Latest news with #Brunt
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Four-part series to document Hamilton Tiger-Cats 2025 CFL season
It's been an eventful start for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Stephen Brunt couldn't be happier. The veteran journalist is producing and narrating a four-part series on Hamilton's '25 campaign. The first episode of 'Made in the Hammer: Inside the 2025 Tiger-Cats' details the club's opening four regular-season games and is scheduled to be aired Wednesday night for season-ticket holders. It will be available to the public starting Thursday across the Ticats' digital platforms. 'I was excited to get to work for the team and let my colours show on this one,' said Brunt, a 66-year-old Hamilton native. 'Right off the hop this season has turned into something, the storylines are crazy.' Hamilton opened the season with back-to-back losses before reeling off six consecutive victories and moving atop the East Division. That streak ended Thursday night with a 41-38 overtime loss to the B.C. Lions. The Tiger-Cats (6-3) visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-1) on Saturday. Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has picked up where he left off in 2024 when he was the CFL leader in passing yards (5,451) and touchdowns (32). The 35-year-old Texan is leading the league in both categories so far (2,856 yards, 21 touchdowns). Equally impressive has been Kenny Lawler's impact with the Ticats. A free-agent signing this off-season, the six-foot-one, 180-pound Lawler leads the CFL in receiving TDs (eight) and is second in receiving yards (783). Lawler was stellar to open the season, registering 24 catches for 483 yards and five TDs over Hamilton's first four games. He had six receptions for 207 yards and three TDs in a 51-38 victory over Toronto on July 4. The first episode also includes Hamilton's decision to move Canadian linebacker Devin Veresuk — the second player taken in the '25 CFL draft — into the starting lineup after two games as well as GM Ted Goveia's announcement in June of his cancer diagnosis. 'There's a scene in the first episode after that first win (35-17 versus Montreal on June 27) where in the dressing room (Ticats head coach) Scott Milanovich presents the game ball to Ted and it's heartbreaking,' Brunt said. 'And Ted won't take it, he hands it off to Veresuk. 'That's stuff we never got to see when we were working in the press box.' The Ticats are giving Brunt and his crew plenty of access to tell the story of their pursuit of a first Grey Cup title since 1999. The second episode will cover Hamilton's season up to its annual Labour Day showdown with Toronto on Sept. 1. The third instalment deals exclusively with Labour Day before the final one covers off the remainder of the '25 campaign. The series will also provide insight on the franchise's importance within Hamilton, something Brunt says Mitchell — who's in his third season with the Ticats — understands completely. 'When he talks about Hamilton and the fans, he really does get it about why it's different and that's impressive,' Brunt said. 'I know it's not like it used to be but other than Saskatchewan, where else is there in the league where the identity is so tied into the football team? 'The thing my dear departed mom cared about was the Ticats. It was all about who you were and where you lived and you hated the Argos, you really hated them. There's still some of that out there, especially down by (Hamilton Stadium), that's still a real thing.' The Tiger-Cats championship drought is the CFL's longest. It came close to ending in 2014 when Brandon Banks returned a punt 90 yards for the go-ahead touchdown late versus Calgary but it was called back due to an illegal block. That helped the Stampeders — with Mitchell at quarterback — win 20-16. Hamilton lost the '21 Grey Cup 33-25 in overtime to Winnipeg at then Tim Hortons Field. 'I think there's a great story being written, it kind of feels like there's something happening here,' Brunt said. 'I'd be interested to see how the city would react now if they won because 1999 was a long time ago. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I remember watching the '86 Grey Cup (39-16 win over Edmonton) at my parents' house and after you could hear the city when they won. In '99 after I covered the game, I went to the parade to see Ronnie (head coach Ron Lancaster) and that team. I remember (Grey Cup wins in) 1967 and '72, there were others when I was younger but those are the ones I remember but I kind of wonder what it would be like now?' Brunt said a Grey Cup win would be fitting for Hamilton owner Bob Young. He purchased the franchise in 2003 in honour of his late brother, Michael, who was a diehard fan. 'He 100 per cent deserves it,' Brunt said. 'I hope people appreciate him … there's no team if it not for Bob Young. 'He's put his money where his mouth is and has kept doing it and kept trying. I hope there's a parade and I hope he's right in front of it.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2025.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Move over, Patriots: Gillette Stadium's groundskeepers are getting their own sponsorship
'They are our athletes,' said Eric Girouard, Brunt's CEO and founder, of the stadium's field crew. 'They're the people that we get excited about behind the scenes, that maybe don't get noticed, don't get recognized, but part of what we're excited about this year is we're going to start putting those guys on a pedestal and seeing where we can take it.' The Gillette field crew is responsible for maintenance and upkeep at the Foxborough stadium and other training facilities, Advertisement 'We want them to choose what they need to be safe and comfortable,' said Girouard. Girouard launched Brunt in 2020 with the aim of offering an alternative to legacy workwear brands — one eager to jump on new apparel tech and digital-savvy marketing. When Brunt began talks with the Kraft Group and the Patriots, Girouard said, he wanted to make sure that the company's buy-in meant more than just another name emblazoned below the jumbo-tron. Advertisement 'How do we be authentic? How do we tie it back to what we know and what we believe in?' said Girouard. 'Let's focus on the field crew, the people that actually get the field in condition and keep it in condition.' Girouard declined to share the financial terms of the sponsorship. Brunt, which has just under 100 employees, has raised more than $44 million, according to Besides giving the field crew a new wardrobe, the sponsorship will also include three tailgate events hosted by Brunt at home games through the end of the year. Girouard also said he plans to spotlight the groundskeepers on Brunt's social media platforms. 'We love that Brunt Workwear is a New England-based company, and from the first meeting with their team, felt that it would be a good fit,' said a Gillette Stadium spokesperson in a statement. 'The field crew had the opportunity to try out several products and was impressed with the quality and comfort of the whole line.' Though the deal covers only the upcoming season to see how it pans out, Girouard said, he hopes the partnership will continue. 'The goal is, we want to do this for multiple years, if not in perpetuity,' he said. Dana Gerber can be reached at
Leader Live
07-08-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
On-the-up Wrexham AFC now set for a tilt at the Championship
Actually, scrap that. Hopefully we'll make the Premier League our natural habitat. It's great to be in the Championship, but maybe we're just passing through? It's a mind-blowing thought, but not as crazy as it might sound. After all, blowing expectations away is what we've specialised in over recent years. There was a certain amount of edginess at the end of last season as fans wondered whether we'd be able to cope with the definite rise in standards that The Championship represents. Beyond our fans, a lot of people were far more forthright in suggesting we would fail if we moved a division higher! Many of them were from the national media, who arrived expecting to see some Hollywood fantasy, and were disappointed to come across the serious business of a team grinding out results in a successful pursuit of promotion. 'This team won't cope in the Championship' was the regular line I heard them tell their audience, who eagerly lapped up the prospect of our star-studded journey grinding to a halt. I never followed their negative logic, partly because the team they were denigrating was quietly compiling a season which could only be bettered by Birmingham City, whose budget put everyone else's in the shade. However, I also knew, as anyone who's really paying attention did, that we were always going to spend some serious money adding to that promotion-winning squad. Look at the 11 which played the run-in last season: Scarr, Brunt, James, Longman, Rathbone, Dobson, Rodriguez and Smith were all players who arrived after promotion from League Two. That's a massive rebuild, achieved quite organically in a way which made it feel like a natural progression. At the very least, we were always going to replicate that this summer. We've made some real statement signings, and the first performances in a Wrexham shirt by Liberato Cacace, Josh Windass and Lewis O'Brien last Saturday showed what quality we'd drafted in. We didn't stop there either! The consequence is, the rest of the Championship must be looking at us and be wondering exactly what they've got on their hands. Three promotions in a row! There's no metric to measure that against, because nobody's ever done it before! They must be asking themselves what our ceiling is. Is it possible we'll just tear through the Championship as well? There's widespread talk of consolidation amongst the supporters, and I get that. It was the same a year ago, though, and look how that ended up! Clearly, The Championship is a very different beast to League One, and a massive challenge. I wouldn't reject consolidation if it happens, but my mindset has been changed by the owners. Rob, Ryan and the Allyn Family haven't put their money where their mouths are so they can tread water. They've converted me. I'm no longer a pessimist, but I don't think I've become an optimist. I'm a realist. Our trajectory is taking us upwards, and I don't need to look further than the facts to convince myself of that. We've got unprecedented momentum coming into the campaign, a committed fanbase who are going to make a real impact with their passion and colour, and a manager who continues to take full advantage of the superb backing he's received in terms of transfer funds and infrastructure. Once more, the owners' ability to take the obvious decisions is bearing fruit: surround a good man with good people and you've maximised your chances of success. Saturday is a heck of a challenge, of course. Southampton have just come down from the Premier League, and although that was a chastening experience, they've retained a lot of quality players who will ultimately benefit from it. Some fine players have left them this summer, and more could follow, but the chances are they will feel that heat as the transfer deadline approaches. This weekend, they'll be fielding the players the Premier League and top European clubs are sniffing around. Our first win under Parkinson came in the second game of the 2021-22 season, literally adjacent to Southampton Airport, at Eastleigh. Four years later, we get to play Southampton proper. The club of Kevin Keegan, Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier and the 1976 FA Cup final winners. The club that broke Sir Alex Ferguson's mind and made him scared of grey clothing! It's beyond belief, but we're all believers. Let the insanity commence!
Sydney Morning Herald
16-07-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cod hotels and 200,000 trees: The $30m plan to clean up our waterways
A $30 million deal has been reached to deliver one of the single biggest investments to clean up Queensland's busiest waterways. The funding, provided by the South East Queensland Council of Mayors and the state and federal governments, will kickstart more than 30 rehabilitation projects from Noosa to Logan and as far west as the Lockyer Valley. The Resilient Rivers package includes funding to plant 200,000 native trees, release 30,000 cod fingerlings, and install 200 cod hotels, made of underwater logs, to provide a breeding habitat for the critically endangered Mary River Cod. It will also establish the first-ever regional platypus-monitoring program using a simple water test known as eDNA, a non-invasive way to detect the presence of the mammals in creeks, rivers and dams. Dr Tamielle Brunt, from Wildlife Queensland's PlatypusWatch, said it would help identify 'hot spots' where platypuses are under threat. 'We're seeing a lot of change in our waterways,' Brunt said. 'The way water actually comes into our waterways through stormwater drains is hard and fast: it will erode banks, which we now need to rehabilitate, and it can displace their food source, and if there's no food, there's no platypus. 'So, there are a lot of compounding threats that will impact their populations across the urban space.'
The Age
16-07-2025
- General
- The Age
Cod hotels and 200,000 trees: The $30m plan to clean up our waterways
A $30 million deal has been reached to deliver one of the single biggest investments to clean up Queensland's busiest waterways. The funding, provided by the South East Queensland Council of Mayors and the state and federal governments, will kickstart more than 30 rehabilitation projects from Noosa to Logan and as far west as the Lockyer Valley. The Resilient Rivers package includes funding to plant 200,000 native trees, release 30,000 cod fingerlings, and install 200 cod hotels, made of underwater logs, to provide a breeding habitat for the critically endangered Mary River Cod. It will also establish the first-ever regional platypus-monitoring program using a simple water test known as eDNA, a non-invasive way to detect the presence of the mammals in creeks, rivers and dams. Dr Tamielle Brunt, from Wildlife Queensland's PlatypusWatch, said it would help identify 'hot spots' where platypuses are under threat. 'We're seeing a lot of change in our waterways,' Brunt said. 'The way water actually comes into our waterways through stormwater drains is hard and fast: it will erode banks, which we now need to rehabilitate, and it can displace their food source, and if there's no food, there's no platypus. 'So, there are a lot of compounding threats that will impact their populations across the urban space.'
