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OBF: NFLPA grades put Pats between ‘Animal House’ and outhouse

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OBF: NFLPA grades put Pats between ‘Animal House’ and outhouse


The Patriots’ final 2023-24 grades came on Wednesday.

Delta House would be ashamed.

Patriots Owner Robert “Hoover” Kraft: “D+”

Former Coach Bill “Otter” Belichick: “B-minus”

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Meanwhile, “Treatment Of Families” pulled a Blutarsky.

“Zero-point-zero.”

An F-minus

Jonathan “D-Day” Kraft had no grade point average.

All courses incomplete.

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These ratings came via the NFLPA’s annual team-by-team survey.

This is what the players think.

Overall, the Patriots are ranked 29th by the players association in 11 different categories.

Their team GPA is 1.71 on a 4.0 scale.

That’s a “D+.”

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The Patriot Way is on double-secret probation.

“We’re a region that stresses family values,” Robert Kraft said 30 years ago on the day when he bought the Patriots.

The Patriots have become a franchise that literally cannot treat player families any worse.

“Family Values” have gone the way of “The Dynasty,”

When it comes to “The Dynasty,” Patriots fans are still wrangling with the various stages of grief.

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The denial thing took about 5 years, but the bargaining phase shows no end date.

Talk of “The Dynasty” here is not limited to the current serialization of Jeff Benedict’s book currently airing in parts on Apple TV+.

We view “The Dynasty” as the entire three decades of Patriots decadence going back to the days when Robert Kraft made James Orthwein an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“The Dynasty” on Apple TV+ sits as a milestone between “Olympia,” “Why We Fight,” and the “NESN Red Sox Post Game Show” in terms of State Run Media propaganda.

While the reel-life “Dynasty” Patriots are streaming on your favorite big-screen of choice, the real-life Patriots seek their new post-Dynasty identity this week at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

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Eliot Wolf spoke to the world for the first time in his new role as Patriots GM-In-Everything-But-Name-Only Tuesday.

Wolf, 41, is the son of former Packers GM Ron Wolf. He followed dad’s footsteps and worked in Green Bay for 14 years.

And he is bringing the Packer Way to Foxboro.

“Cheese!”

Wolf wasn’t sheepish when it came to stating his priorities. He made it clear the days of “a hard-ass vibe” in New England have gone the way of straight A’s in Foxboro.

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Wolf promised a new way to evaluate players, especially quarterbacks.

It appears he’s already given Mac the knife.

“You don’t want a guy that’s throwing his hands up after a bad play or you can see him physically pointing at somebody. Body language is important. Everybody’s looking to the quarterback,” Wolf said.

Declarative sentences.

Action verbs.

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Cogent answers.

Welcome to 2024.

So much BS has gone the way of “B-minus B.”

The most important thing Wolf said was that he has the final say in deciding what to do with the No. 3 pick in April’s NFL draft. The finger of blame or success points in his direction.

This may be the first time since Kraft told Bill Parcells to draft Terry Glenn that we have definitive proof in terms of who makes the final call on draft day.

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The Narrative says Kraft forced Belichick to draft Mac Jones in 2020. The truth is that assertion never surfaced after Jones’ strong rookie season.

In “The Dynasty,” Kraft is shown at the table when the team chooses Brady.

“Did Bob take Tom, too?”

Episodes 5 and 6 of “The Dynasty” drop late Thursday/early Friday depending on the time zone of your server.

But much is amiss.

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Mike Martz and Michael Strahan are given more airtime than the 2003-2004 back-to-back Super Bowl winning seasons. Never mind Adam Vinatieri.

Vinatieri is the greatest clutch player in the history of Boston sports. In addition to his wizardry in the Snow Bowl, he provided the margin of victory in New England’s first three Super Bowl wins.

And when AI is doing its best to scrub any mentions of male NHL players from the internet, “The Dynasty” conveniently has yet to mention Kraft’s dalliance with the State of Connecticut.

The Narrative says the NFL would never let the Patriots leave the Boston Metro Area at the turn of the century. But in truth, the league could do nothing to stop a move to Hartford. (See: Browns, Cleveland). Rather the NFL worked behind the scenes to keep the team from leaving Massachusetts. A subtle but important difference.

The Nov. 19, 1998, front page “PATRIOTS EXTRA” of Hartford Courant was emblazoned with the headline “Touchdown!” Kraft was pictured with then Gov. John Rowland.

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The Nutmeg State would open its wallet to give the franchise whatever it wanted to move to a stadium alongside the Connecticut River in Harford. The deal would have been the most lucrative, if not ludicrous, in NFL history.

Problems with the Hartford Steam Plant site doomed the project. The NFL got lucky.

Had the sides opted for a cleaner site across the river in East Hartford, Tom Brady may be Connecticut favorite’s son. The Hartford Heartthrob. The Middlebury Missile. The Torrington Tornado.

The “charade” lasted for months. The Patriots were moving to Connecticut … unless.

When the Connecticut deal was announced, Kraft spoke with the same emotion as he does in “The Dynasty” when discussing Super Bowl 36 and 9/11. Kraft and son Jonathan participated in a Hartford pep rally on the same day when his dad got a key to the city.

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The deal would guarantee the Patriots a new stadium by 2002. Kraft terminated it on April 30, 1999, two days before an opt-out deadline.

The Patriots got their “unless” in the form of that $70 million in Bay State taxpayer money to cover infrastructure improvements around Gillette Stadium. That equals $129.5 million today. The Krafts also earned the everlasting gratitude of would-be NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who worked backchannels around Beacon Hill.

That chit came in handy when it came time to smash the “Spygate” tapes.

The Krafts may need a sequel to “The Dynasty” to clean up this current mess and raise that GPA.

“Hard Knocks” is just five months away.

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Bill Speros (@RealOBF and @BillSperos) can be reached at bsperos1@gmail.com.



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Boston, MA

Each mile is for her miracle: This Granby mom is running the Boston Marathon with her daughter in mind

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Each mile is for her miracle: This Granby mom is running the Boston Marathon with her daughter in mind


Boston Marathon

“With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.”

Brianna Poehler is running the 2026 Boston Marathon.
Brianna Poehler

In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.


Name: Brianna Poehler

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City/State: Granby, Mass.

I am running the 2026 Boston Marathon with Miles for Miracles in support of Boston Children’s Hospital. The Boston Marathon is deeply personal to me and my family. 

My daughter is a liver transplant survivor, and at just 11 months old, she received a life-saving liver transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital. 

What could have been the most devastating chapter of our lives became a story of hope, resilience, and extraordinary care because of the BCH team.

When our daughter was so small and so sick, the doctors, nurses, and staff at Boston Children’s carried us through the unimaginable. 

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They combined world-class medical expertise with compassion that went far beyond treatment plans and hospital rooms. They cared for our daughter as if she were their own. They supported us as anxious, exhausted parents. They gave us answers when we had questions, and reassurance when we were overwhelmed. 

Most importantly, they gave our daughter a second chance at life.

Today, she is thriving because of that gift. Every milestone she reaches is a reminder of the miracle she received and the team that made it possible. Running the Boston Marathon is my way of honoring that gift and saying thank you in the most meaningful way I can.

The marathon is a test of endurance, determination, and heart — qualities I saw in my daughter during her fight and in the Boston Children’s team every single day. 

With every mile I run, I will be thinking of her strength, her transplant journey, and the families who are walking similar paths right now.

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By running with Miles for Miracles, I hope to raise funds that will support groundbreaking research, life-saving treatments, and compassionate care for children like my daughter. This race is more than 26.2 miles — it is a celebration of survival, gratitude, and hope.

Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.

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Boston, MA

Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak

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Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak


Charlotte Hornets (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-20, second in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -6.5; over/under is 214.5

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BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Boston.

The Celtics are 27-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is sixth in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 8.8.

The Hornets are 19-21 in conference matchups. Charlotte is 7-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 15.0 turnovers per game.

The Celtics average 15.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow. The Hornets average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Celtics allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 17 points and 5.8 assists over the past 10 games.

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Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 109.4 points, 50.7 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.5 points per game.

Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 47.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Neemias Queta: day to day (rest).

Hornets: Coby White: day to day (injury management).

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___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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Boston, MA

First Alert: Mix of snow and rain today, then looking ahead to warmer weather

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First Alert: Mix of snow and rain today, then looking ahead to warmer weather


Today is a First Alert weather day. A system to our south is pushing mix of snow and rain into southern New England through this evening and tonight. 

For us here in Greater Boston, expect snow to continue spreading over our area through the afternoon/evening commute. In fact, parts our area could see up to 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation before the sleet and rain move in.

Much of Greater Boston will likely see snow amounts on the lower end. Higher snow amounts are expected toward southern New Hampshire and along and north of outer Route 2. Also, some ice accumulations are possible, up to a tenth of an inch, creating a thin glaze here and there.

Dozens of schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts have already announced early dismissals as a result of the storm.

While this system won’t cripple our area, conditions could still create a mess on the roads during the evening commute through tonight. Be careful while driving. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for parts of our area through early Wednesday morning. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s today. Overnight lows will drop into the low 30s.

We’ll wake up to patchy fog Wednesday morning before the sun returns. High temperatures will be in the upper 40s. We’ll stay in the 40s on Thursday with increasing clouds. But by late Thursday night into Friday, wet weather returns. Some snow could mix with the rain into Friday morning. Highs will be in the upper 30s Friday.

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Warmer weather is expected this weekend. Highs will be in the 50s Saturday and possibly near 60 on Sunday.



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