Anthony Davis NOT Traded Before Deadline. Lakers Now Salty as Celtics Are Very Much in Play.

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Good. I for one am tired of the Lakers just getting superstars in their prime simply because they want them. I have dealt with players not wanting to come to Boston for my entire life because its cold like 9 months out of the year. So for a team in the Pelicans to just flip the bird right in Magic and LeBron’s face brings me great joy.

And now the Lakers are saltyyy.

HAHAHA

You can literally hear LeBron’s voice coming through Windhorst’s face with this nonsense. For the Lakers Windhorst to act appalled that the Pelicans didn’t want to do business with the Lakers is hilarious. It’s a holier than thou take from a tampering franchise because as I said last week there is no more powerful motivator than spite and the Lakers Anthony Davis’ agent Rich Paul essentially planted a poison pill in the New Orleans locker room a week before the trade deadline after publicly requesting a trade and then leaking reports that Davis only wants to play in LA. If I’m the Pelicans I would 1000% do the same thing. I might even take a lesser deal if I had to purely out of spite rather than gift wrap another superstar in his prime to the Lakers.

Now as a Celtics fan we’ve heard all kinds of packages and proposals and potential deals. They all make me nauseous because I don’t want to trade Tatum and Smart and whoever the hell else gets thrown in. Buttt, I also didn’t want to trade Big Al Jefferson and look how that worked out for the Celtics.

Am I concerned with trading a boatload of assets for potentially one year of Anthony Davis? Absolutely. But I just cannot see how AD could come here and play alongside Kyrie (more on that in a second) and most likely go on a deep playoff run, if not win a title, and then say nah I still would rather go play on a bum ass Lakers team with a LeBron James that is closer to 40 years old than 30. Cannot see it.

What if Kyrie jets? Well thats your doomsday scenario right there. The Celtics trade a bundle of assets for Davis and Kyrie leaves anyways because then there is a zero percent chance Davis re-signs with Boston to be a part of that lottery team. You’d basically be left with the Time Lord who hopefully could send the team back in time to avoid the entire thing.

But, I also just cannot see Kyrie leaving. If he wants to be *the* guy, then thats what he has here. From all accounts he wants to play with Anthony Davis too, who is a megastar, yet is a pretty quiet, unassuming guy.

So that would be perfect for Irving; Kyrie would be the man even if he’s not technically the best player on the team. But if he truly wants to be the guy scoring 40 a game, the hands down best player on the team, surrounded by a bunch of deferential no names, then he can be 2006 Paul Pierce on a lottery team somewhere. I don’t think he wants that though. I think he wants to win, albeit his way, but Kyrie wants to win. If the C’s can get AD to pair with him then it locks this team into being a co-favorite to win the NBA title for the next several years. Plus, you would have to be a total sociopath to grab a microphone and announce to a crowd of people that you plan to re-sign with the team only to say PSYCH like 6 months later. I think Kyrie’s council of wise elders would advise him to stay in Boston.

I remain cautiously optimistic at the house of cards our lord and savior Danny Ainge has built.

The 300s Marvel Cinematic Rewind Presents: Iron Man 3

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The300s MCU

ironman3_lob_crd_01_10

At this time I would like anyone who enjoys Iron Man 3 to vacate the premises because this film makes me physically ill. I’ve been dreading this movie in my re-watch from day one and lo and behold it’s just as terrible as I remember. Iron Man 3 was the first film to drop after The AvengersΒ finally came to life on the big screen after years of teasing in the MCU. Yet, if Iron Man 3‘s job was to set the tone on what was to come in Phase Two, boy oh boy did it miss the mark. Let’s dive in.

Here’s a brief summary because I just can’t be bothered to relive this madness.

Iron Man 3 worried the hell out of me when I got out of the theatre. After all the hype surrounding The Avengers and us finally getting the amazing team up film we were all promised, we were back to individual movies and solo adventures for all our heroes. This was a brutal start. I honestly fully expected the MCU to fall apart after this movie, solely based on the reintroduction to stand alone films. My big problem with much of Phase Two was that it all feels like filler. We know at this point that Thanos is coming, and that the infinity stones will surely play a part in things to come. The problem is we were being set up for some complete waste of time films like Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, and yes, even Avengers: Age of UltronΒ (I honestly couldn’t tell you a single thing that happens in Thor 2, so i’ll let Red tackle that next week).

Iron Man 3’s biggest flaw is that it does almost nothing to advance the plot of the MCU. It takes everything the first two Iron Man films did and turns it on it’s head. Remember how it was a big deal Tony had an arc reactor in his chest to keep the shrapnel in his body from entering his heart and killing him? Ah forget it, let’s just have surgery to remove it. Not necessary anymore. Wait, so why was that impossible the first two times around, but now it’s completely feasible? And don’t even get me started on The Mandarin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdVOdW7kQwk

You take one of the most badass villains in the Iron Man universe and you turn him into an actor pretending to be terrorist just so we the audience can look and say “ooooh” “aaaah” “classic bait and switch!” It totally nullifies the tension in the beginning of the film where for a second I thought we were about to get something totally insane from an MCU where good villains are tough to come by. Finally, how about Pepper turning into the Human Torch for a grand total of five minutes just to bypass the fact that she fell to her death. Oh, and they fixed her off screen by the way. Back to normal Pepper!

Honestly, Phase Two is incredibly hit or miss for me. I just thank my lucky stars that Iron Man 3 is behind me. Could have derailed the whole thing. At this point in time I would like to officially declare it to be the worst movie of the MCU.

Final Rating: 2.0 out of 10

And not to leave on a completely downer of a note, I present to you the one scene I enjoy in the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lid6feCW-DY

 

 

This Felger and Mazz Take on Julian Edelman from 2011 Did NOT Age Well

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Listen it’s easy to pull bad takes out of anyone’s closet, Old Takes Exposed has literally made a career out of it, but this is so, so bad. Maybe it’s because as a 5’8″ moderately athletic guy I have an unhealthy affinity for underutilized slot guys, but I always felt like Julian Edelman was just waiting to take over for Wes Welker. Or maybe it’s because Edelman was a stud 5th wide receiver for me in Madden running in my empty sets. Who knows?

But the guy was athletic, shifty, quick (not to mention a beast on punt returns) so to just outright dump on the guy from the start makes no sense. He had 37 catches as a rookie in 2009, just a couple of months removed from playing quarterback at Kent State for christ’s sake.

Not to mention, he was the reason for the sneaky funniest thing Bill Belichick has ever said when he dropped a Wally Pip reference right in Welker’s face after Edelman’s punt return TD in the 09 preseason.

I always said if the guy could get healthy he would be a stud in the Patriots offense. What do you ya know? In 2013 when he played 16 games for the first time in his career, he broke out with 105 receptions for 1,000+ yards.

Now did I ever think in my wildest dreams that Edelman would blow past the cult status of Wes Welker, establish himself as arguably the greatest receiver in Patriots history, and earn Super Bowl MVP honors along the way? Umm..no.

But I always knew he’d be a great player in this Patriots offense. I was even chirping Volin about it back in ’13.

Matthew Slater and Julian Edelman Used to Be Roommates and the Modern Day Odd Couple

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ESPN – Edelman was so worried about saving money early in his career that he and teammate Matthew Slater rented a house in Foxborough together and lived like college kids, sharing expenses and household chores. “He was a terrible roommate,” Slater joked Sunday night. “Didn’t take the trash out, always leaving dishes around.”

But Slater didn’t mind, in the long run, because of the conversations they often ended up having late into the night, sharing their doubts and fears about living on the margins of an NFL roster. In 2011, when the Patriots asked Edelman and Slater to shift to the defensive side of the ball, they figured it was a bad sign for their career prospects.

“That was a pretty low point,” Slater said. “We just kept telling each to keep working hard, keep believing we can do this, and maybe one day it will work out for us. … To see us go from a couple of California kids living together to try and save a buck to him being the Super Bowl MVP is pretty special.”

Edelman liked living with Slater so much that, after four years, when Slater got married and decided to move out, Edelman told him to ask his wife if he could have a room in their new place.

“My wife was like, ‘No way are we living with Julian,'” Slater said. “And Julian was like, ‘No, tell her we can make this work.’ But seriously, I love him like a brother, man. My wife loves him. My kids love him. He’s been there for so many big moments in my life. I’m so appreciative for our friendship.”

I don’t know how I never knew this, but the visual of Julian Edelman and Matthew Slater living together in a Foxboro apartment is laugh out loud funny.

Can you imagine these two living together? They just seem like polar opposites, especially earlier in their careers. Slater has always seemed to be like the dad of the group, even as a young guy. Just a really nice, clean cut, wholesome, professional, polite, do your job kind of guy.

Whereas Edelman has always been the bearded bad boy, packing lips on the sidelines:

Laughing in the face of (probable) concussions

And let us never forget the Fabio situation Edelman had going on with some wicked lettuce.

I know the two are absolute gluttons for anything football so they probably stayed up late talking about game tape every night, but I’m just picturing Slater trying to make a nice quiche while Jules has empty Skoal cans laying all around the apartment. Does not seem like a match made in heaven, but hey its what makes us different that makes us great.

Roommate bonds are forever though. For better or for worse. After living with another dude it’s like you went to war together. War on exorbitant rent prices, hellacious commutes, getting too drunk on a school night, all those experiences are the ties that bind us. Just look at Slater when he learns his former roomie in Jules is going to be the Super Bowl MVP.

Odd Couple? Most definitely, but still just a couple of best buds that have reached the pinnacle of their profession winning three Lombardy trophies together.

PS – Years later, I still refuse to believe this Hannibal Burress GIF isn’t actually Matthew Slater on a bye week.

#RushHourRap – Birdman – Pop Bottles

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Before the Championships anthem from Robert Kraft’s good friend Meek Mill came along, this was the championship JAM. Back when everything Lil Wayne touched turned to gold. I think its only fair to break this out of the Disney Vault with Tom Brady and the Patriots winning yet ANOTHER ring.

Okay we poppin’ champagne like we won a championship gameΒ 
Look like I got on a championship ringΒ 

What Celtics Should Do Before Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline

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Image result for danny ainge celtics

What a crazy past week in the NBA, huh?

It all started with last Monday’s huge news that Anthony Davis doesn’t want to stay in New Orleans, which immediately caused a whirlwind of trade rumors, future roster predictions, and A LOT of false hope being doled out to desperate NBA fans around the country. It’s also caused some other soon-to-be-free-agents’ names to be dragged through tireless speculative “reports” – many of which are based on literally ZERO evidence – regarding where they will all go to create the new “superteam.” And it all seems to hinge upon Davis. On top of all that, we also got a major blockbuster between the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks involving Kristaps Porzingis just before the weekend.

(It was actually tough to keep up with everything, but for those who need a more in-depth refresher on last week’s events, Red’s got you covered with a great roundup on all of itΒ here.)

The NBA trade deadline is this Thursday, and teams have continued to make even more moves this week, with many others sure to come before tomorrow afternoon.

In what amounts to awful news for the Celtics, the 76ers acquired forward Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night in exchange for a criminally overrated veteran shooter (Wilson Chandler), a decent backup center (Mike Muscala), and future draft picks. So, Philly just got significantly better, adding a 20-point-per-game scorer to an already loaded lineup, and they did so without having to give up virtually anything for this season. Yeah, it’s definitely not good news for Green Nation.Β (The Pistons also traded former first-rounder Stanley Johnson to Milwaukee for Thon Maker on Wednesday. But, honestly, this move means zilch for anyone in the grand scheme of things.)

Image result for tobias harris

The 26-year-old, Harris, is one of the most underrated players in the league.

So what should the Celtics do?

First, just to reiterate, the CelticsΒ are not able to trade for Davis until at least after July 1, 2019, so we already know he’s not coming here this season. However, the team could potentially do a bit more to put themselves in an even greater position to acquire The Brow this summer if New Orleans decides to stand their ground and wait for what they know will already be the best offer out there. Much has been made about everything the Lakers have allegedly offered to the Pelicans over the past week, but they still can’t match the level of talent and future assets the Celts currently possess.

If the Celtics were to trade someone like Terry Rozier – an impending restricted free agent – for, say, another first-rounder, they could sweeten the pot even more. They’d also be getting at least something in return for someone who is very likely to leave in the offseason. But, they’d also be leaving themselves desperately thin at the position, especially if Kyrie Irving were to get injured, and this team is still right in the middle of contending; even after the frustrating loss to Golden State on January 26, the team has won five straight and vaulted up to third place in the Eastern Conference. Furthermore, there really just aren’t many teams who’d be willing to trade such a valuable future asset for a guy who could walk in five months. So, Scary Terry ain’t going anywhere.

Image result for terry rozier

Terry’s time will come soon enough. He’ll have to tough out just being “one of the guys” for a bit longer.

Or – and make sure you’re sitting down for this one – the Celtics could trade Kyrie Irving. Much like Rozier, Kyrie is also a free agent this summer; unlike Rozier, Kyrie is an unrestricted free agent, meaning he can go wherever he wants and there’s nothing the Celtics can do to stop him.

Just to set the record straight: I do not think the Celtics should trade Kyrie right now. However, I can see some logic in doing so, especially after his pretty frank comments last week regarding his commitment to the team’s future. In case you missed what he said, here ya go:

To be fair to Kyrie, I think he was just getting frustrated with the incessant “rumors” and “predictions” of where everyone was going to be next season, himself included, and we still haven’t even reached this year’s All-Star break! It’s actually pretty ridiculous, and to be entirely honest I’m getting sick of it myself. Slam Magazine also made sure to focus on other things he said during the interview, which pretty much back up what I just surmised and also points out the fact he still views the Celtics as the lead dog in the race. Finally, according to Steve Bulpett ofΒ TheΒ Boston Herald, Danny Ainge is refusing to take calls from any team that’s even tried to start the conversation anyway.

Were Kyrie to actually up and leave this summer, though, the Celts’ title contender status would immediately evaporate. And then, even if they still somehow traded for Davis, there’s no way he’d re-sign for the long term without at least one more superstar. So standing pat on Kyrie does not come without risk. But, keeping Kyrie right now at least gives you a plausible scenario which could see both he AND Davis here next season; trading him now does not give you anything close to that. In sum, the Celtics need to keep Kyrie and hope for the best.

Image result for kyrie irving

The Celtics need to do everything they can to keep this man happy for the next couple of months.

OK, so they can’t really trade Rozier or Kyrie at the moment. So what else should they do?

Honestly, nothing. Sure, maybe they could use some help in the rebounding department from time to time, but this team really doesn’t have any glaring issues. As I’ve said multiple times this year, I just believe there’s actually too much talent on the roster, and they just need to learn how to play better together as one unit.

Image result for robert williams rebound

Or maybe a little more playing time for Robert Williams and his 10.0 rebounds per 36 minutes could provide a big help, too!

Again, while this team has certainly struggled much more so than I thought to this point in the season, they’ve still shown the ability that got them within minutes of an NBA Finals appearance last year. They’ve also quickly jumped up two spots in the standings after ripping off five-straight victories, and they’re still a top-five defensive team.

Brad Stevens has also started to refine the rotation a bit more in recent weeks, which will hopefully help guys settle into their roles for the stretch run and provide a bit more consistency. This team can still do some damage, as evidenced by their sound victory over the Raptors three weeks ago followed by a close defeat to Golden State, and I don’t think a major shakeup would be helpful right now in any way.

So, for the first time in years, I will be perfectly content with Ainge & Co. deciding to pass on doing anything at the deadline. Seriously, shut the phone off, Danny. Just bide your time and let the rest of the league continue to tire themselves out. Our golden opportunity still awaits.

Soon. Soon.

The 300s Live Super Bowl Sunday Podcast Now on iTunes

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The 300s Podcast was LIVE at Oak Square Liquors in Brighton on Super Bowl Sunday previewing the game, the prop bets, fan predictions, and we even diverged into some NBA Super Team talk, and MLB Hot Stove (or lack thereof) discussions. Lets GO!

Listen to The 300s Podcast on:

ALL the Highlights from the Patriots Super Bowl Parade

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Considering I dutifully honored the national holiday that is the day after Super Bowl Sunday, I was not in a great position to go to the Pats parade. BUT thankfully the internet is here to live stream every second of the damn thing, so below are some of the highlights if you too were stuck in the cubes yesterday.