Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - March 16, 2018

HOT

The Alex and Ani Lounge

Southern New England is a hotbed for great -- and diverse -- local music. GoLocal and Alex and Ani have teamed up to create a live platform venue for emerging musicians to get additional exposure through GoLocal's site, Facebook live, Periscope, Twitter, and YouTube live.

The first couple of performances this week -- Mickey Lamantia and Nate Cozzolino -- were viewed close to 20,000 times in just the first 36 hours.

With much of local radio depleted -- WBRU no longer on the air and the corporate conglomerate radio playing the same playlist as their sister stations in 100 other cities, there is a huge void and a great need to give exposure to local emerging talent. Nothing is better than live music. We hope to do a 100 pop-up concerts in the next 12 months. 

HOT

Students

Without student activism, it would just be another year of school shootings and another year without addressing school safety in a comprehensive matter.

If the passion of students stays into the spring -- and the late nights of the General Assembly -- then this year might be different.

HOT

URI Rams

Fatts, E.C., and Jared were just three of the reasons why the URI Rams won in overtime against the Oklahoma Sooners.

It was a tremendous win for the A-10 season champions and the win was further proof the Rams are a formidable team.

Next up: Duke

HOT

Brody Berard

You have to love the passion of sport.

Rhode Island native and former NHL defenseman Bryan Berard shared a video of his nephew Brody’s speech in the locker room following the conclusion of his team’s season.

Berard put the video on his Instagram account and it has since gone national with Brody having appearances on Canada's TSN and the NHL Network.

Hockey News reports:

First of all, the kid in the video is a nine-year-old by the name of Brody Berard and he plays for the Woonsocket North Stars Mite team in Rhode Island. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Brody is former NHLer Bryan Berard’s nephew. Berard’s brother, Bruce, coaches the team and is Brody’s father.

But it’s also a story that touches on the cultural fabric of minor hockey and how the professionalism of play is in some ways eroding the experience. You see, one of the reasons why Brody Berard is so emotional after this game is that the Woonsocket North Stars, a small minor hockey association run by volunteers, will not exist when the puck drops for the 2017-18 season. It was recently bought up by a group called the Providence Hockey Club, a for-profit business that plans to fold the North Stars into its empire. The North Stars were established in 1979 and since then have produced the likes of Berard, Brian Lawton, Brian Boucher, Keith Carney, Jeff Jillson and Garth Snow, but it could no longer keep up with a rival that pays its staff and has a bigger budget.

HOT

Volvo Ocean Race Economic Impact

The Spaniards report that the economic impact of the stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race was about 100 million euros to the economy -- more than a 7 percent increase over 2015.

In May, Volvo returns to Newport -- the only U.S. stopover. In 2015, Volvo generated $47 million to for the RI economy. Let's see what the global race can do this time.

NOT

Toys 'R' Us

The 800 plus location toy store chain will close all its location in the United States and lay off tens of thousands of workers.

The implications for Rhode Island will be significant. Hundreds will lose their jobs and Hasbro will be adversely impacted in the short term.  Hasbro's stock has dipped more than 8 percent in the past week.

NOT

David Salvatore

The recently-anointed City Council President couldn't seem to find his footing -- or fortitude -- on the rollout of the controversial, cash-generating speed cameras across the City of Providence. 

At first, Salvatore made comments that he was all in on speed cameras -- hearing from constituent(s) that they loved the speed-reduction aspect of the program, all the while opposition was mounting from residents who felt that the widely and wildly distributed $95 tickets were a tax on an already over-burdened urban population -- and that the city wasn't truly concerned about speeding, or else speed-reduction measures -- speed bumps, or officers -- would actually be utilized. 

So Salvatore changed his tune, and said mayyybe the city should revisit the policy (days after his predecessor Sabina Matos had called for a halt to the program until the city did a better job educating drivers -- and looking at the implications.)
 

NOT

Alan Rosenberg and Mark Patinkin 

When GoLocal unveiled that ProJo columnist Mark Patinkin was found to have been making sexist Instagram posts under his "Swagless Dad" persona (which referenced his employment with the Gatehouse-owned publication), executive editor Alan Rosenberg defended Patinkin's "First Amendment rights" --  to reference bitches, hoes, and Harvey Weinstein jokes.  Publisher Janet Hasson said that Rosenberg spoke for the Journal. 

Fast forward a day later, and Hasson -- and the Journal -- were on damage control. “Within the walls of The Providence Journal we value respect for others and our journalism standards as a sacred trust between our readers and our community,” said Hasson. “Any Journal employee who does not uphold that standard will face serious consequences.”

Patinkin had defended the derisive language in his posts as "edgy" and "rewarding" and being popular with "20 and 30 somethings." Rosenberg and the Journal were apparently OK with that.  Until they heard otherwise. And then they changed their tune. 
 

NOT

iHeart and Cumulus Bankruptcies and Executive Bonuses

While the two giant radio companies have been thrust into bankruptcy to clean up their mammoth debt, the executive teams of both companies are seeking million dollar executive bonuses. 

At the same time, small investors -- who believed in the companies -- have lost all their investments.

The fat cats might be hot, but their legacy is not.

NOT

New England Patriots

Nate Solder to the New York Giants. Malcolm Butler and Dion Lewis to the Tennessee Titans. Danny Amendola to the Miami Dolphins.

The Patriots team that appeared in the 2018 Super Bowl will look markedly different come September. 

GoLocal wrote on Feb 5, "5 Reasons Why This Will Be the Patriots Last Trip to the Super Bowl for a Long While."

The Patriots dynasty may be over. The loss to the Philadelphia Eagles exposed a much more fragile organization than many fans want to believe.

Here are five reasons why the Tom Brady - Bill Belichick dynasty may be over.