Chris Gasper is joined by the voice of the Patriots, Bob Socci of 98.5 the Sports Hub. The Patriots are 1-1 on the season. Rookie QB Mac Jones has performed well in both games, but is he a system quarterback playing too conservatively or will he be able to grow into a real difference-maker? Gasper says we're comparing Jones to the wrong former Patr…

Chris Gasper is joined by Adam Jones of 98.5 The Sports Hub to break down the Patriots' season-opener and discuss the dawn of the Mac Jones Era. The Patriots lost a game but look like they found a quality QB. Gasper and Jones discuss if the rookie will be able to lead the team to the playoffs or if the QB thirst is real and fans are overreacting. J…

Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom discusses the state of his team as the Sox head down the stretch of a tight playoff race. He called this season "a roller-coaster." Bloom pushed back against the idea he didn't do enough at the trade deadline with his team going 17-20 since, saying "chasing a ghost" doesn't help you in the long run. But is…

Chris Gasper is sitting down with MassLive Celtics reporter Brian Robb, also a contributor at 98.5 The Sports Hub and co-host of The Winning Plays Podcast. It has been an active offseason for president of basketball ops Brad Stevens and the Green. With the Celtics giving Marcus Smart a four-year, $77.1 million max contract extension, what does that…

Chris Gasper is sitting down with Jason Mastrodonato of The Boston Herald and the Locked on Red Sox podcast. The Red Sox have lost 10 of their last 12 games and have fallen drastically in MLB standings. The two discuss if Chaim Bloom’s focus on sustainability and the future could be part of the problem. Mastrodonato believes Bloom “misread the mark…

Chris Gasper is talking with Shalise Manza Young, Yahoo! Sports columnist, from Tokyo where she’s covering the Summer Olympics. The pandemic sidelined the Olympics last year, and Manza Young gets into how COVID regulations have changed the overall Olympic atmosphere: protests, stadiums without fans, different medal ceremonies, and a lack of access …

Chris Gasper is talking with Nicole Auerbach, Senior Writer at The Athletic, about a seismic change in college athletics. For the first time, athletes can profit off their name, image, or likeness (NIL) rights and retain their eligibility, opening the floodgates for endorsement and marketing payments while undercutting the NCAA's amateurism argumen…

Chris Gasper is talking with New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner. The Revs are enjoying one of the best starts in franchise history, maintaining the momentum they built with their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. Is this the best Revs team Turner has played on, and can they finally bring home an MLS Cup? Turner explains wha…

Chris Gasper is talking with the face of NESN, Tom Caron. Caron was a very early adopter of these Red Sox, but even he did not expect the team to be performing this well. The two get into the future of Sox top prospect Jarren Durran and how soon he could hit Boston. Commissioner Caron makes an appearance, sharing his plan to save baseball. He has i…

Chris Gasper sits down with Doug Kyed of NESN and NESN.com. The Patriots wrapped up their offseason program with mandatory mini-camp and quarterback still remains the biggest question mark and curiosity with Cam Newton's capability and rookie Mac Jones’ readiness for the season up for debate. Kyed attended mini-camp and thought Jones belonged and c…

Chris Gasper sits down with Joe Castiglione, the iconic voice of the Boston Red Sox and father of WCVB’s own, Duke Castiglione. The Red Sox are relevant again, currently second in the AL East standings, Castiglione shares why Alex Cora deserves a ton of the credit for the turnaround and what this team has in common with Morgan Magic in 1988. Castig…

Chris Gasper sits down with Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, who enjoyed the NBA off-season for about 12 hours before the Celtics announced Danny Ainge is retiring, and Brad Stevens has been named as his replacement-- leaving the coaching spot open. Will this make the Celtics weaker in two spots instead of one? Stevens is also now in charge of …

Chris Gasper sits down with legendary Boston Globe hockey writer and columnist, Kevin Paul Dupont. He tells us whether the Bruins are bona fide Stanley Cup contenders, why GM Don Sweeney deserves a stick salute for his work, and what polarizing puck-stopper Tuukka Rask can do to finally win over his critics. The noted nickname artist also tells pro…

Chris Gasper sits down with legendary Boston Globe columnist and NBA guru Bob Ryan. The inimitable Ryan shares his encyclopedic knowledge of the NBA and the Celtics. He reveals who gets his nod as the greatest Celtics scorer ever and the greatest Celtics team of all-time. He also doesn’t mince words about the disappointing performance of the curren…

Chris Gasper sits down with University of Alabama football beat writer Mike Rodak of AL.com to get the scoop on the Patriots' top two draft picks. Rodak previously covered the Patriots and the Buffalo Bills for ESPN and gives us the lowdown on quarterback Mac Jones and defensive lineman Christian Barmore. Jones is a polarizing passer. Rodak reveals…

The 2021 Draft is almost here and who better to join Chris Gasper to talk about what really goes on as teams prep for the draft than Bob Quinn, who worked in the Patriots front office from 2000 to 2015 and was the general manager of the Detroit Lions from 2016 to 2020. The Norwood native reveals how teams stack their draft boards and the conversati…

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge checks in for a State of the Celtics discussion. In February, Ainge famously declared that his team was not championship caliber. Has he changed his mind after the team's recent winning streak? Ainge goes to bat for Brad Stevens, who has come under fire this season, and explains why his coach i…

We talk with Matt Porter, covering the Bruins and all things NHL for The Boston Globe. The trade deadline is quickly approaching and Porter gives his thoughts on how the Bruins could proceed, asking, “What would the Bill Belichick of hockey do?” Could the Bruins be facing a future where this is the last ride for the Bruins core? Producer Ellen Flem…

We talk with Jen McCaffrey, Red Sox beat writer for The Athletic. Alex Cora is back as Sox manager and McCaffrey says the team is banking on him being a difference-maker in the dugout. There are still big questions about this edition of the Sox, starting with the starting pitcher and the health of Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale. And both Gasper a…

We talk with ESPN NFL Insider and former NFL scout Field Yates. Field tells Gasper and Ellen Fleming why Cam Newton and the Patriots remain a football match and why both are now set up for success in 2021 after disappointing seasons...Yates also touches on the role Tom Brady’s success with Tampa Bay played in the Pats' big offseason binge... He rev…

Jim McBride has called The Boston Globe home for more than 30 years, starting as a co-op student from Suffolk University and now as Patriots beat reporter. He's here with Gasper to discuss where he thinks the Patriots are heading in a pivotal off-season, why Bill Belichick still thinks he can win with Cam Newton, the most important free agent the P…

Steve Bulpett is the dean of Celtics beat writers. He spent 35 consecutive years covering the Celtics, and no one in the history of the team has covered them as a beat writer for longer. He's here with us to discuss all things NBA. This is Bulpett’s first season in almost four decades not following the team, home and away. But that doesn’t mean he …

The man, the myth, the Boston sports broadcasting legend Mike Lynch returns to give us his insights on the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, and the Kardashian clan. Lynchie shares his view on what's ailing the underperforming Celtics and lets you know whether they're championship contenders or pretenders. It wouldn’t be a lecture from Professor Lynch if…

Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy stops by. He explains why the Red Sox are internally optimistic about the 2021 season despite a lot of external skepticism surrounding the team. Kennedy admits that last season's last-place finish was "a disgrace" for the club. He pushes back against the notion of the Sox operating with a small-market mentality…

Chris Gasper is joined by ESPN NFL Front Office Insider, former GM of the New York Jets, and head of Football Operations of the Miami Dolphins Mike Tannenbaum. A Needham native, Tannenbaum has been part of the NFL since the mid-90s when Bill Belichick gave him his first shot in Cleveland. Tannenbaum explains why the Patriots are still a destination…

Chris Gasper is joined by Ted Johnson, ex-Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champion. Johnson explains why Brady's Super Bowl win with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a victory for other ex-Pats. He provides some insight into the inner workings of Bill Belichick's iron-fisted program, explains why the Bucs' victory reminded him of the Patr…

Chris Gasper is joined by Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal. Bedard is here to call Gasper out for being a TB12-Anon and crediting just Tom Brady for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being in the 2021 Super Bowl. Bedard still believes the Patriots can win with any of the top 15 NFL QBs. They may be on opposite sides of the isles when it comes to the…

Chris Gasper is joined by the best-dressed guy in New England football outside of Cam Newton, Mike Giardi of the NFL Network. They break down Tom Brady making a 10th Super Bowl in 19 seasons and discuss if Brady bringing the Buccaneers to the Big Game in year one will light a fire under Bill Belichick. Also, Gasper asks certified FOG (Friend of Gar…

Chris Gasper is breaking down the Celtics with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. America has struggled to curb COVID-19, so it shouldn’t be shocking that the virus is altering the NBA's schedule. How is the league going to move forward this season? Also, Gasper asks Himmelsbach for his thoughts on how Kemba Walker's return changes the dynamics …

Chris Gasper is talking with The Washington Post’s Michael Lee, who focuses on the intersection of gender, diversity and how sports shape our society. Players across the NBA have been passionate and outspoken advocates for racial equality and social justice, so it shouldn't be a surprise that many spoke out about a double standard after the insurre…

Take 5 is starting off the new year with two guests on today’s podcast and although we would all love to leave 2020 in the past, Chris Gasper will be trying to figure out what the future holds for the Boston Bruins and the New England Patriots. First, Chris is talking with CBS Sports hockey writer Pete Blackburn. They discuss the loss of Bruins leg…

Chris Gasper is joined by Take 5 producer extraordinaire Ellen Fleming. Coming off a demoralizing loss to the Miami Dolphins that eliminated them from the playoffs, the two discuss the future of the Patriots and also the demise of Chris’s #ThePath for the Patriots (R.I.P). They then finalize their thoughts on the Brady vs. Belichick debate with Ell…

Chris Gasper is sitting down with NFL Network Insider, Ian Rapoport. The two discuss what Bill Belichick sticking with quarterback Cam Newton says about his future in Foxborough and that of Jarrett Stidham. Rapoport reveals the Patriots targeted a QB in the 2020 draft and discusses what it would take for Jimmy G to return to the Patriots. He also d…

Chris Gasper is the new guy at WCVB SportsCenter 5, so what better way to learn the ins and outs of Boston sports than by sitting down with the dean of Boston sports coverage, Mike Lynch. Lynchie shares how he got started in the business, his first breaking news story on live TV and his relationship with Bill Belichick that goes back decades. Lynch…

Chris is talking with Chris Mannix from Sports Illustrated on how the Celtics did in the 2020 draft. Did Danny Ainge overplay his hand with Gordon Hayward? Mannix gives us his thoughts. They also get into how Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are only going to get better, and what Tristan Thompson’s role on the Celtic’s might be moving forward. As for …

2020 has proven to be the year where history is rewritten. Last week the Miami Marlins announced that Kim Ng would be taking over as general manager, making her the first woman and first Asian-American to hold such a position in major North American professional sports. Chris Gasper talks with NBC Sports Boston's Trenni Kusnierek to discuss what th…

Chris Gasper is talking with The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy this week and they start off with what is on everyone’s mind, the Red Sox bringing back Alex Cora. Cora brings a lot to the Red Sox Franchise, but are we all just going to forget about the whole cheating scandal? Well….that’s what the Red Sox are hoping for. Dan Shaughnessy also raises…

Chris Gasper sits down with Bert Breer from Sports Illustrated to discuss the Patriots standing pat at the trade deadline, the future of the franchise, and Bill Belichick’s excuses for a 2-5 start (Hint: He didn’t do HIS job in the Draft). They also touch on Tom Brady living his best football life in Tampa Bay and posting the QB equivalent of Insta…

Chris Gasper is catching up about the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative with New England Patriots' fullback Jakob Johnson. Johnson is originally from Germany and was signed to the Patriots as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. He shares how cancer has affected his life through his uncle, how grateful he is to be playing American f…

Chris is chatting with his old colleague, Nora Princiotti this week….except Chris is actually the oldest in the room. They catch up on Josh Allen and discuss whether he’s the new top QB in the AFC East and his similarities to Cam Newton. They also discuss if Nora could actually hang with the Bills Mafia (burning table dives, anyone?) and she gives …

Chris sits down this week with doctor, writer and podcaster, Doctor Jessica Flynn… you may know her as Doc Flynn. She lends her expertise to discuss the health of players, how effective the latest NFL guidelines are to decrease spread of COVID-19, and how accurate the testing really is. Follow Chris @cgasper and @WCVB on Twitter. You can fine Docto…

Chris Gasper is joined this week with 9 year NFL veteran Darius Butler. He gives us an inside look at The New England Patriots and a breakdown Of the atrocity that was Monday’s night game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Butler also wasn’t shy in who he thinks wins the “Is it Tom or Bill?” debate. Make sure you check out his Everything DB show @Ever…

This week Chris is joined by former WCVB intern Tony Massarotti, you know him from his 98.5 The Sports Hub show, Felger & Mazz. They discuss the Celtics’ elimination this past weekend and what the future of this young team looks like. After, it’s onto the New England Patriots and how even without Tom Brady they won against the Las Vegas Raiders in …

Chris Gasper takes on the NBA bubble this week with the Boston Globe’s national basketball writer and Celtics reporter, Gary Washburn. They discuss the mental toll living inside the bubble has taken, the strict COVID-19 protocols, the Celtics performance & growth, and of course – Mickey Mouse shaped rice krispie treats.…

SportsCenter’s 5 Chris Gasper kicks off his debut WCVB podcast with Take 5. This week he is sitting down with Mike Lynch to discuss everything from the Patriots season opener, to Tom Brady’s first game in a Tampa Bay uniform (or “laundry” as Chris would like to say) and they even give their thoughts on what would make a better commercial for Bill B…