A Note from MutStack Owner Dave Portnoy
I am sick for Travers Weekend. Very disappointed in my body. I will try to persevere and give an A+ performance nonetheless.
Shit. Boss is sick. Michael Jordan Flu Game incoming? This means I have to step it up and find winners for him and the boys.
Also, feel better, Boss.
“He’s fucking useless.”
That wasn’t nice, Marty.
Two big episodes of Surviving Barstool this week. Spoilers below, be advised!
Episode 6:
The big bar/hook game. I should have gestured a touchdown or goal or something every time a team scored. But again, I wasn't trying to make it a ref show.
I was there to make sure people didn’t go over the line when they threw and then stayed in a line behind their teammate who was throwing. Like a kindergarten teacher. Not much action for me.
Episode 7:
Ring of Fire. Awesome. I loved this set of games from the Surviving team. Those shuffle calls… not all that close - the way the pucks hit the lines, you could tell pretty easily. I felt like I made more calls than we saw on the show?
Shout out to follow ref and host Jeff D Lowe for getting all those calls right too!
Again, calls were clear-cut. Not sure why Marty is mad, other than his Yankees are going to give up the top wild card spot this weekend.
This game took FOREVER. I was sprinting back and forth trying to speed things up, firing pucks back at the fellas, add some energy and laughs, but that didn’t make the edit. I was glad BFW said something at some point because everyone was playing so safe and there was a chance we were never leaving that office.
I was just the scorekeeper for bags.
The poker game - I had to keep replacing cards, and I sucked at it. Jeff and Crew were getting annoyed, for sure, because they wanted the cards at a certain spot and it took me a while to figure out exactly what they meant.
Thank you, McCannLSH. Tweet of the Year.
As far as the game goes, watching that Tommy/Dana moment play out again was wild. I would absolutely stink at this game and be voted out Day 1, but it seems like a mistake to let any strong alliance go on too long.
Tate played this game very hard. You can see it as a viewer now watching the show. And it was the same being there watching it all play out live in Chicago.
The show has been excellent. Some big players left, all trying to make big plays.
I’m sure Marty Mush will find a way to rip me again on camera.
Meanwhile, it’s a huge Red Sox weekend. It’s Travers Weekend. The Pats preseason is mercifully over. And I did the hardest thing I have ever had to do for this newsletter and you, the MutStack reader (and hopefully subscriber) this week - more on that in the notes.
All ahead in Friday Four-Pack #186.
Yes, My Boss Dave still owns MutStack. But it remains free to subscribe and have it emailed directly to your inbox every Friday.
100% Free. Yes.
On the Red Sox and Yankees…
Here we go 3..2..1
First Walk and Talk Four-Pack video. A true day in history.
See, the QR code works! Sometimes!
Get the MutStack T-Shirt in the Barstool Store!
On the 157th running of the Travers…
Travers Day is my favorite racing day of the year. In fact, it’s one of my favorite days of the year overall.
I’ve been lucky to attend every Travers since 2003, when West Coast invader Ten Most Wanted won the Funny Cide-less edition of the race. Even the year the Travers was moved for Covid, our family was here, betting on races we couldn't attend as fans.
I love the fans running in to get tables. I love seeing the best three-year-olds in the country walk through the Saratoga backyard. I love the day's energy. The fact the race signals the end of summer is offset by the fact football is here. Sometimes the Travers comes up light.
Not this year.
The Kentucky Derby Winner, who is also the Belmont winner, is here. So is the Preakness winner. They’re joined by the Jim Dandy winner. And the Curlin winner. And the Haskell winner. The Indiana Derby winner. And the Louisiana Derby, just for good measure. Basically, anyone you want here is here, minus a few Brad Cox runners.
Loaded, loaded field.
Some quick thoughts on the group.
#1 Emerging Market
Just had not improved that much for early-season success
#2 Leading Change
Two for two but untested against these types. Super Trainer™️Brad Cox always dangerous.
#3 Napoleon Solo
New jockey for this who knows Saratoga and speed to take this group a long way
#4 The Puma
Bet him in the Haskell; maybe he didn’t like the slop? Wish he ran better.
#5 Renegade
No Irad but one of legit threats to take this
#6 Ocelli
Lower end of tri and superfecta seems the limit
#7 Sea Strike
Ran big in the Curlin and a similar effort might put him in the Winner’s Circle
#8 Baby Vino
Has won three in a row - got an A+ ride from Vargas last time but back to Paco today
#9 Golden Tempo
Will be flying late here with the meet’s top jockey
#10 Silent Tactic
Wild card - showed rare speed last time. Back to closing today?
My Win Contenders
Napoleon Solo, Renegade, Sea Strike, Baby Vino, Golden Tempo. I’ll be using these five in the Pick 5 in some way, shape, or form.
In the Preakness, I thought Napoleon Solo would take them wire to wire and win the race. He won, but he was able to rate and get it done. On paper, this race sets up the same way. He looks like the big speed, with #2 Lending Change the next up. I guess if you believe the speed that #10 Silent Tactic showed last time is legit, he might make things interesting early. If he does, I’m in trouble.
Because I’m prepared to bet Solo to win the Travers. Chad Summers could have taken him to Parx and been a Top 3 choice in the PA Derby. He lands here with Johnny V, and that feels like a bit of a tell. I have not seen the DRF Clocker Reports yet, but he looks to be training very well. At 8-1, I think he’s my pick in a deep Travers.
But honestly, as of Friday morning, I’m still on the fence for an official pick. I think Sea Strike is very interesting. And Renegade was loaded last time. I need more time. Sorry. It's just that competitive of a race.
So my official pick for tomorrow's Travers will have to wait for At The Post With Mut Blog at Barstool Saturday morning. Plus full-card selections for a loaded Saratoga card.
Side Note: Like, ‘too excited to sleep’ excited to be on the stream with boys on Saturday. Can’t wait. It’s all I’ve been thinking about.
On a few thoughts on the Patriots Preseason…
🏈 We didn’t see him for a snap of football, but the buzz continues to be that Drake Maye is going to have a monster season - at least that’s the word from around Gillette and people who have watched this team this offseason and summer. I’ve written that a few times, and nothing I’ve heard has made me think differently.
The WR core is just soooooo much more dynamic than anything he’s had in the NFL. He’s bulked up. He has the same OC for the second-straight season. And a real one too, not Alex Van Pelt. Big, big season incoming, and I’m not the only person who thinks so.
🏈 That being said, the Kayshon Boutte trade could haunt the team. He’s a great 1-for-1 replacement for AJ Brown, if he were to miss time. To dump him for a special-teamer from Houston and a late-round pick did not make a whole lot of sense, especially if other WRs struggle.
🏈 I have a very small brain, but this seems pretty simple:
Christian Gonzalez is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL
The best cornerbacks get paid a lot of money
The Patriots should pay Christian Gonzalez a lot of money.
What are we doing here? Guys like Mike Felger and Chris Curtis have destroyed the team for their actual cash spending over the years, and this feels like it’s only helping their argument.
And a bad look for Bob Kraft, saying at the beginning of camp the team had already offered Gonzalez a top-of-the-market contract. So when Adam Schefter comes out and says Thursday the team has not “gotten to that category” as far as offering him Devon Witherspoon Money ($33 million/year)…yeah, that makes the owner look bad. And his original comments made Gonzalez look bad, which I’m sure irked the player at some level.
Common sense dictates the deal still gets done, right? I mean, right? Are they really going to trade him? I don’t see it.
🏈 Watching Mike Vrabel punt away the preseason and not play anyone of relevance (especially on offense) is a reminder of the biggest ripoff in sports - NFL preseason tickets. The games are bundled into your season tickets, and you can’t opt out of them.
Sure, you can give them to the mailman or your brother-in-law, but you still have to buy them if you want the rest of the games. Pretty silly.
This is the least I have ever paid attention to a Pats’ preseason. Can’t wait for August 9, September 9, but what a snooze. Bring on the real football.
On your weekly MutStack Notes…
⚾ Big, big weekend for your Boston Red Sox. And someone online is mad at Hogdale. Go watch Dirty Water and subscribe on YouTube - then go listen and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts.
🎙️The best part about sports radio is that it’s live and you can react right away to a big game, big story, or breaking news. So in 2026, it’s INSANE that WEEI’s Rich, Ken & Ted were 10 minutes late after the Kayshon Boutte trade news broke Monday on X.com. Just yapping away on the Red Sox. Just terrible. Way late. Asleep at the wheel.
🎙️ I was listening to WEEI’s Afternoon Drive on Monday because I was curious - would they even get one phone call? Pats played a preseason game. Red Sox are hot again. You’re an afternoon drive show in one of the most sports-crazed markets in the world…you’re going to get calls, right?
In the first hour, they took zero. None.
Admittedly, I bailed after that and decided I’d listen back to the podcast. On the drive to Saratoga, that’s what I did. And it was the hardest thing I have ever done for MutStack.
In all, they took four calls over the three and a half hours (ended early for Red Sox baseball). One on the Sox. One on the WNBA. Two on “what NFL team is the worst?” None on the Boutte trade.
Less officially was how many times Rich gave out the phone number and said they’ll “take your calls”; I had that number at 12, but I may have missed a few in that first hour.
Are phone calls the biggest deal? Not really. But those live calls and reaction are what separates local radio from podcasts. They sort of mark relevancy. So the point is, as a show, WEEI built an afternoon program and brand that isn't relevant to the core Boston sports fan. Listening on Monday, it’s easy to hear why.
“Hey Ted, just read some football notes for three minutes.”
Brutal stuff. I pine for Hart and Fitzy. Jones and Mego. Benz and Friends. Any or all of the above.
🏌🏻I think the Good Good Golf Ad with Callaway was bad, but the story was over, and people had sort of moved on. Then the Good Good CEO posted this Friday morning at 3:38 AM, and I’m not a PR expert, but this seems like a bad idea?
🏌🏻 The new PGA Tour Playoff format that will end with a 16-player Match Play Bracket Championship sounds awesome, and I wish it started next year, not 2028.
That feels like enough Stack for this week. Shortish notes? Yep. But I have a lot of handicapping still to do, and my boss is sick and needs winners.
Good luck with all your bets this weekend. Travers Day thoughts tomorrow on the Barstool Blog. Best day of the year!
Thanks for reading. And watching.
Mut, great write up as always.
Two things I’d love for you to weigh in on:
1. It seems like there has been a rise in players pitching because of blowout games in the last couple years. With that, I’ve seen a lot of conversation around a “mercy rule” for baseball because blowouts and player pitching isn’t exciting. What do you think?
2. I know it’s not your side of the MLB, but any thoughts on the NL MVP race?
Good stuff, hope things go well today for you. Sox went down but only by one last night, so if we can actually score some runs, I think winning the next 3 is not impossible. I agree with you that they have to at least win 2 games. Red Sox v Yankees will always mean something, well, like 99% of the time lol. Good looks, love the shirt, think you out sold what the big boss was thinking. 👍