According to ESPN, Boston has emerged as a leading destination in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. No deal is on the table (that we know of), but the mere possibility might raise a few concerns.
Boston, MA
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, North End restaurateurs wait for ruling in outdoor dining fight
A federal judge presiding over the North End outdoor dining dispute has promised a ruling sooner rather than later after taking eight months to schedule an initial hearing.
Judge Leo T. Sorokin has yet to decide on a complaint from a group of 21 neighborhood restaurateurs and the North End Chamber of Commerce that Mayor Michelle Wu targeted their establishments due to an anti-Italian bias when imposing heavy outdoor dining restrictions.
The judge took the complaint and the city’s request to dismiss the argument under advisement before hearing from both sides in the Seaport late Friday afternoon, citing the “serious issues” raised.
“I want to give them their due,” Sorokin said. “I do apologize that it’s taken me some time to reach this hearing, but it won’t take me nearly as long to issue a decision. I am mindful that it is of great importance to the plaintiffs and of great importance to the city.”
The North End Restaurant Group – led by Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde, co-owner of Vinoteca di Monica, and Carla Gomes, owner of Terramia and Antico Forno – filed the complaint in January, alleging Wu has targeted their establishments unfairly and discriminatorily over the years.
City attorney Samantha Fuchs filed a motion to dismiss the restaurateurs’ complaint in federal court in April, saying the group’s argument is flawed on several fronts, in particular, failing to show how it deserves “any heightened scrutiny.”
In 2022, officials forced restaurateurs to pay a $7,500 fee for outdoor dining operations in a shortened season compared to other neighborhoods. In 2023, the city banned on-street dining, limiting the al fresco option to “compliant sidewalk patios,” a restriction which continued this year.
Restaurateurs amended the complaint in March, adding losses they anticipated they’d encounter in 2024, fees they paid in 2022 and lost revenue from 2023. Out of Boston’s 23 neighborhoods, the North End has been the only one hit with restrictions against their will
Attorney Thomas Frongillo, representing the group, argued Friday that the city is misframing the complaint, saying it didn’t identify the restaurateurs’ numerous claims. He walked through the history of the dispute including how Wu at a 2022 St. Patrick’s Day breakfast compared protesting restaurateurs to snowflakes.
Frongillo also blasted Wu and her administration for a lack of transparency throughout the years-long fight.
“Unlike prior administrations, what they did was that they kept everything under wraps,” he said. “The public had no idea what they were doing.”
Fuchs argued that the restaurateurs fall short in creating a suspect class and making a disparate impact claim that is backed with a discriminatory purpose.
“Discriminatory purpose means that the city enacted these policies because of a particular group, not merely in spite of,” she said. “There’s no evidence, your honor, in the second amended complaint to show the city enacted these policies in order to harm a (class of people).”
Fuchs also spoke about the factors that have shaped the restrictions in the North End: The city’s oldest neighborhood, peppered with historic buildings and narrow brick sidewalks, has the densest concentration of restaurants in the state, with roughly 95 eateries in a third of a square mile.
“We all acknowledge that the North End is different,” Fuchs said.
Restaurateurs have fought against the city’s attempt to compare neighborhoods as a whole, with data they’ve gathered through Freedom of Information requests showing restaurants on particular streets in other neighborhoods are comparable – Newbury Street in Back Bay, West Broadway in South Boston, etc.
“You can take Hanover Street and put it right inside Newbury Street where they have 24 restaurants on Newbury Street and 30 on Hanover Street,” Frongillo said, “and look at the remarkable similarities between the settings.”
“You have to look at what they actually did here,” he added. “They targeted the North End Italian restaurants, they represent 98% of restaurants in the North End.”
Boston is allowing outdoor drinking in two neighborhoods this summer while the city welcomes a wave of international visitors during the World Cup, Mayor Michelle Wu announced.
The social districts opened Friday and will run through July 31.
Boston public drinking zones
Patrons will be allowed to consume alcoholic beverages outdoors within designated areas at Union and Marshall streets in Downtown Boston’s Block Historic District, as well as on Temple Place in Downtown Crossing.
According to the city, the initiative along with the decision to extend last call until 3 a.m. for the World Cup “is creating vibrancy for patrons and expanding opportunities for Boston businesses during one of the region’s busiest summers in recent years.”
“As Boston welcomes people from around the world to gather and enjoy our city this summer, these new social districts will create even more opportunities to build community and have fun responsibly,” Wu said in a statement. “These districts help us open our streets in a safe environment for residents and visitors to enjoy themselves, ‘sip and stroll,’ and make lasting memories in our beautiful city.”
Last week, Gov. Maura Healey signed a new law that allowed for cities and towns to create designated areas for public drinking.
How drinking zones work
In order to participate, businesses within the designated zones must file a one-day amendment application with the Boston Licensing Board that states they wish to be included in the districts.
Businesses cannot sell alcohol for public consumption until they receive approval from the Licensing Board.
Hours for the Union-Marshall Street Social District will be 9 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. The Temple Place Social District will be open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Drinks sold for public consumption will be in clear plastic containers with a sticker or other label that shows where they were sold. Businesses cannot sell more than one 16-ounce alcoholic beverage for public consumption per customer in a single transaction.
Outside alcohol cannot be brought into businesses.
“We are grateful for this opportunity to activate our downtown, support businesses, and create a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere in two of Boston’s entertainment districts,” Corean Reynolds, director of nightlife economy, said in a statement. “Both residents and tourists can benefit from these Social Districts. After the summer, we look forward to continuing our work creating a nightlife infrastructure that works for everyone.”
Concern numero uno is obvious. Giannis is one of the handful of players capable of altering the championship picture by himself. Pairing him with Jayson Tatum would create an impressive combination of size, athleticism, versatility, and star power. The question is whether Brad Stevens and the Celtics can actually pull it off without creating a new set of problems for themselves.
Boston’s path to Giannis is narrower than it first appears. The Celtics would almost certainly need to move Jaylen Brown, either directly to Milwaukee or through a third team. Reports indicate Brown has little interest in joining the Bucks (in paraphrase: “Milwaukee?! Yuck!”), which complicates matters further. We start moving from a blockbuster trade to a three-team puzzle involving contracts, draft compensation, and competing agendas.
Even if Boston finds a way through that maze, there’s no guarantee the resulting team will succeed.
Giannis may be a better asset than Brown, but championships are not won by comparing players one-for-one. They’re won by building complete teams (case in point: YOUR WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS ).
Brown averaged more than 28 points per game last season while defending multiple positions. He can create his own offense, punish smaller defenders, and absorb primary scoring responsibilities when Tatum is unavailable (as Tatum was for most of last season, recovering from a torn Achilles). Replacing him with Giannis raises Boston’s ceiling, perhaps, but also changes the structure of the roster.
The Celtics have spent years building an ecosystem around two star wings. Remove one and the supporting cast suddenly becomes more important, which means Stevens would have many more decisions to make before the start of training camp.
What catches me up is, if the Bucks believed that Giannis has more great years ahead of him, would they so quickly offload him to a conference rival? Might he actually be a distressed asset?
Giannis will turn 32 this season. He has generally been durable over his career but has dealt with increasing lower-body issues (especially calves and knees) in recent years, leading to more missed time. To wit:
• 2022–23: 63 GP / 19 missed
• 2023–24: 73 GP / 9 missed
• 2024–25: 67 GP / 15 missed
• 2025–26: 36 GP / 46 missed
Wouldn’t that just be the worst if the Celts parted with Brown to get him, and then Giannis missed extended time due to injury? Like, the absolute worst? (Insert diabolical laughter.)
A healthy Tatum-Giannis pairing would present unique challenges for New York. The Knicks would need to defend relentless downhill pressure while also containing one of the league’s best bucket creators. But, given their depth, New York may be better equipped than most teams to handle it.
So if the Celtics’ pursuit of Giannis causes an initial flutter of worry, you can let that just drift on by. The scenario only noses toward Red Alert if Boston nabs him while somehow also acquiring a guard who makes up for what they’d lose with Brown’s departure.
But wait! This just in: Chris Haynes has pushed back on the idea that a Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-Boston deal is close. He writes that Boston does not appear to be a promising destination and suggested the situation could extend into July. Additionally, Marc Stein reported that the Celtics are frustrated by speculation involving Jaylen Brown, while Brian Windhorst said Brown has not been formally offered in a trade. So, to quote the great William Goldman (also a Knicks fan), “Nobody knows anything.”
It’s worth noting that the Miami Heat are also reportedly in the mix. We’ve heard that the lack of income tax is alluring to the Greek Freak. Plus Florida offers sunny, warm weather, which is not a defining feature of Wisconsin. In the end, though, joining Boston would allow Giannis to keep all his favorite green-themed items in his wardrobe, and shouldn’t looking good be a priority, too?
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins said Thursday they are retiring Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37 as part of a ceremony next season.
The date will be shared later, following the NHL schedule release that is expected next month.
Bergeron is set to join fellow 2011 Stanley Cup champion Zdeno Chara with his number in the rafters. Bergeron, when it happens, will be the 14th player to have his number retired by the storied franchise.
He spent his entire 19-year career in the league with the Bruins, playing 1,464 games counting the regular season and playoffs. That included the title run in 2011 and more trips to the final in ’13 and ’19.
“Patrice was the kind of rare, generational talent that every team wanted,” owner Jeremy Jacobs said in a statement. “He was a deftly skilled playmaker and the undeniable greatest defensive forward in the NHL’s history. But it was the leadership he provided on the ice and in the locker room that made him truly stand apart and an all-time legend of the Boston Bruins.”
Bergeron succeeded Chara as captain in 2020 and served three seasons in that role before retiring. He called this an honor that is difficult to put into words.
“When I arrived in Boston as an 18-year-old, I could never have imagined receiving this recognition one day,” Bergeron said. “I have always believed that any success I had was only possible because of the people around me. I was fortunate to play alongside incredible teammates, learn from outstanding coaches and staff and be supported by an organization that believed in me from the very beginning.”
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