Tag: National Women’s Hockey League

Daily Noontime

Daily Noontime: Thursday, January 28, 2021

By NoontimeSports.com

Welcome to Thursday, everyone!

And for those hanging out out on Reddit and discussing Game Stop, thanks for taking a break from day trading to read our Daily Noontime – we appreciate the support (as always!).

As usual, we hope everyone is doing well, staying safe, and holding the line – we’re almost there, so please remain calm! And in the meantime … let’s dish out today’s Daily Noontime for Thursday, January 29.

Have a great day, everyone, and enjoy the flurries (like we did earlier this morning) in Boston.

Thursday’s Headlines (January 28, 2021)

Make sure to listen to our latest podcast episode – today, we welcomed Kolby Castillo, who is the founder and podcast host of Sports As A Job. Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Anchor.

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Noontime’s Sunday Thoughts (Jan. 24, 2021)

By Matt Noonan

Happy Sunday, everyone!

It’s hard to believe this is the final Sunday of January where football will be played – yes, you will be missed – but since we have a few minutes before kickoff, allow me to share a few thoughts for the upcoming week.

As usual, thank you to everyone that has and continues to stop by, both on Sundays for this column and other content we’re producing throughout the week.

And just a friendly reminder, make sure to subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify – you can also support our show through Anchor!

Have a great week, everyone, and enjoy today’s football games!

Make sure to stay connected with Noontime Sports on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Since this column is being posted a bit later than anticipated, I am going to dish out just six thoughts, but plan to share my usual 10 next week.

Thought No. 1: Is it just me or is it getting harder to not root for Tom Brady? Yes, I know he is a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which have won just one Super Bowl, but I am having a hard time not rooting for the former New England Patriots signal-caller. And that is why I believe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will find a way to beat the Green Bay Packers this afternoon.

Thought No. 2: I really like Josh Allen. And like I have said on previous ‘Football Friday’ podcasts, I believe he is the best quarterback that was selected in the 2018 National Football League (NFL) Draft. But today, I just don’t think he will be able to beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. I could see Allen and the Buffalo Bills back in this same spot next January, but today, the Chiefs will prevail. But these Bills are not going away anytime soon. They will get even better this offseason.

Thought No. 3: Friday’s news of NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) going off the air later this year was startling, but I think this plan from the three-letter network will workout just fine. Yes, this is probably a sign that NBC will put more of its sports content like hockey and car racing behind its paywall (Peacock), but it will also mean more people will tune into games and events on USA Network. NBC will be fine – don’t worry, they’re not going anywhere – but the streaming war will certainly continue if National Hockey League (NHL) or NASCAC fans have to subscribe to Peacock to watch their favorite teams and competitors.

Thought No. 4: I have throughly enjoyed Mike Florio‘s thoughts on the NFL this season, especially with how the league has ignored the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Thought No. 5: It was nice to see three New England D-III basketball games take place yesterday – fans were treated to a pair of exciting contests between Keene State and Rhode Island College (both men’s and women’s basketball). I am rooting for these teams, along with the rest of the Little East Conference (LEC) to succeed, but I am sure everyone knows it will take an entire league effort to keep everyone safe, both this week and next month, so games can be played.

Thought No. 6: The National Women’s Hockey League‘s (NWHL) began its two-week sprint to the Isobel Cup yesterday with fans being able to watch contests on their Twitch channel. I watched some of the first game – I enjoyed it, and give the league credit with not just offering a streaming service to watch every game, but also finding other creative ways to stay connected with its fans as games are taking place in a bubble environment. Additionally, I loved the tweets from yesterday’s Boston Pride contest. Kudos to the Pride’s social media team – keep up the great work with keeping myself and others in the loop with all the action as I love what you’re tweeting!

Daily Noontime

Daily Noontime (Wednesday, October 14, 2020)

By Matt Noonan 

Happy Wednesday, everyone! 

Yes, I know we’re posting a bit later, but after you read the ‘Daily Noontime’ for Wednesday, October 14, make sure to listen to a brand new Noontime Sports podcast with KC Chhipwadia, who is the chief executive offer and founder of Athlete Foundry. You will really enjoy this podcast – I came away very inspired by Chhipwadia’s story. 

Let’s begin this afternoon’s (and yes, today’s) ‘Daily Noontime’ with some good news: the New England Patriots are “reportedly” heading back to the practice field today. However, Jim McBride of the Boston Globe tweeted last night that the Patriots would just be at Gillette Stadium for “workouts,” not practice, so does anyone know what’s going on? 

One thing we know is that Massachusetts native Meghan Duggan, who led Team USA to a gold medal in the 2018 Olympics, announced she is retiring yesterday on Twitter. 

Duggan, who is from Danvers, played high school hockey locally at Cushing Academy before extending her career to the University of Wisconsin. She also played professionally for the Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and led the boycott ahead of the World Championships so the women’s national team would receive “increased pay and comparable accommodations to the men’s team.”

Staying locally, the high school soccer world has had to adapt due to the coronavirus pandemic, which included some new rules that one student-athlete considers “crazy.” This is a BAD look for high school soccer officials in the Bay State. 

Here are more links and news from the world wide web: 

  • The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has canceled not one, but two games for this upcoming weekend, including Florida vs. LSU. Uh oh! 
  • The 2020 National Basketball Association‘s (NBA) Finals ratings were not good. In fact, they were the “lowest-rated” series on ABC since the station began airing the championship contests 50 years ago. 
  • Is the youth sports world facing a crisis due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic? Maybe, according to the New York Times. 

Finally, Noontime Sports unveiled our first-ever ‘Noontime Original’ last night – we’re telling a story of a fictional high school football team in the Berkshires. Hopefully, you’ll read our first chapter! 

Daily Noontime

Daily Noontime (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)

By NoontimeSports.com

Welcome to a very rainy Tuesday, everyone! 

It’s going to be a VERY rainy day here in Massachusetts so it is probably best for everyone to stay inside and watch Netflix, right? 

Let’s kick-start your day with a brand new ‘Daily Noontime,’ beginning with some news about Cam Newton and our hometown New England Patriots. 

As of now, it seems possible that Patriots fans could see Cam Newton on the field next Sunday when the Patriots host the Denver Broncos, but as the team’s head coach Bill Belichick noted during his weekly radio appearance with WEEI‘s “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria,“ the veteran signal-caller “would have to go through medical clearance” before being allowed to rejoin his teammates on the practice field.   

Newton is one of four Patriots to have tested positive for the coronavirus, but according to a few reports this morning, including PatriotsWire, it seems likely that the 2015 National Football League (NFL) quarterback will be back in the huddle at some point this week, which should be considered good news for the Patriots. Additionally, fans should expect Stephon Gilmore back on the field, too – we certainly need his help on defense! 

Sticking with the football theme, the NFL will be testing players and coaches on game days, along with “some other employees of each team,” as noted in Kevin Seifert‘s piece on ESPN.com, which was posted late last night. Seifert also noted a few more tweaks to the league’s update Covid-19 protocols, which include everyone wearing masks during walk-through practices to coaches having to wear either masks or double-layered gaiters during games. 

Let’s switch gears to the Boston Red Sox, who will have the fourth pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. The last time the Red Sox picked fourth in a draft was in 1967. 

Boston concluded its 60-game season with a 24-36 mark, which was good for a fifth-place finish in the American League East. The Baltimore Orioles, who have previously occupied the last spot in the division in previous seasons, finished fourth this year with an overall record of 25-35. 

Did you know that two of six teams in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) were independently owned? And did you know one of those two independently owned teams happens to play in hour home state? 

Yep, the Boston Pride, which recorded the best record last year and also secured a spot in the Isobel Cup, is one of the two teams that independently owned – it appears their setup will be the model for the league’s six teams going forward, according to a recent report (and yes, story, too!) from the New York Times. 

And finally, make sure to read the latest Boston Cannons legend spotlight on Sean Morris, who played locally at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) before becoming a star of the local Major League Lacrosse (MLL) franchise. It’s a great read!