Bobby Valentine Explains 'I'd Punch You' Comment

Bobby Valentine Explains ‘I’d Punch You’ Comment. The Red Sox manager has caught a lot of flack for telling WEEI’s Glenn Orway on-air yesterday that “I’d punch you right in the mouth” after Orway asked Valentine if he’s “checked out” for the season. Now, Valentine maintains that he said those words in jest, according to the Globe. “Didn’t I go, ‘Ha ha?’ I think I did,” Valentine said. “I don’t think physical violence is necessary for 60-year-old people. … I think it made the point that there are lines that should be drawn in the sand when someone’s trying to be professional and sounding unprofessional. Sometimes it’s better to be abrupt and then let everyone know you’re kidding.” And that’s exactly the rub with him: Act now, ask questions later. [Globe]

Report Finds BU Hockey Team Has ‘Culture of Sexual Entitlement.’ The report, released by the BU president’s office last week, found that “… a culture of sexual entitlement does exist—stemming from [the players’] elevated social status … and evidenced by frequent sexual encounters with women absent an emotional relationship or ongoing commitment …”. The task forced, which developed the report, also found the team has “a culture marked by heavy alchohol use,” leading officials to conlclude that all of these factors contributed to last season’s crimes allegedly committed by some of the players. [WCVB]

So That MBTA Employee Didn’t Take Photos Up a Woman’s Skirt. That’s what the MBTA investigation found, without explanation as to what the employee was actually doing on that escalator. Not that it’s any of our business, but the explanation could have been mighty colorful: Texting? Angry Birds? FaceTime? [CBS]

This Cheetah Robot Runs Faster Than Usain Bolt. Boston Dynamics developed the Cheetah Robot, which can run at 28.3 mph, making it just faster than Usain Bolt and definitely faster than Paul Ryan’s real or fake marathon pace. [YouTube]

The ‘Cheers’ Effect: Creepy or Comforting? High-end restaurants in New York City are following in the footsteps of online retailers like Amazon and collecting data on patrons in an effort to better serve them (and to convince them to keep coming back). The goal of this procedure is to make customers feel at home—they’re calling it the “Cheers” effect, based on the ’80s TV show’s Boston bar “where everyone knows your name.” But when a waiter who knows your name is someone you’ve never met, the result might come across as a bit bizarre. Plus, most patrons would likely wonder what secret code the restaurant has assigned to them. Is it PX (person extraordinaire) or SFN (something for nothing)? I know I’m not an HSM (heavyset man), but will I one day be identified as an LOL (little old lady)? [NYT] —Yiqing Shao