Tag Archives: Boston

Apr 18 2013

Boston Marathon Runners Plan To Return Next Year

By Richard Murray 

BOSTON, MA – Literally two days after Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings, Amanda Whitten, who hails from California, has already begun thinking about next year’s race.

“Next year we will have people run in honor of (Monday’s victims) and show that marathons have always been about a celebration of the human spirit, people coming together, and supporting each other,” said Whitten, who has run the 26.2 mile race three times.

“This will definitely not (prevent me from returning) because that would be letting them win, but I am just sad for all those people and spectators.”

Excluding Whitten, other runners have spent the past few days contemplating about next year’s race, but most seem determined to return to Boston next April.

“I never thought I would end up doing the Boston Marathon again, but (with the race) ending on such a negative note it has been on my mind,” said Lisa Turner, a marathon runner from Milwaukee. “I would hate for it to be the last one.”

Jonathan Thomas, who traveled to Boston from Baton Rouge, looks forward to running his second race next year and being apart of the state’s Patriots Day celebration.

“I was already planning on coming back again next year, but what happened is not going to stop me from returning,” Thomas said. “This was my first time coming here to Boston, and I won’t let (what happened) ruin this race.”

With more photos and videos of the bombings being released to the police, as well as being shown on television and across the web, some runners are considering the “what-if” question, especially Turner, who finished 15 minutes prior to the first explosion.

“I have gone over it 100 times in my head, what if that was me (at the blast, but) I haven’t put my medal on yet because I just can’t bring myself to do it,” Turner said.  “You feel like you want to celebrate, but there is just (too) much negativity.”

Reports confirmed yesterday that the Boston Marathon’s would occur next year, which is something Whiten was happy to hear.

“That would be letting them win,” Whitten said had the committee postponed the race.

Follow Richard Murray on Twitter @Richie_Murray 

Feb 5 2013

61st Boston Beanpot: Leftover Notes And Stats From Monday

By Matt Nonan 

With the first day of the 61st Boston Beanpot in the books, we thought we’d provide a few tidbits, news and leftover statistics from last night’s games.

* Prior to their game last night against Boston University, Northeastern University was 0-4 in the first round of the tournament against their crosstown rival since 2001. With a 3-2 victory, thanks to Kevin Roy’s hat trick, the Huskies are now 1-4.

* Since 2001, Boston College is 4-0 against Harvard University in the first round. The Eagles 4-1 victory was the same outcome in 2001 and 2004.

* Boston College and Northeastern last met in the tournament championship two years ago. The Eagles defeated the Huskies in overtime, 7-6.

* Since 2000, Northeastern has appeared in the title game four times. They have lost twice in overtime and three times to Boston University.

* Boston College has appeared in the championship 10 times since 2000, and is 5-5.

* In the title game, Boston College is 3-1 when an extra session is needed to determine the outcome. Their only overtime loss in the last 13 seasons came against Jack Parker’s squad in 2007.

Extra Stats from Boston University-Northeastern University:

* Boston University finished the contest 0 for 6 on the power play, while Northeastern ended 0 for 3.

* BU outshot NU, 34-26. Northeastern tallied three goals on 26 shots, while Boston University recorded two strikes off 34 shots.

* Roy recorded his first collegiate hat trick during this game.

Extra State from Boston College-Harvard University:

* Harvard’s Raphael Girard recorded 42 saves (second highest of the season) against the Eagles. Girard’s season-high is 44, which occurred against Yale University.

* Girard deflected 14 shots in each period. Boston College recorded 46 shots in the game, while BC’s Parker Milner turned away 19 of 20 shots.

* Milner’s 19 saves matches his save total from his team’s early season win against Notre Dame.

* Boston College is now 26-13 against Harvard in the Beanpot tournament. The Eagles have won 13 of their last 14 meetings against the Crimson, too. 

Feb 22 2012

Noonan: The Ups And Downs Of Boston Sports

Bobby Valentine has spiced things up in Florida! (Photo Credit: Boston Herald)

By Matt Noonan 

It’s been a while since a dark, stormy cloud drifted over the city of Boston.

For the past few weeks, Bostonians and New Englanders have appeared aggravated and disgusted with their four major professional sports teams because they’ve either struggled or disengaged.

Yet, let’s take a step back and realize that these particular days will pass because Boston is still technically the “City of Champions,” especially since all four major sports teams have won at least one championship in the past 11-years, right?

So, without further ado, let’s take a stroll downtown and check in with the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox, who’re currently stealing the spotlight from the New England Patriots, who ended their season a few weeks ago in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Thoughts on the Sox: It’s way too early to deem the upcoming Boston Red Sox season a failure, especially since it’s only been two days of pitchers and catchers.

Manager Bobby Valentine has done a rather decent job with the club over the past few days, and appears eager to help everyone improve, especially Daisuke Matsuzaka, who according to the Boston Globe, played catch with his skipper on Monday. However, the highly touted pitcher isn’t expected to return the Fenway Park bump until midseason, as he’s currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Carl Crawford seems focused and determined to improve his performance from last season, despite ending the year with 129 hits, 29 doubles, seven triples, 56 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. Also, he struck out 104 times at the plate, too. Yet, similar to Matsuzaka, Valentine doesn’t want to push his leftfielder back into the lineup because he’s currently recovering from surgery on his left wrist.

Finally, a majority of the Sox position players have already arrived in Fort Myers, which is a hopeful sign that they’ve moved on from their chicken and beer rituals from last season. Boston is expected to conduct their first full team workouts on Thursday, and I’m sure after it concludes, we’ll have plenty to discuss around the water cooler in regards to David Ortiz to Cody Ross to Jason Varitek.

The aging Boston Celtics: Literally two weeks ago, I was sitting in the TD Garden watching the Green and White face a Memphis Grizzlies squad that probably should have won this particular clash, especially because they’re younger, quicker, stronger and faster. Although, Kevin Garnett denied the Grizzlies of a much needed win by turning in 22 points and nine rebounds, which helped Boston escape with a 98-80 victory.

Although, ever since that particular day, Boston has endued a 2-6 slump, which includes two losses to a struggling Detroit Pistons team that’ll most likely miss the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Can Danny Ainge salvage the Boston Celtics season? (Photo Credit: Flickr)

The Celtics are a complete mess, and need something or someone to spark their offense and defense, but what exactly should they do?

Should team president Danny Ainge create a blockbuster move or keep the roster intact?

What would Red Auerbach do? OK, that maybe the wrong thing to ask, but really, what would the former coach do in this particular situation?

It’s hard to determine what will happen over the next few weeks, but it’s pretty certain that a change is needed, especially if Boston plans to contend for some hardware in June.

The Bruins need to score goals: Similar to the Celtics, the Bruins are struggling.

They’ve lost two of their last three contests, and registered a goose egg (zero) on the scoreboard for the sixth time this season this past Sunday when the Minnesota Wild blanked them, 2-0 on national television.

However, Boston can salvage their current six-game road trip with wins in St. Louis, Buffalo and Ottawa, which might turn some frowns upside down.

Various reports on Tuesday and Wednesday confirmed that Nathan Horton is expected to remain sidelined, while Rich Peverley continues to be hampered by a knee injury. Also, Shawn Thornton has been battling an illness, which could prevent him from playing against the Blues on Wednesday.

Although, despite the various injuries, as well as bumps and bruises I think, Patrice Bergeron summed it up perfectly when he told the media that his teammates aren’t expecting the front office to locate a “savior” to assist the Bruins, who’re currently on par to snag the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

I don’t think a drastic change is necessary for this particular squad. What Boston needs to do is focus on scoring the first goal, and capitalizing on it. They also need Tim Thomas to keep his mind on hockey, not politics or social media.

The Bruins will be fine, but I’m not ruling out a potential trade that could help Boston in May and June.

Jan 18 2012

The Boston Sports Pulse: New England Patriots

By Matt Noonan 

Last year, Noontime Sports ran a column that featured an insightful breakdown of all four major Boston sports teams, as well as their current statuses as of last January, (2011).

This year, we’re making a change.

Instead of combining four teams into one blog, we’ve decided to separate each squad, and provide four individual posts, which will focus thoroughly on that one team.

So, we’ve decided to kick off this four part series with the New England Patriots, who’re technically two wins away from earning their fourth Super Bowl trophy in 10 years.

Here are some thoughts and analysis on the local pigskin squad, enjoy.

Reflecting On The Past Year:  It’s been a rather interesting season for the Patriots, who not only earned their third AFC East championship crown in the past four years, but also, the top seed in the AFC Conference, too.

Tom Brady experienced one his better seasons as a quarterback. He tossed 39 touchdowns and recorded 5,235 yards through the air, as well as helped second year tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez become elite stars.

Both tight ends combined for 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns in 16 games.

However, the biggest weakness for New England was their defense, which yielded 342 points, and 6,577 yards. They also allowed opponents to average 6.2 yards per play, as well as tally 370 first downs and 26 touchdowns.

Yet, the Patriots front seven and secondary did combine for 23 interceptions and 40 sacks.

Biggest Disappointment From The Past Year: During the 2011 season, New England did not defeat a team with a winning record.

They lost to the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers, who managed to tally nine wins or more, as well as secure a spot in the postseason, too.

However, against Dallas, Denver, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, New England earned wins, but they weren’t exactly “special” or “great,” especially since all these teams finished the season with roughly eight wins or less.

It’s indeed rather shocking that their opponents didn’t have great records, but earning the top spot in the conference against underachieving squads isn’t exactly something to feel great about, right?

Who knows how the rest of the season will play out, but certainly, Patriots fans will always remember this particular squad as the team that didn’t defeat any true “winners.”

Playoff Success: No Patriots blog would be complete without providing a few intriguing statistics from their past playoff tilt against the Denver Broncos, but also noting that their most recent victory snapped a two-game playoff-losing streak, which dated back to their last win against the San Diego Chargers in the  AFC championship in 2008.

Against the Broncos, Brady completed 26-of-34 passes for 363 yards, and six touchdowns. He tossed five of his six scores in the first half, while his opponent, Tim Tebow, struggled immensely, as well as finished 9-of-26 for 136 yards. He didn’t register a single touchdown or interception, but did manage to get sacked five times.

New England will face a daunting task on Sunday when they welcome the Baltimore Ravens to Gillette Stadium, who defeated the Patriots during the 2009 playoffs, 33-14.

Closing Thought: The New England Patriots finally won their first playoff game in four years, but now, they need to use that momentum to carry them to Indianapolis, Indiana for Super Bowl XLVI.

Yet, do they have what it takes to win their fourth championship in 10 years? Um… I think so, (yes, I am a tad bit unsure).

New England isn’t exactly the flashiest squad in the NFL. Their defense was horrendous, but their offense was stupendous, and yes, I know that rhymed.

However, if they do manage to reach the NFL title match, it will certainly prove to teams like Philadelphia that you don’t need loads of talent to win championships.

The Patriots have always been about teamwork and hard work. They’re not self-centered players. They want to win a championship, as well as continue their modern day 21st century dynasty.

So, in conclusion, I am going to display my “hometown optimism” by saying, they’ll end this current season by celebrating on the same fake grass that Peyton Manning defeated them on November 15, 2009, with a Vince Lombardi championship trophy.

Fans Take: What are your thoughts or “two cents” on the current Patriots squad? Do you think they have what it takes to reach the Super Bowl and win? If so, post your thoughts below, as well as on our Facebook page, too.

Follow Matt Noonan on Twitter @NoontimeSports.

Dec 17 2011

Boston Blades Skate Past Brampton, 3-1

Photo Credit: Pointstreak.com

By Steve Kendall 

CAMBRIDGE, MA – It was not pretty at times, but it was a win.

Kelli Stack scored a pair of goals to lead the Boston Blades to a 3-1 win over the Brampton Hockey Club in Canadian Women’s Hockey League action at Harvard University’s Bright Arena Saturday afternoon.

The Blades (7-2) stayed pace with the Montreal Stars (8-1), remaining two points behind the CWHL leaders. Boston will host Brampton (4-3-2) Sunday at noon at Bright Arena.

Stack started the scoring just 1:03 into the game, converting a feed from Erika Lawler. She also closed the scoring with an unassisted goal at the 8:19 mark of the third, giving Boston a 3-1 lead. Jaclyn Hawkins scored Boston’s other goal, which broke a 1-1 tie five minutes into the second period.

Courtney Barchard scored the lone goal for Brampton.

Stack and Lawler are tied for the team lead with 11 points, and Stack leads the team with 8 goals. Lawler’s assist was her team-leading 9th of the season.

In addition to Stack’s outstanding performance, the Blades also needed superb play for goalie Molly Schaus, who turned away 37 Brampton shots – including 15 in both the first and third periods. It was a typical strong game for Schaus, who improved to 6-2 with a league-leading 2.22 goals against average and .898 save percentage with the win.

Nov 8 2011

Bruins Push Winning Streak to Three Games, Beat-Up Islanders, 6-2

Seguin continued to impress, as he helped the Bruins knock-off the Islanders, 6-2.

By Brian Willwerth 

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Bruins are on their best roll of the season right now.  They won their third straight game Monday night, a 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders at TD Garden.

The home team got on the board just 1:32 in the game. Benoit Pouliot took a centering pass from Jordan Caron and beat Evgeni Nabokov to make it 1-0. For Pouliot, it was his first goal as a Bruin, and first goal overall in 32 games, dating back to February of 2011 when he played for the Canadiens.

“He’s a guy that’s working hard,” said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. “His work ethic…is there, we’ve just got to keep working with him and see how far we can go.”

Three seconds later, the sellout crowd at TD Garden was on its feet again when Adam McQuaid and Matt Martin decided to drop their gloves at the Boston blue line and go after each other. They would each spend the next five minutes in the penalty box.

The Islanders evened the score at the 5:52 mark. Matt Moulson deflected Steve Staios’ shot from the point past Tuukka Rask to tie the game at 1.

The Bruins jumped back on top, on the power play. With Travis Hamonic in the box for cross-checking, Nathan Horton beat Nabokov with a wrist shot to make it 2-1. Just 29 seconds later, Patrice Bergeron set up Tyler Seguin to make it 3-1.

Seguin has four goals in the last two games, and extended his point streak to four games. Bergeron now has a seven-game point streak.

That goal sent Nabokov to the showers.  Al Montoya took over in net.

“We are getting a lot of chances,” said Horton.  “When you get that many chances they’re eventually going to go in.”

The Isles closed to within a goal late in the period, courtesy of Michael Grabner’s fourth goal of the season at the 18:36 mark.

The second period featured no scoring, but plenty of opportunities. Boston had the better chances, but Montoya was up to the challenge. He and Rask combined to stop all 28 shots they faced in the period, several of them of the point-blank variety.

There was a scary moment early in the third, as Boston’s Daniel Paille got hit in the face with a slapshot. He was down on the ice for a couple of minutes. Julien said Paille was seeing a specialist after the game, and hoped to know more on Tuesday.

A few minutes later, the Bruins scored two goals less than a minute apart for the second time on the night. Horton broke in and fed Milan Lucic, who beat Montoya for his seventh goal of the season to make it 4-2. Lucic now has a goal in four straight games.

Just 49 seconds later, Horton scored his second of the night, putting home a rebound of a Joe Corvo shot to make it 5-2.

“We really put a lot of emphasis on following up a strong shift after a goal scored or after a goal against,” said Julien. “It’s about holding on to the momentum or regaining it.”

The Bruins have never lost when leading after two periods. The Islanders have never won when trailing after 40 minutes of play.

The Bruins return to action on Thursday night when they host the Edmonton Oilers. Faceoff is at 7:00.

“We definitely put ourselves in a hole,” said Lucic of overcoming the team’s slow start. “We’re the ones that are going to have to get us out of this funk.”

Sep 16 2011

Drew Bledsoe Highlights from WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan Morning Show

Drew Bledsoe joined WEEI's Dennis & Callahan Morning Show on Friday to discuss his career!

By Matt Noonan 

Former New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe joined WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan on Friday morning to talk about his career. Bledsoe will be honored on Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, as one of the newest members of the Patriots Hall of Fame, along with center Jon Morris. Here are some highlights from the discussion.

* Bledsoe expressed his sincere enjoyment of being a member of the Patriots organization. He didn’t state anything negative, but admitted there were some teams that struggled compared to others, yet one of the finest moments he recalled was a game against the Minnesota Vikings in ’94. Against the “Purple People Eaters,” Bledsoe completed 45-of-70 passes for 426 yards, which helped the Patriots pull out an emotional overtime win.

* He’s certainly pleased about the recent success of the Patriots, as well as his former co-worker, Tom Brady. Although, Bledsoe admitted that he would have loved to have his job back in ’01, but again, he’s happy that his former team remains competitive and continues to be one of the marquee squads to watch every year.

* When asked about his current life in Oregon, Bledsoe commented by saying, he keeps busy doing a variety of things, such as working out, skiing, and spending time with his family. He’s currently involved in the wine business that he, as well as his childhood friend Chris Figgins launched in ’08.

* Throughout his career, Bledsoe sported the number 11 on his chest, which is now worn by wide receiver Julian Edelman. The former quarterback chuckled when asked about Edelman wearing his number, but stated, he’s holding up the legacy.  

* When asked about Tedy Bruschi’s comments toward Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocino, Bledsoe commented by saying, “When you’re in it, your part of that thing – you don’t sit back and watch it.” Also, he stated Ochocinco shouldn’t be a fan, but instead, a football player.

* Finally, the conversation concluded with the former signal caller expressing his love for the late Myra Kraft, who past away this summer after her long battle with cancer. He said, “That woman was truly a unique person in the world.”

Sep 11 2011

Rubin: Reflections on 9/11

Sports and Life returned with passion and joy after 9/11 occurred.

By Dan Rubin 

I used to think it meant everything to live and die with my teams. At the ripe old age of 15, five days before I turned 16 and prepared to get a learner’s permit to drive, I walked into Malden Catholic High School thinking about soccer and football games. I hated St. John’s Prep, as if they were the New York Yankees. I was thinking about how Drew Bledsoe could lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl.

Then, in ten minutes time, it all changed.

Brother Robert Green, CFX made an announcement that planes had hit the World Trade Center, which forced us into an early morning prayer for the victims. I remember sitting in Mr. Kaufman’s homeroom as a high school junior, and I remember the empty feeling.  Suddenly, sports didn’t matter.

Of course, sports reentered my life with the same passion as before, but the passion is different, more tempered. I used to lose sleep, even at 15, when the Bruins and Patriots failed. Now, I appreciate just being able to watch a hockey game or football game, and I appreciate the ability to sit back and enjoy them for what they are.

One day changed my opinion and outlook. I learned to appreciate hard work, sacrifice, and that my neighbor, a St. John’s Prep alumnus in the Marine Corps was more of a hero than Byron Dafoe. I also learned that life is too short to say, “I can’t.” I learned to appreciate all the feelings including the first time I fell and cracked my rear end on the ice, which was when I learned to skate.

My life took a simpler, more positive outlook. Every day is a gift. Just being able to sit back and enjoy a football game, cover a baseball game, or broadcast a hockey game is better than anything I ever imagined on September 10, 2001.

So, my world changed as everyone else’s did. And while that doesn’t change the fact that millions of people have suffered as a result of that tragedy, it’s a silver lining that somewhere; somehow, some good just might have come out of it.

Sep 11 2011

Noonan: Reflections on 9/11

We need to always remember the brave New York City firefighters who helped so many on 9/11!

By Matt Noonan 

It’s hard to believe that 10 years have gone by so quickly and yet, so much has changed in my life, as well as the world. Although, when I think back to that horrific day, the first thing that comes to mind was that gorgeous morning in Boston.

I remember my father driving me to school, and saying, “Matt, this is a beautiful day!” It was a gorgeous morning, especially since the temperature was perfect, the sun was shinning ever so brightly and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.

However, Mother Nature couldn’t protect us from the awful terrorist attacks, which I didn’t know too much about until I had returned home from school that day. I remember watching the terrifying images of the World Trade Center towers collapsing in my living room with my mother and sister and yes, I was speechless.

Seeing buildings, such as the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon crushed left a sour taste in my mouth and all I could do was ask, why us? Why did we deserve this incredibly awful event? What did we do wrong?

Well, as someone who majored in American Studies at Wheaton College (MA), I think it’s fair to say that the United States of America has endured some troubling, challenging and daunting moments over the years. From the early days of the Puritans to the Civil War to Equal Rights, we’ve all seen significant changes that have affected our lifestyles, as well as questioned our Patriotism too.

Yet, in the end, what do we always learn? Well, that the Americans always prevail.

Overall, I think it’s fair to state that this particular day is yet another reminder that we are all Patriots. Indeed, we’re always going to be challenged by other countries, leaders and various people who don’t always agree with our beliefs or values, but all in all, we can’t forget about the brave men, women and children over the years that have fought to protect our freedom and establish unity.

This is America, land of the free and the home of the brave and on this exact day, we can’t forget it.

In closing, I’d like to ask that you all take a few minutes to step aside from your regular scheduled day to reflect on the meaning of this day, as well as think about those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Also, on behalf of everyone at Noontime Sports, I’d like to say a special thanks to all that continue to defend the Constitution of the United States.

Sep 4 2011

Blazer Suspend Operations for 2012 Season

By NoontimeSports.com 

According to the Boston Blazers website, the National League Lacrosse team has decided to suspend operations for the 2012-13 season. The team announced the news of their decision this past week on their Facebook page, as well as hopes to find a new arena in the city to partner with for the future.

Team president and general manager Doug Reffue wrote the following to the Red and White fan base on the Blazers homepage:

To the Blazers Community –  

The Boston Blazers have temporarily suspended operations for the 2012 National Lacrosse League (NLL) season as we begin the initial steps to relocate the team to a new home facility for the 2013 season.  We have initiated a six-month strategic plan under my direction to evaluate prospective home arena venues, both locally and nationally, where the Blazers can play the 2013 campaign and beyond.

The Blazers’ business operations will be maintained in an “offseason” capacity throughout the 2012 season.  The club will continue to host its youth related community programs and philanthropic activities.

All season tickets purchased for the 2012 season will be refunded in full. If you have questions regarding season tickets, please call our front office at 1-888-BLAZERS. 

This temporary suspension represents the first phase of a relocation process as the Blazers evaluate potential home venues for the 2013 NLL season and beyond.  We are interested in partnering with an arena where we can build on the momentum created over the past three seasons and forge a long-term win-win relationship between the team, the local corporate community and a facility operator. 

In the last three years, the Boston Blazers have enjoyed a strong, enthusiastic and ever growing base of fans in Boston.  Thank you for this support – it’s been a privilege to represent the city of Boston in the NLL and be part of this community.    We will keep you informed as the Blazers march toward the 2013 season.  We look forward to sharing information about the Blazers’ next chapter in the weeks and months to come on our website (www.blazerslacrosse.com) and Facebook page – facebook.com/bostonblazers.  

Again, thank you for the continued support. It’s been an honor playing for you.

Doug Reffue, Boston Blazers President and General Manager