Several news organizations are reporting that important strides have been made during a marathon negotiation session that went into the early morning hours Wednesday.
Reports at ESPN and NFL.com, among others, are reporting the news.
While many big issues remain, the idea has been floated that reaching a deal and having regular NFL refs back on the field could come as soon as this weekend.
Posted in Sports
BOSTON (AP) — The season can’t end quickly enough for the Boston Red Sox.
David Price struck out 13 as the Tampa Bay Rays beat Boston 5-2 on Tuesday night to remain in playoff contention and hand the Red Sox yet another loss.
The reeling Red Sox have lost five of their last six games, 19 of 26 and are 34-46 at Fenway Park — their worst home record since going 34-47 in 1965.
“I think this year as a whole is going to leave a sour taste in a lot of guys’ mouths,” said starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, who lost his fourth straight decision. “To know that you don’t want to be at that point again, I think that’s going to drive just about everybody in this clubhouse to be prepared and to do what they have to do to be ready for spring next year and to begin the season.” Continue reading
SEATTLE (AP) — Just when the anger and complaints from a weekend of contempt toward replacement officials couldn’t get any hotter, a disputed call trumps it all.
Replacement ref rage peaked Monday night thanks to Seattle’s Golden Tate, and a bizarre touchdown call that will be debated, questioned and re-ignite frustrations over the locked-out officials.
Tate pushed a Green Bay defender out of the way, wrestled another for the ball and was awarded a touchdown on the final play to give the Seahawks a 14-12 victory over the Packers.
The game wasn’t over for another 10 minutes after both teams went to their locker rooms and were summoned back to the field for the extra point. But that was just the cap to one of the most bizarre finishes in recent memory. Continue reading
Posted in Sports
The Central VermontTwin City Riot hosted the Sea Cost New Hampshire Roller Derby’s Poison Pixies at the Aud in Barre Saturday night. Times Argus photographer Mark Collier was there to record the mayhem.
Mark Collier / Staff Photo
As Twin City Riot jammer Quad Shot (Star on helmet) breaks through the pack, Randioactive trys to shut her down and stop thew Riot from scoring. Continue reading
Posted in Barre, Central Vermont, Sports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Boston Red Sox guaranteed their first losing season in 15 years with a very fitting performance — a rout at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, Alfredo Aceves and Daniel Bard all struggled to record outs as the Red Sox were beaten 13-3 on Wednesday night.
“We threw too many pitches. We must have thrown 200-plus pitches,” Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. “(It was) tough to look at. Walks are the killer bee.”
Six Red Sox pitchers threw 173 pitches and walked 10, six in the Rays’ seven-run sixth inning. Desmond Jennings hit a two-run triple, and the Rays snapped a four-game losing streak. Continue reading
Springfield’s youth wrestling team invites everyone to pick up a voucher and enjoy a meal at the Friendly’s Restaurant in the Springfield Shopping Plaza anytime during the week of September 23-29.
Friendly’s will donate 20 percent of your bill to the team, through the Springfield Parks & Recreation Department.
Posted in Okemo Valley, Sports, Springfield
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Felix Doubront had been trying for this victory for a while.
Doubront limited Tampa Bay’s sputtering offense to one hit over six innings and the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 7-5 win that dealt another blow to the Rays’ fading playoff hopes on Tuesday night.
Doubront (11-9) earned his first victory since July 18, when he beat the Chicago White Sox. He was 0-5 with a 7.38 ERA in his previous eight starts. Continue reading
BOSTON — Derek Jeter didn’t let an injury stop him from tying Willie Mays for 10th place on the career hits list or helping the New York Yankees stay tied for the AL East lead.
An aching left ankle limited Jeter to the designated hitter’s role on Thursday night. But his RBI single in the seventh inning provided a cushion for Phil Hughes and helped the Yankees win consecutive games for the first time in a month with a 2-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
New York kept pace with the Baltimore Orioles, who completed a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with a 3-2, 14-inning win. Continue reading
BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox were pretty fired up for a team supposedly playing out the final weeks of the season.
Manager Bobby Valentine and Cody Ross were both ejected in the eighth inning — along with third-base coach Jerry Royster — after heated arguments with home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez in Boston’s 5-4 loss to the longtime rival New York Yankees on Wednesday night.
Ross was called out on strikes to end the inning with a runner second. He turned around, raised his bat above his head with both hands and started screaming at Marquez. He was quickly tossed and had to be restrained by Valentine and Royster.
“Cody was really upset,” Valentine said. “I was just doing everything I could to get Cody away from him.”
Valentine was tossed after he went back to the dugout.
“I didn’t argue when I was on the field because I pulled both of my hamstrings trying to keep Cody away from the umpires,” he said.
In a rotten season, the Red Sox may be embracing their role as spoilers. Continue reading
From the Sunday Rutland Herald and Times Argus, we had a story by Christian Avard on a Windsor sculptor with an idea on how to create some healing out of the 7-foot-high statue of Joe Paterno that used to stand outside the Penn State football stadium.
WINDSOR — A Windsor sculptor with Pennsylvania ties is suggesting that Penn State University trustees put the statue of late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno to meaningful use now that it’s no longer on display at Beaver Stadium.
Lawrence Nowlan is a nationally renowned sculptor who created the bronze statues of former Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas and the Wildland Firefighters National Monument in Boise, Idaho.
The 7-foot bronze statue of Paterno was removed after the iconic coach was implicated in the cover-up of child sexual abuse in the Penn State football scandal.
Posted in News, Southern Vermont, Sports, Windsor County