Keep It Simple Boston

10 QUESTIONS WITH THE BOTPOD

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Bruins vs Sabres

Sunday April 19th 1pm

Russini Resigns, shoe to drop for Vrabel?

Ray your take?

Rich –

Bruins over achieve and back door into the playoffs

Last time Sabres  were in the playoffs 2010 – lost to Bruins ins round 1

Bruins won 3 out of 4 regular season match ups. 2 in OT

Can Bruins get enough scoring from bottom 6? James Hagans contributions? 19 year old rookie.

Morgan Geekie first real playoff run as a top line player.

Pasternak, McAvoy, Swayman

Pasternak has scored 11 goals with five assists in 21 games over his last three first-round series. He also has scored in each of his last three Game 7s. He has 87 points in 90 career playoff games.

McAvoy career-high 61 points (10 goals, 51 assists) in 69 games. He also led the team with 24:23 time on ice per game, while playing the second-most power-play time and most penalty kill time.

Swayman Vezina Trophy finalist. He went 31-18-4 with a .908 save percentage and a 2.71 GAA. He ranked No. 2 in both goals saved above expected (28.8) and wins above replacement (4.80),

The new core of the team. Can they elevate others?

Shoe to Drop for Vrabel?

Skipped a pre-draft press conference?

Are you or have you lost respect for Vrabel? He’s got to own it at least to his team.

Russini defiant resignation good or bad for Vrabel?

Patriots win – it goes away

Patriots stink – it comes back

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Is there hope for the Red Sox?

Ray –

Rich – No. They team was not constructed well.

Red Sox 7-11 5th in AL East

There is no leadership. No identity.

Everyday they hope to go out and play well enough individually to win.

Crochet and Sonny Gray lose in MN making it a 3-3 Road trip vs St Louis and Minnesota

The team is quickly going to fade into the abyss of summer, because they suck.

Players with more K’s than Hits

Wilson Contreras -2

Trevor Story – 8

Roman Anthony – 4

Jarren Duran – 9

Marcelo Mayer – 3

Carlos Narvaez – 6

Caleb Durbin – 2

7 out of 9 starters

Abreau, Contreras, Yoshida, Rafaela hitting pretty well

Strength of the team?

The Red Sox answer to the #2 pitcher’s position Sonny Gray – 2 – 1 20.1 innings pitched 4.43 ERA

Connelley Early gets some flowers – 1-0, 19.2 innings pitched 2.29 ERA

Can I ask if we are 100% convinced Garret Crochet is who we think he is?

Breslow’s panic move: Ranger Suarez. Terrible start. Back to water level 5.02 ERA

Brayan Bello a predictably forgettable 6.14 ERA

Johan Oviedo – 3.2 inning 1 game 9.82 era

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Celtics vs 76ers Playoffs Round 1

Celtics heat check: Rich

Celtics Heat check: Ray

Game 1 Sunday April 19th

Michael Holley doesn’t believe the Celtics should lose a game in this series

Season series tied 2-2

Embiid – Emergency Appendectomy

Maxey, Paul George.

As our Chris Forsberg noted, the Sixers owned the best clutch-time defense in the NBA, holding opponents to a defensive rating of 98.6 in 174 minutes of clutch play. Both of their regular-season wins against the Celtics were clutch-time wins decided by one or two points.

This is a Joe Mazzula story.

What does the rotations look like?

What does end of game look like?

Celtics regular season

2nd in East 56-26

Last Game – Baylor Shierman 30 points beat the Magic fighting for a home playoff game. More about Celtics role players or Magic?

Thoughts on the regular season?

Over Achieved. Set themselves up for success. Did not succumb to expectations.

Credit pie:

#1 Jaylen Brown

#2 Brad Stevens

#3 Joe Mazzula and his bag of rag tag whites

#4 Jayson Tatum

#5 Neemius Queta

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Simplest minds of the week

Rays cubs – foul ball

Hardest substance

Pool hesitation

Rope swing

Give us that like and follow, see you next tuesday

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Easter reeces or regular reeces ? 

Go missing and become a Netflix documentary or have to solve the case of a missing person? 

Have to fight 3 big zombies or 50 toddlers with an attitude problem? 

Have to have multiple wives or dozens of kids ? 

Every time you interact with people they leave a yelp review about you or you have to leave a review every time you interact with someone new ? 

Apple TV or hbo max ? 

Spend 60 days under water in a sub serving your country or or 60 days on a container ship fighting off pirates ? 

You can only expressive yourself through your art ? Or every time ten minutes you have to fart ?

Follow along for more brain busters from Chief Bob

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10 questions

Days what should the nba do about the 65 game rule for postseason awards ? 

2. What would be the best way to stop Tanking in the NBA? 

3.  Chicago sky trade angel reese to the dream for 2 1sts , thoughts ? 

4. Knowledge check Ray, what is a pullout spray? 

5. Stephon Gilmore retires where does he rank at corner all time for the pats ? 

6.  Is Lamar going to have a bounce back year under a new coach ? 

7. Skinny jeans or a skinny shirt? 

8. What does vrabel have against Joe Brady ? 

9.  What is the point of flying around the moon ? 

10.  Dexter Lawrence requests a trade , is he even any good ? 

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Vrabel in Hot water and Bruins back dooring into the playoffs?

Opening takes

Bobby – Vrabel

Ray –

Rich – It’s the time of year I start watching hockey. Bruins don’t screw me out of some playoff hockey nights.

Russini and Vrabel, 50, were seen linking hands, sunbathing and sharing a hot tub at a resort in Sedona, Arizona, in pictures posted by Page Six on Tuesday, April 7. The outlet reported the photos were taken two weeks prior.

Shortly after their publication, both Russini and Vrabel, who is also married, denied anything untoward was going on. 

Bruins lose in OT to Hurricanes. Pick up an important point.  4 points up on Senators for 1st wild card 6 points up on Blue Jackets. Would be a pretty embarrassing collapse not to make the playoffs at this point.

Lighting, Blue Jackets, Devils to finish the season.  Both the Senators and Blue Jackets have a game in hand on the Bruins as of today.

As it stands Bruins would face the Lightening in Round 1.  Lightening are favored to come out of the east. So, Fun.

Give us a follow and a like as we follow these two stories.

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The Celtics are prime for a playoff run

Opening Takes

Bobby

Ray

Rich – Has Mazzula and the Celtics evolved at all?

Celtics beat Hornets 113 – 102

Shot 40% form 3 on 42 attempts

Jaylen Brown 3-10

Jayson Tatum 3-7

Celtics 4th in 3pt attempts – 41.8. 10th in 3 pt% = 36.4%

FG attempted – 5th  90

FG% - 15th 46.7%

Free Throws Attempted – Dead last 30th  18.7

FT % - 6th 80%

48 2pters             47%

42 3pters             36%

19 Free Throws 80%

2nd in Offensive Rating - # of points per 100 possessions. Celtics dead last in possessions

21st in points – 114.6

4th in def rating. Points allowed per 100 possessions

Year by year

2024 – 2025 season – 3pt attempts – 48  3 pt % - 37%

FG ATT – 90 – made 42                                                                  53% 3pters

2024 – 2025 playoffs – 3pt Attempts 47                  3pt % 31%

FG ATT – 83 – made 37                                                                  57% 3pters                        

2023 -2024 – Season – 3pt attempts 42.5 – 3pt % 39%

FG att- 90 – made 44                                                                      47% 3pters

2023 -2024 – playoffs – 3pt attempts 40 - 3pt% 36%

FG Att- 84 - made – 39                                                                     47% 3pters

2025 – 2026 season - 3pt attempts – 42 3 pt% = 36.4%

FG attempted – 5th  90 made 37                                                 47% 3pters

Mazzula will not change the formula. Based on that:

Is there a team in the East that should beat them?

Play in Tournament starts April 14th.  Give us a follow and like for next week’s chatter about the potential first round match up for the C’s

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Why the Red Sox Suck – it’s not ownership

Opening Takes:

Rich - Red Sox rank 6th in salary pay roll per spotrac (265mill)

-          Behind Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays (308 mill)

Luxury tax threshold - $244 Million

Ownership not spending like they used to, but they are spending just poorly.

Ray –

Bobby –

Craig Breslow is unqualified for his position.  He was the 11th candidate on their list.

                Dismal off season

                He Chases and reacts

                Losing Bregman was the worst thing that could happen to this team no completely void of leadership. Toot too

                This shouted from roof tops their biggest needs this off season was a right handed bat, #2 pitcher, and bull pen help.

                They replaced Bregman bat with Contrares – net loss and his glove at 3rd with Caleb Durbin – fail

Meanwhile Suarez signs with the Reds for $15 million after hitting 49 HR and 118 RBIS

                They replaced Giolito with Sony Gray – net neutral (loss)

                They added Ranger Suarez as the last big ticket pitcher on the market after whiffing on Bregman and failing to enter the race for Pete Alonzo because he didn’t fit their spending philosophy.

                Zero bullpen help was added

Breslow is simply not qualified for this role.  They have no plan or identity.  The one they think they want to be is ass backwards from what they teach.

The Red Sox approach as an entire organization is broken.

                Their pivot in the offseason from right handed bat #2 pitcher to run prevention makes no sense.

They have been the worst defense team in the majors for 8 years with the most or second most errors every year. 

2026 – 2nd most E

2025 – Most errors in baseball. 116 (Rockies 110 – White Sox 99)

2024 – 2nd most errors in baseball

2023 – 2nd most errors in baseball

2022 – 14th most errors in baseball

2021 – 2nd most errors in baseball

The prospects that arrive have to be taught how to play fundamental defensive baseball in Fenway park before games, (See Roman Anthony) or just completely are void of the skill all together (See Kristain Campbell).

They are not a run preventing team

Since Henry Fired Dombroski and made yet another philosophical shift in management - They have had their head jammed up the launch angle approaches’ ass.

2026 – 8th most K’s

2025 – 8th most K's

2024 – 3rd most K's

2026 – HRs – 23rd

2025 – HRs – 15th

2024 – HR – 9th

2023 – HR – 18th

2022 – HR - 20

They are not a power hitting team

Pitching

2026 ERA – 23rd

2025 – ERA – 5th

2024 – ERA 17th

2023 – ERA 21st

2022 – ERA 25th

2021 – ERA 15th

They are not an elite pitching team. Can they even scout their own talent.
Kyle Harrison – Traded for Caleb Durbin.  2.61 ERA with Brewers. Looks legit. 24 year old hard throwing lefty

Quinn Priester – 2025 – 3.32 ERA 13 – 3. Lead the Brewers in wins for the team with the most wins in baseball last year.  Was traded for a player to be named later and guys you’ll never hear from

James Tibbs – Top prospect in Devers trade  - Currently hitting .415 with a .941 OPS in AAA for Dodgers.  Breslow traded him at the deadline for Dustin Maye who didn’t make the playoff roster.

The RedSox are broken because their only vision in a financial one.  They need baseball minds that can operate with in the financial frame work of a top 7 spending team.  They need to give up the philosophy of not spending big money on older players especially hitters.

Give us a follow or subscribe for more Sox Bashing until we relegate Breslow back to band camp

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