Saturday, August 25, 2012
This week the MBTA debuted its own mascot. Have you seen it? Will "Charlie" join the pantheon of Wally the Green Monster and Pat the Patriot?
It's fair to say the MBTA doesn't have a cute and cuddly image. But the transit agency tried softening its public persona this week with the debut of Charlie — a plush mascot. He's modeled, of course, on the famed character from the song "Charlie on the MTA," who couldn't afford a fare hike and was doomed to ride the rails forever. This week he came to life as a $5,000 fedora-wearing suited commuter. The cost of the suit was underwritten by Mass Bay Credit Union, according to the Globe. Charlie will be seen at events around Boston. Can he become as much a symbol of Boston as Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster or the Patriots' Pat the Patriot?
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The Boston City Council passed an ordinance on Wednesday to create mandatory concussion safety training for permitted organizations on all Boston playing fields, rinks and leagues.
If an independent athletic group wants to use Boston's facilities, they'll have to first provide concussion safety training to all coaches, players, referees, trainers and volunteers. A new ordinance makes the training a prerequisite for a permit to use city-owned facilities. The Boston City Council passed the ordinance at its Wednesday meeting. The ordinance, sponsored by Council President Stephen Murphy, was previously discussed in a March 14 public hearing and two working council committee sessions. The two main points of the ordinance "concerns the procedures organizations should follow in the event of a concussive injury." And second "requires any independent athletic organization seeking a permit to use city-owned facilities to …
Sunday, July 29, 2012
The Summer Olympics began Friday, but how well do you know the Games? All this week, Patch will post trivia questions to test your knowledge.
From Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to Nadia Comăneci receiving the first perfect 10 in 1976, there have been several unforgettable moments in Olympic history. As hundreds of world-class athletes prepare to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games beginning July 27, Patch is celebrating the start of the games by posting Olympic trivia questions all this week. Scroll below to see the correct answers. 1. Which team leads all other teams in the Opening Ceremony procession? 2. The Games were not held in which of the following years? 3. How did the Olympic flame arrive in England for the 2012 Games? 4. What contest of team strength was an official Olympic event from 1900 to 1920? Looking for a way to…
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The Summer Olympics began Friday, but how well do you know the Games? All this week, Patch will post trivia questions to test your knowledge.
From Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to Nadia Comăneci receiving the first perfect 10 in 1976, there have been several unforgettable moments in Olympic history. As hundreds of world-class athletes prepare to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games beginning July 27, Patch is celebrating the start of the games by posting Olympic trivia questions all this week. Scroll below to see the correct answers. 1. Which country has won at least one gold medal in every Summer Games? 2. What color of medal was presented to the winners in the first modern Olympics in 1896? 3. Who won a gold medal for the 100 meter in 1924 and was featured in the film Chariots of Fire? 4. Which of these colors is not on the Olympics…
With dozens of local athletes and hundreds of events, finding who is on when is tough—but here are the times for Massachusetts' Olympians.
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Saturday, July 28, 2012
2012 London Olympics excitement begins in a few days. But there are so many events, that finding the ones you want to watch can be tough. Patch has sifted through the schedules so you will know when the local athletes will be in action and when you can watch. NBC and its networks announced it will show every event, so no matter who you are rooting for you should be able to find his or her competition. Some will be streamed live on the NBC Olympics website’s Live Extra. The opening ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympics are not until Friday, but the competition begins Wednesday including the U.S. women’s soccer team’s game against France at noon Eastern time on NBC Sports Network. See when Olympians from the Bay State will compete: Note: …
Friday, July 27, 2012
The Summer Olympics begin today, but how well do you know the Games? All this week, Patch will post trivia questions to test your knowledge.
From Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to Nadia Comăneci receiving the first perfect 10 in 1976, there have been several unforgettable moments in Olympic history. As hundreds of world-class athletes prepare to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games beginning July 27, Patch is celebrating the start of the games by posting Olympic trivia questions all this week. Scroll down for the correct answers. 2. Which of these is no longer an Olympic event? 3. In 1904, American George Eyser won three golds, two silvers and a bronze in gymnastics. Besides the number of medals he took home, what was remarkable about his achievement? 4. How many perfect 10s was Nadia Comaneci awarded during the 1976 Olympics…
I’m not trying to raise an Olympian, but I hope the Games will inspire my kids to try something new.
It’s the kind of hunger you wish to see more of: a child’s desire to improve, learn more, maybe even be the best. A fire in the belly to achieve – not the kind that’s sated with a cracker. At my house, the demand is more about handfuls of Goldfish than craving sailing or swimming lessons, some impulses we’d welcome. But the 2012 Olympic Games could change all that. As we turn on the TV this week to close-ups of determined faces and stories of how the Olympic athletes got there, I’m hoping a little inspiration leaks out of the tube and into my kids. They may be weak in their genetic gifts for sport, thanks to me. But can I expect that, out of dozens of events over 16 days, they might discover something worth trying? There are the kind of …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
The growing network of shared bikes is adding 11 Boston stations soon.
You've seen tourists and commuters pedaling along the city's streets on the unmistakeable "Hubway" shared bicycles. Or perhaps you're among the network's growing legion of users. Either way, expect more of the shared bikes soon, as the city opens 11 new Hubway stations. The expansion will add 400 bikes to the system, according to the Herald. Expansion continues outside Boston, too, as 30 more stations will soon be up and working in Somerville, Cambridge and Brookline. Hubway users pay a membership fee, plus charges for rides more than 30 minutes. The city's acting bike czar, Kris Carter, said the exact locations of Boston's 11 new Hubway stations are still being worked out. "We are looking at adding stations in Roxbury, Dorchester, …
The Summer Olympics begin on July 27, but how well do you know the Games? All this week, Patch will post trivia questions to test your knowledge.
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Thursday, July 26, 2012
From Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to Nadia Comăneci receiving the first perfect 10 in 1976, there have been several unforgettable moments in Olympic history. As hundreds of world-class athletes prepare to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games beginning July 27, Patch is celebrating the start of the games by posting Olympic trivia questions all this week. Select your answers (or post them in the comments below) We'll post the correct answers in the comments by 5 p.m. today. 1. Which of these cities has never hosted the Games? 2. True or false. The United States has never won a gold medal in any fencing event that is currently still part of the Olympics. 3. When were women first allowed to compete…
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
The Summer Olympics begin on July 27, but how well do you know the Games? All this week, Patch will post trivia questions to test your knowledge.
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012
From Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to Nadia Comăneci receiving the first perfect 10 in 1976, there have been several unforgettable moments in Olympic history. As hundreds of world-class athletes prepare to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games beginning July 27, Patch is celebrating the start of the games by posting Olympic trivia questions all this week. Select your answers in the polls below (or post them in the comments below) We'll post the correct answers in the comments later today. 1. Which author of the seminal book on baby and child care was also a gold medalist? 2. How long is the route for the marathon event in the 2012 Olympics? 3. Who lit the torch to start the Games in Atlanta…
Ali
2:28 pm on Sunday, August 26, 2012
He looks more like Dick Tracy! more ›