A Note from MutStack Owner Dave Portnoy…
No note from Dave this week
My Boss Dave was busy this week, buying more grey horses. This one with trainer Phil Antonacci (Lindy Farms in Connecticut). Go Go Greys is now up to close to 40 horses and two broodmares.
Two-year-old Drake Graye is tearing up the track at Turfway and might be getting close to a debut. Bunch of horses in training. Going to have to do a GGG Fall Stable tour, for sure.
Quite simply, my favorite professional team of all time - the 2001-2002 Patriots. Ahead of the 2004 Red Sox. Or the 2008 Celtics. I am not willing to debate myself over 2001 Pats vs. 1998 UConn, so don’t ask.
The team that launched a thousand championships and an NFL Dynasty. It’s been 25 years, and they’ll be celebrated on the field at Gillette before Pats/Raiders on Sunday.
Yes, I believe that the Patriots' Super Bowl run raised the bar for the rest of Boston teams. The Red Sox were extremely jealous of the attention the Patriots were getting. They were used to dominating sports talk radio. It wasn't shocking to hear Dale & Eddie spend two hours on WEEI dissecting one bad managerial move from the Sox game the night prior.
Until that Pats team came along.
Should they fire Bill Belichick?
Brady vs. Bledsoe (tremendous WEEI topic)
Playing the Rams close on Sunday Night Football - the “oh shit, they might actually be good” game. I was home from UConn on Thanksgiving break and can remember where I was sitting on the couch as they battled the Greatest Show on Turf
Snow Bowl
Beating the cocky Steelers in Pittsburgh
Coming out as a team for the Super Bowl
Capped off by pulling off one of the greatest Super Bowl Upsets of all time, complete with John Madden saying he did not like the idea of a young Tom Brady trying to score late instead of settling for overtime.
Just an unbelievable sequence of events for a team.
Still have the Super Bowl Special USA Today from the day after…and a bunch of other newspapers from big Boston wins over the years. I found them a few weeks ago while cleaning out the space above our garage. My wife wants to know what we’ll do with them. Uhhhhh, keep them safe, honey?
“They’ll be worth something someday,” he says confidently.
Boston teams would have won eventually, but I think this jump-started it. I was ages 10-20 between 1990 and 2000. That seems like the age when sports felt like they meant the most. During that decade, Boston won nothing. If you’re in your mid-40s, you understand. Our parents had 80s Celtics. We had Rick Pitino! It felt like they might never win. #loserville
This kicked things off. And it sure didn’t hurt a few years later when they won again - that really pissed off the Red Sox.
I hope my boys get to experience a team like that when sports still means a lot to them. That team was 25 years ago…holy crap, I feel old. And since it’s my newsletter (kind of), I wanted to start the weekend with some nostalgia.
Meanwhile, Craig Breslow's arrogance is disgusting. Good week for the NFL Picks. Justin Trudell is leaving The Kirk Minihane Show. And the most MutStack note ever.
All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #192.
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On the pure arrogance of Craig Breslow…
This guy.
Chad Tracy, Sam Kennedy, and Craig Breslow held their Red Sox season-ending press conference on Monday. It was bad. They spent more time spinning the team’s decisions and direction than they did explaining to fans how it would get better in 2027. Or whenever they play baseball again. I hated the whole hour.
After that hour, I guess Breslow made himself available to the media in 1-on-1s. It didn’t get better for Boston’s Baseball Robot.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of …uhhhh….narratives that float around that I think could be dispelled with some simple questions that just never get asked…”
He might as well have just said, “I went to Yale. I’m smarter than Rob Bradford, Chris Cottilo, and Ian Browne. Those guys are fucking idiots.”
He seems like a nice guy, but rough moment here for Jahmai Webster. This was a HUGE opening for a simple “Like, what questions, Craig?” or some sort of follow-up to the team’s President of Baseball Ops basically calling the media morons. But we didn’t get that. It certainly didn’t help the softball image NESN has when it comes to the Red Sox.
The narrative Breslow was pushing back on here was, I guess, the idea that he has a say in how Tracy manages the team. The decision to pull Sonny Gray looked so bad that no one could believe a baseball lifer like Tracy would do it. The front office obviously gives him piles of information and expects him to use it to make decisions. That doesn't tell him what to do directly, but it has a big impact, and I'd guess most teams do this. In the playoffs, it’s fair to think the manager was following the outline. Or the script. Whatever you want to call it.
Earlier this season, a report suggested Breslow might be best served by having a translator of sorts to convey his ideas to other team management and players. When you hear this clip, you can understand why. Just oozing arrogance. Unearned arrogance, but the way. Remember, he was like the 11th or 12th choice for the job, after almost a dozen people turned it down. Or worse, turned down the chance to even interview for the gig! The guy has been here three years, and the team still hasn't advanced out of the Wild Card. And he complains the media doesn’t ask the right questions.
🙄🙄🙄
This is so unlikeable. Imagine having to negotiate with this guy? His biggest trades are with teams that have former Red Sox Execs (Cardinals, Nats). I’m convinced that his handling of Alex Bregman last offseason led to the star third baseman not giving the team a chance to match the Cubs' offer.
Imagine what Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras think about him being their boss - a former player turned super nerd who has ignored the biggest issue on the team (POWER) and is bragging that Caleb Durbin went from 11 home runs to 13 home runs…in 17 more games. Awesome!
I can’t stand him. John Henry’s spending is the team’s biggest issue, but Breslow is a close #2.
It’s been eight years since the team won the AL East, the same year they beat the Dodgers for the championship. I have a tough time imagining Breslow being the guy to build the next winner - division or World Series - thanks in part to thinking he’s the smartest guy in every room.
On Justin Trudell leaving the Kirk Minihane Show…
It was time.
Kirk said it yesterday, and Cullinane agreed. There was a tension on the show, and it didn’t seem to be going away. And I say that as a Justin Trudell fan. A fan of his hot dogs. Fan of his bits…well, some of them. Fan of his loyalty to Kirk.
A few months ago, I watched Justin step in and try to make the best of a bad situation backstage at KMS Live in Laconia when the drummer became an issue. It was a shit show, and Justin was ready and willing to do whatever was needed.
But I was also there Tuesday when Kirk asked if he really thought that he (Kirk) didn’t want any content from the show’s Madawaska weekend. “Correct,” Justin quickly answered the rhetorical question. That was tough - and it summed up a disconnect between the Justin who first got the job and the Justin who gave me a nice fist-bump on the way out the door Tuesday.
Of the departed KMS producers, I spent the most time with Justin, and it’s not close. Sportsbook Live…The Brook…KMS Basketball…trying to put out videos for the Barstool Black Friday sale last year. A bunch of little projects we worked on for the show/content. He’s the only producer I sat down and had a one-on-one meal with.
I’m also a KMS listener. And as a listener, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think Justin had been different over the last year. I think most listeners would agree. I don’t know if he would? Hopefully, at some point, he’ll be in the studio to say goodbye and talk about it. And Hopefully with Blind Mike. They are one of the great duos in KMS History, right? Justin and Mike. Josh and James. Mama K and Donna. This is probably a better exercise for Tim in Canton.
I haven't talked to him, but Kirk mentioned Justin was going to try to find a new role at Barstool after his paternity leave. Good for him. KMS Producers tend to stay in the show orbit. Hope that’s the case here. He’s a huge part of KMS history and was, what, 4th or 5th on the latest Top 50 list at Laconia?
Did he disparage my late Godmother’s famous mashed potatoes? He sure did. But I forgive him. Justin is a good guy with a big heart. I hope he finds something in or out of Barstool that he loves. He’ll be missed, but it was also time for a change, if that makes any sense.
Kirk said he’s going “outside the KMS world” for his next co-producer. Second producer? Looking forward to the search.
I’m sure I’ll see him again, but for now, good luck, Justin.
On your Four-Pack of NFL Week 5 Picks…
Week 4 Record: 2-1
Season Record: 5-7
ATD Record: 0 for 4
For the first time this year, we get to use the Good Football. There are actually four different footballs. Odds from DraftKings as of Thursday night; check for updated odds.
The Side
TEXANS -7.5 (-105) AT TITANS
I make horse picks everywhere: here, Twitter, Barstool Blog, live streams, racetrack simulcast feeds, and in group texts. I know there’s a good chance I’ll be wrong. And if so, I’m okay with that, and I’ll take my loss and turn the page. I need to remind myself of that when making these picks. Because normally, laying 7.5 points on a 0-4 team in the NFL would sound very, very dumb. But this is do-or-die for the Texans. They’re still a respectable 17th in DVOA - the tanking Titans are 29th. We got word this week that HC DeMeco Ryans will start calling defensive plays. The offense cooked against the Cowboys, and it's getting healthier. This is a statement game for Houston, and I think they smash Tennessee here. When they win by 7 and I lose, I’ll be okay with it.
The Total
BEARS AT PACKERS OVER 45.5 (-118)
Our first over of the season here. I like the pace setup here: Green Bay has the third-quickest SEC/PLAY in the NFL per FTN. On the other side, Sharp Football clocks the Bears as the 4th fastest team on offense in neutral situations. Defensively, GB is 24th in DVOA. The Bears were 17th a week ago, but jumped up 10 spots after playing the Jets. I still don’t think they’re very good. I see both public and sharp money on the over here. Divisional UNDERS are actually under .500 the last two-plus seasons, and feel more relevant when the teams meet for a second time later in the year. A rare OVER.
The Prop
BROCK PURDY 20+ RUSHING YARDS (-111)
The early-season MVP candidate has cleared this number in all four games this season. Now he’ll play without Kyle Juszczyk, leading to a few more carries for the QB. And he faces a Seattle defense that has allowed the 4th-most rushing yards per game to opposing QBs this year. 25+ (+146) and 30+ (+229) are both in play if you’re feeling frisky.
The ATD
TREVOR LAWRENCE (IN LONDON) +290
On your weekly MutStack Notes…
🎙️ This was fun. I was lucky to get invited on Snake Draft with Eddie, WSD, and Chief. I was unlucky to go up against three Snake Draft Hall of Famers and one of the smartest guys at Barstool, Tommy. The topic was Things We Refuse To Believe, and I had the last pick. I did not do well. But I had fun. Appreciate the guys having me.
⚾ Took us a few days to get here, but we wrapped up a disappointing Red Sox season on Dirty Water this week. Plenty of Craig Breslow slander and questions about Roman Anthony and Trevor Story. Watch and subscribe on YouTube, then go listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
🍎 The first four-plus days of the diet have gone well, thanks for asking. Four days no cereal and no second dinner. 11K steps each day, around 2 K calories. We’re on our way. Thanks to Minifan Josh in Pittsburgh for the encouragement this morning. Feel like I’m on the right path here with some help from him. And thanks for the visual motivation, MikeyGrabBag.
🎙️ This is the most MutStack note of all time.
WEEI’s Rich, Ken and Ted went semi-viral this week, thanks to Drake Maye’s opinion of the legitimacy of the moon landing. They’re using that to let people know that listeners can Ask Maye Anything, as it was a “listener” question that led to Maye’s answer this week. KMS Producer Dave Cullinane suggested the “listener” sure sounded like some sort of bad Boston voice actor.
When I wrote here a few weeks ago about a terrible listener question to Maye about smoking weed, a radio insider sent a tip: the “listener” was actually a station producer.
Wait…Paulie in the Truck was a fake! WHAT????????????????????????????????
I had to get into the lab and verify, asking AI to analyze the two voices (the producer in question has a public social media page)
They sure sound alike. And while not 100% scientific, AI says they are the same voice. “1000% sure it’s him,” said the source again yesterday.
Are they just using “listener” questions to ask the Pats QB silly questions they don’t want to ask themselves? Did they not have enough listener questions and were too embarrassed to say so? Maybe the producer didn’t tell the show and just did it? I don’t know.
Could my source and AI both be wrong? Sure. Is it the biggest deal? Maybe not? Kirk said yesterday the Pats have been annoyed by some of the Maye questions recently; Kirk has excellent Pats sources. Does the team, already annoyed with the questions, think the show/station is hiding behind ‘listener questions’ to try and go viral with their star quarterback’s words? That’s not being a great partner, IMO.
I’ll continue to work on this developing story. MutStack Messages remain open for your tips.
🌽 Thanks for all the suggestions on a good corn maze - found a good spot for a #familyfallfunday this weekend.
📺 It was helped by my Kyle Chandler fandom, but solid A- for HBO’s Lanterns. Not the biggest superhero guy, but I was into this from the start. Good story, solid twists. Will be back for Season 2.
🏀 UConn Twitter is great, thanks to guys like Little Red.
For a second straight year, he’s walking to raise money and awareness for the Husky Ticket Project. Every mile will support their mission of giving young UConn fans the chance to attend UConn sporting events, with the goal of building Husky fandom for generations to come! They have already distributed over 10,000 tickets to young fans. Great stuff.
He starts his two-day, 62-mile walk on Monday. Support him and a great cause right here.
⚾ So, MLB proposed a 154-game season that allows for weekly off days ✅
Division Series Back to 7 games ✅
Higher-seeded teams to pick their postseason opponents for the Wild Card Series and Division Series ❌
That last one seems way too gimmicky. Just give the Top 2 seeds the bye, then seed 3-6 after that by record. No automatic home field for the 3rd division winner.
Hell. Yes. 🏈🏈🏈 Let’s hope this happens in a few weeks. See you there.
That feels like enough stack for this week.
Back on Saturday for At The Post - the weekly horse racing blog that’s the talk of the town - over on the Barstool Blog. Good luck with all your bets this weekend.
Thanks for reading.