Super Bowl Cheerleading Controversy: Isolated Incident or Larger Issue?

A Ravens cheerleader has been making headlines for the reasons she says she was banned from cheering on Super Bowl Sunday.

The story of a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader who said she was disciplined for weight gain—and believes this is a reason she was left behind from the Super Bowl—has been making headlines across the country. Cheerleader Courtney Lenz said she thinks her team didn't take her to the Super Bowl was because she gained 1.6 pounds. Admittedly, her story has changed through the week: Yahoo Sports noted she first said the team was upset because she had chosen to retire at the end of the season. She later told Good Morning America she thought the decision was because of her weigh-in. The alleged snub led to supporters starting an online petition to reinstate her, The Huffington Post reported. The team has said they picked cheerleaders for the Super …

•  7 Comments
• Photos (1)

It's Not Really Westborough

It just plays Westborough on TV.

  When the DCU television ad depicting a residential garage of customer “Tim” in "Westborough, MA" was played during the Super Bowl, emails started popping into Westborough Patch. The big question on everyone’s mind, “Was that really Westborough?” We called DCU Public Relations Manager John LaHair to find out. “It is not the case. It’s not an actual house in Westborough," he said. "We filmed ten spots over two days during the winter, so it was most cost effective to shoot in California." LaHair said that California is the third most active marketplace for DCU, following Massachusetts and New Hampshire respectively. "The comment I've been getting a lot today is, 'I can't believe you had an ad run during the Super Bowl,'" he said. "The ad …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Nancy Wright

6:44 pm on Monday, February 6, 2012

I'd put this in the category of false and misleading advertising.   more ›

IMAGE GALLERY: Showing Off Your Patriots Pride? Share Your Photos!

Are you painting your face? Wearing your lucky shirt? Dressing up the dog?

  Gibbons Middle School student Kaleigh Wright stopped by Mamas and Divas to add a little football flare to her fingertips. What do you do to show your Patriots pride? We want to see! Upload your photos to the gallery, or send them to maryjo.kurtz@patch.com.    Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on the latest Westborough news, or simply hit the "like" button at the top of this page.

• Photos (5)

POLL: Who Will Win the Super Bowl?

We're looking for your predictions for the game. Do you think Tom Brady will pull it off?

As of today, New England Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski is still nursing his injured ankle. It's almost game day and we want to know who you think will win. It's the same match up as four years ago in the Super Bowl, when the NY Giants took down the New England Patriots with just a small margin of 17-14. Speculation has been flying around all week about who has the best offense and defense and if Gronkowski will be able to play, which could put the Patriots over the top. We want to know all the scenarios - if he's in, will it help Tom Brady get his groove back and be able to beat the Giants. If he's out, is there really no reason to watch because it'll be a landslide and the Patriots could lose. Or are you thinking that it's an even …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

MaryJo Kurtz

1:59 pm on Sunday, February 5, 2012

I'll go with 31-21 Pats. Anyone else wanna go on record before the game starts?   more ›

Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: Feb. 1

Happy February! The birds outside your window right now are hoping you will celebrate a special event this month. Read on to find out what it is!

  Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events, reminders and odd little ditties to help you organize your day.   1. February is National Bird Feeding Month. To learn about wild bird feeding and watching, visit the National Bird Feeding Society website.  2. The Westborough School Committee meets at 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Forbes Municipal Building. The meeting is free and open to the public. It is a chance to hear the latest announcements and decisions being made by those who oversee the largest portion of the town budget. There is always something of interest on the agenda for parents, residents and taxpayers. 3. Dr. Malissa Wood, author of Smart at Heart: A Holistic…

• Photos (1)

Fill Your Super Bowl With a Taste of New England [Poll]

Have a great recipe for clam dip?

  The Super Bowl is just a week away, and celebrations are being planned – including ours. For the annual Super Bowl menu at our house, we choose a food from the region of each of the teams to add to the buffet. That means, finding the right food to represent New England this year. My 11-year-old is pushing for the native fluffernutter sandwich; his buddy suggested serving a plate of Dunkin donuts. Great ideas both, but I was thinking something more along the lines of steamed lobsters or lobster roll. Of course, we could opt for clams or a big pot of Boston baked beans. Another idea was to put a pot of New England clam chowder next to a pot of Manhattan clam chowder and see which one wins that contest. But I really don’t want a lot of …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Fans Breathe Sigh of Relief: DirecTV to Air Super Bowl

DirecTV and Sunbeam reach an agreement.

  DirecTV customers and New England Patriots fans can sit back and watch the Super Bowl in their own living room now that the company reached an agreement with Sunbeam. With the New England Patriots heading to the Super Bowl, local legislators urged the two companies to come to terms so that the game would not be blacked out in Boston and Florida. The dispute left about 200,000 DirecTV subscribers in the Boston TV market without access to NBC and the CW network programming, according to Boston.com. WHDH, the NBC affiliate in Boston, is scheduled to broadcast the Super Bowl. "We are pleased to have reached an agreement to end the Sunbeam blackout, and regret that any of our customers were forced into the middle of a business dispute where …

• Photos (1)

Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: Jan. 22

Go Pats!

  Each morning, Westborough Patch presents “5 Things You Need to Know,” a collection of announcements, events and reminders to help you organize your day.   1. Will the New England Patriots make it to the Super Bowl? The AFC Championship game is today at 3 p.m. New England hosts the Baltimore Ravens. Go Pats! 2. The Westborough Girl Scouts are out selling cookies today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. You will probably spot them around town. Cookies this year are sold on a cash-and-carry basis. The cost is $4 a box. The sale will continue through March 4. 3. The Annual Knights of Columbus Basketball Free Throw Competition will take place on Monday, Jan. 23 at Mill Pond School, 6 Olde Hickory Path. The Westborough Knights of Columbus sponsor the …

• Photos (1)