NH Audubon in Concord showcases artist Jackie Hanson
Starting Tuesday, March 12, the artwork of New Hampshire native Jackie Hanson will be on display at the Susan N. McLane Audubon Center at 84 Silk Road.
“It is a really nice space,” Hanson said, describing the venue. “Great natural light, plenty of wall space — I feel like I need to make a few more pieces before I hang the show.”
Hanson, a 2022 Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from New England College (after the New Hampshire Art Institute merged with the school) was thrilled to be asked by the New Hampshire Audubon to exhibit her collection titled “Human/Nature.”
“I do a lot of landscapes and other nature-based things,” Hanson said. This will be her third showing since September.
“I had my art hang at two different public libraries last year,” she said. “The first one was Nashua Public Library. That was in September and October. Then my work went to Amherst Town Library in December.”
The NH Audubon describes this collection on their website as “immersive landscapes that feature both well-known and overlooked vantages.”
Hanson likes to pick and choose how to express an image.
“This show will all be in soft pastel,” Hanson said, “which is kind of like a chalk. That’s what that series of work is, but apart from that I also like to use watercolors, acrylic, wash … I like to jump around in different mediums. I find that if I do switch now and then, then I am better at all of them when I switch again.”
The collection for this show is solid. “I believe I have around 15 or 20 pieces. The biggest one that I have is called ‘Annie C Maguire Shipwrecked Here 1886.’” The painting measures 30 by 62 inches installed.“It is a four-panel, I guess quadriptych, of a panoramic view at Portland headlight in Maine. I named it that because there is a rock that you can see that they have to repaint it every few months because of the tide, but it says the name of a shipwreck that happened there.”
Hanson, as the NH Audubon points out, enjoys the vantage points less traveled.
“I have done a few pieces in this way, where I went to an iconic landscape in New England and I kind of turned away from the classic view, which in this case would be the lighthouse,” Hanson said. “I had it behind me and I was taking a view of the little cove next to it instead. And you can actually see the place that most people stand to take their photo of the lighthouse in my painting.”
Hanson grew up in an artistic family; her mother is an artist and has “always been doing artwork,” she said. “My family and my mom have shaped my idea of what’s beautiful in the world. So I like to promote that with other people, to look for beauty in everyday moments. ”
“I have a full-time job and it can be tricky,” she said; Hanson makes the most of her time, though, “painting at night and on the weekends. As we get into the warmer months, I do a lot of art and craft fairs on the weekends. You can find me all around the state and sometimes into Maine or Massachusetts, bringing my art and prints and cards and stickers of my art to different places. I like to do pop-ups, making it accessible to everyday people to have artwork in their homes. That’s a lot of how I get my art income. I do have my work at a store in Contoocook called Maple Street Mercantile as well.” The majority of her pieces will be for sale at the McLane Center.
Be on the lookout for future shows from Hanson.
“I just finished up an unrelated series that’s in mostly acrylic but some mixed media that’s botanicals, mostly house plants. I wanted to make sure that they had a distinctly feminine aesthetic.” As she sees it, “a lot of the high art world and some of the academic art world doesn’t think that things considered feminine are necessarily worthy…. So, a lot of pink, a lot of vibrant colors. I was thinking: art by a woman for women.”
Human/Nature Where: McLane Audubon Center, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord When: March 12 through May 17; the gallery is open Tuesdays through Fridays 11 a.m to 5 p.m. An artist reception will be held Saturday, March 23, from 2 to 4 p.m.
More info: “Looking Back: Owl’s Head” by Jackie Hansonart. Courtesy Photo.
A quartet of Broadway actors in need of a reputation reboot and a gay high school student looking to disrupt the status quo in her small town are at the center of The Prom, a musical that’s at turns heartwarming and hilarious. The latest production from the Palace Theatre, it will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through March 24.
Creative Director Carl Rajotte decided to do the show after watching a Netflix adaptation of it with Palace staff during the pandemic.
“We just all loved it,” he said in a recent phone interview. “People cried, we all laughed; we thought this should be something that we put in our season once we reopened.”
The story begins as diva actors Dee Dee Allen and Barry Glickman are finishing opening night of Eleanor: The Eleanor Roosevelt Story. The musical is immediately panned by the critics for missing the point. Both actors are slammed for being narcissistic and out of touch. Dee Dee is played by Michelle Rajotte, seen most recently in Dancing Queens. Jay Falzone plays Barry; it’s the ninth production for the Palace veteran.
Crestfallen, the two decide to combine altruism and public relations and look for a cause. With help from Trent Oliver, an underemployed Juilliard graduate (Richard Gomez), and Angie Dickinson, an actress who wants to move beyond 20 years in the Chicago chorus line (Katie Harvey), they learn about Emma (played by Palace newcomer Juliana Chimenti), whose attempt to take her girlfriend to the prom caused the whole thing to be canceled.
To the soundtrack of the un-self-aware anthem “Changing Lives,” the four hatch a plan to love-bomb the prom back into existence. Hopping on the bus with Trent, who’s in a non-union touring company of Godspell, they head to Indiana and an incredulous reception. The object of their crusade (mixing in Godspell is a lovely touch) is among the most bewildered.
Of course, the well-meaning bunch is undeterred. Like four bedazzled bulls in a China shop, they push their Big Apple agenda, as it were (“I’m a liberal from New York who’s come to save you!” Trent shouts at one point), on a cornfield community. Gratefully, life lessons outnumber caricatures, and The Prom’s heart shines through in the end.
The Prom’s greatest strength is taking a serious topic and leavening it with outsized humor, while weaving in compelling subplots to move the action along. The Broadway-loving (and Emma ally) high school principal who has a lifelong crush on Dee Dee, and Barry vicariously living his dashed high school prom hopes through Emma, are among the entanglements that carry things forward — along with great songs.
Ultimately, it succeeds because of what’s stumbled upon in an errant pursuit of redemption.
“It’s a comedy but it has so much heart too, it’s so charming,” Rajotte said. “Elites from the big city come thinking that they’ll bowl over the small town and they begin to learn where the soul of this place is, and they learn about themselves as well in the process.”
In preparing for the show, Rajotte was surprised to learn that playwright Jack Viertel got the idea for The Prom from a real event. “In Mississippi in 2010, a girl went to her school and asked to bring her girlfriend, and she wanted to wear a tux and they ended up canceling the whole prom,” he said. “That kind of hit me hard; that’s why this show is just so important.”
A few years back, Rajotte helped with a prom for teenagers in the Palace’s Youth Theatre program; it opened his eyes. “I thought … we’ll put some music up, dance a little bit,” he said. “But then I talked to the kids; one came to me, and this hit me like a brick wall. He said, ‘thank you so much for doing this…. I love it here more than school because I’m able to dance and be myself, and no one will make fun of me.’”
The moment reminded him why the show’s message matters. “Being inclusive and taking a moment to step in someone else’s shoes for a second before you judge … see it from another point of view and see how much someone can be hurt because of that,” he said. With The Prom, “we’re trying to get that message across, of course, with a ton of humor.”
The Prom When: Fridays, March 8, March 15 and March 22, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, March 9, March 16 and March 23, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays, March 10, March 17 and March 24, at 2 p.m. Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester Tickets: $28 and up at palactheatre.org
Local Eateries talk about how they’re faring, Plus a pairing of restaurants and theater in Manchester
Running a restaurant has never been easy.
The past four years have surpassed the definition of “challenging” for the restaurant industry — from the pandemic that shut New Hampshire restaurants down in March 2020 to all the supply chain, staffing and inflation issues that have come after. So how’s it going now?
How it’s going
Less than optimal, according to Todd Roy, owner of Cheers Grille and Bar in Concord.
“It’s not great,” he said. “Everything is down; I can tell you that.”
Roy blames a combination of inflation and too many restaurants in the Concord area.
“There’s just not enough population to support all of us,” he said. But he sees inflation as a bigger challenge to his business. Rent, utilities, and especially food costs have gone up, but there are secondary effects as well. When money is tight, he clarifies, restaurant patrons have to set priorities: “Going out to eat goes farther down the list.”
“We’re all struggling. I’ve added breakfast on the weekends to raise our revenue,” Roy said.
Jeff Paige, chef and co-owner of Cotton in Manchester, is happier about business conditions. “Business has been great,” Paige said. Overall, his regulars have been very loyal.
“We’ve been able to build a relationship with our customers over the years,” Paige said. “A few of them come in so regularly that they call in to let us know if they can’t make it in.”
He agrees that staffing can be challenging. Cotton, which pre-pandemic was open weekdays for lunch, has had to drop lunch service.
“Lunch was busy; we just didn’t have the staff,” Paige said. Fortunately, most of Paige’s core kitchen staff have been with him for 20 years or more. “We make sure we take care of those people. We’re fortunate that we’ve been able to pay more than a lot of other restaurants.”
Amanda Wihby, co-owner and COO of Red Arrow, agrees that business is good. During uncertain times customers crave comfort food — something that diners like the Red Arrow specialize in.
“It’s been a tumultuous four years,” she said. “We’re finally coming out of the effects of the pandemic. Because of inflation, we’re seeing the customers coming back.”
Takeout. Photo by John Fladd.
Ready to eat?
Keith Sarasin, cookbook author, chef and owner of The Farmer’s Dinner Dining Group, sees a change in many restaurant customers, who have traditionally had conservative tastes in food. “It’s encouraging,” he said. “People are embracing foods that they aren’t familiar with — that haven’t been represented in the mainstream up until now. The education piece has been much higher for the average diner. As a chef, that’s super encouraging.”
He also sees more of a relationship between customers and individual chefs.
“I’m seeing trends where people are getting involved with the [local] chef community. I see diners following chefs from restaurant to restaurant,” Sarasin said.
Chris Viaud, the chef and owner of Greenleaf (serving seasonal, contemporary American style food) and Ansamn (Haitian cuisine) restaurants in Milford, has been surprised and gratified by the loyalty of his customers over the past few years.
“Our guests have been so supportive,” he said. “In 2019, we got off to a great start, then boom! But our customers have been supportive of both our restaurants, coming out during Covid and helping build us back up.”
Viaud, too, sees customers becoming more adventurous.
“They’re definitely more sophisticated than they used to be,” he said. “Diners do want to see different and new things. As a chef, my excitement comes from being able to adapt and change. I’m excited that there is such excitement for new and different cuisines.”
Chef Chris Viaud. Courtesy Photo.
On the menu
While traditional comfort foods will always play an important role in New Hampshire dining, across the board, cuisine diversity was frequently mentioned as the biggest change in the local restaurant scene.
“I think we’re getting more international food,” said Jessica Martin, Executive Director of Intown Concord. “We’ve got our classics, but we’re getting a lot more restaurants in Concord that reflect how diverse our population is becoming.” She cited Batulo’s Kitchen, a Concord restaurant that specializes in Somali-inspired cuisine, as one example.
“There’s Buba Noodle (a Vietnamese restaurant), N’awlins Grille (Creole), and STREET, which specializes in dishes inspired by street food from around the world,” Martin said.
Sarasin agrees that the New Hampshire restaurant community is embracing diversity and food from around the world. He points to Classic Biryani, Kabab and Curry — an Indian restaurant on Manchester’s West Side.
“I travel all over the country, tasting food everywhere. As far as I’m concerned, this is the best kebab house in the country. It’s incredibly encouraging that a community like Manchester can support an Indian restaurant of that quality,” Sarasin said.
Wihby of the Red Arrow agrees.
“I’d like to see even more diversity in fine-dining restaurants,” she said. “It would be great to see more places popping up.” She expressed a fondness for Thai Food Connection, which has restaurants in Manchester and Bedford.
Viaud, whose Ansanm restaurant in Milford specializes in Haitian-fusion cuisine, feels vindicated by the expansion of offerings.
“Coming up in the industry, you get pigeonholed,” Viaud said. “I feel strongly that this is my background, and I want to share it. Customers have definitely become more sophisticated. Indian, Mexican, Italian — they’re open to it all.”
Kaji Maharjan of Kathmandu Spice, a Nepali/Indian restaurant in Manchester, said before Covid most of his business was in-house dining.
“2021 was a very bad year, though,” Maharjan said. “Now, 25 to 30 percent of our customers eat here; the rest of our business is takeout, at this point.”
He said that in addition to customers using Grubhub, UberEats and DoorDash, his restaurant has changed its online presence. “Now people can order online or call in their orders,” which, he said, translates into even more takeout business.
Maharjan said that over the past year, however, in-house dining has been on the rise.
“There are more people eating here,” he said. “It’s slowly getting better.”
Cheers. Courtesy Photo.
What’s next
According to Jessica Martin at IntownConcord, there are some very positive developments on the horizon. She points to the Capitol Center For the Arts’ Culinary Artist in Residence program, which works with newly arrived community members who want to start a food business. The culinary residents are able to use the Capitol Center’s two commercial kitchens to develop a customer base and to work out recipes on a commercial scale.
She also points to State Street Kitchen’s incubator program, which helps provide equipment and training for prospective small food businesses. Traditional restaurant models are changing. “We’ve been working on bringing more food trucks to the area,” she said, such as the food trucks that show up for the monthly First Friday shopping events.
Jeff Paige at Cotton sees more changes to traditional service models in the future.
“I’m seeing a trend toward dinner-only service,” he said. Staffing issues and kitchen efficiencies make eliminating lunch more attractive to restaurant owners. He also points to the difficulty of staying open seven days a week.
“Tuesday through Sunday makes the most sense for most of us,” he said, “and holiday Mondays.” Paige said that although the past few years have been tough, he’s cautiously optimistic. “We’re doing really well and a few of our friends who own restaurants are doing well, too.”
Kaji Maharjan at Kathmandu Spice agrees. His restaurant has been open seven days a week for years, but has just started closing on Tuesdays.
“Being open all the time is just too hard,” he said. “My staff needs a break.”
Roy at Cheers continues to worry about rising business costs: “I just signed a three-year contract with my food reps to keep prices down.”
Sarasin sees New Hampshire’s restaurant scene as only becoming more diverse, and more focused on superior ingredients. “More small, chef-driven restaurants centered around high-quality, fresh, seasonal ingredients are going to thrive,” he said.
Viaud sees area restaurants working together to build a culinary community where restaurants play off each other. As customers at one restaurant open themselves up to new experiences, hopefully they will take that spirit of adventure with them to other restaurants.
Different restaurants with different cuisines pull together to build a common culinary vocabulary. “I’m hoping the industry continues to be collaborative,” he said.
Chef Keith Sarasin. Courtesy photo.
Great Manchester Restaurant Week
Greater Manchester Restaurant Week runs through March 14. The Greater Manchester Chamber and the Palace Theatre are working together this year, to promote the Palace’s production of the Broadway musical The Prom (running weekends March 1 to March 24) by collaborating with more than 25 participating Manchester restaurants, who will have special offerings from custom cocktails to prix-fixe meals.
“Pairing a Restaurant Week with the Palace Theatre’s production of Prom is quite a creative way to experience the culinary and cultural contributions of the Greater Manchester community,” said Cole Riel, Director of Small Business and Community Development at the Greater Manchester Chamber, in a press release.
“We’ve been wanting to sponsor a restaurant week for a couple of years now,” says Kelsey Collins, the Marketing Director for the Palace Theatre. “Prom is a new show for us and we’re very excited about it, so we decided to do it now.”
The Prom is a musical comedy about four overly enthusiastic Broadway actors who try to help an Indiana teenager, who has been banned from attending her prom. Their over-the-top efforts are overwhelming to the teenage girl, who just wants to be left alone.
Many participating restaurants will be serving prom-themed cocktails and meals. Campo Enoteca has developed a pair of bespoke cocktails called “The King of Prom” and “The Queen of Prom.” The Gyro Spot is featuring an “After Prom Special” — two gyros of the customer’s choice, and a special chocolate-covered loukoumades. Current Kitchen & Bar at DoubleTree is serving a Honey Nut Cheerios ‘Prom-tini’ with Honey Nut Cheerios-infused rum, Angry Orchard hard cider and honey cinnamon simple syrup.
“A lot of theater-goers are going out to dinner,” Collins explains, “either before or after a show. This is a good way to let them know about the great restaurants in the area, and vice versa.”
The Prom is running at the Palace Theatre until March 21. For tickets and a list of participating restaurants, see palacetheatre.org/restaurant-week.
According to a March 4 newsletter from the New Hampshire Audubon Society, the mated pair of peregrine falcons is active in the nest box at the top of the Brady Sullivan Building in downtown Manchester. They have successfully defended the nesting spot from interlopers, such as an adult falcon and the NH Audubon during a cleaning, the newsletter said. Dedicated webcams have monitored the nest since the spring of 2003. According to The Peregrine Fund (peregrinefund.org), peregrine falcons faced extinction in the 1960s and ’70s, due to the widespread use of DDT, an insecticide that worked its way through the food web and weakened peregrines’ egg shells. Since the banning of DDT, peregrine populations have rebounded, particularly in urban areas where there are plenty of ledge-like nesting places and a large supply of pigeons, the website said. Manchester’s peregrine nest box can be seen from three angles on their own YouTube channel: youtube.com/@peregrinenetworks5080.
QOL score: +1
Comments:Manchester pigeons give it a QOL score of -5.
Scroll saws for shop class
The nonprofit Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers has donated four new scroll saws to the Shop program at Franklin Middle School. In a Feb. 29 press release, Franklin Middle School Tech Ed teacher Kate Evans said that within a week’s time, seventh and eighth grade students in woodshop have been able to independently and safely create projects using the new scroll saws, changing blades as needed, and work collaboratively to create cut-outs and puzzles. The Guild hopes to partner with other schools across the state. For more information or to donate, visit www.gnhw.org.
QOL score: +1
Comments:According to Guild president Elliot Savitzky in the statement, “It’s all part of our effort to expand the diversity of the Guild. We are bridging our rich history of furniture and cabinet making since the 1700s by promoting woodworking and passing the torch to our future generations.”
Nobody’s searching for ‘X’ apparently
According to a recent study by digital marketing agency Hennessey Digital, New Hampshire is the ninth most social media-obsessed state in the country. According to a March 4 press release, the research studied the average number of internet searches for “Facebook,” “Instagram,” “TikTok,” “YouTube,” “Reddit,” “LinkedIn” and “Pinterest” in each U.S. state. New Hampshire, with 133,911 searches per 100,000 people per month, seems to be less enthusiastic about social media than eighth-place Georgia with 134,690, but slightly more fixated than 10th-ranked North Carolina with 133,110.
QOL score: -1
Comments:Oregon seems to be the most preoccupied state with 140,376 such searches per 100,000 people per month, according to the press release.
QOL score: 59
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 61
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., 624-6550, manchester.lib.nh.us.) will host a performance by the New England Irish Harp Orchestra today at 6:30 p.m. The New England Irish Harp Orchestra performs traditional Irish dance tunes, slow airs and songs, according to the library website, where you can register for the free event. See neiho.org for more on the orchestra and to hear their music.
Friday, March 8
The Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S Main St. in Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com) presents Romeo and Juliet as presented by S—Faced Shakespeare, an entirely serious production of the Shakespeare play but with one cast member drinking throughout the show and growing progressively more intoxicated. The show starts at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $39.75 in advance, $5 more at the door.
Saturday, March 9
Today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Manchester Harley-Davidson (115 John E. Devine Dr., 782-4997, manchesterharley.com) will hold Part 2 of its Custom Audio Bike Build, a live demonstration by a master technician of how to design a custom sound system for a motorcycle.
Saturday, March 9
Comedian Steve Sweeney will perform tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Greenside Restaurant function room (360 Laconia Road in Tilton). Tickets cost $25 and are available in advance at birdease.com/comedyshow. Find more comedy this weekend and beyond in the Comedy This Week listings on page 36.
Saturday, March 9
Dance to the music of Bad Bunny tonight at Benito’s Birthday Bash at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; nashucenterforthearts.com) at 8 p.m. Bad Bunny will not be there but fans can celebrate his March 10 birthday with DJs playing all of his hits, according to the website, where you can get tickets (which cost $19 to $24).
Sunday, March 10
The 2024 Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship to benefit Dartmouth Health Children’s and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD) will take place at SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; 644-5000, snhuarena.com) at 1 p.m. This annual game brings together firefighters, first responders and police officers to fight it out for charity. Tickets cost $16 and are free for children 5 and younger.
Save the Date! Sunday, March 24 The Citizens Bank Shamrock Shuffle will take place on March 24, shortly before Manchester’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The course for the annual run/walk will be 2 miles long. A 100-yard fun run for children 8 years old and younger will start at 10:30 a.m. The Shamrock Shuffle itself will begin at 11 a.m. The race will start and finish at Veterans Park on Elm Street in downtown Manchester. Participants can register online at runreg.com/shamrock. Millennium Running, the organizer of the event, can be reached at 488-1186, millenniumrunning.com.
The Big Story – Patriots Rebuild Strategy: Withthe NFL’s new calendar year two weeks away from beginning (March 13), the Patriots are on the clock. The first task is to decide what they want to be and who from 2023 should be part of that.
Then the first issues are filling two holes on the o-line, adding team speed, especially on offense, and of course what to do at quarterback. We’ll start with QB today and discuss the others throughout March.
Sports 101: Alabama and Purdue each have a most-in-history three alumni QBs who led their teams to a Super Bowl win. Name those players.
News Item – Patriots QB Question: I know MacJones was awful last year. But, since this is going to be a two-year rebuild at the least, my general feeling is unless they can get the guy, they are better off filling in as many other holes as they can before bringing in the long-term solution next year. Because having the infrastructure in place first gives young QBs a much better shot at success.
I’m OK with a short-term solution like BakerMayfield. But, and I know I’m probably crazy, I can live with seeing what Mac can do with actual talent at the skill positions if he wins the job in camp. It nags at me why he was pretty good in 2021 and hadn’t been since.
Maybe because I know what JimPlunkett became (again) after he was run out amid howling fandom and Mac’s situation is similar. Besides, if he’s bad again, they’ll likely be at the top of the draft to make it easier to draft or trade for a good one.
News Item – Crazy New College Hoops World: With the NCAA Basketball Tourney on the horizon, raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of St. Mary’s College. For those of us who complain that nothing changes among the top teams, tiny St. Mary’s from Morgana, California, (wherever that is) headed to the dance after somehow climbing to be ranked 21st in the country.
The Numbers:
0.9 – assists per game Denver center NikolaJokic is away from becoming the third player in NBA history to average a triple down in a season with per game averages of 26 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists.
… Of the Week Awards
Honors – Buddy Teevens: Nice to see Dartmouth will rename its football field BuddyTeevens Stadium at Memorial Field to honor their late coach who died last September from injuries suffered in an off-season bicycle accident.
Thanks for the Memories – Matthew Slater: Upon his retirement after 16 years of stellar play on Patriots special teams and overall leadership. Well done, young fella.
Thumbs Up – Scot Pollard: For news the short-time Celtic came through heart transplant surgery well last week. It followed an arduous search for a heart large enough to support the demands of his 7-foot frame.
A Little History –The Historic 100-Point Game: March 2 is the anniversary of WiltChamberlain’s seemingly impossible 100-point game in a 169-147 win over the Knicks in 1962. Here are a few interesting facts.
It was a “visiting home” game in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with no TV broadcast or any film of the game at all. The notoriously bad free throw-shooting Wilt was 28 for 32 from the line and 36 on (a whopping) 63 FG attempts. Three Knicks players, RichieGuerin (39), ClevelandBuckner (33) and WillieNaulls (31), scored 30+. And, oh by the way, Wilt had 25 rebounds as well.
Random Thoughts:
I don’t know if any NBA team has ever had three guys from the same NCAA championship-winning team like the Knicks have in JalenBrunson, DonteDiVincenzo and JoshHart from the 2016 Villanova team. That’s kinda cool.
Sports 101 Answer: The six SB winning QBs are, from Alabama, Bart Starr, Joe Namath and KennyStabler, and from Purdue, LenDawson, BobGriese and DrewBrees.
Final Thought – Spring Baseball Update: A curious side note to the opening of spring training is the plight of BlakeSnell. That the reigning NL Cy Young winner remains unsigned in free agency is a surprise to some. But given his asking of $30 million per for nine years, it may be a sign folks in baseball are not always as dumb as they’ve acted since 1976. Yes, he won his second Cy in 2023, but with a measly 14 wins. Big deal. And between 2023 and when he won his 21-5 Cy Young year of 2018 he was 25-26 and never won more than eight games, which came in 2022, when he lost 10 times. So who in their right mind would give this 31-year-old a nine-year deal, especially when he’s averaged just 23 starts his last five seasons?
Well, actually giant money has often been wasted on guys coming off a big season they never matched again. But for once it appears sanity temporarily reigns.
The Big Story – The Streaking Celtics: Their winning streak hit 11 games on Sunday as they annihilated nemesis Golden State 140-88 on national TV. So with just 22 games left to play, they start the week with an 8.5 -game lead in the Eastern Conference and 6 up on OKC out west for home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Next up is the five-game road trip that started Tuesday in Cleveland. Followed by toughies in Denver and Phoenix, who they’ll face again back home the game after the trip concludes. They come through that stretch 4-2 or better, they’ll lock the top spot.
Sports 101: Who has played in the most games in NBA history?
News Item – Sunday’s Record-Breaking Demolition: It’s true 50+-point wins in the NBA are generally a shake-it-off aberration. But to counter Stephen A. Blowhard’s post-game comments about that, this wasn’t, for two reasons.
First, because they’re the first NBA team to ever win by 50+ three times in the same season. That says they’re scary when rolling.
Second, while GS will just forget about it, the Celtics need to learn how to beat the Warriors. Especially Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who’ve had a series of duds to downright chokes vs. GS, including during the 2022 Finals and while blowing a 19-point lead to them in a December loss.
Other notables from the game include holding Steph Curry to just four points, Brown throwing five first-quarter 3-balls in Draymond Green’s face as he dared him to shoot, and the Jays going for a combined 56 points in 47 minutes before being yanked with them up 52 points. Oh, and they did it with Kristaps Porzingis getting yet another unnecessary day off by Uncle Joe.
News Item – Priority Free Agents Moves: NFL free agency opens next week and after releasing J.C. Jackson the Patriots have a most-in-the-NFL $100 million to spend. Here are a few suggestions for how to proceed.
Top Priority – Michael Onwenu: A talent-devoid team can not let its best players walk. Especially when there’s only one other tackle in the Top 100 free agents. Franchise him. It’s only for a year and draft his replacement.
Kyle Dugger: The D’s leader is the other must-keep guy. He’ll probably cost $17 million to make it $37 million combined for both. Do it.
Top FA Target – Cincy OT Jonah Williams: Not great, but the best of free agent tackles. If the O-line is set, they’ll have a better focus going into the draft with the third overall pick.
Wide Receiver: This depends on whether they’re going QB at 3. If so, then they must target at least one speed receiver like Calvin Ridley or Indy’s Michael Pittman.
Home Run Pick – Saquon Barkley: Not sure what he’ll cost, but he’s a playmaker who, teamed with low-cost Rhamondre Stevenson, will give the O versatility, unpredictability and insurance against one going down to injury.
The Numbers:
19 – inconsequential points scored by Kyrie Irving in his latest boo-filled Boston visit as the C’s croaked Dallas 138-110 on Friday.
21 – average margin of victory during that 11-game Celtics winning streak.
40,000 – career point milestone reached on Friday by LeBron James as he became the first in NBA history to do that.
… Of the Week Awards
Saddest Note of the Week – Jay Dufour: It was the passing of the friend to many, former Central basketball coach and long-time assistant to Stan Siprou at NHC/SNHU. He was a great basketball coach, a wonderful guy and even better human being. RIP my friend.
Game-Winning Miracle of the Week: A desperation heave by Cleveland’s Max Strus to stun Dallas after they’d taken the lead with two seconds left. Since the Cavs had no time out, Max let fly from 59 feet for a miracle 121-119 win.
Sports 101 Answer: With 1,611 the great Robert Parish played in the most games in NBA history.
Final Thought – Mock Drafts: While mock drafts are fun, please don’t be like my college friend John Garner, who emails every
