North of Boston Media Group executive sports editor Bill Burt has been picking pro football games for nearly three decades in his popular “I Beat Burt” Contest.
Beginning this week, every Friday through the NFL regular season, he will be posting a video discussing his picks, the big games of the weekend, and of course, breaking down the Patriots chances.
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FOXBOROUGH — The rain, a constant, nagging drizzle all day here, was a metaphor for Mike Vrabel’s big day, his first official game as head coach of the New England Patriots.
His Patriots slogged their way to a disappointing loss, 20-13, against a decent, yet unimpressive Las Vegas Raiders team.
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FOXBOROUGH — Mike Vrabel earned his degree from Ohio State in exercise science, graduating in 2005, just months after picking up his third Super Bowl ring as a linebacker with the New England Patriots.
WOBURN — When the Boston Celtics won Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks to recently clinch the NBA championship, Ned Flynn got on the phone and started telling his employees at New England Flag & Banner to report to work at 6 the next morning. By the next day, Flynn had delivered 10 small banners to the Celtics offices in Brighton.
In October, Flynn will deliver the real version of those banners – the one that will be raised to the rafters at TD Garden as the long-sought Banner 18.
Flynn, who lives in Wenham, is the owner of New England Flag & Banner, a company that has made all of the Celtics’ championship banners since they won their first in 1957. The latest championship, the team’s first since 2008, has thrust the small company, tucked away in a neighborhood in Woburn, back into the spotlight.
“It’s very exciting,” Flynn said. “When they win, it means a lot of publicity for the company. It certainly makes us all feel good. Our banner symbolizes what they did. We didn’t have anything to do with them winning, but it’s pretty cool.”
Churning out championship flags and banners for local sports teams is nothing new for New England Flag & Banner. The company started in 1892 and made the flag for the first World Series in 1903.
Flynn bought the company in 2006 and began expanding its reach beyond the Boston area. Today, Flynn said the company makes flags and banners for roughly half the NBA, NFL and NHL teams, and for the majority of college sports teams.
As Flynn showed off a series of photos of his company-made banners at various sports venues, including The Masters at Augusta Country Club, he said, “We’re not famous but a lot of our customers are.”
Flynn said his company is one of the few, if not the only one, that handsews its flags and banners. He employs 15 seamstresses, some of whom have worked for the company for 40 years.
“That’s what we’re selling is their skill,” he said. “I can’t do it.”
Flynn said his company will start making Banner 18 in the fall. It will be 10 feet by 15 feet and made of nylon, saying, “Boston Celtics, NBA, 2024 World Champions.”
Flynn, 66, grew up in Newton and moved to Wenham with his wife, Nancy, 10 years ago. He previously started a hard cider business, which he sold, then bought the banner business when the previous owner retired.
Flynn said he plans to be at the Garden when the Celtics raise the banner next season. As it goes to the rafters, he might be the only one in the crowd who will notice the small logo in one of its corners that reads: New England Flag & Banner.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
WOBURN — When the Boston Celtics won Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks to clinch the NBA championship last month, Ned Flynn got on the phone and started telling his employees at New England Flag & Banner to report to work at 6 the next morning. By the next day, Flynn had delivered 10 small banners to the Celtics’ offices in Brighton.
In October, Flynn will deliver the real version of those banners — the one that will be raised to the rafters at TD Garden as the long-sought Banner 18.
Flynn, who lives in Wenham, is the owner of New England Flag & Banner, a company that has made all of the Celtics’ championship banners since they won their first in 1957. The latest championship, the team’s first since 2008, has thrust the small company, tucked away in a neighborhood in Woburn, back into the spotlight.
“It’s very exciting,” Flynn said. “When they win it means a lot of publicity for the company. It certainly makes us all feel good. Our banner symbolizes what they did. We didn’t have anything to do with them winning, but it’s pretty cool.”
Churning out championship flags and banners for local sports teams is nothing new for New England Flag & Banner. The company started in 1892 and made the flag for the first World Series in 1903.
Flynn bought the company in 2006 and began expanding its reach beyond the Boston area. Today, Flynn said the company makes flags and banners for roughly half the NBA, NFL and NHL teams, and for the majority of college sports teams.
As Flynn showed off a series of photos of his company-made banners at various sports venues, including The Masters at Augusta Country Club, he said, “We’re not famous but a lot of our customers are.”
Flynn said his company is one of the few, if not the only one, that hand-sews its flags and banners. He employs 15 seamstresses, some of whom have worked for the company for 40 years.
“That’s what we’re selling is their skill,” he said. “I can’t do it.”
Flynn said his company will start making Banner 18 in the fall. It will be 10 feet by 15 feet, made of nylon, saying “Boston Celtics, NBA, 2024 World Champions.”
Flynn, 66, grew up in Newton and moved to Wenham with his wife, Nancy, 10 years ago. He previously started a hard cider business, which he sold, then bought the banner business when the previous owner retired.
Flynn said he plans to be at the Garden when the Celtics raise the banner next season. As it goes to the rafters, he might be the only one in the crowd who will notice the small logo in one of its corners that reads: New England Flag & Banner.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.
BOSTON — Despite their dismal showing in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, there were no doubts Monday night as the Boston Celtics easily secured their 18th championship banner in a 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden.
The victory over former Celtic and archrival Kyrie Irving and the Mavs capped off a 64-win regular season that began last fall and culminated in successive playoff series wins this spring over Miami, Cleveland, Indiana and finally Dallas on their way to another NBA championship.
BOSTON — Despite their dismal showing in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, there were no doubts Monday night as the Boston Celtics easily secured their 18th championship banner in a 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden.
The victory over former Celtic and archrival Kyrie Irving and the Mavs capped off a 64-win regular season that began last fall and culminated in successive playoff series wins this spring over Miami, Cleveland and Indiana on their way to another NBA championship.
