Chicago Sports

High school football schedule: Week 1

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Thursday, August 25

Nonconference

Waukegan at North Chicago, 7:15

Wheeling at Round Lake, 7

Friday, August 26

Fox Valley

Burlington Central at Hampshire, 7

Cary-Grove at Dundee-Crown, 7

Huntley at Crystal Lake Central, 7

Jacobs at Crystal Lake South, 7

Prairie Ridge at McHenry, 7

Upstate Eight

Bartlett at Streamwood, 7:30

East Aurora at Glenbard South, 7

Fenton at Elgin, 7:30

Larkin at Glenbard East, 7

South Elgin at West Chicago, 7

Nonconference

Ag. Science at Solorio, 7:30

Andrew at Kaneland, 7:30

Antioch at Carmel, 7:30

Aurora Central at Wauconda, 7

Aurora Christian at Ottawa Marquette, 7

Barrington at Warren, 7

Bismarck-Henning at Clifton Central, 7

Bremen at Thornridge, 6

Carver at TF North, 7

Charleston at Herscher, 7

Chicago Military at Marine, 4:15

Coal City at Morris, 7

Comer at Geneseo, 7

Dakota at Christ the King, 7:30

De La Salle vs. St. Viator at Forest View, 7

Downers Grove North at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

Downers Grove South at Wheaton North, 7:30

East Moline at LaSalle-Peru, 7

Eisenhower at Brooks, 7:30

Elmwood Park at Reed-Custer, 7

Evergreen Park at Manteno, 7

Fremd at Lake Zurich, 7

Georgetown at Watseka, 7

Glenbrook North at Taft, 7:30

Golder vs. Senn at Lane, 4:15

Grant at Mundelein, 7

Grayslake North at Vernon Hills, 6

Hansberry vs. Corliss at Gately, 4:15

Harvard at Lisle, 7

Hersey at New Trier, 7

Hillcrest at Brother Rice, 7

Hinsdale Central at Naperville Central, 7

Hinsdale South at Deerfield, 7

Homewood-Flossmoor at Naperville North, 7

Hope Academy at Young, 4:15

Hubbard at Grayslake Central, 7

Joliet Catholic at Waterford, Wis., 7

Joliet Central at Argo, 7

Joliet West at Lockport, 6:30

Kankakee at Nazareth, 7

Kenosha Indian Trail, Wis. at Evanston, 7

Lake Central, Ind. at Providence, 6

Lake Park at Conant, 7

Lake View at Niles North, 7

Lakes at Sterling, 7

Lane vs. Amundsen at Winnemac, 4:30

Leyden at Highland Park, 6:30

Libertyville at Lemont, 7

Lincoln-Way Central at St. Charles East, 7:30

Lincoln-Way East at Crete-Monee, 7

Lincoln-Way West at Plainfield Central, 7

Little Village vs. Chicago Richards at Stagg, 4:15

Longwood at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 6

Lyons at Buffalo Grove, 7:30

Maine East at Addison Trail, 6

Maine West at Elk Grove, 7:30

Marengo at Wilmington, 7

Marian Catholic at Thornwood, 7

Marian Central at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

Marmion at Bishop McNamara, 7

Metea Valley at Geneva, 7

Minooka at Bolingbrook, 6

Montini at IC Catholic, 7:15

Neuqua Valley at Oswego, 7

Noblesville, Ind. at Benet, 7

Notre Dame at Willowbrook, 7:30

Oak Lawn at Tinley Park, 6

Payton at DePaul Prep, 7:30

Peotone at Rantoul, 7

Plainfield North at Plainfield East, 7

Plainfield South at West Aurora, 7

Plano at Ottawa, 7:15

Platteville, Wis. at St. Edward, 7

Prosser at Speer, 7:30

Reavis at Stagg, 6

Rich Township at South Vigo, Ind., 6

Richards vs. Morgan Park at Gately, 7:15

Ridgewood vs. Schurz at Lane, 7:15

Riverside-Brookfield at Morton, 7

Rolling Meadows at Glenbrook South, 7

Romeoville at Yorkville, 7

Sandburg at Prospect, 7

Schaumburg at York, 7:30

St. Charles North at Palatine, 7:30

St. Francis at Lake Forest, 7

St. Ignatius vs. St. Patrick at Triton, 7:30

St. Laurence at Moline, 7

St. Rita at Mount Carmel, 7:30

Steinmetz at Proviso West, 7

Stevenson at Maine South, 7

Streator at East Peoria, 7:30

Sullivan at Chicago Christian, 7:15

Sycamore vs. DeKalb at NIU, 8

TF South at Shepard, 7

UP-Bronzeville at Richmond-Burton, 7

Walther Christian at Westmont, 7

Waubonsie Valley at Oswego East, 7

Westinghouse at Oak Forest, 7

Woodstock at Rochelle, 7

Woodstock North at Johnsburg, 7

Zion-Benton at Kenosha Bradford, Wis., 5:30

Saturday, August 27

Nonconference

Alleman at Chicago Academy, 3

Back of the Yards vs. Phoenix at Orr, 1

Batavia vs. Phillips at Gately, 7

Bowen at Kelly, 11 a.m.

Butler vs. Rauner at Lane, 1

Collins vs. Bogan at Stagg, 1

Curie vs. Mather at Winnemac, 4

DuSable vs. Juarez at Winnemac, 10 a.m.

Dwight at Salt Fork, noon

Dyett vs. Hyde Park at Eckersall, 4

Fenger vs. Julian at Stagg, 4

Fenwick vs. Oak Park-River Forest at SeatGeek, 9:30 a.m.

Foreman at Marshall, 10 a.m.

Gage Park vs. Washington at Eckersall, 10 a.m.

Glenbard North vs. Kenwood at Gately, 11 a.m.

Glenbard West at Marist, 12:30

Harlan vs. North Lawndale at Westinghouse, 10 a.m.

Johnson vs. Vocational at Eckersall, 1

Lincoln Park vs. Von Steuben at Winnemac, 1

Lindblom vs. Catalyst-Maria at Stagg, 10 a.m.

Momence at Oakwood, noon

Niles West at Thornton, 1

Perspectives vs. Pritzker at Lane, 4

Raby at Orr, 4

Roosevelt vs. Kennedy at Westinghouse, 1

Rowe-Clark vs. Crane at Lane, 10 a.m.

Seneca at Westville, 5

South Shore at Englewood STEM, 5

Tilden vs. Clemente at Lane, 7

UIC Prep at Bloom, noon

Wheaton-Warrenville South vs. Simeon at Gately, 3

Woodlawn at Goode, 2

Sunday, August 28

Nonconference

Cincinnati St. Xavier, Ohio at Loyola, noon

King vs. Clark at Lane, 1

Leo vs. Bulls Prep at Lane, 10 a.m.

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Will Michael Schofield make the final cut on the Bears roster?

Veteran Michael Schofield could be a surprise cut with the emergence of Teven Jenkins

Michael Schofield had a rough first game against the Chiefs and came in with the second team in the game against the Seahawks which leaves him in a bit of a bind heading into the third game against Cleveland.  Schofield is a  seasoned veteran, but the Bears may be looking towards developing a youth movement along the offensive line.

Since that first game, Teven Jenkins has been practicing with the starting unit at right guard.  Jenkins also can play offensive tackle and perhaps even left tackle in a pinch.  This leaves Schofield with only the right guard spot for him to remain on the roster.

Rookie seventh-round pick Ja’Tyre Carter has quietly been recognized as a player the front office really likes by Tom Thayer.  Carter represents the youth movement on the offensive line the Bears are looking to start and Jenkins has more youth, power, and versatility as he can play both inside and outside for the Bears.  This may leave Michael Schofield as the most likely surprise veteran cut of the preseason.

Michael Schofield survived the first round of cuts this week but with many more to come and a splurge of competition on the offensive line between Braxton Jones, Larry Borom, Riley Reiff, Jenkins, and Carter he may be the odd man out.

Schofield is going to have to have a big game in the final game of the preseason to clearly separate himself from Carter as the backup right guard.  The question is will it come down to youth or experience on cut-down day?

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Xherdan Shaqiri is not the Elixir for Chicago Fire

A look the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri, six months after it was announced

When the news broke last February that Major League Soccer outfit, Chicago Fire had completed the signing of Switzerland national team midfielder, Xherdan Shaqiri from Olympique Lyon of France as a Designated Player, it felt like a potential shot in the arm for the Windy City soccer team perceived as a sleeping MLS giant.

Over six months and 26 games behind us, the former Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Liverpool star has yet to fully stamp his authority and sustain the appeal commensurate with the hype that trialed his arrival to Chicago.

MLS side Chicago Fire have officially announced the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri after only 6 months at Lyon.
Best of luck, Shaq 💪 https://t.co/tgrkVvOJek

Individually, Shaqiri’s cumulative Goals + Assists rank 24th in the MLS, nestled between Alejandro Pozuelo of Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecap’s Lucas Cavallini. The league’s top earner sits behind 12 players who are not designated players, and 26 total in this category.

While his assists ratio sits a quite respectable 9th in the league, he does trail three full backs: Brandon Bye (who earns $343,813 in guaranteed compensation, according to the MLSPA), Brooks Lennon ($500,000) and Kai Wagner ($581,000). Also, he has yet to be a threat to goalkeepers during the run-of-play, as two of his four goals have come from the penalty spot.

He is ranked outside of the Top Ten attacking midfielders. The top of the list features MVP frontrunners Emanuel Reynoso of Minnesota United and Austin FC’s Sebastian Driussi.

While in Europe, he was a rotation player at each of these prestigious clubs, but he still had some fine moments. His best years, however, came at FC Basel in his native Switzerland, and later at Stoke City, who at the time played in the English Premier League.

Xherdan Shaqiri pictured in the Chicago Fire kit. https://t.co/knXceeqP3d

Based on the foregoing, it is safe to conclude that the Swiss international’s performance in totality with the team leaves much to be desired, albeit he was out injured for a few games and is currently seeing a rise in his passing grade

Although, Kacper Przybylko’s 5 goals sit atop the Fire’s chart, an inkling of the fact that Fire’s struggles cut across the roster, but when one takes a look at the 12 losses, 6 draws and a miserly 8 wins in the Eastern Conference statistic by the Ezra Hendrickson tutored side, it suggests that it is not yet Uhuru, and maybe Xherdan Shaqiri is not the much needed elixir for a return to the postseason.

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Bears hoping CB Kyler Gordon can minimize, cover up rookie mistakes

Rookie mistakes are inevitable, especially at the most complicated positions, but the best young players can minimize them.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said he’s bracing for that turbulence with several rookies being rushed into the lineup this season, but the team believes top draft pick Kyler Gordon is smart enough to mostly avoid those errors and athletic enough to make sure no notices when he does commit one.

Every player on the field is athletic, of course. Left guard Cody Whitehair can run the 40-yard dash in five seconds, and kicker Cairo Santos managed some tackling drills just fine in a recent practice. But if Gordon is considered exceptionally athletic even among pro athletes, the Bears might have something special.

“There’s certain guys in the NFL that are another level of athlete, and those guys play better because they can take a false step here or there and still get the job done with their God-given ability,” defensive backs coach James Rowe said. “He falls in that department at times.”

Gordon will need that advantage, because he’s stepping into an incredibly difficult spot.

In case there are still any misconceptions about the nickel or slot cornerback, it must be clarified that this has become an essential position. The Colts, with Eberflus running their defense, have been using Pro Bowl pick Kenny Moore in that spot and are paying him nearly $7 million this season. He plays nearly every snap.

The position requires a player to be able to cover a speedy slot receiver or a burly tight end. The nickel has to be able to adapt quickly on a run play and can often be used as a blitzer. That’s in contrast to the much more straightforward responsibilities at outside cornerback.

In short, the nickel must be good at everything.

The Bears leaned on Duke Shelley in that role last season (he allowed 74.4% completions, per Pro Football Reference) and Buster Skrine in 2020 (78.1% completions).

The team also allowed the NFL’s highest passer rating (103.3), third-most passing touchdowns (31) and 13th-highest completion percentage (65.8), plus it had the third-fewest interceptions (eight). All of those issues flared despite the defensive backs playing behind a pass rush that was fourth in the NFL in sacks (49).

Among the glaring problems general manager Ryan Poles saw when he took the job, the secondary was an emergency. That more than justified picking Gordon at No. 39 overall and adding Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker at No. 48.

When the Bears ran their pre-draft simulations, Poles said Gordon was rarely available by the time they were up. They were enticed by his background of playing nickel at Washington and–again, the athleticism comes up–his incredible agility, developed in part by coming up in dance.

“There are certain cuts that he makes that other people, their body won’t allow them to do,” Rowe said. “He has an extreme amount of flexibility, and you can tell in his lower body he has a lot of strength from, maybe, the dancing. He’s a dynamic athlete, and some movements that he makes are just not normal movements that we see on the football field, but they help him do his job better.”

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Troy Murray, Patrick Sharp will split Blackhawks’ TV analyst role

The Blackhawks are dismantling the merry-go-round of announcers that incensed fans last season. They’ll keep it simple this season, the first without Pat Foley or Eddie Olczyk since 1979-80.

Joining new play-by-play voice Chris Vosters in the NBC Sports Chicago booth will be Troy Murray and Patrick Sharp, who will split the analyst duties. John Wiedeman will return to the WGN radio booth and work with either Murray or Caley Chelios.

Analyst Colby Cohen occasionally will join the TV broadcast between the benches. When he’s not there, he’ll be in the studio with host Pat Boyle. Chelios and a rotating cast of Hawks alumni also will appear.

“We heard our fans loud and clear,” said Jaime Faulkner, Hawks president of business operations. “We’ve been listening to them and talking to them this summer about a number of things, the broadcasts included, and I hope that they will feel that we’ve heard them in not only who we’ve chosen, but in having a consistent, trustworthy group that they can rely on to talk about Blackhawks hockey.”

Last season, the Hawks auditioned a number of play-by-play voices to replace the retiring Foley. They announced Vosters as the winner in April. Olczyk’s departure last month for the Kraken’s booth opened the analyst’s chair.

Sharp, who was a fan favorite on the Hawks’ Stanley Cup winners in 2010, 2013 and 2015, has had limited experience calling games. He mostly has been a studio analyst for the Hawks and former NHL rights holder NBC. He won’t be moving back to Chicago after relocating with his family to Connecticut.

“That shouldn’t stop his ability to partner with us,” Faulkner said. “We’re committed to making it a great experience not only for him but for his family. And I think we’ve worked out something that is going to be great for everybody.”

Murray has been a part of Blackhawks radio or TV broadcasts since 1998. He has partnered with Wiedeman since 2006, and they’ve earned the adoration of fans. Murray was diagnosed with cancer in August 2021 but appears ready to take on a full schedule.

Hawks alumni will give the studio shows a viewpoint they lacked last season with Chelios and Cohen. It was the first season the team took control of hiring announcers and analysts, and it was not well received. NBCSCH suggested changes, which led to adding the former players, who will be announced later.

“We overall have a goal to bring more of our alumni back,” Faulkner said. “One of the reasons we’re bringing them back into the studio is because of their perspective on Blackhawks hockey, the history, playing for this club. So we need their voice in the studio to help round it out.”

Faulkner also said the Hawks will introduce broadcast elements that are important to fans, such as updates on the prospects with Rockford and the development of the draft classes.

“We’re also going to try to help our fans get to know our players off the ice,” she said. “We’re going to try to make it more entertaining, but I think we want to be really transparent about how we’re doing.”

The complete broadcast schedule will be released later after the Hawks receive the NHL’s national TV schedule.

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2022 College Football Power 5 Betting Preview

National Championship Picks, Conference Championship Picks, Win Totals, Heisman Picks, and more for the 2022 College Football season

The time is finally upon us, the start of the 2022 college football season is here. Week 0 is less than a week away and you are probably realizing you haven’t placed any futures for the season yet. Not to worry, this preview will take you through all 5 power five conferences, picking a winner for each, and talking about some of the players and teams you need to keep an eye on.

All lines posted are accurate as of time of writing per BetMGM.

National Champions

The sportsbooks consider the National Championship a three team race with Alabama +190, Ohio State +320, and Georgia +350 the favorites to win it all. The odds significantly increase after that with Clemson sitting at +1200 and USC at +2000. If you don’t want to listen to me go on about why Alabama and Ohio State are the best teams in the country then go ahead and skip to the Conference Champions section. It’s true though, no matter how I look at this season I can’t envision seeing anyone other than Alabama or Ohio State lifting the trophy. Alabama returns last years Heisman winning quarterback in Bryce Young as well as five other starters on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, they return 2021 Nagurski Award (Best Defensive Player) winner Will Anderson. Anderson is a 2022 Heisman candidate and likely top 10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Despite losing their top running back and top two receivers from last year, Alabama is poised once again to contend for its 19th national championship. Its chalky for sure, but I can’t deny the value anytime you can get Alabama at almost 2/1 to win the national championship. They’ll have a chip on their shoulder this year after losing to Georgia in January. Pick: Alabama to win the National Championship +190.

The second favorite to win it all in 2022 is of course the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes, known for their explosive offenses, seem primed for another dominate season on the offensive side of the ball. The Buckeyes return 3 legitimate Heisman candidates in CJ Stroud (QB), TreVeyon Henderson (RB), and Jaxson Smith-Njigba (WR). On defense, Ohio State returns eight starters from 2021 and will field Top 25 defensive lines and secondaries in 2022. They also draw a fairly easy road schedule, only playing at Michigan State, at Penn State, at Northwestern, and at Maryland. I expect Ohio State to run the table in the regular season, win the Big Ten Championship, and enter the CFB Playoff 13-0 alongside Alabama. Pick: Ohio State to win the National Championship +320.

If you’re worried this “preview” was just going to be me recapping the favorites, not to worry. If you’re looking for some more value for your National Championship ticket, take a look at the 2021 Rose Bowl winner, Utah Utes. Many people write off the Pac-12 when talking about the best teams/conferences in college football, but Kyle Whittingham’s Utes are not to be overlooked. Last year the Utes stumbled early in the year, but after switching to Cameron Rising they ended the year 9-1 in Pac-12 play and finished the year #12 in the AP Poll losing to the highly touted Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. The Utes return 14 starters from that Rose Bowl team including junior quarterback, Cameron Rising. Utah also returns 1,000 yard rusher Tavion Thomas, tight end Brant Kuithe, and a typically strong O-Line. Utah has always bolstered strong defenses under Whittingham. They lose their best defensive player in Devin Lloyd but return six other starters and also bring in Florida’s top tackler in 2021, Mohamoud Diabate, at linebacker. Utah will be strong in 2022 and has very real potential to run the table in the Pac-12 and make the playoff. Pick: Utah to win the National Championship +5000.

Conference Champions

SEC

It’s Ohio State and everyone else. That has been the moniker of the Big Ten for the last decade. Last year, Michigan finally put an end to the Buckeyes reign and secured Harbaugh his first victory over the rival since he was hired back in 2015. It seems as though that Michigan team was one of destiny. Fielding one of the country’s best defenses Michigan lost a lot of talent to the draft and transfer portal in the offseason including #2 overall draft pick Aiden Hutchinson who was the heart and soul of the Michigan team that made it to its first CFB Playoff. Heading into 2022, Ohio State looks unstoppable and poised to dominate the Big Ten on its way to its fifth CFB Playoff appearance. The Buckeyes sit at -225 to win the Big Ten which is far too juicy for me. If you’re looking to make a play on the Big Ten winner I would look at Michigan at 6/1, Wisconsin at 12/1 and Nebraska at 18/1 but I personally won’t be making a play on this conference. Instead I am going to take the Buckeyes over 11 wins at -130. I expect this team to roll through its schedule and finish 12-0 at the end of the year. Worst case scenario, they drop a game and the bet pushes but there is no way I can see the Buckeyes losing 2 games to lose the bet. Ohio State’s toughest games will be to start the year versus Notre Dame, at Michigan State and Penn State in October, and of course Michigan to end the year which they get at home. Ohio State will likely be double digit favorites in all 12 of its games this year. They will also field one of the best offense in the country that will feature 3 Heisman candidates. CJ Stroud, TreVeyon Henderson, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba should keep the offense running like a well oiled machine while the defense also gets an improvement with DC Jim Knowles coming over from Oklahoma State. Pick: Ohio State o11 wins -130.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers were 0-9 in one possession games in 2021. To make things even worse, Nebraska is 5-20 in one score games since Scott Frost became HC. That is almost unfathomable, but it tells me that the Cornhuskers are due for some serious positive regression. In 2021, Nebraska outscored opponents 28-23 on a per game average. They also outgunned opponents by 82 ypg. Despite this, the Cornhuskers were still a disappointing 3-9. In addition to their 9 one possession losses, Nebraska also had wins by 45, 25, and 49 points including a 56-7 beatdown of conference rival Northwestern. For Nebraska, I see 6 games I’m comfortable giving them the victory in. Those games are at home against North Dakota, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Illinois and on the road against Rutgers and Purdue. I would give them the win in Week 1 against Northwestern, but that game will be played in Dublin, Ireland and nothing spells a chaotic college football game like a Week 0 college football game across the pond. I expect Nebraska to lose at home against Oklahoma but that will not be an easy game for the Sooners. Assuming all that happens that leaves a 4 game gauntlet at the end of the year that Nebraska could very well be 6-2 or 7-1 heading into. In November the Cornhuskers will play at home against Minnesota, travel to Ann Arbor to play the Wolverines, Wisconsin at home, and then at Iowa to end the year. It’s a difficult stretch for sure but none of those games will be write offs for the Cornhuskers. I said earlier I would take a look at Nebraska to win the Big Ten if you’re looking for longer odds than what the books are offering on Ohio State, but for this article I am going to stick to their win total. Nebraska is due and I don’t know about you, but I want to be on the right side of history when the Scott Frost of old returns. Pick: Nebraska o7.5 wins -115.

The Maryland Terrapins went 7-6 last year under Mike Locksley. This year, for Locksley’s third season, they return 16 starters including junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa’s health is going to be a concern as a Maryland quarterback has only started every game 2 years in a row three times in the last 17 years. The offensive line allowed 25 sacks last year but they return all of its starters. This year the offensive line will be the deepest and most experiences Taulia has gotten to play behind. Five of the six losses Maryland had last year were against ranked teams. A more talented and experienced Maryland team should help them break their 10 game losing streak to ranked opponents. I see 6 sure wins for Maryland, which would push the bet of over 6 wins. Maryland opens the year at home against Buffalo and SMU and on the road against Charlotte. That should be a 3-0 start. In Big Ten play, I see Maryland beating Purdue, Northwestern, and Rutgers all at home. That leaves Michigan State and Ohio State at home and road games against Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Penn State for them to get one more win. Pick: Maryland o6 wins +100.

ACC

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Noir City: Chicago — 10-hour marathon of rarities highlights Music Box film festival

After a three-year “intermission,” Noir City: Chicago returns Friday through Sept. 1 at the Music Box Theatre with a lineup of killer B’s — a six-movie marathon of rarities — and an opening-night salute to neo-noir icon James Caan.

Turner Classic Movies host Eddie Muller and his partner in cinematic crime appreciation Alan K. Rode produce and program the traveling festival, which celebrates film noir, a movement born in the ’40s, with a fatalistic perspective and a visual style reflecting that pessimism. Muller, who helms the weekly TCM showcase “Noir Alley,” bills this edition as “Noir Alley Live.”

“I tried to pick films that haven’t been shown yet on TCM,” said Muller, who also founded the Bay Area-based Film Noir Foundation, which co-presents Noir City. “There are films that can be screened in theaters but can’t be shown on TV or cable networks like TCM because they are what’s called out of window — their broadcast rights are no longer available.”

For hard-core noir fans, this year’s main attraction has to be the 10-hour marathon Saturday of B-movie rarities, beginning with “Among the Living” (1941) at 1:30 p.m. and winding up at 10:15 p.m. with “The Argyle Secrets” (1948).

“The marathon is possible because these films are all relatively short, at 64 to 71 minutes each,” Muller said. “I originally wanted to do eight films, but cooler heads prevailed. I want to give noiristas a sense of triumph by getting through a marathon.”

As an added incentive, marathon attendees will receive a passport, to be punched for each film seen. Viewers completing the marathon will be eligible for a prize drawing.

“The Argyle Secrets,” written and directed by Cy Endfield, takes pride of place in the marathon because it’s the latest title restored by the Film Noir Foundation, along with its preservation partner, the UCLA Film & Television Archive. A specialist in politically themed thrillers, and a prot?g? of Orson Welles, Endfield fell victim to the House Committee on Un-American Activities and fled to England to avoid the blacklist.

” ‘Argyle’ is a lighthearted B-movie that’s an ersatz ‘Maltese Falcon,’ but Endfield put in a serious subplot about World War II profiteers,” said Rode, a cinema historian and a charter director of the Film Noir Foundation. “It’s got a great supporting cast of future sitcom favorites such as John Banner [‘Hogan’s Heroes’] and Barbara Billingsley [‘Leave It to Beaver’].”

Noir City: Chicago begins with a 7 p.m. Friday screening of “Thief,” starring James Caan, who died last month.

United Artists

A sub-theme for this year’s Noir City is “They Tried to Warn Us,” with films taking onissues especially relevant today, such as power-crazed politicians (“All the King’s Men,” 1949), corrupt businessmen (“The Argyle Secrets”), serial killers (“The Sniper,” 1952) and police malfeasance — and abortion (“Detective Story,” 1951).

The James Caan tribute came together after the “Godfather” star died July 6 at age 82. Set and filmed in Chicago by director/co-writer Michael Mann in his feature-film debut, “Thief” (1981) gave Caan one of his best roles. “Most neo-noir fans know ‘Thief,’ but I was most psyched to screen ‘Flesh and Bone’ [1993],” Muller said. “It’s very much a noir, with a flashback story to a dark secret in a man’s life. It asks the perennial question: Are the sins of the father visited upon the son?”

The Music Box engagement marks the 12th installment of Noir City: Chicago, which had been shelved since 2019 due to the pandemic. “Chicago will be our the longest festival since COVID,” Muller said. “We did abbreviated versions of the San Francisco and Hollywood festivals earlier this year, but they were just long weekends.”

Edward G. Robinson stars in “Night Has a Thousand Eyes,” another Noir City: Chicago offering. It’s based on a novel by Cornell Woolrich.

Paramount Pictures

As usual, Muller and Rode will introduce each film, with Muller here Friday through Sunday and Rode from Monday to Sept. 1. “We’re glad to be back after the hiatus,” Rode said. “It will be great to see friends and fellow noiristas.”

Rode and Muller appreciate Chicago for being so into noir and its talismen such as cult writer Cornell Woolrich (with two films at the Music Box).

“We can’t program Noir City without [Woolrich] getting in there somehow,” Muller said. “It’s fun that people recognize this stuff now. You can’t say that about many festivals. Our audience understands this.”

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Pat Hughes on joining Buck O’Neil, Jos? Cardenal in 2022 Cubs HOF class: ‘I’m amazed’

Cubs radio play-by-play announcer Pat Hughes isn’t used to being acknowledged by 32,000 people at a baseball game. His audience is usually at home or in their cars, letting his soothing voice paint the picture at the stadium.

On Wednesday, when the Wrigley Field faithful learned that Hughes was one of three members of the Cubs Hall of Fame Class of 2022, they rose to their feet for a standing ovation. Hughes said he wasn’t sure what to do. Salute? Wave? He chose the latter.

“That’s another thing about being a Cubs announcer: the audience that we get to perform for every single day is incredibly gracious,” Hughes said, saying he receives thank you messages at the end of every season. “I’m the one thanking you for being a great audience. Because they really are an incredible group of fans, knowledgeable, numerous, passionate, and just the sweetest bunch of people that you could possibly have as a public performer.”

Hughes, Buck O’Neil — who was enshrined in Cooperstown this year — and former outfielder Jos? Cardenal are the newest inductees to the Cubs Hall of Fame. The team plans to unveil their plaques on Sept. 10.

The Cubs opened their new Hall of Fame a year ago, during the Wrigley Field rededication. They added a single 2021 inductee, Margaret Donahue, to go with the 56 honorees in the original Cubs Hall of Fame.

Hughes joins Harry Caray and Jack Brickhouse as the only members of the team’s Hall who served exclusively as broadcasters.

“I’m amazed,” Hughes said. “I’m very pleased. I love history. I love baseball history and Cubs history. And to think that I’m in there with only two other broadcasters, and they’re very prominent and famous and wonderful … to think that I’m the third is very special.”

Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney broke the news to Hughes on air during the Cubs’ 7-1 winagainst the Cardinals.

Kenney had given Hughes the heads up earlier in the homestand that he was going to join him in the booth to talk about the new Hall of Fame Class. But it didn’t occur to Hughes that he might end up talking about himself.

A Marquee Sports Network camera focussed on Hughes and Kenney in the booth in the top of the third inning.

O’Neil, as a Hall of Famer, automatically got into the Cubs’ version. But of the 14 candidates considered by the voting committee – which was composed of Hall of Famers and select media members – only two were chosen, Kenney explained.

“Jos? was one, and I’ll let you talk about the other one who’s going in, Pat,” Kenney said, handing Hughes a sheet of paper.

Hughes paused, studied the paper, and said: “I think it says, this is me going into the Hall of Fame?”

He later said to Ron Coomer, his partner in the booth, and in an interview a couple innings later: “Rarely am I speechless, but I really was. It came right out of the blue.”

Hughes wished the late Ron Santo, who was his broadcast partner for 15 years, and his parents were still around to share the moment with. But he has his wife, Trish, and daughters, who were in preschool and first grade when Hughes first got his job as a Cubs announcer, to celebrate the honor with him.

The top of the third inning ended with Cardinals star Nolan Arenado having an animated conversation with the home plate umpire after striking out, and quickly being ejected.

“I said, I’m kind of glad this is the way my half-inning ended, with a Cardinal getting booted out of the game,” Hughes recounted with a smile. “It was just one of those things, and he was kind of upset, but I’m glad to see him go. That gives us a better chance of winning.”

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Keeper by the dozen: White Sox’ 12-single attack, Giolito’s strong start topple Orioles

BALTIMORE, Md. — An excellent start by Lucas Giolito.

A three-RBI homecming game for Gavin Sheets.

And a bail-out double play with the bases loaded and one out by third baseman Yoan Moncada on a night he went 0-for-5 and left two runners on base.

As usual, there were no home runs and a lot of singles (12) as well as 14 runners left on base, but that was enough to lift the White Sox (63-61) to a needed 5-3 victory over the Orioles Wednesday that kept them within four games of the American League Central leading Guardians.

Four singles and a wild pitch in the eighth produced two insurance runs that became vital after closer Liam Hendriks gave up a two-run homer to Austin Hays in the ninth. That Sox pair of runs came after Moncada’s backhand stop, spin and throw across the diamond to Andrew Vaughn to retire Jorge Mateo ended the eighth after reliever Kendall Graveman walked Rougned Odor.

The Sox scored two runs in the first to give Giolito (10-7, 5.14 ERA) an early cushion. Andrew Vaughn singled, Luis Robert walked and Jose Abreu singled to load the bases with one out against right-hander Spenser Watkins, and Sheets, who grew up in Baltimore where his father Larry played for the Orioles in the 1980s, singled in two runs.

That was all the Sox mustered until Sheets’ infield single to shortstop gave them a 3-1 lead in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Giolito had one of his best starts of an inconsistent season, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing one run on four hits and two walks. He struck out three.

Looking to mix things up in his lineup and generate more production, manager Tony La Russa said Eloy Jimenez, who reached base four times in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss and has hit safely in 14 of his last 16 games, would move from third to fifth in the lineup Thursday after sitting out Wednesday with a bruised left elbow.

Flourishing in the No. 3 spot, Jimenez was going to bat fifth with Luis Robert dropping down to third and Jose Abreu to fourth as they were placed Wednesday, although Robert looked bothered by the wrist that caused him to miss seven recent starts.

Abreu, who has 846 career RBI, has a tendency to be over-aggressive and chase pitches out of the zone in RBI situations, and La Russa said knowing Jimenez is behind him to get the job done could alleviate that.

“It has a real good chance to be more productive,” La Russa said. “It gives Abreu a chance to be more patient and Eloy hits wherever you put him.”

“I have no doubt in my mind [it will benefit Abreu].”

With the bases full and one out in the seventh Wednesday, Abreu struck out on a high and away fastball from Bryan Baker, putting pressure on Sheets with two outs against lefty reliever Keegan Akin. Sheets came through with his third hit and third RBI, an infield single.

There were no extra-base hits among the Sox’ 12 hits. They were tied for 12th in the American League in homers with 103, on pace to match the 136 hit by the Sox in 2015, their lowest in a season since they hit 110.

For a roster built to hit for power, this shortage magnifies its problems with runners in scoring position, although the Sox were 7-for-17 Wednesday with RISP.

“When you’re struggling like that you try too hard and the harder you try the worse you do,” La Russa said. “Problem is, it’s the big leagues. This league, either you do or you don’t. So it’s up to us to try and have them relax more and develop a better approach.

“But when you have that high a batting average [the Sox were second in the AL at .259] and that many guys on base, and that productivity problem. … And the home run thing, that’s one factor. You can win games with base hits.”

On this night, the Sox did just that.

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Chicago Cubs expanding their Hall of Fame

The Chicago Cubs are adding three members to their Hall of Fame.

Chicago Cubs President Crane Kenney joined Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer in the radio booth to make an announcement regarding the organization’s hall of fame. It was announced that Buck O’Neil, Jose Cardenal, and radio broadcaster Pat Hughes will make up the next class of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame.

Crane Kenney announced that O’Neil and Cardenal are to be inducted into the hall live on air. He then surprised Pat Hughes by having him announce the third and final inductee. Hughes was shocked to see that it was, in fact, himself.

Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame class of 2022: José Cardenal, Buck O’Neil and Pat Hughes! https://t.co/7c8aOmMzRq

Pat Hughes joined the Chicago Cubs as the radio play-by-play man in 1996. His voice covers the most memorable moments in recent Cubs history. Fans won’t be surprised to see him inducted into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame. Joining Hughes will be Jose Cardenal and Buck O’Neil. Cardenal’s career took place over eighteen seasons; six of his best were with the Chicago Cubs. Buck O’Neil became the first African-American coach in Major League Baseball when he joined the Cubs coaching staff in 1962. 

Nolan Arenado was ejected from the ballgame moments after Hughes was surprised in the radio booth. Fans can view an extended video with this timely ejection here.

These are valuable additions to the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame. It will be interesting to see what the next class of inductees looks like. Fans will also be interested to see which members of the 2016 World Series roster are eventually inducted.

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