2021 – Page 187

TB-12 rules the day

On Saturday night before Sunday’s Super Bowl I got this overwhelming feeling in picking Kansas City to beat Tampa Bay I had made a mistake betting against Tom Brady. It came while I was watching the conclusion of Bohemian Rhapsody, where in his return to Queen after the band’s Beatles-esque breakup, despite his doubts Freddie Mercury rises to the occasion to wow the 100,000-plus on hand at London’s Wembley Stadium and the billion-plus Live Aid audience tuning in around the globe to the famed concert of 1985.

Yes, it was Hollywood and a little over dramatic probably. But it showed how greatness is about rising to the moment and made me believe Brady was going to be Brady the next day and Tampa Bay was going to win. A little late for my own “stop the presses” Hollywood moment and bad for me, as my prediction was already on the street, because that’s just how it happened. Forever young Tom looked exactly as he did in all six previous SB wins. This time he beat the young whippersnapper looking to challenge his G.O.A.T. status. Instead, the oldest goat in the NFL held serve to claim a seventh ring. It was all so familiar, except it was tinged with a bit of sadness as seeing him win this one was like watching dad get remarried to someone else after the divorce from mom.

Here are some other thoughts from a Super Bowl that wasn’t nearly as much fun as most thought it would be.

Reggie, Reggie, Reggie: Until last night I never thought Reggie Jackson’s three-homer Game 6 to end the Dodgers in the 1977 World Series and conclude his tumultuous Bronx Zoo first season in New York had competition for giving critics the best Up Yours performance. But Brady being the game’s MVP while winning in Year 1 after his divorce from Coach B comes close.

Speaking of the MVP: If I asked you what was more likely, Tampa Bay scoring 31 points or their defense holding the NFL’s best offense to nine paltry points, what would you say? Exactly. So, Brady being named MVP is the product of lazy voters picking on reputation and maybe sentimentality. I think it’s got to come from the defense. My vote is Devin White for being all over the field making a game-high 12 tackles and grabbing the end zone pick to close KC out.

Pat Mahomes is Worth the Price of Admission: Never seen anyone throw from normal to side arm to underhand to on the run while being chased like him. The two he threw in the fourth quarter into the end zone while falling to the ground after being chased back to around the 30 were incredible. Even though it didn’t look like he could even see them, he somehow got it to receivers with a chance to catch them. No one else I’ve ever seen could have done that. Amazing.

Being The Goat Used to Mean Something Else: The dreaded goat horns go to KC coach Andy Reid for making the dumbest Super Bowl decision since Pete Carroll didn’t give it to Marshawn Lynch on the one in the closing seconds of the 2014 game. What could Andy possibly have been thinking taking two timeouts in the final 43 seconds of the first half when TB had the ball? Forget the last 20 years on Brady’s resume. Didn’t he see what TB did to Green Bay in the exact same situation just two weeks ago? The exact same thing happened too, as Brady hit Antonio Brown for a final-seconds TD to turn a manageable 14-6 deficit with the ball to start the second half into a giant 21-6 hole they never climbed out of. Don’t mean to rub it in, but wow that was dumb.

Where’s Mike Curtis When You Need Him? Good thing for that idiot running on the field in the fourth quarter Sunday the ferocious ’60s Colts linebacker wasn’t there to run by. He once swung out his arm for a clothesline shot to drop a goofball runner like a box of rocks.

Will Coach B Learn from This? Wonder if Belichick will learn anything about moderating his approach from seeing Brady and Gronk hooking up for the game’s first two TD’s after he ran them off with his, ah, grating style. And he won’t need a reminder either, as he’s going to get pounded by the local media until he wins No. 7 himself. Learning that lesson would be good, as I’ve got to think Brady and Gronk bolting the castle in a revolt against how the king treated them won’t be a big plus in efforts to recruit free agents going forward.

Tony Romo Gets the Last Word: The likable CBS color man had the clearest stat I’ve ever heard to define Brady’s greatness when he said on Sunday he has highest winning percentage in history of any player in any of the four major sports and Tampa Bay has the lowest winning percentage in history of any team from the four major sports and they win the year he arrives. That tells you all you need to know. I generally think QB’s get too much credit, but I’ve always believed 11 tiles in his 13 years make Bill Russell the greatest NBA player. So it should apply here with Brady as well.

One Final Thing: In playing at an extreme age only George Foreman winning the heavyweight crown at 45 matches what Brady did this year. Yes, Jack Nicklaus won the Masters at 46, but it was done in one weekend in a sport where most play into their 40’s. Brady’s feat came over an entire season in a sport where few make it to their mid-30’s because they get the crap kicked out of them in every game they play from the time they enter the league in their early 20’s. Well done, Tom.

Game on

Esports alive and well at New England College

Whereas many college sports have been suspended, competitive video gaming, known as esports, gives students an opportunity to compete nationally and be part of a team in a safe way during the pandemic. Now in its second year at New England College in Henniker, esports includes leagues for a number of match games, including Madden, Call of Duty, NBA 2K, Fortnite, Overwatch, Valorant, Super Smash Brothers and League of Legends. NEC junior and Valorant team captain Noelle Julian talked about the game, the team and what esports looks like this year.

How did you get into esports?

I’ve always played video games — growing up and throughout high school and my early years of college — and I’ve always been a competitive person. Then, two years ago, I got an email from the director of [NEC] esports saying that they were holding tryouts, and I was like, ‘That sounds like something I’d be interested in,’ so I went and tried out.

How do practices work?

We practice for two hours five days a week, and we also have matches every week. … We have an arena on campus, which is basically a computer lab, but instead of your typical computers that you do homework on they’re very expensive PCs that are built specifically for gaming. Obviously, with Covid, it’s been a bit more difficult to get together. … During quarantine, we didn’t have access to the arena, but all the players on my team have their own PCs, so we can practice remotely from our dorm rooms. When we aren’t in quarantine, there is a 10-person limit in the arena, which basically means that only one team is able to practice at a time. Because we have so many teams and practices are a two-hour time block, [the practice schedule] can make for some very early days and very late nights. It’s not ideal, but we make it work.

Exactly what do you do during practice?

Each game has different [skills] you need to work on, but for Valorant specifically, aim is a huge one. It can make or break the game. A lot of us, during practice time as well as on our own personal time, will just hop into an aim trainer, [which is a program] where you specifically practice your aim and hand-eye coordination. We also just play normal matches and get a feel for [the game layout and mechanics].

What does being a team captain entail?

I’m kind of the spokesperson for our team. I register our team each season with whatever leagues we decide to play in, and I reach out to the other teams we compete with to schedule matches and that kind of thing. I schedule our practices, make sure everyone is putting in the time and pulling their own weight, and I just make sure everything is running smoothly.

Do you lead the team as far as strategy, too?

As far as strategy and stuff goes, we all work on it together. I do spend some time watching professional players in their matches to see how they play, and then I try to reflect that in our own practices, but I’m never going to be the most knowledgeable at games. I love hearing from my players, and if they have great ideas that’s great, because I don’t know everything.

How does esports affect you physically, and how do you take care of yourself?

Eye strain is probably the biggest thing when you’re sitting in front of a computer for hours. I wear blue light glasses when I play. The lumbar support [on the chairs] in the arena that we have is pretty nice, and when you’re sitting in a chair for at least two hours it’s definitely important to have good chairs with good back support.

So, can you play these games just for fun after you’ve played them competitively?

[Laughs] Unfortunately, no. That’s the toll that comes with it. After playing Overwatch [competitively] for a year and a half, when my friends from back home ask me, ‘Hey, do you want to play Overwatch?’ I’m like, ‘Absolutely not.’ I find myself still in that competitive mindset, thinking, ‘I have to do this, and I can’t mess up,’ and if I do mess up, I get so angry with myself, so, no, I just can’t.

What do you love most about esports?

The sense of community. … Immediately when you join [a team], you have new friends, because you know you all have that similar ground with each other; we all love gaming, and we all want to be the best we can be at it. We’re all in it together.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/02/11

Covid-19 update	As of February 1	As of February 8
Total cases statewide	66,058	68,499
Total current infections statewide	4,662	3,245
Total deaths statewide	1,059	1,106
New cases	3,290 (Jan. 26 to Feb. 1)	2,441 (Feb. 2 to Feb. 8)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	1,587	1,106
Current infections: Merrimack County	389	292
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,096	771

Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On Feb. 3, Gov. Chris Sununu issued a statement in response to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky’s announcement earlier that day that data shows returning to in-person learning can be done safely and successfully. “I urge the Union leadership in New Hampshire that have been resistant to follow the science, to embrace the Biden administration’s call for schools to reopen,” Sununu said in the statement. “The will of the students is there, the will of the parents is there, and the science is there. It’s time to get these kids back in the classroom.” All K through 12 school and child care staff will be eligible to receive their first doses in Phase 2A of the state’s vaccination administration plan, beginning around the March to May timeframe.

During a Feb. 4 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that, on average, there have been between 400 and 450 new cases of Covid-19 in New Hampshire per day, “down significantly” from a few weeks prior. Both the test positivity rates and the number of active infections in the state also continue to be on the decline.

Later during the same press conference, Sununu announced changes to the state’s scheduling process for Covid-19 vaccines in New Hampshire. As of Feb. 7, everyone will automatically be given a date and time for their second dose appointment as they leave their first dose appointment, he said. The state is also moving away from the federally run Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) website in favor of a new state run online system that is currently in development. If you’ve already received your first dose and the date of your second dose has been pushed back, you can go back into the VAMS system and reschedule for an earlier appointment within one week of your recommended window.

Opioid settlement

New Hampshire will receive $3,332,762 over five years as part of a $573 million multi-state settlement with McKinsey & Co. for the company’s role in promoting the opioid crisis, according to a press release from the state Attorney General’s Office. New Hampshire will share the settlement with 47 states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories. The settlement “resolves investigations into the company’s role in working for opioid companies, helping those companies promote their opioids, and profiting from the opioid epidemic,” according to the release. The complaints against McKinsey claimed that the company helped opioid manufacturers, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, promote their opioid products to maximize profit. Proceeds from the settlement will go into a fund that will be used to abate problems caused by opioids.

Health insurance

Following President Joe Biden’s recent executive order to reopen enrollment on the Federal Affordable Care Act Exchanges, New Hampshire residents will have a chance to buy health insurance for 2021 during a special enrollment period from Feb. 15 to May 15, according to a press release. Any residents who are uninsured can sign up for coverage without waiting until open enrollment at the end of the year by visiting healthcare.gov. New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Chris Nicolopoulos said in the release that the premiums available on the Exchange are lower than they have been in the past. Plans are available from three insurance companies on the New Hampshire Marketplace: Anthem, Ambetter from NH Healthy Families and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. “Given that New Hampshire insurance companies are offering significantly lower average premium rates for the third year in a row and given the Covid-19 pandemic, this is an important opportunity for individuals to get an affordable health insurance plan,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release.

Budget concerns

Last week, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen hosted a virtual meeting with New Hampshire mayors and municipal leaders, including Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess, to discuss severe budgetary shortfalls, according to a press release. The budget issues, which are due to a drop in state revenue stemming from the pandemic, could affect the ability to provide essential services within the state’s communities, and teachers could face layoffs, the municipalities’ leaders told Shaheen. Shaheen said she’s working with the Biden administration to get direct local and state aid and funding for vaccinations, schools, housing and nutrition programs in the upcoming relief package, according to the release.

The NH Audubon team “Birding with Impunity” in Rye took home the Rockingham County Award for the most points in the county during the Semi-Superbowl of Birding that was held Jan. 30, according to a press release. During the competition, which is run by Massachusetts Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, teams look for as many bird species as possible in 12 hours.

The Old Academy Building at Pinkerton Academy in Derry has been named to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places. According to a press release, it was the school’s first building when it opened in 1815.

Nashua high school seniors are invited to apply for the Rotary Club of Nashua’s annual scholarship. According to a press release, applicants must plan to attend an accredited technical college, trade school or two- or four-year college. Visit nashuarotary.org.

A Salem resident rescued a neighbor from a burning home on the morning of Feb. 5, according to a post on the Salem Fire Department’s Facebook page. The department thanked all of the neighbors on Lou-Al Lane who helped prior to the arrival of rescue personnel. The patient was transported to Parkland Medical Center with serious burns and smoke inhalation injuries and was later transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, according to the post

Educational giveway

Some Republicans in the New Hampshire House are pushing legislation that could give about $4,100 to anyone sending their kids to a private school or home schooling them. As currently envisioned, it should not pass.

Arguments for direct grants to parents, like the ones this bill would set up, are that families should have the freedom to find a private school or home-school option if their public school is failing their children. It’s a powerful argument. It is unfair that children can be deprived of a good or adequate education by being stuck in a failing school.

But this legislation does not focus on the needs of the low-income families who have the least financial ability to leave poorly performing schools. Let’s be blunt here. This is largely a handout to parents who can already afford to send their children to a private school. If this legislation really wanted to address educational freedom then it would specifically target children in underperforming schools whose parents don’t earn enough money to send them to a private school. This legislation as currently envisioned doesn’t offer enough to truly bring school choice to those families. The proposed $4,100 is probably not enough to completely cover the cost of a private school. (For example, the non-parish-sponsored tuition listed on the websites of Manchester area Catholic elementary schools seems to be over $5,000 annually and many nonreligious schools are much more.) And it’s highly unlikely that low-income parents would be able to afford to stay home and home-school their children. For the parents and students who need it most, the legislation is still likely to leave families paying some of the private education bill.

This legislation could be re-envisioned to target those in need by means testing and targeting districts that fail to meet agreed-upon standards. Kids going to those schools could be eligible for a grant covering the entire cost of tuition to private school, charter school or a different public school district if their parents met agreed-upon low-income guidelines.

Rather than $4,100 going to 16,000 private school students (or possibly more, if additional New Hampshire families jump on this universally available deal), New Hampshire could focus the aid on a few thousand families who really need help. An additional benefit would be continuing to provide aid to those schools in districts that aren’t meeting expected standards for their students.

If we are truly trying to give each child the best opportunity to succeed then let’s target our aid to those that need it most.

The Bomb

Warm up this winter with a savory steak bomb. Find out what a basic bomb is made of and why you might want to try one of the sub’s many variations, plus check out which local eateries have bombs on the menu.

Also on the cover, the Nashua Choral Society is looking for new members — no experience necessary, p. 10. It’s time for the Best of 2021 readers’ poll! Voting is open, so let us know your favorite places, people and events in southern New Hampshire; see details on p. 25.

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Northern song

Record release show among Area 23 events

An off-the-beaten-path Concord restaurant and taproom is doing all it can to keep original music alive in New Hampshire. Area 23 was among the first venues in the state to revive live entertainment when lockdown was lifted last spring. Owner Kirk McNeil continues in these cold months, lately offering Saturday night “swap sets” that give two local artists an opportunity to showcase their talents.

“We all have something to say about our experiences in the world; we’ve all been touched by a certain song or songs in our lives,” McNeil said recently, when asked to explain his commitment to the regional scene. “Supporting local music helps those fresh voices and experiences come into the world and reach more ears.”

Many of the acts appearing at Area 23 began at the midweek open mic, including Littleton-based Thrown to the Wolves, which will celebrate its first full-length CD with a release party on Feb. 26. The rootsy duo consists of singer-songwriter Higher Frequency — who answers to Freak while declining to reveal his birth name — and fiddler JD Nadeau.

Freak is an amalgamation of a high-country Tom Waits and the Illustrated Man. Ink covers much of his body and all of his face. The habit began as a fascination with his father’s tattoos, and eventually he became an artist. He said in a recent phone interview that he first thought of facial tattooing as a seven-year-old.

“Doing it for the first time was revelatory,” he said. “I wasn’t really comfortable with me until I started. … When I looked in my mirror after I had my first session on my face, I said, ‘Oh, there you are!’”

Musically, Freak’s moaning, growling songs are filled with images of hellhounds, fire and fury; mostly, his unbridled singing is about rejecting all of that.

“I don’t need to believe one way or another to be a good human being,” he said.

“Just love your fellow man and cherish your own soul,” sings the minister’s son on the lead track to the forthcoming Right Side of Wrong, Wrong Side of Good. “I don’t need your Heaven, and I don’t need your Hell — to be a better man, I just found myself.”

Freak is self-taught; he picked up guitar a few years back.

“As soon as I could put three chords together I wrote my first song,” he said.

The woman he wrote it for was not as enamored of his foray into music.

“The more I wrote, the more she hated it, and the more in love with it I became,” he said.

Nadeau’s galloping fiddle adds a wealth of spice to their tunes; it’s hard to think of them without the texture he provides. When they met at an open mic in Newport Center, Vermont, a couple of years back, Freak thought he only played guitar. They did a dozen songs together that night and met up a few weeks later at Nadeau’s apartment.

“Our styles weren’t fitting,” Freak said, noting that when Nadeau mentioned his other instrument, “I was like, ‘You play fiddle? Why didn’t you bring that up before?’”

The spark thus lit, the two would play their first gig at a festival in upstate New York originally booked for another band that, in Freak’s words, “went south.” He didn’t want to give up the slot, and meeting Nadeau made it an easier choice. A line from a song in progress gave the duo an appropriate name; that was over two years ago.

In mid-2019 a friend in the Concord band The Rhythm Upstairs invited him to Area 23’s Wednesday open mic. He and Nadeau got up and played a few songs. Soon after, they were offered a gig.

“First time I met him I was not expecting his music to be what it was,” McNeil said. “But I was in no way disappointed.”

Given its interesting beginnings, his growing audience is a pleasant surprise, Freak said.

“I never expected when I picked up the guitar that I would play in a band, or that people would like my music,” he said. “It even took me a few years to be like, ‘OK, there’s not that many people lying to me.’ So I just kind of rolled with it. Everything that I’m doing now is like a bonus … because it was never expected when I started this.”

Upcoming at Area 23
Friday, Feb. 5 – Dillan Welch
Saturday, Feb. 6 – Ross Arnold and Steve Butler
Friday, Feb. 12 – Brian Munger
Saturday, Feb. 13 – Hometown Eulogy
Friday, Feb. 19 – Mikey G
Saturday, Feb. 20 – Chip and the Figments
Friday, Feb. 26 – Thrown to the Wolves
Saturday, Feb. 27 – Ken Clark and Chris Fitz
Every Wednesday – open mic
Every Saturday – jam (2-5pm)
All shows run 7 to 11 p.m. except Saturdays

Featured photo: Thrown to the Wolves. Courtesy photo.

Year: 2021

TB-12 rules the day

Game on

News & Notes 21/02/11

Educational giveway

The Bomb

Northern song

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