When it comes to showing up for voluntary portions of the NFL offseason program, the reality is that not all situations are equal. When Robert Quinn didn’t show up to OTAs last year — or even mandatory veteran minicamp for that matter — no one really blinked an eye. Quinn was a veteran player with one job: go get the…...
As the Bears get back on the field this morning for OTAs, I thought I’d take the time to address a topic I’ve been asked about a lot in the last week: the new fair catch rule on kickoffs. Last week at the spring meetings in Minneapolis, NFL owners voted to approve fair catches on kickoffs on a one-year trial…...
Good morning, Chicago!Today is the day for all Blackhawks fans to say a prayer, rub your best good luck charm or maybe do a good deed in an attempt to grab some last-minute karma. Actually, go ahead and do all three. The NHL Draft Lottery is tonight at 7 and the Hawks’ rebuild could hop into a warp tunnel if…
Good morning, Chicago! And welcome to Draft Week. It seems like forever ago that Lovie Smith and Davis Mills led the Texans to that improbable comeback victory, securing the top pick in the NFL Draft for Ryan Poles and the 3-14 Chicago Bears. The victory started two months of debate over the haul the Bears should seek in trade for…
Good morning, Chicago!As I wrote a few Mondays ago, we sure could use a nice baseball surprise this summer. Maybe the Cubs are up to the challenge? While they’re not red-hot like the 14-2 Tampa Bay Rays, the North Siders are off to a solid 8-6 start after winning this weekend’s series at Dodger Stadium. The Cubs have taken two…
Dear Jonathan, Now that we know tonight will be your last game as a Chicago Blackhawk, I wanted to share a note. If it wasn’t for you, I probably wouldn’t be doing the job I’m doing now. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have half of my happy Chicago sports memories. For that, thanks. It’s funny, your career has…
Good morning, Chicago! The Bulls’ regular season has ended and the team will now head to Toronto to face the Raptors in a play-in game between the ninth and 10th seeds on Wednesday night. So why aren’t we more excited? Here’s how the whole thing works, if you’re unfamiliar. Beat Toronto and the Bulls will advance to face the loser…
It’s been a difficult year for the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks, and maybe even more difficult for their fans. With the team losing by design, losses were expected. The trades of Patrick Kane, Max Domi, Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty and Jack Johnson removed many of the players that made the season somewhat palatable. Since the deadline has passed, the Hawks have…
Happy Opening Day, Chicago! At least for those of you on the South Side. Four days after the start of the MLB season, the White Sox are back in Bridgeport to kick off the season against the San Francisco Giants. The Cubs, meanwhile, are in Cincinnati for their first road series of the year. It’s good to have baseball back.…
The Chicago Blackhawks held their annual Pride Night Celebration at the United Center on Sunday night. There was a ‘Glamboni’, performances by the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, an intermission exhibition from the Chicago Gay Hockey Association, and more rainbows than you can count. However, the players were not wearing their Pride jerseys in warm-ups, as they have in years past.…