🤭 We have some *personal* news ...

It’s Tuesday, Boston.

🐝 If you asked us to guess which celeb couple was in Mass. this weekend …. Beyoncé and Jay-Z would not be at the top of our list. But it’s true: The duo paid a visit to Nantucket for a wedding. And spoiler: Queen Bey danced to “Love on Top.”

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Harvard’s not on top anymore

• PWHL Boston’s official name

• A lobster roll Heimlich maneuver 

Up first…

B-SIDE SPORTS

It’s game time, B-Siders!

We have some personal news … B-Side is expanding! 

🏆 Introducing … B-Side Sports: A new sports newsletter from Boston Globe Media giving you the quick and dirty on all your favorite Boston teams. 

🤔 Why now? Sports content tends to fall into two categories these days: Hot takes designed to make your dad scream and in-the-weeds X’s and O’s that make your head spin. But what about the local fan who just loves their team and wants to easily keep up? 

🙋 That’s where B-Side Sports comes in. We’ve always thought of ourselves at B-Side as your informed friends giving you the scoop on what’s happening in your community. So just think of B-Side Sports as the same idea, just your informed sports friend.

📧 The newsletter hits your inbox Mondays and Fridays. Written by local journalist and certified-sports nerd Khari D. Thompson, B-Side Sports will give you the fast, free, and fun lowdown on what’s going on in the Boston sports world from the dugout to the duck boat parade.

Here’s what you can expect to read:

• A deep dive into the juiciest local sports story of the day

• A round up of quick hits and Boston sports headlines  

• The best thing we saw in sports this week

• Some other fun surprises 

🎙️ And in even more exciting news, there’s gonna be a podcast. We’ll be working with Shadow Lion Studios (who just so happen to produce Tom Brady’s social video content) to produce “The Quick Snap,” a weekly podcast hosted by current Patriots captain David Andrews and former Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer. It’s a podcast from the players, for the fans. 

Here’s what you can expect to hear:

• X’s-and-O’s and all the football-nerd stuff about that week’s game

• Insider stories about Patriots legends like Tom Brady

• A behind-the-scenes look into the lives of NFL players

• Interviews with key players

👀 What’s next? Subscribe, obviously. You can join the B-Side Sports newsletter party here, listen to the first episode of “The Quick Snap” here or wherever you get your podcasts, and throw us a follow on IG and TikTok for fun sports memes. 

Annnnnnd back to your regularly scheduled B-Side content …

TOGETHER WITH EQUITABLE

Financial stability? In this economy? 

👩‍🏫✏️Yes, it’s possible — even small savings can go a long way. With Equitable, Boston-area educators can get the financial guidance they need to help build a secure future. Whether you’re deep into your teaching career or just starting out, sign up for an Equitable retirement savings plan and start maximizing your savings today. It’s never too early (or too late) to set the stage for a more confident retirement.*

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🎓 Harvard ain’t king of the college-ranking-list castle anymore. ’Tis the season for college ranking lists, and in a big higher-ed twist, Babson College, a private business school in Wellesley, beat out Harvard and MIT to earn second place in The Wall Street Journal’s new 2025 ranking of the best colleges in the U.S. And that trend continued on Forbes’ top 500 colleges list, with MIT ranking third and Harvard landing eighth (which, to be fair, is still very good). You can see the full list of Mass. schools that cracked Forbes’ top 100 colleges here. 

🗳️ Here’s a good reminder that your vote actually counts. In one of the few challenges against an incumbent in last week’s state primary, underdog Evan MacKay put up a solid fight for Rep. Marjorie Decker’s Cambridge seat. And the race was tight. Like, MacKay declared victory and then the election was decided in Decker’s favor by about 40 votes, tight. Now, MacKay’s team is petitioning for a recount. But whichever way the election goes, it’s a nice reminder that with a challenger, local politicians’ seats aren’t as safe as some might think. 

🏒 PWHL Boston finally has an official name. Please give a warm welcome to the Boston Fleet! Yes, like a fleet of boats. All six Professional Women’s Hockey League teams announced their new names and brand identities on Monday after spending their (banner) first seasons as PWHL [insert city name here]. The new name is meant to be a bold, confident way to represent Boston’s rich maritime history. Our two cents: The maritime vibes wouldn’t be our first choice, but we have to admit the logo is pretty cool.

🥟 This week, a hot new restaurant (and pasta deal) enters the villa. Mr. H, the new Chinese-inspired spot in the Seaport, is slated to open Sept. 12, serving up (apparently) show-stopping dumplings, dim sum, and noodles in an equally show-stopping space. But if you’re craving Italian instead, BE Pasta Bar, which is B-Side Certified, is launching a deal that’ll give diners half off their pasta dishes on orders of over $15 every Monday. *Sigh* if only I went to BU. 

QUICK QUESTION

🎓 Which top local college has the best vibes? 

GIVEAWAY

Tickets to BOTH of Sam Adams’ Boston Octoberfests! 

Our friends at Sam Adams are giving away free entry for BOTH of their Octoberfest celebrations! Two winners will receive a joint ticket to the Downtown Taproom Octoberfest on Sept. 21 (plus a 1L stein to drink out of) and two tickets to the Boston Brewery Octoberfest Sept. 28 (plus a Taste of Germany add-on)! AND MERCH! All in, it’s a $60 value per winner! To be eligible, just join the B-Side mailing list and refer a friend to sign up for The B-Side daily newsletter.

21+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

UPCOMING B-SIDE EVENT

Summer may be ending, but the adventures are just beginning!

B-Side is teaming up with Keolis massAdventures, the organization bringing us endless car-free outings outside of Boston. On Sept. 15, you’re all invited to join the B-Side team on a guided kayaking trip, hosted by Boston influencer @instaiona. We’ll journey on the Commuter Rail from North Station to Ipswich, where we’ll paddle the stunning Castle Neck River at Crane Estate. And, since you’re a loyal B-Side subscriber, you get 15% off your tickets with code Bside15!

21+. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Limit one entry per person. See Official Rules & an additional entry option here.

ONE LAST THING

A Guv’s job is never done

Say what you will about New Hampshire politics, but not many governors could produce this headline: “N.H. governor [Chris Sununu] performs Heimlich maneuver on choking contestant in lobster roll eating competition.”

Sununu took matters into his own hands when he noticed a contestant choking during the Hampton Beach lobster roll eating contest. He jumped on stage to give Christian Moreno the Heimlich before first responders even noticed what was going on. The food quickly popped out, and Moreno went on to eat another seven lobster rolls before the contest ended. Casual.

The cherry on top? The whole situation was caught on video, and produced one of the best local news segments we’ve seen in a while.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🦞 Thanks for reading! That headline is also among the most New England thing I’ve ever read.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, Equitable, for supporting local journalism and helping Boston-area educators plan a financially secure future. 

😋 The results are in: B-Siders continue to slay our pop quizzes. 49% of polled readers correctly guessed that fluff was invented in 1917. One reader, who did guess correctly, said: “Please b!tch, I'm from Somerville. #IYKYK.”

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].

*Equitable is the brand name of the retirement and protection subsidiaries of Equitable Holdings, Inc., including Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company NY, NY and Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America, an AZ stock company with an administrative office located in Charlotte, NC.