Category: News

Pats blow 21-0 lead to Buffalo

The Big Story – Bill Comes Due for Pats: Well, they both had chances and neither could close the deal. For the Pats the AFC East title was there for the taking but they could not hold a 21-0 lead over Josh Allen and Buffalo, losing 35-31. It was a frustrating game with a number of penalties happening at the worst time and horrible officiating (for both teams). But they also had to lose sooner or later after 10 straight wins. Plus Denver won to take a two-game lead in the race for top seed in the AFC. However, if they beat Baltimore next week the Buffalo loss is just a blip. At least for now.

Sports 101: Name the top five lefthander scorers in pro basketball history.

News Item – Celtics Update: At 15-10 on Monday they are way ahead of expectations. Particularly, unlike the Patriots, eight of those wins are against teams that are above .500. Jaylen Brown (29.1, 6.1 and 4.8) is showing a team can be built around him.

News Item – Injured List – Major NFL Stars: Sad news that both Micah Parsons and Patrick Mahomes tore ACLs Sunday and are done for the year.

News Item – Hell Freezes Over: It was a done deal before Mahomes got hurt, but after their latest loss KC is 6-8 and out of the playoffs for the first time in the eight-year Mahomes era.

The Numbers:

0 – shots made in nine 3-ball attempts for Celtic, ahh, three-point bomber Sam Hauser in the Celtics’ 116-101 loss to the Bucks, which ended their modest five-game winning streak.

4 – after Sunday’s 52- and 64-yarders, the number of TD runs of 50+ yards for Pats rookie TreVeyon Henderson already this year.

5 – turnovers on four interceptions and a lost fumble by Jalen Hurts in the aforementioned Eagles loss to the L.A. Chargers.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Fernando Mendoza: His stellar season for 11-0 Indiana led their QB to be the first Hoosier to win the Heisman Trophy.

Thumbs Down – Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia: The week’s biggest sore loser gets it for using the f-word in a social media post to let all who voted against the Heisman runner-up know what he thinks of them.

Stat Sheet – Matthew Stafford: The ageless Rams QB took the lead in the MVP chase thanks to Sunday’s impressive win over Detroit. But it’s also tied to his crazy TD-interception rate of 37 to 5 after 14 games. For context: The best Tom Brady did was in 2016 when he had 28 TD and two picks in his abbreviated 12-game deflate-gate suspension season.

Play of the Week: It came from the Chargers’ 22-19 win over Philly in last week’s MNF game. It started with a Hurts interception followed by an Eagles strip of interceptor Da’Shawn (give him a) Hand, which Hurts then recovered before fumbling it himself, which was recovered by DB Troy Dye to end the three-TO play. It gave L.A. a first and 10 starting behind the original line of scrimmage. And it also made Hurts the first player to ever record two turnovers on the same play.

Question of the Week: When’s the last time a Patriots runner did what Henderson has done with those four long-distance runs in 2025? Not sure. But the last rookie to do it was the great Baltimore Colts runner/flanker Lenny Moore in 1956.

Random Thoughts:

When’s the last time the Kentucky men’s basketball team was not in the Top 25 rankings as they are now?

Would someone please teach Drake Maye how to slide? He’s going to get dinged if he keeps going down head first.

Watching Detroit-GB on Thanksgiving was a painful reminder of how much NE blew it by not getting into the Parsons trade derby. Their D would be deadly with a pass rusher like him. Which they badly missed on Sunday.

Sports 101 Answer: Top five lefty scorers are James Harden, David Robinson, Artis Gilmore (NBA-ABA combined), Gail Goodrich and Chris Mullin.

Final Thought – Sox Spit Spending Bit Again: It was the same old crap from ownership putting in a non-competitive three-year contract offer to let them say “we tried” for the power hitter they desperately need. Instead ex-Met Pete Alonso signed a real offer of five years for $30 million per to play against them in the AL East. Which (oh by the way) is exactly what Rafael Devers would’ve made per in the seven years remaining on his deal in Boston if he hadn’t been traded. So they had the money to sign him. Now the Sox will trot out pathetic yes man/team president Sam Kennedy for the umpteenth time to tell a SRO press conference of reporters who don’t believe him that the Sox will spend what it takes to win. Sure, Sam.

To be fair, baseball’s hot stove period isn’t over yet. So hold the boos for John Henry until then.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 25/12/18

Plant closure

The Anheuser-Busch facility in Merrimack will close in early 2026, as reported in a Dec. 11 report on WMUR.com and by several other media outlets. A press release from New Hampshire Senate President Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) said the plant represented nearly 120 jobs. “The State of New Hampshire will provide the necessary resources and support to help them navigate this challenging transition,” Carson’s press release said. Sen. Tim McGough (R-Merrimack) also put out a release on the closure saying, “Anheuser-Busch has been a long-time supporter of Merrimack, contributing to local schools, charities, and civic organizations. It has been a driving force behind our economy providing jobs and supporting vital community projects.”

LCHIP

On Dec. 9, Gov. Kelly Ayotte joined “New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) Board Chair Richard Lewis in announcing 31 LCHIP grants totaling more than $3.5 million awarded to municipalities and nonprofit organizations in support of land conservation and historic preservation initiatives across the state,” according to a press release from the program. Grant recipients include Canterbury Shaker Village ($250,000) for its East House, Kimball Jenkins Estate ($18,450) for a comprehensive building assessment of its five historic structures, Goffstown Public Library ($19,272) for preservation of its wood windows, Hudson Historical Society ($72,875) for Hills House, Grace Episcopal Church in Manchester ($22,000) for Riddle House, and the Town of Milford ($12,500) for the Milford Town Hall assessment, according to the program’s website lchip.org, where you can find descriptions of all of this year’s recipients, see a map of LCHIP projects and find information about applying for the grants.

Delta Dog

Red Arrow Diner raised more than $8,000 to benefit Operation Delta Dog, an organization that rescues and trains “shelter dogs as specialized service companions for veterans experiencing PTSD, TBI, and MST,” according to a Red Arrow press release. The diner held a Breakfast for a Year raffle, selling tickets for $1 each, to raise the funds, which it presented to the Hollis-based Operation Delta Dog on Dec. 12, the release said. See operationdeltadog.org.

Big stuffies

The D’Amante family continued an annual tradition of gifting “more than 20 oversized stuffed animals” to the Concord Hospital pediatric unit for pediatric patients “who are invited to choose their own stuffed companion to snuggle with and then take home,” according to a Dec. 8 hospital release. “The tradition began when Cinda D’Amante visited the unit decades ago and decided to make a positive impact on hospitalized children during the holiday season,” the release said. See concordhospital.org.

The Flying Monkey in Plymouth will screen 1946’s It’s A Wonderful Life on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 2 p.m. Doors open at 1 p.m. for this free screening; reserve tickets at flyingmonkeynh.com.

Rick Santos has resigned as head football coach at the University of New Hampshire in Durham to accept the same position at the University of Pennsylvania, according to a Dec. 13 UNH press release. “Associate head coach and defensive coordinator Scott James has been named interim head coach, and UNH will launch a national search for the next program leaders,” the release said.

Day’s Jewelers, “an employee-owned New England fine jeweler” that has eight locations in New Hampshire and Maine, held a grand opening in November for a location at Tuscan Village in Salem, according to a press release. See daysjewelers.com.

Spyglass Brewing Co., 306 Innovative Way in Nashua, will hold a Puzzle Competition on Sunday, Dec. 21, starting at noon, according to spyglassbrewing.com. Teams of up to four people each will compete at putting together a 500-piece puzzle, the website said.

This Week 25/12/11

Thursday, Dec. 11

Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown attempts to answer the perennial question of which British band was the greatest ever. Two renowned tribute bands, Abbey Road and Satisfaction – The International Rolling Stones Show, face off at the Chubb Theatre (Chubb Theatre at CCA, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) tonight at 7:30 p.m. to find out, with special guest musicians, the Concord High School String Quartet. Tickets start at $54.

Thursday, Dec. 11

The Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) presents David Benoit’s Charlie Brown Christmas tonight at 7:30 p.m., featuring contemporary jazz piano legend David Benoit along with distinguished vocalist Courtney Fortune. Tickets start at $25.

Friday, Dec. 12

Majestic Theatre, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net, will present a musical production of It’s a Wonderful Life this weekend at the Derry Opera House, 29 W Broadway in Derry. See the show tonight, Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for ages 17 and under.

Friday, Dec. 12

Forty of the top professional bull riders in the world will come together at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) tonight, and tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7:45 p.m. as part of Professional Bull Riding’’s “Unleash the Beast” season. This marks the sixth consecutive year Manchester will host a stop on PBR’s elite individual tour. Tickets start at $40.

Friday, Dec. 12

There are 200 veterans buried in Concord’s Old North Cemetery (141 N. State St., Concord). On Saturday morning at 10 a.m. representatives from the eight branches of the U.S. military will place commonwealth wreaths at the entrance to the cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America program. Volunteers wishing to assist in the placement of wreaths on veteran graves in advance can join the Pierce Brigade this morning at 10 a.m. Visit piercemanse.org/events.

Saturday, Dec. 13

It’s Christmas Market weekend. The Amherst German Christmas Market runs today in the Amherst Village Green (amherstchristmasmarket.org) and the New Hampshire World Christmas Market runs today and tomorrow at Anheuser-Busch in Merrimacknhworldchristmasmarket.com). Find our stories about these events in last week’s issue of the Hippo at hippopress.com in the digital library (the stories start on page 20).

Saturday, Dec. 13

Classic 1980s band Loverboy will perform at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $132 through the Tupelo’s website.

Save the Date! Saturday, Dec. 20
There’s still time to get in some Nutcracker. Ballet Misha will present The Nutcracker 2025 at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 1 and 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to tickets.anselm.edu.

Featured Photo: (L to R) Jonathan Kaplan, Dan Arlen. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 25/12/11

A slice with oats?

According to a Dec. 4 statement by the Bedford Police Department (bedfordnhpd.org), “On Wednesday, Dec. 3, at approximately 1 a.m., Bedford Police responded to the area near Domino’s Pizza just off of Route 1 for reports of a horse that was seen walking around,” the report read. “Officers were able to quickly determine where the horse lived. Officer Jeff Drew personally walked the horse back to her residence, more than a mile away, in 20-degree weather.”

QOL score: +1 For Bedford’s successful effort to rein in crime

Comment: “Residents provided officers with hay, grain, water, and a horse lead rope until she could be safely returned, the report read.” Which raises the question: Did late-night customers happen to have those supplies with them, or did the police wake up nearby horse people?

Yay for Creepy Santa!

For Manchester residents, the holiday season hasn’t really started until Creepy Santa makes his appearance. As reported by Manchester InkLink in a Dec. 3 article, “For 35 years, the beloved iconic holiday figure has towered over the Rheume family’s Christmas tree stand on Elm Street.” The large fiberglass figure is locally famous for the disturbing expression on its face. According to the InkLink article, “On Wednesday night, Creepy Santa got his own day on the city calendar when Mayor Jay Ruais read an official Resolution declaring Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) forever more to be known as Creepy Santa Day in the city of Manchester.”

QOL score: +1

Comment: “The Creepy Santa figure was purchased by Reggie Rheaume when he started his business— it was one of only eight made in the U.S.,” the article said.

A milestone for Manchester scouting

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, Goffstown resident Zoie Hall broke new ground by becoming the first female Eagle Scout in the 55-year history of her scout troop, Troop 106 in Manchester, according to a Troop 106 press release. Only about 4 percent of Scouts attain the rank of Eagle Scout, the release said.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “For her required community service project, she portrayed leadership and organization skills in renovating the function hall at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Manchester. She also reached out to local businesses for donations and to organize eight separate fundraisers to earn over $6000 needed to fund her Eagle project,” the release said.

Thirsty trees

According to a Dec. 2 online article by New Hampshire Public Radio, this year’s lack of rainfall has affected this season’s crop of Christmas trees, but not as much as you might expect. “Experts say when the drought intensified in late summer this year, evergreens were generally in a better spot than other trees,” the NHPR story read.

QOL score: -1 for this year, but stay tuned for future tree shortages

Comment: The full effects of this year’s drought might not be felt for several years. NHPR quoted Steve Roberge, the state forester for the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. “[Droughts] are just tough on newly planted trees,” he said. “And so there may be a lot of mortality that we see in Christmas trees planted this year.”

QOL score: 77

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 79

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

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

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.

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