April 3, 2020 by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Friday, April 3rd, 2020

By Matt Noonan | @NoontimeNation

We have made it to Friday – yay!

I hope you are somewhat excited for the weekend – sure, Saturdays feel like Mondays and Sundays feel like Wednesdays, but at least we can take a break from our home offices and enjoy time with our family, right?

Let’s kick off a new weekend with the ‘Daily Noontime.’ As usual, be well and stay safe, everyone, and we’ll chat with you again next week – I promise!

Noontime’s Daily Headlines for Friday, April 3rd, 2020

The New England Patriots team plane arrived in Boston last night from China with 1.2 million N95 protective masks, which is phenomenal news for our amazing health professionals in Massachusetts.
In addition to providing the state of Massachusetts with N95 protective masks, Robert Kraft also purchased 300,000 masks for New York.
Here’s a thought: what if the Patriots secured the third pick from the Detroit Lions in the upcoming NFL Draft to select quarterback Tua Tagovailoa? I would be fine with that decision. However, the Patriots may need to surrender a current player, including wide receiver Julian Edelman.
Here is (another) thought: what if Steve Belichick became the next head coach of the Patriots instead of Josh McDaniels? Apparently, Mike Florio thinks that is a possibility.
Apparently, my thought above about Julian Edelman being traded or dealt to another team for a draft pick (or another player) won’t happen, according to NBC Sports Boston. But that was according to a report from Tom E. Curran yesterday (Thursday, April 2nd) at 2 p.m. (eastern time).

On this Date in History:

Birthday: Today is actor and comedian Eddie Murphy‘s birthday.
1991: Bo Jackson signed a one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox after the Kansas City Royals released the 28-year-old outfielder.
2000: Ken Griffey Jr. made his debut with his hometown Cincinnati Reds. The game was unfortunately postponed to the following day due to rain in the sixth inning.
2006: Billy Donovan led the Florida men’s basketball team to its first-ever NCAA Championship with a 73-57 win over UCLA.
2007: Candace Parker was named the Most Outstanding Player after leading the Tennessee women’s basketball team past Rutgers in the 26th NCAA Championship. The win against Rutgers provided the Volunteers with their seventh national title in program history.

April 2, 2020 by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Thursday, April 2nd, 2020

By Matt Noonan | @NoontimeNation

It’s Thursday – it is also the second day of April, which is somewhat exciting, right?

Sadly, today will be an indoor day due to the rain, but we must ALL stay indoors as much as possible to continue to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Let’s brighten the day (and everyone’s mood) with a brand new ‘Daily Noontime’ – have a wonderful day, everyone!

Noontime’s Headlines for Thursday, April 2nd, 2020

Earlier this week, we learned the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) is planning to have a spring season, pending schools re-open on Monday, May 4th. Additionally, it was confirmed that the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) hopes to have a spring season, too – their start date, according to the Union Leader is Wednesday, May 13th.
In Pennsylvania, there is thought of possibly finishing the winter sports season for high school sports, pending schools re-open later this spring.
Tufts University‘s Sean Trupo, who is a senior on the men’s lacrosse team, was recently honored (and featured) on ESPN’s SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. Van Pelt highlighted Trupo’s initial collegiate goal in his final contest with the Jumbos.
The NFL will have 14 teams compete in the next season’s playoffs, as well as broadcast a game to younger viewers on Nickelodeon.
The New England Patriots‘ plane apparently is being used to deliver masks from China to Massachusetts.

Noontime’s Latest Post: I wrote a column – well, more a commentary piece on whether the NFL should or should not press the pause button after the NFL Draft. I also shared some thoughts on video, too.

On this Date in History

1931: Jackie Mitchell, a 17-year old girl, struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition baseball contest at Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1984: John Thompson leads Georgetown University to an 84-75 win over Houston in the NCAA Championship game. Thompson becomes the first African-American coach to win a collegiate championship.
2001: New York Yankees pitcher (and former Boston Red Sox hurler, too) Roger Clemens becomes the American League, all-time strikeout leader, recording his 3,509th strikeout in a 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.

April 1, 2020 by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Wednesday, April 1st, 2020

By Matt Noonan | @NoontimeNation

Welcome to April 1st, everyone – how is everyone doing?

We know this is going to be a tough month with the coronavirus (COVID-19), but we will be here providing both relief and some fun content.

And that content, which we deem fun (and enjoyable) begins today with our first ‘Daily Noontime’ for the month of April!

Noontime’s Headlines for Wednesday, April 1st, 2020

We learned yesterday that Tom Brady will continue to wear his usual jersey number (12) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But we don’t know what his new uniform will look like until next week when the team unveils their new jerseys.
While the sports world remains at a standstill, the NFL announced they will not make any changes to its upcoming season (or its schedule). According to ProFootballTalk.com, NFL general counsel Jeff Pash told reporters yesterday during a conference call that “the league is planning for a full season.”
Deonte Harris, who played football for Assumption College, but is currently a return specialist for the New Orleans Saints, recently donated more than “10,000 meals to food banks” to help those struggling during this particular time with the coronavirus (COVID-19).
COVID-19 is certainly making an impact on college coaches when it comes to recruiting, as highlighted in the Buffalo News earlier this week.
As announced (and confirmed) yesterday, the NCAA Division I Council voted to allow an extra year of eligibility to all spring student-athletes that had their respective seasons canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

On this Date in History

1999: Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown wins his 900th professional game with an 88-84 win over the Miami Heat.
2002: The University of Maryland men’s basketball team won its first-ever national championship in school history with a 64-52 win over Indiana in the 64th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.
2008: The New York Yankees set an MLB record by winning their 11th straight home opener with a 3-2 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays.
2016: The Golden State Warriors‘ home winning streak of 54 games was snapped by the Boston Celtics. Boston won the game by a score of 109-106.

March 31, 2020 by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

By Matt Noonan | @NoontimeNation

Welcome to Tuesday, everyone – how is everyone doing?

From a quick glance outside the window, it appears as if the sun is shining, which is something positive to report, right?

Yes, it will be a bit cold today, so if you do wander out of your home, condo or apartment (or wherever you’re hunkering down these days), please bundle up and wear an extra hat.

And now, let’s get to some news (and links) to start your day!

Noontime’s Headlines for Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale had Tommy John surgery yesterday – he also made sure he was not impacting the health workers that needed to assist patients battling the coronavirus (COVID-19).
News of yesterday’s conference call between the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Board of Directors provided some high school student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, and fans with the hope of a spring season.
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) announced on Monday they are canceling their CAS-CIAC Hall of Honor Banquet, which was scheduled for Thursday, April 24th. The event has been postponed to 2021.
Similar to Massachusetts, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) is hopeful they can still provide their student-athletes with “something in May” when schools are scheduled to re-open in the Ocean State.
Sticking with the high school sports theme, the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) is hopeful they can provide their state’s student-athletes with some games, but at the moment, classes remain online and schools are not scheduled to re-open until May 4th.

Noontime’s Recent Links!

Earlier today, we unveiled our 2019-20 All-Worcester Area College Basketball Association (WACBA) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams of the Year.
Yesterday – that would be Monday, March 30th, to be exact – we highlighted 10 of our favorite games from the 2019 New England D-III Football season.

On this Date in History

1973: Bobby Orr becomes the first player in NHL history to record 100 points in four-straight seasons.
1990: Joe Sakic becomes the youngest player in NHL history to record 100 points when he scored a goal in a 3-2 loss to the Hartford Whalers.
1994: The Chicago White Sox assigned former NBA (and Chicago Bulls) superstar Michael Jordan to their Class AA affiliate the Birmingham Barons.
1997: Arizona beat Kentucky, 84-79 (OT), in the 59th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship to secure the program’s first national title.
2002: The University of Connecticut women’s basketball captured the 21st NCAA Championship – the Huskies beat Oklahoma, 82-70, and finished their season 39-0.
2002: Andre Agassi won his 700th career match by beating Roger Federer in the Nasdaq-100 Open in Florida.

March 30, 2020 by Matt Noonan

Daily Noontime: Monday, March 30th, 2020

By Matt Noonan | @NoontimeSports

It’s Monday – how was your weekend?

Hopefully, you were able to get outside on Saturday and found a good movie (or two) to watch yesterday while it rained.

Today, it appears to be a bit gloomy outside my window, but hopefully, a brand new ‘Daily Noontime’ can brighten the day (and your spirit!).

Noontime’s Headlines for Monday, March 30th, 2020

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart tweeted that he is “Corona Free,” which is great news.
If the NBA does not return, how would you remember the 2019-20 season? The good folks from both CLNS Media and Celtics Blog have some thoughts.
Tom Brady may be the newest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but he didn’t seem too nervous (or concerned) re-watching his team’s Super Bowl comeback against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Boston Celtics rookie Tacko Fall appeared on “60 Minutes” last night – he shared his “experience being recruited out of Africa at the age of 16.”
Former Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine seems excited about Sacred Heart building a $60 million, 4,000-seat arena for his men’s and women’s ice hockey programs.
The Boston Red Sox capped their weekend with a heartbreaking extra-inning setback to the Toronto Blue Jays in a simulation, which was seen on Over The Monster (SB Nation).

On this Date in History

1975: Ron Lalonde becomes the first Washington Capital to record a hat trick.
1991: Northern Michigan win its first NCAA hockey title. The Wildcats beat Boston University, 8-7, in triple-overtime.
2001: Michael Phelps breaks the 200m butterfly world record at the US World Championship trials at Austin, Texas.

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New England Sports Coverage

Category / Daily Noontime

Daily Noontime: Friday, April 3rd, 2020

Daily Noontime: Thursday, April 2nd, 2020

Daily Noontime: Wednesday, April 1st, 2020

Daily Noontime: Tuesday, March 31st, 2020

Daily Noontime: Monday, March 30th, 2020