The Patriots play the Jets tonight.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- We arrived at MetLife Stadium just in time to learn that the New England Patriots released WR Greg Salas and activated OL Markus Zusevics to the 53-man roster.

Signed as a rookie free agent out of Iowa, Zusevics was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on Aug. 27. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle at the NFL rookie combine.

Salas, 24, was signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad last week after Deion Branch was released. He was active and played a few snaps against the Colts on Sunday.

The move was likely a necessity with G Logan Mankins out with calf and ankle injuries.

TE Rob Gronkowski (forearm) and DE Chandler Jones (ankle) have also been ruled out. The rest of the inactives will be announced 90 minutes prior to the 8:25 p.m. kickoff.

Now that the business is out of the way, we're here at MetLife for tonight's game and will have the typical dose of coverage afterward. It's "Wave Your Scarf" night here, so expect to see a lot of green in the stands.

For everything else, follow me on on Twitter @Nick_Underhill.

Update: DE Jake Bequette, CB Marquice Cole, OT Sebastian Vollmer and Zusevics are inactive.

The Vollmer move comes as a bit of a surprise. He's been battling back and knee injuries all season, so the thinking here is that giving him the night off gives him 10 days to recover before the next game.

The former new anchor will receive a lifetime achievement award for his work on history-related projects.

STURBRIDGE – A living history museum in Massachusetts is preparing to honor journalist and former TV news anchor Tom Brokaw with a lifetime achievement award.

The Old Sturbridge Village will honor Brokaw at a Nov. 27 ceremony the museum organized with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.

The annual honor recognizes someone who has made an impact on the arts through history-related projects.

Old Sturbridge Village celebrates New England life in the 1830s and has a farm, water-powered mills and a stagecoach.

Burns’ first film was about the museum while in college, and he credits that project with igniting his passion for history.

The Walpole, N.H.-based producer has since produced documentaries on subjects including America’s national parks, baseball and the Civil War.

Brokaw, now an NBC News special correspondent, has authored books including “The Greatest Generation” and “The Time of Our Lives.”

The parade will step off Friday at 11 a.m. from the corner of Main and Lyman streets.

11/25/11 Springfield- Republican Photo by Mark M.Murray-Annual Parade- of Big Balloons -The Cat in the Hat balloon makes its way down Main Street during fridays parade. Mark M. Murray, The Republican

There may be a shortage of helium in the country, but, not to worry when it comes to Friday’s Tower Square Parade of Big Balloons.

“All of our giant floating orbs in the parade will be filled to the brim,” said Judith A. Matt, president of Spirit of Springfield, who acknowledged the helium shortage and the increasing cost to top off each larger-than-life balloon – all seven of them.

Back for another ride through the towering buildings of Springfield will be the Cat in the Hat, a longtime favorite balloon in the parade, honoring Springfield as the home of Dr. Seuss. The mischievous feline will be joined by several other inflatable friends, including Fred Flintstone, Pajanimal’s Apollo, Ray the Lion, all new, as well as an American Flag and two holiday ornaments.

“One of our newer creations for this year’s parade is Apollo, a darling little purple and lime green dog from the Pajanimals cartoon created by the Jim Henson Company,” said Toni McKay.

“Before showing off for parade-goers, Apollo will be taking a pre-parade snack of 5,500 cubic feet of helium to help him glide to new heights with his 34 handlers helping him along the parade route,” she added.

McKay’s company designs and builds parade balloons in New Castle, Penn., and flies them in parades around the United States and around the world. McKay said Ray the Lion, also new in Springfield this year, “will be coming proudly down the street, as any lion should.”

While most lions only grow to about 6- to 8-feet long, McKay’s creation checks in at some 50 feet long.

“Of course, for a patriotic city like Springfield, Judy never forgets to make sure we include the American Flag balloon each year in the line of march. And, to add a holiday touch, we always have our snowflakes, two of them this year,” said McKay.

Some 900 cubic feet of lighter than air helium keep the winter snowflakes – actually sky blue stars with white snowflakes painted on them for a wintry touch - flying high in the sky.

The parade will step off at 11 a.m. from the corner of Main and Lyman Streets and float along Main Street from Lyman Street to Locust Street.

Leading the procession will be this year’s parade marshal Col. Robert Brooks, wing commander for the 104th Fighter Group at Barnes Air National Guard Base.
Brooks, who will be accompanied by his wife Aprile and their children, will be riding in a vintage military jeep.

Heralding the arrival of each balloon will be musical, marching and motorized contingents to help usher in the holiday season. Among the bands marching in step will be the Springfield Kiltie Band, Holyoke High School Marching Band and East Windsor High School Marching Band.

And, it wouldn’t be a post-Thanksgiving parade without an appearance by Santa Claus, who will arrive in style at the end of the parade high atop Springfield Fire Department’s Ladder #1.

This year’s parade is sponsored by Tower Square with additional support from MGM Springfield, Chicopee Savings Bank, PeoplesBank, ABC40/FOX6, Massachusetts Army National Guard and the Springfield Police Department and Department of Public Works.

Following the parade, the festivities will move indoors at Tower Square for their annual Holiday Open House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities include a presentation of “Arabian Nights” by the Tanglewood Marionettes, as well as photographs with Santa, performances by magicians, a unicyclist and more.

There is a divide between big businesses and small businesses.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, left, begins his lunch after his address to The Economic Club of New York, in New York, Tuesday. He is joined by Roger Ferguson, chairman of the organization. Bernanke urged Congress and the Obama administration to strike a budget deal to avert tax increases and spending cuts that could trigger a recession next year. Without a deal, the measures known as the "fiscal cliff" will take effect in January. Associated Press / Richard Drew

There’s a wedge in the fiscal cliff.

On one side are the leaders of some of the nation’s largest businesses. What they want is to ensure that no 11th-hour deal to avert financial calamity leaves them in the ditch.

And on the other side? No, it’s not, as one might guess, folks who are often pitted against business interests – liberals, environmentalists, Democrats, academics, anarchists and the loosely defined groups who come out to oppose new trade agreements. No,on the other side are other business interests – small businesses.

The heads of big businesses met last week with President Barack Obama, pleading their case. As they did, small businesses shouted from the sidelines.

Their point, simply put, is about taxes. They fear that a deal that would keep big business from getting pinched would leave them in the lurch. And their fears are not unfounded.

The problem here is that our nation faces a real deadline – and a steep cliff. If nothing is done by year’s end, broad tax increases and across-the-board spending cuts will kick in, almost certainly plunging the nation into another recession.

No one wants this, of course. But there are two sides in Washington who hold steadfast to their beliefs about how best to proceed. Call them Democrats and Republicans. Or liberals and conservatives.

But now there’s another battle: big business vs. small business. The former, of course, has more clout. They’ve got entree into the White House, even.

But their smaller counterparts mustn’t be forgotten. All the talk about small businesses and job creation isn’t just so much smoke.

The worst thing that could happen would be to plunge mindlessly over the cliff, doing nothing and watching as disaster is brought upon us. And the second-worst thing? Reacting quickly yet incompletely, staving off disaster while leaving important players out in the cold.

Hamrlik said players should have been able to vote on the league's proposal.

Roman Hamrlik, left, formerly of the Montreal Canadiens, is unhappy with the pace of lockout negotiations between the NHL and its players. AP file

Count Roman Hamrlik as another player who has had enough of the labor stoppage, except he is frustrated with NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr.

In a Czech-language interview translated and published on Yahoo! Sports' Puck Daddy hockey blog, Hamrlik, a 38-year-old defenseman for the Washington Capitals, said that the players should have been able to vote on the league’s proposal.

"I am disgusted. We have to push Fehr to the wall to get the deal. Time is against us. We lost (a quarter of the) season, it is $425 million. Who will give it back to us? Mr. Fehr?" Hamrlik was quoted as saying.

"There should be voting between players. Four questions - YES or NO - then count it. If half of players say let's play, then they should sign new CBA. If there is no season he should leave and we will find someone new. Time is our enemy."

Hamrlik's words sparked plenty of responses from fellow NHLPA members, most of whom disagreed with his assessment. Montreal Canadiens forward Erik Cole called Hamrlik’s comments “the most selfish thing I’ve heard during the lockout.”

Hamrlik told The Globe and Mail on Thursday that he will support whatever the players decide but he was not going to take back his comments.

“This is nothing against any of the players,” Hamrlik said. “I stand with them. We are all together in this. And we want a great deal. A fair deal. Everybody’s losing in this right now. Owners, players, fans.

“The fans are the reason for hockey. Some cities won’t be able to recover their fans for future seasons. I just want to say I’ve been in the league for 20 years and faced three lockouts and there’s only 14 other guys that have done that. I believe I’ve earned the right to say what I think.

“If someone thinks I’m selfish, I may be, but it’s selfish to play hockey. Like everybody else, I want to win the (Stanley) Cup with the Capitals, or at least have a chance.”

At least one player agreed with Hamrlik’s statements: Capitals goaltender and teammate Michal Neuvirth.

“I agree 100 percent with Hammer,” Neuvirth told TVA Nova Sport of the Czech Republic. “This lockout is not about majority of players, I think. It is about several superstars with big contracts.”

In his interview with The Globe and Mail, Hamrlik added that he is no fan of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. He also expressed disappointment that negotiations didn’t start until July.

“Bettman, he is who he is. I don’t like him. But there’s no time. We’re losing time. If we started in January, we have six, seven months to make a deal," Hamrlik said. "I’m not going against the players. I am with the players. But I’m just talking from my experience. That’s all.”

The lockout entered its 68th day on Thursday.

Workers at several retailers are protesting the trend of working on holidays.

NEW YORK – Put down that turkey leg. It’s time to shop. No, really.

Stores typically open in the wee hours of the morning on the day after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday, named for the period when stores traditionally turn a profit for the year. But Black Friday openings have crept earlier and earlier over the past few years. Now, stores from Wal-Mart to Toys R Us are opening their doors on Thanksgiving evening, hoping Americans will be willing to shop soon after they finish their pumpkin pie.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will have early bird shopping specials at 8 p.m., two hours earlier than a year ago. Target Corp. is opening its doors at 9 p.m. on the holiday, three hours earlier than last year. Sears, which didn’t open on Thanksgiving last year, is opening during from 8 p.m. and will stay open until 10 p.m. on Black Friday. And Toys R Us will be opening at 8 p.m., an hour earlier than last year.

It’s an effort by stores to make shopping more convenient for Americans, who still face economic uncertainty. Many shoppers are worried about high unemployment and a package of tax increases and spending cuts known as the “fiscal cliff” that will take effect in January unless Congress passes a budget deal by then. At the same time, Americans have grown more comfortable shopping on websites such as Amazon.com, where they can get cheaper prices and buy from the comfort of their home or office cubicle.

That has put pressure on brick-and-mortar stores, who can make up to 40 percent of their annual revenue during the two-month holiday shopping season, to compete. That’s becoming more difficult: the National Retail Federation, an industry trade group, estimates that overall sales in November and December will rise 4.1 percent this year to $586.1 billion, or about flat with last year’s growth. But the online part of that is expected to rise 15 percent to $68.4 billion, according to Forrester Research.

As a result, brick-and-mortar retailers are trying everything they can to lure consumers into stores by making shopping as easy as possible. In addition to expanding their hours into Thanksgiving, many are offering free layaways and shipping, matching the cheaper prices of online rivals and updating their mobile shopping apps with more information.

“Every retailer wants to beat everyone else,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, a research firm based in Charleston, S.C. “Shoppers love it.”

Retailers are hoping that the Thanksgiving openings will draw shoppers who prefer to head to stores after their turkey dinner rather than braving the crowds early the next morning. Overall, about 17 percent of shoppers plan to take advantage of Thanksgiving hours, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs survey of 1,000 consumers conducted from Nov. 15 to Nov. 18. Last year, that figure was 16 percent. For Black Friday, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, 33 percent intend to shop that day, slightly down from 34 percent in 2011.

But not everyone likes the idea of Turkey Day shopping. Some retailers that are opening on Thanksgiving face criticism from workers who complain that the holiday should be a time for everyone to spend with their family.

A New York-based union-backed group of retail workers called Retail Action Project planned protests in the Manhattan borough of New York City on Thanksgiving in front of several stores, including AnnTaylor, Forever 21 and others that are opening at midnight on Black Friday and earlier.

“It shows that the companies are not valuing their workers. They’re looking to their workers to squeeze out more profits,” said Carrie Gleason, director of Retail Action Project.

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has been one of the biggest targets of protests against holiday hours. The issue is part of a broader campaign against the company’s treatment of workers that’s being waged by a union-backed group called OUR Walmart, which includes former and current workers. It’s staging demonstrations and walkouts at hundreds of stores on Black Friday.

Mary Pat Tifft, a Wal-Mart employee in Kenosha, Wis., who is a member of OUR Walmart, started an online petition on signon.org that has about 34,000 signatures.

“This Thanksgiving, while millions of families plan to spend quality time with their loved ones, Wal-Mart associates have been told we will be stocking shelves and preparing sales starting at 8 p.m.,” she wrote on the site.

But retailers say they are giving shoppers what they want. Dave Tovar, a Wal-Mart spokesman, said that the discounter learned from shoppers that they want to start shopping right after Thanksgiving dinner. Then, they want to have time to go to bed before they wake up to head back out to the stores.

Still, Tovar said that Wal-Mart works to accommodate its workers’ requests for different working hours. “We spent a lot of time talking to them, trying to figure out when would be the best time for our events,” he said.

Kathee Tesija, Target’s executive vice president of merchandising, said Target’s 9 p.m. opening struck “a perfect balance” for its customers. When asked whether it’s faced any criticism from Target employees, she noted that the chain also works with workers to accommodate their needs. But ultimately the company serves the customer.

“We thought long and hard about when the right opening time would be,” she said, adding that Target “wants to make sure we are competitive.”

Detectives said they found a sawed-off rifle, ammunition and a bloody knife at the home of the suspect's girlfriend.

New York City police escort Salvatore Perrone, center, from the 67th Precinct on Wednesday. Associated Press

NEW YORK – A garment salesman accused of systematically shooting three shopkeepers to death as they worked alone in their clothing stores was held without bail Thursday.

Salvatore Perrone, who was held after his initial Brooklyn court appearance on murder charges, denies killing anyone, his lawyer said.

Attorney Ken Jones, who represented Perrone only for the arraignment and hadn’t spent much time with him, said his client shows no remorse and appears “as though he could have some mental-health issues.”

Perrone, of Staten Island, will be assigned another lawyer when he returns to court on Tuesday, prosecutors said.

Perrone was taken into custody Wednesday in the suspected serial killings, which scores of detectives were investigating. A pharmacy worker recognized Perrone, 63, as the balding man shown in surveillance footage leaving the scene of the most recent shooting, on Nov. 16, with a duffel bag, police said.

Another shopkeeper came forward and said Perrone had gone into his store and questioned him about whether he worked alone and when he closed, police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

“It’s reasonable to assume he was going to keep doing this, and, by arresting him, we saved lives,” Kelly said.

Detectives said they found the duffel bag at Perrone’s girlfriend’s home. Inside, they said, was a sawed-off rifle used in the killings, along with .22-caliber ammunition, black gloves, women’s clothing, a bloody knife and a bottle of bleach.

Perrone’s fingerprint was lifted from the murder weapon, Kelly said.

Initially, authorities thought the killer might have targeted the Brooklyn shopkeepers, who were from Iran and Egypt, because of their Middle Eastern backgrounds. But on Wednesday, Kelly said there was no motive he could speak of.

In the most recent killing, Rahmatollah Vahidipour, an Iranian, was shot three times in the head and chest at the She She Boutique.

After that killing, detectives discovered the same gun was used in the fatal shootings of two other shopkeepers when ballistics matched the .22-caliber gun shell casings on all three. On July 6, Mohamed Gebeli, an Egyptian, was found shot at Valentino Fashion Inc. On Aug. 6, Isaac Kadare, also Egyptian, was shot in the head at Amazing 99 Cent Deal.

There were other similarities in the deaths, authorities said: The bodies were all partially obscured, by clothing or, in one case, a box. The locations of the shops form an equilateral triangle and are about 4 miles apart, with addresses that contain the number eight.

Police earlier this week said they were looking to speak to four people who possibly witnessed the most recent killing and released video and clear images of the four. But they zeroed in on the man with the bag, who they now say was Perrone.

Police said they believe Perrone carried the murder weapon in the bag and traveled by subway.

Perrone, a Brooklyn native, is divorced and lives with his girlfriend. He went store to store trying to sell clothing, police said, but it was unclear if he had tried to sell to any of the victims.

Edelman likely suffered a concussion.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman was knocked out action in the third quarter of Thursday's game against the Jets with a head injury that is likely a concussion.

Edelman was injured on a running play when he safety LaRon Landry crashed him and knocked the ball loose. The recovered but were unable to punch the ball in from the 1-yard line on fourth down.

Edelman was taken to the locker room for evaluation. The Patriots have 10 days off before traveling to Miami to the Dolphins.

The Jets' season died Thursday night.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Jets spent the entire winter constructing a roster that Rex Ryan proclaimed was the best he's had during his tenure in New York. And on Thursday night, it took 52 seconds for that same team to die in a manner that was so outrageous it seemed scripted.

The New York Jets have faced turmoil, inner fighting and have done their best to ward a quarterback controversy that hindsight suggests was ill conceived. On Thursday night, inside of MetLife Stadium, all those issues came to a head in a dark comedy that simultaneously made you laugh and cringe. And by the time the New England Patriots put the finishing touches on their 49-12 win, you still weren't sure what spectrum of those emotions to embrace.

The Patriots (8-3), who have scored 108 points in their last games, all but ended the Jets' season with the win. New York (4-7) would have to win out the and New England would have to lose the rest of its games for the Jets to win the AFC East.

And all it took for New York to seal its own fate was four plays.

It began when Brandon Spikes punched the ball out of running back Shon Greene's hands during a second-quarter run, sending it nearly 10 yards through the air, where safety Steve Gregory fell on it. Thirteen seconds later Tom Brady (18 of 28, 323 yards, three touchdowns) hit Shane Vereen in the flat for an 83-yard touchdown. The stage was set.

The Jets took a touchback on the ensuing kick. On the first play from scrimmage, New York quarterback Mark Sanchez danced around the pocket and fumbled the ball when he stepped up into the backside of guard Brandon Moore. Gregory once again scooped up the goods and took in for a 32-yard score to give the Patriots a 21-0 lead.

It didn't seem like things could any worse for New York at that point, but the implosion wasn't complete. Devin McCourty knocked the ball out of Joe McKnight's arms on the next kickoff, sending the ball airborne. Julian Edelman came rushing up behind the play, pulled the ball out of the air, and took off for a 22-yard touchdown.

All three touchdowns occurred within a 52-second span.

By that point, fans at MetLife Stadium were already well into a chorus of chants to put backup quarterback Tim Tebow in the game. Sanchez was unable to appease the masses, but the Jets managed to hold onto the ball for seven plays before being forced to punt.

The carnage still wasn't over.

New England got the ball back and four plays later Brady delivered a strike Edelman on a fly route. He made a quick cut to the right to send LaRon Landry grasping at the air before crossing the goal line for a 56-yard score that made it 35-0. 

New York settled for a field goal at the end of the half. At that point, even the promise of seeing Lenny Kravitz perform at halftime couldn't keep much of the crowd inside the stadium.

The Jets showed some signs of life in the second half, though. After Landry knocked the ball out of Edelman's hands, as well as Edelman from the game with a likely concussion, New York pushed down to the 1-yard line. They were unable to score on fourth down, but got two points back when Stevan Ridley was whistled for a chop block in the end zone.

New York added a touchdown to bring it to 35-12, but Brady responded with a touchdown run, leaving behind only the most loyal supporters in attendance.

At that point the game, the Jets hopes of playing beyond New Year's Day, were over.

Traditions were honored with turkey dinners, high school football and anticipating the Parade of BIg Balloons.

SPRINGFIELD - Soup kitchens and volunteers in Western Massachusetts served thousands of turkey dinners to those in need of food or in search of companionship on Thanksgiving Day.

Besides eating from plates of turkey, stuffing, vegetables, dessert and more, thousands honored traditions by attending high school football games throughout Western Massachusetts Thursday.

Seasonal traditions continue Friday with the Tower Square Parade of Big Balloons at 11 a.m. here on Main Street from Lyman to Locus street.

Also beginning with Black Friday is the holiday shopping season with the day so named because retailers have come to count on swarms of buyers to push them into profit, or "in the black."

The Bright Nights at Forest Park holiday lighting display in Springfield began its 18th season Wednesday.

Traffic flow was steady with no major accidents reported locally on Interstate 91 and the Massachusetts Turnpike. In Springfield, a man was taken to Baystate Medical Center after his car turned over on its side about 1:30 a.m. at 9 Armory St., officials said.

The largest meal was served in Chicopee. Ronald Belair, chairman of the Thanksgiving Dinner sponsored by the Fairview Knights of Columbus, estimates that this year over 1,000 people were served at the sit-down, white-china event at the Castle of Knights, 1599 Memorial Drive.

“I like everything about it,” said Alice Peletier, of Chicopee, as she waited in line with her brother and sister-in-law for the doors to open for what is considered the biggest dinner of its kind in the state. “It’s very good food and we meet lots of nice people.”

“It’s a gorgeous place,” said Juan Ferrer, of Springfield. “And the food his great,” said his girlfriend, Stephanie Criner, of Springfield.

Volunteers from the Fairview Knights also delivered 2,150 Thanksgiving meals to shut-ins, and 400 meals each to Kate’s Kitchen in Holyoke and the Boys and Girls Club in Chicopee.

Close to 300 people turned out for the free, community Thanksgiving dinner put on by Open Pantry at High School of Commerce in Springfield. Among the visitors were two Ms Senior Massachusetts Pageant winners. Ms Senior Massachusetts 1994 Mimi Tanne, of Palmer, a Holocaust survivor, joined Ms Senior Massachusetts 2013 Dianne McCoy, of Springfield, in singing for the crowd.

Aside from a full turkey dinner, guests also got entertained by Chicopee magician Alexander J. Sawicki, who performs under the name Magic Al.

“The turkey is so juicy. It is good,” 42-year-old Lucy R. Munier, of Bancroft Street, said of the Open Pantry holiday dinner. “I like it because it is fun. There are a lot of people, stuff like that. The food is great.”

Munier has attended the dinner for the last several years.

In Holyoke, Kate's Kitchen at 51 Hamilton St. more than two dozen volunteers served more than 150 meals, Executive Director Karen M. Blanchard said.

"We had a wonderful crowd and tons of volunteers," Blanchard said.

Kate’s Kitchen, which is part of Providence Ministries for the Needy Inc., served meals that were provided by the Knights of Columbus of Chicopee, she said.

Not Bread Alone cooked four turkeys for an expected 40 to 60 guests at the First Congregational Church in Amherst. At Edwards Church in Northampton, Manna Soup Kitchen geared up for a much larger crowd, preparing 38 turkeys, 300 pounds of potatoes, 150 pounds of butternut squash, 50 pounds of onions and much more for as many as 200 diners. That’s not counting the 200 or so turkey dinners delivered to homes by 50 volunteer drivers.

Thanksgiving at Edwards Church has become a tradition for many. Bill Nagle’s Honor Court ran the event for many years before Manna took it over five years ago. The local Stop & Shop and Big Y supermarkets donate a cornucopia of desserts and local restaurants such as Spoleto and the Silver Spoon in Easthampton pitch in as well.

At 11:30 a.m., a half hour before the doors opened, the crowd of diners already stretched down the church basement corridor and up the stairs. Chris Wild, of Easthampton, was there with her father, brother and a friend. Wild said he volunteered this year but has been a beneficiary of the feast in the past.

“It was great to have somebody here for me when I needed it,” he said.

Those without a desire to watch NFL football - three games were televised from afternoon to evening - had a choice of marathons on other channels like "The Godfather Parts I and II" on AMC, "I Love Lucy" and "Andy Griffith" on TV Land, "Shrek" on FX and "NCIS" on USA Network.

Reporters Sandra Constantine, Fred Contrada and Patricia Cahill contributed to this story.

The NFL fined New England Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington $21,000 for unnecessary roughness against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday. The fine was for making helmet-to-helmet contact with Colts quarterback Andrew Luck during the second half of the game. No flag was thrown during the play.

The NFL fined New England Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington $21,000 for unnecessary roughness against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday.

The fine was for making helmet-to-helmet contact with Colts quarterback Andrew Luck during the second half of the game. No flag was thrown during the play.

An updated story has been posted SPRINGFIELD – Emergency workers raced to the Worthington and Chestnut street for an reported gas explosion that destroyed at least two buildings about 5:20 p.m. Friday. Ambulances were reponding to the the area for the explosion which reportedly was felt in Wilbraham and West Springfield. People flooded into the street to try find...

Republican file photo

An updated story has been posted

SPRINGFIELD – Emergency workers raced to the Worthington and Chestnut street for an reported gas explosion that destroyed at least two buildings about 5:20 p.m. Friday.

Ambulances were reponding to the the area for the explosion which reportedly was felt in Wilbraham and West Springfield.

People flooded into the street to try find out what happened.

The Scores building on Worthington Street has exploded.

UPDATE, 8:30 p.m.: At a news conference at Springfield Fire Department headquarters, public safety officials announced that 10 Springfield firefighters and police officers were injured with non-life-threatening injuries.
» Read the story

SPRINGFIELD — The Scores Gentlemen's Club building at 453 Worthington St. has exploded following the report of a natural gas leak.

The building was flattened, and the remains of the club look like a huge cavity in the road. At least two people were injured.

Emergency officials set up a command center at Chestnut and Worthington streets.

Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray is in Springfield and is consulting with Mayor Domenic Sarno and State Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera.

Murray and Sarno were at a tree lighting ceremony at the Quadrangle when the explosion occurred. They are now at the scene.

Glass littered the streets and sidewalks throughout a multi-block radius from the site of the explosion.

A public safety official said about a dozen public safety officers were injured, most of them firefighters. The injuries were the result of the concussion from the explosion and flying debris. They officers working near the building when it exploded.

Everyone is being evacuated from apartments in the area. A shelter is being set up on Central Street.

The Square One day care next door was heavily damaged. A five-story building at Worthington and Chestnut was heavily damaged.

Ambulances are being called in from all available areas. West Springfield Deputy Fire Chief Danny Borsari said his city had two ambulances near Chestnut Street. Agawam sent two ambulances, according to its deputy chief. Chicopee fire officials said units were sent as needed.

At Chestnut and Taylor, a block away, there were blown-out windows on several buildings.

All the windows on a two-story building on Chestnut and Taylor, facing Worthington.

People in Wilbraham and South Hadley felt the explosion.

A number of emergency vehicles have responded.

Dave Cutter, who owns a tattoo parlor at 378 Dwight St., about a block and a half away, said his front windows were blown out, and that the ceiling in his cellar was blown down.

There's a large crowd downtown tonight because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

This building at 453 Worthington St. in Springfield was destroyed by an explosion caused by a natural gas leak. The building housed the Scores Gentlemen's Club at the time of the explosion. The Republican staff file photo

At Theodore's, about two blocks away from the blast, the crowd was startled, said Stephanie Simmons, a waitress.

"It rocked us so hard the windows smashed. It felt like an earthquake or a large explosion. There was pretty much chaos."

She said about 30 to 40 people were at the bar, all on their feet, and many went out side to see what happened.

Worthington Street is blocked off at both Dwight and Chestnut streets.

Albert Fuster, was in his apartment at the corner of Chestnut and Taylor, a block away, with his two dogs, Moochie and Papi.

“All of a sudden I hear the boom and all my windows blow out. All the smoke started filling up the place,” Fuster said, standing with a crowd of people after the blast in the parking lot of the Mardi Gras. “I thought someone set off a bomb.”

He and the dogs were the only ones home at the time. “So I grabbed my babies and got the hell out,” he said.

One observer reported five ambulances on the scene.

“There is shattered glass everywhere,” he said over the sound of a fire alarm. “It looks like a war zone.”

Megan Labombard, 21, who works as a dancer at the Scores, said her employer gave her about 20 minutes notice to get out of the club where she had been working.

“I went across the street to the Mardi Gras Champagne Room, where we were having a drink, and the building where I work blew up,” she said.

She said she watched her livelihood go up before her eyes.

Mayor Domenic Sarno came to the location, but was told he had to leave for safety reasons.

Debbie, a dancer at Scores who didn’t want her last name used, said she was on stage dancing when the “house mom” came up and told everyone to evacuate.

She went upstairs and saw smoke. While she was gathering her clothes, the manager came up and told everyone, “I don’t care if you’re (expletive) naked or not, get out.”

The manager took them all over to the Mardi Gras diagonally across the street.

“I feel lucky we got out,” Debbie said. She said all her work clothes were lost.

She said Scores workers had been smelling gas for a while, and the gas company came in during the week to check, but didn’t find anything.

She said the smell of gas was especially bad this morning, and that she would go upstairs and feel light-headed.

Nestor Torres, of 61 Pearl St., said “The whole place shook, and then the explosion.” His son’s bedroom window smashed in, but no one was in the room. Other people who lived in the apartment buildings known as Armoury Commons on Pearl Street were cleaning up glass from the outside stairs and reporting that it felt and sounded like a bomb going off.

Various storefronts, ranging from a mini-mart to a church, have smashed windows.

Eladio Torres, a part-time worker at J.J. Mini Mart on Pearl Street, said the glass blew in and then blew out of the building as he and others were at the counter. He said it felt like an earthquake.

Judith Matt, who lives on Mattoon Street, said she saw something on TV about a gas leak, and suddenly she felt "as if the third floor of the house was falling on the second floor.

"I was putting ornaments on the tree and it was absolutely like a bomb went off," said Matt

"One of my windows was blown out. The entire house shook like you wouldn't believe. Up and down Pearl Street, all the windows are blown out. You would not believe the damage.

"We're all fine on Mattoon Street, but lots of people are going to be displaced tonight."

Daniel Roy of ABC Glass Works was on the scene to help address the thousands of windows damaged by the explosion.

A law enforcement helicopter was circling the area.

Maribel Rivera was sweeping glass outside the Brothers In Christ Church on Chestnut Street, about two blocks from the site of the explosion, following the blast. Her husband, Angel, is pastor.

Maribel said she saw the news of the explosion on TV and saw the church’s storefront window blown out.

“I was crying, nervous. I could not believe it,” she said. She and family members, including children, rushed to the church from the home in the South End.

Sgt. John Delaney, spokesman for Springfield Police Commissioner Wiliiam Fitchet said that a press conference would be held at 8 p.m. at Fire Department headquarters on Springfield. Mayor Dominic Sarno, Police Commissioner Fitchet, acting Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant and officials from the Columbia Gas Company of Massachusetts were expected to be present.

At least 18 people were taken to hospitals with injuries from the explosion, with 10 at Baystate Medical Center and eight at Mercy Medical Center, and none of the injuries were life-threatening. Two of those injured who were brought to Mercy were firefighters, officials said. Around 8 p.m. five of the 10 people taken to Baystate had been admitted.

The Fire Department got a call about the smell of gas at the Scores club at 453 Worthington St. at 4:20 p.m. Firefighters were on the scene in four minutes. Forty minutes later. a crew from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts was on the scene, department spokesman Dennis Leger said.

At 7:30, a fire department bucket truck had extended its aerial platform and firefighters were breaking windows at an apartment building at Worthington and Chestnut streets.

Alexis Atkins, 16, of Springfield, was walking down Worthington Street going to meet some friends downtown. Right at the vicinity of Worthington and Spring she saw the explosion

“I saw this big explosion out of nowhere. There were flames and glass flying everywhere and people screaming,” she said.

David Cotter, deputy director of code enforcement for the city of Springfield, said a 40-unit building on Chestnut Street which was hit broadside had been evacuated and the residents would need housing.

A second building on Chestnut Street with eight units also has to be evacuated, Cotter said.

Another building on Worthington Street had been condemned, but would be checked to see whether anyone was still living in it, Cotter said.

Cotter said it is amazing that there was no loss of life.

“Timing is everything,” Cotter said.

This is a developing story; details will be added as they become available.

Despite the massive effort, the world's largest retailer said it was its best Black Friday ever.

Jenny Dollar, left, and Rob Shawnee stand with signs during an Occupy OKC demonstration outside a Wal-Mart store in Del City, Okla. on Black Friday. Garett Fisbeck | Associated Press

By SARAH SKIDMORE

PORTLAND, Ore. – Wal-Mart workers and supporters marched in protest at a number of stores nationwide Thursday and Friday, blasting the wages, benefits and treatment of employees of the world’s largest retailer.

The efforts seemed to do little to keep shoppers away, though – Wal-Mart said it was its best Black Friday ever.

In Paramount, Calif., authorities arrested a small group of protesters Friday outside a Wal-Mart. Elizabeth Brennan of Warehouse Workers United said nine people, including three Wal-Mart employees, were arrested shortly after 12 noon for blocking the street outside the store in Paramount. At one point, however, more than 1,000 people blocked traffic outside the store, Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker told KNBC-TV.

In Lakewood, Colo., shoppers hesitated as they passed dozens of protesters outside a Wal-Mart but entered without incident. Some protesters held signs playing off of the retailing giant’s corporate slogan, “Live better,” accusing the company of corporate greed and underpaying its workers.

“This is the way you get a fair shake. You’ve got to fight for it. You’ve always had to,” said protester Charlie May, of the Industrial Workers of the World labor organization.

A union-backed group called OUR Walmart has said that it is holding an estimated 1,000 protests in 46 states. The exact number is unclear. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has refuted that estimate, saying the figure is grossly exaggerated and that the protests involved few of its own employees.

A number of demonstrations and walk-outs occurred last week at stores but were scheduled to culminate on one of the year’s busiest shopping days. The size and impact of the protests varied greatly by site. OUR Walmart, made up of current and former Wal-Mart employees, was formed in 2010 to press the company for better working conditions. Wal-Mart has criticized the group for relying largely on other unions and non-employees to make up the ranks protesting outside its stores.

The retailer also filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board last week against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. The company said that the demonstrations organized by OUR Walmart threatened to disrupt its business and intimidate customers and associates.

Wal-Mart estimated that fewer than 50 associates participated in Thursday and Friday’s protests nationwide. Company spokesman Dan Fogleman said that the number of associates who missed their shifts during the two days of events is 60 percent lower than last year.

“It was proven last night - and again today - that the OUR Walmart group doesn’t speak for the 1.3 million Walmart associates,” the company said in a statement.

The union group estimated that “hundreds” of employees participated nationwide.

Victoria Martinez, 29, marched in front of the store in Paramount on Black Friday. The Wal-Mart photo department employee worked her shift on Thanksgiving but skipped work on Friday to “speak out”. She said the company shows a lack of respect for employees, noting that she faced retaliation by local managers after speaking out about problems during an open discussion sponsored by the head office.

“I believe that when I started at this company, it was great,” said Martinez, who’s worked for Wal-Mart for seven years. “They’ve taken away everything that is great. “

Wal-Mart for many years has faced intense scrutiny over its wage and benefit policies and treatment of its workers. Fogleman says that the company provides some of the best jobs in the retail industry and that its wages and benefits typically meet or exceed those of competitors. The retailer maintains that it has many long-term employees and that its turnover rate is below the industry average.

The company, based in Bentonville, Ark., operates 10,400 stores in 27 countries.

For Minutemen seniors, saying goodbye to the field is only the beginning.

UMass coach Charley Molnar greets Hafis Williams during Senior Day festivities at Gillette Stadium before Friday's game versus Central Michigan. Dave Roback | The Republican

FOXBOROUGH – Stephane Milhim walked slowly.

The sound of his cleats on concrete echoed through the corridor. The click-clack of his steps punctuated the muffled chatter of event staff and reporters beneath Gillette Stadium.

Each of the 11 weeks prior to this one, this sound would have been merely a comma, with more football to follow. Friday night, it was a period. Milhim and 13 teammates saw their University of Massachusetts football careers end in a 42-21 loss to Central Michigan.

It was a final “last” in a week full of them.

There was the last practice, which ended with each senior running through a human tunnel of Minutemen and pummeling a tackling dummy at the end of the line.

There was the last time they ran through Oklahoma drills, which came in the pregame warmup. There are some things they won’t miss. That’s one of them, according to linebacker Perry McIntyre.

There was the last time they ran onto the field as Minutemen. As Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” blared over the stadium speakers, the players were singing Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,” in the same tunnel Milhim walked down hours later.

There was the last kickoff and the last halftime speech.

As the game wore on, it looked like there might be one last win.

But as Chippewas running back Zurlon Tipton churned up the turf for a 61-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach, it hit home to the seniors that their careers would end with a loss.

Center Quinton Sales looked out blankly to the field before the ensuing offensive series, pondering the fact it might be his last.

Not just his last series at UMass, but perhaps his last series of organized football, a game to which he and 13 others have given their lives for 20-plus years. For most – if not all – of them, Friday marked the last time they'd take the field in front of any sort of crowd.

It turned out they’d get one more series – a three-and-out that ended on senior Ian Shultis’ only pass of the season, an interception with 5 seconds remaining.

And then, seemingly in a blur, it was over. Really over.

Sales, McIntyre and Thompson walked off the field together, others trailing behind.

McIntyre stopped halfway up the tunnel, overcome by emotion.

He never thought he’d be here. He was recruited when the Minutemen were coached by Don Brown, on the heels of a run to the Football Championship Subdivision final. He played for three years under Kevin Morris, as the program descended from those heights to the middle of the Colonial Athletic Association pack.

If you had told him he’d finish his career at Gillette Stadium against Central Michigan, McIntyre would have thought you were crazy.

Yet there he was, walking off a field more often occupied by Tom Brady than fellow Minuteman Tom Brandt, as the final flight of a four-year journey touched down in the cool November air.

While the rest made their way up the tunnel one final time, Milhim lingered on the field, trying to find his family in the stands and soaking up the experience one more time. As he walked through the corridor, he was preparing a speech for his teammates. He wanted to tell them to keep the faith – that if they stayed the course and did what Molnar and his staff asked of them, their careers wouldn’t end with a school-record 11th loss.

For those guys, there was more football.

But for Milhim and the seniors, there are no more team meals. No more rah, rah locker-room speeches. No pats on the back after first downs, no belly bumps after touchdowns and no more smiles and hugs on the sideline after victories.

But most of all, no more teammates.

Milhim called them family. He’s not the only one who felt that way.

Each click and each clack was a step closer to saying goodbye to that family.

He walked slowly.

It was hard to blame him.

Blanchflower set career highs in catches and yards.

Rob Blanchflower stretches for an extra yard as Central Michigan's Sharami Benton holds on Friday in Foxborough. Dave Roback | The Republican

FOXBOROUGH – University of Massachusetts tight end Rob Blanchflower said after Friday’s game with Central Michigan that his individual performance didn't outweigh ending 2012 with a 42-21 loss.

That might be true, but Blanchflower’s numbers shouldn’t be lost in the shuffle, either.

The junior racked up career highs in catches (10) and yards (100), highlighted by a leaping grab for an 8-yard touchdown in the waning seconds of the first half.

It was the first 100-yard game by a UMass tight end since Nov. 28, 1998, when Kerry Taylor had 119 yards against McNeese State. It also had a few fans in the stands dubbing Blanchflower “Gronkflower.”

“I’ve been following the Patriots my whole life, so obviously (Rob Gronkowski) is a guy I look up to, a phenomenal athlete and a phenomenal tight end,” Blanchflower said. “I’m not at that level yet, but hopefully one day.”

Blanchflower provided a consistent target to true freshman quarterback A.J. Doyle, especially on third down, where he snagged six catches – four of which went for first downs.

“When there was pressure, he just threw the ball down to me,” Blanchflower said. “Being the older guy on the team, you have to make a play just because (the ball) might not come my way again or the play might not be run again.”

MCINTYRE BREAKS INTO TACKLING TOP 10

Perry McIntyre left quite a mark in his final game in a UMass uniform, racking up a career-high 18 tackles – the second-highest total by a Mid-American Conference player this season. McIntyre will also finish second in the MAC in that category.

The effort also enabled him to finish eighth all-time at UMass with 354 tackles. His 12 assisted tackles brought his career total to 204, which slots him No. 4 in UMass history.

ONE LINERS

Doyle’s 30 completions were a season high for a UMass quarterback … Tight end Dan Foesel had his first career catch … Khary Bailey-Smith had a career-high nine tackles … Jovan Santos-Knox also had a career high in tackles with seven … Colter Johnson fell short of the school’s single-season record for average after entering 1 yard per punt below Brett Arnold’s 2008 mark of 45.22.

All were being treated at Springfield hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

SPRINGFIELD — Eight Springfield firefighters and two Springfield police officers were injured Friday night when a Worthington Street building exploded as a result of a natural gas leak.

Both acting Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant and Police Commission William Fitchet said none of the injuries was life-threatening. All were being treated at Springfield hospitals.

The injuries were announced at a press conference involving local and state officials at 8:30 p.m.

His mother said Camacho 'died 3 days ago and he's only alive now because of a machine.'

Hector Camacho of Puerto Rico, right, lands a punch on the chin of Sugar Ray Leonard during a 1997 bout. AP file

By DANICA COTO
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hector "Macho" Camacho will be taken off life support, his mother said Friday night, indicating she would have doctors do that Saturday. It was a decision the former championship boxer's eldest son opposed.

The boxer's mother, Maria Matias, told reporters outside the hospital where Camacho lay unconscious since being shot in the face that she had decided doctors should remove life support, but only after three of his sons arrived in Puerto Rico early Saturday and had a chance to see him a last time.

"I lost my son three days ago. He's alive only because of a machine," Matias said. "My son is not alive. My son is only alive for the people who love him," she added.

The three other sons were expected to arrive from the U.S. mainland around midnight Friday. "Until they arrive, we will not disconnect the machine," Matias said.

Another news conference was scheduled for Saturday morning at Centro Medico, the main trauma center for San Juan.

The former champion's mother has the final say in the matter, but his eldest son, Hector Jr., said he wants to keep his father alive.

"He's going to fight until the end. My father is a boxer," the son said.

Doctors have said Camacho is clinically brain dead from a shooting Tuesday night in his hometown of Bayamon. But relatives and friends told The Associated Press they were still wrestling with whether to remove him from life support.

"It is a very difficult decision, a very delicate decision," former pro boxer Victor "Luvi" Callejas, a longtime friend, said in a phone interview. "The last thing we lose is hope and faith. If there is still hope and faith, why not wait a little more?"

Aida Camacho, one of the boxer's aunts, said in an interview that the family could decide by late Friday whether to donate his organs.

As some relatives and friends continued to pray for a miracle, condolences kept coming in for Camacho's family and preparations began for memorials and a funeral Mass.

Gov. Luis Fortuno lamented what he called a sudden loss. "'Macho' will always be remembered for his spontaneity and charisma in and out of the ring," he said.

Also offering condolences was governor-elect Alejandro Garcia Padilla, who defeated Fortuno in November.

"The life of Macho Camacho, like other great athletes of ours, united the country," he said. "We celebrated his triumphs in the streets and we applauded him with noble sportsmanship when he didn't prevail."

Camacho was shot as he sat in a car with a friend, 49-year-old Adrian Mojica Moreno, who was killed in the attack. Police spokesman Alex Diaz said officers found nine small bags of cocaine in the friend's pocket and a 10th bag open inside the car.

Police reported no arrests and said investigators continued to interview potential witnesses. Capt. Rafael Rosa told reporters Friday that they are tracking down several leads, but added that very few witnesses were cooperating. He declined to say whether police had identified any suspects.

Hector Camacho Jr. lamented the violence that grips Puerto Rico, a U.S. island territory of nearly 4 million people that reported a record 1,117 homicides last year.

"Death, jail, drugs, killings," he said. "That's what the streets are now."

Camacho's sisters have said they would like to fly Camacho's body to New York and bury him there. Camacho grew up mostly in Harlem, earning the nickname the "Harlem Heckler."

He won super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s and fought high-profile bouts against Felix Trinidad, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. Camacho knocked out Leonard in 1997, ending the former champ's final comeback attempt. Camacho had a career record of 79-6-3.

Camacho battled drug, alcohol and other problems throughout his life. He was sentenced in 2007 to seven years in prison on burglary charges, but a judge eventually suspended all but one year of the sentence and gave Camacho probation. He wound up serving two weeks in jail, though, after violating that probation. A wife also filed domestic abuse complaints against him twice before their divorce.

A huge cloud of smoke was sent into the air after the explosion.

RAW VIDEO: Downtown gas explosion

A natural gas explosion flattened the Scores Gentlemen's Club building at 453 Worthington St. and shattered windows throughout a multi-block radius late Friday afternoon.

Raw video caught by WWLP-TV, 22News' Springfield skycam shows that the explosion sent a huge cloud of smoke into the air.

Eight firefighters and two Springfield police officers were hurt. Both acting Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant and Police Commission William Fitchet said none of the injuries was life-threatening.

At least 18 people were taken to hospitals with injuries from the explosion, with 10 at Baystate Medical Center and eight at Mercy Medical Center, and none of the injuries were life-threatening. Two of those injured who were brought to Mercy were firefighters, officials said. Around 8 p.m. five of the 10 people taken to Baystate had been admitted.

The Fire Department got a call about the smell of gas at the Worthington Street club at 4:20 p.m. Firefighters were on the scene in four minutes. Forty minutes later. a crew from Columbia Gas of Massachusetts was on the scene, department spokesman Dennis Leger said.

"We kind of thought the gas had been turned off. Five minutes later, the building exploded," Leger said.

Another Square One facility was destroyed in the 2011 tornado.

SPRINGFIELD — On a normal day, the Square One daycare center at 155 Chestnut St. would have been open.

But the center's 100 toddlers and pre-schoolers and the 20 to 30 staffers were off because of the Thanksgiving Day holiday on Friday when a natural gas explosion destroyed the building next door and heavily damaged the Square One space at 155 Chestnut St.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness we were off," said Kimberly A. Lee, a vice president with Square One. "When it comes to serving children, our first and foremost thought was, thank goodness we were closed."

The gas explosion occurred about 5:25 p.m., officials said, and Lee said children and adults would have been at the center on a normal week day into the early evening.

While feeling blessed none of their people were hurt, she said, an inescapable thought was over how much more can happen, given that the June 2011 tornado destroyed Square One's 959 Main St. site in the South End. Then, as now with the natural gas explosion, no one at Square one was seriously hurt.

"As if the tornado wasn't enough," Lee said.

As of Friday night, Square One employees were unable to visit the site to see the building's condition and determine if files, equipment and others things were salvageable, she said.

The 155 Chestnut St. facility will be closed on Monday and possibly beyond, said Lee, who urged parents and others with an interest in the site to stay tuned to MassLive.com and The Republican and other media for information about Square One.

"We are actively working right now to find a temporary location," Lee said.

Founded in 1883, Square One is a private, nonprofit organization. It gets funding from public agencies along with donations from private sector businesses and individuals, according to its website.

Square One provides early education and care at the following Springfield sites – 155 Chestnut St., 140 Wilbraham Ave., 255 King St. and 1 Clough St., as well as 233-243 High Street St. in Holyoke, according to its website.

The facility's King Street site was recently renovated with a life-size version of a Chutes & Ladders game and $200,000 playground, at which a ribbon-cutting occurred this month.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Joan B. Kagan, Square One president and chief executive officer, said, "I'm very grateful for the support of the community and our donors for helping us to provide such a lovely, nice and safe structure and opportunity for children to keep well and healthy."