Bristle Boyz

Show Notes: Rico Brogna Joins the Round TableThe crew is on the road this week, live at the round table with Angry Jay, Crocker, the Don Father (Mac Daddy) and studio engineer Kevin Ross pulling off a glitch-free remote. Title sponsor Joe Moriello, Senior Vice President of Capital Securities (“a life well planned”), joins us at the table.The Yankees Postmortem Another October, another early exit. The guys unload on the leadoff decision, a historically cold postseason from Trent Grisham, baserunning blunders, and an organizational culture they say has gone soft. Plus: A-Rod, Big Papi and Jeter on “philosophical change,” the Hal McGrowth boycott push on X, and why the Rays and Brewers win with ground balls, hustle and fundamentals. Angry Jay takes a well-earned victory lap on his preseason picks.Guest: Rico Brogna Watertown’s own Rico Brogna, Detroit Tigers first-round pick, Clemson quarterback recruit, and veteran of the Tigers, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox and Braves, now a pro scout with the Seattle Mariners. Rico covers:Choosing baseball over Clemson football (and Danny Ford flying in on Thanksgiving)Legion ball legends and Watertown rivalriesHis first big-league at-bat: working back from 0-2 against Dave Stieb for a doubleFirst home run off Melido Perez at Tiger StadiumBreaking in with the Mets and the Evan Roberts podcast named after himPhilly years under Terry Francona with Scott Rolen and Bobby AbreuA walk-off grand slam at Fenway with the crowd chanting his nameGolf trips with Maddux and Glavine in AtlantaWhy analytics have gone overboard, and what the Rays do rightFull Count (presented by Skygazer Brewing) Rapid-fire picks: favorite park (Dodger Stadium), least favorite (Olympic Stadium), the guy he hit best (John Smoltz), hardest thrower (Billy Wagner), foxhole teammate (Scott Rolen), Pedroia over Cano, Pedro over Randy, Albert Belle over Juan Gonzalez, The Natural over Moneyball, and the original Bad News Bears. Rico promises to come back with his Nolan Ryan story.La Cosa Trivia Steve Spurrier vs. Georgia and Alabama, Joe Burrow’s late-game turnovers, Ricky Williams’ first-year rushing mark, the ‘93 Cowboys and ‘01 Patriots, Testaverde vs. Bledsoe, Tony Gwynn’s three strikeouts against four Hall of Famers, and who hit the first home run at Coors Field. (Spoiler: our guest.)Follow us on Instagram and X.

The Bristle Boys — September 2, 2026Live from the Don Father's, on Instagram and X. Brought to you by Skygazer Brewing and Capital Securities — SVP Joe Moriello: a life well planned.Panel: The Don Father (host), Angry Jay, Crocker, Mac. Studio engineer: Kevin Ross. Coming up: a possible Devin McCourty, Yale coach Brian Ham, and more.(03:36) Down to the wireRays up four and a half in the East, White Sox two and a half clear in the Central, Astros two up on Texas. Wild cards today: Cleveland at Houston, Chicago in the Bronx, San Diego at Atlanta, Phillies at Chicago.Yankees have 16 games before a seven-game home finale: four with Tampa, three with the surging Orioles.The Judge question: Jones or Grisham in the third outfield spot? Should be Jones, will be Grisham — sub-.200 leadoff hitter, bad metrics, doesn't hustle it in. Postseason arms: Cole and Schlittler at 70 pitches apiece, Rodón to the bullpen with Hill, Schmidt and Warren.(07:03) World Series picksDon Father: Yankees–DodgersCrocker: Dodgers, YankeesKevin Ross: Dodgers, RaysAngry Jay: Rays, BrewersMac: Yankees–Phillies, and he insists it's a predictionAlso: Brewers best-run in baseball, Rays second.(09:51) The Draft Day ConsigliereThe stack nobody talks about: QB–RB, not QB–WR. Take a high-powered offense late and bank every touchdown, run or pass:Swift + Caleb Williams — late fourth and around the eighthJavonte Williams + Dak — nobody else in Dallas sees the goal lineStafford + Kyren WilliamsDraft QBs off Vegas passing-TD lines: Burrow 32.5, Stafford 31.5 — a touchdown apart, 20 picks apart.Other calls: Tee Higgins is not Burrow-proof, Ja'Marr Chase is. Kelce at TE12 is theft. Garrett Wilson over Breece Hall — the Jets won't score, so take the catches. Cool on Bucky Irving. Jeremiah Love is legit, but does a 2-12 Arizona bubble-wrap him in your playoffs? QBs: Allen, Lamar, then Burrow over Daniels; Hurts at QB7 is a gift.(23:00) Around the sportRookies who miss NFL rosters going back to college — universally hated here. NFL's counter: declare once, that's your shot. Plus praise for Signetti's 90-minute practices.(27:22) NEW: The MacScarade NumbersPlayers who made two numbers famous. Kobe 8/24. Nolan Ryan 30/34. Jordan 23/45 — and 12, one night in Orlando after his jersey was stolen. Reggie 9/44. Bourque 7/77. LeBron 23/6. Boggs 26/12. Ortiz 27 then 34. Durant 35/7. Messi 30/19/10. Deion 21, 37, 2 at FSU. Shaq 32/34/33.(37:37) NEW: Pass or Cement ShoesOnly player to win NFL MVP in his third season — Walter PaytonYoungest to lead the league in sacks since 1982 — Shawne MerrimanActive leader in sacks vs. MVPs — Cam Jordan, 42 (Von Miller next, 22)Most Vikings TD catches between Moss and Jefferson — Kyle Rudolph, 47Youngest QB to start a Giants playoff game — Danny KanellSecond to Ruth in outright MLB home run titles — Mike Schmidt(44:47) Pick Your Poison with Angry JayDamon over Lofton, unanimous. Verlander over Scherzer. Wedding Crashers over Borat. Utley over Cano. Doc over Coney. Mussina over Schilling on character. Halladay over Glavine. Kuechly over Brooks. Henry over Riggins. Willis over Urlacher. Platoon over Private Ryan. Reacher the series over the movie. Draymond the bigger douchebag. Herb Brooks over Rocky, over loud objection.Enjoy your drafts.

Episode Notes — August 11, 2026Guest: Coach Kevin Kalat, Bristol 12U Little League All-Star Softball In studio: Bobby, Don Father, Crockett, Mac, engineer Kevin Ross. Out: Angry Jay (car and back trouble). Sponsors: Capital Securities — Joe Morello, SVP, "a life well planned" — and Skygazer Brewing.SummaryCallett on three years with the Bristol Gators: 10U state and New England titles, an 11U East Regional crown, and a 2026 run to the Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, NC — a first for a Bristol 12U girls team. Then: NFC East over/unders, trivia, the red-hot Red Sox, the Dodgers' latest heist, a GOAT bracket, and a new segment — Foul Lines.Chapters01:12 Guest intro02:00 The three-year run04:40 Year-round ball, burnout, "tough but fair"08:00 Pregame rituals09:45 The regional final comeback13:20 Relief pitching and the ESPN No. 1 catch18:35 The town parade20:25 What's next: 14U22:40 NFC East over/unders29:30 Football trivia32:15 Red Sox red hot37:50 Yanks: long ball or bust43:00 Dodgers add another ace56:00 GOAT bracket1:01:10 Foul Lines1:13:20 Week 1 is stackedSoftball takeawaysEntered 10U with 8- and 9-year-olds and missed districts on purpose — the plan was experience.Staff: Adam Whitlock (manager), Mike Bastianz, Anthony LaFerge, Jay Thompson, Pat Tisha. Pitching with Kim Bogan in Watertown.On burnout: "The number one reason why kids quit sports is they're not having fun anymore."Rituals: Dakota Green's drum-roll cheer, Whitlock's roll call, and Callett pinching Green's cheeks every game.Whitlock's superpower is coaching from behind — he predicts the score and gets it right.Lucy's inside-the-park homer flipped the regional final; the winning run slid home an inning later.Best team seen: Kentucky. But Milford, East Lyme, and Fairfield are the real gauntlet.Not top-heavy — Juliana Pavlak grinding eight-pitch at-bats from the bottom of the order.Next: 14U, then Wilkes-Barre for regionals and Washington for the World Series.Over/undersEagles 10.5 — unanimous over. Cowboys 9.5 — mostly over. Commanders 7.5 — mostly under (Tunsil's tricep). Giants 7.5 — split: Harbaugh optimism vs. Dart and Skattebo durability worries.Trivia answersMost receiving TDs from Heisman winners, active — Mike Evans, 58.Most receiving yards per season, min. 10 seasons — Torry Holt.Highest career PPG in Celtics history — Isaiah Thomas, 24.7.Longest gap between NFC title game trips — Washington, 32 seasons.Active non-QB with most Monday night TDs — 13, AFC, playing Week 1.BaseballBoston went from 14 under to right in the mix on streaks of 15 and 9 — they'll take the walk, hit it to right, steal the bag. It hinges on Crochet. The Yanks are 30-31 since peaking and it's long ball or bust. The Dodgers added Skubal to Yamamoto and Snell. Cardinals CF Nathan Church on facing Misiorowski: guess wrong out of the hand and you have zero chance.NBATwo best teams still in the West, but the East has closed on depth. LeBron to Philly is about the Jordan conversation. The Blazers at +8000 are quietly loaded. GOAT bracket final: Jordan over Bird — after the bracket fell apart on air.Find us on Instagram, X, Spotify, and anywhere there's a podcast.

The Bristol Boys — June 10, 2026Live from the Don Father's House Cast: Mac, Don Father, Angry Jay, Crocker, Studio Engineer Kevin Ross (back from cross-country road trip) Sponsors: Skygazer Brewing Shandies | Capital Securities — Joe MorielloNBA Finals — Knicks vs. SpursSeries tied 2–1 heading into Game 4; crew mostly backing Knicks but expects 6–7 gamesBecky Hammond's old "Brunson too short" quote resurfaces — called a social media dumpster diveNYC street violence after games — strong takes on fan safetyNBA West LandscapeOKC — youngest roster, 15 first-rounders in 5 years; concern: will Chet/Jalen Williams want out like mid-2000s OKC?Spurs — young, physical, team-first ("like a fraternity"); Wemby at 25 min/gameWarriors — cooked; one more Steph run seems unlikelyOthers: Rockets, Wolves, Blazers, Lakers, Suns, Clippers, Mavs (Mark Cuban frustration)Giannis SweepstakesWants an "iconic franchise" (Celtics, Knicks, Lakers, Bulls rumored); Bucks want picks backBlazers mentioned as top trade partner; Celtics could swap Brown (near-identical contracts)Old-School Bigs in Today's NBADavid Robinson ✅ | Ewing (probably) ✅ | Laimbeer ✅ | Oakley ✅ | Duckworth ❌ | Parish ❌ KG on Rodman: "He'd be MORE valuable today — guard 1–5, get 20 rebounds, he studied where the ball came off the rim."BaseballRed Sox: Chaim Bloom called an analytics disaster; young talent, no leader, let go a pitcher now sporting a ~2.00 ERA elsewhereYankees: Tied for division lead but Volpe struggling, catching a black hole, Judge out 6 weeks; Ben Rice a bright spotDodgers: 35–32, not running away with the NL WestTechnology Has Ruined Sports (Mac's Rant)Huddle/film apps: Coaches scout from the couch instead of in person — miss speed, attitude, family interactionsGame Changer app: Baseball moms checking pitch counts live — "What's he at? 79, he's not done" — crew misses the scorebook eraWearables/patches: D1 athletes tracked in real-time; debate: performance vs. prevention?Phones at events: Fans videotaping instead of watching; kids raised on highlights, not nuanceStreaming fragmentation: Games on Amazon, Apple, ABC, MLB app — nobody knows where to find anythingMac's challenge: Put the phone away 3 hours on a weekend. He tried it — got antsy after 90 minutes.Trivia with the Don FatherLongest playoff win streak by a non-champion? 2004 Lakers — 11 games (lost to Pistons in Finals)Most DPOY votes without winning (active)? Von Miller — two runner-up finishes, Super Bowl MVP with DenverLast QB to win MVP the year after losing the Super Bowl? Brett Favre (lost to Giants, won MVP next year)Most career sacks in Super Bowl-winning seasons? Charles Haley — 42 sacks across 5 titles. Chris Jones 2nd, Reggie White 3rd.Who Would You Rather — HighlightsJudge over Trout ✅ | Pedro over Randy Johnson ✅ | Scherzer over deGrom ✅ | Sicario over Fargo ✅ McHale over Anthony Davis | Robinson over Ewing | Platoon over Saving Private Ryan (3–1) Musial over Griffey (Don Father only) | Wade over Harden (clean sweep) | Meatballs over sausage Munson over Fisk | White Chocolate over Bibby | Elway over Steve Young

Episode NotesThe Bristol Boys are back — and this time with a real schedule. At least one episode a month, locked in. Follow along on Instagram, Twitter/X, and wherever else handles get figured out. Brought to you by Skygazer Brewing and Capital Securities, led by SVP Joe Mariello — a life well planned.What We Get IntoNFL Draft Recap — The NFC East cleaned up (Giants got the only A from NFL.com, Cowboys an A-, Bears a B+). The crew breaks down the Giants grabbing the consensus #1 player at #5, Dallas landing Tyler Booker, Brock Bowers comparisons for the Jets' tight end pick at 15, and whether Geno Smith is just a placeholder for next year's loaded QB class. Plus: why the Rams reaching at 13 made no sense, the Raiders maybe finally turning a corner, and the Eagles sneaking in to grab a Steelers target.NBA Playoff Quote Trivia — Test yourself: who said "I might be wrong, but I doubt it"? Who answered every question with "both teams played hard"? Quotes from Shaq, Iverson, Artest, Dirk, Jokić, and a Draymond zinger that sets up the next segment.The Draymond vs. Barkley Beef — Draymond took a shot at Chuck's Houston Rockets years. The boys are not having it. A real conversation about role players vs. franchise guys, why Draymond is who he is because of Curry, Klay, and KD, and whether comparing him to Barkley is even a serious question.The Charter Oak Story — Bristol's own leads Portland back to the playoffs in his first year as a starter. 77 games. 34% from three. Leads the league in offensive rebounds. Bristol → UConn → NBA, winning at every level.Celtics Post-Mortem — Tatum's injury, the questionable game-seven inactive list, and whether Brad Stevens makes major moves or rides it out. Derrick White or Pritchard — who stays?LeBron's Legacy — Played well against Houston, but is there anything left to add? Plus a son's hot take that he's a better passer than Magic.The Load Management Debate — A full breakdown. Does it actually prevent injuries? Does it extend careers? What about the fans paying $$$ only to find out the star is sitting? Cal Ripken is rolling over. Don Father working Mother's Day weekend. Lou Gehrig wouldn't recognize the league.Remembering John Sterling — The four iconic home run calls (Mattingly, Tino, Brosius, O'Neill), the "running the bases like they were drunk" moment, and why Dave Simms just isn't the same. A wider lament for the lost art of broadcasting — when announcers knew when to shut up and let the moment breathe.Glenn Sather Bar Story — Big East tournament, NYC, Angry Jay carrying a 15-year-old grudge. You'll have to listen.Aikman vs. Hurts — Jay defends Hurts. The crew does the era-adjusted comparison. It gets heated.Yankees Are Hot — Optimism (the rotation, Ben Rice, Dominguez, Spencer Jones, Lombard on the way) vs. Angry Jay's permanent glass-half-empty take. Volpe drama. Cashman silence. Stanton on the IL again.Trivia HitsLast top-3 pick to lead the NFL in rushing as a rookie (hint: Pony Express)Last receiver tandem with 1,400 yards each in the same season — there have been fourLast coach to win a playoff series after losing Game 1 by 30+Sign-OffStudio engineer Kevin Ross — phenomenal job. Joe Mariello — thanks for stopping by. Crocker, Don Father (low on pomade tonight, 6.9), and the rest of the boys back next month.Best player in the NBA this year? Tatum. Champ? Celtics. Winner of the draft? The whole NFC East. Both teams played hard.