Category: Boston

Are the Astros Stealing the Red Sox Signs? Probably. Do I Care? Not Really.

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Yahoo – The Boston Red Sox were warned that a man credentialed by the Houston Astros might try to steal signs or information from their dugout after the Cleveland Indians caught him taking pictures of their dugout with a cellphone camera during Game 3 of the American League Division Series, sources with knowledge of the situation told Yahoo Sports.

A photograph obtained by Yahoo Sports showed a man named Kyle McLaughlin aiming a cell phone into Cleveland’s dugout during the Indians’ 11-3 loss that ended their season. McLaughlin was the same man caught taking pictures near the Red Sox’s dugout during Game 1 of the AL Championship Series, which was first reported by the Metro Times. McLaughlin was removed by security in Cleveland and Boston, sources said.

It would be the height of hypocrisy for a guy from Boston to fire up the outrage machine over alleged sign stealing from an opponent. It would go against the line I’ve *always* preached that it’s really not that big of a deal. I’m not going to go as far as the old trope that “if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying to win,” but particularly in baseball it is a part of the culture. If a guy on second base relays a stolen signal to his teammate at the plate then it’s generally accepted, if not applauded.

I suppose the influx of technology makes people more uncomfortable as it becomes a bit more sophisticated.

“Teams around the league are perhaps more wary of the Astros than any team, fearful that their employment of cameras – they use high-speed models made by Edgertronic to help evaluate players, according to sources – allows them to steal signs. MLB has not punished the Astros for any illegal behavior, sources told Yahoo Sports.”

If you happen to notice a catchers sign and relay that to a teammate you’re just competing, but if you have a whole system of deceit people regard it as more seedy.

I don’t really care and that may be because I am just entirely jaded by overblown cheating accusations (and stories about Apple Watches). If the Astros are indeed cheating then punish them, but I’m not going to sit here and tell you we need to take draft picks, and suspend players, and resurrect the ghost of Senator Arlen Specter to investigate the whole thing.

With that being said, at least PRETEND to be stealthy about it my dude.

But all this really does is raise the question I’ve always had as to why some of these stories blow up and others don’t? I mean anything the Patriots and Bill Belichick are accused of will always take on a life of its own because Bill is a glorious dickhead and people will take any chance they can get to try and bury the guy.

I guess the ‘Stros don’t play grabass with the media like some of the players/teams who have had similar stories swept under the rug.

Remember when Peyton Manning was (allegedly) taking PEDs? That shit was like a midnight news scroll on ESPN and was really never mentioned again. Ohhhh it was his wife taking the HGH guys, not Peyton the 40-year-old QB with a surgically fused spine, it was his wife!

Remember when the St. Louis Cardinals were caught hacking into the Astros entire scouting database? This got absolutely ZERO burn by the national media and this may have been the most outlandish scheme I’ve ever heard. The fall guy did end up going to prison and the team did get docked a couple of draft picks, but hey the Cardinals are the classiest team with the best fans in the world.

John Karalis and I Previewed the 2018-19 Boston Celtics Season on The 300s Podcast

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The Boston Celtics 2018-19 season FINALLY kicks off tonight as they host the Philadelphia 76ers. John Karalis of Reds Army recently joined me on The 300s Podcast and we discussed the Celtics, how they got to where they are today (the infamous Brooklyn Nets trade), how they’re setup for the future, and what we expect to see from them this season.

We’ve got Gordon Hayward healthy and ready to rock after only playing 5 minutes in the green last year. Kyrie Irving is back after late season knee surgery and by all reports seems to be at full strength. Al Horford will set the table for everyone and then of course we have 2nd and third year jumps coming from guys like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. All flanked by one of the best benches in the league led by Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier.

Vegas has the over/under for the Celtics season win total at anywhere from 58.5 to 59.5. Can this Celtics team win 60 games? I don’t know just because this starting core has so rarely played together with all of the injuries, but if they can click early on then it’s entirely possible. They’re also currently coming in at 6/1 odds to win it all.

This season is going to be fun as hell.

I LOVE This Quote From Rick Porcello

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“If we don’t get it done, we’re not going to throw another pitch for four months, and everything we did the entire year is over,” Porcello said. “So I’d much rather throw the s— out of my arm now and have it feel s—-y for three months with a ring on my hand then hem and haw about if I’m good to go and sit there feeling good the entire offseason. This is it. This is do or die.”

Talk about a guy who has embraced his role. According to Sports Illustrated, Porcello was a little rattled when called upon in Game 1 of the ALDS, but he’s settled in nicely to the super utility bullpen role made famous by Cleveland’s Andrew Miller.  Whether its emergency middle relief in Game 1 of the ALDS, a Game 4 start or acting as setup man in Game 2 of the ALCS; Porcello is ready to do anything and everything to help the team win.

This is a guy who would have every right to bitch about being used as a bullpen guy after winning the Cy Young just 24 months ago.

But instead you saw a guy that was FIRED UP after shutting down the defending champs in the 8th inning and securing the lead for Craig Kimbrel. This team has been criticized the better part of two years for being devoid of emotion and leadership so this was a welcome sight. Doesn’t matter if it’s the 1st inning or the 8th, Porcello is screaming like a psycho regardless and is ready to ball.

Sunday Night Was the Definition of First World Problems for Boston Fans

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When I was in Buffalo last week I half kidding, but half seriously complained to the surrounding Bills fans about how many night games the Patriots are forced to play only to be met by mocking groans.

Yes, only the best of the best consistently play primetime games, but I am also completely and utterly washed so staying up until midnight on a Sunday night is a feat of strength in itself.

If not for pure and unadulterated content like this I never would have made it:

The Red Sox won Game 2 of the ALCS and David Price did not completely implode last night, which was moderately encouraging to see. He did not however pitch all that well and left the game in the 4th inning so he technically was not eligible for his first postseason win. Leaving the game after 4 2/3 IP having given up 4 runs with 2 men on, Price was greeted to a standing ovation by the Fenway faithful. I’m sorry, but the people have gone soft. After Price gave up a 2-run HR moonshot to Marwin Gonzalez in the 3rd inning I honestly just felt bad for the guy. He wasn’t pitching well, he keeps stumbling in the playoffs, and just looks like he wants to go home. So it is with no malice in my heart when I say this, but a standing ovation for 4.2 IP and 4 earned runs? Ridiculous.

Now the real shame of last night was while the Red Sox were slugging it out for American League supremacy, the Patriots were playing one of the most hyped games of the season against the electric Kansas City Chiefs and I was physically unable to watch both. I was far too lazy to drag out a second TV and reorganize all the cable boxes for 3 hours of entertainment. That would have meant having to rearrange everything afterwards. Pass.

So I was just flipping back and forth and was able to watch the last 3 minutes of the Pats game as they showed why they are the modern day dynasty with a crazy last second comeback. However, I woke up this morning with an excruciating pang of FOMO. Patriots 43 Chiefs 40 with a game winning field goal as time expired. And I watched about 10 minutes of the entire thing. Now I have to try and track down one of those 2 hour reruns of the game on NFL Network or something so I can feel whole again.

Red Sox/Astros ALCS Game 2 Preview

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The Red Sox weren’t favored to win this series, but they were favored to win Game 1. That didn’t happen, as they fell to the Astros 7-2 last night. Today they find themselves underdogs in the series and in Game 2. Here’s a quick look at the latest lines:

  • Location: Fenway Park (Boston, Mass.)
  • First Pitch: Sunday, October 14, 7:09 PM EDT
  • TV: TBS
  • Odds (via Odds Shark): Astros -1.5 (runline) / Astros -135 (moneyline) / 8 (total)

The Red Sox will send David Price to the mound as they attempt to even the series at one game apiece. There’s been much discussion in Red Sox Nation as to whether or not Price should get the nod in Game 2. But despite his playoff woes, Price has good numbers against the ‘stros.

In his career, Price is 6-2 against Houston with a 2.94 ERA. In 70.1 innings pitched Price has struck out 85 Houston batters, walked 15 and allowed 24 runs (23 earned). The current Astros roster has hit .231 against Price in the past, collectively. In his time in Boston, Price is 3-0 against Houston with a 3.09 ERA.

As I said earlier in the week, I don’t hate this move. It will be hard for the Red Sox to win this series or the World Series without contributions from Price. If he doesn’t have it tonight, it will definitely be time to move on, but the Sox won’t be done in the series. Starting him in Game 2 is better than starting him in a potential elimination game.

The Astros will counter with Gerrit Cole, who went 15-5 with a 2.88 ERA in his first season in Houston. He’s 2-1 in four career starts against Boston, with a 4.32 ERA.

I don’t expect a blowout either way, and as a Sox fan I’m hoping for the best from Price. Still, the Astros and the over seem like the safe plays tonight.

Boston Dynamics Releases New Footage of Robot Jumping Over Things, and We Should All Be Scared Shitless

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Yesterday, Boston Dynamics released a new video of its “darling” robot Atlas jumping over/on to different objects in their lab, basically looking like Barry Sanders in his prime, for legitimately no other reason than the fact they think it’s cool.

For those who don’t know who or what Boston Dynamics is, here’s a solid two-liner from Wikipedia that sums them up: Boston Dynamics is an American engineering and robotics design company founded in 1992 as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Boston Dynamics is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group.

And if you’d like to watch the terrifying video I referred to above, here it is:

Why? No but really, though: WHY???!!

Have we learned NOTHING from Sarah and John Connor??!! It’s all fun and games until Skynet launches and we’re overtaken by machines because someone just HAD to teach a piece of metal how to do parkour.

Here’s another video featuring more of their frightening and entirely unnecessary creations:

https://youtu.be/3OKZ_n8QW4w

“Spot” and “Big Dog” are the stuff of nightmares. And how about the fucking Roomba that can JUMP OVER A GODDAMN BUILDING??!!

OH, and did you know that Boston Dynamics actually developed “Big Dog” as a weapon for the U.S. military? But don’t worry, guys! They’re absolutely HARMLESS.

Also, if you’ve seen Kingsman: The Golden Circle (awesome movie, by the way), you can’t tell me this isn’t immediately where your mind went after watching that horror show:

Apparently, the company has been in existence since 1992, and we’re still standing, so maybe some might think I’m overreacting a bit. But back then most people thought the idea of sending a text message was impossible, and let’s just say technology has made quite a leap over the last quarter-century.

Nothing about this is cool. Stop glorifying it. And seriously, somebody go get John Connor!

The 300s Red Sox Yankees ALDS Preview

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It’s been FOURTEEN YEARS since these teams faced off in the postseason when the Red Sox broke a curse and kicked off an entire generation of young massholes coming up in the world (not to mention completing the greatest comeback in the history of sports). It seems like these two teams used to go at it in the playoffs all the time back in the day, but in reality they’ve only ever faced off four times. That just goes to show you how sports will never be more important to your every day life than when you’re 15.

I wrote the other day about how despite winning a franchise record 108 games, most Red Sox fans don’t seem exactly brimming with confidence. The Yankees, also having won 100 games, have come to town though so it’s time to play for keeps. Lets break down some key things to watch for before making our pick.

  • Game 1
    • Friday, Oct. 5th – 7:32 pm (Fenway)
      • Chris Sale vs J.A. Happ
  • Game 2
    • Saturday, Oct. 6th – 8:15 pm (Fenway)
      • David Price vs Masahiro Tanaka
  • Game 3
    • Monday, Oct. 8th – TBD (Yankee Stadium)
      • ??? vs Rick Porcello
  • Game 4
    • Tuesday, Oct. 9th – TBD (Yankee Stadium) *if necessary
  • Game 5
    • Thursday, Oct. 11th – TBD (Fenway) *if necessary

/////

  • He’s not even on the team, but Trot Nixon is throwing out the first pitch for Game 1 so I’m listing that as a strength. Don’t even argue with me on that one.
  • Red Sox Offense – Boston led all of baseball with 876 runs this year (NY was second with 851) and have 2 guys in JD Martinez and Mookie Betts who are a coin flip to win AL MVP. Aside from those two they have a pretty, pretty, pretty good lineup:
    • Andrew Benintendi .290/16/87
    • Xander Bogaerts .288/23/103
    • Rafael Devers .240/21/66
    • Eduardo Nunez .265/10/44
    • Brock Holt .277/7/46
    • Mitch Moreland .245/15/68
  • Not to mention we have newly crowned Yankee killer Steve Pearce waiting to pounce. He hits J.A. Happ extremely well (.344 average, 1.419 OPS, six homers and 16 RBIs in 32 career at-bats) so don’t be surprised to see him in the starting lineup tonight.
  • Chris Sale (if healthy)
    • It’s impossible to know what to expect from Chris Sale tonight. I went into my concerns about Sale the other day and I still don’t feel great about it.
      I’ll be honest though, the No. 1 reason I’m less than confident heading into Friday night is 100% Chris Sale’s health. The guy is just not right. According to Felger and Mazz yesterday, his average fastball velocity went down every single start over his last four starts. That is BAD. He was throwing off of flat ground earlier this week, just days before he’s supposed to take the ball in Game 1. Thats something a rehabbing pitcher does, not a guy who is ready to open the ALDS. Maybe he comes out and he’s totally fine, but I’m not counting on it. Even if he does, I’d be concerned about how he bounces back. Remember when he came off the DL and struck out 12 Orioles and was hitting 99 on the gun? Yea well that was on August 12th and he’s thrown a grand total of 12 innings since then.
  • Craig Kimbrel had a down year when compared to his stellar standard, but this guy coming out of the pen throwing absolute gas is about as good of a weapon you can have. Now if the Sox can somehow bridge the gap to him…
  • Red Sox Bullpen: It’s terrible. Despite the advanced analytics saying the Sox bullpen actually has a great WAR, if you’ve watched even one game this season you know it’s anxiety inducing. Hell, it’s been this way all the way since Game 1.
  • So help me god if Alex Cora throws Steven Wright out there in a late situation only to give up a bomb on a knuckleball while Boone sits in the dugout and smirks.
  • Red Sox Starters 2-5: Consistency is the problem here. Rick Porcello won the Cy Young in 2016 for christ’s sake, but I’m not super confident in him. He did throw a complete game shutout against the Yankees in about 90 minutes earlier this season though.
  • Even Tim Kurkjian doesn’t know what to think. I feeeel like they’ll be good, but they’ve also ALL been bad in the playoffs their entire careers….

“The gut feeling here is, despite lots of evidence to the contrary, he is going to be great this October. He will have to be if the Red Sox are to win this series. [Chris Sale] David Price and Rick Porcello also need to be good. Together, those three are 0-11 with a 6.18 ERA in 14 postseason starts.”

  • David Price’s Psyche: He’s gotta break through in the playoffs at some point right? Right??
  • Yankees Home Run Power: These guys can hit the shit out of the ball and half their lineup can hit it to the moon. The Yankees set the single season home run record this year with 267 home runs, which I feel like is somehow getting overlooked here. Stanton led the Yanks with 38 dingers, but Miguel Andujar, Didi Gregorius, Aaron Hicks, and Aaron Judge each hit 27. Oh and Gleyber Torres chipped in with 24 of his own. Yikes.
  • I think more than anything I just want to beat Aaron Boone’s brains in. It’s bad enough what he did to me and my family back in 2003, but for him to saunter out of the ESPN broadcast booth down into the dugout and think he’s just going to manage the Yankees past the Red Sox? Straight up disrespectful.

  • I would rather listen to Michael McDonald for 8 hours a day then hear that obnoxious, awful, victory chant from John Sterling one more time. THAaAaAaAaAaAa YANKEES WIN is the most obnoxious shit in all of sports and is literally the exact opposite of what they teach you in journalism school. So yea, listen to your teachers and stay in school kids.

Official Prediction

Red Sox in 5

I think the best home field advantage in baseball comes into play as the Red Sox are dominant at home (57-24 at Fenway this year) and the Yankees are 1-6 in their last 7 playoff road games. The Sox bullpen will struggle to keep these games in check, but I think some combo of Sale/Kimbrel/Eovaldi/E-Rod get it done with some help from Price. We know this team can hit, it’s just going to be a matter of keeping the Yanks in check and I think the Sox do it by the skin of their teeth as New York pushes them to the brink.

Kyrie Irving Says He’s Going to Re-sign with the Celtics…For Now

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Image result for kyrie irving

Last night, Kyrie Irving uttered the words Celtics fans have longed to hear: “I plan on re-signing here next year.”

At a season-ticket-holders-only event at the TD Garden on Thursday night, Kyrie flat-out told the crowd that, if we’ll have him back, he plans on re-upping with the Celtics next summer:

Obviously, that should be music to the ears of any fan of the Green. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

How many times have we heard similar “promises” issued by other NBA stars, only to watch them pull the rug right out from underneath their loyal, naive fans’ feet?

Remember when LeBron made his triumphant return to Cleveland in 2014 and adamantly stated that he would never, ever leave his precious home state again? He just “didn’t have the energy” to even fathom making another move, and he was going to be a Cavalier FOR LIFE. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!

Fast-forward four years and:

Image result for lebron lakers press conference

Or how about Kevin Durant, when he was still with the Thunder in 2015, feeding us this crock of shit (h/t ESPN.com):

“I love it here, man. I love my teammates, I love the city, I don’t really think about anywhere else,” Durant told Revolt TV in a recent interview. “I hear it all the time, don’t get me wrong, and once you hear it you’re kind of like [looks up, thinking]. But for me, I love staying in the moment, and I’m one of those guys that would love to stick it out with one team my whole career.”

Just over a year later, he joined the Golden State Warriors.

I am not criticizing either player for choosing to make the moves they did, and everyone reserves the right to change their mind. I just simply refuse to take any player at their word – in any sport, but ESPECIALLY the NBA – when it comes to long-term commitment or promises of future loyalty.

NBA players are a fickle bunch, and even more so they’re very obstinate. As soon as the opportunity arises for them to team up with one of their buddies or another star who just so happens to become available, they’ll drop their old team quicker than you can say “the next big three.” There’s already been plenty of chatter about Kyrie wanting to team up with biffle Jimmy Butler, and there’s just no way that could ever happen with the Celtics. (Well, it could, but it wouldn’t be worth the effort it would take to do so.) And Thursday night we got a report, per Jay King of The Athletic, that he’s also spoken with Pelicans All-Word forward Anthony Davis about a potential team-up.

While the idea of Davis in a Boston uniform makes me feel things in certain places that I probably can’t mention on this blog, there’s no guarantee Danny Ainge could make that happen. And if there’s another team that can offer a better pathway to get the three of them together, Kyrie would be foolish to not at least consider it.

Image result for anthony davis celtics

GOOD LORD. Just imagine…

Furthermore, there’s also been plenty of credible rumors connecting Kyrie to other teams throughout the Association, particularly the New York Knicks. Besides the fact that he is from West Orange, New Jersey – which is only about 20 miles away from Madison Square Garden – the Knicks have not been bashful whatsoever about how much they covet the 26-year-old guard. Irving also had the the Knicks on his list of short teams he’d like to go to before he was ultimately traded to Boston last summer:

Even former teammates are chiming in on the speculation. Just three weeks ago, in response to an Instagram post from NiceKicks which asked about the chances Kyrie signs with the Knicks next season, Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith responded by posting the simple word: “HIGH.”

Now, to be fair, Smith may have just been letting everyone know about his current state at the time of the post, but in all seriousness the two did play together for two years, so they’re not strangers. Also, again, he is not the first to connect Kyrie to the ole Knickerbockers. Seriously, just Google: “Kyrie Irving Knicks” and you’ll see the rampant speculation out there from all corners of the NBA zeitgeist.

It’s also no secret that Kyrie is about other things than just basketball. That is not to say that he is not a competitor or that he doesn’t care about winning; all I’m saying is that the guy is an absolute ham for the camera and is not shy about self-promoting off the court. While staying in Boston with such a young, talented roster would give Kyrie the chance to compete for championships for at least the next 5-10 years, it simply does not have the marketing clout that comes along with playing in New York or L.A. (I’m talking about the Clippers; I know there’s no way Kyrie is choosing to play with LeBron again.)

Perhaps the one saving grace Celtics fans can rest their hat on is the fact that Kyrie can make way more money by re-signing here as opposed to going anywhere else due to NBA max contract rules. But again, if he can still make just as much – if not more – with endorsements and movie deals off the court, does that really even matter?

So, look, it’s OK to be happy about what Kyrie said last night; I am, too. But let’s not take it as Bible, and do understand that a lot can change over the next year. Until I hear about the T’s being crossed and the I’s being dotted on Kyrie’s next official contract, I’m not counting my chickens.

Stay tuned…

The Bruins Got Smoked Last Night But Marchand Beat The Bag Out of Someone

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Boston.com – ...the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals opened their title defense with a 7-0 thrashing of the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

After watching the franchise’s first Stanley Cup banner ascend to the rafters, T.J. Oshie opened the scoring just 24 seconds in, and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the first of his two goals 1 1/2 minutes later to get the rout off to a fast start


Optimistic Joey B here with the first Bruins take of the year. I’m not going to sugar coat things too much. Getting shellacked 7-0 including 2 goals in the first minute of the fucking game is not a great look. To the defending champs, in my opinion, is an even worse one. This is the preeminent team to beat in the National Hockey League and we get blanked. Hopefully this is just a “wake the fuck up” game and the B’s can get their engines revved moving forward. Last note before I move on: I didn’t see much of it so I don’t know how many goals against Zdeno Chara’s corpse was on the ice for but let’s hope this can’t be easily pinned on him or there will be calls for his head pretty soon. (Editor’s Note: That is a strong to quite strong take on the 7 footer.)

To the positives and my headline, Brad Marchand beat the shit out of someone. Now, you can view this is kind of like when the season starts in baseball and a player strikes out four times but you are able to say, objectively, they had “good at bats”. Took some good cuts. Didn’t chase a couple you might have expected them to. Made the pitcher work. So, although we did indeed get big brothered by the defending champs, at least we had Noseface doing Noseface things and bloodying some guy up. It’s a reason to stay optimistic and a sign good things lay ahead for our squad.

Not all hope is lost my friends. Boston has kept the Bruins, so Bruins will keep Boston.

-Joey B.

P.S: Deadspin’s headline was something like “Brad Marchand Is Back To Being a Prick” and it made me SQUEAL with joy. Sorry for partying, Deadspin.

Marcus Morris Chirps Tristan Thompson and Continues Preseason Rampage

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Image result for marcus morris

Look, I know it’s only the preseason, but Marcus Morris is really getting me amped up with his strong showing over the past week – both on and off the court.

For those who missed it, Cavalier’s big man Tristan Thompson told the media last Thursday that Cleveland is still the team to beat in the East, even with the King now in L.A.:

Yeah, I LAWLed pretty hard at that one, too, as the kids say, and Marcus Morris made sure to let Thompson know what was really good almost immediately afterward:

Apparently their trash-talking days date back over a decade, as Morris and his brother Markieff, who plays for the Washington Wizards, used to face off against Thompson on the circuit in high school. The three also participated in two tough collegiate battles back in 2011 while playing in the Big 12, with the Morris twins’ Kansas Jayhawks beating Thompson’s Texas Longhorns in the conference championship that year.

Image result for morris thompson college

These two have quite the history.

Thompson has definitely had the upper hand on both of the Morris brothers since entering the NBA, and his Cavaliers did indeed beat the Celtics 102-95 at the TD Garden on Tuesday night. However, Morris continued to back up his big mouth with 14 points in 21 minutes on 50 percent shooting. He also added a block and two rebounds to boot.

Again, does last night’s performance really mean anything? Not really. But it does further demonstrate just how ready Morris seems to be and just how serious he is about the fact that this is both he and the Celtics’ year. Morris is quickly becoming one of my favorite guys on the roster, and I can’t wait to see wait to see the havoc that he and the rest of BWA are going to wreak on the NBA this season.

Though we’re still two weeks away from the real deal, the Celtics play their final preseason game this Saturday night on the road against Cleveland.