Red Sox 2004 World Series Champion Recalls Memories From Celebration
Winning a World Series is a big moment for any baseball player but being a part of the 2004 Boston Red Sox team was special for Lenny DiNardo.
In 2018, DiNardo covered the Red Sox for NESN as a broadcaster and watching the team on the duck boats brought him back to 2004.
"You want to be on that boat," DiNardo said. "I covered (the World Series) back in 2018 and all I could think about was being back on the boat as a player. Some time did elapse between 2004 and 2018 and the feelings did kind of a comeback of it being such a special time."
Although the 2004 parade was held on a grey and rainy day, over three million people showed up for the celebration.
"I just remember the people were extremely excited, they were having the best time," DiNardo said. "A lot of them had pictures of family members that they took off their mantelpiece as they left the house."
DiNardo talked more with Travis Thomas and Adam Pellerin about the 2004 World Series on the most recent episode of NESN's "Boston Has Entered the Chat" podcast.
You can watch the clip in the video embedded above.
Jaylen Brown Throws Jab At Haters Before Celtics Parade
BOSTON -- Jaylen Brown took the Celtics' championship parade Friday as an opportunity to fire back at his doubters.
It started early in the morning, as his outfit choice essentially did the talking for him. Brown rocked a "State Your Source" t-shirt to the rally, seemingly taking a shot at ESPN's Stephen A. Smith for some controversial reporting that painted the All-Star in a negative light.
Brown didn't stop there.
The Celtics hosted a pre-parade rally inside TD Garden, where players took part in a quick panel where they discussed a few key topics before starting the party. Brown was asked about folks choosing the Dallas Mavericks prior to the NBA Finals and gave a succinct answer.
"Make it make sense," Brown said. "I ain’t really gotta comment. We here."
Brown seemed to have the time of his life during the parade, flexing as chants of "MVP" rained down on him during the route. He'll have to wait and see if any more reports come out regarding his relationship with those in Boston because it seemed pretty good Friday.
Paul Pierce Throws Shade At Lakers Before Celtics’ Title Parade
The Celtics threw a pre-parade celebration before heading out to the Boston streets. During the festivities, franchise legend Paul Pierce threw some shade at the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers this season unveiled a banner for their NBA in-season tournament win. They had a 20-minute pre-game ceremony to show off the banner at crypto.com Arena.
After the banner was unveiled, many people took to social media to poke fun at the Lakers. Fast forward to the end of the season, Pierce decided to bring back the memory before the Celtics celebrated their NBA Finals win.
"If we win the in-season tournament, we’re not putting up a banner," Pierce told fans, per MassLive's Katie Morrison O'Day. "Let the Lakers do that. We can make it into a carpet and put it in the hallway or something."
Pierce won a championship with Boston 16 years ago, putting him on the 2008 boat alongside Eddie House, Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine. The 46-year-old won Finals MVP after the Celtics won Banner 17.
Jayson Tatum Takes Shot At Heat Before Celtics’ Victory Parade
The Celtics took a trip to enemy territory before parading their NBA championship through the streets of Boston.
Jayson Tatum and company traveled to Miami hours after dispatching the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals on Monday night. It was a rather fitting mini-vacation for the Celtics, who had their lives made very difficult by the Heat in the playoffs the past few seasons.
Former Boston forward Brian Scalabrine referenced those "hard-fought trips to Miami" on Friday morning when he asked Tatum if his latest stay in South Beach was "a little sweeter." The five-time All-Star responded with a dig at one of the Celtics' fiercest rivals.
"They're always easy," Tatum told Scalabrine, per an NBA TV video.
Tatum's comment wasn't entirely disingenuous. The 26-year-old owns a career 7-2 record in road playoff games against the Heat, including a pair of first-round victories at Kaseya Center back in April.
Nonetheless, Erik Spoelstra's side likely will use Tatum's remark as bulletin-board material for next season when the Heat try to knock off the Celtics and reclaim their position as conference champion.
Celtics’ Derrick White Embraces NBA Finals Chipped Tooth
Everyone has seen the viral photo of the tooth Derrick White chipped in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
White broke one of his front teeth when he smashed into the court after Dallas Mavericks player Dereck Lively II fell onto him. The 29-year-old's first reaction was to make sure he did not lose any teeth.
The Boston Celtics guard opened up about the chipped tooth on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast.
"I mean at first I thought my whole tooth was gone," White said. "I'm like, 'My tooth is gone.' And they're like, 'No, it's just chipped.' I'm like, 'Oh, let's go.' And then there was a couple of seconds I was trying to hide it and then I'm like, 'The moment I open my mouth everybody's going to see it." So I just got to embrace it."
With a Finals win being a big career moment, White did admit that when all the pictures were taken during the celebrations, he wished his tooth was not chipped.
"After everyone was doing pictures, I didn't smile at one picture," White said. "I just had my mouth closed the entire time and for that moment I was like, 'Yeah, I wish my tooth wasn't chipped right now."
Despite being embarrassed by the many pictures with his broken front teeth, White did get his teeth fixed in time for the Celtics parade Friday.
Tom Brady Hilariously Approves Al Horford’s Celtics Parade Fit
Al Horford caught Celtics fans' attention with his championship parade attire, and it quickly got on Tom Brady's radar, too.
The Boston center wore a T-shirt that featured the image of a drunk Brady from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl parade in 2021. Horford combined the look with a cowboy hat, and the New England Patriots Hall of Famer posted a Jack Nicholson GIF from "Anger Management" to give his approval.
Brady's had fun with the image of his drunk self being held up, including when former Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez wore his own custom T-shirt featuring the retired QB.
Horford wasn't outdone as Jaylen Brown wore his own custom T-shirt that trolled ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith.
Boston on Friday began its duck boat parade at 11 a.m. ET, and there are sure to be iconic moments as the Celtics celebrate their 18th championship in front of thousands of fans.
Jaylen Brown Made Prediction Right After Celtics Won NBA Title
Nearly every player on the Celtics roster won their first NBA championship Monday night, but one of Boston's most important players won't be satisfied with one title.
Jaylen Brown already was looking ahead mere moments after the Celtics clinched the 18th title in franchise history. Brown, who won Eastern Conference finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP, is confident these C's will force another adjustment to the TD Garden rafters.
"This whole playoffs was awesome, man," Brown said in an NBA-provided video. "Shoutout to my teammates. We finally did it. We finally brought a banner to Boston. It's going to be fun to do it again."
Brown and company might be able to do it again as soon as next season. The Celtics are set to bring back their entire core -- including Al Horford -- in the 2024-25 campaign, which Boston will enter as the betting favorite to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy once again.
Is it too ambitious to say the Celtics are on the precipice of a dynasty? Perhaps. But Brown and his teammates are very aware of the opportunity in front of them in the next few years, and they should be plenty motivated to capitalize on the window.
What Red Sox’s Alex Cora Preached To Celtics Before NBA Finals
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora knows what it takes to win a championship.
The 48-year-old won the World Series back in 2018 with the Red Sox and also won in 2007 as a player. On top of winning with Boston, Cora won a ring in 2017 on the Houston Astros coaching staff.
With all the winning Cora has taken on, he offered some advice to the Celtics before their trip to the NBA Finals. The Red Sox manager met with the team prior to the start of the series with the Dallas Mavericks.
"We talked about staying the course," Cora told reporters, per MassLive's Clara Cahill-Rogers. "It was the most important thing. Organizations do things differently. I actually told them about Game 3 in the (2018) World Series. I felt that was a turning point for us. We felt that we were going to win the World Series after that game. And it wasn’t actually just Nate (Eovaldi), it was just the effort and how we went about our business."
In Game 3 of the 2018 World Series, the Red Sox fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in 18 innings. After that, Boston bounced back in Game 4 with a big 9-6 win.
Cora mentioned how Game 4 was pivotal to staying on track.
"It was a show n’ go in Game 4," Cora said. "When we walked into Dodgers Stadium, we saw the Dodgers taking batting practice, and that’s when we were like, 'You know what? We’re gonna be OK.'"
Cora took multiple opportunities to congratulate the Celtics, including in a tweet after the game and also to reporters on Tuesday.
"Man, it was fun to watch," Cora said. "It was fun to see the city last night, the way they went wild. To have a goal in mind and the pressure of winning the whole thing — people think great teams just win and that doesn’t happen very often."
Now the Celtics will celebrate their Finals win with a parade in Boston on Friday at 11 a.m. ET.
Al Horford Calls Back To Tom Brady With Celtics Parade Attire
Al Horford is finally an NBA champion after over a decade and a half in the league, and the Celtics center celebrated the moment in style.
Players made their way to TD Garden on Friday for a pre-celebration before heading out onto the duck boats to greet fans with the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Horford came in with a sharp look donning a cowboy hat and a t-shirt that featured an image of a drunk Tom Brady during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl parade.
Former Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez also wore a Brady shirt during spring training in 2021, so a new Boston tradition might have emerged.
Horford's fit arguably was just as good as Jaylen Brown's, who trolled Stephen A. Smith with his parade attire.
Celtics fans already flocked to TD Garden before the parade officially started at 11 a.m. ET, and the early energy could indicate some iconic moments at the parade.
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Trolls Stephen A. Smith With Parade Outfit
After reaching the NBA's mountaintop, the Celtics made it very clear how motivated they were by their doubters and haters.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum had their naysayers top of mind Monday night when they were soaked with champagne in Boston's locker room. And when Brown returned to TD Garden on Friday morning, he sent a not-so-subtle dig at a recent notable foe.
The NBA Finals MVP arrived for the Celtics' championship parade wearing a T-shirt with "State Your Source" written on the front. The custom tee was a jab at Stephen A. Smith, who previously cited an "NBA source" to explain why Brown's marketability and popularity often suffer. Boston's franchise cornerstone asked the "First Take" host to reveal the source, but Smith declined.
To be fair, Smith was sharing someone else's opinion when he issued the report about Brown's marketability and the ESPN star went on to gush over the 27-year-old. Nonetheless, Brown apparently still has a bone to pick with Smith or perhaps even the current state of sports media in general.
Brown won't be around many -- if any -- haters Friday though. The three-time All-Star will spend the afternoon surrounded by Celtics fans eager to celebrate the franchise's 18th title.
How Travelers Championship Honored Tim Wakefield During Pro-Am
CROMWELL, Conn. -- The Travelers Championship Celebrity Pro-Am teed off at TPC River Highlands on Wednesday without a familiar face, and it was not lost on anyone who knew Tim Wakefield.
Wakefield, the legendary Red Sox pitcher and former NESN broadcaster, was a frequent attendee of the event and helped Travelers in its charitable efforts throughout the last decade.
"Tim was a phenomenal friend of this tournament," Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Travelers, told NESN.com outside the clubhouse.
"When I first asked him if he would come and play in the Pro-Am, the answer was, 'Absolutely, yes,'" Bessette said. "Whenever you asked him to do anything, he did it."
Given his impact, Travelers wanted to honor Wakefield, who died at the age of 57 on Oct. 1, 2023.
There were two white golf flags with the No. 49 in traditional Red Sox font inside a navy blue heart. It was the same as the patches the Boston Red Sox have worn this season. Travelers also gave out ball markers with No. 49 on it.
Bessette admitted he got choked up when he saw it come together.
"You remember Tim as the human being, and what he did," Bessette said. "A great friend."
Pro Football Hall of Famer Doug Flutie was spotted wearing a Wakefield jersey and hat, as well.
Wakefield was well-known for his charitable and philanthropic contributions, including the Jimmy Fund. Bessette recalled back to when he asked Wakefield if he would like to play in a "Golf Fights Cancer" event held at New Seabury on Cape Cod. Wakefield couldn't have agreed faster.
"Everybody went crazy to have Tim Wakefield, the famous knuckleballer," Bessette said. "And me, being a Boston fan from when I was a little, little kid, it was like, 'I can't believe it.' I pinched myself that Tim Wakefield was helping us."
Since the Travelers took over as the PGA Tour's lone New England stop in 2007, it has raised $28 million to over 900 charities, Bessette said.
"Tim was a huge part of that, a huge part," said Bessette, who golfed with Wakefield some two months before he died. "Great guy, great human being and we will be forever grateful to he and his family."
Wakefield played 17 seasons with the Red Sox before he joined NESN as a broadcaster in 2012. He is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Bill Belichick Sends Message To Celtics Before Title Parade
The Celtics on Friday celebrate their NBA championship, and they received a message from someone who knows a thing or two about duck boat parades.
Days after a heat wave in Boston and a small celebration in Miami, players and coaches will hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy across town and celebrate clinching Banner 18 with Green Teamers.
Other New England sports teams congratulated the Celtics after they beat the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 at TD Garden on Monday, and they received a message from a Patriots legend hours before the parade.
"Congrats @celtics! This view doesn’t get old," Bill Belichick posted on his non-profit foundation's social media account. "Enjoy it out there today! - BB"
The former New England head coach included a point-of-view picture of him on a duck boat in front of a crowd of Patriots fans during one of their Super Bowl celebration parades.
There will be a lot of excitement in the air Friday, and there could be multiple Celtics players who make their mark during the parade.
Special Kind Of Crazy: Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Shares Knee Injury Details
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla will have to go through some physical maintenance once the NBA championship celebrations slow down a bit this summer.
Not long after Boston clinched the title Monday night, Mazzulla revealed he's due to undergo surgery on his knee to repair a torn meniscus. In a follow-up interview on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take," the C's coach explained he suffered the injury during a jiu-jitsu session in March. While an injury right before the playoffs would frustrate most players and coaches, the offbeat Mazzulla found positives in the situation,
"After we lost to Atlanta, I just went out on the mats, punished myself and just pounded my body until it couldn't take anymore and ended up just tearing my knee," Mazzulla said on "Pardon My Take," as transcribed by MassLive. "It ended up being a great experience for me. I had to do, like, six hours of treatment in order to coach the next game without too much of a limp because I could not walk."
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Mazzulla added: "I'll tell you what, it was one of the best things that happened to me for the rest of the season because it put me in this fight or flight mentality where I could just not relax. I had to constantly train to keep it pain-free, had to constantly get physical therapy. My physical therapist has been great and it was just awesome. I've been thinking about maybe getting hurt every All-Star break."
While Mazzulla currently isn't at 100% physically, his injury hasn't prevented him from basking in the glory of a championship. The C's coach was out and about with the Larry O'Brien Trophy in the days after the clincher, and he's set to enjoy a duck boat parade through the streets of Boston on Friday.
How Danny Ainge Reacted To Celtics Winning NBA Championship
Danny Ainge pulled off multiple shrewd moves in the 2010s, but the former Celtics president of basketball operations wasn't interested in victory laps after Boston won its 18th championship.
Ainge's career-defining move was trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 in a deal that gave the Celtics multiple first-round picks. Two of those picks ended up being Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who was part of another huge trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
The pair of stars were the core of Boston's championship pursuits as Ainge tinkered with additions like Al Horford, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Ainge left the organization in 2021, Brad Stevens put the finishing touches on the roster and the team's goal was completed when it beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
"I was watching; I just couldn’t be there," Ainge told The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy via phone. "(Utah Jazz general manager) Justin Zanik just went through a kidney transplant and so I've taken a little more responsibility here right now.
"It was fun watching. We followed the Celtics' success all during the playoffs, and it was exciting to see and it’s fun to see everybody shine. There's so many people there that we’re rooting for.
"There’s a lot of guys there that deserve all of that credit. Brad, (vice president of basketball ops) Mike Zarren, (assistant GM) Austin (Ainge). Those guys deserve a ton of credit, 'cause they were there through all of it. And Wyc (Grousbeck) and (Stephen Pagliuca) spent a lot of money."
In his column posted Friday, Shaughnessy chose to give Danny Ainge more credit than the Jazz CEO offered to others since he was the one who hired Stevens and convinced foundational players like Horford to sign.
Celtics players also offered their praise for Ainge, and fans likely will, too, as they celebrate another championship for Boston.
What Jaylen Brown Told Luka Doncic After Celtics Won NBA Title
Jaylen Brown and the Celtics fended off a very worthy adversary in the NBA Finals.
Boston was challenged to subdue Luka Doncic on basketball's biggest stage. This was no easy task, as the Mavericks star averaged nearly 29 points per game across an unexpectedly lengthy Dallas playoff run that spanned across 22 contests.
Doncic almost averaged a double-double (29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds) in the Finals, but his efforts weren't enough to yield an upset. The Mavs' championship dreams were officially vanquished Monday evening when the C's won Game 5 at TD Garden and claimed the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the 18th time in franchise history.
Before Brown popped champagne bottles with his Celtics teammates, the NBA Finals MVP made a point to salute Doncic and recognize his impact on the series.
"Luka, you're a killer," Brown told Doncic, per a mic'd-up video. "You got the best out of me. I love you, bro."
The Mavericks will be hard-pressed to return to the Finals next season, as the Western Conference figures to be even more competitive than it was in the 2023-24 campaign. But oddsmakers are expecting more of the same from Doncic, who as of Friday had the second shortest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win league MVP next season.
Celtics Parade: How To Watch Championship Celebration Online, On TV
The Celtics on Friday will celebrate their NBA championship in Boston, which means another duck boat parade for fans to enjoy.
Boston defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden on Monday to clinch the franchise's 18th title. There was a heat wave in the city, which was one of the reasons the parade was delayed. There also was a contingent of players who celebrated their win in Miami, and Al Horford on Thursday was in the city to meet fans a day before the parade.
There is expected to be a flock of fans packing the streets of Boston as head coach Joe Mazzulla and star players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown greet fans and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
For fans who can't make it to the parade in person -- NESN.com will provide firsthand coverage of the event -- here's how to watch the celebration online and on TV.
When: Friday, June 21 at 11 a.m. ET
TV: NBA TV (nationally), local: NBC 10, WCVB, WFXT and WBZ
Live Stream: FuboTV -- free trial
Bill Simmons Thinks Celtics Should Draft Bronny James To ‘Hold Him Hostage’
The Boston Celtics will be on the clock at No. 30 overall in next week's NBA draft. It actually will be their first selection in the first round since 2020.
But instead of using that pick on a player who can develop in the G League while the Celtics look to defend their title, The Ringer's Bill Simmons wants Boston to go in a completely different, and perhaps controversial, direction.
Simmons wouldn't mind the Celtics scooping up Bronny James, who is the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, at No. 30. The elder James is on record of wanting to play with his son, so Simmons suggested the Celtics should draft the USC product in an effort to see if the Los Angeles Lakers come calling like their Liam Neeson in "Taken."
"Here’s my case: everybody says this draft sucks," Simmons said on the latest episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," as transcribed by the New York Post's Erich Richter. "The Celtics are so deep… anyone in this draft isn't going to play for them. Why not take Bronny, and you basically hold him hostage? Because all these other teams want him, right?"
Simmons added: "I'm saying for the asset. The Lakers, you want him? Well, we took Bronny, so give us Max Christie. How bad do you want him? I would say Bronny the asset at 30 as a trade thing is worth more than anyone they could get here."
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That certainly would be a bold strategy for the Celtics. Bronny James, who averaged 4.8 points on 36.6 % shooting from the field and 26.7% from 3-point range in his only season at USC, is expected to be a late second-round pick.
The 19-year-old has been linked to Boston in at least one mock draft, but that was with the Celtics selecting James at No. 54, which is one spot ahead of the Lakers' second-round pick.
It's unlikely the Celtics draft James in the first round, but not out of the question if he's still available deep into the second round. And if James does get selected by Boston despite wanting to play with his dad in Los Angeles, it could reignite the Celtics-Lakers rivalry.
Everything We Observed During New England Native’s Professional Debut
CROMWELL, Conn. -- Michael Thorbjornsen didn't feel any different when he stepped to the first tee for the 2024 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on Thursday.
Thorbjornsen, a graduate of Wellesley High School in Wellesley, Mass., competed in the event twice before and referred to it as his "home" on the PGA Tour.
But it was different.
Thorbjornsen, competing on a sponsor exemption in the PGA Tour's Signature Event, was making his professional debut. So while Thorbjornsen himself might not have felt different, some of his biggest supporters did.
"Pulling in today, I was less nervous, but it was a different feeling," Ted Thorbjornsen told NESN.com on the 18th green after his 22-year-old son concluded with a 2-over par 72.
His mother, Sandra Thorbjornsen, said there's a sense of relief now that he's officially a professional.
"This was his dream, and to see it realized is unbelievable," Sandra told NESN.com, a white golf tee helping hold her hair as she got ready to walk the back nine. "There's a sense of relief because it's been a lot of grind for him."
It wasn't a memorable debut in the sense Thorbjornsen set the course on fire. It was hot enough, after all. Instead, it was a reminder as to the nature of the game Thorbjornsen has played his entire life: It's no different now.
"All in all, it was fine," Thorbjornsen told NESN.com after his round. "I feel good about my game. Everything feels good, my body feels good. You're going to have one of those days where you feel like you played pretty good, but the score doesn't always show that."
Here's everything NESN.com observed after following Thorbjornsen for 18 holes:
-- Thorbjornsen wore a white Adidas shirt, navy pants and a white Taylor Made hat. He wore the same white Adidas shoes as his playing partner, Ludvig Aberg, the fourth-ranked player in the world. Thorbjornsen's navy and white Taylor Made golf bag featured a red Stanford logo along with a lime green Urban Golf Performance logo. Thorbjornsen graduated from Stanford, where he was a Pac-12 Player of the Year and two-time All American, and started working with Urban Golf Performance in November 2023 after he was bedridden due to a stress fracture in his back and simultaneous recovery from ankle surgery.
-- Rian Chab, a coach at Urban Golf Performance, was among the dozen family and friends who followed Thorbjornsen. Chab believes Thorbjornsen is in better shape now than he was prior to the injury.
"Being around Michael, he's always been a pro," Chab said. "That little chip doesn't mean anything. ... He's not a rookie, not in his mindset at least."
-- Thorbjornsen, who finished No. 1 in PGA Tour University and earned his Tour card through the conclusion of the 2025 season, has been lauded for his driving prowess. He consistently put himself in position to score Thursday because of how he played off the tee. Aberg was almost always away when they stepped to their approach shots, sometimes by a wide margin.
"Look at Mike dead center," a friend of Thorbjornsen said on the 1st hole.
However, perhaps no tee shot was more impressive than his drive on the 444-yard par-4 18th. Thorbjornsen was 85 yards from the pin on his second shot, meaning his drive went approximately 360 yards (!).
-- Unfortunately, Thorbjornsen wasn't able to capitalize on his ball striking when he reached the greens. He missed a 5-footer for birdie on the par-5 13th hole and a 9-foot par putt on the par-4 14th. There also was a 10-footer for birdie on the par-3 11th and a handful of others within 14 feet.
"Every single time I had a good look at it, even short ones -- I missed a couple three- and four-footers there," Thorbjornsen said. "You just can't be doing that. Make a couple of those and we're under par. But, again, I'm hitting the ball well and setting myself nicely so that's all I can ask for."
-- Thorbjornsen finished with two birdies and four bogeys, three of which came on his final five holes.
-- "Go in! Go in!" one of Thorbjornsen's friends shouted after his chip on the par-4 2nd hole came within 18 inches. Thorbjornsen tapped that in for birdie. The other came on the par-4 15th when he converted an 18-footer, his nicest putt of the day.
-- Thorbjornsen's worst miss came on the par-5 6th hole as his tee shot went into the tall grass on the right side. Not able to get underneath it, Thorbjornsen sent his next shot 17 feet and remained in the tall grass.
His father walked away from the gallery and stood by himself about 25 yards behind the ball. It was a reaction all parents and golfers surely would find relatable. Thorbjornsen, after conversing with his caddie, Drew Cohen, about a potential drop, pitched out and carded a bogey. It felt like a win at the time.
"We're back!" a friend said.
Another added: "Staying alive!"
-- Cohen grew up with Thorbjornsen and has caddied for him over the years including at the 2022 U.S. Open. Cohen was the captain of the Wellesley High golf team when Thorbjornsen transferred from IMG Academy his senior year. Cohen previously attended IMG Academy with Thorbjornsen but transferred back to Wellesley in large part because he missed hockey. Cohen went to Wisconsin when Thorbjornsen attended Stanford.
When he was 13 years old, Cohen told his father, Ross Cohen, that Thorbjornsen was going to be the best player in the world. It took Ross one round at TPC Boston to his son wasn't lying.
"He's a prodigy," Ross said of Thorbjornsen.
-- Thorbjornsen was focused throughout the round, but there were fist bumps for friends and younger kids. Thorbjornsen also raised his water bottle -- one of the handful he cracked -- as if to cheers fans who yelled from their back deck along the 9th hole.
"Thanks for coming!" they cheered while under a navy umbrella, not to be confused with the trademark red of the Travelers Championship.
-- Ted, who almost always appeared to be one shot ahead, took a photo of the scoreboard as soon as his son's headshot appeared on the 18th hole. He then turned to take one of his son right before he hit his approach shot from 85 yards to 14 feet.
Thorbjornsen's two-putt from there concluded a fine round, sure. But it nevertheless was a very special day in his career.
NFL Analyst Thinks Patriots Should Make This Signing Before Training Camp
The New England Patriots have picked their spots at signing free agents this offseason. They spent most of their time re-signing their own players as they reportedly did Thursday by inking a key piece of the offense to a contract extension.
ESPN NFL analyst Aaron Schatz believes there's one possible move on the table for the Patriots before training camp opens next month. But the New England would have to go outside the organization to obtain the player.
Good news for the Patriots is Schatz picked a player that has familiarity with New England. Schatz, who noted that this wouldn't be a scintillating move despite New England having ample cap space, believes the Patriots should shore up their secondary by signing old friend Justin Bethel.
"Let's suggest a depth cornerback who can also help on special teams and bring back Bethel, a former Patriot who spent the past two seasons in Miami," Schatz wrote. "Right now, the fourth cornerback is former Raven Shaun Wade and the fifth is sixth-round rookie Marcellas Dial, so New England could use some help there."
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Bethel spent two-plus seasons with the Patriots, but nearly all of his playing time came on special teams. He played just four percent of the team's defensive snaps in his final season with the Patriots in 2021, which was his high with New England.
Bethel did see some time at corner in Miami's defense the last two seasons and even recorded an interception in 2022. But like with the Patriots, the 34-year-old was primarily used as a special teamer.
That would likely be his role again if he returns to the Patriots while adding depth to the cornerback group. That's certainly not a bad thing, especially after the Patriots were hit hard by injuries and in the secondary last season. Marcus Jones and Christian Gonzalez were both lost to season-ending injuries early in the season and a potential contributor in Isaiah Bolden had his season come to an end before it even started. There were also off-the-field issues for J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones, who was cut during the middle of the season.
Signing Bethel certainly would be far from an eye-popping move, but it would go along with the underwhelming offseason the Patriots had with free agency.
Celtics Rumors: Jayson Tatum, Derrick White ‘Near-Certain’ For Contract Extensions
The Boston Celtics have spent the past 72 hours celebrating their franchise's record-setting 18th title after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but there's plenty of work left ahead.
This upcoming offseason, the Celtics have a few items on their agenda. Premier roster members Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have each been retained on multi-year extensions signed before the playoffs began. However, there's still more negotiating left to complete in order for the franchise's 2024-25 commitment to be fulfilled.
"Parade's on Friday and then we'll go and do it again," Celtics lead owner and governor Wyc Grousbeck told Rachel Nichols during Boston's locker room celebration. "... We'll start pretty soon. We're bringing this whole team back. Bringing the whole team back next year. Look out world."
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Next in line, Boston will need to address the contracts of fellow starters Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. Tatum, fresh off his fifth All-Star and third All-NBA First Team season, is "expected" to sign a record-high $315 million contract extension, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Meanwhile, White, a blossoming first-year starter and All-NBA Defensive Second Team honoree this past season, is set to earn $20 million in 2024-25 before becoming an unrestricted free agent free to test the open market.
According to the latest surrounding Tatum and White's respective currently unaddressed contracts, it's seemingly probable that Grousbeck's words will, once again, be backed by action this offseason.
"Jayson Tatum's forthcoming five-year, $315 million extension is regarded leaguewide as a layup in an empty gym in terms of inevitably," longtime reporter Marc Stein reported Wednesday. "Tatum and the Celtics, though, might need until next week to actually come to a verbal agreement on the deal with the new champs currently partying in Miami in advance of Friday's championship parade in Boston. "Derrick White is also regarded as a near-certain recipient of a contract extension this offseason, which would mean all five of Boston's best players will possess contracts awarded over the past year (and change)."
Grousbeck's word was gold last season as Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was given free-range to do whatever it took to make the much-needed necessary roster adjustments by Opening Night. Delivering Porzingis and Holiday earned Stevens made him the recipient of the 2023-24 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award, and ultimately got Boston over the hump amid its stellar 16-3 postseason run.
With a 16-year-old title drought officially ended, at this rate, the Celtics have all the necessary tools in place to birth a dynasty moving forward, and Grousbeck is all for it.
MLB On FOX Turns Back Clock With Throwback Inning At Rickwood Field
As Major League Baseball honors the history of the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field on Thursday night, the FOX broadcast experimented with an authentic feel of the era.
In the fifth inning of the matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants, FOX made the broadcast black-and-white and readjusted the dimensions of the screen to fit an older television.
Joe Davis and John Smoltz called the game from the top of the stadium while unique camera angles captured the action in Birmingham, Alabama.
You can watch the clip of the inning here.
The game commemorates the history of the Negro Leagues while also honoring the life of Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who died at the age of 93 on Tuesday. Mays got his professional start at Rickwood Field before a legendary MLB career headlined by his time with the Giants and 660 career home runs.
The broadcast featured former players who took the field once again while Reggie Jackson gave in-depth accounts of his experience playing on the field early in his career.
MLB makes another stop this season after playing spring training games in the Dominican Republic before the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets met in another installment of the London Series.