Category / Daily Noontime

by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Thursday, August 6, 2020

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By NoontimeSports.com 

Welcome to Thursday, everyone!

A brand new weekend is on the horizon, but before we begin making social distancing plans with families and friends, make sure to enjoy this gorgeous weather today here in Boston.

Let’s kickstart the day with a brand new Daily Noontime – as usual, stay safe, be well, and make sure to smile, everyone!

Noontime’s Headlines for Thursday, August 6, 2020 

  • Jaylen Brown poured in a team-high 21 points while Jayson Tatum netted 19 points in 18 minutes as the Boston Celtics rolled past the Brooklyn Nets last night by a score of 149-115.

  • As of this morning, the Boston Celtics have won two games in the NBA bubble and will play four more games, beginning tomorrow against the Toronto Raptors. Tipoff between Boston and Toronto on Friday, August 7 is scheduled for 9 p.m.

    Also, the Green and White are currently locked into the third position in the Eastern Conference and would play the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round of the postseason if the playoffs were to begin today.

    Again, it just seems weird (and strange) to think the NBA is playing in August, but both the Celtics games and others have been fun to watch.

  • The Boston Bruins dropped their second qualifier contest yesterday to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 3-2.

    Following the loss, Boston’s Tuukka Rask said he does not “care where we finish” – he is referring to where the Bruins would place in the final regular-season standings before the postseason begins.

    At the moment, the Black and Gold will most likely be the third seed and play one more round-robin game on Sunday, August 9 against the Washington Capitals.

    For those looking for a silver lining or perhaps a glimmer of hope, the Bruins did look like themselves yesterday after yielding a pair of first period goals.

Alright, let’s do some quick-hitters!

by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Wednesday, August 5, 2020

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By Matt Noonan 

Welcome to Wednesday, everyone!

We have made it to the halfway point of yet another week – how does that make you feel?

Let’s make today a great one by starting it with a brand new Daily Noontime. Have a great day, everyone – and remember to smile, too!

Noontime’s Headlines for Wednesday, August 5, 2020 

  • We kick-off a brand new day with some BIG news from the college football world: the University of Connecticut will not play football this year, per multiple reports.

    The Huskies become the first FBS team to suspend its upcoming season due to the coronavirus pandemic – which team will be the next one to cancel its upcoming season?

  • In case you didn’t know, UConn posted just two wins last season – the Huskies beat Wagner College and the University of Massachusetts – while finishing 0-8 against American Athletic Conference foes.
  • Elsewhere in the college sports world, Colorado State is launching an investigation into its football program due to reports of some coaches and staffers intimidating and threatening players “for following Covid-19 protocols.”

    Apparently, coaches seem more focused on preparing for the upcoming season than protecting their student-athletes, which is NOT good news.

  • Locally, the Boston Red Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-1 – the local nine are now 3-8 overall – while the Boston Celtics lost to the Miami Heat, 112-106.
  • Looking to watch some hockey this afternoon? Well, you’re in luck as the Boston Bruins will face-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at 4 p.m. This is a MUST-WIN for the Black and Gold, which lost its initial restart contest on Sunday to the Philadelphia Flyers.
  • Finally, this has not been a good week for sports media, especially locally where a slew of on-air broadcasters, including Gary Tanguay, was laid off from NBC Sports Boston.

    Gary Tanguay was a staple to the channel’s coverage for many years – he was certainly someone I admired – and I wish the best for him and everyone that was laid off yesterday.

    Again, this is tough news for the industry.

by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Tuesday, August 4, 2020

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By NoontimeSports.com 

It’s Tuesday – how is everyone doing?

It is hot and humid, so make sure to drink plenty of water and stay inside – it is also going to rain later, so make sure you have an umbrella with you, too.

While we’re posting a bit later than normal, let’s at least provide you with a short “work break” with today’s Daily Noontime for Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

Noontime’s Headlines for Tuesday, August 4, 2020

  • The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to extend the opt-out period for players not wanting to play this year due to the coronavirus. The new date, as noted by ProFootballTalk.com is Thursday, August 6 at 4 p.m. (eastern).
  • Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott seems open to having a dialogue with his student-athletes that are threatening to “boycott” the season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

    Sports Illustrated obtained two letters from both Scott and players of the Pac-12, who certainly feel as if their health and wellness is not being considered when being asked to play football during unprecedented times.

  • As of this morning, two NCAA college football players have opted-out of the upcoming season, including Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who will use this time to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.
  • Switching gears to professional football (again), the New England Patriots have a lot of cap space due to eight players opting-out for the upcoming season, which makes us wonder the following question: who should they acquire to replace some key pieces?
  • And finally, the Boston Celtics have some good news for its fans: everyone is healthy!

    Yes, everyone is healthy for this evening’s game against the Miami Heat, including Kemba Walker, who has been battling a knee injury.

by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Monday, August 3, 2020

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By Matt Noonan 

Welcome to Monday, everyone!

And welcome to the first Monday in August – yay, we made it!

Let’s kick-start the week with a brand new Daily Noontime – as usual, please continue to stay safe and well, and remember to smile, too.

Noontime’s Headlines for Monday, August 3, 2020 

  • Our beloved Boston Red Sox have not played great these past few days.

    Against the New York Yankees, both this weekend and last night, the Red Sox struggled – sure, they almost scored an important win last night, but could not contain Aaron Judge.

  • As of today, the Boston Red Sox have won three of ten matchups, which is not good. They currently reside in the basement in the American League East and will visit the Tampa Bay Rays for two games this week on Tuesday (August 4) and Wednesday (August 5) before returning home to host the Toronto Blue Jays.
  • Let’s switch gears to hockey where the Philadelphia Flyers rolled past the Boston Bruins in the first game of the round-robin yesterday.

    Boston, which entered the round-robin as the top seed, did not look good, but the Flyers – whoa, they looked VERY good.

    Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak did not play well against the Flyers, but will certainly be needed when Boston faces-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.

  • Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown powered the Boston Celtics to a much-needed win yesterday over the Portland Trailblazers in the Orlando Bubble – hopefully, this particular victory will translate to even more success (🤞).
  • Finally, Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots is not happy with the NFL‘s decision to extend the opt-out deadline to Wednesday, August 5.

Finally – yes, we know this a plug for our podcast! – but make sure to subscribe (and listen) to our Noontime Sports Podcast, which can be found on a slew of platforms these days, including Apple Podcast and Spotify. 

by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Friday, July 31, 2020

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By Matt Noonan 

Happy Friday, everyone!

Welcome to the final day of July – it has been a strange month, but the good news is tomorrow is August, and that means we are technically another day closer to some football, right?

Let’s end the month of July on a good note, so here is today’s Daily Noontime for Friday, July 31, 2020.

As usual, be well, stay safe, and have a great weekend, everyone!

Noontime’s Headlines for Friday, July 31, 2020 

  • The Boston Red Sox won their second-straight contest last night to bump their overall record to 3-4.

    Christian Vázquez powered the Sox to their third victory of the season last night against the New York Mets by finishing the Thursday evening affair with two runs, two hits, and three RBI.

  • Tonight, the Boston Red Sox will remain in the Empire State to take on the New York Yankees who currently lead the American League East with a 4-1 record.
  • Do you miss Mookie Betts? I know some Red Sox fans do, so here is a must-read from Michael Holley of NBC Sports Boston on why the eventual Hall of Famer left the area to compete for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • The National Basketball Association (NBA) resumed its season last night. Here is what happened in case you did not tune in!
  • Let’s switch gears to college football where Greg Sankey, who is the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), shares some thoughts on why his league will only play conference games this fall.
  • And finally – I am sure you know this – but Tom Brady will be joined in the backfield this fall by LeSean McCoy, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This offense should be fun to watch.