Category: News

Pats go for AFC East title

The Big Story – Bills and Pats Face-off: Sunday’s game in Foxboro vs. Buffalo has that old familiar feeling. That’s because it’s the biggest game for your New England Patriots since you-know-who took his talents to Tampa Bay. Thanks to their dramatic comeback win vs. Cincy last week it may not be the potential season-ender it appeared it might be for the Bills around 3:30 p.m. last Sunday. But if Josh Allen and company lose this one, New England takes the AFC East title back from Buffalo for the first time since 2020. It also would keep NE in the race with 11-2 Denver for the top seed in the AFC side of the playoffs.

Yes, it’s been a while since the Pats were in such a position, and a total surprise from where most thought they’d be in Week 14. But at the same time it also feels very familiar. So enjoy.

Sports 101: What one-time Celtic was an All Big 10 defensive back (as a freshman) for Indiana Football in the 1970s?

News Item – Sox Get Another Starter: Let’s just say getting the 6’6” 275-pound Johan Oviedo was not met with a universal feeling of approval. The dissent fell mainly into two camps: (1) John Henry is cheaping out again by taking a guy with big physical tools who has never lived up to that, or (2) by taking a guy like that, they once again think they are smarter than everyone else and they’re not. It reminds me of two other Red Sox instances – the big arm, no command issues sounds like what they said about Jordan Hicks after getting him in the Devers trade before he walked 12 in 18 innings and, ahhh, delivered an 8.20 ERA for his new team. The tools talk was also reminiscent of Theo Epstein trading a solid fifth starter in Bronson Arroyo for the vast power potential of Wily Mo Peña, who, despite a few heat-seeking missiles coming off his bat, came up a bust.

News Item – Fake News Story of the Week: The whining from New Yawkers (and some of their radio yackers) after the Giants-Patriots game, saying that Christian Elliss’s propelling Jaxson Dart off both feet on that big sideline hit was a giant cheap shot. Au contraire, the legal GIANT hit on Dart was clean and Dart’s doing alone by leaving himself exposed on the sideline rather than getting out of bounds. The most impressive part of the play was Ellis’s discipline to not get in one of the brawls the G-Men started that often takes the attacking team off the hook with a nullifying penalty. Instead he just tried to hold his ground and took the 15-yard penalty the NYG’s got instead. That’s the sign of a smart player, good coaching or both.

The Numbers:

-11 – receiving yards for Patrick Mahomes thanks to being tackled after he caught his own pass Houston deflected back to him in KC’s damaging loss Sunday to the Texans.

58 – years between when Indiana last won the Big 10 title and when they finally did it again with Saturday’s 13-10 win over Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship game.

364 – passing yards thrown by the much maligned Shedeur Sanders, which is 70 more than Drake Maye has ever thrown for in any game.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – CFP: For denying Notre Dame a spot in the college playoffs.

Thumbs Down – Notre Dame: For those crybabies from South Bend, stamping their feet and taking their toys home by saying they’ll not accept any other lesser Bowl invitation.

Random Thoughts:

Watching Detroit-GB on Thanksgiving was a painful reminder of how much the Patriots blew it by not getting into the Micah Parsons sweepstakes. They’d be deadly with him.

Sports 101 Answer: The one-time Celtic who was a more highly touted footballer coming out of high school before attending IU was Quinn Buckner.

Final Thought – Maye vs. Brady: I’ll be charged with blasphemy for even uttering this: Statistically at least (with five more games to go), young Mr. Maye’s Year 2 has definitely been better than Tom Brady’s Year 2. But it’s true by every measurement except good QB sneaks, which Brady was great at right from the start. Take a look, Maye’s stats listed first and Brady’s second in this head-to-head comparison”

Completion Percentage – 71.5 to 62.1

TD passes to picks – 23-6 to 28-14

Passing Yards – 3,431 to 3,784

QB rating – 111.5 to 86.7

And most importantly, wins and losses – 11-2 to 9-7.

Plus Maye is going to the playoffs, which TB did not do in Year 2.

Bottom Line – I’m usually a pump the brakes kind of a guy on good young players after a fast career start. But I’ve seen enough. Don’t know if he’ll reach the heights TB-12 did. But this young fella has the same It factor Brady had.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 25/12/11

Three-year degree

Rivier University will offer a three-year, 90-credit, applied bachelor’s degree program in majors including artificial intelligence, business management and criminal justice, according to a Dec. 3 press release from the school. “The new applied bachelor’s degree programs are designed for those eager to enter the professional workforce quickly with a reduced financial commitment. The 90-credit format streamlines general education requirements, enabling students to complete an applied bachelor’s degree in three years of full-time undergraduate study,” the release said. The programs will begin for the Spring 2026 semester; see rivier.edu/threeyear, the release said.

Crokinole

Learn about crokinole, which Wikipedia describes as “a disk-flicking dexterity board game, possibly of Canadian origin,” at an Extra Pint Crokinole Club New Hampshire event on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m. at Republic Brewing Co., 72 Old Granite St. in Manchester, according to a post on the Extra Pint Crokinole Club, New Hampshire Facebook page. The group’s Crokinole League runs in January and February weekly at locations including Spyglass Brewing in Nashua, the Facebook page said.

Ethics award

Plan NH, a nonprofit that “brings together architects, planners, builders, and other design professionals to promote excellence in the planning, design, and development of New Hampshire’s built environment,” is seeking nominations for the New Hampshire Construction Industry Ethics Award, according to a press release. The award is given to “the individual, business, or organization that, through words and deeds, best demonstrates a commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards in construction,” according to a statement in the release. The winner receives a plaque and a $2,000 donation made in their name to the charity of their choice, the release said. See plannh.org. “Nominations will be accepted through January 16, 2026, with the award winner to be announced in summer 2026,” the release said.

Nashua artist’s paintings on display

Wadleigh Memorial Library, 49 Nashua St. in Milford, is displaying an exhibition of the abstract oil paintings of Dominique Boutaud, a Nashua-based artist, through Jan. 31, according to a press release. The library will host a lecture about the works with Boutaud on Thursday, Dec. 18, from 5 to 6 p.m. followed by an opening reception from 6 to 7 p.m., the release said. Find more about Boutaud at dominiqueboutaud.com and see wadleighlibrary.org.

The Community Players of Concord will hold an informal play reading evening on Friday, Dec. 12, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Players Studio, 435 Josiah Barlett Road in Concord, according to their Oct. 31 newsletter. The group will read Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and no experience is required; email Cynthia.dickinson@communityplayersofconcord.org to join. See communityplayersofconcord.org.

“Christmas Past,” a program of holiday-themed silent films, will screen at Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St. in Wilton, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m. featuring the first-ever filmed versions of A Christmas Carol and Twas the Night Before Christmas as well as Tess of the Storm Country, a 1922 film starring Mary Pickford, according to a press release. The program is described as family-friendly and will include live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis. There is a suggested donation of $10 per person.

Studio 550, 550 Elm St. in Manchester, 550arts.com, will host a Handmade Holiday Market of pottery and more Monday, Dec. 15, through Tuesday, Dec. 23, from noon to 8 p.m. each day (closed on Dec. 21), according to a press release. The studio will sell 60+ Cups for a Cause, mugs and cups priced at $25 each to raise funds for the International Institute of New England, the release said. During the market week the studio will also hide mini-mugs and handmade ceramic ornaments downtown, with prizes offered for those who find them, the release said.

This Week 25/12/04

Friday, Dec. 5

Manchester Community Theatre Players will present Tastes Like Christmas— “written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Tom Anastasi in the style of a Hallmark Christmas movie” — this weekend at the MCTP Theatre at the North End Montessori School, 698 Beech St. in Manchester, according to a press release. “It is the story of Josh, a Jackson, New Hampshire maple syrup farmer and volunteer fireman, whose business is struggling because he knows nothing about marketing. A week before Christmas, Natale, a driven marketing executive from Los Angeles, comes to New Hampshire for a wedding and she discovers small town life and the true meaning of the season,”
the release said. The show will run tonight and tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for students ages 18 and under, the release said. See mctp.info.

Friday, Dec. 5

Downtown Concord will celebrate the season with Midnight Merriment, the Intown Concord event that runs tonight starting at 5 p.m. and featuring family events including photos with Santa, live music, food trucks and more, according to intownconcord.org. See our story about the evening in the Nov. 27 issue (which you can find in the digital library at hippopress.com) of the Hippo on page 18.

Saturday, Dec. 6

Manchester will hold its annual Holiday Parade — this year’s theme is Candy Cane Lane — today on Elm Street. The Santa Shuffle three-mile race starts at 3 p.m. and the parade is at 4 p.m. See our story on page 20 of the Nov. 27 issue.

Sunday, Dec. 7

The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra (647-6476. nhphil.org) will perform a preview of its Holiday Pops concert for brass and strings at LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com/labelle-winery-derry) this afternoon at 1 p.m. Tickets are $30.

Sunday, Dec. 7

There will be food, live music, local vendors, family activities and more at this year’s Merrymaking on West Merrimack today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on West Merrimack Street, between Elm and Canal streets, in downtown Manchester. Visit merrymakingmht.com/event-info for details and to register for this free event.

Tuesday, Dec. 9

The Nashua Historical Society (5 Abbott St., Nashua, 883-0015, nashuahistoricalsociety.org) will host a presentation from 7 to 8:30 p.m.: A Woman in the Ranks – Deborah Sampson’s Revolution and Revelation. Speaker Hailee Attorri, appearing in period costume, will share the remarkable true account of Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to fight for American independence and ultimately became one of the nation’s earliest recognized female veterans. This event is free and open to the public. Visit nashuahistoricalsociety.org.

Save the Date! Friday, Dec. 12
Roomful of Blues, the world-renowned horn-powered, house-rocking blues band, will play the BNH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) Friday, Dec. 12, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $49 through the Capitol Center’s website, or $54 at the door.

Featured Photo: Roomful of Blues

Quality of Life 25/12/04

Early skiing

As reported by WMUR in a Nov. 22 online article, several New Hampshire mountains opened for skiing before Thanksgiving, a full week earlier than usual. The article quoted Jennifer Karan of Cannon Mountain saying, “2019 was the last time we opened this early, so we are pretty excited. We got quite a bit of natural snow in the last week or so, a foot and a half last week.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: As of Dec. 1 five New Hampshire ski areas were open for business: Black Mountain, Bretton Woods, Cannon Mountain, Loon Mountain and Waterville Valley. For up-to-the-minute information on which resorts are open, visit skinh.com.

Howl be home for Christmas

According to a Nov. 23 online article by WMUR, “A Nottingham family is finally resting easy after their 4-year-old dog, Comet, was found nearly a month after going missing.” When Comet, named for one of Santa’s reindeer, disappeared from his family’s yard, “The family immediately launched a search, making a concerted effort to spread the word about Comet. … On Nov. 17, after nearly a month, the family got a call from Granite State Dog Recovery, saying they were able to capture Comet in a dog-friendly cage after following one of the community sighting tips.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Clearly, life on the road was rough for Comet. According to the WMUR story, “Comet was rushed to the hospital, weighing just 32 pounds, less than half his original weight. He also had porcupine quills in his shoulder, causing him to limp.”

9-1-1 Herbivore Division

The Pelham Police Department performed an unusual rescue Friday, Nov. 28, when it helped a trapped deer escape from a mud pit. “We received a call about a ‘rein’ deer that had gotten itself stuck knee-deep in mud and couldn’t break free,” the Department posted on its Facebook page. “With the temperatures near freezing and the situation getting worse by the minute, our officers jumped into action. After a careful (and very muddy) effort, the deer was safely pulled out and sent on its way — hopefully to finish up whatever important Christmas duties it had going on.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Find out more about the winter life of deer at wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/species-occurring-nh/white-tailed-deer.

Hockey player pulls a hat trick

New Hampshire hockey player Tara Mounsey “laced up for the first ever Olympic women’s hockey gold medal game in Nagano, Japan,” reported WMUR in a Nov. 26 online article. “Her 1998 Olympic team was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.” Last year, as the medical coordinator for the Boston Celtics, she got a ring when the team won the championship. Now she is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on her own. WMUR reported Mounsey’s reaction to learning the news. “I kept driving, but I felt like I needed to stop the car, I was so caught off guard,” she said. “I really had to sit with it and realize it was real and how big of an honor it is.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: Mounsey’s induction ceremony will take place on Dec. 10 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Visit hhof.com/induction/induction.html.

QOL score: 73

Net change: +4

QOL this week: 77

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Big win for Ryan Day

The Big Story – Local Football Coaches: It was a great Day for Ohio State Football on Saturday as Ryan Day checked another box on his sparkling career resume when after four straight losses he finally got his first win vs. archrival Michigan with a 27-9 win.

On the other hand, his former OC Chip Kelly got fired by the Raiders.

Given that LV was 2-9 with chatter coming from both sides, it makes you wonder: was it the offense just not getting it done despite enough talent? Or did 74-year-old Pete Carroll need a scapegoat because he knew his coaching career could be over with a one-and-done in Vegas?

The good news is he’s still owed $12 million so he’ll be OK financially.

Sports 101: Name the first to kick a NFL field goal of 60+ yards.

News Item – Rafael Devers Trade Now Complete: The big concern about it just being a salary dump wasn’t true. Instead the Red Sox re-invested some of that big money in a trade with the Cardinals for starting pitcher Sonny Gray. Never been a big fan of his mainly because of how he shrunk from the pressure playing for the Yanks. But he did win 14 and 13 games for sub-.500 St. Louis and has averaged 175 innings the last three years. And they didn’t give up much in a 22-year-old with a mid-90s fastball and command issues (Brandon Clarke) and 2-4-with-Boston-last-year Richard Fitts.

News Item – Five Observations as NFL Enters December:

Last year Minnesota entered December 9-2 compared to 4-7 now. So did any team screw itself more than Minnesota did by letting QB Sam Darnold walk and going with J.J. McCarthy, who’d never taken an NFL snap?

It’s rare that a trade of high-profile players works as evenly it has in the 2021 trade of Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff. L.A. won a Super Bowl and Stafford is still playing great by leading the NFL with 30 TD passes, while Detroit’s team, mostly dormant since the late 1950s/early ’60s, came alive thanks to Jared Goff suddenly becoming what we expect from a first overall pick (2016) under new HC Dan Campbell, and after draft board maneuvering the boatload of picks they got were turned into Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and speedster Jameson Williams.

Stefon Diggs is the Patriots’ first true slot receiver since Julian Edelman retired. It was a money-in-the-bank vital spot during the dynasty thanks to Edelman, Troy Brown and Wes Welker.

FG kicking is ridiculous today. A 50-yarder is the new 35 and seven guys have made them from 60 yards in 2025. At the top is Jacksonville’s Cam Little, who hit a record 68-yarder in October after drilling one from 70 in August.

The Numbers:

76 – All-time NFL record for most rushing TD’s by a QB reached by Josh Allen after he got tush-pushed from about the five in Buffalo’s win over Pittsburgh.

259 – rushing yards piled up on the Eagles by Kyle Monangai (130) and De’Andre Swift (125) in leading Chicago to its shocking 24-15 win over the defending champs on Friday.

800– career wins for Miami Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra.

… Of the Week Award

Bad Ending of the Week – Bill Belichick: They won’t write that it was a good first year for BB at UNC. The Tar Heels closed out their season with three losses to North Carolina schools including Saturday’s 42-17 pasting by NC State to end Year 1 at 4-7. Not what they were expecting.

Quote of the Week – Kenyon Martin: Not sure what started the war of words between the 2000 first overall pick and 21st-century cheap shot king Draymond Green. But Martin had the most accurate comment when he said, “you played 128 games without Steph … the record is 52-76, under .500.” Bam!

Best Weekend In L.A. – Cooper Flagg: The 18-year-old Dallas rookie became the youngest player to record 11 assists in a game, on Friday versus the Lakers, and score 35 in one, versus the Clippers on Saturday.

Sports 101 Answer: New Orleans kicker Tom Dempsey’s 63-yard FG in 1970 was the first 60+ kick in NFL history. The record lasted over 40 years. He did it with a kicking foot that had no toes on it due to a birth defect.

Final Thoughts – Red Sox Rumor Mill: Word on the street has Jarren Duran as most likely to go to fill their need at first or third. But despite being a gold glove fielder with the power of 25 homers a year I’d be more inclined to trade Wilyer Abreu. Because with his speed, Duran can do things offensively few can do and I value that more than the defensive difference between Roman Anthony and Abreu in right. Plus 22-year-old Jhostynxon Garcia, who hit 45 homers in his last two minor-league seasons, is at worst a year away from being ready to replace Abreu.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 25/12/04

Red Cross

Two hundred eighty American Red Cross volunteers in New Hampshire “logged more than 33,000 hours so far this year responding … to provide safe refuge, hot meals, emotional support and basic health services for families devastated by home fires and other disasters,” according to a Dec. 1 press release from the Red Cross Northern New England Region. “The Red Cross also distributed more than $157,000 in financial assistance directly to New Hampshire households recovering from disasters, including home fires, in 2025,” according to the release, which also reported that nearly 100 people in New Hampshire “rely on the Red Cross after home fires every year in a typical November and December.” “Disasters don’t take holidays — and neither do our volunteers,” said Stephanie Couturier, regional CEO, Red Cross Northern New England Region, in the release. See redcross.org/local/me-nh-vt/ways-to-donate/local-giving.html for information on financial and blood donations to the Red Cross. Through Sunday, Dec. 7, while supplies last, those donating blood can receive a pair of Red Cross X Pac-Man socks, according to the website, where you can find local blood drives and schedule a donation appointment.

Maple ed

New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom will host the second Maple Symposium for educators on Friday, Jan. 23, at the Robert J. Lister Academy in Portsmouth, according to a Dec. 1 newsletter from the program. “Our presenting educators will show you how they incorporate maple lessons to meet the criteria they are already charged with administering to their students,” the release said. See extension.unh.edu/event/2026/01/nh-ag-classroom-maple-symposium for information on the symposium and see newhampshire.agclassroom.org for information about the organization’s “Tapping Into Maple Traditions” offerings for teachers.

Save the date

Bring Back The Trades New Hampshire Expo is slated for Saturday, April 18, starting at 9 a.m. at Londonderry High School, according to the organization’s website, bringbackthetrades.org/events, where you can find information on becoming a vendor or a sponsor at the expo geared toward students considering careers in the trades.

The Dec. 9 to Jan. 9 show at Glimpse Gallery, 4 Park St. in Concord, opens Tuesday, Dec. 9, and will feature works by Alex Rybak, Julie Daniels, Laurie Weston, Erica Bodwell, Peter Anderson, Corey Garland and Kristin Selesnick, according to theglimpsegallery.com. An opening reception will be held Saturday, Dec. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m.

NHTI’s Friday Night at the Movies will feature Quai des Orfèvres on Friday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. at Sweeney Hall Auditorium at NHTI in Concord, according to a press release. Tickets cost $10 (cash or check at the door). The 1947 movie is “one of the most celebrated films of French filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot,” who is known as the French “Master of Suspense,” the press release said.

The Griffin Free Public Library, 22 Hooksett Road in Auburn, will hold a craft supply swap on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to griffinfree.org.

Spyglass Brewing Co., 306 Innovative Way in Nashua, will hold a Holiday Makers Market on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to spyglassbrewing.com.

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