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Chicago Bears News: Insider suggests nightmare scenario at QB positionon February 20, 2020 at 1:00 pm

According to one Chicago Bears insider, don’t expect big changes at the quarterback position.

The debate over the state of the quarterback position for the Chicago Bears continues to rage on over social media. Each day there are Twitter sparring matches between the “Trubisky Truthers,” and the “Trubisky Haters.” Even those who simply demand more from the quarterback position and want the team to bring in a legitimate option to both challenge Mitchell Trubisky and potentially win the starting role, are labeled “haters.”

In short, the battle rages on, and according to one Bears insider, it does not appear the latter two groups are going to get their wish. However, if you are a fan of Trubisky and still believe he can be a star quarterback in this league, then I have some good news for you. Regardless of how you feel about Trubisky, Biggs outlines what is, in my opinion, the worst-case scenario for the Bears.

On the most recent Bear Download podcast, Chicago Tribune member and Bears’ beat reporter Brad Biggs spoke about what he believes Ryan Pace will do to address the position. Biggs, who is one of the most connected Bears insiders out there had some very interesting thoughts. Now, he did not tie these comments to anything specific he heard, but because of how connected he is, anytime he renders an opinion, fans should take notice.

Biggs said he believed there were a number of fans who are of the belief that the Bears are going to “reboot” the quarterback position this offseason. However, Biggs stated he does not think that is going to happen, adding “I think they’re committed to holding on to hope that Mitch Trubisky can become and evolve and improve and rise to the level of that franchise quarterback.”

If the team isn’t going to bring in a front-line starter to challenge or supplant Mitch, how will they address the position? Biggs thinks they will look to add someone who has a lot of experience playing games, to serve in a true backup role. Because that type of scenario will not be appealing to many of the free-agent quarterbacks, Biggs thinks the Bears may need to ultimately trade for a backup quarterback.

So let me get this straight: 1.) the Bears are not going to bring in legitimate competition, 2.) they are going to risk squandering what little is left on their Super Bowl window, and 3.) they are going to use some of their very limited draft capital to acquire a quarterback to strictly serve as a backup?

Next: Bears should proceed with caution on these FAs

That sounds like the worst possible scenario for the Bears, but also one that is very possible because — well — they’re the Bears, and nothing surprises me anymore with this franchise.

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Chicago Bears News: Insider suggests nightmare scenario at QB positionon February 20, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Nike Partners With Boys & Girls Club of Chicago to Create NBA All-Star Academyon February 14, 2020 at 7:54 pm

Located just 1.5 miles west of this year’s NBA All-Star celebration is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boys and Girls Club of Chicago. Founded in 1953, the club has played an important role in supporting underprivileged children in the city’s west side communities. And their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

In an effort to provide a safe place where kids can stay active, Nike and the Boys and Girls Club partnered together to refurbish the club’s basketball court. But they didn’t stop there. The partnership also includes the launch of the Nike All-Star Academy, which will provide both on and off-the-court programs to members of the Boys and Girls Club. Nike officially announced the renovations this past Wednesday, and the results are breathtaking.



boys and girls club court
Photo Credit: Nike

The New Court

To design the new basketball court, Nike teamed up with the founder of the NikeLab Chicago Re-Creation Center, Virgil Abloh. The court highlights the commitment Nike and Virgil made to the community while shining a light on the city and its youth. Virgil commented on the new space, saying, “This new court and programming not only extend our community work with the NikeLab Re-Creation Center, they provide a positive, free space for kids to engage in activities rooted in sport that will lead to an active healthy lifestyle and teach teamwork and the determination to succeed.”

Photo Credit: Nike
Nike All-Star Academy

After the NBA All-Star weekend concludes, members of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boys and Girls Club will have access to the Nike All-Star Academy. At the academy, children will learn through the game of basketball and beyond it. The programming includes skill-building on the court as well as hands-on learning in the areas of sport design, sport science, coaching, and journalism.



The NBA All-Star weekend will tip off tonight with the All-Star Celebrity Game and Rising Stars game. The skills challenge, 3-point contest, and dunk contest are all scheduled for Saturday and the NBA All-Star game is set for Sunday night!



At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.



Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: Nike



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Nike Partners With Boys & Girls Club of Chicago to Create NBA All-Star Academyon February 14, 2020 at 7:54 pm Read More »

Walk Among Life-Sized Dinosaur Models at Navy Pier When Jurassic Quest Comes to Chicagoon February 16, 2020 at 5:23 pm

See over 80 life-sized dinosaur models, including a T-Rex and a Megladon, on display at Navy Pier from March 6 – 8, 2020, when Jurassic Quest takes over Chicago. The largest and most time expansive dinosaur exhibit in North America features walking dinosaur animatronics from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Late Cretaceous eras.

jurassic quest
Photo Credit: Jurassic Quest

You won’t believe your eyes when you embark on this Jurassic Quest; life-like dinosaurs, like the adolescent T-Rex and Spinosaurus, tower over you as they walk by. You can pet and cuddle interactive baby Triceratops, Camarasaurus, and more, at the Baby Dinos exhibit, and even get a ride on one of the special animatronics dinosaurs, designed to walk on their own! Jurassic Quest now also features an Ancient Oceans attraction, which gives you a first-hand look at now-extinct, prehistoric sea turtles, the earliest discovered dolphins, and, the crowning jewel of the exhibit, a 50-foot Megladon, the largest shark known to mankind.



Raising a future paleontologist? Get your young ones interested in fossils at the dig site, where they can uncover dinosaur bones in the sand. If you’re interested in a guided tour around Jurassic Quest, one of the many dinosaur experts on site can give you the inside scoop on these prehistoric beasts, including the most complete T-Rex skull ever found. There are plenty more attractions for your kids to enjoy at Jurassic Quest, including craft and science stations, face painting, a bouncy house, and more!

Jurassic Quest
Photo Credit: Jurassic Quest

When you buy a regular kids ticket, your child gains access to The Dinosaur Exhibit, The Baby Dinosaur Show, The Walking Dinosaur Show, The Dino Tour, Dino Cinema, Science Station, and Crafts & Coloring Station. But, if you upgrade to the VIP ticket, your kid gets unlimited access to rides and activities, and includes a whole lot: The Dinosaur Exhibit, The Baby Dinosaur Show, The Walking Dinosaur Show, The Dino Tour, Dinosaur Rides, Dino Bounce Houses, Bungee Pull, Fossil Dig, Jurassic Jeeps, Dino Scooters (for ages 3 & under), Excavation Station (One Turn Per VIP Ticket), Dino Cinema, Crafts & Coloring Station, Science Station, and more! The only activities NOT included in the VIP ticket are Face Painting and Green Screen Photography, which require Activity Tickets that are purchased at the Tickets For Activities booth inside the event.



Jurassic Quest Information

Dates: March 6 – 8, 2020 | Friday 3pm-8pm; Saturday 9am-8pm; Sunday 9am-7pm

Location: Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611



Tickets: Kids & Adults, $24; Kids VIP, $38; Seniors, $22. Buy your tickets before they sell out!

This is expected to be one of the most epic displays in Chicago this year. Don’t believe us? See for yourself.





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Walk Among Life-Sized Dinosaur Models at Navy Pier When Jurassic Quest Comes to Chicagoon February 16, 2020 at 5:23 pm Read More »

Healthy Places to Eat Near You in Chicago With Excellent Foodon February 17, 2020 at 3:33 pm

Chicago is home to some of the most outrageous, delicious food in America, not all of it being healthy. It can be hard to find food that’s tasty and good for you but more options continue to pop up and below are some of our favorite healthy places to eat near you in Chicago.

Banzai Acai Bowl
Photo Credit: Left Coast Facebook

Left Coast | Multiple Locations

The owner of Left Coast came up with the idea of a convenient, healthy spot after noticing the lack of flavorful, healthy restaurants in Chicago. The California-inspired menu includes plenty of greens, grains, and juices.



healthy restaurants
Photo Credit: Clever Rabbit

Clever Rabbit | 2015 West Division

You’ll find no lack of flavor in the food at Clever Rabbit. This healthy place to eat near you in Chicago makes healthy dishes that feature ingredients such as Thai chili, cilantro, mint, miso, and lemongrass.

Photo Credit: FARE Chicago

Fare | 205 West Wacker Drive

With one goal in mind, to create flavorful dishes with clean ingredients, Fare is a great quick-service healthy restaurant option when looking for meals that support a healthy lifestyle.



Photo Credit: Centre Street Chicago

Centre Street Kitchen | 1224 West Webster Avenue

Centre Street Kitchen not only uses locally sourced ingredients to create delicious dishes, but also has a focus on philanthropy in addition to eating well, doing well, and being well.

healthy restaurants
Photo Credit: The Handlebar

Handlebar | 2311 West North Avenue

Handlebar specializes in making vegan and vegetarian comfort food from scratch. We recommend visiting this healthy restaurant to try their Nashville Hot Fried “Chicken” served with mushrooms, pickles, hot sauce and slaw on a ranch brioche bun.



Photo Credit: Range

Range | 1119 West Webster Avenue

Range is the epitome of farm-to-table. Using only the most sustainable, locally sourced ingredients, this healthy place to eat near you in the city creates seasonal, small-batch, fresh meals for dinner and brunch.

The Chicago Diner
Photo Credit: The Chicago Diner Facebook

Chicago Diner | Multiple Locations

Don’t let the name fool you, Chicago Diner is meat-free, serving healthy, delicious vegetarian meals. Try the Cajun Black Bean Burger at this healthy restaurant or the Buddha’s Karma Burger made with a curried sweet potato-tofu patty, grilled pineapple, and chimichurri sauce.



At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.



Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!



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Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen on Touring Illinois With The Nielsen Trust, Bringing a Hard Rock Hotel to Rockford & Moreon February 17, 2020 at 4:26 pm

When it comes to Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees, few artists seem to be as beloved by fellow inductees as Cheap Trick. A true rock band’s rock band, the music of Cheap Trick has been covered by dozens of notable artists, including Pearl Jam, Marilyn Manson, Kid Rock, Green Day, and the Foo Fighters. It has been over 45 years since the group formed in Rockford, Illinois, and Cheap Trick remains one of rock’s hardest-working touring acts, having played over 5,000 gigs and counting.

Yet Cheap Trick guitarist and principal songwriter Rick Nielsen still stays busy as a musician in his off time. During a rare month or so off, Nielsen will be hitting with the roading with The Nielsen Trust. A true “family band,” The Nielsen Trust also features the talents of Daxx Nielsen (Cheap Trick’s stellar full-time drummer since 2010), Miles Nielsen (frontman of Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts), and singer/songwriter Kelly Steward, wife and frequent musical collaborator of Miles Nielsen. That tour kicks off in a few weeks in Wisconsin Dells, just outside of Rockford:



  • March 6 & 7, 2020 – Monk’s – Wisconsin Dells, WI
  • March 19, 2020 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI
  • March 20, 2020 – Hi-Fi – Indianapolis, IN
  • March 21, 2020 – Brauer House – Lombard, IL
  • March 25, 2020 – The Ready Room – St. Louis, MO
  • March 26, 2020 – The Rust Belt – East Moline, IL
  • March 27, 2020 – Tanners – Kimberly, WI
  • April 1, 2020 – Venue 720 – Flora, IL
  • April 2, 2020 – The Castle Theatre – Bloomington, IL
  • April 3, 2020 – Chop Shop – Chicago, IL
  • April 4, 2020 – The Apollo Theatre AC – Belvidere, IL

I had the pleasure of speaking with Rick Nielsen by phone on February 14, 2020, about the upcoming dates for The Nielsen Trust, future recording plans and more, as embedded below; the chat will also air on a future edition of the Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz podcast.

On the rumor of him being involved with bringing a Hard Rock Hotel to Rockford:



Rick Nielsen: I’ve been working on that for 12 years. I went down to Springfield and tried to let the state know… Firstly, I don’t need a job but a lot of people where I live do. To have some company as big as the Hard Rock willing to come there, I hoped to be a good spokesperson for them, and it worked.

On having his own chair at the Coronado Performing Arts Center:



Rick Nielsen: I helped raise the money to help rehab that place. I think we raised $17 or $18 million dollars a number of years ago. Being on the National Register, you couldn’t actually install something like that. For my work in helping organize all that, they said, “Rick, we’d like to have something for you. Would you like a front-row seat?” I said, “Heck no, if I’m going to get something, I’d like one where I used to sit, next to the last row up on the balcony.” It’s a regular seat, but I go, “Make a checkerboard seat.” It fits over and they had to lock it because someone tried to steal it. That’s where I wanted something and that was my “thank you.”

On being on the latest and greatest of Rockford like the Urban Forest Craft Brewery, Fire Dept. Coffee, 15th & Chris, and Pigs Mind Brewery:



Rick Nielsen: I’ve been to 15th & Chris a bunch of times. I don’t want to have a big article about me, but I’ve promoted the stuff in town for years. The Nielsen Chorale is a vocal thing that my father [Ralph Nielsen] started from the Mendelssohn [Chorale] Club which he helped years ago. So that’s now been named the Nielsen Chorale. It’s not like a cowboy corral, you know?





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Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen on Touring Illinois With The Nielsen Trust, Bringing a Hard Rock Hotel to Rockford & Moreon February 17, 2020 at 4:26 pm Read More »