Year: 2024

3 & counting for Mahomes

The Big Story – Super Bowl 58: With a first three quarters that were nothing to write home about SB 58 wasn’t a game for the ages. But the excitement picked up and drama built throughout its eventful fourth quarter and the second overtime period in SB history, where we were reminded of two things by Patrick Mahomes: Don’t bet against greatness at the end of huge games, and Tom Brady’s hold as the GOAT may not by as long-lived as most think.

Yes, after winning “just” his third title on Sunday he still has a long way to go to match Brady’s seven SB wins. But since there was a 10-year gap for TB between winning his third at 27 and his fourth at 37, the 28-year-old Mahomes can make up a lot of ground before athletic senior citizenship sets in if the winning continues in KC during that time.

In the meantime, enjoy his greatness.

Sports 101: Who holds the record for most career Super Bowl sacks?

News Item – New Day for Kelly: Following the shocker of the week, options to root for locals in college football are down to one school, The Ohio State. That’s because Chip Kelly stunned almost everyone by stepping down as HC of the UCLA to become OC under his old QB during UNH’s Ryan Day era. He took it after Day’s old OC, Bill O’Brien, who not too long ago was OC for the Patriots, stepped down after less than a month to become HC at BC.

Got all that? Well if you did follow the dizzying array of O’s, H’s, U’s and B’s that preceded all the C’s in the last paragraph you probably are an elite Scrabble player.

News Item – NBA Trade Deadline Moves That Affect Celtics: (1) After recently bringing in OG Anunoby and the Detroit duo of Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks lastweek to add scoring punch off the bench, the Knicks may now be the Celtics’ biggest threat in the East. (2) While injuries are always the issue for him I like what a healthy Gordon Hayward can do for Oak City off their bench. (3) Not sure how much help new Celtics Xavier Tillman and Jaden Springer are going to help. But I can say I’ve seen Springer play in short stints twice and both times he caught my attention in a good way.

The Numbers:

2 – wins for Doc Rivers in his first seven games since replacing Adrian Griffin as coach of the going-in-the-wrong-direction Milwaukee Bucks.

6 – Celtics alumni traded last Thursday including Hayward, Evan Fournier, Kelly Olynyk, Grant Williams, Dennis Schroder and Marcus Morris — twice.

58 – consecutive Super Bowls this reporter has seen to keep me in the club of people who’ve seen every one ever played.

Random Super Bowl Thoughts:

How in the name of George Halas could the NFL let the fans vote for SB-MVP? It turns the award into the same kind of homer-driven fan boy popularity contest that wrecked baseball’s All-Star Game.

How in the name of George Blanda can you start voting for the award early in the fourth quarter? At that point the score was 13-10 and Christian McCaffrey was probably the MVP. Except there were still 29:57 left to play and double the action occurred as more points were scored during that than in the first 45 minutes.

Really strong game in the booth for Tony Romo, where he was right on the mark a lot. Like saying SF had to go back to the run when they went stagnant in the third quarter. He was right on a couple of go-for-it-on-fourth-down calls, great on identifying pre-snap match-up advantages and on explaining what the motion by others did to get Mecole Hardman open for the game-winning TD catch.

I’m betting that as the joyful Hardman flipped the historic TD ball away, somewhere Doug Mientkiewicz was saying, “dude, that’s not what I’d do with that ball.”

Where are all those folks who said Andy Reid was a horrible coach who couldn’t manage the clock coming down the strength in big games?

As the Bears get ready to take a QB at the top of the draft for a third time in seven seasons, wonder what those in Chicago watching Mahomes do it again were thinking knowing da Bears passed on him in 2017 to take Mitchell Trubisky instead.

Sports 101 Answer: The record for career SB sacks of 4.5 is shared by Charles Haley, who played in five SB’s with Dallas and San Francisco, and Von Miller, who played just two for Denver.

Final Thought – Battle to Save the World: Ifwe face a winner-take-all football game with an alien force for the survival of the planet, which trio are you taking — Bill Belichick,Brady and Gronk, or Reid, Mahomes and Travis Kelce?

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Work for the future

A talk with the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year

Howard Brodsky, co-founder of CCA Global Partners, has been named Citizen of the Year by the Greater Manchester Chamber for his business leadership and community service. He talked about what this award means to him, his criteria for supporting community projects and his insights on balancing local and global business initiatives.

What does being Citizen of the Year mean to you?

I’m deeply honored and humbled to receive this award. Growing up in Manchester, I’ve seen firsthand the resilience and spirit of this community. The past recipients of this award are leaders who have made invaluable contributions to improving lives here. It’s a privilege to now be included among them and to give back to the place that shaped me.

How do you select the community projects you support?

I look for organizations tackling our community’s biggest needs through innovative, collaborative solutions. Some of my top criteria include potential social impact, sustainability, and alignment with my values of inclusion and opportunity for all. I also seek out leaders who show a real commitment to empowering others. By working together, I believe we can build a stronger, more equitable future.

What’s a notable challenge you’ve overcome in your career?

Early in my career running my own business, I encountered significant financial difficulties that almost caused me to close my doors. It was an incredibly stressful time, but it also taught me lifelong lessons about resilience, adaptability and being prudent with resources. Challenges like that stay with you and make you a better problem-solver going forward.

Why fund a prize for young journalists?

My late son Jeff had a passion for journalism and giving voice to important stories. To honor his legacy, we created the Brodsky Prize to encourage promising young reporters across New Hampshire. An informed public is so vital for a healthy democracy. This award celebrates the investigative spirit and brings recognition to students pursuing truth and making a difference in their communities.

How do you balance local and global business interests?

While headquartered here, my businesses operate nationwide and globally. That gives me a platform to foster connections between our community and the wider world. It’s about promoting Manchester on the largest stages but also bringing international innovations and perspectives back home. With open channels of cooperation, I think we can leverage our local talents on a broader scale to make a greater impact.

What’s your main piece of advice for making a community impact?

Listen to understand the real, everyday challenges people face. Then roll up your sleeves and work together to develop bold yet pragmatic solutions that can scale to meet community needs. It’s also about empowering others — through mentorship, resources or opportunities. By investing in one another, we can build the strong, caring society we all want for future generations.

Featured image: Howard Brodsky. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 24/02/15

Civil Rights focus

U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young has announced the appointment of Matthew Vicinanzo as the first dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) for Civil Rights in the District of New Hampshire. According to a press release, this move aims to bolster the enforcement and protection of civil and constitutional rights within the state. A New Hampshire native, Vicinanzo brings experience from his previous role at Crowell & Moring LLP, where he specialized in the federal False Claims Act, anti-fraud statutes and complex commercial disputes. Vicinanzo’s commitment to the community and his eagerness to expand the Civil Rights practice were highlighted by Young as key factors in his appointment. This initiative follows the allocation of two new attorney positions by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, aimed at addressing civil rights as well as domestic terrorism and violent crime in New Hampshire, with the latter role being filled in October 2023.

State of the City

The Greater Manchester Chamber was slated to host the 2024 State of the City event with Manchester’s newly elected Mayor Jay Ruais at The Venues at the Factory, presented by Dartmouth Health, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 8 a.m. (moved from Feb. 13 due to weather). According to a press release, this breakfast forum was to provide Chamber members with an opportunity to stay informed about local affairs and engage directly with city leadership. Mayor Ruais was scheduled to outline his priorities and goals for the year ahead, engaging in a comprehensive discussion with moderator Scott Spradling on topics such as the city budget, public safety, economic development and homelessness, as well as the future of Manchester’s school district and his vision for the city. The event was scheduled to include networking, welcoming remarks by GMC President & CEO Heather McGrail, sponsor remarks by Dartmouth Health President & CEO Dr. Joanne Conroy and a moderated Q&A session, culminating in a dialogue on Manchester’s path forward.

Outstanding service

Senior Assistant Attorney General K. Allen Brooks, Chief of the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s Environmental Protection Bureau, has been honored with the 2023 Outstanding Service in Public Sector Law Award at the New Hampshire Bar mid-year meeting, according to a press release. Announced by Attorney General John M. Formella, this recognition is awarded to individuals demonstrating exceptional service in government, military, law enforcement, public interest law services or nonprofit organizations. With a tenure at the NHDOJ since 2004 and leading the Environmental Protection Bureau since 2008, Brooks has dedicated his career to protecting New Hampshire’s environment and natural resources. His accomplishments include securing significant settlements in major environmental cases, such as the State v. Exxon groundwater contamination case, leading efforts against Volkswagen for illegal “defeat devices,” and reaching a settlement with St. Gobain for PFAS remediation in drinking water. Brooks was nominated for the award by his colleagues.

Dam ownership

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has been granted the authority through HB1429 to transfer ownership of state-owned dams to municipalities or other interested parties, including the provision for making loans from a dam maintenance revolving loan fund. According to a press release, this legislation, aimed at facilitating the transfer of dams and ensuring that their upkeep or removal aligns with local interests, requires a year’s notice before any state-owned dam removal. It establishes criteria for municipalities to acquire ownership, including legislative approval and agreement on long-term debt and maintenance issues. The law sets up a loan program to support the repair and maintenance of these dams, funded by a newly established dam maintenance revolving loan fund, which will be operational once it accrues a balance of at least $2.5 million. The initiative will be effective from July 1, 2024.

Noise pollution

Sen. Denise Ricciardi has successfully led the passage of SB 580-FN, a bill designed to address noise pollution from highways in communities ineligible for federal funding. According to a press release, this bipartisan effort introduces a new funding mechanism, allowing the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to allocate up to $10 million in turnpike toll credits annually to a Noise Barrier Construction Fund. The initiative, supported by Sens. Watters, Gray and Birdsell, aims to facilitate the construction of noise barriers in New Hampshire neighborhoods overlooked by current federal eligibility criteria. The bill, having been amended by the Senate, is now under review by the Senate Finance Committee.

Keith J. Loud, M.D., M.Sc., Dartmouth Health Children’s physician-in-chief, will participate in a panel discussion on America’s gun violence epidemic following the New Hampshire debut of “On the Exhale,” a one-woman show by Martín Zimmerman, at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. According to a press release, the play aims to illuminate the real-life impacts of gun violence on families. The panel, also featuring state Sen. Debra Altschiller, will explore solutions to mitigate this crisis. The discussion is part of a production by Theatre Kapow, with tickets available at bit.ly/488lPTZ.

New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR) will celebrate its 2024 Business Sustainability Awards on Wednesday, March 13, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Southern New Hampshire University in Hooksett. According to a press release, this event will recognize businesses, students and individuals who have shown exceptional commitment to sustainability across various categories. The awards are based on the NHBSR’s Measure What Matters 101 Survey. NHBSR invites members, partners and sustainability enthusiasts to join the celebration. Visit nhbsr.org/celebrate.

Salem will host a series of Girl Scouts informational events for girls in grades K through 3 and their caregivers. According to a press release, the events will be held at North Salem Elementary School on Thursday, Feb. 15; at Dr. Lewis F. Soule Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and at Barron School on Thursday, Feb. 22, each from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The gatherings will introduce participants to Girl Scouts programs and are open to all interested parties, with walk-ins encouraged. Visit girlscoutsgwm.org.

Axe-happy

Guitar-forward Winter Blues Fest

To celebrate an area band’s new recording contract, the 14th New England Winter Blues Festival has a slight name change this year. It’s now A Gulf Coast Records Revue, with four acts from the venerable Nederland, Texas, label sharing the stage: Popa Chubby, Albert Castiglia, Monster Mike Welch and The Wicked Lo-Down.

The first of four shows lands at Manchester’s Rex Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 15, with the others happening across the region over the weekend. The run promises plenty of explosive guitar. Popa Chubby has been making waves in the blues world since legendary producer Tom Dowd helmed his solo debut in 1994. Castiglia is another firebrand, who one critic called the “heir apparent” to the title “America’s King of the Blues.”

Welch got his nickname as a teenager from Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd and is one of New England’s premier blues rock guitarists. He signed with Gulf Coast last year. Finally, The Wicked Lo-Down is led by festival organizer Nick David. Their lead guitarist is Paul Size, well-known for his time in The Red Devils, who worked with Mick Jagger and Bruce Willis while cementing its reputation across Texas.

The official release date for The Wicked Lo-Down’s Gulf Coast debut, Out of Line, is March 8, but the band will have advance CDs for sale and will play material from it at shows. It’s a solid collection of blues rockers, and all but two are originals. Standouts include “If I,” a love-gone-wrong burner that echoes the Allman Brothers’ “Stormy Monday,” and “The Wildest One,” a poignant tribute to Lester Butler, Size’s bandmate in The Red Devils.

“He would roll with the Stones, till that black hearted woman knocked him off his throne,” David sings, a reference to Butler’s tragic overdose death at age 38 that was later determined to be a homicide. In a similar vein, “Marchin’ On” deals with the notion that no one cheats death. Speaking by phone recently, David called it one of his favorites.

“It’s about our mortality,” he said. “No matter what, time’s gonna catch up with you and it’s just gonna keep marching on, and once you’re gone, time’s moving still.” All things considered, however, the singer and harmonica player appears to have had the most fun with one of Out of Line’s covers, a recasting of the Britney Spears pop confection “Toxic.”

“Say whatever you want about Britney Spears — it’s pop, bubblegum, whatever — but the changes in that song are cool … they’re minor and dark and edgy,” he said. “I started to hear in my head what it would sound like as a rock and blues tune. It made me think of the Stevie Ray Vaughan song “Change It.”

Unsurprisingly, David’s bandmates were incredulous. “They were like, ‘dude … what is this nonsense you’re talking about?’ I’m like, ‘man, listen, you gotta hear what I’m hearing in my head.’ I told Paul my concept; he messed around with it and he sent me a little demo of what he thought I wanted to hear, and it was exactly what I wanted to hear.”

Once in the studio, “we just turned it into this gnarly shuffle. It’s as gut bucket and Texas shuffling as you can get, but it’s a f-ing weird piece of bubble gum pop. I’m hoping it’s going to make people pay attention a little more outside of the blues world [and] redirect their attention back to the original songs that we wrote…. I think we got a bunch of killers.”

The five-piece band — David, Size, guitarist Jeff Berg (who also engineered) and the rhythm section of Brad Hallen and Nick Toscano on bass and drums — co-produced the record. Though the blues elements are apparent, The Wicked Lo-Down is looking to be more than vintage, David said.

“When people ask what kind of band we are, this is my little standard quote and I think it’s pretty accurate. We’re a very heavily blues-influenced rock ’n’ roll band. I’ll add this caveat: We’re a very, very heavily blues influenced all original rock ’n’ roll band. We’re doing our own thing.”

New England Winter Blues Festival presents Gulf Coast Records Revue
When: Thursday, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester
Tickets: $35 at palacetheatre.org
Additional shows:
Friday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m. at Blue Ocean Music Hall, Salisbury Beach, Mass.
Sunday, Feb 18, 8 p.m. at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, Portsmouth

Featured photo: The Wicked Lo-Down Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 24/02/08

Local music news & events

  • Cowgirl jazz: Come for a light supper as the weekend approaches and enjoy Hot Skillet Club playing western-infused swing jazz. The acoustic trio of friends includes Val Blachly on upright bass and vocals, guitarist Liza Constable, who also plays with Blachly in Swing a Cat, and Ellen Carlson, a fiddler Blachly began working with in Sweet, Hot & Sassy, which had a 12-year run starting in the early 1990s. Thursday, Feb. 8, 6 p.m., Daniel’s Restaurant and Pub, 48 Main St., Henniker. See hotskilletclub.com.
  • • Laugh along: An evening of standup comedy has Boston favorite Al Park along with a few special guests. Friday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m., Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester, $25 at palacetheatre.org.
  • • Valentine swing: Start with a dance lesson, then get on the floor with the 18-piece New Legacy Swing Band for an event dubbed Tunnel of Love. It promises moody lighting, a light food menu that starts with a glass of complimentary bubbly, and lots of chocolate and flowers paired with music ranging from Blood, Sweat & Tears, Brian Setzer and Chicago to Sinatra and Ella. Saturday, Feb. 10, 7 pm., Rockingham Ballroom, 22 Ash Swamp Road, Newmarket, $30 at rockinballroom.club.
  • • Sixties vibe: Conceived by New England native Brian Chartrand, Live from Laurel Canyon is a multimedia concert featuring the soundtrack of a generation, from the Byrds, Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield and Mamas & the Papas to later standard-bearers like Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and The Eagles. Sunday, Feb. 11, 4 p.m., Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord, $53.75 at ccanh.com.
  • • Carrying on: Closing in on four decades as a band, Big Head Todd & the Monsters is still the core trio that formed in 1986: Todd Park Mohr on guitar, keyboard, sax and harmonica, drummer Brian Nevin and Rob Squires on bass; second guitarist Jeremy Lawton joined 20 years ago. They recently dropped “Her Way Out,” from Thunderbird, their 12th album. Tuesday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m., Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, $55 and up at tupelohall.com.

At the Sofaplex

Orion and the Dark (TV-Y7)

Voices of Paul Walter Hauser, Jacob Tremblay.

Based on the book of the same name by Emma Yarlett, this animated movie tells the story of Orion (Tremblay), an 11-year-old boy who is afraid of so many things — murder clowns, cell phone radiation, aging planetarium displays, girls, people in general, Sally a girl in his class in particular and especially dark. He plugs in half a dozen night lights and begs his parents to leave the door open but if his room goes dark he screams.

Enough with the screaming, says Dark (voice of Hauser). A large cloaked yet sort of cuddly entity, Dark is tired of being hated by everybody but he is especially tired of hearing Orion yell and scream every night. So he decides that the best way to help Orion conquer his fear of the dark — and of Dark — is to take Orion with him for a 24-hour trip around the world. Dark introduces Orion to other nighttime entities: Insomnia (voice of Nat Faxon), Unexplained Noises (Golda Rosheuvel), Quiet (Aparna Nancheria), Sleep (Natasia Demetriou) and Sweet Dreams (voice of Angela Bassett). Some of their tasks are a little odd — Unexplained Noises decide that a crash with a hint of scraping is what’s needed outside one house — but they are part of the rhythms of life. And they have to keep going so that Light (voice of Ike Barinholtz) doesn’t overtake them. Light would knock Dark out of existence.

As Orion travels with Dark and friends, he slowly and sometimes indirectly overcomes or at least faces a variety of fears. The Dark — like other things in life — can be scary and sometimes we will be afraid but we have to keep going and not let fear itself overtake us, is generally the message here. But the movie makes its points with a swirl of sweetness and cleverness that, in a particularly Charlie Kaufman way (he is the screenwriter), lets the story comment on itself. The result is a story full of fun cartoony kid adventure but nice moments for adults as well. B+ Netflix

Self Reliance (R)

Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick.

Johnson also wrote and directed this dark comedy. Tommy plays a familiar Johnson character — sort of loveable shell-shocked goober in a life funk. He recently ended a two-decade-plus relationship and now lives with his mom, working a job that appears to barely keep him awake. Walking home from work one day, Tommy sees a limo pull up next to him with Andy Samberg (Andy Samberg) in the back. Andy, reading a script, offers Tommy a chance to compete in a dark web reality show. As he learns when he talks to the show’s creators, all Tommy has to do is stay alive for the next 30 days and he’ll win a million dollars. The catch is that other people — hunters — will be trying to kill him. The loophole is that he can’t be killed if he’s with other people. Tommy decides that not only does the loophole make the game winnable, it might actually be the reason to compete, so he says yes.

He explains to his mother (an excellent Nancy Lenehan, who at one point refers to “Sandy Amberg,” which is maybe my favorite part of the movie), sisters (Mary Holland, Emily Hampshire) and brother-in-law (Daryl L. Johnson) that they will need to trade off being with him around the clock to make it work. His family thinks he’s nuts and says absolutely not, leading Jake to hire a random guy he calls James (Biff Wiff) to follow him around. He also posts a call for someone to hang with on Craigslist — which is how he meets Maddy (Kendrick), who explains she’s also playing the game.

The movie quickly reaches a point of unhingedness when not only the characters, including Tommy, but we in the audience are not sure if Tommy is really competing for a million dollars or if he is in the midst of some kind of serious mental breakdown. It is, at times, unsettling but there is something about Johnson and his particular blend of earnestness, nuttiness, kindness and weirdness that makes it all work more often than not. B- Hulu

The Underdoggs (R)

Snoop Dogg, Tika Sumpter.

In The Mighty Ducks/Bad News Bears fashion, onetime football star Jaycen Jennings (Mr. Dogg) winds up coaching a down at the heels, down on its luck Long Beach kiddie football team. Actually, Jaycen is sentenced to do community service picking up poop at a Long Beach park (after crashing his car into a city bus due to unnecessary rage and some truly terrible driving) but when he sees high school sweetheart Cherise (Sumpter) pick up her young son Tre (Jonigan Booth) from the practice, he takes the advice of old friend Kareem (Mike Epps) to volunteer to coach to pull a Mighty Ducks and woo Cherise. Jaycen is at first just as selfish as a coach as he was as a player but slowly he learns about the beauty of teamwork and to truly root for these kids.

The kids in Underdoggs are young enough that this movie, with some slicing away of R-rated material (a lot of language and also weed talk), would make a fun family film. And really that’s what it should be. There’s only so “R “ you can be in an upbeat sports comedy about a kid team and I don’t think the movie benefits from the R-ness enough to make up for losing its natural family-film audience. As it is the movie feels like a fine-minus version of so many sports movies before it. C+ (the + is in part because it introduced me to the fact that Snoop Dogg actually has long supported a youth football league in the L.A. area and there is apparently a Netflix documentary series about it called Coach Snoop) Prime Video

Role Play (R)

Kaley Cuoco, David Oyelowo.

David (Oyelowo) and Emma (Cuoco) have a nice life with two children — Wyatt (Regan Bryan-Gudgeon) and Caroline (Lucia Aliu) — and a suburban house and a marriage that seems solid if a bit flat due to usual work-life balance stuff. Emma returns exhausted from a work trip to realize that the fancy dinner her husband has arranged is in celebration of their anniversary — which she completely forgot about. To spice things up they decide to head into the city and spend a night at a hotel — after first “meeting” in the bar playing the roles of new people, with the flirting etc.

Actually, inventing new identities is easier for Emma than David realizes. Her “work trip” wasn’t to the Midwest to talk to corporate middle managers. She went abroad to do a little light murdering. She works as an assassin, taking a contract or two every few weeks to help pay Raj (Rudi Dharmalingam), her handler who helps keep her image scrubbed from the internet and just generally keep her off the radar of Sovereign, the international assassination concern she used to work for before giving it all up for David and family life.

Before the couple can do their little sexy role play at the bar, Bob (Bill Nighy) buys Emma a drink and comes over to hit on her, drunken businessman style. Except not really, which Emma realizes. Eventually, Emma and David — pretending to be Alice and “Jack Dawson,” because David is bad at fake names — shoo Bob away and have their fancy meal. Later, when David falls asleep in their room, Emma goes to find Bob to deal with him, which doesn’t go as cleanly as she hopes. Soon there is police involvement and Emma is exposed for the secret assassin she really is. David isn’t sure what he believes, but he’s not entirely ready to turn his wife in to Gwen Carver (Connie Nielsen), the woman investigating Emma, who is really named Anna.

Not long ago, Mark Wahlberg starred in a similar super-assassin-turned-family-guy movie The Family Plan. That movie wasn’t great, but it had a more consistently comic tone. Role Play can’t quite decide if it is an action comedy or something darker, a drama with occasional comic hints but also kids in peril. Oyelowo seems to think he is in a comedy, Cuoco seems to think she’s in the darker thing. The actors are engaging enough together but they often seem like they’re operating on different frequencies. C+ Prime Video

Featured photo: Orion and the dark.

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