The City of Boston Meter Maids Are Worse Than Goodfellas

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This poor schmuck made the mistake of having his car die within the city limits of Boston proper. If you’ve ever lived in Boston you know that these meter maids are worse than Joe Pesci when you owe him a few bucks. Oh your car battery died? Fuck you pay me.

If you haven’t been ticketed and towed to an undisclosed lot, which you have to call every lot in the area to figure out where it is, and then walk there on foot to pay the bill then have you really lived in the city?

PS – I just noticed that his registration sticker expired in January so this may or may not be a criminal on the lamb.

Pull Your #8 Jerseys Out, Celtics Fans

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Finally, a bright spot this offseason for Celtics fans. For the record, I did keep my Toine jersey and I do look forward to being able to rock a current jersey next season for $free.99.

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I knew when I dropped $20 on this XL jersey in 2005 after the Celtics said goodbye to Walker for a second time that it would be worth it. Fourteen years later, it looks like I will be making quite a return on my investment! Another reason to appreciate the C’s sticking with their classic look. And it just goes to show that everything eventually comes back into style.

For other examples of “throwbacks” coming back into style, see the Toronto Blue Jays:

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Utah Jazz:

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And your New England Patriots:

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Now excuse me while I put my #15 Red Sox jersey at the back of the rotation as I wait for the next franchise player to claim that number.

In Response to the Ridiculous Bashing of the US Women’s National Soccer Team

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There are those out there who are going to roll their eyes hard after reading the headline or think this is just another article trying to pander to certain groups and capitalize upon the success of recent social movements. I can’t stop you from feeling that way, and I’m also not going to sit here and pretend to be the world’s biggest soccer fan. I am certainly not.

But it still doesn’t change the fact that the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team should unquestionably be considered as one of the most important and iconic teams in the history of American sports. (No, but really though. I’m not exaggerating in the slightest.) Yet, for some reason, while many are indeed celebrating the team’s epic World Cup run this year, there are those out there who have gone out their way to vilify and criticize the players for various reasons which are just becoming absolutely absurd. And to be honest, I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut anymore.

It all started after their 13-0 SHALACKING of Thailand back during group play on June 11. I think everyone already knew the U.S. was going to blow through the opening stage, but nobody was expecting such a devastating evisceration on a global stage against a team that, while certainly nowhere near as talented as the U.S., was still playing in the freaking World Cup! At least show up!

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That had to hurt, but come on!

As if all the “running up the score” chatter after the game wasn’t bad enough, the team was more so criticized for being too “arrogant” and “celebrating too much” after each goal. After all, that “poor Thailand team” didn’t need to continually be “taunted” and the U.S. women should have shown “more respect.”

Couple things: 1) They weren’t outright targeting or taunting the opposing players during their celebration. They were simply enjoying the moment with their teammates; 2) The World Cup is something that comes around every four years, but it is something that these women train for each and every day of their lives. Do you know how hard it is to score a goal in soccer, no less during what is the biggest sports tournament in the entire world? I’d celebrate every damn one of my goals, too!; 3) There is nothing – NOTHING – in professional sports that annoys more than the “running up the score” complaint. Again, the point of soccer is to score goals and stop the other team from doing the same; if you are a team of world-class athletes, going against another team of world-class athletes, that entire argument goes out the window. If you can’t stop them, that’s on you. Do better next time. That simple.

The team then went on to beat Chile and Sweden before the single-elimination Round of 16 began, only to follow that up by beating each of Spain, France, and England by the exact same score of 2-1. They now have the chance to try and win it all this upcoming Sunday.

Before yesterday’s match with England, however – after playing four whole games since beating Thailand – the British media still made sure to point out how “arrogant” (apparently this is the buzz word everyone is using) the U.S. team was with B.S. like this:

Just absolutely pathetic. Again, the players got their vengeance by ultimately winning the game, and at least the English players were very humble and accepting of their defeat, choosing to blame themselves afterward instead of an incredibly talented opponent who did absolutely nothing wrong.

BUT WAIT, MATTES! What about this little gesture from Alex Morgan after scoring what was ultimately the game-winning goal??!! See, what a cocky A-hole! SO UNNECESSARY!

I mean, look! She’s even upset Piers Morgan!!!

First of all, don’t even get me started on Piers Morgan. Secondly, this won the game and it was hardly anything worse than a little ribbing of our friends across the pond. At least she wasn’t hoping for “cocky yanks” to “choke on it.” Also, it was her birthday, she had just punched her team’s ticket to the championship game, and she was feelin’ herself a bit. OH THE HUMANITY!

Look, I can understand the flak coming from other countries; it’s all a part of the fun. Also, I don’t think the whole “ignorant, arrogant American” sentiment is being attributed solely to U.S. women’s soccer players. (NEWS FLASH: This is how we are viewed by much of the world anyway, average citizens included.)

But again, what bothers me most is the constant backlash they’ve been receiving from those in this country and the incredibly unfair double-standard they have been subjected to. If this was the U.S. men’s team, would we be getting on those guys for celebrating or showing emotion on the field? Nope. It would just be a part of the game, and nobody would think twice about the completely non-essential screaming and shirt-removing that occurs after almost every score.

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But this is OK, right??

And above all, how about Megan Rapinoe, one of the USWNT’s greatest all-time players and a true hero for those in the LGBTQ community, being ostracized just for speaking her mind? She is getting ripped to shreds for simply stating that she would not go to the White House (while also saying the “F” word!!!) – which is actually something she said months ago – and continually clapping back at Donald Trump on a variety of issues. The rest of her teammates have done nothing but simply support her, with most not really adding much more commentary other than the fact they believe in what shes doing. As a result, they’re being called “unpatriotic” and are being shunned entirely by a lot of people, many of whom I know personally. In fact, I saw one friend who said they would go so far as to root against them, solely because of Rapinoe’s comments. Just wow.

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The fact is that these are a bunch of ladies who are damn proud of who they are in every way, and they’re not afraid to show it. Good on Rapinoe for standing up for those who are still fighting for their rights in this country. Or how about the law suit they filed against the U.S. Soccer Federation in March due to the ridiculously unfair pay they receive as compared to the men’s team, who cannot even hold an effing candle to the success that the women’s team has achieved over the years? But still, the men make millions upon millions more for literally zero reason. This was the first time anyone had ever dared to challenge something which most had just decided to accept for far too long. This team will not take anything lying down, on the pitch or off.

And worst of all, the surrounding commentary is taking attention away from their actual play on the field, which has been astounding. Again, I’m not using hyperbole here; this is one of the best teams I’ve ever watched play, in any sport. OH, and they’re also the defending champs. How about we talk about that??!!

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I know, Alex. Seriously!

So if you’re one of those who simply has no interest in the sport and couldn’t care less about what this team does on Sunday, that’s fine! I totally understand that. But if you’re going to try and paint these women as anything other than true American heroes after everything they’ve accomplished – and are still trying to accomplish on so many levels – then you are just plain ignorant.

You don’t have to like some of Rapinoe’s comments, or perhaps even some their “celebrations.” But stop making them out to be bad people. That’s just not right. If anything, there might not be any better group of role models for young girls in this country, both in terms of how to be as a person and as a great soccer player.

OK, I think I’ve made my point, and I’ll end my rant now. All I know is that I, for one, will be rooting hard for them to take home the gold this weekend, and I know many others out there will be right there with me. Happy Fourth to one and all, and here’s to hoping our ladies continue to make our country proud.

Joey B’s Guide to Groomsmanship

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Well, dear readers, this shall be a week indeed

I’ve been asked to keep this part brief but you may or may not have heard reference to a certain wedding occurring among the wordsmiths of the 300s this summer. Time sure does fly because the hour is nigh. All I’ll say about that but needless to say it’s caused me to feel inspired aroundst a keyboard.

I’ve attended I think a dozen or so weddings in my life. That part probably doesn’t shock you so much as if you size up a 30-year-old male who is average in every way possible I think that sounds about right.

What may shock you to an extent is that I’ve actually been asked to participate in several of these life changing, or should I say, making, affairs. Sure, once was as an altar boy, but indeed a few times now I’ve been asked to stand up next to one of my buddies as a groomsman. Taking it one step further, believe it or not on a single occasion I was asked to be the head honcho, the best man. True story.

I think it is easy to just see being a groomsman as a sort of cool nod to a particularly strong friendship. Tangentially, I suppose, if you are an insecure bumblecunt (word learned from British/Irish twitter recently, so great), I can understand why you could see even it as a status symbol. But in reality, you are being given a job. If you really think about it, you are being asked to represent the friends that have surrounded two people through a journey that is now culminating in a roll of the dice that they can actually be able to stand each other forever. Not to get too sappy but that’s pretty fucking special man.

So if you’ve read this much and even slightly agree with my take on things, allow me to regale you a few rules to groomsmanship.

1.) First and foremost never let it slip your mind for even a single second that this is the bride’s day/weekend/week/month.

This as much of a self-preservation rule as it is a “don’t be that guy” rule. Everything following this golden rule will cover our garden variety debauchery and contraception, but this is a blanket commandment for not ending up on the receiving end of a lifelong grudge. Just keep yourself out of the bride and her family’s fucking crosshairs. You should notice them but not the other way around. I would say “unless for a good reason” but honestly I’ve been noticed for good reasons before and guess what? I was simply noticed after that and couldn’t really get away with shit. Bottom line: Behave yourself when you’re within 100ft of the one in the white dress and/or her parents.

2.) Do everything and anything that needs to be done

You’re not at this wedding “to work” but you sort of are. In a weird way you’re expected to have some responsibility, and I don’t mean for anything in particular. But if something needs doing it should be you or one of the crew doing it. This could be golden rule 1b. Now this does not mean you have to be a saint. I’ve gone absolutely ruckus at weddings I was in, believe me. But when the time came, whether I was hungover, about to close, etc. I stopped what I was doing and pitched in. And that includes being proactive. One of the other groomsmen is too drunk and you notice? Get it done. One of the bridesmaids is crying? You’re Affleck when he sees Claire in the laudromat. I guess my point is you need to step up when It’s necessary

3.) Understand your environment

What I mean by this is understand what you, as you, are going into. Sometimes your best friend is getting married but they have a shit ton of friends you don’t know, but they all know each other. Sometimes you know everyone. This realllllly should temper how you behave both in general but also how you approach things like…..well women. Or men, that’s cool too. But many a sucker punch has been earned at these things because someone started hitting on, successfully or not, ex.) someone’s buddy’s cousin’s frat brother’s ex-girlfriend. It’s dumb but it happens. Know these things ahead of time. Hopefully in the months or whatever leading up to the event you’ve gotten to know folks at least a little and got to feel the situation out. There’s been a hangout of sorts. If not idk man, peruse IG or something.

4.) Be prepared

For anyyyyyyyything. There may be some down time and the hotel bar might be closed and you might be hungover as all holy hell five hours before the wedding and you might be in the middle of nowhere Maryland. ID where the packy is the night before and stock up. Have a “sure thing” at the wedding and not quite ready to explain to a four year old why they were born 9 months after “Uncle Mike” and “Aunt Sarah who hates you because her sister, known as Mommy, is stuck with you now” were married? Bring something to prevent that. Bring another kind in case they’re allergic to the first kind. Bring a third kind in case you both forget the first two on the night of. Summer wedding? Bring sunscreen. Bring a hoodie, just in case. Bring two, because maybe you don’t have a “sure thing” but there are a few young lasses that might get cold I AM LITERALLY GIVING YOU EVERY TIP I HAVE. Just be prepared. Christ.

5.) Don’t get drunk to the point of injuring yourself or others

I mean this one’s tough. It’s a wedding. I’m not going to tell you not to get shitfaced. I’m not going to tell you to feel guilty if you do and people get mad at you. But what you can’t do is ruin anyone else’s good time in the process or hurt yourself causing other people to have to take care of you. I had a friend who a few summers ago straight up fell off a deck down the Cape and knocked himself out. He’s legit insane so he simply popped back up and kept going about the night but seriously, take care of yourself.

6.) Have some fucking fun

Last but not least have fun. If girl #1 shuts you down don’t mope. Don’t pick a fight if you have a bad night. If someone else in the party is a Yankees fan don’t stab them with a salad fork. If you are given the salmon just fill up on cake and rolls. Again, this is one night to celebrate two people that ostensibly mean a lot to you. Enjoy it.

Red Sox Will Use $17M Starter Nathan Eovaldi as the Closer When He Returns from Injury

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NESN – The Boston Red Sox spent an off-day trying to recover from a transatlantic flight and two losses to the New York Yankees. The bullpen again became a concern as the Yankees scored 22 runs in 12 2/3 innings of work by Red Sox relievers over the weekend. And now the team has decided to make a move to shore up that bullpen. Multiple sources have told NESN’s Tom Caron that Nathan Eovaldi will serve as the closer for the Red Sox when he returns from the injured list. They also told Caron that he will serve as a traditional closer, and not as part of a bullpen-by-committee. Last postseason Eovaldi made four appearances out of the bullpen, tossing 9 1/3 innings and giving up just one run — the Max Muncy home run in the 18th inning of Game 3 of the World Series after Eovaldi set a series record throwing 97 pitches in relief. In addition to helping the bullpen, the Red Sox believe bringing Eovaldi back as a reliever will get him back on the roster sooner, meaning they won’t have to wait for him to get stretched out in multiple starts over a long rehab stint.

We all saw what Nathan Eovaldi can do out of the bullpen in the playoffs last year, but that was out of necessity. Coming into this year the Red Sox resigned Eovaldi to a 4-year $67.5M contract to be a STARTER and now the Sox will once again turn to Nasty Nate to save the pen. I think we all had a feeling the Sox would mess around with this because with how good Eovaldi was in the postseason, how could you not think about him back in the pen?

This makes sense when you’re paying Eovaldi like a mid-season acquisition. When you’re paying him like a top starter though, and at the same time completely cheaping out on adding any bullpen help, then it starts to look like a piss poor management of resources.

Sweet Lou may have a stroke covering this year’s Sox team, but he seems to be in the same boat as me here.

Its not like anyone could have predicted this right?? This is why I was ecstatic the Sox won the World Series yet also a bit annoyed at how they got there because it only emboldened Dave Dombrowski. He punted on fixing the bullpen all last season and then fell ass backwards into a journeyman starter with a bum elbow that turned into a super reliever, along with Price, and Porcello acting as roamers. Winning the title last year had Dombrowski feeling himself a bit too much because hey we did it last year so we’ll figure it out again on the fly this year.

Thats how $240 Million teams end up 11 games out of first place in July.

After Signing Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter, Are the Celtics Done Making Moves?

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Boston Herald – A few days before the Celtics hit Las Vegas, it’s fair to say Vegas isn’t big on the Celtics…Having placed the Celtics last fall at a low of 8-1 to win the 2019 championship, the wise people with the sharpened pencils and crystal balls at Westgate SuperBook now put them at 25-1 to be the last team standing next June.

And even that seems optimistic to some. One athletic accountant of our acquaintance believes the C’s are only rated that highly because of what could happen between now and then and because they’ll still draw some interest at that price.

The Celtic roster you see today will not be all that you see in the middle of October. The club is not done making moves, and according to teams around the league that we spoke to Monday, the C’s are very active in trying to see what free agents may still shake loose and what kinds of sign-and-trade deals could free up a better chunk of money to attract a large person.

Granted this article is a bit vague and devoid of many specific details, the fact that its coming from Steve Bulpett is why is sticks out to me. Bulpett is one of the most connected and longest tenured NBA writers in the country so when he says something like this I take note.

I have no idea what this could really even mean because the Celtics are already strapped for cash after the Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter signings. You would need to trade Gordon Hayward and his max salary (which as I said on The 300s Podcast last week I don’t think the C’s will ever do) or some combination of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and another asset of  your choosing (Yabusele, Timelord etc.) to get a big time deal done. A sign and trade with DeMarcus Cousins was the big one Mattes and I kept going back to as a swing for the fences possibility, but I have zero idea how to finagle the numbers to make that work.

After picking three times in the first round this year, the Celtics are just about out of the beaucoup assets they sat on for the last half a decade. The Memphis Grizzlies pick (top 6 protected in 2020 or unprotected in 2021) and a TBD Charlotte Hornets pick added in the Terry Rozier sign and trade are the only assets the Celtics now own aside from their own picks. No longer can Danny Ainge dangle a treasure chest of future lottery picks in front of rival GMs. Technically the Rozier sign and trade is intentionally unfinished as the C’s debated including a third team (which would have allowed for a Horford return before he signed with Philly) in the transaction.

That opportunity is still there if the C’s want to try and squeeze a little more juice out of Rozier, which Charlotte will be more than willing to do because without the S&T they can’t afford Scary Terry. The C’s own Bird Rights on Rozier so they can pay him the big money he wants and then trade him to Charlotte in the Kemba S&T.

Man, the NBA salary cap rules are a trip huh?

At the very least, maybe Danny is trying to do Terry a solid for not napalming the team in the media like Kyrie did for months.

TLDR; the Celtics will have to either get creative as all hell or yet again tear down their roster and rebuild on the fly by trading multiple starters if there is a big move still to be made .

Rapid Reaction to the Biggest NBA Free Agent Moves on Opening Night

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I don’t care what you end up doing this Thursday night, because I promise you won’t see any better display of fireworks than what we already saw go off around the Association on Sunday night.

After weeks years of speculation relating to the smorgasbord of 2019 free-agent superstars who would be available this summer – some of whom feature all-time-level NBA talent – we FINALLY got some long-awaited answers. These are answers that will no doubt change the landscape of the league for years and years to come.

For starters, it’s official C’s Nation! Kemba Hudley Walker is a Boston Celtic:

This should come as a surprise to nobody, and The 300s staff has already been pretty clear about our feelings for the signing, which has pretty much been official since Thursday, with both a blog and a podcast celebrating the big move. Awesome stuff. I’m a very happy dude.

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We’ll obviously get into more analysis about what our Boys in Green will look like next season once Danny pulls off more moves to build out the roster. For now, here’s my rapid reaction to some of the most notable and important moves from the opening night of free agency along with how they could affect the C’s – and the entire NBA – going forward.

Kyrie Does Indeed Go to the Brooklyn Nets… And so Doesn’t Kevin EFFING Durant!

Me two weeks ago, when it looked like Kyrie Irving was embarking on a solo journey to an I-guess-halfway-decent Nets squad which was destined for another middle-of-the-pack, ho-hum finish in the Eastern Conference:

Me after Kyrie ended up in Brooklyn – not just by himself but also flagged by one of the greatest players in NBA history AND DeAndre Jordan, too:

That’s right. Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and DeAndre Jordan are all headed to BKN as one big, happy family. Even though the team needs to wait a whole year before they can see the entire group in action together due to Durant’s injury, the Nets could already be the automatic favorite to win the 2020-21 NBA title.

With other pieces like Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, and Spencer Dinwiddie already in tow as well, the Nets could still contend for a top-four spot in the East next year, especially if Kawhi Leonard ends up leaving The 6ix. (Remember, Brooklyn was the sixth seed this past season.)

Of course, Kyrie is more than capable of simply continuing to be who he’s always been and cause the franchise to implode from the inside before Durant is even ready to step on the floor again. BUT I’ll stop with the Kyrie-bashing for now (for now), as there’s no doubt this was a complete coup for the Nets. Above all, this finally gives the Nets at least some vengeance for what is still the biggest de-pantsing in NBA trade history, when Danny Ainge basically wrested control of the Nets’ entire franchise for the past six years after the infamous Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade.

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Don’t eff this one up, Kyrie!

Again, we’ll need to wait a while before we see this team at full steam. But my goodness, what a freakin’ haul this was for the “other New York team.”

The Knicks are Still the Knicks… but Hey, I Mean, Julius Randle is Good

Knicks fans everywhere on Monday morning:

Just rough. For both Knicks fans and the NBA as a whole. This was supposed to be the year that the legendary New York Knickerbockers would finally turn things around by bringing in not just one but TWO superstars with all the cap space they’ve spent YEARS carving out with a series of moves that were all supposed to be a part of one, big master chess play. At the very least, they were definitely getting Kevin Durant, right? Right??!!

Well, ummm, that didn’t happen. And unless Kawhi makes an insanely random decision to try and become the Big Apple’s savior, fans in NYC will be forced to settle for Julius Randle, who signed a three-year deal with the team less than two hours after it all started:

After selecting R.J. Barrett with the third overall pick last week, adding Randle, too, does make the team significantly better than they were last season. Yes, they did lose DeAndre Jordan to their cross-town rivals, but Randle is a way better all-around player who can still rebound and defend while also scoring at a much, much higher level.

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It’s hard to be upset with Randle.

They nabbed Bobby Portis on a two-year deal later in the night, too. He’s a good pick up who can step in and serve as a decent sixth man/potential starting option right away. And really early in the morning, it was announced they’re also bringing in an underrated 3-and-D piece in Reggie Bullock.

This team still has a long way to go, and no this was certainly not the offseason Knicks fans were dreaming of. But it’s progress for the franchise nonetheless.

D-Lo to the Dubs

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With most expecting Kyrie to end up in Brooklyn for weeks now, there has been rampant speculation about what that would mean for DeAngelo Russell. After being taken as the No. 2 overall pick in 2015 by the Lakers, the 23-year-old was solid but unspectacular through his first two seasons in L.A. before being traded away as part of a salary dump to make room for the King’s arrival last year.

He ended up being the same 15-point, five-assist-per-night player during his first season in Brooklyn in 2017-18 before exploding onto the scene with averages of 21 points and seven assists this past year. People knew he was too good to take a back seat to Kyrie – who is indeed the better player – and that he deserved a shot to play elsewhere.

However, per various reports throughout the week, it looked like Minnesota and the very same Lakers who traded him just two years were the only two suitors. Then, we get this #WOJBOMB late on Sunday night:

Did not see this one coming. Like at all.

Though some thought there was a chance that both Durant and Klay Thompson would re-sign with Golden State this offseason, I knew it’d play out exactly as it did: Klay got a max deal to stay, and Durant moved on.

But to go out and get Russell, and then sign him to a four-year deal after having straight bookoo bucks tied up in your starting backcourt already – OH, and you have Draymond Green to worry about as an unrestricted free agent next summer – it was a bit of a head-scratcher. Sure, they needed someone to replace Klay next year, especially with Durant not coming back, but this one will be interesting to watch play out in the long term. It also forced them to lose Andre Iguodala as well.

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These three gotta get paid, too!

This was easily the most surprising move of the night, but it’s one that ensures Golden State will still be right in the thick of things next year, even without two of the top players from their recent run of historic success. Just unfair.

Jimmy Butler Flying South, and I Don’t Care

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To be honest, I don’t think one is all that noteworthy.

Jimmy Butler is a good player. Fine. He can score, shoot, and defend with the best of ’em. Solid. But this man is no more than a decent No. 2/top-notch No. 3 option that needs other guys around him to have any chance of winning anything, and I’m really not worried.

Now, you could say this about pretty much any NBA all-star outside of the top five or so, and this isn’t really a personal attack on Jimmy Butler. But I think him teaming up with James Harden and Chris Paul in Houston – as was this week’s big rumor – or a potential team-up with his best buddy Kyrie – which obviously wasn’t happening after the Durant news – would have been something to write about.

But Butler going to a Miami team which lost two of its top-three scorers from last season in Dwyane Wade (retirement) and Goran Dragic (who was immediately shipped out to Dallas after the signing to make room for Butler’s salary) with not much else?

Ehhh. Color me uninterested until I have a reason to be. Miami is still an Eastern Conference playoff bubble team until something else happens. Plain and simple.

(UPDATE: The three-team trade involving Dragic to the Mavs fell through, so another one needs to be worked out, likely still including Dragic. Everyone seems to think it’ll still get done, though. Jimmy Butler will end up in Miami one way or another.)

Big Al is Now the Enemy

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Right after Celtics fans were getting used to the idea of suddenly being without Al Horford next season, we’ll now also be forced to watch him play for the enemy after he decided to sign a four-year deal with Philly:

This might be the best situation Al could have possibly hoped for, as he fits like a freakin’ glove for the Sixers. Truthfully, his well-rounded game and selfless attitude would slide in well with pretty much any team out there, but playing with one of the game’s top young playmakers/ball-distributors in Ben Simmons should be a dream come true. Their pick-and-roll potential along with Horford’s ability to catch, pull up, and shoot from anywhere on the floor make them a filthy pairing. Also, with defenses sure to be focused on stopping Joel Embiid down low, Big Al will have plenty of room to operate and dominate down in the City of Brotherly Love.

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Simmons could honestly end up being the best thing that ever happened to Al Horford.

Above all, Embiid will no longer need to worry about squaring off against Horford, who’s always done a good job of defending the big fella, and the Celtics just lost a major advantage they’ve had other their rivals from the south for the past few seasons.

Had Al gone out west to Sacramento, Dallas, or New Orleans – all three of which were rumored to be in the running for the 33-year-old’s services – this would’ve been easier to swallow. Now, the Celtics will be forced to deal with the effects of this loss all season long, and potentially even more so come the postseason.

And just for kickers, the team was able to re-sign Tobias Harris, too. Yeah, so, ummm, Philly is still gonna be really good, guys.

And that’s just the beginning…

There was plenty of other news that came out last night, which will continue all day long on Monday and throughout the rest of this week, but these were the big ones that have really stood out so far. Of course, the Celtics still need to make some more moves (we need some bigs, Danny!) and there’s still some big shoes yet to drop (I’m looking at you, Kawhi!). But so far, we have been anything but disappointed. What an opening act.

#The300sPodcast – Next Up for the Celtics: Kemba Walker

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Red and Mattes jump into The 300s Podcast studio to discuss all the swirling Celtics rumors that are out there. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; the NBA Offseason is the best show on TV.

– Kemba Walker signing a max deal with the Celtics?

– Kyrie Irving is a PILL

– Al Horford is likely gone

– Are the Celtics’ young guys getting off too easy for their role in the drama around the team last season?

– Recapping the Celtics draft night and what it means for the 2019-20 roster

– NBA Free Agency and potential fits for the C’s

Pizza Hut Going Back to the Future

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CNN Business – Pizza Hut wants to return to its winning ways. So it’s rebooting the logo from when it dominated the American pizza market.

The pizza chain is replacing its current round logo with a retro logo that hasn’t been used in two decades, the company said. Compared to its current logo, the old version features its red roof more prominently and the Pizza Hut font is bolder and in black.

Pizza Hut used the original logo from 1967 to 1999, when it was the by far the biggest pizza company in the world. Its market share has been dwindling since, and Domino’s overtook Pizza Hut last year.

In an era of reboots, revivals and throwbacks a move like this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Pizza Hut brought back the P’Zone earlier this year, and with this move they’re just setting the destination time on the DeLorean a little further back. There’s just one problem…

It had been years since I last ordered a calzone from a restaurant, so I was excited to grab a P’Zone during the NCAA tournament. When I bit into that thing, though, I wasn’t sure if I was eating the P’Zone or the box that it came in. It tasted like dry, overcooked dough with hardly any meat or cheese inside. The pizza I got wasn’t much better. To me, Pizza Hut pizza tastes more like a collection of dough, sauce and cheese than an actual pizza.

I’m all for nostalgia – I’d love to see the Patriots trot out their ’90s Drew Bledsoe jerseys next season – but let’s not pretend that this is move by itself will change anything for Pizza Hut. I probably stopped regularly eating Pizza Hut when the Hut near my house closed up shop earlier this decade. Did it close up shop because pizza eaters didn’t like the new logo? Or did pizza eaters just wise up to overpriced dough, sauce and cheese, and get sick of sitting in restaurants that hadn’t been updated since the Bad News Bears ate there?

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There is hope for the Hut, though. Pizza Hut sister brand Taco Bell has reinvented itself into a full-fledged lifestyle brand. They are constantly generating buzz with unique menu offerings, and the Taco Bell Cantina was a highlight of The 300’s Vegas Expedition. All of that has nothing to do its logo. There’s no reason why Pizza Hut can’t do what Taco Bell is doing – or what Domino’s did. As I said on November 2, 2017:

Domino’s Pizza has had a resurgence over the last ten years. Their stock closed at $2.83 per share on November 20, 2008. At the start of trading today, their stock was at $178.44 per share. That’s an increase of more than 6,000%. What happened? Domino’s realized there were problems. Their recipes were stale and their service was subpar. Just as bad, they weren’t “cool.” So they very publicly reworked and improved their pizza recipes in 2009. They tweaked their menu. They introduced the Pizza Tracker. They were no longer the company with delivery drivers allegedly killing people on the roads to deliver pizzas in 30 minutes. They became a hip, self-deprecating company, a social-media darling that served affordable pizza in tough economic times.

There’s room in the market for both Domino’s and Pizza Hut to be successful. Between their sister brand and pizza competitor, the playbook for them should be pretty clear. It can start with a logo reset, but it certainly can’t end there.

 

PS – Domino’s stock (DPZ) opened the day today trading at $275.57 per share. About a hundred bucks higher than when I wrote about it last, and now a solid 9637.46% higher than on that fateful day in 2008. Why don’t I take my own advice?

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The 300s First New York T-Shirt Has Arrived and the Circus is in Town!

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Managers yelling at reporters, big money free agents injured yet again, and just general dysfunction at all levels. The Circus is in town!

Buy The 300s Circus t-shirt now!

Papa Giorgio rightfully brought to my attention that The 300s didn’t have any swag for our miserable fans in New York. I’ve always kind of rooted for the Mets solely because Yankees fans hate them too so the enemy of my enemy is my friend I guess. Where my Mets fans at??

Get the custom Circus design on t-shirts, tank tops, stickers, iPhone cases and whatever else your heart desires. Hell, we put it on shower curtains just in case you really want to bathe in it. Buy The 300s Circus gear now!