After San Francisco (Super Bowl L) and Houston (Super Bowl LI) were selected as the sites for the 2016 and 2017 games on Tuesday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft made his pitch for the game to be played in Foxboro, Mass.

“We would love one day to hold it here if it’s a good experience there,” Kraft told reporters at the owners meetings on Tuesday. “We’re looking forward to seeing this experience in New York and New Jersey.”

If the outdoor Super Bowl in New York/New Jersey turns out to be a big success, then the NFL would be inclined to make cold-weather Super Bowls a more common occurrence in the future. Kraft is eyeing the Boston-Providence area as the primary location, highlighting two of New England best geographical assets.

“It would be great. I sort of like Boston/Providence,” Kraft said. “This is where it all started. Right here.”

Kraft understands there could be some hurdles to get past before the game actually is awarded to the region, but he believes they can be easily overcome.

“Part of what it will require is political people in Boston and Providence coming together so we could really have the right number of hotel rooms and have the support,” he said. “It would require cooperation from all of the political folks who would have to gather together and want this and come together, like they do in other parts of the country.”

The NFL owners might feel compelled to lend Kraft their support in the venture, especially given how integral he was in resolving the lockout between the league and its players in 2011. Although, they might not like it so much if the ever-dominant Patriots are playing in the very game they host. That’s something Kraft would like to see but isn’t going to prioritize.

“I hope we can be in the game. We like playing in cold weather.” Kraft added. “I’d rather be in the game than attract it here though, that’s going to be our priority.”

The earliest the Patriots would be able to host the Super Bowl would be in 2018, the same season Tom Brady is expected to retire. What a sendoff that would be.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

On Wednesday, The Boston Globe reported that its sale was progressing, and that The New York Times Company, the newspaper’s parent company, had met with bidders and potential investors. However, a little-noticed fact in that report noted that “Representatives of the Kraft family, owners of the New ­England Patriots football team, also attended a presentation.”

According to the report, the company that The New York Times Company hired to sell the Globe has had at least six meetings about the paper’s sale. Representatives from The Kraft Group attended those but have not yet submitted a formal offer. A group led by the Taylor family, which originally sold the Globe 20 years ago, has submitted a bid.

As MyFoxBoston points out, the Times purchased the Globe in 1993 for $1.1 billion and is now looking to unload the paper for as little as $80 million. A sale would also include Boston.com and the Worcester Telegram.

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has issued a “special invitation” to participate in the 2014 Boston Marathon to official entrants in the 2013 Marathon who were unable to cross the Boylston Street finish line, according to a press release.

“The opportunity to run down Boylston Street and to cross the finish line amid thousands of spectators is a significant part of the entire Boston Marathon experience,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. “With the opportunity to return and participate in 2014, we look forward to inviting back these athletes and we expect that most will renew their marathon training commitment.

“Boston spectators are known for their impassioned support and unbridled enthusiasm, and they will give these returning athletes some of the loudest cheers at next year’s race. We want to thank our participants for their patience as we continue to work through the details of arranging this accommodation for them, and we ask for continued patience from the running community as we plan the 2014 Boston Marathon next April.”

To be eligible, a 2013 Boston Marathon participant must have been an official entrant who started the race and who reached the half marathon mark in this year’s race on Monday, April 15. Registration for the 2014 Boston Marathon is scheduled to occur in September, and 2013 Boston Marathon participants who were unable to cross the finish line on Boylston Street will receive a non-transferable unique code in early August to be used for entry.

According to the release, 5,633 runners are eligible for this “special invitation.” Of the official starters who were unable to finish, 2,611 are from Massachusetts. The group is comprised of 2,983 women and 2,650 men with ages ranging from 18 to 82.

No decision has been made on the maximum field size for the 2014 Boston Marathon, including the number of qualifiers and invitational applications available.

For more information, visit BAA.org

While some are just downright ridiculous (looking at you, Slider), others have become a large and important part of their teams’ identities.

Forbes released its annual listing of the most popular mascots in the four major sports on Wednesday, and Boston was the only city with two representatives in the top 10.

The rankings, based on a complex survey that factors in likability, awareness, photo-friendliness and several other criteria, placed Pat Patriot in the No. 2 spot, with Wally the Green Monster following at No. 10.

Chicago’s Bennie the Bull — who has not had much to cheer about in the team’s most recent series — tops the rankings by leading in the “likability” category, while legends like Mr. Met (No. 3), the Phillie Phanatic (No. 4) and the San Diego Chicken (No. 6 despite no longer being affiliated with a team) also snagged spots on the list.

Photo via Twitter/@Wally97

Over the Edge is a unique fundraising event that supports the Special Olympics Massachusetts. For a minimum of $1,000 raised, the first 150 participants get the opportunity to rappel down the side of the Hyatt Regency. No prior training or expertise is needed. Participants can earn additional incentives for more than $1,500 raised.

NESN’s own Jenny Dell participated in the event last year, and she will again this time around. Anyone interested in participating can visit www.OverTheEdgeBoston.com or contact Mary Beth McMahon by phone at (508) 485-0986 ext. 213 or email at MaryBeth.McMahon@SpecialOlympicsMA.org.

Over the Edge is scheduled for Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20.

Photo via Jenny Dell

To raise money for The One Fund, the team is raffling off a custom “B Strong” vinyl poster signed by the entire team, as well as a custom bat remembering the four victims who lost their lives during the tragic Boston Marathon bombing. The bat is also signed by the entire team.

Raffle tickets are just $10 each and all proceeds from the raffle will benefit One Fund Boston Inc. Tickets can be purchased on the team’s website at http://redsox.com/bstrong.

Check out a photo of the banner below.

Photo via Twitter/@RedSox

It was an incredible moment in Boston sports history, and there was no shortage of “Boston Strong” solidarity on display from the city’s athletes in the aftermath of an exhilarating victory. Check out some of the highlights below.

Wahoooo BRUINS

—
Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) May 14, 2013

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!! #BRUINS

—
Shane Vereen (@ShaneVereen34) May 14, 2013

BRUINS!!!! Awesome comeback win.

—
Will Middlebrooks (@middlebrooks) May 14, 2013

One of the greatest comebacks of all time huge confidence moving forward #BostonREALstronggggggg

—
marc savard (@MSavvy91) May 14, 2013

Drive Home Safely!!!!

—
Dustin Pedroia (@15Lasershow) May 14, 2013

Wowwww what a comeback!!! #bruins #bostonstrong

—
Joel Hanrahan (@hanrahan52) May 14, 2013

This year’s race will happen this Sunday, May 12, beginning at the George Dilboy VFW Post 529 in Somerville. Collier was himself a frequent volunteer at the race as a member of the Somerville Auxiliary Police.

M.O.M.’s run was started in 2003 by the Pilotte family, who lost matriarch Mary Pilotte O’Brien to lung cancer late in 2002. Every year since, the race has taken place on Mother’s Day, with all proceeds going to the Claudia Adams Barr Program with Dana Farber Cancer Research.

“We are very excited for Sunday,” said race co-director and 2013 Boston Marathon participant Micho Pilotte. “It is a great cause and we are honoring a fallen hero, as well as his family, who have kept strong in the face of the tragedy that shook our entire city. This is our way of saying thank you to Sean and his loved ones, who helped make him the man he was.”

For more information about the event, visit M.O.M.’s Run at its website, on Twitter or on Facebook.

Photo via M.O.M.’s Run

Horton was blasted by a pinching Dion Phaneuf as the Bruins forward poked the puck off the boards and up to his linemate just inside the B’s blue line. While he was slow to get up from the awkward hit, he told reporters that he felt fine on Thursday afternoon, according to NESN’s Naoko Funayama.

Check out her tweet below.

Nathan Horton says he feels fine after taking final big hit from Phaneuf. Did see him coming, tried to go around him. All smiles, all good.

—
Naoko Funayama (@NaokoFunayama) May 09, 2013

But hopefully, when something like Wednesday night in Game 4 of the B’s-Leafs series happens, we can all sit back and say to ourselves and each other, “This is really the reason we’re hockey fans.”

The Bruins and Maple Leafs played one of the most entertaining hockey games many of us have seen in a long time. It had everything. It had drama and theatre. It had blood and sweat. It had two teams laying it all on the line just to win a hockey game.

And while nothing will ever justify the disgusting, aforementioned incidents, games like Game 4 are the reason we care so deeply about sports. The ups and downs that fans — even those neutral fans who just want to see a good game — go through are the reason we all continue to come back.

David Krejci scored the game-winner at 13:27 of overtime that crushed a fanbase in Toronto while simultaneously sending fans in Boston into a frenzy. But to just go off of the result would be selling this one very short. The Bruins and Maple Leafs battled for 73 minutes and 27 seconds, hurrying back and forth, up and down the ice at a ferocious pace.

On more than one occasion, like when Matt Frattin hit the post in overtime, it looked like the Leafs would walk away with the win. But then again, there were a few times when it looked like the B’s would be the victors, like when Tyler Seguin missed the net by the narrowest of margins with just seconds to play in regulation.

As is usually the case in these games, some players were able to rise the occasion. James Reimer, who has been shaky at times in this series, made some improbable saves. Nazem Kadri, who had to be bailed out by his teammates after an ill-advised high-sticking penalty in the third period, was all over the ice in overtime. Phil Kessel, a focal point in the series, found an extra gear for overtime.

On the Bruins’ side, there was Tuukka Rask, who tied a career-high in saves (45) previously set in Game 3, stopping all 11 shots in overtime. Zdeno Chara was on the ice for both Toronto goals in the first period, but he bounced back to have a four-assist night. Nathan Horton, someone who’s career was altered by a big hit in the playoffs, took another big hit from Dion Phaneuf (the game’s eventual goat) to move the puck in overtime. And there was Krejci, who took the puck from Horton and capped a hat trick with the game-winner.

Toronto coach Randy Carlyle played in 69 Stanley Cup playoff games in his career as a player. Wednesday marked his 66th as a head coach. He, better than any fan, can sum up the feelings.

“I try to be as calm as I possibly can, but inside your guts are churning, simple as that,” he told the media after the game. “Every shot that is directed towards the net, the emotions are up and down. When it’s against you, your breath’s taken away. And when it’s for you, I found myself climbing up on the bench more than I’ve ever done.

“That’s the excitement that’s there on the bench and the adrenaline that you do get when you’re at ice level. Being a former player, I’ve always said that’s the closest you can be to being a player. “

Unfortunately, not everyone gets to feel that. However, when you watch a game like Game 4 on Wednesday night, you get a little taste — and it’s awesome.

There are a variety of ticket options for fans to enjoy when the top 100 golfers in the world tee it up at TPC Boston come Aug. 28.

Rope side seating is available again this year. The guaranteed front-row seat, on both the 17th and 18th holes, is a VIP seating option that guarantees a green-side view of the championship. Prices for the popular seats are $550 for the 17th green and $600 for the 18th green. Both options include a total of $60 of DBC food and beverage bucks, as well as access to the Champions Club on the 17th fairway. New for 2013, the rope side seating booklets includes one weekly VIP parking pass.

The Signature Skybox and The Champions Club are two more intriguing options for fans. For details on these two options and others, check out dbchampionship.com.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, May 8, at 10 a.m. ET and are available online at dbchampionship.com, by phone at 800-594-TIXX (8499) or at any of Golfsmith’s seven Massachusetts locations.

The swan boats of The Public Garden have been a part of Boston history since 1877. Not only that, but the operation continues to be owned by the same family, with a third generation now operating the sentimental mainstay.

Jenny Dell reports from The Public Garden for this week’s edition of The Ultimate Red Sox Show, where she’s learning a few new things about one of Boston’s best-known landmarks. Check out the video above to learn how the swan boats connect generations and even manage to keep you up to date on the Red Sox score, too.

The TD Garden was Boston Strong on Saturday evening, as Boston Marathon bombing victim Jeff Bauman served as banner captain for the Bruins before Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series.

In an emotional moment for everyone in attendance, Bauman — who lost both of his legs in the attack, yet played a crucial role in capturing those responsible — waved a “Boston Strong” flag as the TD Garden crowd reveled in an unforgettable moment.

“I want to thank everyone for their amazing support for me and all those injured and their families,” Bauman said in a statement. “I’m making great progress and I thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Please continue to respect our space at this time. I want to thank the Bruins players and organization for the generosity and support for all those impacted. Like all those in Black and Gold I can’t wait to see them on another quest for the cup. Go Bruins!”

Check out the pregame ceremony in the video above.

Boston Bites Back (BBB) will bring 100 of Boston’s top chefs together to raise $1 million for The One Fund, led by celebrity chefs Ken Oringer and Ming Tsai, the Red Sox, Governor Deval Patrick, Mayor Thomas Menino and ARAMARK.

“BBB is an opportunity for the city to join as one and acknowledge our strength as a community,” said Oringer, owner of Clio, Toro, Coppa and Uni. “Nothing speaks more to our collective resolve than an evening of hospitality, unity and hometown pride in one of the most iconic venues in Boston — Fenway Park.”

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience,” said Tsai, owner of Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon. “This event is an occasion for Bostonians to reconnect over food, mingle with chefs and honor our city’s inspiring resilience. It’s an opportunity for Bostonians to literally ‘bite’ back.”

From 6-10 p.m. on May 15 at Fenway, chefs will be cooking and serving guests from behind concession stands as well as at tables throughout the Big Concourse and the Budweiser deck. Only 5,000 general access tickets will be sold at $200 each. There will also be 200 VIP tickets at $1,000 each, allowing additional access to an intimate and exclusive gathering in Fenway’s EMC Club.

An online auction leading up to the event will feature many one-of-a-kind packages including unique dining experiences from Oringer and Tsai and personal shopping with fashion expert Gretta Monahan.

To learn more, buy tickets or bid on auction items, please visit www.bostonbitesback.org.

He has even bigger plans now that his city is dealing with the long recovery from the events surrounding this year’s Boston Marathon.

White was in Boston this week with the goal of raising money for The One Fund and helping those affected by the tragedy, and he said he hopes to take a more personal approach — something he wasn’t comfortable doing just yet — when he returns in August.

“People are still hurting,” he told The Boston Globe. “When I say that, I don’t mean physically. People still need time. I got money that we are donating for people, but I’m backing off on the whole meeting people. Even mayor [Tom] Menino is still visiting families. People are emotionally trying to deal with what’s going on, so I backed off a bit.”

While White is giving people their space, he didn’t hold off on using strong words when he talked about the attack on the city that was his home and training ground for so long.

“From a guy who’s walked those streets and been there at the finish line so many times, it really freaked me out,” he said. “It still freaks me out. I have a hard time talking about it. How cowardly and disgusting that these people, who lived in the city as long as they did, did that. To put the bag right next to kids — I don’t even like talking about it. It’s just disgusting. … It hit me so hard, obviously, because it’s a city that I love.”

White didn’t keep a completely low profile when in town — he and UFC held a #Hunt4UFC scavenger hunt in Boston even though those occasions are usually reserved for cities hosting a fight. He detailed that adventure on his Twitter feed.

It sounds like he’ll be back in August with much more.

During a tough time for Boston, baseball cities across the country showed their support by singing Neil Diamond‘s “Sweet Caroline,” mimicking the Fenway Park tradition.

A recent NESN advertisement sought to capture those touching moments from all around Major League Baseball. Check it out in the video above.

Kraft donated $100,000 to The One Fund last week, and he pledged more to the cause Thursday night.

Kraft invited 25 Boston police officers to a pre-draft party for season ticket holders Thursday evening. He welcomed each officer to the stage, presenting them with a Patriots jersey with “1″ and “Boston” on the back. Kraft also announced that he and the Patriots are pledging $617,000 to The One Fund, in honor of Boston’s “617″ area code.

“I just felt it was right, that it was karma, to go to 617,” Kraft said.

He said he may make that number even bigger in tribute to the local “781″ area code.

As for the draft at hand, Kraft was focused on making the right moves to improve the Patriots and seemed confident in Bill Belichick and the staff making those decisions.

“I don’t want to win the PR battles today,” Kraft said. “Whatever works to make our team better. We have a plan what to do and whom to pick, and at the same time, we’re prepared.”

Check out a photo of Kraft and the Boston officers below.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

Carl Crawford

Crawford once again opened his mouth, and again, the garbage that spewed out included a whole bunch of hostility toward his time with the Red Sox.

“I don’t think I smiled in two years,” Crawford told USA Today. “I was just frowning. I started growing gray hairs on my face from the stress and everything for two years straight.”

This is hardly the first time Crawford has been vocal about his less-than-stellar stint in Beantown, and if we were placing bets, the safe money is that he’ll probably bring it up again at some point. It begs the question: why do you continue to beat this lifeless horse, Carl?

Crawford underperformed in 2011 and then again in 2012 before being shipped to Los Angeles, so it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he probably didn’t enjoy his time in Boston very much. He still feels the need to hammer his message home, though, and it’s gotten to a point where the 31-year-old is straddling obnoxiousness.

Responding to Crawford’s most recent comments hardly seems like a worthwhile endeavor. After all, not much about his stance has changed. He still seems to think he was unfairly criticized, and he still thinks that everyone was out to get him.

“I try not to even think about my days in Boston anymore,” Crawford reportedly said. “It’s still just such a nightmare. Every time I think about it, I cringe.”

Well, here’s a thought: Don’t think about it.

Crawford, to his credit, is putting together a nice season, but his Dodgers enter Thursday’s action sitting at 9-11 and in fourth place in the NL West. Surely, his new — and, evidently, much more welcoming — fans would prefer he direct his attention toward helping L.A. fulfill its lofty expectations.

That’s too easy, though. Moving on makes too much sense. The Red Sox have obviously moved on, and even the other players sent to the Dodgers as part of last August’s trade — Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto — seem to have moved on. Yet, Mr. Crawford continues to bring up just how heinous it was to make roughly $33.5 million in the supposed hellhole that is Boston.

Crawford’s most recent comments really strike a chord because not only are they unnecessary, but they’re also very poorly timed. If Crawford wants to continue to spout off about his time with the Red Sox, then obviously he’s well within his right. Last time I checked, this is America. Nothing he said is really new, though, and it just seems like now would have been an appropriate time to end his yearlong tirade about Boston.

The outfielder’s ongoing beef is obviously geared more toward his experience with his former organization than the city in which the team plays, but there are plenty of Sox hat-wearing Bostonians who would prefer to move forward without the background noise that is Carl Crawford.

Have a question for Ricky Doyle? Send it to him via Twitter at @TheRickyDoyle or send it here. 

Kelly and his staff are honoring the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy and the first responders by wearing Boston Police Department polos.

Pretty cool gesture ... New England native Chip Kelly ordered up @Boston_Police polos and is wearing one tonight for 1st night of the draft.

—
Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 25, 2013

The polos are dark blue — like Boston police uniforms — and have an emblem on the left chest.

Kelly has a lot on his plate with his first NFL draft ahead of him this weekend, but it’s great to see that even in such a stressful time, he still remembers his roots.

Check out Kelly sporting the polo at a pre-draft event in the photo below.

Photo via Twitter/@Mindycaaat 

The song has taken on added meaning, comforting the city and its fans. It’s been played around the country, and even its creator, Neil Diamond, put together an impromptu visit to Boston to honor the city with a firsthand singing of his song.

Now, all the money the song made throughout the week will be handed over to help the victims of the tragedy, a representative of Diamond told The Associated Press.

“Sweet Caroline” sales are up 597 percent, with 19,000 tracks being sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The song, written in 1969, has sold 1.75 million tracks altogether.