Chicago Sports

The Blackhawks announced Wednesday a quartet of new leadership titles, fleshing out their front office beneath new general manager Kyle Davidson.

Meghan Hunter and Mark Eaton were named assistant general managers –of hockey operations and development, respectively –while Brian Campbell was named an advisor within hockey operations and Karilyn Pilch was named director of player personnel.

Eaton is the lone person of the four who will remain in the same role he previously held, having been promoted from development coach to AGM in 2020 under ex-GM Stan Bowman. Davidson was one of other two men promoted to an AGM role in 2020; the third, Ryan Stewart, parted ways with the Hawks after Davidson took over as GM in March.

Hunter has risen quickly up the ranks since joining the Hawks in 2016, most recently serving as director of hockey administration. As AGM of hockey operations, she’ll oversee budgeting, team services, contract execution, team security and player services.

Eaton, Hunter and associate general managers Norm Maciver and Jeff Greenberg will together form the second tier of leadership beneath Davidson in the Hawks’ new front-office pyramid.

“Meghan and Mark have both been important parts of our operation for a number of years and we are lucky to have them in these important and redeveloped roles,” Davidson said in a statement. “Their leadership skills, shared vision with the rest of the leadership team and knowledge of the game gives me plenty of confidence.”

Campbell’s official previous role was development coach –which he began after retiring in 2017 from his long playing career –but it had been obvious for some time that a promotion was coming. He and Davidson became close confidants and were rarely seen apart during the 2021-22 season.

Now as an advisor, Campbell is listed third in the hockey operations category of the Hawks’ front office directory –beneath Hunter and Scotty Bowman, the NHL’s all-time winningest coach who remains a senior advisor for the Hawks despite his son’s disgraced exit.

Pilch joined the Hawks last year as a scout after previously serving as general manager of the Boston Pride, a professional women’s hockey team.

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The Pilsen man who set fire to a Chicago police vehicle while wearing a Joker mask amid the city’s May 2020 riots has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood handed down the 34-month sentence Wednesday to Timothy O’Donnell. Because he has already been behind bars for two years, the sentence likely leaves O’Donnell with just a few months left to serve.

“He set a car on fire in the middle of a crowd,” Wood said. “He did it in a way that was intended to target law enforcement. He did it in a way that could have caused serious injury or death. Fortunately, it did not.”

O’Donnell’s case is among the most high-profile to result from the rioting and looting that took place here in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by then-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. Its notoriety is due in large part to the jarring images of a man in a clown mask amid the chaos that day.

And though a prosecutor said otherwise, O’Donnell’s defense attorney insisted that “he paid the price for wearing that mask that day.”

Before he was sentenced, O’Donnell apologized “to those whose businesses were left in utter ruin” and said he was sorry “if I hurt Chicago’s character in any way.” He said he was “ashamed of myself that I became involved in the problem and not part of the solution.”

Prosecutors said O’Donnell served as that day’s “poster child,” adding to its chaos “for no reason other than to live out his own fantasies.” They said he recorded footage of the protests on his tablet before setting fire to the CPD vehicle, casually joking at one point that it was a “beautiful day for a barbecue.”

But defense attorneys Michael Leonard and Steve Greenberg wrote in a court filing that O’Donnell “is entirely unlike the persona of him created by his wearing of the Joker mask,” which had been a birthday present. They wrote that O’Donnell “is a thoughtful, creative, intellectual, and nonviolent individual,” and that his mother was “a longtime member of law enforcement.”

O’Donnell admitted in a plea agreement last February that after approaching the unoccupied CPD vehicle in the 200 block of North State on May 30, 2020, he “used a lighter to ignite a piece of cloth that he placed in the fuel filler” or gas tank of the vehicle. The area around the gas tank then ignited, and the fire spread to the vehicle’s interior, according to the plea deal.

But O’Donnell’s defense team seemed to walk that back in their court filing. They wrote that “Mr. O’Donnell did not succeed in his efforts to place a rag inside the gas tank and light the vehicle on fire. He failed.” Rather, they wrote that video “clearly demonstrates” that “another individual threw an object or accelerant into or at the vehicle, and as a direct result it went up in flames.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Durkin acknowledged during Wednesday’s hearing that “there were other people” who made the fire worse. But Durkin said O’Donnell “started it.” And the judge pushed back against the argument during Leonard’s argument.

“He set a gas tank on fire,” Wood said.

Leonard explained that there were “literally dozens of people trying to destroy that car,” but “no one’s being punished except for Mr. O’Donnell.” He even argued that O’Donnell shouldn’t be forced to pay the full $58,000 restitution owed to CPD. The judge didn’t agree.

The defense attorneys pointed, as expected, to the separate case of Jacob Fagundo, a School of the Art Institute student who admitted setting fire to another Chicago police vehicle during the riots on May 30, 2020. U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman gave Fagundo three years of probation. Meanwhile, O’Donnell has been in federal custody since June 2020.

O’Donnell’s attorneys wrote that there “is absolutely no principled basis whatsoever for anyone to argue” that additional prison time is appropriate for O’Donnell, given Fagundo’s sentence. Wood said that, “at the end of the day every sentencing is an individual decision,” and she noted that Fagundo had no criminal history, unlike O’Donnell.

Leonard said after the hearing that he was “disappointed” in the sentence, but he noted it was far less than the 46 months prosecutors had sought.

Prosecutors charged O’Donnell on June 2, 2020, after investigators tied him to the incident through a “PRETTY” tattoo seen on the neck of the person wearing the mask. Video provided by a witness showed O’Donnell wearing the mask, holding a lit object and placing it in the gas tank of the CPD vehicle.

A photograph taken by a witness also showed O’Donnell handling the gas tank, according to the feds. In another, O’Donnell appeared to be sitting on the ground, wearing the Joker mask while the vehicle burned.

A third photograph apparently showed O’Donnell posing in the Joker mask in front of the burning vehicle. In that one, the tattoo that says “PRETTY” can be seen on the neck of the person wearing the mask. A CPD photo of O’Donnell revealed the same tattoo.

A family member told law enforcement that O’Donnell lived in a room in an apartment in the 700 block of 19th Place. Authorities obtained a search warrant and searched the apartment. The feds say they found a Joker mask in a bedroom.

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Everywhere you turned at Guaranteed Rate Field Wednesday, everyone was asking the same question.

What’s wrong with Lucas Giolito?

The White Sox’ Opening Day starter, former All-Star and sometimes ace has had one decent start in his last five. Giolito has been staked to leads and hasn’t held them, and in the Sox’ 9-5 loss, he found himself in a 7-0 hole after four innings, giving his team a slim chance of completing a series sweep.

The Sox’ rotation had seemingly come together with the return of Lance Lynn from the injured list and the charming, consistent six-inning efforts from 36-year-old veteran Johnny Cueto. But Giolito, who lasted five innings and gave up 11 hits to the Jays including the 14th and 15th homers hit against him this season, has seen his ERA climb from 2.63 to 5.45 over his last five starts. He allowed nine homers and has a 9.47 ERA in those starts.

It was a rough day all-around for the Sox, who lost shortstop Danny Medick with a knee injury and Adam Engel with a sore hamstring.

Andrew Vaughn had three hits, raising his average to .333.

The Sox (33-34) open a four-game series against the Orioles Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

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The 2022 NBA draft is just a day away and the league’s offseason will pickup soon after with the free agency period. Already the Chicago Bulls are being connected to a few different players including Rudy Gobert and John Collins, via trade rumors.

But now a new name is surfacing.

According to Chris Haynes, Nicolas Batum is expected to receive interest from multiple teams in free agency including the Bulls. Joining Chicago on that list are the Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns.

Batum will decline his $3.3M player option and hit free agency but many do expect him to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers:

Los Angeles Clippers forward Nicolas Batum is declining his $3.3 million player option to hit free agency, but it is widely expected that he will re-sign a new two-year deal, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

It is anticipated that the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz will have strong interest in trying to pry away the 14-year veteran from Clipper Land, sources said.

But the Clippers are in the driver’s seat, sources said.

This is often the case when players do decline their options as it allows them to get more money and stay with the current team. However, if Batum does listen to other offers, it could take a bigger deal to pull him away from the Clippers.

For the Bulls, it’s clear they want help on the wing and will look at some veteran options to fill that void.

Bulls’ brass believes they are a few pieces away from being a legit contender and with Zach LaVine expected to re-sign as well as DeMar DeRozan returning, that just might be the case. Adding some veteran presence to the roster at key spots could work.

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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Newspaper writers get tons of emails from people trying to sell things. In the past few weeks, I’ve received press releases about top NBA draft prospect Jabari Smith’s visit to the Empire State Building (I’m supposed to care why?), the scandal of 30% of U.S. students not knowing how many stars are on the American flag (it’s 50, I just checked) and Jeep’s marketing campaign for the new film “Jurassic World: Dominion” (when a dinosaur chasing a Wrangler becomes a sport, call me).

On Wednesday, Bookies.com sent me an email with the subject line, “James Harden Next Team Odds.” Nothing bores me more than Harden’s quest to find another team that will pay him a lot of money to endlessly dribble a ball and not win. So I didn’t open it.

My sports editor suggested I might want to take a look because the gambling site had the Bulls as the fifth most-likely landing spot for Harden, who has an option to buy out the last year of his contract with the 76ers and become a free agent before the 2022-23 season. This ruined my day and, worse, made me mad that I had allowed it to ruin my day.

I can’t stand Harden’s game. I see no beauty in it. If he were a song, he’d be the 15-minute drum solo. He has terrific stats. He’ll get in the Hall of Fame whenever he becomes eligible. But whatever he does on the court can only be described as sorta basketball. There’s a ball, and there’s a guy in a uniform dribbling, passing and shooting – all the good things associated with the game – but that’s where the resemblance to basketball ends. Four guys wearing the same uniform as Harden are on the court to minister to him. They’re there to make baskets so he can get assists. Otherwise, they get out of his way so he can score and rebound.

I grant you that it’s not the easiest distinction to understand, but if you know the sport at all, you know that what Harden does kind of looks like basketball and feels nothing like it.

I was about to write that he can’t lead a team to a title, but that’s not the essence of it. It’s that any team with him on its roster can’t win a title. The proof is a 13-year career, no NBA championships and the slow realization by most people (not him) that going solo will never lead to a ring.

So the Bulls and Harden?

Have you ever seen a man’s head explode?

OK, here’s where I stop and try to make myself understand that I’ve allowed outside stimuli to negatively affect my day. A few moments ago, I didn’t know that Bookies.com existed. And now this gambling site is telling me that the Bulls, for unknown, inexplicable reasons, are a possibility as Harden’s next employer.

I don’t believe there’s any way in the world that the Bulls, who have been so pragmatic and specific about building a team with what they consider to be the right kind of players, would want someone as self-absorbed and disruptive as Harden. But now there’s a germ of an idea in my head and no antibacterial soap to kill it.

In the past, a team could sell itself on the idea that Harden would fill seats. It wasn’t something it would say out loud, but any owner who acquired him knew that’s what the player would deliver. Fans were drawn to a man who scored, flopped and Euro-stepped to their heart’s desire.

But as time went on and his talents started to erode, the allure of a one-man band wasn’t so obvious anymore. He gobbled cap space, and he didn’t deliver trophies, which is supposed to be the whole idea. Fans, even the ones who swallowed Harden’s empty calories, started turning on him. He forced his way out of Houston to form a super team in Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. A year later, the Nets traded him to Philadelphia, where he again couldn’t fit in, despite $44,310,840 reasons he should.

Now that the idea of Harden the Box Office Attraction has shriveled, it would seem to be difficult for any team to make an argument for wanting him on its roster. He doesn’t play team ball. Can’t win. Makes too much money. Doesn’t draw appreciative crowds the way he once did.

I, too, know all of this. Yet I receive one email that I never intended to open, from a website I never heard of, and now I can feel my heartbeat in my ears.

Am I not in charge of my own happiness?

Apparently not.

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The injuries will not stop.

Shortstop Danny Mendick injured his right knee in the second inning of the White Sox’ game against the Blue Jays at Guaranteed Rate Field and had to be helped off the field after a collision in foul territory with left fielder Adam Haseley Wednesday.

One inning later, right fielder Adam Engel left the game with a sore right hamstring.

Mendick needed assistance walking off and was unable to put pressure on his right foot.

Mendick caught a pop fly off the bat of the Blue Jays’ Santiago Espinal in the second inning when Haseley, running over from his position in left field, banged into him. Mendick was starting at shortstop with Tim Anderson getting a rest on Anderson’s third day back coming off the injured list.

Leury Garcia replaced Mendick at shortstop.

Mendick, who led off the first inning with a single, played very well as Anderson’s replacement while the All-Star was on the IL with a groin strain. Mendick was 13-for-46 (.283) with two homers and 10 RBI in his last 11 games. He owned a career-best, nine-game hitting streak from June 9-18.

The Jays were on their way to salvaging the third game of the series, pounding Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito for 10 hits in the first four innings. Alejandro Kirk homered on a 3-0 pitch in the third inning and Bo Bichette’s grand slam in the fourth gave the Jays a 7-0 lead.

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Very little leaks out of the offices of 15 S. Wood St.

That has remained consistent since Arturas Karnisovas first plopped down in the executive vice president of basketball operations’ chair.

The NBA draft rumor mill wasn’t about to change the way the Bulls’ Advocate Center functions these days.

So while one NBA source told the Sun-Times that several calls were known to have been made about the availability of a draft-day trade for guard Coby White, the unknown as of Wednesday remained the response from the Bulls.

Ah yes, functioning in the dark – where Karnisovas best operates.

Sitting at No. 18 overall in the Thursday draft, and with no second-round pick available, could Karnisovas be looking to move up and use White to do so? It would make sense, considering White’s ceiling seems to have been reached while his contract is up for a possible extension.

But there’s also a history with Karnisovas.

If there’s a rumor out there involving the Bulls and this front office, it almost undoubtedly will fall to the wayside as just that – a rumor.

Don’t expect Karnisovas to clear up the matter.

Unlike the former front office of John Paxson and Gar Forman, Karnisovas is allergic to press conferences and dealing with the media.

The last time he did speak on the draft he was his usual coy self, leaving the door open for all possibilities.

“We’ve always been ready for what comes our way,” Karnisovas said, when asked about staying pat at No. 18 and simply adding to the current core roster. “So hopefully we can keep the core together, and like you said, work around the margins. But we’re gonna look at free agents and see what else we need, what do we need to add. We’re gonna be in the draft, picking at 18, we still have Portland’s pick, so we have a couple assets and we’ll see what happens.”

Whichever direction the Bulls go with the pick it will at least offer somewhat of a tell on how they view this current roster.

If they grab a power forward that has a defensive mindset, it’s a push for Patrick Williams in that starting lineup, as well as a position of need. If they add a combo guard with shooting ability, that might not bode well for White and his future in Chicago.

Knowing what Karnisovas has done in his short time with the Bulls, as well as how they drafted while he was in Denver, it’s grab the best available player – especially at No. 18 – and let the rest sort itself out.

If they go that route, here are the three likely options that could be sitting there:

Jeremy Sochan – Baylor – PF – It would be Christmas in June if the top defensive wing in the draft fell to No. 18, but if the Bulls are looking to trade up, Sochan could be the target. He’s just 19, can guard almost any position, and is a willing play-maker with the ability to develop into an elite two-way player.

There are different opinions on his ability to eventually be an outside shooting threat, and that’s why he can either go top 10 or slide to a late-lottery spot, but Sochan would be a huge get for Karnisovas.

Mark Williams – Duke – C – Again, a player that could be out of the Bulls drafting range, but one that could instantly add depth to a position that could be turning over quickly. Williams is a rim protector and stellar rim-runner, who would add another high-flyer to Lonzo Ball’s alley-oop game.

E.J. Liddell – Ohio State – PF – Plays bigger than his size and is a tireless worker when it comes to improving his game. Two key boxes that Karnisovas would love to check. Liddell reportedly had a very good workout and interview with the Bulls, so time to see if that carries weight.

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A three-day basketball extravaganza wrapped up this past weekend as Riverside-Brookfield and Normal West played host to 130-plus teams and dozens of Division I prospects.

While there were certainly some dud-like performances from a few established names, we’re going to stay positive. Several players opened eyes and raised their stock considerably.

Here are a half dozen seniors who enhanced their stock in the eyes of college coaches and the City/Suburban Hoops Report — or both.

Darrion Baker, Hillcrest

The biggest breakout player of the weekend. The Hillcrest big man was ranked among the top 25 prospects in the class heading into the weekend. But he’s quickly climbing and inching his way towards top 10 status.

And college coaches are taking notice. Akron, Missouri State, Northern Illinois, and UIC offered Baker following his performance at RB. Expect many more to follow.

Baker was a revelation over the weekend. He averaged 11 points a game this past season but has shown to be one of the more improved players in the class. He’s playing with more confidence and assertiveness. As a result, there is more consistent production as he showcases attributes that translate to the next level.

Mobile with a solid frame and length, Baker is the prototype new-wave big man who offers a variety of skills as he can play anywhere along the frontline.

Baker developed his skill early on in his career as a perimeter threat with size. Now he’s grown to 6-9 and uses that skill set as he continues to get more comfortable playing at his size.

He can handle the basketball, will step out and make a three with sound shooting mechanics, and he is now impacting on the defensive end with his size and reach.

Baker’s recruitment is set to explode over the coming month.

Drew Scharnowski, Burlington Central

While he’s been forecasted as a breakout player by the City/Suburban Hoops Report for the past few months, so the promising but under-the-radar big man has received his fair share of hype this spring. But the Riverside-Brookfield Shootout was his coming-out party for college coaches.

The skilled and versatile 6-8 1/2 senior opened eyes and picked up an enormous amount of interest. William & Mary, Bradley, St. Thomas, Furman, Illinois State, Southern Indiana, Missouri State, UIC, and Cal-Poly all offered. Wisconsin has invited him to their elite camp at the end of the month, while several other mid-majors — and a few high-major programs — will be watching closely this weekend at Ridgewood.

With his shooting and ballhandling ability, Scharnowski continues to show he is one of the more diverse big men in the state.

Jordan Pickett, Belleville East

The opportunity to see players from southern Illinois is welcomed, which is what the Riverside-Brookfield Shootout provided for many.

Pickett is a City/Suburban Hoops Report top 20 prospect, yet one without an offer before this past weekend. However, both Radford and SIUE offered the 6-2 guard who was very productive as a junior. He averaged 19.7 points a game and knocked down 69 three-pointers this past season.

He brings a great build and body to the backcourt. Pickett showed he can get to the hole and knock down shots with a ready-made jumper from the three-point line.

Niko Abusara, Benet

After watching the wiry 6-4 Abusara several times during the season, he’s arguably the most improved player in the Class of 2023. As a result, Abusara’s stock is soaring after a terrific performance at R-B which showcased his sneaky athleticism.

Abusara has the athleticism to fly off screens, turn the corner and attack the basket. The mid-range, pull-up jumper is becoming a threat. He is now a consistent three-point jumper away from being a bonafide mid-major prospect. But until then low-major Division I programs should be taking notice.Absura picked up an offer from Radford this week.

Macaleab Rich, East St. Louis

There are times when “freakishly athletic” gets thrown around too loosely in player evaluations. That’s not the case here. Rich is indeed a freak athlete with pure explosiveness and power off the floor, finishing with rim-rattling dunks and blocking shots.

The questionable evaluation the strong-framed 6-5 Rich will have to shed is the “tweener” label. But figuring out what position he can play should come later for mid-major programs.

Yes, he is a bit position-less and will need to improve his perimeter jumper. But when his motor is fully running he’s a force. As a junior, he averaged 19.2 points and 10.9 rebounds a game.

Quentin Jones, Marian Catholic

Although his play hasn’t resulted in offers and a ton of interest just yet, the 6-4 wing continues to impress and raise his level of play in the eyes of the City/Suburban Hoops Report.

While a few other bigger names in the class have floundered and plateaued, the wiry and active Jones should be garnering more attention. Jones is a scholarship player at some level who Division I programs should be intrigued by. There is big-time defensive potential to go with his athleticism and attacking style.

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A 15-year-old boy was seriously wounded after he was struck by a bullet that went through the window of a Chatham home early Wednesday, according to Chicago police.

The teen was inside the home in the 8000 block of South Harvard Avenue when he was struck around 1 a.m., police said.

He was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital for treatment, police said. No arrests were reported.

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The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra will make its first-ever concert appearance in Chicago later this summer, it was announced Wednesday by the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture.

The 68-member symphony, under the direction of principal conductor Maximiano Vald?s and associate director Rafael Enrique Irizarry, will present a concert titled “Nostalgia for My Island” on Aug. 6 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.

The concert, featuring works by Puerto Rican composers, also marks the orchestra’s first performance on the U.S. mainland since a Kennedy Center presentation in 2004, and its first performance outside of Puerto Rico since a concert in Spain in 2005. The symphony performs a full slate of programs year-round in Puerto Rico, and has twice been nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.

“As the only national museum dedicated to sharing the arts and culture of the Puerto Rican people, we are proud to host the [musicians] for their first performance stateside in 20 years,” said Billy Ocasio, CEO of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, via Wednesday’s announcement. The museum is the local presenting arts organization for the concert. “It’s been said that the orchestra is humanity’s greatest artistic achievement, and we celebrate that achievement with this historic performance.”

Established in 1956, the orchestra, which is sponsored by the government of Puerto Rico, has performed in concert with an array of world-class soloists including Ana Mar?a Mart?nez, Pl?cido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te kanawa and Alicia Larocha.

The Chicago program will include works by composers Ernesto Cordero, Roberto Sierra, Hector Campos Parsi, Angelica Negron and Juan Morel Campos, among others.

“I wanted to do something that brings our culture out to other communities. … People generally think of Puerto Rican music as salsa, but we have a whole other world [of music] out there,” Ocasio told the Sun-Times in a separate interview, about the genesis of the concert.

The museum, located at 3015 W. Division St., was founded in 2000 and is currently the only national museum of Puerto Rican arts and culture outside of Puerto Rico. Admission is free.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. Chicago concert are $25-$100. Visit cso.org.

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