Friday Four-Pack 10.17.25

A surreal Barstool Golf Event. Joe Mazzulla's humiliation of the Boston media. The next Boston Champion? NFL Picks, MutStack Notes and More!

Editor’s Note from Editor/Owner of MutStack.com, Dave Portnoy

No note from the boss today.

Big Noon Kickoff Saturday from Provo, UT, 10 AM on Fox for No. 15 BYU and No. 23 Utah later Saturday night. Looking forward to Dave’s bookstore review.

Washington v. Michigan, at 12 PM, also on Fox. Big day. Lock in.

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An amazing Minifan Turnout

I was lucky to be front and center Wednesday morning for Minihane v. Riggs.

Born out of Riggs not having Kirk’s back when it came to the big Internet Invitational Golf Event, this ‘Haters Golf Match’ took place at 9 AM at Granite Links in Quincy, MA.

The event was surreal. And look, a full video of the match will be released on Monday or Tuesday next week, so I don’t want to spoil the results or post too many pictures or videos.

But on a random Wednesday morning, with just a few weeks’ notice, about 300 fans showed up to watch these guys battle in match play golf. There were some Riggs/Fore Play fans there, but I’d call it 85/15 Minifans making up the crowd.

I spent most of my day walking the course with The Minifans. “Could not miss this.” “Took the day off to watch.” “Going in late to work.” They came from all over New England, and all of them were there for Kirk. It was very fun.

And look, Granite Links is beautiful, but getting there on a Wednesday morning in October is BRUTAL. The last two miles take 20 minutes—the fans could not have cared less. Ryan Whitney summed it up perfectly when he said, “You think I’d miss a 50-year storm?”

Hundreds of fans agreed. There they were, bright and early Wednesday, drinking off Riggs’ tab. A ton of what looked like those popular transfusion drinks, for sure. When did those become the go-to golf course drink? I’d have to look it up, as I’m so washed, I don’t even know what’s in it. But fans, double-fisting (responsibly) and cheering on Kirk while rooting against Riggs (mostly) loved it all.

I cannot wait for the video to come out. The atmosphere was electric. Both Kirk and Riggs hit some HUGE shots in what was a very competitive and intense match. Both guys had…let’s just say ‘conversations’ with the fans.

One female fan, let’s call her Julie, was in Riggs’ face the entire time. She was loud. She was profane. There’s a chance she’s a star in the video. The golf course was beautiful. Kyle and the ForePlay production team have a lot of footage to work with.

I came to Barstool after 17 years in radio. And I say this from experience—radio people mostly suck. No one wants to help anyone. Everyone is worried about their own show, not someone else’s. EVERYONE complains…it’s a miserable profession. And I’m sure some of that exists at Barstool, I get it. But so far, it’s been very refreshing to see the Barstool team work together - first in New York for the Sox/Yankees streams, and then again on Wednesday. And before that, with Kirk’s live shows and KMS Basketball vs Barstool NY, and the Dozen Trivia Live Final. There are many talented people working here, all trying to create great content. But that’s not the big takeaway.

The biggest and most obvious takeaway is that, of course, Kirk should have been in the Internet Invitational. I’m sure that will be evident from the full video. No one else (Maybe Dave? The PMT guys?) could draw that sort of crowd on a random Wednesday morning. The Fore Play team seemed beyond impressed.

The whole day was also a reminder that Kirk indeed has the best fans in the world.

Good on Riggs for picking up the entire tab for the fans, and for agreeing to the match. Great job by the Minifans. It was a fun day - I’m looking forward to people getting to watch it next week.

Kirk has proposed a KMS/Ryder Cup-style event for next spring. I am a terrible golfer. But if asked to play, I’ll be there. After watching the madness on Wednesday, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Meanwhile, Joe Mazzulla flat-out embarrassed the Celtics media. I have a Championship Ranking of Boston Sports Teams. Dave’s Go Go Greys Stable has a runner in on Monday. Plus, Week 6 NFL Picks and so much more.

All ahead in this week’s Four-Pack.

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If you subscribe today, it means I’ll get good news on my MRI results next week. It’s science.

Also, it’s free.

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On Joe Mazzulla embarrassing the Boston media…

So yeah, Joe Mazzulla lived up to his reputation as a hardo this week, in spectacular fashion. As members of the Celtics’ media were getting ready to play a basketball game against each other (also, hardo), the Celtics’ head coach told them they’d also be playing a 12-minute game against the team’s coaching staff.

From CelticsBlog, Mazzulla played in the game along with Former NBA players Phil Pressey and DaSean Butler, as well as four former college basketball stars: Fairmont State University’s God Shammgod Jr., Duke University’s Amile Jefferson, Richmond’s Tony Dobbins, and Bucknell’s DJ MacLeay.

The final score: Celtics Coaches 57 - Celtics Media 4

According to reports, the coaches went full-court press the entire game.

Some thoughts:

🏀 Like, we all agree this was a dink move from Mazzulla, right? Just a way to embarrass the folks who cover the team?

“Yesterday was very, very important,” Mazzulla said Wednesday. “It will be laughed at and joked about, but it means a lot more to humanize (the two sides of the team’s media coverage) — we have too many interactions where it’s coach and you. Like, everyone’s doing their job.”

What?

🏀 The media members involved seemed far too accepting of the result. There’s the blog linked above, calling the experience “the time of my life.” There are podcasts recapping the beatdown. Again, what?

🏀 I played an entire season on a Kirk Minihane Show Basketball Team that got its ass kicked by better teams. It sucked. It was not a fun learning experience. I don’t think it taught me anything, other than we were probably in the wrong league. I love my teammates, but I would have loved them even more if we had played more competitive games and won a few.

🏀 Both Kirk and Fred Toucher suggested, in different ways, that the media should have gotten rough with the coaches. I’m too much of a chicken to have done that, but I understand the sentiment. At some point, you have to try to send a message that we’re not here to get bullied by players who are much, much, much, much, much, much, much better. Instead, by all accounts, they just rolled over to take the beating.

🏀 “The truth really behind it is, there’s very few times -- it’s like with us ... when we go out to eat, we level the playing field,” Mazzulla said. “We’re all kind of on the same page, everyone’s guard is down, and there’s not a distance, you know? Again, it’s unfortunate that people don’t get the whole context of the day, but we all got to be in a competitive environment together.”

So…go play laser tag. Or do an escape room. Play a different sport. JUST NOT THE SPORT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY GOOD AT. You could have been competitive and NOT humiliated the media - you actively chose to make them look foolish.

Mazzulla has consistently shown a dislike for the media and appears annoyed by many of their questions. That came through in the humiliation ritual, dressed up as a ‘basketball game,’ this week.

We’ll take a look at the Celtics’ season outlook here next Friday as they get ready for their second game of the season.

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On ranking the chances for the next Boston Championship…

One man’s prediction on which Boston team has the best chance to host the next championship parade for New England sports fans.

1. The Boston Celtics
   The minute Jayson Tatum comes back and he's healthy, they’re a Top 3 contender in the NBA. New ownership will be happy to spend money to win a title during this Tatum/Brown window. There’s a reality where that's actually this season. It helps that four of the best six teams in the league are in the Western Conference.

2. The Boston Red Sox
   If I take Smarmy Sam Kennedy at his word, he knows the team is in their “window of contention.” With a Top 2 pitching addition, the return of Alex Bregman, and some infield tinkering (maybe a Duran Trade), this could be the best team in the American League come 2026. Baseball playoffs can be random, but the talent is there to win the AL East…assuming they spend.

3. The New England Patriots
   I think a lot of people might get sucked into some recency bias and put the Pats first. Given their recent history, I’m more confident the Red Sox will actually spend money. Even when Tom Brady was here, the Krafts seemed to stick to the budget. I can envision Drake Maye hoisting a Lombari Trophy, but he’ll need more talent around him—that will take spending and a smart draft pick. And he’ll have to go through Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Daunting, on paper.

4. The Boston Bruins
   In a rebuild

Sorry, did not include the Revs. You can make your own list or complain about mine in the comments.

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On your Week 7 MutStack NFL Picks…

Week 6 Results: 1-2 | ATD Cam Ward ❌
On the Season: 8-10 | ATD bets 1 for 6

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Friday morning.

The Side
CHARGERS -1.5 VS COLTS (-112)
The Colts head out on the road to face the Chargers with significant injuries. Starting CB Charvarius Ward and WR Josh Downs have yet to practice this week and seem unlikely to play. This is a spot for the Chargers to throw early and often. LAC already chucks it at the third-highest rate in the NFL in neutral-pace situations (the score having them between up and down eight points), according to FTN Pace Stats. If Justin Herbet has time, he should be able to carve up the Colts’ secondary. Linebacker Denzel Perryman seems likely to return for the Chargers. Khalil Mack is ‘hopeful’ to play after starting the year on IR. Even Joe Alt got a limited practice in on Thursday.

I know my coworker Marty Mush is driving the Daniel Jones MVP Bus, but this is the time to finally bet against, on the road against a defense getting healthy. I’ll note that Jones is 2-5 ATS outside the EST and CST time zones in his career. Interesting, but maybe not that important.

The Total
PANTHERS AT JETS UNDER 41.5 (-105)

Full Disclosure - I wrote up the Browns/Dolphins UNDER here on Wednesday night when the line was 40.5. Since then, we got the reports of wind gusts up to 60 MPH during the game, and the total has come flying down to 37.5 (-120). It looks like rain and wind all day, and while I still like the under, I think I've found a suitable alternative.

Jets - 4th slowest team in the NFL neutral-pace snap/sec. #1 in run rate. #3 DVOA Run D
Panthers - 10th slowest team in the NFL neutral-pace snap/sec. #9 in run rate. #4 DVOA Run D.

So, we have two slow teams that want to run the ball against two good opposing run defenses. These are all things I look for when betting an under. Could get some wind here, too. This total moved a full point from 42.5 on Thursday night to Friday morning. Sharpies?

The Prop
SAM DARNOLD O19.5 COMPLETIONS (-113)

The Texans are at the bottom of the league in allowing completions this season—two things to note.

1. They’ve only played five games.

2. They faced a bad Trevor Lawrence, a rookie in Cam Ward, and a backup in Cooper Rush over their last three games.

Before that, both Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield cleared this number against the Houston defense. This game is the late part of the Monday Night Doubleheader, and I’ll be asleep for it, but this is a good spot for Darnold to get this prop for us.

The ATD
Chris Olave (+205)

New! The Money Line Dog That Mut Says is Barking
Dallas Cowboys (+114)

I’ll post any additional plays on Sunday on X.com.

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On your weekly MutStack Notes…

🏇🏻 Hello Bensalem, PA! Go Go Greys Stable and my boss, Dave, send out Wondergirl Carly on Monday in Race 7 at Parx. Dave said a few weeks ago on Unnamed that he thought Carly might be his most talented horse in the stable. She had been pointed to a race in Delaware, but ends up looking to break her maiden in Pennsylvania. Not sure if Dave is making the trip, but I hope to have coverage on X.com Monday afternoon.

📽️ One of the three or four WORST things about Substack is that I can’t embed tweets. Like, I want to embed this tweet from WEEI, which has host Andy Hart sounding as cringy as any radio host has ever sounded. But I can’t embed it. Because Elon hates Substack or something. So I have to link it here. I hope you’ll watch it, because it’s bad.

🎙️ Latest WEEI weekly, per source - Greg Hill Show 2.2. Jones and Keefe 2.5. WEEI Afternoons 2.2: During the Pats' season and right before the Red Sox playoff week. Just 1/12th of the Fall Book, but not awesome.

🎙️ I mentioned last week that 98.5 The Sports Hub’s parent company, Beasley Media, is having its own financial issues. They recently had to sell multiple stations in Florida. Here in Boston, I’m told that a few contributors to on-air programming at The Hub had to wait four or five months or more to get paid for their appearances this spring. Again, not awesome.

🏇🏻 At her peak, she was not just a tremendous racehorse, but the most popular horse in the country. Fans turned out to watch her workout in the mornings last summer in Saratoga. Racing needs stars, and Thorpedo Anna was certainly that. A happy and healthy retirement!

🏈 “It turned out the portrayal of a flawed genius and difficult employee who struggled to take responsibility for his own shortcomings, see past his considerable ego, and, at times, acted with injurious hubris was spot on. It wasn’t petty rivalry, revisionist history, or Hollywood hyperbole. It was the unvarnished reality of the duality of a coaching legend.”

Nope. Sorry, Chris Gasper, but The Dynasty doc - just like the book - was a Kraft Family Smooch Fest. Bill Belichick has been a disaster at Chapel Hill, yes, but Kraft had full control of that production and used that power to make the former coach look bad. Speaking of Bill…

📽️ The latest episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out is all about Bill Belichick at UNC. Key takeaways, from my Friday early morning viewing: Bill’s girlfriend Jordon Hudson, UNC GM Mike Lombardi, and Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia…they all hate each other. Lombardi, per Torre, is the one who told everyone that Jordon was banned from the UNC football facilities. Bill is still mad about The Dynasty doc. And someone at Underdog Fantasy really must not like Hudson, because they leaked off-camera footage of her talking shit about the people working on Belichick’s show, Coach.

🏈 2-1 in the Thursday Night Picks. Did not earn back Mr. Thursday Night, but a winning week.

🏀 Dan Hurley doesn’t stop. His UConn Huskies landed a Top 25 recruit for 2026, Colben Landrew. Getting Caron Butler vibes from watching his YouTube highlights.

🏈 I am headed to Chestnut Hill on Saturday to watch UConn and Skyler Bell take on Boston College. Is there a tailgate at BC? Are we parking on the street? Is there a brunch spot nearby to hit up with the family before the game? I need guidance on best practices for attending BC football games—comment, message, or DM on X.com. Note that I’ll be leaving at halftime to coach a vital flag football game, so factor that in. Please. And thank you.

⌨️ I am writing seven or eight blogs per week over at the Barstool Blog, many of them on the Red Sox and their offseason. You can see each blog entry updated at this link, if you’re so inclined. I’ll have a blog there later today about my own personal grooming situation.

And with that, we have surely said it all.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Go Huskies. Go Patriots.

And thanks for reading.