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About Kirk Minihane

Kirk Minihane thinks "Slap Shot" is -- without argument -- the best sports movie ever made and is also convinced the 1985-86 Celtics would have finished with a record of 78-4 if they had cared about the regular season. He has been a columnist at WEEI.com since 2009 and is the co-host of "Sports Saturday" on WEEI.

 
COLUMNS
Kirk Minihane
11/16/2009 - 4:19am
Bill Blew It: Belichick Commits a Bungle for the Ages
Did that just happen? No, really. Did it?
Kirk Minihane
11/12/2009 - 9:01am
The Mailbag: Getting Riled Up By Randy Moss, Rajon Rondo and Dan Dierdorf
Kirk Minihane
11/09/2009 - 1:21am
Deep Thoughts About a Playoffs-Bound Patriots Team
Here’s what Sunday’s 27-17 win over the Dolphins means for the Patriots. It’s OK to take a look at the big picture again. First time since the season started when that feels safe, I know. But take a look.
Kirk Minihane
11/05/2009 - 8:36am
The Mailbag: Keith Foulke and Mamie Van Doren Just Don't Make the Cut
We are doing our best to shake the bye week blues here at the mailbag.
Kirk Minihane
11/02/2009 - 2:36am
From Manny and Pedro to Suppan and Renteria: The Best and Worst of the Red Sox Decade
If I had told you on Dec. 31, 1999, that the next decade for the Red Sox would include seven 90-win seasons and, yes, the end of “The Curse” as well as a second World Series championship, I’m pretty sure the news wouldn’t have come as a galloping shock. Why would it?  
Kirk Minihane
10/29/2009 - 6:08am
The Mailbag: Reliving London, Wrestlemania I and Goldie Hawn's Peak
You’ll get a bye week mailbag and like it.
Kirk Minihane
10/25/2009 - 8:41pm
Real Test Awaits: After Dominating Patsies, Pats Must Still Show They Are Legit
Here are the two things I think we absolutely know for sure after watching the Patriots beat Iron Mike Sharpe and S.D. Jones over the last two weeks.
Kirk Minihane
10/22/2009 - 9:04am
The Mailbag: Tom Brady, Steve Phillips and Casey Kasem
Pats and Pats and Pats this week in the mailbag. No shock, with the Sox done and the Celtics not yet ready for our full attention.
Kirk Minihane
10/18/2009 - 11:55pm
Remember This Day: Brady Offers Memorable Display of Greatness
I know it's almost impossible to comprehend after what we just watched, but sometime in the future the Patriots will be terrible. And I’m not talking 7-9 terrible, either, the kind of season where if a few breaks go your way you win 10 games. I’m talking 2-14, paper bags over your head and a weekly appointment with the lowest announcing duo on the network roster (see: Criqui and Trumpy, 1992) level of hideousness.
Kirk Minihane
10/15/2009 - 7:50am
The Mailbag: Remembering the Good (J.D. Drew) and the Great (Capt. Lou Albano)
Report card feedback dominates the mailbag this week, and (brace for shock) the folks aren’t exactly thrilled with the 2009 edition of the hometown nine. It seems that 95 wins isn’t going to do it for the faithful, changes need to be made. Jonathan Papelbon and J.D. Drew receive the brunt of the drubbing here while Jon Lester takes yearbook honors for most popular.
Kirk Minihane
10/13/2009 - 6:22am
Red Sox Report Card: Some Good Grades, One Bad Result
Third and final (duh) Red Sox report card of the season. Just a couple of quick notes before we get started … 1. I put almost no weight on the playoffs when it came to grading. I’ll take what a guy did over 162 games vs. what he did (or in most cases did not do) over three games.
Kirk Minihane
10/08/2009 - 6:11am
The Mailbag: The Demise of Pats Pessimism, and Pamela Anderson
It’s not easy to jam Terrell Suggs, Chip Caray, the Golden Banana, Bob Newhart, Kate Beckinsale, Midnight Snack, Sammy Morris, Cumberland Farms, Drew Bledsoe, Megan Fox, Kenny Bania and the death of the toupee into one mailbag, but we’ve managed to do it this week. Some solid e-mails from the folks (keep them coming), although most seem to suggest that I may be close to regaining “half-wit” status. To the 'bag we go (and, as always, feel free to e-mail away to kminihane@weei.com) --
Kirk Minihane
10/04/2009 - 9:10pm
Patriots Fans, Hold Your Heads High, Your Team Is Back
Take a deep breath. It’s safe now to stick out your chest a little bit, Patriots Nation. Feel free, for the next week at least, to count your team among the five or six with a legitimate shot to win the Super Bowl (the others? Indy, Pittsburgh, the Giants and yes, the Ravens.) No small feat, considering it seemed from all you read and heard two weeks ago that the end may be upon us. Enjoy the reprieve from the doomsday crew, because you know a 24-17 loss next week at Denver could bring out the 8-8 posse once again.
Kirk Minihane
10/01/2009 - 12:33am
The Mailbag: Randy Moss, Bad Reporting, and Tito's Past Life
The mailbag returns after a week off and we are determined to avoid any charges of "dogging it."
Kirk Minihane
09/28/2009 - 6:48am
This Is The Randy Moss Game You Should Remember
When Randy Moss enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame (I’d guess in 2017, figuring he plays three more years) you’ll hear a lot about 2007 and 1998. There will be talk of Pro Bowls and of his back-to-back seasons with over 100 catches in 2002 and 2003. And when ESPN runs the two-minute highlight package of Moss’ career, you’ll see all the greatest hits — the Thanksgiving show he put on vs. Dallas as a rookie, the one-handed TD catch vs.
Kirk Minihane
09/24/2009 - 10:08pm
The best coaches in Boston sports history
We are in the Golden Era for Boston sports coaches. Right now we have three active coaches (Bill Belichick, Terry Francona, Doc Rivers) who have won a championship with their respective teams. Until 2004 there had never been a period in Boston sports history in which even two of the four active coaches had a Boston title on their résumé (makes sense, I guess, when you consider that one team didn't win its first title until 2001 and another went 86 years between crowns).
Kirk Minihane
09/20/2009 - 9:34pm
Pondering What Exactly Happened In The Meadowlands
If the Patriots (and their fans) had any swagger left after the Monday night miracle vs. the Bills, it was blitzed into the ground by the Jets on Sunday.
Kirk Minihane
09/17/2009 - 1:27am
The Mailbag: Sitcoms, Super Bowls, and Tony Eason... Oh, My!
Can we stop with the overreaction? Probably not. It never ends, now that I think about it. Right now there is a simmering concern about the Patriots. Sure, a win is a win, but the thought lingers: Maybe “we” really are the team that needed a miracle fumble recovery (from the kicker!) to beat the Bills. Not much better than average.
Kirk Minihane
09/15/2009 - 6:55am
Still Plenty Of Questions For Pats (Including Whether Brady Is Faster Than Suzy Kolber)
On a night when we learned that Tom Brady could still pull off the impossible (but may or may not be able to outrun Suzy Kolber) plenty of questions still linger regarding the 2009 Patriots. 1. What is the status of Jerod Mayo? Who knows? Could be that he’s fine and he’ll play Sunday. Could be that he’s out for the season, I guess. Ready for Tedy Bruschi, Part II? 2. Who is “Todd” Light and what did he do with his brother Matt?
Kirk Minihane
09/10/2009 - 12:16am
The Mailbag: The Mystery of Richard Seymour... and Charo
Plenty of Seymour stuff, and the folks seemed mixed on the move. I remain shocked that anyone would have a problem with a trade that will almost certainly yield a top five pick for a player who has (A) been on the decline for three years and (B) was not going to be back in 2010 under any circumstances. What am I missing? Is it because the pick is in 2011 and not 2010? That can't be it. I guess there is some loyalty to Seymour, which is great.
Kirk Minihane
09/07/2009 - 7:07am
In Search of Richard Seymour's Legacy
Richard Seymour was never easy to define. Tedy Bruschi? Inspiration. Troy Brown? Selfless. Tom Brady? Legend. Adam Vinatieri? Clutch. One-word definitions that pretty much tell the story. Richard Seymour? Uh, “commanded a lot of double-teams that allowed others to make plays” doesn’t seem like it should be on a poster. That’s life in the trenches, I guess. Guys on the defensive line have never sold tickets.
Kirk Minihane
09/02/2009 - 2:13pm
The Mailbag: Closing the Papelbon Debate
Are you ready for a little more closer talk? Lots and lots of Papelbon here this week, and the folks seem to be divided. Some are with me (Papelbon is a terrific pitcher but no closer is worth $13-15 million a year) but I was surprised how many emailers were comfortable with the prospect of losing the best closer in franchise history. Well, when you’ve got a proven commodity like Daniel Bard I guess it’s okay to be cavalier. He’s been getting it done forever, right?
Kirk Minihane
08/31/2009 - 12:04am
Why Papelbon Is One of a Kind, and Always Will Be
OK, so Jonathan Papelbon is no genius. You didn’t need to tell us, Theo. We’ve been briefed on the topic more than once over the past five years. Each time the guy opens his mouth every high school English teacher in New England instinctively reaches for a red pen.
Kirk Minihane
08/27/2009 - 5:24am
The Mailbag: Where a Jock Is a Tough Thing to Carry
Ready for more Jim Rice? Not my fault this time. Really. I filled in for Rob Bradford this past Sunday with Mike Mutnansky for a couple of hours and, for the most part, stayed out of the way. We talked about Brad Penny, Billy Wagner and Junichi Tazawa. Easy, nothing to get me in trouble. But then Mut had to do it. He brought up Jim Rice tanking on Derek Jeter at Williamsport. And before I could even think I blurted out the following:
Kirk Minihane
08/20/2009 - 4:54am
The Mailbag: Where the Most Important Half Hour of the Day is Never Wasted
Report card feedback in the mailbag this week, which is pretty much code for a little J.D. Drew bashing. The people have found their scapegoat, and he’s not going to be able to use a sore groin as an excuse to get out of this spot.


Audio On Demand

It Is What It Is Cast: Ex…

It Is What It Is Cast: Examining the New England Patriots offseason

In the latest edition of the "It Is What It Is" podcast, Chris Price and CSNNE's Mike Giardi take a look at the Patriots offseason on both sides of the ball, try and get a handle on which new guys will make an impact first, and whether or not the Patriots have altered their style when it comes to drafting and developing wide receivers.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Tebow's release

Mike Florio joined the program to discuss the Jets decision to release Tim Tebow, he said the situation is as disaster all around for the Jets and that the problems begins with owner Woody Johnson. Mike also said that he was disappointed with the Pats moving back in the first round.

Mike Petraglia, WEEI.com, Sits Down with Butch Stearns to Help Break Down the Pats Draft

One of the hardest working men in the biz, Mike Petraglia aka "Trags", sits down with Butch Stearns live in Foxborough to help break down all the latest Pats moves. He discusses his reaction to the trade in Round 1 and the guys those picks produced. Also, the boys talk about the decent trade the Pats made in acquiring LeGarrette Blount from Tampa Bay for Jeff Demps and a 7th rounder.

Celtics President Danny A…

Celtics President Danny Ainge with Salk and Holley

We check in with Danny Ainge for our first talk to him since the Celtics season ended last weekend. We talk about the future of the team, KG, Pierce, Doc Rivers and more, as Danny directly answers the rumors being floated by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

Jackie MacMullan, ESPNBoston.com: "Gut" tells me Doc will stay

Jackie Mac joins the show to discuss the trade rumors swirling around Paul Pierce, KG, Doc Rivers and the Celtics. She also discusses the future of the Celtics head coach.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on his rumored Celtics Clippers trade

Stephen A. joined the program to discuss the trade rumors he has reported regarding a possible trade including Doc Rivers and the Clippers. Stephen A. also told the guys that he has heard that Danny and Doc may be tiring of working together.

Former Red Sox manager Te…

Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona catches up with D&C

Terry Francona joins the Dennis and Callahan Show to discuss his first-place Indians team as well as his time in Boston. The former Boston manager also touches on his recent book co-authored by Dan Shaughnessy and Shaughnessy's recent dust-up with David Ortiz.

John Lackey postgame guest after the last game of the Minnesota series

Joe Castiglione talked with John Lackey after he picked up the W against the Twins. Lackey threw seven innings, and retired the 1st twelve batters of the game.

John Farrell pregame before the last game of the Minnesota series

Dave O'Brien talked to John Farrell before the end of the Twins series. The Sox skipper said that Big Papi's success is no surprise given his work ethic.

Shawn Thornton on his big…

Shawn Thornton on his big game three

Shawn joined the program to discuss his big night at MSG. He told the guys that it is not Marchand's job to fight and that he needs to be on the ice and out of the penalty box.

NESN's Barry Pederson on the Bruins dominance

Cleveland Indians hottest team in baseball, yet remain last in attendance May 19, 2013 By AJ Kaufman 6 Comments There’s a scene in Major League where Bob Uecker, portraying the radio voice of the Indians, bemoans, “In case you haven’t noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven’t, the Indians have managed to win a few here and there, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar.” Well, that was nearly 25 years ago and fictional, but today’s reality is that Cleveland has won 17 of its last 21, and currently tops the AL Central with a mark of 25-17. No one in the majors is better than the Indians in the past month (20-7). That’s great news. The bad news, however, is the Tribe somehow remain in the MLB cellar when it comes to attendance. How can this be? The fact that I wrote on this same topic almost to the day last year – when only Tampa Bay drew fewer fans than Cleveland - may be even more troubling. Though roughly 34,000 watched a walk-off win Friday night against Seattle, perfect weather and free caps weren’t enough to draw more than 36,000 Saturday and Sunday combined. What did the Indians do in those tilts? They nabbed another walk-off win on Saturday, then the Indians crushed the great Felix Hernandez Sunday behind Justin Masterson, arguably the AL’s best pitcher right now. Fun fact: The Indians have already faced eight Cy Young Award winners in 2013: Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Jake Peavy, David Price, Justin Verlander and Hernandez. They have won seven out those eight matchups. Simply astounding. This offseason, the much-maligned Indians front office finally made a legitimate attempt to improve the team through free agency. I’m not talking an Ubaldo Jimenez-like trade, but rather smart acquisitions that brought veterans Mike Aviles, Michael Bourn, Jason Giambi, Scott Kazmir, Brett Myers, Mark Reynolds, Drew Stubbs and Nick Swisher to Cleveland. In addition to being a fantastic place to watch a game due to great egress and ingress, with extremely affordable tickets, the best promo lineup anywhere, Jacobs Field boasts overall, cooler, less muggy summer weather than most Midwestern locales. The team also lowered beer and hot dog prices to $4 and $3 respectively. What other professional stadium in any sport offers that? I have visited 28 of the 30 current Major League Baseball stadia, and few top The Jake when all angles are considered. I say that as a baseball fan, not an Indians fan. As for the putative “economic” angle, these are the same people who spend insane amounts of money to watch terrible football every fall and show up in decent numbers for putrid basketball in the winter. Irrespective of season length, those sports charge up to 10 times the price for a ticket, and the atmosphere isn’t half as fan-friendly as baseball. I understand fans’ lack of willingness to get on board to some degree. A decent recap of Cleveland’s decade of “rebuilding” can be read here and the team suffered a horrific collapse last August. However, in addition to all the benefits of attending games at Jacobs (now Progressive) Field, fans should also realize the team has potential and often exceeds preseason aspirations at any point without warning. Cleveland hosts the rival Detroit Tigers — heavy favorites to repeat as AL Central champs — Tuesday and Wednesday nights before hitting the road. The temperature should be pleasant at first pitch each evening so you’d expect The Jake to be full to watch the best hitter on the planet right now — but don’t count on it.

Ed Olczyk, NBC Sports: "Surprised" by amount of goals in series so far

Eddie Olczyk joins the show to discuss the Bruins Rangers series and what to expect with Game 3 back in NY. He also talks about Seguin's inconsistency and the role of Jaromir Jagr.

Former Red Sox manager Te…

Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona catches up with D&C

Terry Francona joins the Dennis and Callahan Show to discuss his first-place Indians team as well as his time in Boston. The former Boston manager also touches on his recent book co-authored by Dan Shaughnessy and Shaughnessy's recent dust-up with David Ortiz.

Shawn Thornton on his big game three

Shawn joined the program to discuss his big night at MSG. He told the guys that it is not Marchand's job to fight and that he needs to be on the ice and out of the penalty box.

The boys respond to Salk's attack

Our afternoon host Mike Salk was offended at Gerry and Kirk's conversation on his favorite band Rush, the guys responded.

Ed Olczyk, NBC Sports: "S…

Ed Olczyk, NBC Sports: "Surprised" by amount of goals in series so far

Eddie Olczyk joins the show to discuss the Bruins Rangers series and what to expect with Game 3 back in NY. He also talks about Seguin's inconsistency and the role of Jaromir Jagr.

Kenny Albert, NY Rangers PBP: Previews Game 3

Kenny Albert joins Mut and Merloni to discuss the play of Henrik Lundqvist, changes John Torterella may make before tonight's game, and if home ice advantage will make a difference.

Mut Vs. Salk on NESN Daily

Find out which WEEI host came out victorious in the latest Salk Vs. Mut battle.

Full tilt, full time. New…

Full tilt, full time. Newest inductee to the Patriots Hall of Fame Tedy Bruschi with Salk and Holley

We talk to #54 about his career and well deserved induction to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Salk and Holley's Four (or Five) at Four - 05/21/13

We tackle four off-topic topics! Today including RGIII's wedding registry, Tiger Woods, new putters in golf and more.

Barry Melrose: Sit the injured veteran defensemen until you need them, until you lose

We check in with ESPN's great hockey analyst and former NHL coach Barry Melrose to get his take on this Bruins-Rangers series. We also ask the coach in him how he'd deal with the great play of the rookie defensemen when the vets get healthy... and his answer might surprise you.

Daily Planet Tuesday May …

Daily Planet Tuesday May 21st

The Bruins look to take a 3-0 series lead, Jon Lester gets his first loss, Dwight Howard has options in free agency.

Daily Planet Monday May 20th

Today on the Daily Planet the Bruins have a 2-0 lead over the New york Rangers, the Red Sox are back on the winning sde of things, and the noteable birthdays of the day.

Daily Planet Thursday May 9th

The Bruins have almost finished raking the Leafs, the Red Sox struggle from the mound, Miami Heat fans show their level of class.

Salk and Holley's Miked U…

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question - 05/21/13

They're like a ray of morning sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day.

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question 05/21/13

....uhhhh.....a bunch of bombs over there....

Salk and Holley's Miked Up and Answer the Question - 05/17/13

Sounds like a prostate exam to me!

Linda calls in to describ…

Linda calls in to describe the scene on Dexter St in Watertown

Linda explains how the shootout transpired in Watertown during the early morning hours. She saw the first suspect mortally wounded and police beginning the manhunt for the second suspect.

More from this show

Boston bombing hero Jeff …

Boston bombing hero Jeff Bauman: "He's dead and I'm still here"

Jeff Bauman, a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing, joined the show to give the guys an update of his condition and a first-hand account of that terrible day. Jeff told the guys how he wrote the description of the bomber as soon as he could. Mr. Bauman added that he is aided every day with the knowledge that he is alive and the terrorist that detonated the bomb is dead.

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Shawn Thornton on the Bru…

Shawn Thornton on the Bruins game 2 win

Shawn joined the show to discuss the teams great performance in game two against the Rangers. Shawn said that he wouldn't mind playing for John Tortorella because he seems like a funny guy.

More from this show

Minor Details Ep. 49: Man…

Minor Details Ep. 49: Managerial development with Torey Lovullo and Arnie Beyeler

By and large, the focus of development in the minor leagues is on players. Still, there is a developmental path for coaches and managers in the farm system, as is evident from the fact that the previous two managers of the Red Sox' Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket -- Torey Lovullo (2010) and Arnie Beyeler (2011-12) are now both on the Red Sox' big league coaching staff. They share their insights about the differences between player and coaching expectations in Triple-A vs. the majors, while discussing professional development from the perspective of former minor league managers who aspire to similar positions in the big leagues.

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Things you would never do

Things you would never do

John, Gerry and Kirk give their things that they would never do, listeners joined on the WEEI yakoff app with their thoughts.

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