MutStack

Covered my thoughts on the craziness of the Live Show itself with Kirk on Tuesday.

Call me a moron for this take in the comments. I dare you.

On the return of the Kirk Minihane Show…

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Was not expecting that!

When Kirk announced on November 25 of last year that The Kirk Minihane Show was over, I did not think it would ever come back. He seemed very content with the decision to end the show and focus on The Case, the highly-rated Golf Gambling Show, and other Barstool projects.

This opinion was solidified in the weeks leading up to KMS Live in Laconia, NH on Saturday. I had a small part in the show, singing my first original KMS parody song (I’m A ColeMan, a tribute to Jack Coleman. Although after the tweet below, I almost wish I never had) as part of the three-hour whirlwind production. I never got the sense that the show was a launching point for KMS to return. I assumed there would be more live shows and other KMS events, but not the actual show. Felt like that ship had sailed, even if I was among the thousands of fans who wanted it to return.

So like the rest of the crowd, this slide was a shocker.

The Kirk Minihane Show returns Monday, January 4, 2027. Kirk admitted on the show (I mean, the show is back, so Tuesday was a show, right?) this week that he was not 100% sure what form KMS might take next year. I think he said one show a week and then phone calls on Friday were a possibility. We’ll see.

What’s clear is that Kirk continues to have the greatest and most loyal fans at Barstool or really, anywhere. They packed the Colonial Theatre and turned Laconia into Minihane, NH all weekend. The town should be paying him a fee to hold the show there based on the hotel rooms and booze he sold this weekend. Shoutout to Hector’s for showing the Belmont, with the sound up, Saturday night. Great chicken fingers, too.

He didn’t say exactly why he came back, but seeing a sold-out crowd go nuts for three hours... and line up for the VIP event before that... and go to a fan live show the night before... and pack Laconia...again…that had to be a motivating factor.

These live shows are incredible, thanks to the work Kirk (okay, and the producers too) put into them. If you call yourself a Minifan, you owe it to yourself to get ot the next one. Which might be next May, per the show Tuesday?

The show being back is great. For the fans. For Barstool. And most importantly, for my potential continued employment with Barstool. I was hired, and then the show was gone, so this helps. I think?

Great to talk to so many Minifans in Laconia. Finally got to meet the legendary “David in Maryland.” Can’t wait for the next live show. And for 1/4/27.

📈KMS Stock Up: Menners. He hates me, I get it, but what a superfan. Came from Australia for the show AND got Murchinson’s Mouse on stage to save the band. A+ stuff.

📈KMS Stock Up: Laconia, NH. We were a Maine vacation family (Drake’s Island FTW) growing up, so I never really spent much time in the Lakes Region, but love it. Am I crazy to call the area a good Bachelor Party spot? Do people do this? Lakes are gross, but the area seems awesome.

📉KMS Stock Down

This guy. I love you, but cut the shit, Coleman. Wish the show was back now so I could hear Kirk do 20 minutes on this ridiculous video.

On Massachusetts Lacrosse team getting screwed…

Occasionally, there is a story that makes me wish I was still on the radio in Boston. This one of those stories.

The undefeated Ipswich Tigers Lacrosse team had advanced to the MIAA Division 4 state semifinal against Cohasset High School, scheduled for Tuesday night.

Tuesday afternoon, the school informed the MIAA that the team would have to forfeit the game because they didn’t have enough players. They didn’t have enough players because the school district suspended 8 or 9 players for violating the MIAA’s chemical health/tobacco policy (which bans possession or use of tobacco products, including during the season).

How did the players violate this rule? By posing for a post-graduation photo on a beach holding what appeared to be cigars.

Only, the parents say they weren’t real cigars; they were homemade props.

The MIAA took the brunt of the early heat for this. But they claim the school made the call, and it never reached their desk for a ruling.

The parents say the school principal gave the kids the green light to play, only for the superintendent to say no. The superintendent has refused to speak on it publicly.

Some parents think the superintendent did not fight for these kids as retaliation for an event earlier in the year. On Thursday, police had to be called to the school during a meeting between lacrosse parents and the Ipswich principal. Wild stuff.

I’m annoyed at the parents. Even if they were fake, homemade, banana flake cigars, as one of the parents has claimed, why not just tell the kids “No.” Explain the potential consequences and how it’s not worth it, like, at all. A local coach tells me that these kids are told “over and over” about the rules and the punishments, so the parents are aware, too. There is no world where this photo op was worth the risk. You want the photo, take it after your last game.

The kids take some blame too, obviously. They’ve had these rules hammered into their heads over and over. And keep the photo off social media if you are hellbent on taking it.

The superintendent needs to speak. He has refused multiple media requests, and it seems like he made the decision.

I guess most of all, I hate that the punishment in this case does not fit the crime. The rule stinks. These kids were unable to play in a playoff game because they had cigars in their mouths for a few minutes days before a game? Is this really the best message to send to young adults? Did the school fight for these kids at all? Did they want to? Was there a chance that, if they worked with the MIAA, they could have found a better way? Because they ended up punishing the whole team, not just the kids in the picture. Was that taken into account?

I’m a rules guy; I get it. They exist for a reason. But when enforcement turns a harmless graduation celebration into the end of an undefeated season… Then what are we doing???

Feel for the team. Seems like everyone could have handled this better from the very beginning.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ Over an hour of how bad the Red Sox are, why Craig Breslow should be fired, on this week’s Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. About 12 hours after we recorded, Sam Kennedy gave BresBot another vote of confidence. But if you enjoy Breslow Bashing, it’s a must-listen.

🏇🏻 I would not pretend to understand the business behind the Daily Racing Form or the New York Racing Association. As a consumer of both of their products, I find some of their decisions maddening. That includes the news this week that DRF’s David Aragona will no longer provide written analysis of the daily New York cards on the NYRA website.

Aragona’s work in handicapping races in written form was the best in the business. Forget picking winners, whatever. David was clearly invested in each race, and you could tell in the way he wrote about them. He made me, and I’m confident countless others, better handicappers because of his work. And I get that everyone is in a rush to go to video content, but as a handicapper, I like written breakdowns as much as I like YouTube videos. Maybe I’m in the minority.

Hopefully, he’s able to continue his written work somewhere, like Substack. Or DRF.com. If it's on Substack or behind a paywall, I’ll be one of his first subscribers.

🎙️ Sam Kennedy is a very good salesman. So when he went on WEEI Thursday, sidestepped Greg Hill’s first question, and gave a three-minute opening statement about how bad the team is and how he understands the pain of the fans, he knew EXACTLY what he was doing. He completely took the air out of the interview by falling on his sword, and by the end of it, the hosts were commenting on how down he was about the team - which was exactly what he was looking for.

🎙️ That Greg’s first question was going to be about Garrett Crochet’s injury, after all the shit that happened this week to the organization, was a terrible instinct.

🎙️Rich, Ken, and Ted replaying full interviews like they’re live hours later in the show is lazy. Replay Bill Belichick or Tom Brady. Not Chad Tracy or Buster Olney.

⚽ No one is more out of the loop on the World Cup than me.

⚾ Happy to report the home of the old Lowell Spinners, LeLacheur Park, is still in awesome shape. The Sox Single A Red Sox team is gone, but a Futures Collegiate Baseball League team named, yes, the new Lowell Spinners plays there now. As does UMass Lowell. The legendary Dog Man is still around, too. Awesome park. Will be back this summer.

That feels like enough Stack for this week.

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

Friday Four-Pack 6.5.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 20:01:35 GMT

A note from MutStack owner Dave Portnoy:

I’m getting smoked. Need winners and Bitcoin to bounce back or Mut may be on the unemployment line.

Not good. Got this owner’s note late Friday afternoon. It is in line with Dave’s post from this morning.

He’s a great handicapper. He’s with Elio, another great handicapper. I have faith they’ll find some winners. I will admit, I am also getting smoked at Saratoga. The track is way too speed-favoring.

I have no clue on Bitcoin. But I have faith.

I don’t want to be unemployed. I’m gonna go find some winners.

Happy Belmont Weekend!!! Not panicking at all!!!!

Check out this post from Dan Wetzel.

On the left is a Zillow listing of homes for sale in Saginaw, MI. On the right are the listed prices for Knicks/Spurs NBA Finals on Monday night at the Garden.

This is INSANE.

I know it’s been a while. I know the Knicks are as popular as the Yankees, if not more so in New York. But 10K to watch a two-hour basketball game? That sounds awful. And that’s one of the two things that stood out about this.

First: let’s say you’re not super rich. You decide to go all out for these tickets. Like, it’s a major investment for you and your family. Would you be able to enjoy the game knowing how much money you dumped into seeing your team live? Is that cost stress offset by the likes you get on IG from posting about the game? Or the buzz of being in the building?

Me? I’d be thinking about the cost of the seats the entire game. From the time I walked in the building until the end of the game. Would not be able to help it. I have some anxiety issues as it is, and this would not be good for me. No thanks, would not do it. Just stay home.

Second: If you’re a Knicks fan seeing this, are you concerned that the building might be full of people with a lot of money who just want to be seen, rather than diehard fans? Is there a chance the building isn't as wild as it should be, thanks to a potentially corporate crowd?

Years ago when Sox tickets were crazy, and the Orioles were terrible, people pointed out that it would have been cheaper to go to an O’s game in Baltimore to watch the Sox vs. a night out at Fenway. That HAS to be true for these Knicks fans, right? Flight, hotel, tickets in San Antonio < going to MSG. Wild.

In the East, I thought NY was good, but Boston was just better. I was more wrong about the Celtics than I was the Knicks. The Knicks are not unlikable, but their fans are. Coleman. Hubbs. Meek. Can’t root for them.

Go Spurs.

Meanwhile, Ben Volin wrote some really dumb things on the A.J. Brown trade. I have a Red Sox prediction. It’s the final Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. And it’s KMS Live in Laconia on Saturday.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #175.

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On The Globe’s Ben Volin being a moron…

Forgive me if I am recycling an old headline.

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Because Ben Volin has said, written, and done some moronic things as a Patriots reporter and columnist for the Boston Globe. His A.J. Brown column this week that I’m about to pick through was not as dumb as, say, taking a DM from a Stoolie and then going on the radio and reporting it as a real source, but it’s still worth highlighting here on this first Friday of June.

It would be naïve, though, not to consider another reason for making the trade now — to distract from the episode involving Vrabel and Dianna Russini. Tuesday’s media session was previously scheduled to be open to the media, and it turned into the A.J. Brown Show, from Vrabel’s news conference, to the interviews with the offensive coaches, to Brown being the focus at practice, to Brown speaking to reporters afterward.
It certainly seems the Patriots were so desperate to move past the Vrabel-Russini story that they were willing to overpay for Brown.

The idea of making a monster football trade to overshadow a coach’s personal issue is a wildly dumb take in its own right. What makes this paragraph even dumber is the media session point. Volin is suggesting they make this trade, I guess in part, so that the media session already scheduled focuses on Brown rather than Vrabel.

Volin knows he can ask whatever question he wants, right? He’s a reporter paid to cover the team. He might rather be covering the PGA Tour, but that’s for a different newsletter. In this case, today, he’s still employed by the Boston Globe to write about the Patriots. Ben, if you have more questions about Vrabel, Russini, his family, his wife…go ahead and ask! My guess is he’d rather have other reporters ask so he didn’t have to, and then write about it off the Vrabel responses. Was Ben hoping to ask Vrabel how his marriage is going? Another question on how the team was responding to him and his coaching after all this? Just ask, Ben; it’s not illegal.

Also worth noting that the Brown-to-the-Pats buzz started before any of the Vrabel/Russini news. I think.

But yeah, they traded a first-round pick for a #1 WR to change the team narrative. 🙄🙄🙄

I’d like the Brown and Doubs moves more were the Patriots able to keep Diggs or Boutte and move on from DeMario Douglas or Efton Chism. Instead, the Patriots might just be reshuffling the deck chairs at the top of the depth chart.

Brown, by almost any receiving metric from last season, is an upgrade over Diggs. And a major upgrade for the team. Brown and Doubs > Diggs and whoever. I don’t think it’s that close.

It’s true, the Eagles weren’t going to trade Brown until after June 1, but the Patriots didn’t have to pounce right away. They could have made the Eagles sweat it out a bit.

Why would they want to wait to do this? Let’s say some team loses their #1 WR and Brown is still out there - then that team jumps the Pats. Why risk that? Isn’t there also a benefit to having Brown at camp this week to work with Drake Maye? OF COURSE there is.

I get it, Ben has earned that Trollin’ Volin nickname time and time again, but this shit is sad. Felger and Mazz shit on the trade too, but Felger is smart enough to pull it off. Volin is not.

If the Bills had made this trade, my guess is Ben would have been ripping the team for not making it themselves.

I love the trade. I don’t care that Volin doesn’t. Plus, he doesn’t even go all in on hating the trade; it’s a half-hate. Just go all in! But the idea that the trade was part of a ploy to distract the media and fans from the Vrabel stuff is garbage.

Tough scene for Volin, who got some more bad work news that I actually missed back in March. That’s below in the Notes.

On Not a Red Sox lock but a prediction…

It’s a very comfy shirt. Also, before you troll me in the comments, yes, I paid for it.

On the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes…

It was a good run.

Saturday marks the third and final Belmont Stakes hosted update at Saratoga Race Course. And I’m okay with that.

Given that NYRA announced they’d be selling tickets the day of the race this year, I’d say there are a lot of racing fans that agree with me. The first two editions of the race at The Spa sold out completely.

Saratoga is special. Adding racing days sounds like a good idea, but sometimes, less is more. I’ll be content when the meet closes on Labor Day and does not return until next July. Excited to see the new Belmont Park later this fall.

As for this year’s race, it feels like a terrific rendition of the Belmont Stakes.

The early betting has Renegade at 4-5 off that 2-1 morning line. Could be one big bet, I guess? Those odds suggest the Todd Pletcher trainee wins this race 55.6% of the time. He ran well in the Derby after a tough start, always comes running, and has Irad Ortiz aboard today. But 4-5? That’s way too low. We’ll see how much those odds change over the next few days.

Golden Tempo got a dream setup in the Derby. He was also 23-1 that day. He’ll be about 4-1 on Saturday, and while I respect the horse and the connections, I don’t think the pace will be as hot, and I wonder about his ability to get a second straight perfect ride from Jose Ortiz. Talented, but not my top pick on Saturday.

The horse I want out of the Derby is the horse I bet in the Derby, Commandment. Having watched the race back more than a few times, I don’t think this guy had a great trip. Johnny V getting aboard feels like the right move. I can see him sitting in that second flight or horses (Powershift, Growth Equity in that first flight) and getting a jump in the deep closers. One of the reasons I liked him in the Derby was the fight he had shown late in races. We didn’t get to see that on the First Saturday in May. He is a tough horse to pass, and I’d take my chances if he was trying to hold them off late just after 7 PM on Saturday.

I’m also going to use #8 Emerging Market. Chad Brown could have waited for the Peter Pan, then the Travers, after rushing this guy into the Derby. But he ends up here, and that says something to me. I have not seen the DRF Clocker report, but I’m guessing that last work was a good one. Prat is one of the best, and he stays here. The Derby effort did little more than add some foundation to this lightly-raced three-year-old. Contender.

He’s 10-1 in the early betting and plenty useable at that price.

Chief Wallabee will be on my Late Pick 5 tickets. Powershift could take advantage of a slow pace and has real talent to hit the board, maybe win this. I won’t have any of the 1, 5 or 6 on my tickets.

Full breakdown tomorrow on the Barstool Blog, but it seems likely #7 Commandment will be my Belmont horse after being my Derby horse five weeks ago.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ If you want more railing on the embarrassment that is the Bostn Red Sox, go watch or listen to Episode 39 - Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Taped late Thursday after the Sox loss and the Bello demotion. Vibes were not great. You can also listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

📺 In writing about Volin’s AJ Brown story, I went looking for the latest episode of Boston Globe Sports Report. The 30-minute weekly show, hosted by Volin, launched last October.

“There is always something to talk about with Boston sports,” said Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media at the time. “This new show brings the best of the legendary, award-winning Boston Globe sports team together each week to provide the deeply experienced perspective and analysis to NESN viewers and Globe readers.”

The most recent episode I could find was Episode 20, from March 16. Since then, no new shows have been posted online. Volin has hosted some podcast-like videos on the Globe’s YouTube channel, and in one he said he had to “revive” the Boston Globe Sports Report “here in podcast form.” But there is no podcast feed, just a one-off video or two on the channel.

The diligent newsletter publisher I am, I reached out to Globe PR to ask about the status of the show. I was told the show was ended and was pointed to this post where Ben made that announcement back in March. Bad job on me for missing this.

The Globe/NESN has tried a few versions of this show, and none has worked.

Volin is still hosting videos on the Globe’s YouTube page, if you’re looking for his takezzzzzz on the Celtics, Alex Cora, and more.

🎙️ Is emailing Globe PR about a TV show that only me and Dave Cullinane cared about real reporting? No chance. For that, I suggest Episode 1 of The Case Season 3 - Unreliable Narrator. Host, coworker, and friend Kirk Minihane hates when I compliment him, and he’ll probably unsubscribe from MutStack because I’m writing this, but the first episode of the new season is awesome. I’m hooked.

❓ I mentioned something last week about how Saturday’s KMS Live Show in Laconia would be the final KMS Live Show. That’s clearly not true, as Kirk mentioned this week that those would continue. But with The Kirk Minihane Show ending, I don’t know; this live show feels different. I have never had so many people reach out about the show, asking if I’m going, etc. So I’m not the only one who seems to feel this way.

🏇🏻 The Belmont goes off at 7 PM, one hour before the show. Is there a place near the theatre we can watch the race? Maybe Hector’s Bar and Grill? See you in NH.

🏈 I am not reporting this, but the Diggs-back-to-the-Pats rumor keeps getting whispered around Boston. And the whispers got louder Thursday. Just sayin.

🏈 My boys are obsessive Madden players. I told them Thursday that Madden 2027 is adding the stupid Tush Push to the gameplay.

“So stupid,” was the response from Son #2

“It could ruin Madden if it’s too over-powered,” from Son #1

Take note, EA Sports.

❓ This was a very weird clip. Rich seems very weird.

Okay, that feels like enough Stack for today.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Full Belmont at Saratoga Blog tomorrow morning on the Barstool Blog. I need to find some winners for my boss.

Thanks for reading. And watching. #thankyoukirk

Friday Four-Pack 5.29.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 29 May 2026 17:49:11 GMT

A note from MutStack owner Dave Portnoy:

If you’re on the waitlist, I’m right there with you.

Dave released the first-ever Go Go Greys polos this week. Legit perfect for Saratoga. A lifelong procrastinator, I waited too long. The 200 or so that were available are gone, and I’m set up to get an email alert when they're restocked. As usual, I’m an idiot.

But next week, we get racing live at the greatest place on the planet, Saratoga, so we have that going for us. The five-day Belmont at Saratoga racing festival runs Wednesday through Sunday. I’ll be in Laconia, NH for the next KMS Live Show, so I won’t be in the building Saturday. But maybe I’ll be able to get to Saratoga for a day early in the week. We’ll see.

It’s been a few weeks since Derby weekend and Lovely Grey’s effort for Go Go Greys Stable in the Kentucky Oaks. She turned in a bullet workout at Turfway this week, and there was some online speculation she might run next weekend in the Wonder Again up at Saratoga.

I emailed Dave to ask about Lovely Grey and some other Go Go Greys’ runners as we get towards the summer racing season. As usual, he quickly responded and gave me the latest on the most popular stable in horse racing.

Lovely Grey: “That (The Wonder Again at Saratoga next Friday) was the original plan, but her foot is a bit tender so we’re gonna give her some more time to get 100% and toward Wild Applause July 3rd.”

The Wild Applause is a one-mile stakes race at Saratoga this summer, to be run on Opening Day of the 10-week Saratoga summer. Hell of a way to kick off the meet!

Silver Syndicate: “Should be running early July at Churchill. No clue if he’s learned how to rate yet.”

Yeah, this guy is quick early, but has faded late. Runs hard. Still has one of the faster Timeform sprint numbers of the year for three-year-olds. Also, still a maiden.

Miss Apples: “Frustrating horse. After she got scratched again for the same thing we sent her to have bone scans and everything else. All came back clean. We are giving her 45 days’ rest. Hopefully that will clear up whatever heat the vets keep picking up in New York. Probably the most frustrating horse because she has been ready to go, and now we are months away again.”

Dave had been excited about her training before the vets scratched her twice. Maybe we’ll see her this summer.

My buddy Alex is a diehard Go Go Greys fan, lives in Saratoga, and wanted to know if the stable was moving north for the summer. Alex is out at the Oklahoma Training Track every day, trying to find us winners.

”The only horse who will be at Saratoga next week is Miss Ice. Hopefully we’ll have 5 or 6 there for the summer.”

Miss Ice! Elio! I don’t see any workouts for her yet. How about the ones closest to racing next?

“Lovely Grey, Monomoy Mist, Miss Watermelon, Naughty Nancy
(Unnamed Early Voting), Silver Syndicate

These are the only ones I think who have a shot to run at Saratoga this summer. Lovely Grey is the most likely. All the others, who knows.”

Naughty Nancy was just purchased this spring and is a two-year-old filly.

Based on the insane response in Kentucky, I imagine Saratoga will be full of Dave/Barstool/GoGoGreys fans when these horses hit the track this summer. Dave has talked about how much Saratoga means to him, so seeing him get his runners on-track upstate will be wild.

Hopefully, there’ll be a new release of Go Go Greys polos before the end of the Saratoga Summer, for those of us that missed out.

Meanwhile, the path should be clear for the Red Sox. Sam Kennedy puts his foot in his mouth. I bought two new books this week. And your weekly MutStack notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #174.

Not a subscriber? Come on!!! Still free after three and a half years.

On the obvious move for the Red Sox…

People love a bad thumbnail.

Also, this stat is insane.

On the clown show that is Sam Kennedy…

He just stinks.

If you’ve followed this newsletter for any real period of time, you know I am no fan of Slimy Salesman Sam Kennedy.

Last week on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show, host Greg Hill asked the Sox CEO about Roman Anthony’s injury. Greg said he heard that maybe Anthony actually had a tear in something in his hand, and the injury might be worse than the team and the media reported.

Sam (In a dickhead voice): “There’s no evidence of a tear. The imaging is negative.”

Roman Anthony six days later: “It’s a partially torn ring finger ligament.”

Now, here’s how it will play out Friday. The team will “get on the same page” and say that they’re both talking about the injury. You can spin it that a tear and a Grade 2 sprain are the same thing, I’m sure.

UPDATE: Nope. Turns out Roman hurt himself even more. Awesome.

But this was so unnecessary. The Red Sox continue to mess up the PR with injuries. It’s 100% what Michael Holley was talking about a few weeks ago - the thing Jarren Duran pushed back on! The Red Sox try to sugarcoat these injuries, and it always backfires. In this case, you made your star player look like a puss, and people started to talk about pain tolerance and ask why he’s not playing through it. The damage is done - in the minds of many fans, Anthony is now injury-prone and too much of a baby to play through it. Thanks a lot, Sam.

The CEO had to be a dink about it for no reason, other than to make sure fans know that if they buy tickets for later in the season, don’t worry, Roman is healthy! Buy tickets! So dumb. I hope it was Roman who leaked his actual injury to Greg whoever, just to make Kennedy and the team look stupid.

I’ve seen people defend Kennedy because he has to talk for John Henry. Bullshit. He makes things worse, not better, for the team. And his unlikeability and smarm are off the charts.

The team looks dumb. And for no reason, Anthony comes across looking soft.

Idiot. Kennedy, not Anthony, obviously.

On the two books I bought this week…

Now, I have been TERRIBLE at reading books this year. Smart people like my friends Kirk and Hogdale are reading new books every week. I know I should be reading more vs. scrolling on my stupid phone. I know that. I’ve been stuck on Horse Trader for two months. I’m hoping that buying these books gets me going here.

My Boss Dave wrote a book, which I preordered this week. You should too. It’s out June 30th, so I have some time to work on these other books. I imagine much of Dave’s book is dedicated to his acquisition of MutStack.com. Can’t wait!

This one arrived Thursday, so no review yet of Tom Durkin’s A Life’s Calling: The Voice Behind the World’s Greatest Horse Races. But I plan on starting it this weekend.

Tom Durkin is the greatest race caller of my lifetime. I drove to Saratoga on August 31, 2014, to make sure I was there for his final call. It was a monsoon; just a gross, wet, disgusting day at Saratoga. But I had to be there.

I was not alone. Thousands of fans showed up to say goodbye to Durkin. Hundreds of us stood on the track apron to hear Durkin speak after he called Condo Commando’s win in the Spinaway. That group, which included two now lifelong friends I met at Saratoga, Ron and Ed. They made the trip from Connecticut for the same reason I did.

You can search YouTube for Durkin’s best calls on your own - there are many. This one of him calling a race in the fog is one of my favorites because it shows his sense of humor.

Durkin was the best on the big stage, and it was no wonder he called Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup races. But his ability to make even a 20K claiming race sound important was just as impressive. Listening to him call races…I don’t know, it made you feel like being a diehard horseplayer wasn’t such a bad thing. But a Durkin moment I think about often was his goodbye at Saratoga.

Given the mic to speak, he didn’t thank any racetrack executives. Or drone on about his career accomplishments. He didn’t thank any friends or family. He only spoke for two minutes, and he only thanked one person - the horseplayer.

It was incredible. Racing is a sport that NEVER rewards or acknowledges the horseplayer. CAWs, high takeout, stupid decisions - you get the sense racing would be happy to run the races without anyone betting on it! But here was Durkin, the Voice of racing, singling them out on his final day.

“Long live horse racing. And long live Saratoga!”

What a sendoff.

I don’t think I’d be as big of a racing fan/horseplayer as I am today if Durkin had not been the voice of NY racing when I started going to Saratoga. He’s as responsible as Andy Beyer, Andy Serling, Steve Crist, or my buddy Geoff’s Uncle Mike, who explained the beauty of a $2 exacta box, for my love of handicapping and racing.

Can’t wait to dig into his autobiography this weekend. It sounds like Durkin will come out of retirement to call the final day of racing at Aqueduct on June 28th. It’s a safe bet if I’m not there, live I’ll be watching along at home.

On your Friday MutStack Notes…

⚾ I’ll give us credit - we try and laugh through the suck. The Red Sox are bad, but the show goes on in Episode 36 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Hogdale, Ed Hand, and I try and explain the unexplainable. Like why are the Red Sox so bad at ABS? And in what world is this team SOOOO bad at home? Watch and subscribe on YouTube and then listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️At least they're making an effort, I guess.

Getting embarrassed in the ratings by rival 98.5 The Sports Hub, Sports Radio WEEI changed up their hourly format late this week. They’re doing just one quick update at the top of the hour, terribly titled “What’s in our feed.” Seriously. Like your social media feed, I guess? Classic radio consultant bullshit. Again, atrocious name. But before that, they’re pushing that it’s “just a quick two-minute break.” Same for the first break of the hour, “back in two minutes.” Sounds like the other breaks are the same?

It’s been years since any change like this on the station. Big impact? I doubt it. Especially in afternoon drive, which continues to sound like a parody of a sports radio show. But I am awarding Mike Thomas credit points for the effort, even if “What’s in our feed” sounds like something one farmer might say to another.

🎙️ Speaking of WEEI, the dumbest segment I heard on Boston radio this week was Jermaine Wiggins trying to defend Michael Jackson. It got pretty heated with Chris Curtis.

🏇🏻 If you’re a DK Horse user in Massachusetts, you’ll notice the app is no longer available the next time you go to log in. And that’s okay.

In Massachusetts, California, and many other States, DK Horse is now DraftKings Racing. The revamped horse betting platform can be found directly in the DraftKings Sportsbook App. You just scroll to the 🏇🏻 symbol, or click on ‘Horse’ at the top of the page to access it. From there, you’ll see Promos, Featured Bets, and Featured Tracks. The betting menu is easier to read and use than other ADWs, for sure.

This is a great thing for horseplayers - and not just because you’ll see my handsome face with some Featured Bets next week for Belmont at Saratoga 👀👀👀.

No more toggling between the two different apps. Now you can share a wallet between sports and horses. And they have other ideas and plans that players will love.

Fully expecting some great promos for Belmont Week, and we’ll make sure to highlight and explain them here. Of course, full coverage of Belmont at Saratoga here, on socials, and the Barstool Blog.

🏀 I’ll be either rooting for former UConn basketball manager and Leominster Blue Devils Alum Mark Daigneault, or former UConn star Stephon Castle in the NBA Finals. I will not be rooting for Coleman’s New York Knicks.

🏈 MassLive has a Friday Jerod Mayo update. Crazy we have not heard from him about what happened in New England.

🎉 Congrats to former At A Theatre Near Me host and current Barstool teammate Chris Klemmer on the announcment he and and his wife are expecting their first child in September. We’ll be sure to toast with him next week in New Hampshire.

👀 I am very excited for Laconia.

That feels like plenty of Stack this week.

Next week is Belmont at Saratoga week. And KMS Live in Laconia. A big week, indeed.

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

Friday Four-Pack 5.22.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 22 May 2026 17:28:39 GMT

Note from MutStack Owner, Dave Portnoy:

No Note from Dave this week. But the NTRA will be happy with his success in horse racing tournaments these last few months. I’ll explain tomorrow in my weekly racing blog on the Barstool Blog.

I spent most of last week in Chicago, playing a small role as referee on Season 5 of Surviving Barstool.

Three non-spoilers from six days in Windy City.

I’ve spent my whole career doing what, 99% live content, so this was a completely different animal. Surviving Barstool is a big show, and it was wild to watch an entire reality TV production unfold before my eyes over five days. In radio, it’s you and a producer. Maybe a co-host. Maybe a second producer. The audience via calls or texts. A guest. I don’t know what I was expecting, but seeing this come together was eye-opening. Viewing the finished product this summer will be something else, given all the work that goes into it. The whole crew was awesome to work with - very talented people. Me? Famously not talented. But lucky to be involved.
Chicago. These were long days, so there was no real sightseeing, but I came away a huge fan of the city. The Fulton Market District was extremely walkable. I was trying to come up with a Boston comp and had a hard time. The great weather helped, for sure. The pizza above is from Pizza Lobo (7.9 pizza,10.0 atmosphere). I’ll admit there was a slight tinge of regret about never giving city living a real chance…Then I thought about a gross, slushy day in February, and that regret was gone.
Andy Mayo would disagree, but Jeff D. Lowe is really good at what he does. I’ve now watched him work in person on both a ‘Dozen’ Live Final and this, and in both settings, he makes very difficult things look very easy. Jeff mentioned he needed a break from me after these six days, and the feeling is mutual, but I appreciate him bringing me along this week. Sorry, Mayo, he’s very talented.

Lots more to say, but again, no spoilers. Based on what I saw for six days, people are going to love this season.

Meanwhile, John Henry still doesn’t get it. We have REAL anger between two Boston media members. The CAWs pounded the Preakness winner. And radio-heavy notes.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #173

I don’t know if it guarantees good weather this weekend, but hitting the blue Subscribe button sure does guarantee you’ll get your MutStack email every Friday.

Free to subscribe, just like it has been since Day 1.

On John Henry just not getting it…

“We work every day on behalf of fans. Fans demand excellence from us on the field, and yet only one out of 30 clubs ends the season happy, with deliriously happy fans. When I arrived to live and work in Boston 25 years ago, I was told if you win the World Series in Boston, you’ll never have to buy another drink in this town. It doesn’t actually work that way. We won the Premier League again in Liverpool last year, but the next season, you leave all that behind, thankfully, and begin a new quest.
Like Fenway Park, that never gets old.”

He just doesn’t get it.

These were the words from Sox owner John Henry on Wednesday night, part of an acceptance speech for the Sports Business Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

It’s been a tough year for Henry. “Sell the team” chants have been common at Fenway, thanks in large part to My Boss Dave.

Henry had to fire his manager. His team is five games under .500. Now, once again, he’s showing he clearly doesn’t get it when it comes to Boston fans.

It’s been almost 2300 days since Henry met with the Boston media. That’s been through losing seasons, firing Cora, trading star players, losing star players…nothing direct from the owner. No response to being in the bottom third of the league when it comes to % of revenue spent on the roster. No explanation why he wants to go to the Tampa Bay Rays Northeast. NOTHING.

Meanwhile, when he made a big decision on Liverpool soccer, he issued a three-minute video apologizing to them. Shit like that makes it clear he’s much more invested in that team than he is the Red Sox…well, that and the lack of spending.

When Henry and Co. won in 2004, you could sense the commitment to winning at all costs. But that’s long gone, replaced by a commitment to win, but only at a cost that still makes fiscal sense to Henry. That sucks.

And that’s a big reason why he’s not getting that free drink these days. Not because the team lost to the Yankees last year, but because of the small-market direction of the club the last six seasons, and his hiding in the shadows. Where is the video for Red Sox fans?

To his credit, Henry has been around Fenway more than ever this spring. Maybe if he talked to some of his paying customers, he’d be more dialed into the reality of Red Sox Nation in 2026.

On some real Boston media beef…

Thanks for the shoutout, Beetle. And I sure will.

Over the course of a few days, we got some real-life anger between 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Marc “The Beetle” Bertrand and Pats reporter Greg Bedard.

Full credit to Boston Radio Watch for clipping this, as I spent the week in Chicago. And I saw a follow-up post from him, hoping I buried these guys today. Maybe I’m the problem because I loved every minute of it.

To try to summarize from the beginning:

Beetle and Bedard worked together on the Pats' postgame radio show.
Beetle got wind that Bill Belichick was mocking Bedard in front of others, saying that Greg had begged for a scouting job with the Patriots.
Beetle told Greg this was going on, but under the guise that Greg would not tell anyone - he wanted his co-host to be aware this was happening.
Ten minutes after Beetle told him this, Greg called Scott Zolak, who worked with Bill every week on the team’s TV show.
Sounds like that caused friction between the two guys who work together every day, Zo and Beetle.
When confronted, Greg showed no remorse for discussing something he had sworn he would not discuss with anyone else.
Based on Beetle’s take, he feels like Greg has taken multiple petty shots at him on his podcast, all stemming from an issue where Greg still shows no remorse and does not seem to get that he broke the confidence of someone trying to help him.
All this led Beetle to tell the now-viral story on Tuesday.

Got all of that?

To his credit, Bedard went on with Zo and Beetle on Thursday, explaining that he had actually written a letter to Belichick looking for a job with the team. Greg said he had been out of work and was looking for anything at the time.

There’s real anger here, especially coming from Bertrand. I guess that’s why I liked the few segments on this - more than another 20 minutes on AJ Brown coming to the Pats - this felt very real. You don’t get a lot of that in radio anymore. Is it, as Dale Arnold might have famously said, “Navel gazing???” Sure, but I was into it. Gaze away!

Plenty of reaction online to this, most of it critical of Bertrand. I don’t get it. Guy tried to do Greg a solid, Greg burned him badly with his co-worker, and doesn’t seem to get that all these years later. “It’s simple; you’re not a person of your word. Therefore, I’m not friends with you,” Beetle came back to say after the break.

Listening back a second time Friday morning, it’s clear Bedard went on the show not to apologize, but to explain that he didn’t ask for a specific job, but any job, from Belichick. I get doing whatever for your family, but it’s a little nuts from Greg. Dude might just be ‘off,’ since he still doesn’t get why Bertrand is mad at him, and the apologies he made seemed empty on Thursday.

It’s worth noting here that Greg went on his own podcast yesterday and made another Bill claim, where he says Belichick told him his work covering the Pats for the Globe was so good he thought Greg had a mole in the building. 🙄🙄🙄

Bizarre stuff. Greg did not get much support for this story from fans on Friday. Yes, kinda a dick move from Belichick, mocking Greg for this in front of other people. Maybe you could say the same about Beetle saying anything to Greg about this.

Media guys don’t like it, but in 2026, it’s usually all kept off the record. This one was wide open for the world to see.

Feel free to take a side in the comments below.

On the CAWs hammering the Preakness winner…

@PreaknessStakes was a VERY good result for CAW, which completely abandoned actual favorite Taj Mahal and put most of its money into winner Napoleon Solo. ","username":"EJXD2","name":"Ed DeRosa","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2049133373206245377/SdCQPn6I_normal.jpg","date":"2026-05-16T23:32:47.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HIelHSNXoAA_xfS.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/M0kIjTTdJm"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":39,"retweet_count":23,"like_count":128,"impression_count":42997,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

The Preakness was a good result for me. I liked the winner, #10 Napoleon Solo, and used him with #12 Incedibolt in two-day bets, exactas, etc. I also used him as my DK Horse “King of the Track” play, and wrote about it on the Barstool blog and talked about it last week on Picks Central. Once in a while, we get one right.

But you know who else had him? The Computer Assisted Wagering groups.

As they were loading the horses on Saturday, Solo was a juicy 10-1. Once they broke the gate, his price had been knocked down 7-1. The CAWs saw he was an overlay and smashed him in the win pool late. This is not uncommon - one of their big advantages is using the odds as part of their betting.

Credit to Twinspires’ Ed DeRosa for this chart above. It shows JUST the last two betting cycles of the Preakness; think the last 60 seconds of betting. From this chart, you can see that over 30% of the late (CAW) money came in on Solo. His odds based on just this money were 8/5. Again, this is not an accident. This is huge CAW action in one of the most-wagered-on races of the year.

You get these types of results when you let the CAWs bet until the last second. They would have had to bet him earlier, or not bet him at all, if you shut them off at 2 minutes to post, as NYRA does. #9 Iron Honor saw the third-most late money, which ended up being one of the reasons the exacta came back at only $53.

“But wait, the winner was 10-1, why am I only getting $17.80, it should have been over $20?”

Because the CAWs are allowed to bet as much as they want and as late as they want. In this case, they bet enough to knock the Preakness winner to 7-1 from 10-1 in the final few seconds. Even when you win, you feel like you lost because the odds are lower than they were when the race started.

Racing will continue to lose customers as long as they let the CAWs have free rein over the betting pools.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ The Red Sox swept the Royals this week. HogDale and Ed Hand (from fame) reacted on Episode 34 of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Great stuff from the guys, correctly pointing out that, of course, the Red Sox swept the Royals, since Craig Breslow built a team that would really contend in the AL Central. Plus, they glaze the hell out of Nick Sogard. Watch and subscribe on YouTube, and then go listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ It’s rare I give WEEI credit for anything, but I like bringing on Zach Gelb for part-time weekend shifts. I’ve listened to Zach in various roles on CBS Radio and think he does a good job as a solo host. He also gets good guests and gets something out of them - booking Mo Vaughn created more aggregation and online ‘buzz’ than anything WEEI has done since Fitzy vs. Part Time Teddy. Boston has a hard time accepting outsiders, so it would have been a tough sell, but he’s better than Rich Shertenlieb by a wide margin. And I bet Zach would have been willing to shit on 98.5 The Sports Hub, something WEEI’s new afternoon show is never going to do.

🎙️ Speaking of Rich, here is a clip of him completely butchering Wilyer Abreu’s first name. No shot he has not watched a game this year. How can Ken just sit there and not correct him? Very fake shit, here.

🎙️Rich opened his show on Thursday by reading a written script and playing Red Sox highlights from the night before. In Boston. In 2026. WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING????????????????????????????????

🎙️I’m told that 98.5 The Sports Hub’s parent company, Beasley Media, has opted out of getting weekly ratings going forward. They’ll get the end-of-quarter numbers, but due to the cost of subscribing, they’re out on the weeklies. When you’re #1 every quarter with Men25-54, what’s the point, I guess. WEEI still has access to them, so if Rich wants to brag about a good weekly to the Boston Globe, he’ll be able to. But you’ll know where that info is coming from when you see it print.

🎙️ I don’t get the sense that The Greg Hill Show will be bragging about its own weekly numbers anytime soon, as one good source told that me those have been trending down this spring. To be fair, I have not had a full look. That show carries the station, and they need it to do not just okay, but good.

🏈 I saw zero issue with it, but Toucher and Hardy were critical of the Pardon My Take guys for not asking Bill Belichick about his girlfriend on their show this week. The subject did kind of come up on Belichick’s podcast with Sean Hannity, where Hannity said he hoped Belichick would sue CBS over how the non-famous interview that ended up including Jordon Hudson went. Belichick said he has asked for a full transcript multiple times, and called the interview “done very deceptively.” If Pablo Torre took a break from outing Oz The Mentalist and had Bill on, I would get him asking about Hudson. The PMT crew had a good laugh at the RADIO WARZ feel to all of it.

🏇🏻 On Thursday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission gave DraftKings the green light to launch DraftKings Racing as part of a bigger DraftKings app update. This will replace DK Horse for users in the Bay State, and it will be a great thing for horseplayers. Much more on this, maybe as soon as next week.

⚾ Seems very, very dumb that the Red Sox are one of four teams not scheduled to play on a holiday, Memorial Day Monday.

🛒 At the age of 46, I made my first Uber Eats order this week. It’s info like that that shows why we’re almost at 7500 subscribers. I mean, where else are you getting that info heading into the three-day weekend???

And with that, it feels like plenty of Stack for this week.

Back tomorrow for the weekly Barstool Horse Racing Blog. Good luck with all your bets this Memorial Day Weekend. And thanks for reading.

Friday Four-Pack 5.15.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 15 May 2026 15:16:06 GMT

Owner’s Note from MutStack Owner, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave this week.

Gotta say, these look pretty sweet 👀👀👀. More on the Red Sox below.

I’ll start this week’s Four-Pack by strongly urging and borderline begging you to watch Eric Church’s 2026 Commencement Address to the graduating class at the University of North Carolina.

Is this the best commencement address I’ve ever seen? Yes.

Am I biased because I’ve been to about 20 Eric Church shows, have a brick with my Church Choir Fan Club Number on it at his bar in Nashville, and the guy giving the address is my favorite artist of all-time?

Also, yes.

His address is like his music - Powerful. Authentic. Real. The things he talked about spoke to me as a 46-year-old husband, son, father, coach, and friend, among other things. I think when those UNC graduates get older, Eric’s words will mean even more to them.

If you’re a fellow parent, maybe you can relate, but I’ve cried a lot more since my boys were born. This address brought me to tears on Thursday morning. But I also laughed. And it made me think. Those are three things his music has led me to do over the last, well, almost 20 years.

Without spoiling it, because you should watch the whole thing, I will say that of the six pillars of life that he connects to the six guitar strings, Faith. Family. Spouse. Ambition. Community. You - They all hit home in their own way. But Family hit home most on the first viewing, though I suspect it depends on how old you are and what’s going on in your life when you watch it. Same thing for his music. Sinners Like Me hits me differently now than it did in 2009.

But his words of Family were a good reminder not to roll my eyes when my mom makes an unannounced pop-in at our house. Or when one of the boys leaves a freeze-pop wrapper on the floor. Again. A good reminder to text my brother more.

Eric Church doesn’t win the most awards at the CMAs (that’s a great thing, by the way). And he’s not the most commercially successful artist of his era - but he’s the most creative and the most talented. Go to Amazon Music or Spotify and listen to Evangeline vs. the Machine from beginning to end. Better yet, the live version. The songs fit together from front to back. In 2026? Awesome stuff. Does it sound like the sound he was putting on in 2006? Nope, and that’s okay.

You really need to watch it. And ending his address with Carolina was perfect. And the shots of the graduates singing along. Love it.

The speaker at my UConn graduation was the then-Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. A quick search says he spoke about personal responsibility. The address is actually online, so I’ll listen this weekend. I’m sure it was fine. I doubt it will have the impact of Church’s address here.

I’ve written some stuff about his music and its impact on me before, but it never left the draft folder. This was too good not to write about this week.

Did I mention you should watch it? I did? Oh, okay. Well, go watch it. Then dig into the rest of the Four-Pack.

We’re talking Pats schedule. We’re talking Preakness. We’re talking Rich Shertenlieb. And we’ve got some MutStack notes. It will not be as good as Eric Church. Trust me on that

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #172

Next goal - 8000 subscribers here at MutStack.

You can help by hitting that blue SUBSCRIBE button.

Free - as it has been for over three years. Thanks for all your support #thankyou

On the Patriots’ 2026 schedule…

Shoutout Mike Francesa. Shoutout to my huge purple highlighter I bought in the Vegas airport.

On this PR profile of WEEI’s Rich Shertenlieb…

I mean, I really shouldn’t give a shit about this. I doubt more than 20% of the MutStack audience knows what Barrett Media is. And even fewer than that read this profile of Rich Sherternlieb this week.

But I can’t help myself.

I’m not the only one. Just here in Boston media, I had multiple people send me this before I even had a chance to read it. Once I did, I understood why.

It comes across as bullcrap. Well, a lot ot it, anyway. It’s pretend. It’s make-believe. For example:

That mindset also guided Shertenlieb during his morning show run on WZLX in Boston. During the six months the program lasted, he said he was proud of the growth the show experienced, something he hopes continues with WEEI.
“During that short time, we took that morning show from 14th place to 5th place. It was sad that it ended so soon because the trajectory over the last month was excellent,” said Shertenlieb. “I’m really proud of that time, but it’s all for the better. Now, I get to work with Mike Thomas again. To me, that’s probably the best part of all of this.”

For the summer of 2024, The Rich Sherternlieb Show on WZLX was 14th in the Boston market with a 1.8 rating with Men 25-54. That same summer, Toucher and Hardy did a 16.6, and The Greg Hill Show did 11.9. Over a three-month period, full summer, Rich was 14th. He’s not lying about that.

But he’s lying (fibbing?) about being 5th. His last weekly rating, which covered five days, not three months, was 5th. This was after the program director forced Rich to start playing more music on his show - something I’m told Rich fought against. But the music brought people back. WZLX finished second that fall, thanks in part to the cancellation of Rich’s show - the ratings for WZLX mornings almost doubled from the summer to fall once he was gone.

None of that is mentioned in this piece from Barrett Media. There’s no note that the 5th-place rating is weekly.

“That was embarrassing,” said one current Boston sports radio personality RE: this profile of Rich. “So predictable, yet still embarrassing.”

That personal connection is something Shertenlieb has learned is vital to success. Just weeks after launching the program on WEEI, he has already developed an appreciation for his team and the station staff. He admits he is loyal to a fault with the people around him as he continues building what he hopes becomes a legitimate competitor in the daypart.

To hear his former co-host Fred Toucher tell it, Rich didn’t have much loyalty to him. Fred and his morning show have rolled along on The Sports Hub, racking up #1 ratings and bonus checks in the aftermath of Rich walking away from the station just over two years ago. Fred’s show - along with mid-day host Scott Zolak - mocks Rich on an almost weekly basis. It ended poorly, and Rich will not really address it. Maybe that’s my issue with the story - it comes across as phony. Like Rich claiming his show at WZLX was 5th. Fairy tale shit. Chad Finn of the Boston Globe reported a few weeks ago that even after being canceled, Rich emailed him to make sure he knew the show was 5th in that weekly. He sent that email on Christmas night.

I get it, Mut and Callahan is right up there on the list. But Rich’s show at WZLX was one of, if not the biggest, failures in Boston radio history. I listened to a lot of that show, and I hear the same show happening now at WEEI.

“Whatever he’s doing…I’ve heard it already. It’s all recycled,” said another current Boston radio personality.

His show and the host come off as unlikeable. Rich 100% deserves a chance to bounce back from his WZLX flop. I just wish he were more honest about it. And it is crazy that the show he’s doing now on WEEI is basically a more sporty version of that WZLX morning show that was 14th in his first full book and only did better when they added music.

This should not bother me. The show should not bother me. They both do. That probably says more about me than anything else.

The first weekly rating for Rich and Ken with Ted Johnson is due out next week. I’d be shocked if the show is as high as 5th. But if it is, Rich will be sure to tell or email someone about it.

On the 151st Preakness Stakes…

To loosely quote the great Mad Dog Russo, “This Preakness has no juice.”

The least anticipated Preakness of my lifetime. The media and social media folks who carry water for the sport can’t say that, but I can. It’s a great betting race on paper, but as far as quality, it feels like a Grade 2 race…maybe a Grade 3.

As I finish this Friday morning, I don’t know who I would bet to win the race. I know I’ll be betting the Black-Eyed Susan/Preakness Double that starts on Friday (I’ll use 2, 3,6 7, 10 to start #7 would be the top choice).

As for the Preakness, I think the most likely winner is #12 Incredibolt. Trainer Riley Mott entered him late here, and good for him. Ran fine in the Derby, but maybe a little closer to the pace than they wanted to be. Has done his best running at a pace, and he’ll get a huge pace to run at today. Legit win contender and might go off favored here. Trainer is 2 for 11 running horses back in roughly two weeks. The might go off-favored thing is the issue.

The best value and the most talented horse in the field might be #10 Napoleon Solo. This guy has blazing speed early and used to wire the Grade 1 Champagne last fall. Was part of a WILD pace in the Wood and still held 5th there - much better effort than it looks on paper. Last two races came on tracks that favored closers. Can he rate off the other speed? Will he try to just wire this group? Do we trust jockey Paco Lopez? Workouts say he's primed for a big effort at 8-1 or 10-1; he offers awesome value.

My best longshot idea is #5 Talkin. We’re not getting 20-1 on this guy. Gets the best jockey in America, Irad, and has some buzz coming into this race. There aren't many closers in the group, and you have to imagine the plan today is to take him back and make one run with him. Remember, he beat Further Ado on debut and ran a credible second in the Champagne. Pointed here after the Bluegrass defeat, and looks like a live horse at a price. Win chance, as I see it, and should be 12-1 or so.

I’ll be focused on those three. Full breakdown and betting ideas in tomorrow’s racing blog on Barstool.

I love the Preakness and can’t wait til next year when they adjust the schedule and modernize the Triple Crown. Fingers crossed.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ A late-night edition of Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. This team stinks. The offense is embarrassing. Thursday night was the low point of the 2026 season. Go watch and subscribe on YouTube, and then listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. More about Thursday’s shit show here.

⬆️ As a follow-all-time idiot, this made me laugh. I think the ACL and Achilles are for sure different injuries.

⚾ It has been tough to listen to Dave O’Brien these last few weeks on NESN. I worked with Dave for a few years in the Sox radio booth, and he is a GREAT guy. Funny. Smart. Critical. One of the best in the business. But as the Red Sox have circled the drain here, there’s not enough talk about the team and their struggles, and way too much promotion of what’s coming up. The schedule. Promotions. League leaders. Scores from around baseball. He mentioned at least twice and maybe a third time how much energy Fenway had the previous night. Lou had to point out that it was not until the 7th that things really got going.

People know the team is bad - embrace it and talk through how they can get better. I feel like Dave did that well on the radio. That’s what I want now as a TV viewer, anyway. Like, this seems like a good topic to riff on with Lou or Will for a few innings.

🎙️ It’s worth noting here again that the owners of The Sports Hub, Beasley Media, seem like they’re in real financial trouble. First quarter revenue was down 12% from a year ago. And from one industry publication. “The improved bottom-line performance was driven largely by the completion of the company’s sale of its Fort Myers, FL radio properties.” Selling those stations propped up their numbers, while revenue was still down almost 7%. That sale is a one-time bump.

In Philadelphia, the Beasley sports station has canceled local nighttime programming after 6 PM, unheard of for a major market with a good baseball team.

The Sports Hub is Beasley’s most successful station by far, and Tony Mazz has noted that they have to “carry the rest of the stations” with their success. Worth watching if this impacts 98.5's ability to retain talent, maybe cut salaries, secure local play-by-play deals, etc.

🏀 I’m willing to admit the Knicks probably would have beaten the Celtics this round.

🎶 Top 5 Eric Church songs? Sure. Today’s version 1. Sinners Like Me. 2. Those I’ve Loved. 3. Drowning Man. 4. Where She Told Me Go. 5. Can’t Take It With You. Bonus- Mad Man

✈️ I am headed to Chicago to be a small part of the next season of Surviving Barstool. I’ll be the referee/official for the challenges. I am very excited. Jeff D. Lowe and his crew pour their souls into this, and I hope I don’t suck. I wish Arlington Park were still open, and I can’t believe I never got there. Hawthorne does have live racing on Sunday…where else do I need to go in Chicago?

That feels like plenty of Stack for this week.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Enjoy the golf and Preakness bets. And thanks for reading. And watching.

Friday Four-Pack 5.8.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 08 May 2026 18:05:18 GMT

Owner’s Note from MutStack Owner, Dave Portnoy:

No note from Dave this week. Sorry to see Go Go Greys’ Miss Apples scratch from her debut Friday at Belmont, er, Aqueduct. The Big A closes for good on June 28, and I need to get there before it does.

The greatest event experience of my life.

That’s how I would describe Oaks Day at Churchill Downs last Friday. Lovely Grey Day.

Multiple Finals Fours…Radio Booth for the Red Sox clinching a World Series at Fenway…front row for some huge UConn basketball games…three feet from Eric Church at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den before anyone really knew who Eric Church was…I’m probably missing a few.

But this topped them all. And given my age, it’s likely to remain in that spot until they bury me in the ground.

It’s hard to exactly put the experience into words. I’ve included a photo gallery of the day here as a primer.

The pictures tell the story better than I can.

As an owner of a horse in the Oaks, My Boss Dave and Go Go Greys had access to an owner’s box right next to the Churchill Downs Winner’s Circle. There was one Travers Day at Saratoga where I sat at a picnic table in the middle of the backyard, which I’m pretty sure was for track employees to take their smoke break. It was tucked between some white tents and the men’s room - I never saw the track the entire day. Those were the worst seats I’ve ever had for a race day.

These were the best - Suite #8 - right next to the freakin’ Winners’ Circle. The first trainer I saw in there was Cherie DeVaux, and I should have bet Golden Tempo right then. Bill Belichick and Jordon were among the stars who walked by during the day.

So you're sitting in these outrageous seats, right on the track. You have access to this dining room inside with great food options - they even did a changeover for more food and dessert as you got closer to dinner. You have access to the brand-new, $10 million paddock. You have a waitress coming into the box every 30 seconds to ask if you need anything. You have WiFi that never seemed to go out and, unlike some tracks and casinos I’ve been to, didn’t block any other apps or betting sites. Could not ask for a better set-up to bet and watch the racing.

And as we get closer to the race, Dave tells me I’ll get to walk with Team Go Go Grey across the track and then be part of the walkover with the horses for the Oaks. It’s implausible to be able to write that sentence and even more implausible that it actually happened.

I’m guessing Dave was the only owner who took selfies with fans on the walk back. Fans cheering for him, Lovely Grey, Go Go Greys, Rico Bosco, Elio, Jersey Jerry…the entire walk back there. It was a good reminder that racing on social media is not real life, and in real life, it’s much better.

You go from the track into the paddock for “Rider’s Up,” and the place is jammed. As the horses walk to the track, you’re right behind them, going back to the seats to watch the race. Just a completely surreal 45 minutes and overall day at the races.

As for the Grade I Kentucky Oaks, Lovely Grey hated the dirt, but she kept trying. Dave and Elio noticed it right away, watching the replay - she clearly pulls her head back when she had dirt kicked in her face. But it sounds like she came out of the race well, and I can’t wait to see her in Saratoga later this summer.

It’s no surprise that Oaks TV viewership and Oaks betting set records. The total handle on Friday’s card was $89 million, up 18% (!!!) from the prior record set in 2024. Primetime was a big factor, but so was Dave having a horse in the race. People want to bet with Dave on sports, racing, whatever. The impact of both he and Go Go Greys was felt on Friday night. I have no doubt he and his stable will have a positive impact on racing fandom in the United States.

A true 1 of 1 experience. Can’t thank Dave enough for his generosity in inviting a life-long racing fan along for the big day. Amazing. The entire Go Go Greys team was awesome. My handicapping and betting were not, but I’ll chalk it up to sensory overload of an amazing experience.

I’ll get back to complaining about racing later in this newsletter, but to open it here, a chance to celebrate the sport. Thank you, Dave. #thankyoukirk

Meanwhile, the Celtics have some issues. The Triple Crown needs an update. WEEI’s new afternoon show is terrible. And much more.

All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #171

A friendly MutStack reminder that Sunday is Mother’s Day. Make sure you do something nice for your mom.

She’s probably hoping for a nice card. Maybe some flowers. And for you to hit the blue Subscribe button. It’s free - like it has been for the last 3+ years.

On how the Celtics should move forward…

The people demand a terrible thumbnail. Change the coach or trade a star player? Seems simple to me.

On this travel baseball fight…

Seriously, we have to cut the crap with going after youth sports umpires and referees.

This scene from Mississippi last weekend is extreme, I get it, but the point remains that this has to stop. I mean, this video is INSANE. Turns out this is reportedly the COACH in the altercation.

We live in a day and age where you can make as much money delivering for DoorDash as you can umpiring or refereeing a youth game. Probably make more, actually. More and more officials are choosing that route, thanks in part to parents who think just because you paid for travel ball, you’re getting MLB umpires. And the officials don’t want to deal with them or aggressive coaches. Due to this mass exodus of officials, you’re seeing game postponements and delays all over the country.

I think the cost to play these sports raises the stakes for parents and coaches. That and the time commitment of, in many baseball and softball leagues, giving up every weekend to get to games that could be hours away. Trust me, I get it.

A few weeks ago, I watched an opposing coach scream at an older umpire because he said he had a bad view of the play - meanwhile, the coach had the same view and just disagreed with the call. It got to the point that the coach had to be removed from the dugout in a 10U travel game.

I have no idea what led to this ugly showdown in the video above, but I know it just made me mad. And I wanted to comment on it. Especially beating the shit out of this old umpire while he’s on the ground.

“But Mut, there are some terrible officials and umps.” You’re right. But complain to the other parents you’re watching the game with. If it’s really bad, I guess say something to the league or the coach. Well, not this coach, I guess. Just don’t be the parent who has to be asked by your coach to quiet down. No one wants to see that, especially your kids.

And please don’t be this guy, or the guy who goes on the field during a kid’s game. Because after all, it’s still a kid’s game. /endsportsdadrant

On modernizing horse racing’s Triple Crown…

I wrote this long blog after the news broke on Wednesday that Derby Winner Golden Tempo would bypass the Preakness and target the Belmont. It’s the third time in five years that a healthy Derby winner is not going to Maryland to contest the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Racing is filled with people who refuse to move forward; they want to live in the past and don’t understand that things do, in fact, change. So I should not be surprised that so many of the rebuttals to this blog have been focused on one of two themes.

Changing the Triple Crown would impact the legacy of the 13 horses that have previously won it.

Nope. Their legacy remains intact if the Preakness is pushed back a week. Or two weeks. Human beings have brains (well, most of us), and we’re able to have two thoughts at once. What those horses did was great, and if the Triple Crown schedule is changed, that accomplishment will still be great. And if it’s changed and another horse wins all three TC races, it will not be the same. This seems pretty easy for my dumb brain to understand. Larry Bird played most of his career without a three-point line. His legacy is not impacted by current NBA teams jacking up 25 3’s a night. Or by other players having more 3s than him. What he did stands the test of time, rules, etc. The same will go for Secretariat, Seattle Slew (RIP Neumy), Justify, etc.
It’s supposed to be hard. Spacing out the races will make it too easy.

100% disagree. I believe that if you space out the races, more of the top horses will run back in them. The competition will be tougher, making it just as hard to win; maybe harder. When Justify won the Preakness in 2018, the field was full of horses that didn’t really belong. The 5th - 8th place finishers in that race went on to win a grand total of five races the rest of their career. By pushing the Preakness (and Belmont Stakes) back, you give the connections of all these horses more of a schedule to map out over the course of the spring and summer. I don’t think it’s easier with space.

And it would be SOOOOOOOO much better for promoting the sport. We had record TV ratings for this year’s Derby - wait til’ those fans tune in and see no Golden Tempo in the Preakness. Shit, right now only one horse from the Derby looks possible for the Preakness, and that’s 70-1 longshot Ocelli. He ran a wild third in, but will enter the Preakness with zero lifetime wins. Zero.

Seems likely we’ll get change as soon as next year, with the Preakness and Belmont each pushed back a week. Good. I’m happy to take the ‘L’ if we get another year of the Derby winner and most of the Derby runners skipping the race. But I doubt that’s the case.

Look, I love the crab cakes. I love the Preakness; we’ll handicap it plenty next week. But it’s hard to get excited about the 2026 edition, thanks to everyone from the Derby passing the race.

Additional thoughts on the Derby winner below in the notes.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ Before the Sox lost to the Rays on Thursday night, vibes were VERY high on Dirty Water after that sweep of the Tigers. Can see some signs of life, finally. Watch and subscribe on YouTube - then go listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🌹 #19 Golden Tempo 36-1 🌹

“Deep, deep, deep closer ran well this year in the Fairgrounds prep series. Never off the board in four career starts, just has NO early speed and will need a perfect trip to close home through traffic and win Derby 152. Keeneland works for this have been solid, and another that I could use on the bottom of tickets, but not as a win candidate. USING UNDERNEATH DEEP”

I did not expect a complete pace meltdown. The horses that were 14th, 12th, and 10th after a mile ran 1-2-3 in Derby 152. Golden Tempo and Jose Ortiz needed a perfect trip to get there, and they did. One hesitation, one sliver of traffic trouble, and Renegade wins. Renegade ran the best race. He got blasted coming out of the gate and still ran a huge. Credit to Irad Ortiz for keeping the horse locked in after that rough start. Danon Bourbon ran a huge race given the pace, and he appears to have real talent. My pick, Commandment, broke slowly and was wide all day. He took a decent bump in the lane, and it was not his day.

A thrilling Derby - and it’s just too bad we won’t see a bunch of these runners back next week for the Preakness.

🏇🏻 Travis Stone’s call of the Derby was an A+. I wish the whole country could see/hear this live on Derby Day.

🏇🏻 I loved the primetime Oaks. I could easily see flying in to go to Oaks Day, then staying in the area for Derby, but not fighting the 150k fans at the track. Also, the Churchill renovations rock

🏇🏻 CAWs still suck - more on that tomorrow on the Barstool blog.

🎙️ Boy, is Rich & Ken with Ted Johnson a bad show. So bad that even the Boston Globe trashed it last week (after we did). Listened to quite a bit this week. The most bizarre thing I heard was the opening to Tuesday’s show, when they did 15 minutes on the Odyssey movie trailer and some generic, bad. movie talk. A close second was a call they took 10 minutes into their show on Thursday from a gentleman who sounded 80 years old, praising Mike Thomas for bringing Rich back to radio. In between that, you had bad production songs, Rich and Ted taking turns trying to one-up each other in their ill-preparedness for a four-hour talk show, and Ken's fake laughter. One minute, Rich is telling you the only way to get in touch with the show (because social media is too much for him) is to leave a voicemail - then a few minutes later, he’s giving out the number and ~~begging~~ fishing for calls.

Ted Johnson used to come in at 3 PM and stay til the end of the show. Now he comes on at 2 PM when the show starts, but leaves at 5 PM. On Thursday, guest Tom E Curran was on the phone trying to address Ted directly, and Rich had to tell him on the air that Ted had left the studio. What the eff are we doing, here???

A really unlikeable show, with an unlikeable host. And co-host. Poor Ken.

🏀 The new, expanded, 76-team NCAA Bracket is as disgusting as I feared.

👀 Yes, there are new Vrabel/Russini pics. But I don’t understand the media's push saying that, all of a sudden, he can’t coach the Patriots. Something was going on for a while, and we got confirmation this week. At this point, he’ll be here.

👀 But yeah, fascinated to see what she says when she speaks, and I guess that could change things depending on what she says.

Feels like that’s enough Stack for this week.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the MutStack Moms out there. My mom reads and then corrects my grammar. Love you, mom! Do something nice for your mom. That’s an order. 💐💐💐

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

Friday Four-Pack 5.1.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:05:54 GMT

Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

We’ll let Dave’s video serve as his note this morning.

#lovelygrey in the Kentucky Oaks. (I can’t believe I’m even saying that) #gogogreys ","username":"stoolpresidente","name":"Dave Portnoy","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2031028919751573504/m_4Tu1Hv_normal.jpg","date":"2026-05-01T11:04:20.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/w_1028,c_limit,q_auto:best/l_twitter_play_button_rvaygk,w_88/lmdtk9xymgfv3iaovfeu","link_url":"https://t.co/G3GImkxInL"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":6,"retweet_count":1,"like_count":15,"impression_count":1889,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2050169375596900354/vid/avc1/480x360/LRU3y2kYFc4DovLE.mp4?tag=27","belowTheFold":false}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

Surreal morning. Surreal week.

I’m somehow here in Louisville, KY, to watch My Boss Dave’s horse, Lovely Grey, compete in the Grade One Kentucky Oaks.

I have said for weeks that she has a big shot if she gets in.

Confirmed closer in a race with plenty of speed.
Bred to love the distance (416 Tomlinson)
Multiple siblings who have won on dirt - breeding is there
Trained very well here at Churchill Downs. DRF Clockers gave her a solid ‘B’ for her last work.
Jockey Dylan Davis aboard - the Mutnansky Family loves Dylan.

Lots of things to like at 30-1. The problem is, she won’t be 30-1. I think she’s going to be like 12-1 because the world wants to bet with Dave in one of the biggest races of the year. He and she are the stars of this race. That’s the only knock -her price. I would not be TOTALLY shocked if she’s under 10-1.

She is 100% live today. I think her #2 Zany and #9 Always a Runner are all going to be flying late. And with Dylan Davis aboard, let's get Lovely Grey home.

I’d be rooting like hell for Dave’s horse if I were still just cranking out MutStack in my basement full-time. The man loves racing and the animals. He’s been so good for racing, and I am genuinely happy to see him with a good horse and a blossoming Go Go Greys Stable. He’ll yell at me for a shitty pick in a race later today, but that’s okay.

I’m sitting here laughing at how lucky I am to be here. Don’t deserve it, but thankful. Thank you, Dave. #thankyoukirk

Owners dream of having an Oaks horse for years, only to never get it. Dave and Go Go Greys made it in and are live to make some noise.

Have plenty of handicapping to do for the next two days. Good luck if you’re playing, and safe trips for all. And go, Lovely Grey!

Meanwhile, WEEI has debuted a FOURTH new afternoon show in just the last three years. Mike Vrabel gets a warm welcome. My Kentucky Derby thoughts and a LOADED MutStack Notes.

It’s all ahead in Friday Four-Pack #170.

🏇🏻 Thanks for your support here at MutStack on this Friday, one of the best Fridays of the year, and every Friday.

Make it even better by hitting the blue SUBSCRIBE button.

Free, and will bring you luck all Kentucky Oaks/Derby Weekend long. Probably. It can’t hurt, right? 🏇🏻

On the debut of WEEI’s Rich and Ken with Ted Johnson…

I want to give WEEI’s newest afternoon show some credit in a second. But first-

It’s worse than WEEI Afternoons
It’s worse than Salk & Holley
It’s worse than Mut & Callahan…maybe.

If you told me Rich and Ken with Ted Johnson was a parody of a radio show, I’d believe you.

“It was uncomfortable to listen to,” one former very successful Boston radio host told me this week. And he’s right.

Rich and Ken with Ted Johnson is supposed to be a new show, but it’s really just a different version of Rich’s failed show at WZLX. Same stories, same deferring to Ted Johnson, same EVERYTHING. They replaced Mike Hurley with a neutered Ken Laird. Rich is hosting - he’s soooooo bad at that. Ted is not smart. And Ken is… just the update guy who held on to his Operations job at Audacy so he could fake-laugh at Rich and Ted? They admitted it would be bad, and they’re right.

So look, there’s a way this might work, but it would require honesty. First and foremost, honesty from Rich. I tuned in thinking I might get it on Monday afternoon. After all, he failed historically at WZLX and was doing nothing before Mike Thomas fired a bunch of people to pay him; what I got instead was pure bullshit, with Rich pretending to be some sort of WEEI listener:

“Mike (Thomas) and Mark Hannon are doing something special over here…”

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? The only thing special at WEEI is Thomas’ ability to make the ratings disappear. Hannon has a working brain and must have wanted to vomit when Rich said that. It was a whole segment of shit like that, with the main character, Rich, re-telling some story of his career from his own warped mind into the microphone. It just made me angry. As did Thomas, taking a victory lap for hiring him as a savior.

WEEI is failing. Rich failed at WZLX. Tell the audience you’ve failed and you’ll try to do better. Both you and the station. Nope, none of that.

As you might expect, the industry texts I got this week have not been kind. Words like unaware, horrible…just got one that said “Wow.” The social media reaction has been similar; just check the replies here. Brutal. But the lack of ANY real reaction tells you all you need to know. Rich apparently said something about all the nice media they got after their debut - I looked, there was none, other than a press release reformatting or two. ZERO.

Rich alluded to going after his former co-host, Fred Toucher, when the show was introduced Monday morning, but no shot that happens. I’m rooting for it, so Fred fires back; he’ll probably do that anyway. That will be entertaining. The new show isn’t.

Here’s where I’ll give them some credit - it is different than Felger and Mazz. In all the worst ways, but it’s different. Felger and Mazz sound like a classic, angry, smarmy, smart, Boston sports radio show. Rich and Ken with Ted Johnson sounds like a morning show in Albany that was born out of a bad radio petry dish. I’ve used the word bad here four times. I apologize.

I don’t think the show will make it to next year’s NFL Draft. At least in its current configuration. I can’t imagine it doing better than the old show in the ratings.

I heard my friend Kirk Minihane give me “half credit” for breaking this story here. That’s fair - I did not put my nuts on the table and report it as a Dave Cullinane LOCK. But we had it basically cold, before anyone else, even if no one wanted to give us credit. Good week for The Stack. A note on the parts we got wrong below.

It was a nice break having the Sox on Wednesday, so I didn’t have to listen. I’ll only be able to catch clips in Kentucky on Thursday and Friday. Thank God. Painful stuff. A deeper dive into the Mike Thomas moves at WEEI here in the next month.

If you listened, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

On a VERY warm welcome for Mike Vrabel…

So there was a Club Seat (fancy Red seats at Gillette with a great bar) ticket-holder event for the Pats on Tuesday night, and Mike Vrabel got this very warm welcome.

How about Zo pumping up the crowd? He might be angling for my emcee gigs!

This had to feel pretty good for Vrabel. He’s had a shitty few weeks, his own doing, of course.

@marleewierda \n\n“We’re here for coach, we love coach…we know he’s dealing with some stuff off the field and out of the coaching world but we’re here for him and I know he’s gonna come back.” ","username":"Savageboston","name":"Savage","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1528811709762248705/HG7XpVZL_normal.jpg","date":"2026-04-30T01:55:40.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/w_1028,c_limit,q_auto:best/l_twitter_play_button_rvaygk,w_88/epzhanngkbiuhbeeit5s","link_url":"https://t.co/O9AnK4Q1vl"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":63,"retweet_count":114,"like_count":3017,"impression_count":123371,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2049668927907676160/vid/avc1/1280x720/QQUZe35VzjRXdwLj.mp4","belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

As did this. His young, star signal-caller here is saying all the right things at a charity event.

I thought Jermaine Wiggins made a good point this week on WEEI, saying that the players in the locker room only really care how Vrabel treats them. How his message has to change now this is on his resume, I don’t know. But I’m probably guilty of overrating how much this might impact the Patriots. It helps that QB1 was front and center, with his back on Wednesday night.

As for the fans? I mean, come on. Fans were ALWAYS going to have his back. The few callers you hear blasting Vrabel on sports talk or social media are a loud, small group. They were destined to get drowned out.

This is 100% a story and worth talking about, but the reaction at Gillette is a sign that Vrabel will get through this. There’s still the eventual Diana Russini return - how is she going to handle this???

But the fans? They’re back on his side. And probably never left.

On the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby…

Coady Media with a great shot of Commandment

Racing is such a tough game.

Fulleffort was not just my big rooting interest, but he was also my favorite bet of the Kentucky Derby. He ran well in his preps at Turfway. He looked great at Churchill Downs. He was bred to like the dirt. He has a talented trainer. He has terrific connections. And he was going to be a great price. I hope he’s okay and we get to see him run again.

To say my excitement for Debry 152 has been dampened would be fair. But the Derby is still the Derby, and people want to know who I like.

I like #6 Commandment. Trainer Brad Cox. Jockey Luis Saez

First of two in here for Super Trainer™️Brad Cox, and he is a legit contender today. Only horse in the field with two 100+ Beyers. Beat Chief Wallabee in back-to-back starts - the race two back, he kept galloping out like he wanted more ground. Got his first career win over this track. Third different jockey in last three races is a little weird for a horse that might be favored, but Saez and Cox have had plenty of success. Dam was very good. Can make his own trip from the six-hole.

~~I liked Fulleffort. A lot. He’s out.~~

I like #14 Potente at 20-1 as my best price idea now. Trainer Bob Baffert. Jockey JJ Hernandez

Again, a horse with just three career races. Trainer Bob Baffert said he’d be better going longer, and he was right. Fought hard on the lead before getting run down by So Happy last time. I think he’s better with a target and with Baffet’s other horse as quick early, is the plan to rate this guy? I would not hate it. He cost $2.4 million, so big expectations. Can see him hitting the board at a nice price. Note the workout here 4/26 when you look at the past performances - it was a good one. USING AT A HUGE PRICE

I like #12 Chief Wallabee. Trainer Bill Mott. Jockey Junior Alvarado

Tons of talent here. If you told me that by the end of the year, he’s the best of this group, I’d believe you. Beat The Puma on debut and then just missed vs Commandment in those two Florida races. But that’s the knock, right? Only three races coming into this. His local workout in Kentucky was the talk of the town, and he has MAJOR buzz coming in. Riley Mott’s Dad won this last year and has won it twice in his Hall of Fame career. Blinkers go ON here, which is interesting, given how well he’s run. Legit Derby contender, but I wonder if the three races (and none as a 2-year-old) is too big a hurdle vs this group. But oozes talent.

#1 Renegade, #15 Emerging Market, and #18 Further Ado can also win. #9 The Puma can probably win, too, but I don’t think I’ll be betting he’s Mage 2.0.

6-14-12-1 for me in Kentucky Derby 152. I have the most faith in Commandment based on his efforts in Florida, and 7-1 or so is very fair.

The plan is to live-stream pre-races tomorrow on X.com. Picks for the day are to follow there, too.

On your weekly MutStack Notes…

⚾ Vibes were so, so down on Thursday for Episode 28 - Dirty Water - A Boston Sports Podcast. Red Sox still stink. Not much home. Watch and subscribe to a grown man get upset about baseball. Then listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

🏀 So yeah, the Celtics. Did not get to watch much of the game on Thursday. I did laugh at Hubbs on Picks Central a few weeks ago when talking about the Celtics’ path to the NBA Finals. I am not laughing anymore.

The 29% from three tells the story. They’re back in the place where they settle for threes, and if they hit them, they look good. If they don’t, they look like an 8-seed that doesn’t belong. I’d bank on a home win Saturday night, but the crowd was TERRIBLE for Game 5.

The Sixers are not that good, but the Celtics have let them back in this series. A loss this weekend doesn’t just mean a failed season; it means an offseason of talking about massive changes to the team. Tatum vs. Brown for months.

🏀 UConn vs. Duke. Night before Thanksgiving. Las Vegas. Do you think my wife and kids will like Turkey Day in Vegas?

⛳ So, that’s probably it for LIV, huh. As a golf fan and avid golf bettor, I just never gave a shit. Some good players over there, but the format did nothing for me. In the end, I’m not really sure who it was for.

🎙️ Mike Felger did a podcast with Awful Announcing that’s worth a listen. On a slower week, I might have done a full breakdown. Interesting stuff on WEEI vs The Hub. Felger said he roots for WEEI “to a point,” so that there’s a competitive sports-radio ecosystem. He also called out the Boston media for their lack of coverage of Vrabel. He should talk more about these non-sports topics on his own show

🎙️RE: WEEI. Mike Lockhart did not come with Rich - they have his spot for a longtime part-timer, “Jackson.” So they basically fired three guys to hire Rich. Is Ted full-time now? I actually don’t know. Also, I got bad info on Arcand moving. He stays on nights and Sox. But other than that, ice cold.

That feels like enough Stack for this week. Headed to the track in a little bit. Wild times.

Oaks! Derby! Lovely Grey!

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

Friday Four-Pack 4.24.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:55:42 GMT

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

Quietly passed 7K subscribers this week.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the 10 seconds to subscribe and support MutStack - not just this past year, but for four years. Sincerely, thank you 🙏🏻

Four years in, new owner, still free. Thank you!

On yet another afternoon shakeup at WEEI…

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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.

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.

Draft an OL in the first round ✅
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.

Friday Four-Pack 4.17.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:30:25 GMT

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.

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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

When I launched MutStack, it was free.

Four years later, it is now owned by Dave Portnoy and is still free.

Easiest way to support MutStack? Hit the blue Subscribe button right there.

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?

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.

Friday Four-Pack 4.10.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:11:23 GMT

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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Four years later, it is now owned by Dave Portnoy and is still free.

Hit the blue Subscribe button right there to show your support.

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…

#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response.”\n\nAthletics reporter Dianna Russini: “The","username":"_JosephManning","name":"New England Sports Fellow","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1995898862054100992/40CUkeTq_normal.jpg","date":"2026-04-08T00:20:31.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HFV6UbhWwAAJ4D5.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/ZTp0YTfyPJ"}],"quoted_tweet":{"full_text":"#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel and Athletic reporter Dianna Russini were seen holding hands and hugging while at a luxury hotel pool in pictures obtained by the New York Post. Vrabel and Russini and both married.\n\n“Both Russini and Vrabel insist they were there with friends and say","username":"_JosephManning","name":"New England Sports Fellow","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1995898862054100992/40CUkeTq_normal.jpg"},"reply_count":278,"retweet_count":64,"like_count":902,"impression_count":2063150,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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.

Friday Four-Pack 4.3.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:26:37 GMT

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.

@dhurley15 might be coming out different door. I waited. Great to meet you, Coach. go Huskies ! @stoolpresidente @UConnMBB ","username":"MikeMutnansky","name":"Mike Mutnansky","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2033235357245026304/peOPJHMX_normal.jpg","date":"2026-04-01T17:29:43.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/w_1028,c_limit,q_auto:best/l_twitter_play_button_rvaygk,w_88/ljrbzlxcgb8zju0j5ysf","link_url":"https://t.co/tBIc9mfj3H"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":219,"retweet_count":303,"like_count":9639,"impression_count":2469508,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2039394486183215104/vid/avc1/720x1280/8KnW9c0NGMN1Yyc_.mp4","belowTheFold":false}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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.

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…

Just noticed the 2-2 above the sign - 22 is my favorite/lucky number 👀

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.

Friday Four-Pack 3.27.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:06:43 GMT

Note from Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy:

Owners Note - I don’t like Mut

@JeffDLowe for absolutely ruining @MikeMutnansky, who still owes me a jumpsuit...\" - @stoolpresidente","username":"wakeupbarstool","name":"Wake Up Barstool","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1960011762482221056/U4oB1ivP_normal.jpg","date":"2026-03-23T14:04:05.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/w_1028,c_limit,q_auto:best/l_twitter_play_button_rvaygk,w_88/kzaivxguhack8yo1yfb7","link_url":"https://t.co/6owEbS5nMx"}],"quoted_tweet":{"full_text":"By the way shout out to the office gossip queen @JeffDLowe ruining the Mut bit by sending a picture of Mut in Chicago to Austin before I got back to the office.","username":"stoolpresidente","name":"Dave Portnoy","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2031028919751573504/m_4Tu1Hv_normal.jpg"},"reply_count":8,"retweet_count":1,"like_count":223,"impression_count":143808,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2036081383354032128/vid/avc1/1280x720/Fc824Jo_NZc78cxi.mp4","belowTheFold":false}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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.

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

That NESN scorebug…woof.

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. 👀

#Goblue #MenofHonor ","username":"stoolpresidente","name":"Dave Portnoy","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2031028919751573504/m_4Tu1Hv_normal.jpg","date":"2026-03-27T12:10:25.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/w_1028,c_limit,q_auto:best/l_twitter_play_button_rvaygk,w_88/pf8o20aav9e66ulm0x7n","link_url":"https://t.co/Otz5uA08Zf"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":133,"retweet_count":311,"like_count":7853,"impression_count":1318424,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2037501208387010561/vid/avc1/1280x720/tznStMTOwnyjOXfU.mp4","belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

😮 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

Share MutStack

Friday Four-Pack 2.0 3.20.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 02:59:43 GMT

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.

Hey! We’re live from Chicago!

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

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…

@MikeMutnansky \n\n","username":"StoolBaseball","name":"Barstool Baseball","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1627714506951389190/u5LJ5Uh5_normal.jpg","date":"2026-03-20T12:16:39.000Z","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":41,"retweet_count":4,"like_count":31,"impression_count":152056,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://s.barstool.link/c/article-3565634","title":"The Red Sox Have Two Young Pitchers Absolutely Dealing in Spring Training And Neither One Is Likely To Make The Opening Day Roster Because Of Money","description":"Check out this content from Barstool Sports","domain":"s.barstool.link","image":"https://pbs.substack.com/news_img/2034967394771247104/X7Od58Zx?format=jpg&name=orig"},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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.

@StoolBaseball @MikeMutnansky Of course a Barstool account doesn’t know anything about the situation they’re “reporting” on lmao","username":"fenway_jeff","name":"Jeff","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2020707016893669376/b9ouf4U1_normal.jpg","date":"2026-03-20T13:52:32.000Z","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":0,"retweet_count":0,"like_count":5,"impression_count":597,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

@StoolBaseball @MikeMutnansky can we get Sox writers who aren’t retarded @stoolpresidente Klemmer is just as autistic","username":"LoverOfThe69","name":"essential X user","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1993867865183707136/wh2zNLon_normal.jpg","date":"2026-03-20T14:42:21.000Z","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":0,"retweet_count":0,"like_count":0,"impression_count":114,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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.

Friday Four-Pack 3.20.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:57:57 GMT

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.

Friday Four-Pack 3.13.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:19:28 GMT

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

Hey! We’re live from Las Vegas!

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On the Patriots’ week in free agency…

@Patriots let’s get these made for next season, you can thank me later and send me a few! #Doubs ","username":"Fastoolie","name":"Nick Fasoli","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1610719449920815123/BoJ7Lkc6_normal.jpg","date":"2026-03-10T19:36:20.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HDEswgtaMAA1ihz.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/XNS2WgUwYN"},{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HDEswgDXwAAgXWa.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/XNS2WgUwYN"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":2,"retweet_count":0,"like_count":27,"impression_count":2837,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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…

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“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.

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.

@MikeMutnansky to grab me a bunch of Drf programs for tomorrow on his way back to the hotel. I told him to text me when he got to the hotel. After 20 minutes of telling him how to meet me at the elevators I finally found him. When I asked for the programs he looked","username":"stoolpresidente","name":"Dave Portnoy","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2031028919751573504/m_4Tu1Hv_normal.jpg","date":"2026-03-13T00:44:28.000Z","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":90,"retweet_count":30,"like_count":2309,"impression_count":407933,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

⁉️ 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.

Share MutStack

Friday Four-Pack 3.6.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:29:30 GMT

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

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.

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.

Friday Four-Pack 2.27.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:10:24 GMT

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.

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.

On President Donald Trump trying to fix college sports…

@RossDellenger. \n\nInvitees include Nick Saban, Tim Tebow, Adam Silver, Tiger Woods and as many as 40 total who were invited.\n\nMore: 🔗 ","username":"YahooSports","name":"Yahoo Sports","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1700172399973421056/_xxxJmXc_normal.jpg","date":"2026-02-26T23:26:43.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/HCHuZTkXkAAq5Vt.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/rX5bEWCouY"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":31,"retweet_count":44,"like_count":564,"impression_count":54302,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

“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.

Friday Four-Pack 2.20.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:19:35 GMT

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.”

#NHC","username":"NTRA","name":"NTRA","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/903241318645641216/u2H2H4Vt_normal.jpg","date":"2026-02-20T00:51:50.000Z","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{"full_text":"“I don’t know why he doesn’t try to qualify for these contests, what else does he do in his life? Mut’s so dumb” -@stoolpresidente","username":"VivaLaStool","name":"Viva La Stool","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/953673288965910529/Erix1kj9_normal.jpg"},"reply_count":1,"retweet_count":3,"like_count":8,"impression_count":1936,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":false}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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.

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.

“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…

@RealBobManning on his departure from BOS: \"For me, the decision, it's something that's deeper than just the basketball stuff. And it's something that at some point I'll share with people, but for me, it felt like it was the time for me to go elsewhere.\" \n\n@CLNSMedia ","username":"CelticsCLNS","name":"Celtics on CLNS","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1617659895507042310/jL3xRnah_normal.jpg","date":"2026-02-20T03:06:16.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/w_1028,c_limit,q_auto:best/l_twitter_play_button_rvaygk,w_88/xpgxywo3zob0zwh5drei","link_url":"https://t.co/lsPh0sJHYP"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":19,"retweet_count":8,"like_count":106,"impression_count":109468,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2024681689767956484/vid/avc1/1280x720/OKxDT6imQ1jwoLgF.mp4","belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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.

Friday Four-Pack 2.13.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:18:09 GMT

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.

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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.

I mean, it can’t hurt. And it’s free.

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.

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.

Friday Four-Pack 2.6.26

Mut (Mike Mutnansky) — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:50:34 GMT

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.

Brady, Vrabel, and Friends at the 2109 Kentucky Derby

“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.

I started this newsletter three years ago this week with one dream: that you would click the blue Subscribe Button. Please help me make the dream come true.

Also, free, just like it’s always been.

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…

#SuperBowl \n\nMassachusetts Leads The Way With A Projected Handle of $88M+ \n\n@AmericanGaming via @bookies 🔽\n\nbookies.com/news/super-bow…","username":"billsperos","name":"Bill Speros","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1703253762020679680/uNIyWY8j_normal.jpg","date":"2026-02-04T15:03:43.000Z","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":2,"retweet_count":8,"like_count":5,"impression_count":6234,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://bookies.com/news/super-bowl-bets-seahawks-fans-vs-patriots-fans","title":"Super Bowl Bets: Seahawks Fans vs Patriots Fans","description":"The outcome of Super Bowl 60 between the Patriots and Seahawks won’t be determined until Sunday, starting at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on NBC. However, it’s clear the Patriots will score a decisive victory over the vaunted \"12s\" when it comes to betting on the game. The Patriots fanbase projects to wager nearly 10 times the […]","domain":"bookies.com","image":"https://pbs.substack.com/news_img/2019064287369596928/eF2j0A24?format=jpg&name=orig"},"video_url":null,"belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

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.