Some Things I Think I Think: Little to celebrate about Red Sox season so far

Russini, meanwhile, through her unprofessional behavior, has sullied the reputations of all female sports journalists, who already have to overcome ignorant assumptions about their motivation for being in the business in the first place.

∗ The Bruins, who get their postseason underway Sunday, are already playing with house money. No one (raises hand meekly) expected this kind of one-season turnaround and return to the playoffs. That seemed out of the question at the start of the year, especially when you consider the long rebuilds experienced by Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago and others.

GM Don Sweeney made shrewd trades last deadline and smart free agent additions last summer, and now has the franchise pointed in the right direction far sooner than anyone could have forecast.

I like Buffalo in seven games in this series — not because there’s a huge talent gap, but because the Bruins have been a poor road team and the atmosphere in Buffalo is going to be bedlam for a visiting team.

∗ The Celtics should have a far easier time of it in their first round series with Philadelphia. The Celts were already massive favorites and the unavailability of Joel Embiid represents one more hurdle for the Sixers.

Anything longer than five games means something’s gone wrong.

∗ I find it hard to believe there’s another RSN (regional sports network) in the country that has more technical issues than NESN. Not a week goes by without one of its telecasts being interrupted by one glitch or another.

∗ Baseball’s better when Mike Trout is healthy and playing like his younger self.

∗ As much as he doesn’t even want to talk about it, Joe Mazzulla should be Coach of the Year in the NBA.

∗ It’s hard not to think that the Los Angeles Angels are somehow a cursed franchise. The number of accidental (and early) deaths suffered by their players the last few decades is impossible to ignore. From Lyman Bostock to Donnie Moore to Nick Adenhart to Tyler Skaggs to, now, Garret Anderson, dead this week at 53, no team has weathered more tragedy.

∗ On one hand, MLB owners must be thrilled that the San Diego Padres, a franchise designated as a small market team, were able to fetch almost $4 billion when they were sold this past week. On the other, it kind of shoots a sizable hole in their claims that the game needs a salary cap as CBA negotiations get ready to start.

∗ The NFL draft lacks a certain buzz this year, with most experts categorizing the class of players the weakest in years. Or is that because the Patriots, for the first time in a few years, aren’t picking in the Top 10?

∗ My first round winners in the Stanley Cup playoffs: Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Philadelphia in the East. In the West: Colorado, Minnesota, Edmonton and Las Vegas. But what do I know?

∗ A few episodes in, DTF St. Louis on HBO Max is plenty dark, but engrossing.

More Red Sox coverage

• Red Sox lineup: New channel, new time, Willson Contreras at DH, ace on mound
• Ex-Red Sox pitcher’s first season with Cardinals cut short after 3 Triple-A starts
• Red Sox change start time of Sunday’s game vs. Tigers due to rain in forecast
• Red Sox had Tarik Skubal ‘on the ropes’ but couldn’t take advantage of chances
• Red Sox’ Brayan Bello (6.75 ERA in 4 starts) offers simple fix for early-season struggles

Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.