1.Red Sox Predictions and Thoughts:

* The Hanley watch is on – 497 plate appearances and his $22mm option kicks in for next year (that’s 125 games played)

* You missed your chance to trade Jackie Bradley – hitting .184 in Spring Training

* Who is this Marcus Walden: 13 innings – 15 K – 0.69 ERA – 0.77 WHIP

* Porcello 4.91 ERA in Spring following last year’s 4.65 ERA

* Love the extension for Christian Vazquez

* Here’s hoping Price has a decent year and opts out

* Prediction – Porcello over 4.00 ERA / Steve Wright won’t pinch run / Martinez will fly out to the warning track in right 10 times / Stanton doesn’t hit over 37 home runs for Yankees / 90 wins

2. Patriots

*Patriots offseason trade – Butler, Solder, Lewis, Amendola, 3^rd round pick, 5^th round pick for Shelton, McCourty, Clayborn, Hill, Tobin, Patterson – so far their defensive line is much better, offensive line worse, backfield the same, defensive backs same

* If Jimmy G was in the draft right now he would be a top three pick – the Patriots got a 43^rd pick in exchange for a top three pick / for the 3^rd pick – Jets gave their 6^th, 37^th, 49^th, and another second rounder

* Jeremy Hill is in for a culture shock coming from the Bengals (don’t forget about his sucker punch when at LSU)

* Interesting to hear Troy Brown on WEEI saying there is tension between Bill and Tom

* Patriots have the 31^st / 43^rd / 63^rd / 95th / 136^th / 159^th / 219^th picks

3. Celtics

* Brad Stevens wins as the Celtic coach – 25 / 40 / 48 / 53 / 55 (this year’s pace)

* No Irving, Smart, Brown or Hayward – ugh

* What does the eye test tell you on Horford – underachiever - overpaid

* Horford Rankings – Salary - 11^th highest paid ($27.7mm) / Scoring - 85^th at 12.7 / Rebounding - 28^th at 7.5 rpg

* Marcus smart is 155^th in three-point shooting at .301

4. Bruins

* Cassidy Coach of the Year – Four of his top five players – Marchand, Bergeron, Krejci Backes – have missed a combined 73 games

* Donato, Hodge, Grahame, and Bourque – Donato the only son better than father

* Record without Bergeron 35-20 .636 / 11-7 without .611

* Backes 29 goals in two years – not bang for the buck

* Does Khudobin get playoff starts?

* Next year – Haynes, Beleskey and Sidenberg count $4mm against the cap

* Crazy stat in the Globe – Brad Marchand hasn’t taken a slap shot yet

5. My thoughts on Yawkey Avenue:

* Qualifier – Yawkey wasn’t the picture of progressiveness – and not being a forward voice in Boston is not what we’re looking for (we are the hub of Abolitionists)

* But whenever you talk about history you must put everything in context (ie. Negro and Colored were accepted terms – someday African American term will be deemed insensitive)

* You don’t have to look any further than the newspaper - that John Henry owns - to see context.       Headlines such as “Japs Surrender” / “Krauts on the Run” / And the N word routinely showed up in the Boston Globe

* Black players – Reggie Smith and George Scott spoke favorably of Mr. Yawkey

* Yawkey is criticized for being the last to integrate (1959) BUT REALLY – so the Tigers 1958 (11 years after Robinson) / Phillies 1957 (10 years) / Yankees 1955 (eight years) – they are all guilty as well

* Before John Henry starts naming himself the beacon of inclusion – anyone look at his hedge fund holdings in the 80’s - South Africa? Gun companies?

* If you had to bet in Vegas – did Cora’s minority status make his naming inevitable?

* If I’m the Yawkey Foundation – if the city pulls the name – I pull all my investments in the city schools and services and take their money to a town that understands the family could have done better but in the totality has made a significant difference

6. NCAA Basketball

*Watched the Villanova vs West Virginia game Friday night – 40 minutes – 48 fouls (a foul every 50 seconds of the game – that’s every other possession): “look at me – I’m an official and need attention.”

* Does TBS really need five people in their studio and a politically correct effort by adding a woman

* How has Duke lost a game this year – their front line – 7’0” / 6’11” / 6’11” / 6’10” / 6’10” (Celtics go 6’11” / 6’10” / 6’10”)

7. Amazing Stats – There were obviously eleven defensive players on the field for the Patriots when Butler intercepted the Seattle pass - How many defensive plays did those eleven play in this year’s Super Bowl? ZERO

8. Old School – After Paul Pierce was given the gift of having his number retired – silly talk about Garnett’s number being retired– who are players that dropped in for a cameo and contributed but don’t deserve their number retired:

·         Keith Foulke

·         Koji Uehara

·         Darrell Revis

·         Charlie Scott

·         Corey Dillon

·         James Posey

·         Paul Silas

·         Bailey Howell

9. Just a Little Bit Outside – In March of 1935 – a dog in Japan died named Hachiko. Hachiko was such a devoted dog that he used to meet his owner at the train station at the end of each day. One day the dog’s owner died at work. The dog showed up for that train every day for nine years before dying while waiting for him.

10. Randomocity

* I hate that moment between seeing a pothole and hitting it – recoil city.

* Anything cause goosebumps more than the lyric “and the rockets red glare!”

* Whatever happened to fish sticks?

* Now in Chicago they say the most dangerous place to be is at funerals – there has been a run of shootings at graveyards, funeral homes, and churches – hmmm quite a place.

* 172 firemen that worked on Ground Zero have died since 9/11 – that’s 10 a year

* Watched documentary – The Kill Team on Amazon – yikes you would never enlist after watching this

It seemed like they had everything going for them.  They had control of their own destiny.  But oh were they mistaken.  A Team called the Outlaws was in their way, and man oh man were we in for a treat last night!  Of course I’m talking about the eSports phenoms in Overwatch League, the Seoul Dynasty.  This is a Team that has so much talent.  Even their “Healers” get “Eliminations”.  Like really these guys have made their mark that in eSports terms they are the equivalent to a great Baseball Team.  Think the New York Yankees… I mean right they have that kind of talent.  Pros who are household names.  Like Munchkin, Tobi, Ryujehong, Kuki, Fleta, and Wekeed. They are just stacked, let me just leave it at that.  But last night they ran into a “Junkrat” named Jake, perhaps the best “Junkrat” player in the League.  And you know what?  They lost!

How do I adequately put this… they got dismantled… they got “PWND”!  It was really a great match and this League is so brutal that any mistakes get blown way out of proportion.  I was on the edge of my seat the whole game.  Just thinking to myself can this really happen to the best Team in the OW League?  What I saw took my breath away.  The Houston Outlaws played great Defense.  And it all started withe the 1st Map:

Houston Outlaws vs Seoul Dynasty: Map 1

The Outlaws came out on fire!  They quickly took the 1st Map Point on Assault.  Then they got 2 ticks on the 2nd Point.  They were so close to getting the final point.  And I have to say I wasn’t sure if they could hold the Dynasty to just 1 point.  They had to play great Defense.  They had to do something that most Teams can’t do against Seoul.

Now it was the Dynasty’s turn to play Offense on Assault.  They fought off the Outlaws and managed to get the 1st Point on Hanamura.  Now the 2nd Point zone was waiting for them.  The Outlaws went with Jake on “Junkrat” and that would set up one of the biggest “holds” in OW League History.  They held the zone with Jake spamming Grenades and Mines.  Time and time again the Outlaws forced the Dynasty to wait for respawns.  Time and time again they got stuffed outside of the building with the scoring zone.  It was incredible!  Mad props go to Linkzr and Muma for the Outlaws.  These guys literally closed the door on the zone. The Dynasty couldn’t even enter the building without getting hit by a huge Gorilla.  Not to mention the “picks”.  There were times when Jake had a “Rip Tire Mine” which zoned out the other Team.  The Outlaws had to “hold” the point zone for over 4 Minutes.  In OWL that’s like an eternity.  The Dynasty could only manage 1 tick.  After 4 Minutes Houston took the Map Win 2-1 as time ran out.  Amazing!

Houston Outlaws vs Seoul Dynasty: Map 2

Map 2 was Control on Nepal and the Outlaws were once again playing aggressively.  Linkzr especially… Jake looked a little too aggressive.  What they faced was all Munchkin on Tracer.  The Dynasty struck back showing their skill at various “Dives”.  They took the 1st Map Point.  Then in the second point zone in the temple the Outlaws did their best with an “anti Dive” composition.  They almost pulled off the reversal on Nepal but couldn’t control the point.  Seoul Dynasty would take the Map 2-0.

Houston Outlaws vs Seoul Dynasty: Map 3

Map 3 was Hybrid on King’s Row.  The Outlaws went first and after they scored the 1st Map Point Jake went out on the “Junkrat”.  Something magical happened just then… The “Junkrat” worked as a perfect “anti Dive” strategy on Hybrid.  It was “as if” it was Stage 1 all over again!  I mean really this is an old “Meta”, something that got “nerfed” at the end of Stage 1 earlier this year.  But hey, don’t tell that to Jake.  The guy had 30 percent of the Outlaws’ Hero Damage against Seoul.  It looked easy for them and they took the Map Win 3-2.

Houston Outlaws vs Soul Dynasty: Map 4

Escort on Gibraltar was the 4th and last Map.  Seoul brought in the big guns,.  Over the commercial break they subbed in Fleta, easily their best player.  The Outlaws went with Jake on Tracer, Linkzr on Widowmaker.  I am not going to lie this was a close one.  But Houston played spectacular and I just have to recall what I said yesterday: “You just can’t under estimate the OutLaws.”  It was just a clinic on “picks”, “eliminations”, and “final blows.”  Houston had, once again, another epic “hold” on Defense that lasted into overtime on the very last Map Point for Seoul.  It was one of the great classics that finished…with everyone watching with their mouths open.  I know that I was shocked at the Map Score 3-2 and at the awesome hold with time running out.  This is one to watch again.  Truly un-scriptable!  Outlaws beat the best [3-1].

With this loss, Seoul Dynasty is virtually knocked out of this weekend’s Stage 2 Playoffs.  Whoa, and I thought a London vs Seoul match up was gunna be good.  On the other matches of the night NY Excelsior beat the Dallas Fuel [3-2] and Boston Uprising beat the San Fransisco Shock [3-2].

Tonight continues the action on Twitch.tv and MLG Network.  It starts at 7pm EST Seoul vs Florida, 9pm EST Philadelphia vs LA Valiant, 11pm EST London vs Shanghai.  It’s a very big deal because if Philadelphia wins they get 3rd Place and are in the Playoffs.  If they lose who knows who will be in 3rd place!  GL HF!