You read it where I wrote it ...
As I write this, I am 32,000 feet above our great land headed to Las Vegas for a ... cagefight? That’s right. UFC is becoming one of the big sports brands in all the world. Because fighters can come from all over the world, UFC is a burgeoning worldwide brand. Barbaric, yes. Has it replaced boxing, absolutely. And with MEGA stars like Conor McGregor, and Amanda Nunes the future of the sport is bright and I’m here for it. Flaws and all.
- Good to see Jayson Tatum take the next step that most NBA superstar players have taken over the last two decades, as he will be a fixture of this years U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team. I don’t need to see J.T. dominate, I want to see him fit in with other stars like Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard. Is he at that level??
- We are about three weeks away from Patriots training camp and the two big stories running through my mind are: 1. How quickly Mac Jones becomes the starting QB; 2. What is the ceiling for this Patriots' defense?
- Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul will play in his first NBA Finals. So far, so good. Long way to go. To think he is three wins away from erasing his name off the “best player to have never won a championship list” is something I never would have predicted before the NBA season.
- It will be very interesting to see how the NCAA will rule on Barstool Sports making moves to sign athletes under the new NIL legislation. They are owned by a gambling company and that’s still a big no-no in the college sports world. I think the NCAA will rule against them and I hope athletes don’t start losing eligibility.
- With the All-Star break right around the corner, is there any doubt that Alex Cora is the runaway leader for ‘Manager of the Year’ in MLB?
- Oh. Mac Jones starts around Week 6, and the Patriots will have a Top 5 defense this year. The ceiling for this year’s defense? Top 3!
- It’s supposed to be 114, 115, and 113 degrees the 3 days I will be in Vegas. I’ll be sweating like Gresh & Keefe producer Chris Scheim when he walks into a Hickory Farms.
- (LEFT OVER FROM LAST WEEK) Is EURO 2021 over yet? And does the winner just move onto another soccer tournament?
- I have a sneaking suspicion that Chris Sale is going to make a major impact for the Red Sox in September and October.
- Congrats to the Tampa Bay Lightning on winning the Stanley Cup over the Montreal Canadiens. I hate Montreal and their puke fans. Thank YOU, Nikita Kucherov for putting those fools on blast after winning the Cup at home in game 5.
- For those who listen to ‘Gresh & Keefe’, yes. I am that picky an eater. FORMER FAT GUY NOTE: If you ever want to send me pizza, I am an extra cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms guy. And if you had to leave one topping off, it’s mushrooms.
- I can’t WAIT to watch L.A. Rams QB Matthew Stafford play well in the NFL’s regular season and then soil himself in the playoffs.
- Bruins GM Don Sweeney has some work to do this offseason.
--I wrote a book of sports lists, yet I hate talking about lists on sports radio. I’ve always felt it was lazy.
--Thanks to Rob Bradford for allowing me to spew my B.S. each week.
Gresh is co-host of ‘Gresh & Keefe’ 10a-2p, Monday-Friday on the WEEI Sportsradio Network. He is also co-author of ‘The Great Book of Boston Sports Lists’