then last week, got ripped for 9-115-1 by the Bills TEs. Over 43.5 REC for Hunter Henry.

RAMS AT SEAHAWKS
Hawks -2.5 (-110) Total 46.5

I’m torn on this game. I’ve thought Seattle has been underrated all season. I bet the Seahawks when these two teams met late in the season. Hawks are home. Rams are playing a third straight road game. Seattle coming off a total destruction of the 49ers, while the Rams needed an OT INT to beat the Bears…Chicago kinda looks better there, right? A lot of positives for SEA.

BUT…Sean McVay. Dude has owned Seattle. He is 13-6 ATS against them, and 12-3 ATS since 2019. His Rams come in here full strength, while Seattle has a QB with an oblique injury - Darnold is still not practicing in full. And now they have LT issues: starter Charles Cross (foot), backup Josh Jones (knee, ankle), and third-teamer Amari Kight (knee) — were listed as not participating in practice Thursday. And their best pass protection back (Charbonet) is out for the year.

Both are highly rated in DVOA, with SEA among the best teams all-time per that metric.

Darnold’s oblique, the LT situation, and McVay are enough to get me on Rams Moneyline (+120). I’d be buying it up to Rams +3 before I played it at 2.5.

Seattle allowed the 6th most yards to opposing TEs, and Tyler Higbee was in there in the Red Zone last week. Higbee ATD +500.

I’ll add any other props or plays here on Sunday afternoon. There will be more props.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

🎙️ Since 2004, Sports Radio WEEI has been simulcasting its feed to the Providence radio market on 103.7 FM (WVEI). That signal also allowed residents in Rhode Island, Southeast Massachusetts, and Northern Connecticut to hear WEEI programming very clearly. News broke this week that Audacy is selling WVEI to Ocean State Media, the parent organization of Public News/Talk “The Public’s Radio,” thus ending that simulcast. And in the process, giving radio listeners a much smaller footprint to get WEEI out of Boston on 93.7 FM.

WEEI closed its RI sales offices a few years ago, but this is still a big surprise. I’m told by one good source that it sure came as a surprise to the Red Sox, who were reportedly told the day before and were not happy about it. The Sox will be pushed to a smaller signal in the market if they’re looking for a new radio affiliate. And there’s a chance the deal doesn’t happen until after Opening Day, meaning flipping stations during the season

This affects a lot more than just Rhode Island. The 103.7 signal gave WEEI important coverage. Football fans can tell you that because in the Gillette Stadium parking lots, 103.7 comes in much more clearly than 93.7. 98.5 The Sports Hub’s signal is much better there and across the state. You can say, “Just listen on the app,” but the WEEI/radio listener is older - they’re less likely to make that move, even if it sounds simple to you. Also, like, people hate change.

An Audacy spokesperson told The Globe that the company does not plan to sell WEEI. But this can not be viewed as anything but a negative for the station and the brand. I can tell you radio people - who love to gossip - are speculating this is the beginning of the end for WEEI. We’ll see. TBH, the end really started when station management backed a rogue activist instead of its talented morning duo at the time, but that’s a different newsletter.

🎙️ The next thing I’m looking for from WEEI is a lineup change before Sox Opening Day. If they stand pat with what they have, after getting embarrassed in the fall book, no changes might be a sign that they know a bigger change is coming, and it would not be ‘worth it’ to make changes now. At least that’s how I’ll view it.

⚾ Fun episode of Dirty Water - A Boston Boston Podcast this week, with old friend Chris Klemmer. Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

📺 Good decision from NESN to move Boston Has Entered The Chat to afternoons at 4 PM vs mornings at 8 AM. No one is listening to WEEI Afternoons, so it's a good spot for live, local sports programming, with some people I like (Lucy, Murray, Kaufman).

📺 Embarrassing decision from NESN not to staff the pre- and post-Suarez press conference on Wednesday. Hearing aid infomercial to press conference to promos and commercials. You can’t be cheaper. Rough.

⚾ Great job by DraftKings, The Brook Casino, and the NH Lottery for their David Ortiz event Thursday Night. Ortiz gave the crowd a hitting lesson and told some great stories. Huge crowd that overflowed into the DraftKings Sportsbook (which is stadium seating and has every horse race live, and I didn’t want to leave).

🏀 Watching the Barstool Chicago basketball team this week mostly just made me miss KMS Basketball. Some combo of Team KMS/Barstool NY would give those guys a good game. Maybe someone can pull a rabbit out of a hat and make that game happen in 2026.

🏈 I need to admit publicly that I might be addicted to Griddy.

📈 Prediction Markets seem an awful lot like sports betting. But they’re not sports betting, legally, I guess? I’ll admit, I don’t quite get it. But a judge in MA ruled, "The Commonwealth is entitled to a preliminary injunction prohibiting Kalshi from offering sport-related event contracts in the absence of the required license under the Sports Wagering Law." This might end up being a big deal nationally, and Bill Speros has the details.

📷 It might be terrible, but I am committed to posting more on Instagram and eventually TikTok.

🏈 Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 7 - Bill Belichick makes his New England coaching return as the UConn Huskies host his UNC Tar Heels.

🏇🏻 Big horse racing weekend in Florida with the Pegasus World Cup. No Derby Preps this week, so we’ll focus on a few races from that loaded card tomorrow on Kentucky Derby Prepping w/ Mut over on the Barstool Blog.

I think that’s enough Stack for this week. I can’t wait for Sunday.

Good luck with your bets this weekend. Unless you’re betting on the Broncos.

Thanks for reading. And watching. Go Pats.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

For all 6 of you wondering. Miss Watermelon had mild bone bruising behind and a small ankle chip in the right fetlock. She will need 60 days off. Good prognosis for return. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have run her since she wasn’t training well.

Note from Founder of MutStack.com, Mut:

Based on the thousands of views and responses to the Go Go Greys Stable Tour, it’s way more than six. Get well soon, Miss Watermelon, and hope to see her in action this summer at Saratoga.

I am mad about this, but not for the reason you might think.

The biggest villains in North American sports, the LA Dodgers, signed star FA outfielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal with opt-outs after the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Reports say about $30 million of the money has been deferred, but the AAV will still be the highest ever in MLB.

The Dodgers now have EIGHT players (Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Tyler Glasnow) all making at least $100 million. Their estimated $413 million payroll would be higher than the Angels and Cubs, COMBINED. Hell, their projected $165 million luxury tax bill would rank as the 19th-highest payroll in baseball next season.

The Red Sox and the rest of the AL East caught a break with Tucker not going to Toronto as projected. But this is clearly the story of the offseason and will dominate the baseball conversation through spring training. Three things I keep coming back to in the hours after the megadeal was announced.

1. Not mad at the Dodgers, like, at all. We all learned about ‘rules of engagement’ when Maverick went below the hard deck. The rules of engagement in baseball allow you to spend, spend, spend, as long as you’re willing to accept the penalties that come with that spending. A $165 million luxury tax bill is wild and a credit to the Dodgers for footing it. There are many more teams that won’t spend and are happy to collect their share of revenue and tax sharing. Selfishly, I wish the Red Sox spent like this. And if baseball fans are being honest, they wish their teams spent like this, too.

2. This is GREAT for baseball. You need teams and players to hate in sports. The Dodgers have become the most hateable team, not just in baseball, but maybe in any sport in the country. They’re the old Yankees in 2026. The 2025 World Series was the most globally-viewed World Series since 1992! Hate watching is a real thing. The crying over this signing on social media and the idea that the Dodgers somehow ruined baseball is embarrassing.

3. Here’s the anger - the 2027 MLB Lockout is going to suck. It’s going to be very long and very messy, and at this point, probably cost us a season of baseball. I have ZERO faith that Rob Manfred is the guy to work through this. I’m expecting many of his owners and execs to speak Friday and into the weekend about salary cap and salary floor and how this HAS TO CHANGE. The MLB Players have the strongest union in all of sports, and they will fight the idea of a salary cap to the death. What’s really going to be annoying is a team like the Red Sox, who could spend if they wanted to, being one of the teams in favor of a harder cap.

I’m not doing a deep dive in the economics of baseball this morning. There’ll be plenty of time for that over the next year. Maybe two, if this thing really drags on. I do look forward to hate-watching the Dodgers this season. You’ll be watching too, even if you’re one of the babies complaining about it today.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are back in the NFL’s Elite Eight. The Boston Red Sox had a busy week. NFL Picks were not good, again. MutStack Notes for the week.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #155.

Subscribe today, and maybe there won’t be a two-year MLB lockout.

Either way, free, as always.

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On the Patriots and the Texans…

Am I alone on this?

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On a busy week for the Boston Red Sox…

It was a good day, Wednesday, for the Red Sox. I would not call it a good week. We’ll start with the positive since, well, it will be a nice change of pace.

Ranger Suarez is a very good pitcher. I included this in my Barstool blog about the former Phillies lefty, but a Phillies Insider reached out with a scouting report.

“One of the best playoff pitchers I've ever seen…like Jon Lester in that way. Has never been able to stay healthy for a full year and velocity is trending down…Elite command and an overall great dude. Red Sox fans will love him. Also has huge nuts and is the best fielding pitcher in MLB…”

Guy has a 1.80 career playoff ERA. Seems like a great fit behind Garrett Crochet in what looks like one of the best rotations in Major League Baseball. Am I shocked the team spent that much money on a 30-year-old starter who has missed time with a back injury in the past? Yes and no. Yes, because I can’t imagine he was their plan A, B, or C this offseason; he is not really a Craig Breslow-type pitcher, given he doesn’t get a TON of strikeouts.

But also, I’m not that surprised because I think they were embarrassed by the way the Alex Bregman thing played out. And they should be. All the reports pieced together paint a picture of an arrogant Breslow, unwilling to move from an initially low offer. Once he did, the team balked at giving Bregman a full no-trade clause.

Listening to Bregman on Thursday, it was clear that he made it clear that with his family as a major consideration, the no-trade was important to him. That the Red Sox did not recognize this shows poor bedside manner, which seems to be a problem for Breslow.

I’m worried the way they bungled this with Bregman, a player who WANTED to come back to Boston, will hurt them with other free agents. Baseball people gossip, and my guess is that Breslow is getting crushed for the way this went down. I heard from one MLB source this week that other GMs…well, maybe they roll their eyes when Craig calls. I am not surprised.

If the Sox are paying at the top of the market for a free agent, maybe this stuff won’t matter. But they keep lowballing these offers (Alonso, Pete), and if a player is deciding between the Sox and Team X, this stuff could be a deciding factor that goes against Boston.

The team still needs to move an OF. And clean up the infield. But with the Suarez addition, the 2026 team is better than the 2025 Red Sox team that ended the season in New York. Even if Bres blew it with Bregman.

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On your Divisional Round NFL Picks…

Wild Card Results 1-2 | Tremble ATD❌ | Steelers ML ❌

Packers. Brutal. Kenneth Gainwell. Brutal. Got a team-high (tied) 6 targets and was only able to turn that into 4 rec/ 26 yards. Killer. But typical for me this season. We battle on. Odds as of Friday morning at the great DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Side
RAMS -3.5 AT BEARS (-118). I have been betting against the Bears all season, and I will not stop now. If not for another Packers meltdown, they’d be in Aruba. Action Network says the comeback bodes well for the Rams: Since division realignment in 2002, teams after coming back from 10+ pts down in the playoffs are just 8-22 SU in their next playoff game, including 5-15 SU in any round before the Super Bowl. The Rams should be able to put up serious points against a Bears D that was 25th in DVOA against the pass and 21st overall. It looks like it will be cold and windy, I get it. But Stafford threw for 324 yards with a QB rating of 97 last year in a Philadelphia snowstorm. They’ll be ready.

The Total
BRONCOS VS. BILLS UNDER 45.5 (-108). I just can’t see this game being a shootout. Denver’s defense is legit and rested - they had the bye plus two weeks before that when they played teams that weren’t even really trying. They face a Bills offense of Josh Allen, James Cook, and … what else exactly? They’ll play slow (#2 slowest sec/snap NFL), and they’ll try to run it (#3 rush % neutral pace situations). When they do try to pass, the Bills’ receiving core is decimated by injury. I’ll lean into the idea Sean Payton has a brain and sees how bad the Bills Run D is and tries to run it when Denver has the ball. Where I look, seeing sharp money coming in on the under. 👀👀

The Prop
TEXANS TEAM TOTAL UNDER 18.5 (-105). I just don’t see how the Texans come into Gillette and score 20 points on Sunday. Nico Collins is out. Christian Kirk is coming off the game of his life, and the Pats will be aware of his presence. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are rookies in their first road playoff games. The Pats Run D has been reinforced by the returns of Milton Williams and Robert Spillane. And CJ Stroud has always had issues with pressure. You had Chargers’ offensive players admit they had no clue what the Pats were running in coverage. In three home playoff games as head coach, Mike Vrabel’s teams have allowed a total of 42 points.

The ATD
JAKE TSONGAS (+285…down from +310 Thursday). No Kittle. Seattle's defense allowed the 6th most yards and 5th most catches to TEs this year. I’ve never felt better about an ATD bet in 2026.

The ML Dog Mut Says Is Barking
BILLS (+100) AT BRONCOS. This is more of an opinion than a big bet I plan on making. I could talk myself into SF + 7 if I had to, but as far as dogs, I could only bet Buffalo this weekend and hope Josh Allen has the ball last…in a low-scoring game.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ Deeeeeeeeep Dive into the busiest American League team in MLB this week on Episode 9 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Smash that Subscribe button on YouTube and find us wherever you get your audio podcasts. I’m an Apple Podcast guy. Little Prime Music guy. My wife and son swear by Spotify.

🎙️ An Audacy sports station in Chicago went to FM this week. Their GM said, in part, “You look at the great successful sports content brands around the country. WFAN in New York City, 94 WIP in Philadelphia, and 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. They’re all on FM frequencies,”…no mention of WEEI there. And not a surprise. Even within their own company, the WEEI brand is cooked. I’m told morale at WEEI is “low.”

🏒 The Bruins retired the #33 of Zdeno Chara on Thursday night. We’ve done some great events over the years at The Brook in New Hampshire, and Chara was one of the best. What really stuck with me was talking to him on and off the stage about youth sports. Chara was adamant that, in his opinion, kids should play as many sports as possible, as long as they can, rather than specialize in just one. His signing will go down as one of the best free-agent additions in the storied history of Boston sports.

💰 We have a new sports betting scandal, and it involved college hoops and Chinese Professional Basketball. Bill Speros explains it better than I can.

🏇🏻 For the last three years, I’ve done a Saturday newsletter covering the Kentucky Derby Trail. That will continue this year, but on the Barstool Blog. I’ve wanted to do more horse racing there, and this is a chance to try it out. Maybe it will suck, and Dave will hate it -we’ll find out together. The idea will be a racing topic, with some handicapping of the Derby Prep races each Saturday, up through the Triple Crown. Guests and video along the way. It will start this Saturday with a very interesting Grade II Lecomte Stakes.

🏈 I don’t recognize this 2026 version of college football, but it’s shocking to see a former 4-star recruit and Tennessee QB come to UConn. A good kind of shocking, but shocking.

🤒 My oldest son has been home sick for three days and has decided we wants to start playing poker. I am both proud and petrified.

🏈 People love announcer talk. I love announcer talk. So, no surprise, one of the most-read blogs I have written for Barstool was ranking this weekend's NFL announcers.

🗓️ 140 days until June 6

That’s enough stack for this week.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Thanks for reading. And watching.

The first edition of Derby Prepping w/ Mut tomorrow on the Barstool Blog.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave this week. He did meet up with New England’s favorite online baker, Ann Michael Maye, for a Pizza Review.

And how about this? Time Magazine listed America’s most iconic companies: #242 - Barstool Sports. Plus, the Pats are back in the playoffs. Pretty good week for the boss.

There were a million graphics or stats I could have posted here to start this week’s newsletter that would have sufficiently backed up my claim that Drake Maye should win the MVP. This one is my favorite.

In just his second year, with ZERO Pro Bowlers on offense, his name is right there with Brady, Mahomes, Lamar, and he rest of the Tier 1 QBs of the last decade. You don’t even have to know or care what EPA/Play means to understand that to be on that list, you had an elite, elite year.

Drake Maye should win the MVP.

There is no world where Matthew Stafford was more valuable to the Rams than Maye was to the Patriots. There’s too much talent on LA’s offense, including the best WR in football in Puka Nacua. And his Hall of Fame teammate, Davante Adams. Stafford was great, but he benefited greatly from all that talent.

By far the dumbest argument being made for Stafford is that he’s a veteran, and Maye is only in his second year. Why in the world should that matter? So, if Drake Maye was in Year 5 doing this, he’d have a better case? Cut the shit. It feels like a lot of these writers like Stafford and know him better, so they’re going to end up voting for him.

This is not student council or prom queen - popularity should not be a factor.

I would factor in rushing yards - Maye had 450. Stafford was credited with 1. Uno. I know, not his game, but Maye made plays with his right arm and his feet. And that makes him more valuable. Hopefully, the 50 voters ignore age and popularity and focus on the football.

If they do, the choice for MVP is clear

Meanwhile, two guys are not getting enough credit for this insane Patriots season. We have new technology that will change how you consume sports. NFL Picks were dogshit this season, but the playoffs mean a clean slate. And MutStack Notes, for the people.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #154.

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Kind of. Also, it’s free.

On the Pats and Chargers and two guys not getting enough credit for the Patriots…

Imagine Kraft didn’t fire Mayo?

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On the next great innovation for watching sports on television…

One TV. No high def. No remote control. Bunny ears, no cable. A limited selection of games you could actually watch.

That was the setup for most kids trying to watch sports on TV in the 1980s. Okay, there was that one kid in town who had a satellite dish, but for most of us, this was the hand we were dealt.

Now? My kids? They have it MADE. 4K. Every game on TV or streaming. Never have to leave your couch. Can it be a pain in the ass when you’re watching a game on Amazon Prime, and you can’t just hit “last channel” and flip over to The Office during commercials? Sure. But it’s worth the trade-off for the broadcast quality and the sheer amount of access we have to games.

I live outside Boston, and thanks to the Big East TV deal, every UConn Men’s Basketball game is available to me this season. That would have seemed IMPOSSIBLE 40 years ago.

Some of those games are on Peacock, the NBC Streaming service. They have a bunch of sports - NBA, MLB, NFL Sunday Night Football, and the World Cup. They’re looking to change how you watch the games by giving you control over what you hear. From Sports Business Journal:

“Bohunek shared a story from Peacock’s first exclusive NFL game when, at halftime, executives from NBCUniversal and the league both called to share thoughts on the audio — one wanted the commentary a bit louder, the other wanted the crowd noise to be turned up for the sense of emotion.

“With AC-4 and the personalization of the audio, we can let the customers do what they prefer with a very simple control in our own UI,” Bohunek said, “and maybe let them turn off commentary completely if that’s what they want.”

That last line is the most important one.

The flexibility to just hear an NFL game with natural sound - no announcers, just the field mics and the crowd? Sign. Me. Up. And this is not an anti-announcer thing at all. I yell at my kids all the time because they’re playing basketball on the mini-hoop, and it’s so loud I can’t hear Greg Olson or Joe Buck or whoever. I’d say 80% of the time, I want to hear the booth talking.

But I’d also - say in a big spot - would love to hear it au naturel. Very good play-by-play guys will get out of the way after a big play. Mike Tirico did on Sunday Night at the end of the Ravens/Steelers thriller. I’d like bigger doses of that.

We have so many options to watch games now. Shit, there’ll be thousands of NFL fans watching the Barstool Gambling Cave Streams this weekend with their own TVs muted. For years, people have wanted an easy way to sync up local radio broadcasts with TV games. In 2026, everything seems customizable. This should include the audio on the big games you’re watching.

Nerdy? Sure. But this shit fires me up. How about a big college basketball game, just the crowd and the sounds of sneakers squaking on the floor. Plus the PA guy. Give me UConn/St. John’s like that. Or a big third down Patriots/Steelers? I’m in.

We won’t have this option Wild Card Weekend. For better or worse, we’ll have six different crews calling the games. I don’t think any of them are bad, but I did spend some time ranking them from best to worst.

1. Tirico/Collinsworth (LAC/NE)

2. Buck/Aikman (HOU/PIT)

3. Burkhardt/Brady (SF/PHI)

4. Davis/Olson (LA/CAR)

5. Nantz/Romo (BUF/JAX)

6. Michaels/Herbstreit (GB/CHI)

Brady has gotten so much better. No bigger Al Michaels fan than me - he’s a legend. Lacks some energy, but still a legend.

Again, all good groups - but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t mind that MUTE option for a few plays in any of these games.

On your Wild Card Weekend NFL Picks…

Week 18 Results: 1-2 | Jonnu ATD❌ | Cardinals ML ❌
On the Season: 21-33 | ATD bets 4-15| ML Dog 6-5

A dreadful NFL season for the MutStack NFL Picks. Props especially. Trash.

The good news is, a clean slate for the playoffs. Going to keep the same format, but will add my leans and other stuff I like below the actual plays.

Odds below from DraftKings as of Friday morning.

The Side
PACKERS ML (-120) AT BEARS. The Packers opened as a slight dog, but as that line is long gone, I’ll play the Packers ML here. The Bears went all out against the Lions last week and scored ZERO points through three quarters. They scored late because that’s what they do -they had five or six wins this year that came in the final minutes of games this season. They seem lucky to me, and that stuff can flip in the playoffs - as can health. There are rumblings that Green Bay lightened the workload for Josh Jacobs over the last month. He said himself it’s the best felt in six weeks. He gets to face a Bears DL that’s not very good and a Bears Run D ranked 5th-worst DVOA. Per Action Network, QBs making their first playoff start vs QBs who have playoff experience are 20-39-1 ATS (34%) and 20-40 SU since 2002—we get that here with Caleb Williams. I’ve been betting against the Bears all year, and no reason to stop now.

The Total
EAGLES VS. 49ERS UNDER 44.5 (-110). The 49ers are sooooo banged up. As of posting for this Friday, OL Trent Williams seems likely to miss. WR Ricky Pearsall has not practiced all week. Fellow WR Jauan Jennings is playing hurt. And the guy filling in for All-Pro LB Fred Warner, Tatum Bethune, he’s on IR. The only way for the 49ers to win this road playoff game is a grind it out, run the ball, and shorten the game. On the other side, the Eagles are getting OL Lane Johnson back - they’re 122-62-1 when he plays. Eagles don’t play slow, but they struggled on offense this year, going over their team total in just 6 of 11 games this season. In outdoor Wild Card games with a total of 41+, the UNDER has crushed, 42-14 (75%) since 2004.

The Prop
KENNETH GAINWELL O 33.5 REC YARDS (-109). Aaron Rodgers is going to be under fire all day from that Texans defense, and Gainwell has become his ultimate security blanket. I will be laddering this at 40+, 50+, and 60+. And a small bet at 100+ at 30-1 on DK.

The ATD
TOMMY TREMBLE (+600). Played almost the entire game last week and caught a TD. The Panthers playing catch-up all day as a huge home dog can only help.

The ML Dog Mut Says is Barking
STEELERS +130 VS TEXANS. Just a classic Mike Tomlin Home Dog Spot. I have Tomlin at 20-6-1 (75%?!) ATS as a home dog in any game after Week 5. His teams have also been nails on Monday Night Football - 12-1 SU at home and 7-6 ATS per Action Network. Low-scoring, defensive game. Gainwell catching a million balls out of the backfield. This is the Wild Card Dog I feel best about this weekend, by a wide margin.

Leans: RAMS/PANTHERS UNDER. BLAKE CORUM ATD. PATRIOTS. MAYE 30+ RUSH (+117)

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ I’d make a special note of the explicit tag on Episode 8 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Yankees fans will hate this one. Many laughs as we wait for the Red Sox and or Alex Bregman to make some decisions.

🏇🏻 Very nice of the voice of Santa Anita (and Saratoga) Frank Mirahmadi to shout out the Go Go Greys Stable Tour last Friday as they were loading for Race 1. Dave was extremely generous with his time - I had planned for 20 minutes, and we went about 45. Had no idea Dave was playing in NHC events every weekend. Or that he had a horse named in honor of Rico Bosco and his fans. I should have gotten to more fan questions. Next time. Appreciate all the feedback. You can watch the Stable Tour here ⬇️⬇️

➡️ BIG NEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWS/ Klemmer voice

Same day as the Belmont. There’s a little casino near Laconia we’ll have to bet the races from before the show…

🏀 ENOUGH with this NBA Live angle, NBC Sports Boston. It stinks. No one likes it. Just stop.

🎙️ A lot of response to last week’s breakdown of the fall sports radio ratings in Boston. I heard Kirk say on Thursday that WEEI should reach out to ‘The Big O’ Glenn Ordway and let him do afternoons - rebuild his own show. I’d listen every day. Alas, I don’t think WEEI can afford him. And I don’t think Glenn would be interested. But I’m 100% for it.

❓Does Tate have to follow Mintzy around forever after the incredible content of the last 72 hours? Both guys crushed it in their own different ways.

🏈 It has benefited UConn basketball, and it will continue to benefit UConn basketball, but I Hate the NCAA transfer portal. Capital H, Hate.

⚾ Rob Manfred said MLB is toying with the idea of an “NBA Cup” style in-season tournament for MLB. Can you imagine the stupidity of Garrett Crochet blowing out his arm trying to win an MLB Cup game? Moronic idea.

I think that’s enough Stack for this week.

Good luck with all your Wild Card Weekend bets this weekend. Go Pats. And thanks for reading. And watching.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

There is no owners note for MutStack today. I find it astounding that I was asked to provide one in light of the fact I’ve generously agreed to do a livestream at noon discussing Go Go Greys Stables, which I’m sure will be listened to by a grand total of 4 people. That is my owners note.

Note from Founder of MutStack.com, Mut:

As he is the owner, I will always ask Dave for a note—every week. Even weeks he’s offered his time to horse racing fans like he has today. We (the way more than 4 people) appreciate it. Details on Friday’s livestream below, and good luck to Go Go Greys Miss Watermelon in the opener at Santa Anita on Friday.

This should have been a week of celebrating Drake Maye as the NFL’s likely MVP and going through all the scenarios of who the Patriots might face as the No. 2 seed in what feels like a wide-open AFC Tournament.

It was not.

Instead, the focus was on separate assault charges that teammates Steph Diggs and Christian Barmore are facing.

The details of both are pretty brutal, but court dates are not scheduled until January. It sounds like the team and the NFL will let it play out until then. Both are innocent until proven guilty, but it’s still a distraction, especially in the case of Diggs, who has been lauded as a team leader all season. This week, even after the allegations surfaced, Maye continued to support Diggs. “Stef, man, he means a lot to this team… He gives off the persona of one of those guys that you just want to be teammates with. I think that's one of the best things about him that I've kind of learned, is how awesome it is to be his teammate and be there with him.” Diggs and his impact have been one of the best storylines of the season.

Bill Belichick was the best coach ever at handling big distractions. Mike Vrabel will have to channel some of that this week and into what feels like a long playoff run for the Patriots.

As for playoff possibilities, of course, go Trey Lance and go Chargers. The #1 seed is the preferred path, and a win against Miami and a Broncos loss to LAC gets you that.

A win against Miami, a Broncos win, and a Bills win vs. the Jets seemed likely, meaning you’d get the Chargers at home and the No. 2 seed. Awesome, sign me up. BUT, now Josh Allen looks unlikely to play. A win against Miami, a Broncos win, and a Bills loss = Bills at Pats next week. The Jets can beat a Mitch Trubisky-led Bills team.

No thanks. Josh Allen is the best player in the NFL, and as we saw a few weeks ago, he is capable of putting the Bills on his back. I have no interest in going through the Bills as some sort of playoff test. Nope, bring me the Chargers, please.

As for Maye and the MVP, I’d 100% vote for him over Matt Stafford. Stafford had much better weapons, and against common opponents, Maye was better. I don’t trust the voters to get it right, but I don’t want to see Maye out there stat-padding in the second half against Miami if the Broncos are up big on LAC (they play at the same time). But as long as that game is competitive, Vrabel should be trying to close out Miami and secure the #1 seed.

The AFC is there for the taking, and I see no reason the Patriots can’t win the whole thing - I’d just prefer not to have to go through Buffalo and Allen to do it.

Meanwhile, it was another blowout loss for WEEI in the ratings. I have a Red Sox conspiracy theory. The NFL Picks FINALLY had a winning week. Plus, MutStack notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #153.

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On the Boston Sports Radio Fall Book Ratings…

In sports radio, when the local teams are doing well, sports stations benefit. The saying is, I believe, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Last spring, the Celtics had a deep playoff run, and both Spots Radio WEEI and 98.5 The Sports Hub saw ratings bumps. Historically, it’s been the same for any of the four teams in town - they do well, and so does sports radio.

And that is why I’d argue that this Fall 2025 book is as bad as it gets for WEEI.

You had the Red Sox face the Yankees at the front of the book. Then you have the Patriots go on this insane run, led by the NFL’s likely MVP and one of the league’s most popular new players in Drake Maye. Yes, The Hub has the Pats games on the radio. But WEEI has the Red Sox games and weekly interviews with Mike Vrabel and Maye. It should have led to a strong book for both stations.

It didn’t.

98.5 The Sports Hub was #1 among Men25-54, almost 5x WEEIs 3.5, which tied for 9th place among that same sports radio power demo. In fact, WEEI is down 44% from last year at this time, based on the station’s overall rating. We’ll revisit that overall rating in a second.

“This is the worst book EVER for WEEI. Disasterous,” one radio veteran texted me Tuesday afternoon. I agree, even though I’ve made the same claim about a few of their recent books. It’s the local buzz around the Patriots that makes this one so much worse. Remember, heading into the summer, the Hub’s numbers were slipping, and WEEI actually won a 12+ monthly.

It didn’t matter. When the games meant the most and people wanted to hear Pats talk, they overwhelmingly chose The Sports Hub. It’s a superior product, at least according to the audience. It’s been three years of this now, and little has changed.

I get the sense that the 98.5 Team is delighted with this blowout win. It seems some WEEI salespeople have been pretty aggressive in trying to poach clients from the Hub and may have told stories about the Hub’s ratings decline.

Whoops.

Some other assorted thoughts and opinions on the fall book.

🎙️ According to a source, the 3.5 overall fall number is the lowest fall number WEEI has ever had, all the way back to their time on AM 590. I don’t have access to every book, but I could not find a lower fall number myself. They went from 3.4 to 3.5 from Summer to Fall, WITH all the Pats buzz. The Hub went from 11.1 to 15.

🎙️ WEEI Market Manager Mike Thomas sent his on-air staff a memo a few weeks back, basically telling them, “Yes, the ratings are bad, but we’re making improvements in Adults 25-54.” That’s not Men 25-54, but okay, I’ll play this game, Mike.

Fall Book 2025 Persons 25-54
98.5 The Sports Hub Weekdays
Morning Drive: 12.2, #1
Mid-Days: 11.1, #1
Afternoons: 11.1, #1

WEEI Weekdays
Morning Drive: 4.4, #8
Mid-Days: 2.5, #14
Afternoons: 1.6 (!!!), #17

That’s improvement? Yikes. Thomas can point to success for his Audacy music stations in Boston, but his work in rebuilding WEEI has been a disaster. I was reminded recently that WEEI’s highest-rated and flagship show, The Greg Hill Morning Show, was a Mark Hannon move, not Thomas.

🎙️ Speaking of Greg’s show, a significant drop from last fall. Ironically, one of the reasons for that is his longtime WAAF co-host Danielle Murr and the success her show is having on WZLX. “The Chuck Nowlin Morning Show” was #2 in the Fall Men 25-54, with a 6.9 rating, almost doubling Greg’s number. You can see that Greg’s drop-off affected Jones and Keefe, who also saw a significant drop from Fall 2024. I’m told Thomas still has hope for Jones and Keefe.

🎙️ How can anyone have hope for PM Drive? We all agree, WEEI Afternoons is one of the worst shows to ever air on the radio in Boston; I can only write that so many times. But Mike Thomas loves Andy Hart and Ted Johnson. If there is a change there, I think Ted stays. Nick ‘Fitzy’ Stevens is the clear odd man out, to the point where I was told this week that when Johnson took the job with WEEI, he thought it was just he and Hart doing the show.

🎙️They were down slightly from last Fall, but this is a monster book for 98.5 The Sports Hub. They beat their main sports rivals by 14.2, 12.7, and 14.7 points across AM, MID, and PM Drive. That’s an anhiliation.

🎙️The only two shows 'up,' from last Fall were Zolak and Bertrand and Christian Arcand (nights WEEI), and just a few Sox playoff games helped him immensely.

🎙️ So, what’s the next move for Thomas and WEEI? I believe once again, they’ll look to 98.5 The Sports Hub for new on-air personnel. I think Matt McCarthy and Cerrone Battle - who have both at least had conversations over the last year with WEEI, according to my sources - will again be in the mix.

Can WEEI find the money to pay them a reasonable salary? I don’t know. I do know that money has halted conversations with other 98.5 The Sports Hub hosts who had been pursued - WEEI could not afford them at their current rates. Does Audacy suddenly find some cash?

Where might McCarthy or Battle fit if they indeed come over? Again, I don’t know. Trust me, I’m working on it. I just don’t have solid details yet.

🎙️I think you’ll also see WEEI push to land the Bruins radio rights. Thomas recently added a hockey show to his Saturday morning lineup, trying to copy what 98.5 The Sports Hub has. Would Bruins radio rights really matter? It would help them more financially than it would in the ratings.

🎙️ I’ve heard nothing about the station changing formats, but these are the types of numbers that get those conversations started. Audacy sold the land where it currently broadcasts in Brighton a few years ago and is supposed to move to new studios in 2026—something to keep an eye on.

If there was any doubt, this Fall Book confirms once and for all the death of whatever the Sports Radio WEEI ‘brand’ was in the past. It seems unlikely that a few new hires from their rival or the radio rights to the Bruins will help restore its former glory.

If you’re a Boston sports radio listener, I would love your comments below on a big win for The Hub.

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On a Red Sox front-office conspiracy theory …

I know the Red Sox have made a few trades that will make the team better, but hear me out: Is Craig Breslow trying to publicly pressure Red Sox ownership into spending more money?

First, this is obviously an annoying post from Passan. When the next MLB franchise value numbers come out, the Red Sox will be worth OVER $5 billion. But let’s use the most recent valuation of $4.8 billion.

They’re just not reinvesting their revenue back into the team as they should. We shit on teams like the Pirates and the Royals for not spending, but given their valuation and revenue, I’d argue that what Sox ownership is doing is actually worse.

There has been no indication that the impending sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins is a move to allow John Henry to spend more money on his baseball team. The zero free agents they’ve signed make it very clear they have every intention of staying under the $264 million luxury tax threshold.

And it sucks.

The guy I have focused most of my anger on for all of this is Craig Breslow. He was the one talking about all the moves the team planned to make in the offseason on podcasts and in different media appearances. I’ve been actively trying to hold him to his word because he’s been so forward about what the Sox would do.

Was all of that just part of a team effort to get Henry to loosen up the purse strings?

The Passan note from Threads (I’ll be honest, did not realize Threads was still a thing) is at least the second time he’s commented on ownership’s unwillingness to spend. In November, he wrote for ESPN, “As long as Red Sox ownership keeps the financial clamps on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, he’ll need to get creative in improving a Red Sox team that’s already quite good.”

You have Breslow making all these promises of significant team improvement. You have Passan calling out the ownership multiple times. So yeah, my new theory is that Breslow has let Passan know what he’s up against. And the result is this tag team effort from Bres and Passan to embarrass Henry into spending.

It’s either that or Breslow is just okay over-promising and under-delivering, just like he did at the trade deadline.

I’m not a Breslow guy. And I think the latter is just as likely. But these Passan comments feel more than random, and maybe, just maybe, it’s part of a coordinated attack on Sox ownership by the journalist and the team’s President of Baseball Operations.

On your Week 18 NFL Picks…

Week 17 Results: 2-1| McBride ATD ✅ | Mayer ATD ❌ | Texans ML ✅
On the Season: 20-31 | ATD bets 4-14 | ML Dog 6-4

Well, shoot. A winning week, just in time for an epic playoff run. Odds from DraftKings as of Friday morning.

The Side
FALCONS (-3.5) VS. SAINTS (-108). It’s Week 18, and it’s stupid to love any NFL side, I get it. But I love the Falcons here. The Saints will be without Chris Olave, leaving TE Juwan Johnson as their best skill-position player. Meanwhile, the Falcons have no 1st round pick to tank for and are trying to get Bijan Robinson the franchise record for scrimmage yards (needs 151 total yards Sunday). All signs point to a streaking Atlanta team trying to go all out to tie for 1st in the NFC South (tie-breakers will keep them out of the playoffs) against a Saints team with limited offensive weapons and a rookie QB that’s due for a clunker.

The Total
49ERS VS. SEAHAWKS UNDER 47.5 (-105). Since Week 12, SF has operated at the 6th-slowest SNAP/SEC pace in the NFL, per FTN. Seattle is not that far back at #10, and it makes sense - both coaches lack trust in their QBs. As long as this game stays close, the under is the play. If one team gets up big? Yeah, not great. But even if Seattle gets up early, they still hold the #1 DVOA D. There is also a chance of rain on that all-grass field at Levi Stadium, which would slow things down. And I’m always looking to bet UNDER on high totals in the second meeting of divisional opponents.

The Prop
Will update with a prop play here Sunday after we get more news on inactives

CHRIS OLADOKUN 150+ PASSING YARDS (+100). If the Chiefs try to give Kelce the big send-off, they’ll have to be throwing. Oladokun is apparently friends with Mahomes and Kelce and has faced much tougher defenses. He gets a tanking Vegas team today.

The ATD
JONNU SMITH +450. Smith led the Steelers in targets last week and got two carries. The Steelers lost TE Darnell Washington, so Smith should see more time on the field Sunday night vs. Baltimore. No DK Metcalf again for Aaron Rodgers.

The ML Dog Mut Says Is Barking
CARDINALS +285 AT RAMS. We’re gambling here, but if the 49ers win on Saturday night, the Rams are locked into the #6 seed in the NFC. Even if the 49ers lose, there’s a chance the Rams decide to rest their guys after a series or two. Where I look, there have been some BIG bets on the Cards ML, and at almost 3-1, I’m in.

Update: This is now +625, meaning the market thinks Rams are going all-out - this line is now -13.5 on DK Sunday AM. It could also be tied to the 49ers losing and the Rams with a chance to get the #5 seed. McVay has benched guys before, I’m still betting, but I like it less. Steelers +170 tonight, my next favorite. Commanders +190 vs full-rest Eagles #3

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

🏇🏻 A few weeks ago, Dave mentioned on one of his live streams that he should do a full review of his current Go Go Greys Stables horses heading into 2026. I texted him and said I’d love to host it for him if he ended up doing it.

A few days later, he started sending me some info on the horses, and on Friday at noon, I’ll be hosting a live stream on X.com, going through the Go Go Greys roster with its owner.

Putting aside the massive anxiety of something going wrong with the stream, I’m looking forward to the stable walkthrough. I think Dave and Go Go Greys will bring new fans to racing in 2026. And since it’s all public record, I’ll point out that he’s not been shy about spending on his talented group of horses in Go Go Greys.

Update: Dave was great on the Go Go Greys Stable Tour. Ended up going almost an hour. You can watch by clicking the post right below ⬇️⬇️

🏀 It will be hard to have a worse take in 2026 than my 2025 take that the Celtics should tank. It wasn't good. I fell on my sword this week on the Barstool Blog.

🎇Recapping Coleman’s Tweets from New Year’s Eve on KMS would have been glorious. Nice work from Gus on the Best Of Shows.

🏈 I did not go to Fenway for UConn/Army, and I’m glad I didn’t. I will remember this season much more for the Duke win and a full Rent in East Hartford than I will for whatever that was last Saturday. I almost wish they didn’t play in the game.

🏈 Enough with college players posting on social media how much they love their team…in the same post where they’re announcing that they’re leaving in the transfer portal.

📲 My oldest son now has a cell phone. My youngest son has a cell phone light. I am not dealing with it well. However, my younger guy calling me every few minutes to tell me what’s going on is pretty hilarious.

🏈 If it is Maye vs. Allen next week, is there a chance that’s the Monday Night Wild Card game?

🏇🏻 After winning the Derby and the Travers, I thought for sure Sovereignty would be retired. His planned return to racing in 2026 was a welcome surprise, and hopefully, his connections will target the Whitney at Saratoga this summer

👹 The Mutnansky boys would like you to know that we graded out the Stranger Things finale as a solid ‘A.’

Yep. I think that’s enough Stack for this week.

A happy and healthy 2026 to you and yours. Good luck with all your bets this weekend. And thanks for reading.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave this week. Looks like he might have a Go Go Greys runner next week at Santa Anita. And there’s another training up a storm at Oaklawn. Either way, we’ll be on the beat here and on the Barstool blog.

I hope Dave and everyone else had a great and safe Christmas. Shoutout Boxing Day in Canada.

My gift to you is a very short open to the newsletter this week. Like so many other families, ours was unlucky enough to get sick this week. But as a parent, you battle through for the kids… the kids who ignore you and play Xbox for 5 hours on Christmas Day. #blessed

But here we are, the final Four-Pack of 2025. I just said this a few weeks ago for #MutStack150, but a huge thanks to everyone who has subscribed, read, commented, skimmed, loved, or hated here this year. No subscribers = no MutStack. And no MutStack = no job at Barstool, it’s pretty straightforward.

I’m very excited for the year ahead. Dave owns MutStack now, and he said last week we’re staying 100% free, so that’s huge.

New Year’s resolutions are silly, but my own is to be more present. I worry about the future (and the past) too much, to the point where it can be crippling. I’m extremely lucky to be in the position I'm in, and I want to be present in the work I’m doing for Barstool. And here. And present at home with the family, something I failed at multiple times this year. Hell, I failed at this numerous times this week.

MutStack resolutions? More video here as part of the Four-Pack. Planning on attacking the Kentucky Derby Trail harder than ever beginning in January, but the Barstool Blog might be a better place for that. Looking forward to a big run-up to the Kentucky Derby 152. Hopefully, it's a big year for Dave’s Go Go Greys Stables. Maybe some MutStack Merch at some point? My mom might wear a nice MutStack hoodie.

I’d say fewer spelling and grammar mistakes, but we all know that’s not happening.

In the next few months, how about a long playoff run for Drake Maye and the Patriots? And how about the Red Sox spend some money? And we’ll have a Jayson Tatum return. That will keep us plenty busy.

We’ll be back to droning on and on and on in the Four-Pack opens in 2026, but like I said, short open today. Hope you’re able to enjoy time with family these holiday weeks -it can get hectic.

An early Happy New Year’s from my MutStack Family to yours.

Meanwhile, there are some major storylines in Boston sports heading into 2026. I have a personal favorite moment from 2025. The NFL Picks have sucked, but we battle on. Plus, MutStack Notes that include an apology from me.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #152.

The only way to ensure a prosperous 2026 is to hit the blue button below.

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On the biggest story in Boston sports heading into 2026…

Last year, I wrote the following about what I thought at the time was the biggest sports story in Boston heading into 2025 - The Patriots and Drake Maye.

They (The Patriots) remain the biggest story heading into the New Year. Because they have the right quarterback in Maye: now they have to make sure they don eff it up.

And I have no confidence that they won’t.

Maye looks legit. His combination of physical skills and poise (on and off the field) make him look like a potential Franchise Quarterback. Capital F. Capital Q.

But his head coach looks completely overmatched and I’d fire him for Mike Vrabel in a second. But Josina Anderson reported Thursday that Mayo is likely to stay but with changes on the coaching staff.

Some thoughts.

1. I mean, I nailed this. And I don’t give myself enough credit.

2. It is wild that late in the year, Mayo was still coming back. It’s worth noting that the report came from Josina Anderson, who is now pushing a story that at least two NFL teams want to meet with Bill Belichick about their coaching vacancies - something I do not believe for one second.

Maye and Co. felt like the easy No. 1 story a year ago at this time. I actually think there are a few major storylines for Boston sports heading into 2026, and I don’t know which one stands out.

🏈 Football is king, so it’s probably the Patriots? Not just how their playoff run plays out, but what they do in Year 2 of Maye/Vrabel/McDaniels. The Krafts are not known for breaking the bank when it comes to the roster, but they’ll need to if they want to maximize Maye’s full potential.

Am I being a homer by saying that Maye and Vrabel make New England a potentially popular destination for free agents? Or how about disgruntled WRs who force a trade off their current team in the offseason?

This year’s leap has been beyond the wildest dreams for even the most positive Pats fans - how will the team respond to monster expectations and a tougher schedule next year? Remember, the Commanders were the talk of the NFL last January; they won’t make the playoffs this year.

How will Drake Maye adapt to superstardom?

But that’s all big picture fodder. This year’s team heads into the postseason with one of the most talented and popular quarterbacks in the NFL and a legit chance to come out of the AFC and go to the Super Bowl early in 2026. Crazy.

Yeah, given it’s football, this is probably the top story heading into the New Year. Two very close honorable mentions:

🏀 The impending return of Jayson Tatum. It’s inevitable. I had hoped the team was so bad this season that Tatum would not rush back from his Achilles injury and the Celtics could add a lottery pick to the roster in the process.

That was a terrible take.

Turns out they're too good, and the Eastern Conference is too shitty. At 18-11, they’re third in the East and more likely to add to the team vs. dump assets at the deadline.

Tatum is reportedly “determined” to return this season. “We’re not putting a timeline on it, as we haven't the whole time,” Brad Stevens said this week. “ I mean, I think one of the things that everybody can see is that we didn't apply for a DPE [disabled player exception] this year, which was a conscious decision for a lot of reasons. But the reality is, he's not going to be back until he's 110 percent healthy, and he feels good about it, and that's a big part of it, right? Obviously, he's itching to play.”

Miami’s Dru Smith tore his Achilles and was back playing nine months later. Tatum seems hellbent on a similar timetable, meaning he could be back around the All-Star break (mid-February). A healthy Tatum puts the Celtics in a clear mix for the Eastern Conference. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried that Tatum was rushing this, and it could impact his play long-term.

How Tatum comes back, how his Achilles holds up, and if he’s 100% for next season are huge storylines.

⚾ As the host of a Red Sox podcast, maybe I’m biased, but this is a significant year for the Red Sox.

Last year’s team made the playoffs, filled Fenway Park, and brought some baseball buzz back to Boston. It helps that Roman Anthony turns out to be one of, if not the best, young players in baseball.

With a labor stoppage looming in 2027, making a deep run this season should be a priority for the team. Except, they’re still not committed to spending like the Yankees. Or the Blue Jays. Or this offseason, the freakin’ Orioles.

AL East FA Spending:
Blue Jays $277M
Orioles $185.1M
Yankees: $29M
Rays: $22.5M
Red Sox: $0.0M 👀

They’ve added about $60 million in trades, which is not nothing, but there’s still work to be done, especially since the team made such a big deal about knowing that they are now in their “window of contention” after the playoff loss to the Yankees.

We need to see more commitment to spending revenue back on the roster - that metric showed them as the fifth-cheapest team in MLB in 2024. BRUTAL for a big-market team. This offseason has given me little faith that there’s been a change in philosophy. Bringing back Alex Bregman (or signing Bo Bichette, I prefer Bregman) feels like a must, as is getting a good return for Jarren Duran.

On paper, it’s a big year ahead for Boston sports. It all starts with the Pats’ playoff run in a few weeks.

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On my favorite moment of 2025…

It could have been getting hired by Barstool. Or the Packers winning that same night to cash that bet for Dave. Or the KMS basketball win. Or emceeing The Dozen Live Final. But professionally, this was my favorite moment for 2025.

Live KMS Show in Laconia, NH. I’ve been banned from the show for a year, but Kirk wants me there to be with the basketball team on stage.

Early in the show, without warning, Kirk brings me up on stage. A woman in the crowd offers to shave her own head to get me back on the show after I refuse to do it. Kirk won’t allow it…would have been pretty great.

Back on stage later, again with no warning, and again I shake my head “no” to the idea of shaving my head.

Finally, I get one more chance to end the show. I loved my hair and was not even thinking about shaving it. But between the crowd, an opportunity to lift the show ban, and a chance to make my friend laugh, I finally gave in.

It was a good decision.

The crowd reaction was insane - not a surprise given the energy of the Minifans. It was a fun ending to a live show that Kirk and his producers put SO much work into.

Just being there behind the scenes on the day of is wild. You see a focused Kirk, making sure everything is in order. You watch Blind Mike, just sitting in the green room all day, talking with whoever wanders in and sits down. You see the producers freaking out. And you wonder how this all plays out in front of a live audience.

And then, it’s incredible. The guy is a performer and puts his all into these shows.

I’m glad he’s prioritizing his health and postponing the live show in March. And I join the rest of the Minifans and his friends who are wishing him the best as he steps away.

I never would have shaved my head if not for the live show and Kirk. It’s good to have people in your life that push you out of your comfort zone - it’s a place I can get stuck in more than I’d like to admit. Shaving my head helped me land the job with Barstool. Plus, I look SO much better, which is really the most important thing. If it makes me even 1% less disgusting, I’ll take it.

So, for a final time here in 2025, #thankyoukirk. Can’t wait til he’s back doing content in 2026.

On your Week 17 NFL Picks…

Week 16 Results: 0-3 | Warren ATD ❌ | Cardinals ML ❌
On the Season: 18-30 | ATD bets 3 for 16 | ML Dog 5 for 9

So turns out last week was NOT rock bottom. It was a horrific week for the weekend picks in what is turning into a truly horrific season.

We’ve run into a little bit of tough injury luck, but not enough to excuse this record. Road game for me this week, working on this in Connecticut, so maybe that will help shake things up—odds from DraftKings as of Friday AM.

The Side
BROWNS +3 VS STEELERS (-102). The Steelers will play this game without a suspended DK Metcalf and will have to pound the ball against a Browns defense that’s still a Top 5 DVOA unit against the run. It’s supposed to be warm, windy, and wet Sunday in Cleveland, and in a game with a very low total, taking the points is fine with me. Note the Browns have won five of six at home against the Steelers. And we have this - if the Packers beat the Ravens Saturday night, the Steelers would also clinch the AFC North, making this game pretty meaningless. Isn’t there a chance the Steelers rest a bunch of their players in that scenario? Do they really want Rodgers getting bodied by Myles Garrett? I’d probably play it anyway, but if you think the Packers win, +3 now makes sense.

The Total
SEAHAWKS AT PANTHERS UNDER 42.5 (-110). I can’t believe the Panthers beat the Bucs in a game where Bryce Young could not top 210 passing yards. Turns out that’s because the Panthers want to run, and they want to play slow - they run the ball 4th most in the NFL in neutral-pace situations per FTN, and they play at the 5th slowest sec/snap pace. As road favorites playing an early game out East, Seattle is bound to run the ball and try to get out of Carolina without being upset like the Rams were a few weeks ago.

The Prop
JOSH ALLEN OVER 30.5 RUSH YARDS (-113). Allen has gone over this number in five of the last seven games. And I’ve always believed he runs more in big games. If the Bills win their final two games, they’ll get the 5-seed and likely face the Steelers in Round 1 of the playoffs. I expect they’ll go all out to win Sunday, leading to plenty of Allen rushing. I will not be scared off by his foot injury, but I might wait to see if the line moves down because of it.

The ATD (two this week)
TREY MCBRIDE +105. I try to play +250 or better, but McBride vs. a historically bad TE defense is an auto-play. Sitting on a monster game here.

MICHAEL MAYER +320. No Brock Bowers this week (IR) and the Raiders finally face a weak defense. Should play a ton.

The ML Dog That Mut Says Is Barking
TEXANS +110 AT CHARGERS. Massive advantage for the Texans’ DL in a game where Justin Herbert will be under constant pressure.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ There’s a weird tone to Episode 7 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. We’re all in agreement that the Wilson Contreras trade is a good one for the 2026 Red Sox. But, this can’t be all they do, right? There are still moves to be made for Craig Breslow. Watch and subscribe on YouTube and listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

‼️Seems my Dirty Water co-host KutterisKing has been busy on this Friday.

🎙️So yeah, the Fall Book Boston radio ratings are next week, not this week. I was off by a week. Hand up - that’s on me. I’m sorry. We’ll get the full review with commentary next Friday in the first Stack of 2026.

📺 Saw a lot of hate online for the Netflix production of the NFL games on Christmas. So, I started watching at home on the good Wi-Fi, and I thought it was excellent. Drew Brees is not my favorite, but the production was solid. Then I watched some of the game on a weaker Wi-Fi/router set-up at my mother-in-law’s house, and it looked terrible. I assumed it was just her connection. But it was much worse than at home. Very weird. But on good Wi-Fi, Netflix > Amazon Prime, and I don’t think it’s super close.

But yes, Brees/Noah Eagle was tough. Brees suggesting the Vikings take a safety with seven minutes left in the game would be national news if the game didn’t happen on Christmas.

🏈 A family Christmas Party will keep me from Fenway Park for UConn/Army on Saturday, but it’s hard to overstate the importance of this UConn football season. Convinced a very good player (All-American Skyler Bell) to come back rather than transfer to a bigger school. Won some big games. Lost a good coach. Hired a good coach. In the process, they showed they are a good fit for the ACC. And can say they were one of two teams (the other being Indiana) not to lose a game in regulation this season. Go Huskies.

⚾ On January 22, David Ortiz is coming to New Hampshire and The Brook Casino. Been a lot of great events with Boston sports legends at The Brook, and this one might be the biggest yet. Looking forward to being a small part of a fun night in NH.

🎥 The trailer for the 2026 movie about John Madden is out. I want to love it, but this is not a confidence-builder.

I think that’s enough Stack for this week. And for this year.

Appreciate all the support in 2025, and pumped for 2026. Good luck with all your bets this weekend. And thanks for reading.

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Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

There has been a lot of drama, hearsay, and speculation regarding the future of MutStack.com and whether MutStack will or won’t join Netflix. While most negotiations with Netflix remain confidential, I can say there is almost no price worth putting MutStack behind a paywall. The future is too bright for this shooting star. So I’m relieved to say MutStack will remain totally free for the foreseeable future. Tell your friends. Tell your family. It’s not too late to join the MutStack revolution. And the revolution will remain free forever.

Note from the founder of MutStack.com, Mut:

Wow. This is the first I’m hearing about this. I thought we had a deal. And look, after Dave and the fine folks at Netflix see what they missed out on below with an exclusive MutFlix Trailer, I won’t be offended if they come back to the negotiating table. My door remains wide, wide open.

Netflix is a monster. And I would have written about this four months ago, so, as a Barstool employee, I’ll do the same here to begin this week’s newsletter.

This week, Netflix added three Barstool Shows to their lineup - they’ll have exclusive video streaming rights for Pardon My Take, The Ryen Russillo Show, and Spittin’ Chiclets—three of the biggest and most popular sports podcasts on the planet. Congrats to everyone involved. The audio feeds remain the same, but the show’s video formats will be available only on Netflix.

And this is obviously a huge deal. It’s a big commitment from Netflix and a significant platform for those shows and Barstool - Netflix has about 300 million subscribers globally.

Netflix had previously worked out similar deals with iHeart and The Ringer for the video content of their popular podcasts. They’re making it so that, basically, you have to have a Netflix account. And not just because you want to watch PMT or Stranger Things or Moneyball, but because of events like tonight.

If I did not have Netflix, I would have subscribed today to watch Jake Paul fight Anthony Joshua. Like, I’m writing this Friday morning, and I can’t believe this fight is happening in 12 hours. I am sitting here laughing at my basement/office desk at the thought of it.

Anthony Joshua is a legit heavyweight. As recently as four years ago, he was freakin’ unified heavyweight champion of the world. A month ago, Paul was preparing to fight a guy who weighed 135 pounds. Joshua weighed in at 234 for this fight - about 30 pounds heavier than Paul.

I’m old, so I don’t know much about Paul. I know he was a child actor. Now he’s a social media star. My kids loved his Prime drink for a while, but it doesn’t seem as cool now. I do know his fight with Mike Tyson was terrible because I watched it.

And because I’m old, I hate that this is what boxing has become. UFC now rules, and because boxing has no leadership and everyone is out for themselves, the sport has crumbled in popularity: in a lot of ways, like horse racing. But I was one of those fans watching every Saturday HBO card (shoutout Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik) and buying big PPVs. Shit, I went to Vegas for two big fights, including Wilder/Fury.

Those days are long gone, and I think Joshua destroys Paul tonight. I refuse to have FOMO over this, so I’ll be locked in tonight because it's an event. Hopefully, it starts before midnight.

Barstool does big events, too - Golf, Survivor, Dozen Trivia, KMS Basketball - wouldn’t those events play well on Netflix? It’s easy to imagine it down the road.

What’s NOT next for Barstool and Netflix? MutFlix, based on Dave’s note today. I thought we had a deal. Even had a trailer ready to go. Just press play.

Can you imagine how many people would stop taking melatonin and using sound machines to fall asleep?

“Honey, he’s talking CAWs again, put on MutFlix so we can go to sleep.”

Forget Netflix and Chill, it’s MutFlix and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I’m holding out hope for Phase 2 of the Barstool/Netflix deal.

Shoutout to the talented Minifan David in Maryland for producing this very important preview. It would have been great to work with David on MutFlix.

When I was thanking various people here last week for all their support over the first 150 editions of this newsletter, Kirk and the Minifans should have been highlighted separately. Without their support, there is no MutStack. And I’m not working for Barstool. The Minifans are by far the most loyal fans in the world, and they were Day 1 subscribers. And since Day 1, supporters. Well, besides Montante, who told me this week he’s not a subscriber.

So thank you to David and all the Minifans. Just 26 days until tickets go on sale for Laconia. We get a show that day, and I guess a show announcement? Can’t wait.

Meanwhile, it was a bad week for Mike Vrabel. The Mookie Betts trade should have been a fair warning for Sox fans. NFL Picks have been terrible. Monster MutStack Notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #151.

Sigh. No MutFlix…for now.

But like Dave said, no paywall here. Free, free, free.

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On a bad week for Mike Vrabel…

First, some good news for the HC of the NEP.

They made him a SNACK in Madden 2026. My kids have bailed on Fortnite for Madden Franchise rebuilds, and when Vrabel came up on the screen last week, I gasped. They made him a male model. Blue Steel. All of it. Handome is happening, to quote Thrillride.

As far as Vrabel’s week…not a fan. First, you had the end of the half sequence vs. Buffalo, when they seemed to settle for a field goal rather than try to score a TD. Going against the best player in the NFL (Josh Allen, duh), you'd better score as many points as you possibly can. Of course, when Vrabel’s defense cratered in the second half, those points would have been very useful.

Then you had this Monday morning, when he brought up the officials once again. He can couch it all he wants and try to spin it like he’s not blaming the refs, but he is. Turns out he got the holding stats wrong. Maybe he has a gripe with the PI, but the refs weren't the reason the Patriots lost this game—the defense and Drake Maye not playing well in the second half were.

In this same interview on WEEI, Vrabel commented that “You can only run so many double passes that gain 13 yards, you know? I mean, that's cool, and it's cute, but you can only run so many of those before - again, you can only dial up so many of those.”

I mean, that seems like a direct shot at OC Josh McDaniels. A few times this season, when a reporter or host has tried to give Josh credit, Vrabel has deflected to someone else. I guess I don’t get the ball-busting of a guy who took the Patriots from 30th in scoring offense a year ago to 7th in 2025. Maybe the Krafts did push Josh onto the staff, but it’s worked, even though Vrabel occasionally throws shade his way.

Hopefully, the focus at Gillette Stadium this week was on fixing whatever the offensive plan has been in the second half of games.

First half Patriots Offense in 2025:
0.207 epa/play - 1st
50.5% success rate - 2nd
16.7 points - 1st

Second half Patriots Offense in 2025:
0.011 epa/play - 14th
41.5% success rate - 26th
10.6 points - 22nd

That’s an issue. Is that Vrabel telling Josh to be more conservative in the final 30 minutes? Is that a Josh thing? Either way, they need to be able to close out teams.

As far as this weekend, I wish I felt better about Sunday night in Baltimore. The Ravens have played in a million big games like this. Their defense has completely turned it around: per Action Network, through the first five weeks, BAL was 30th in EPA/play on defense, 29th in success rate, including 32nd and last in rush EPA/play, getting gashed on the ground. Since Week 6, they’re 5th in EPA/play on defense, 5th in success rate, and 1st in rush EPA/play.

Since Week 8, the Pats have one of the worst Run Ds in the NFL.

Vrabel is one of the best underdog coaches in recent NFL history. He’s also a career 24-18-3 ATS off a loss. Pats still have a 73% chance to win the AFC East, but don’t feel great about them clinching Sunday Night in Primetime.

On two reasons to revisit the terrible Mookie Betts trade…

Mookie Betts went on a Live Stream this week, and his appearance is worth mentioning for two reasons as we close in on the 6th anniversary of the trade that sent him to the Dodgers.

1. He reiterated that he never wanted to leave the Red Sox. “I knew, they told me,” Betts said of being traded. “It was werid man, because I was like, ‘Why?’ …I would have stayed there forever…I didn’t want to leave, but I understood the business side of it.”
   
   The ‘Why,” of course, is that Betts wanted to be paid at the top of the market. As a player, that’s his right. The Red Sox had no interest in investing 12 years/$365 million in Betts—a deal that looks like a steal now at the halfway point. And with baseball about to get a CBA overhaul in 2027, the $30 million/per over the next six years might never look that bad. If they weren’t willing to extend themselves for Betts, then we (I) should not be shocked that Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber are not walking through that door. The Red Sox are worth almost $5 billion, and they should be able to weather the last few years of a bad deal. But they refuse to do it—unless you’re pre-arbitration. John Henry selling the Penguins is unlikely to change that.
   
   I was actually on the Red Sox side in the Betts thing. That take will go down as one of my Top 5 worst, along with the suggestion that the Celtics should tank this season.

2. I still believe the trade might have worked out if you got anything in return for him. But holy crap was the return for Betts bad. We don’t talk enough about how horrendous this trade was; it was one of the worst trades in sports history. For Betts, you got back -
   
   Alex Verdugo - middling player at best. Just a 7 WAR player over four seasons in Boston. Zero point zero All-Star teams. Fans never warmed up to him, and some of that was on him. Best season remains his final year in LA.
   
   Connor Wong - a negative WAR player in two of his five seasons in Boston. The Sox seem desperate to replace him with anyone.
   
   Jeter Downs - 1 career HR. Might be out of professional baseball?

The Betts trade was probably always going to be bad, but this is atrocious. So for Betts and Rafael Devers, you got Verdugo, Wong, Downs, Kyle Harrison, and Jordan Hicks. Oh, and financial flexibility…to still not sign talented free agents to long-term deals. Awesome. More Red Sox bitching below in the Notes.

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On your Week 16 NFL Picks…

Week 15 Results: 1-2 | ATD Reed ❌ | Pats ML ❌
On the Season: 18-27 | ATD bets 3 for 15 | ML Dog 5 for 8

Well, that sucked. Losing that under by a point, with the Dolphins deciding late they want to speed things up on Monday night, was the low moment of my gambling season. 10-0 at the half, and it goes over. How were there 19 points in the fourth quarter???

Spin Zone: If you’ve been fading me, you’re rich. Congrats! It actually can’t get worse, which I find comforting—on to Week 16.

Odds as of Friday morning, from DraftKings Sportsbook

The Side
COMMANDERS +7 VS EAGLES (-110). If I’m going to lose this week, I’m going to get the losses out of the way early. The Eagles beat up on a lifeless Raiders team that started Kenny Pickett last week. I refuse to see that as the EAGLES ARE BACK. Now they have to have a divisional rival on a short week and a coach that will be all out to win here down the stretch. Eagles are sure banged up and will be without DT Jalen Carter (shoulders) and T Lane Johnson (foot). This is a mini revenge spot for Washington after they got smoked by the Eagles in the NFC Title Game last year - they can keep this game close.

The Total
BILLS AT BROWNS UNDER 41.5 (-110). The Buffalo offense benefited from being forced into comeback mode against the Patriots and from a meltdown by the New England defense. In a close game, the Bills want to pound the ball - they already run the ball at the third-highest rate in the NFL and the fourth-highest when they have a lead of 3+ points. Plus, they are the slowest team in the NFL per FTN’s Snap/Sec. Add in a bad Browns’ offense and cold weather combined with some wind, and this game has 20-10 written all over it.

The Prop
BRYCE YOUNG OVER 210 PASSING YARDS (-104). The Bucs continue to be a pass-funnel defense, allowing the second-most yards in the air in the NFL (Dallas #1). Sounds like Tet McMillan will be back for Carolina, and if you think this game is back-and-forth, Young should clear this number on Sunday. I don’t hate laddering this play, either.

The ATD
TYLER WARREN +250. The 49ers have allowed the most TDs to opposing TEs over the last five games. Warren led the Colts in targets in Phillip Rivers’ first start. And if you see the Colts trailing (I do), Warren should get peppered with targets and TD chances.

The ML Dog Mut Says Is Barking
CARDINALS +130 VS. FALCONS. The Falcons won their Super Bowl last week, as Kyle Pitts destroyed so many fantasy and best ball teams. Bad game, give me the home dog.

Sunday Morning ATD adds
MIKE GESICKI +245
GREG DULCICH +700 (sprinkle)
DARREN WALLER +245
DARNELL WASHINGTON +400

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ It was an angry Episode 6 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Between the news that the Sox don’t want to sign free agents to long-term deals, to the Bregman/DBacks buzz, to just the no-plan-whatsoever feel to the team’s offseason. Much venting was done on this week's episode. Watch and subscribe on YouTube or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🚨 The Massachusetts Gaming Commission told a bold step on Thursday when they voted 5-0 to implement rules that “would require the legal operators in the Bay State to both notify players “in a timely manner” that they have been limited, explain why, and inform them in the specific markets from which they have been limited,” per Bill Speros of Bookies.com. Sportsbooks have limited many players without any warning or explanation. The MGC says the books have the right to do that, but in MA, they want them to provide players with a detailed explanation of why and how. How this plays out after a mandatory public comment period will be one of the biggest stories in legalized sports betting in 2026. Probably the biggest in the country. Speros has a detailed story here, and it is worth a read.

🎙️ This week was the end of Audacy’s full-time sports betting network as well as the end of the national Infinity Sports Network. The two will essentially combine to form “Westwood One Sports,” beginning on Monday, December 29. I’m thrilled that my guy Nick Kostos will stay on, hosting a show from 9 AM to Noon. It’s idiotic that he’s not on an NFL network pregame show talking sharp bets, and someday I’ll take credit when someone gives him that shot. The flipside is that talented guys like Zach Gelb, Ryan Horvath, and Joe Ostrowski are out. They’ll all land on their feet, but as someone who was fired by Audacy around the holidays three years ago, I can confirm that it sucks. I’m guessing that WEEI 850-AM will carry the network beginning in Boston on 12/29.

👀 As for WEEI, we’ll get the full details of their disastrous fall book next week and have a full report here next Friday. I’m told management met with the midday and afternoon shows this week. I get the sense they have more faith in Jones & Keefe to turn it around than they do in WEEI Afternoons.

🗓️ Day 24 post Kirk Minihane Show. Would have killed for that ‘KMS Holiday Special’ this weekend. Would Justin have dressed up and played Santa? Will Justin still attend the next big event at The Brook, scheduled for early 2026? Freddie’s Birdies must hate Christmas, right? I wish they printed those Cully Quote books.

🏇🏻 51 Days of Racing at Saratoga this summer, the most ever. Google says Travers Day 2026 is set for August 23, but I’m hearing it might actually be August 29? Either way, see you there.

🏈 Scott Zolak got BURIED in this Awful Announcing fan rankings of NFL Radio play-by-play teams. “The jock-washer Zolak is constantly jumping Scocci’s calls,” “Zolak is nails on a chalkboard,” “he literally talks over Scocci the entire game,” and “screams unintelligible garbage.” Yikes. The duo ranked 29th in the NFL among 3,500 fan votes. Is it that bad? Isn’t the yelling a part of every NFL booth?

🥊Joshua destroys Paul tonight, right?

I think that’s enough Stack for today.

We won’t be back until the 26th, so an early, very Merry Christmas to everyone. And Happy Hanukkah. It will sound sappy or cliché or whatever, but if you have really young kids, please enjoy every second of the holidays. And take a million pictures and videos. Seriously, you can’t take enough, ever. Take a bunch and then take some more. They will eventually grow up and ignore you for their iPads.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. And thanks for reading. And watching.

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