Cash Strapped Red Sox Owners Plan to Build a New Music Venue Right Next to Fenway

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The Boston Red Sox are getting into the music business.

Fenway Sports Group and Live Nation are jointly exploring development of a 5,000-seat music venue, to be called the Fenway Theater, on the corner of Lansdowne and Ipswich streets near Fenway Park.“The success of Fenway Park as a year-round venue has paved the way for this project, which will ensure the Lansdowne Street area remains a true entertainment district in Boston,” said Tom Werner, chair of Fenway Sports Group, in a statement. “To have an intimate, indoor performing arts space for smaller-scale events will allow for a wider array of uses throughout the year.”

If the Red Sox team owners aren’t the most beautiful example of American capitalism then I don’t know who is. First they crammed 37,000 seats into a 100+ year old ballpark with some nifty renovations, then they sold everything from seat backs to BRICKS, and now they want to add a 5,000 person music venue to Fenway.

Awesome.

Listen, it’ll probably be sick, but I’m sure 5,000 more people on Landsdowne Street is exactly what everyone’s massive crowd induced anxiety attacks need.

Not to mention this would be directly across the street from the House of Blues, but it seems like the Sox would have plans to take that operation over as well.

“Fenway Music Co. would book, manage and operate the Fenway Theater, as well as the nearby House of Blues Boston at 15 Lansdowne St.”

For reference sake HOB’s capacity is about 2,500 so this Fenway theater would be legit double the size. You could bring in some bigger name artists that are too big for House of Blues, but not big enough for the Garden.

I suppose John Henry and Tom Werner have come to grips with the fact that they’re not going to be building a new stadium until Fenway literally collapses into itself. So they might as well double down and keep adding new ways to make money off the tax exempt city landmark (LOL). It’s probably not even legally allowed for them to add more seats to Fenway Park, so lets do the next best thing; add seats right outside for a different show.

As Boston’s “cram as much shit into as little space as possible” standards go, this venue should fit right in. As most Sox fans know, this little corner of Ipswich and Landsdowne currently is just a team parking lot of sorts. So why not build something on top of it?

I will get on board with the Fenway Theater if and only if John Henry meets this one demand. Bronson Arroyo has to christen the venue with an opening night performance. Hell, maybe 8 straight nights like when Jay-Z kicked off the opening of the Barclays Center.

UPDATE: 2018 MLB Playoff Oddities

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From my fingertips to the Greek God of Walks’ Hops’ ears. I can’t take credit for coming up with this playoff idea,  but I think it is about to pick up steam. There are a few other issues Major League Baseball will need to deal with first, including the stadium situations in Tampa and Oakland and possible expansion, but I think reconfiguring the playoff system is not much further down the list.

Reconfiguring the playoff system could be handled at the same time as expansion. If MLB were to add two teams after resolving the stadium situations in Tampa and Oakland, it’s possible they could realign, create a more balanced schedule, and reconfigure the playoff system all at the same time. A more balanced schedule would mean teams like the Cleveland Indians couldn’t as easily beat up on a weak division to claim a playoff spot.

And realignment doesn’t need to be some crazy plan with a dozen teams switching leagues. Maybe the solution is simply to go back to how things were done for the first seven decades of the 20th century – two leagues with no divisions at all.

This won’t be resolved by this time next year, but Major League Baseball could look a whole lot different in just the next decade.

2018 MLB Playoff Oddities

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No playoff system in American sports is perfect and there will always be debates about ways to improve them. Major League Baseball has long had the smallest field of playoff teams among the North American professional sports leagues, and the most straight-forward postseason format. This October, though, could be one of the strangest MLB postseasons in memory.

Today in the National League, the teams with the four best records in the league will play two tiebreaker games. The winners will take their division’s respective crown and head to the League Division Series. The losers will square off tomorrow in the National League Wild Card game. It will mark the first time in baseball history that a loser of a tiebreaker game won’t be eliminated. The 90-win Atlanta Braves have the fewest wins of all National League playoff teams and will be the only National League team that does not have to play an extra tiebreaker and/or Wild Card game before the Division Series.

Meanwhile in the American League, the New York Yankees and Oakland A’s will face off in the American League Wild Card game Wednesday. Both teams have more wins than the AL Central Champion Cleveland Indians. The Indians will take on the Houston Astros in one American League Division Series while the winner of the Wild Card game will take on the 108-win Boston Red Sox in the other American League Division Series. The Red Sox, with the most wins in a season by a team since the Seattle Mariners won 116 games in 2001, will have to face a tougher Division Series opponent than the second-seeded Astros.

Change is slower in baseball than any other professional sports league in North America. The 2018 playoffs, no matter how they play out, likely won’t spur a change to the MLB playoff format in the near future. They will make a great case for going to a system more like the NBA, though, where the top five teams make the playoffs and get seeded by record regardless of division. Again, that probably won’t happen soon but probably in the next decade or so.

The 300s Just Had Its Best Month EVER. Get On This Train Now Before It’s Too Late

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So just a quick little update for everyone that takes the time out of their day to read this humble Boston blog from time to time. September was the best month EVER for The 300s.

And I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for reading, commenting, tweeting, and sharing our stuff. This site continues to grow as does The 300s brand as a whole. The 300s Podcast also had its best month ever, no big deal. We’ve got some new things in the works over the next few months so keep an eye out for all those announcements. In the meantime, lets take a look at the top posts from September, the top performing month since I started this operation way back in 2016.

Quick Celtics Thoughts After First Weekend of Preseason Action Against the Charlotte Hornets

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Image result for celtics gordon hayward

Well, Sunday was a great day in Boston. For the first time in a long time, the Celtics, Patriots, AND Red Sox were all victorious on the same day.

Sure, the Pats victory was the only one that mattered, as the Celtics are only playing preseason ball at the moment and the Sox already locked up their spot in the postseason what feels like eons ago. But October is officially here, which is the one month per year we get all four of our beloved squads playing meaningful action at the same time. The Pats, Celts, and Bruins are either already in or about to be in the fresh, young stages of the season, and the Sox are getting set for another World Series run.

What a time to be alive in the Bean!

This piece is going to focus on the Green, though, after a 1-1 series split with the Charlotte Hornets this past weekend. Rather than break down each game, let’s instead take a look at a few key takeaways:

Mixed Results for Hayward

If you were to look solely at Gordon Hayward’s stat line from the weekend, you might think things didn’t really go so hot for him: 3-of-14 from the field overall; 1-of-7 from deep; seven rebounds; and four assists.

Image result for gordon hayward hornets

Sure, those shooting numbers are pretty rough, but he did have seven rebounds and four assists in 44 total minutes of action. Also, it was the first two games the guy has played in since October 17 of last year; he’s still shaking off the rust.

Hayward even admitted as much after Friday night’s contest (h/t ESPN Boston):

“The one cut to the rim, I usually would have dunked that one. Tried to go up off my leg and just didn’t have it, I guess,” Hayward said. “So, that stuff I think will come back, that little explosion. I’m certain of that. … It was just the speed of the game, just the crowd, that’s something I need to get used to again.”

Now, I’m not going to lie, the whole “tried to go up off my leg and just didn’t have it” part of that quote didn’t leave me with the warm and fuzzies, but I’m hoping it really is just a muscle memory sort of thing as opposed to any residual physical limitation.

Regardless of how mediocre his play might have been this weekend, all that matters is Hayward got through the first two games without issue. That’s all we can ask for at this point.

Morris Looks Ready to Go

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After serving as one of the very best bench pieces in the entire NBA last season, Marcus Morris looks rearing to go in 2018. Morris finished the weekend with 24 total points in 35 minutes of action on 9-of-21 shooting from the floor overall, including 46 percent from three-point land.

However, the most impressive numbers associated with Morris were actually his plus-6 and plus-11 finishes, respectively. Morris’s toughness and relentless energy permeate throughout the rest of his teammates each time he is on the floor, on BOTH ends, and efficiency numbers like this only further prove that point.

Easily talented enough to be a starter on most teams throughout the Association, Morris is content to serve as one the Green’s most important reserves on a loaded roster. After coming up with the nickname “BWA” (Bench With Attitude) for he and the rest of the team’s reserves this season, Morris doubled down on the moniker with a clear message for the rest of the league just a few days ago:

We may still be two weeks away from regular-season action, but Morris is already chomping at the bit. LFG!

Bob Gets Some Praise

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I’m proud of you, Bob!

Not only did Robert Williams finish the weekend with eight points and three boards in 20 minutes on the floor, but it was his key block that sealed the victory over the Hornets on Sunday night.

The “block” was actually an even more impressive tip on a three-point attempt from Charlotte’s Malik Monk, which, were it to go in, would have given the Hornets a two-point lead with about 15-ish seconds left to play. However, Williams was able to use his huge wingspan and quickness to get out to the perimeter just in time, forcing Monk’s shot completely off course:

But, as pointed out by fellow teammate Kyrie Irving, it was Williams’s actions after the block that truly stood out to him: After Monk’s missed shot attempt landed in the hands of Celtics rookie Brad Wanamaker, Williams was passed the ball and had an easy lane toward the basket. However, rather than try and continue to show off after an impressive swat, he simply passed the ball to Guerschon Yabusele, who laid in the dagger for the win. He chose the easy basket over the flashy play, which is a decision that flies right in the face of those who continue to worry about his “maturity” issues.

Said Irving after the game (h/t Celtics.com):

“Those little things right there show you how well he fits in the mold of being a Boston Celtic,” said Kyrie Irving, who scored a team-high 20 points. “He makes the huge play and then passes to Guersch when he could’ve easily wind-milled or done something crazy for the crowd. But he passes to Guersch, we seal the game, and I know that felt good for him and for the rest of us.”

Nice work, kid! Keep it up!

Besides those three takeaways, it was a solid overall weekend for the C’s. While they didn’t come without each of their own struggles at times, each and every one of the starters also looked terrific at points this weekend. There truly wasn’t one thing that stood out to me as a concern going forward. Yes, it’s only October 1, and yes, we’re only through two preseason games. But it was a good start for the Green this weekend.

The next preseason game for the C’s is on Tuesday night at home against the now-LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers.

Patriots vs Dolphins Half Assed Halftime Reactions

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-The Dolphins are 3-0 and think they’re going to take the Patriots out back and finish them off before October? That’s cute. Okay Dolphins fans, daddy’s home.

-CORDEL! It’s only Cordarrelle Patterson’s 8th career TD so people wonder why Tom Brady is pissy, but in a busted coverage Cordel did what he does best;

-Tom Brady has now tied the NFL record for TDs to 70 different receivers. He is king of the trashcan receivers, matched only by former teammate Vinny Testaverde.

-You think Sony Michel’s been listening to all the talking heads on sports radio calling him a bust after TWO fucking weeks? He’s only averaging 5.3 yards per carry with 80 yards in the first half.

-Ryan Tannehill is still trash. Despite coming into this game top 5 in stats like Completion %, TD %,  Yards per Attempt, and QB Rating, he’s come into Gillette and turned back into a pumpkin.

-Bill Belichick gave us an early entry into GIF of the year with his reaction to a Dolphins defender faking an injury to stop a play.

-Even Phillip Dorsett is flashing them 1st Round hands.

-I still miss you Danny, you handsome son of a bitch.

Red Sox Fan Unleashes Hand Cannon from the Green Monster Seats and Hits Giancarlo Stanton

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That is goddamn impressive! It’s 310 feet from home plate to the Green Monster and a guy in the stands, completely flat footed, tossed a frozen rope and legit hit Giancarlo Stanton rounding second base. That’s gotta be a 200 foot throw from a guy in jeans. Incredible.

It’s also exactly how the 1993 classic Rookie of the Year starts with Henry Rowengartner hosing a dude at the plate from the bleachers.

I imagine Joe Castiglione was in the booth making a face similar to this.

I was at this game sitting in the absolute last row of Section 36 in the center field bleachers this afternoon so I couldn’t really see what happened until I sat down at the bar and saw the video on my phone. I can confirm that this guy 100% got thrown out of the game though.

Credit to Stanton too for laughing it off as the ball barely hit him. I think he was more surprised than anything.

So this Masshole with the hand cannon may not have gotten to see the rest of this meaningless September game, but maybe, just maybe he earned himself a tryout with the team like Henry Rowengartner.

 

#RushHourRap – Logic Drops New Album YSIV

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Does anyone in the game right now put out great music more consistently than Logic?

Logic is back with YSIV, the fourth iteration in his Young Sinatra series, and it is a heater led by the first single, The Return. He even has a 7 minute song featuring the entire Wu Tang Clan. So stop what you’re doing right now and check out YSIV.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1lyjkFTJ6yxUyNYysWVBo9

This comes after not releasing a new album since allll the way back in March of 2018 with Bobby Tarantino II. Seriously this guy is a machine when it comes to putting out music, and it’s all been very, very good. Take a look at this resume:

  • Logic: The Mixtape (2009)
  • Young, Broke & Infamous (2010)
  • Young Sinatra (2011)
  • Young Sinatra: Undeniable (2012)
  • Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever (2013)
  • Under Pressure (2014)
  • The Incredible True Story (2015)
  • Bobby Tarantino (2016)
  • Everybody (2017)
  • Bobby Tarantino II (2018)
  • Young Sinatra IV (2018)

Obviously thats not all studio albums as a large chunk of those are mixtapes, but most of those mixtapes are better than a lot of what artists put out today. Logic just recently blew up in the mainstream with his mega-hit 1-800-273-8255 in 2017, which became a Suicide awareness anthem. As he’s shown over the past couple of years with 4 albums released, Logic will sleep when he’s dead.

PS – If you haven’t watched Logic’s episode of Rapture on Netflix, it is an absolute must watch for any rap fan.

The Rams are 4-0 and It’s All Because of Rams Mafia

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Three years ago Red and myself decided to hop on the Rams bandwagon when it was announced they were heading back to Los Angeles. At the time, the team was in shambles. Jeff Fisher was still a real person, Todd Gurley was not great at running with a football, and the Inglewood stadium was still a pipe dream. Fast forward to Week 4 Thursday Night Football in 2018 and the Rams are nothing short of ELECTRIC. J Goff went off last night for 465 yards and 5 TDs with 0 interceptions. I may be new around here, but even I know that’s a big boy showing from the sexiest man under center west of the Mississippi. He made the Vikings wet themselves on national television and if you ask me, that’s pretty damn impressive.

Now sitting at 4-0, I feel like all my work with Rams Mafia has finally paid off. I took a chance on a team that was going nowhere in the standings. I’d like to take this opportunity to declare my efforts as the turning point for this team. Rams Mafia stuck through all the bad just to get to where we are now. Sure, I tweeted my first tweet from the account today for the first time since the 2016 draft, but I’ve just been incredibly busy motivating, supporting, and standing up for Mr. Goff and Mr. Gurley III all while spreading the gospel from the ground level.

Unfortunately I never was able to honor the above tweet, (as I stated I was busy rallying the troops) but if you see me this weekend in Los Angeles the beers are on me.

All aboard, Rams Mafia has officially left the station!

 

If you’d like to come along for the ride of a lifetime, follow us @RamsMafia on Twitter

Patriots Dolphins Week 4 Game Preview, Odds, and Things to Watch For

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Image result for patriots dolphins

So that was an ugly one last week. Not to take anything away from the Lions, but I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a Brady-led, Belichick-coached team play that poorly. Mental mistakes. Missed throws. No pass-rush. A sieve of a defensive front that allowed Detroit to record its first 100-yard-rusher in a game for the first time in FIVE years. Also, the Pats scored their lowest point total (10) in over two seasons.

WOOF.

Fortunately, the Pats get to face a familiar foe this weekend – albeit an undefeated one – as the 3-0 Miami Dolphins are set to come to Foxborough this weekend. As always, here’s a look at where, when, and how to watch the game along with the latest lines:

  • Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
  • Kickoff: Sunday, Sept. 30, 1 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBS (Check local listings)
  • Odds (via Odds Shark): Patriots: -6.5 (spread)/Patriots: -280 (moneyline)/48 (total)

After missing all of 2017 and the very end of 2016 due to injury, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has come back this year GUNS BLAZING. Sure, he’s only played the Titans, Jets, and Raiders so far, but he’s completed 73 percent of his passes for almost 700 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s also only thrown two picks and has a ridiculous 121.8 QB rating. Oh, and he led the Dolphins to 8 of their 10 wins before going down in 2016, a season in which they made the playoffs. I don’t know when and where the whole “Tannehill sucks” rhetoric started, but it’s entirely inaccurate.

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Now, if you wanted to say Tannehill sucks whenever he has to play at Gillette, I actually can’t argue with ya there. In five games on the road in New England, Tannehill is winless and the Dolphins have only once been able to score over 20 points.

But it’s been two years since Tannehill last laced ’em up in Foxborough, and things are simply way different on so many levels. Firstly, the Dolphins have been incredibly efficient on offense this season, and that might have to do with no longer relying solely upon Jarvis Landry. Now, before I go any further, I mean no disrespect toward Landry, the game’s best slot receiver and a perennial 100-catch guy.

But letting Landry go has forced Tannehill to look toward spreading the ball around much more, and now the Dolphins feature a solid corps of Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant, Devante Parker, and, as much as it KILLS me to see, Danny Amendola. Due to the less predictable offense the team is running under Adam Gase, Tannehill has yet to throw 30 passes in a game so far in 2018, making the most of each of his opportunities. No Dolphins receiver is averaging more than five targets per game, so the Pats defense will need make sure they have eyes all over the field on Sunday.

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This is going to be like watching your ex-girlfriend show up to the party with that insufferable douchebag you always hated.

The running game has been a bit lackluster. Many expected second-year back Kenyan Drake to run away with the job after a breakout rookie campaign, but for some reason Gase is sticking with a timeshare between Drake and a 35-year-old Frank Gore – who, save for a great Week 1 performance, has averaged just under 2.5 yards a carry over the last two games. Drake has the ability to hurt anyone, but until they figure things out in the backfield I’m not all too worried about the Fins ground attack.

The poor running game and quick-strike offense has killed the Dolphins in terms of time of possession, which could soon really start to wear on the team’s defense. Alas, the D has still looked pretty decent this year, playing to the tune of a very Belichick-ian “bend don’t break” philosophy, as pointed out by Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post:

The Dolphins defense is currently 21st in the NFL in yards allowed, but sixth in points allowed. That’s a crazy discrepancy, even with the small sample size of three games. Miami is tied for second in the NFL with a +4 turnover margin. And the Dolphins are third in the NFL in red zone defense.

Cornerback Xavien Howard, who had two interceptions against the Raiders last week, has been a revelation in 2018, and Chris Hogan will once again likely have a tough matchup. At least Brady can take solace in the fact the Dolphins have just six sacks on the year and rank second to last in the league with 12 QB hits.

Storylines

(Will Josh Gordon Actually Play?): Good Lord, I hope so. In typical Patriots fashion, we have yet to receive even the slightest bit of information regarding Gordon’s Week 4 status, so I’m not even going to venture a guess on this one.

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Here’s all we have to go off so far (h/t 985thesportshub.com):

“We’ll just take it day-by-day and see how it goes,” Belichick remarked. “There are a number of factors involved here. When he feels like he’s ready and we feel like he’s ready and there’s sufficient opportunity to back that up then we’ll see about making him active.”

Thanks, Bill! Always keeping us on our toes. Looks like we may not get an answer on this one until right before kickoff on Sunday.

(Sooo…Yeah, I Guess Sony IS the Guy Now): With Rex Burkhead seemingly done for the year, the Patriots have pretty much no choice but to rely upon Sony Michel to carry the load for the foreseeable future. Yes, James White will see quite a bit of burn as well, but he’s not a chain-moving, 15-plus-carry-a-game guy. Michel is going to be force-fed the rock, as evidenced by his 24 carries and five targets over the last two games. While he’s only averaged 3.5 yards per tote so far, I’m remaining hopeful. While I have been critical of the team placing so much faith in a guy with such an extensive injury history, I’ve never questioned his talent. I’m excited to see what the kid can do. He just better be ready to roll from here on out.

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It’s your time to shine, kid. Don’t let me down.

(The Linebackers Are Looking a Little Rough): The Pats are one of six teams allowing over 400 yards of total offense per game this season, and they are one of only two allowing over 140 yards on the ground. Now they will be without standout rookie Ja’Whuan Bentley – Pro Football Focus’s fifth-highest-rated linebacker through the season’s first three weeks (h/t Patriots Wire) – for a while, if not the whole season. Dont’a Hightower is still sharp as a tack and one of the best defensive signal-callers in the league, but he’s looked painfully slow at times this year. And after allowing the Lions to rush for over 150 yards as a team last week, maybe this is Drake’s opportunity to prove himself once and for all. (I know I said earlier that I’m not too worried about the Dolphins rushing attack, but I was basing that solely off of who they’ve played so far this year.) The middle of the defense could potentially be gashed in this one, unless somebody else decides to step up.

Prediction 

Sorry to say it, Pats Nation, but this could end up being another shocker. As they say, there’s a first time for everything, and Tannehill and Miami’s extremely fluid offense are in a prime position to flip the script. I do think that Brady & Co. will play much better on offense this time around, especially if Gordon plays and Michel gets it going. But I’m unsure if the defense is prepared enough to shut down Tannehill like in years past. While Belichick will be DAMNED if he lets Amendola show him up, Miami’s plethora of other weapons on offense will be too much for the Pats to keep up with. Brady will keep it close, but in the end the Dolphins will come out on top, 21-17, giving them a puke-worthy three-game lead over the Pats in the AFC East.