How well do you know your sports? Is the knowledge enough to help you place bets on the outcome and win some real money? Do you know who invented this form of gambling?

Most countries took their time to allow online casino gambling – and it’s still illegal in some – but they did not hesitate to legalize sports betting. This $150 billion yearly industry keeps growing, and today we have dozens of sites offering these betting services. Because most of the activity is based on actual outcomes from day-to-day sports, those who participate feel like they have more control than they do on casino games whose results are determined by an algorithm. To reap the rewards in this form of betting, you want to know your sports, the teams, and the odds of them winning. There is never a dull moment when you bet on sports.

A Short History of Sports Gambling

Greece is known as the pioneer of many things, and sports betting is only one of them. While the earliest records show it to have started here, it was ancient Rome that first legalized it over 2000 years ago. That was way before the race for online casinos with fast payouts started, or online gambling was even a thought. The Romans gambled on gladiator games before they were banned and continued even after they were no longer played. The spirit of playing for real money had started and was not about to be stopped.

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LaSheena Weekly, mother of slain Chicago rapper FBG Duck, holds a press conference in the first block of East Oak Street in the Gold Coast. Weekly asked that there be no retaliatory shootings to her son’s death. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

The rapper was shot dead and two others were wounded in the targeted afternoon attack in the first block of East Oak Street. Shoppers were on the sidewalk when a pair of vehicles pulled up and two gunmen got out and opened fire.

A newly unsealed federal racketeering indictment charges five alleged members of the O-Block street gang with the August 2020 Gold Coast murder of Chicago rapper “FBG Duck.”

Charged in the Aug. 4, 2020, killing of the 26-year-old whose real name was Carlton Weekly are Charles “C Murda” Liggins, Kenneth “Kenny” Roberson, Tacarlos “Los” Offerd, Christopher “C Thang” Thomas and Marcus “Muwop” Smart.

The feds say Liggins, Offerd, Thomas and Smart were arrested Wednesday morning and were due in court Wednesday afternoon. Roberson is in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections.

Weekly was shot dead and two others were wounded in the targeted afternoon attack in the first block of East Oak Street. Shoppers were on the sidewalk when a pair of vehicles pulled up and two gunmen got out and opened fire.

Weekly was hit multiple times and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said Weekly was associated with a faction of the Gangster Disciples street gang called Jaro City, which is based near 62nd Street and Vernon Avenue in West Woodlawn. But on social media, Weekly identified himself as a member of a Gangster Disciples faction called STL/EBT, which is in the same area and mostly friendly with Jaro City.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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This image released by Apple TV+ shows Moe Tucker, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Lou Reed from the documentary “The Velvet Underground.” | AP

Unless you are a diehard fan of the band that launched the career of Lou Reed and was managed by Andy Warhol, you might find it surprising that some refer to it in the same breath as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones

As a young man starting college, director Todd Haynes fell immediately for the Velvet Underground — the band which, musician Brian Eno famously said, didn’t sell many records, but everyone who bought one went and started a band.

It sounds like the storyline of a great fictional music film: Amidst the flower-power hippie era, a rock band emerges from the New York avant-garde art scene with the opposite ethos, dressed in black with an outsider vibe, singing about drugs and seedy sex. This group of unlikely personalities and unwieldy talent collaborates with Andy Warhol on edgy shows that meld music, visual art and performance — a unique mix that brings little commercial success. But the band will be credited as one of the most influential in rock history.

“The Velvet Underground,” Haynes’ wonderfully idiosyncratic, brilliantly constructed rock doc — or rockumentary? — tells just that story. And it’s true.

Unless you are, like Haynes, a diehard fan of the band that launched the career of Lou Reed and was managed by Warhol, you might find it surprising that some refer to it in the same breath as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But such is the regard in which the Velvet Underground is held by many, who point to its influence on punk and other styles — even though it lasted some six years before the mercurial Reed walked away in 1970, and never achieved real mainstream success.

Whatever your level of familiarity, Haynes’ doc — the first for this accomplished director — is so stylistically compelling, it doesn’t really matter what you knew coming in.

His aim is not merely to tell the story of the Velvet Underground, through interviews and an astonishingly vast collection of archival material (all shot before the early ’70s), including generous snippets of avant-garde filmmaking. He seems, in his idiosyncratic, non-linear style, to be trying to create the documentary version of a Velvet Underground show.

Most importantly, Haynes uses a split-screen technique for virtually the entire two hours, an effect that is much more than technical. It’s as if one viewpoint would never suffice; there’s always another, even if it’s just a photo of a pensive Reed, implicitly casting skepticism over what someone is saying. Or munching on a Hershey’s chocolate bar.

And we don’t just mean two screens. At points, there are 12 screens telling the story, combinations of still and moving images. The spirit seems aligned with those multimedia shows in the mid-’60s, where Warhol would project his dreamlike screen visuals as the Velvets played and an eclectic audience danced (even Rudolf Nureyev.)

Haynes’ dazzling visuals are grounded by interviews with the two living band members — most extensively John Cale, the Welshman and classically trained violist who formed a potent partnership with the Long Island-born Reed. The other is drummer Maureen “Moe” Tucker, who has a great line when describing how the Velvets diverged from hippie culture: Peace and love? “We hated that. Get real,” she says dismissively.

One man who couldn’t be interviewed: Reed himself, who died in 2013 after a long solo career. Haynes has gathered up seemingly every audio clip and piece of archival footage he can, and is able to capture the dangerous energy of a young Reed — someone who, rather than perform a show he didn’t feel like doing, smashed his fist into a pane of glass.

Also gone, of course, is Warhol, who died in 1987 and pops up in quick clips, and Nico — the German singer whose blonde allure and stage presence helped secure the group its first record contract.

Haynes begins in the early ’60s when the group didn’t have its name or its sound yet, playing to such little acclaim, Reed says, that “we had to change our name a lot because nobody would hire us.”

But, we learn, Reed knew what he wanted: “I want to be rich and I want to be a rock star.”

The film tracks the band’s history from its founding to that 1967 first album, “The Velvet Underground & Nico,” their downtown shows, touring performances, a West Coast stint, the second album “White Love/White Heat,” and the departure of Nico. “She was a wanderer,” Cale says.

The temperamental Reed fires Warhol, then forces Cale out. “I didn’t know how to please him,” Cale says. “You tried to be nice, he’d hate you more.”

Finally, Reed himself walks away.

“We weren’t getting anywhere near what he wanted us to achieve,” Tucker explains. “It was, ‘Damnit, when is it going to happen?'”

But they made an impact. Perhaps the best line of all comes from Danny Fields, music manager and publicist. “They had shined so brightly that no space could contain that amount of light being put out,” he says. “You need physics to describe that band at its height.”

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A Chicago police officer faces firing over an arrest in 2019 in which he allegedly threatened a suspect with violence and used a racial epithet. | Sun-Times file photo

The incident that could lead to Officer Jose Troche-Vargas’ ouster happened as he was embroiled in an unrelated lawsuit alleging he tackled and attacked a 15-year-old boy. The suit ultimately cost the city $100,000.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown has moved to fire an officer who allegedly threatened a suspect and used a racial slur during an arrest in 2019, records show.

At the time of the incident, Officer Jose Troche-Vargas was already embroiled in a lawsuit accusing him of tackling and beating a 15-year-old boy in 2018. A settlement cost the city $100,000.

On Sept. 22, Brown sent a letter to the Chicago Police Board recommending Troche-Vargas “be separated” from the police department and detailing a series of administrative charges stemming from remarks he allegedly made during an arrest on June 28, 2019 in the 2200 block of North Kimball Avenue.

“I’m not the one to f— with, I’ll tell you that right now, n—–.” Troche-Vargas allegedly told the person he was arresting, using a racial epithet.

“I don’t need no f—— badge, I don’t need no f—— gun. I will beat your mother f—— a–, b—-. … You’re lucky I have a camera on me or I would f— you up,” he allegedly told the suspect.

Troche-Vargas is also accused of failing to activate his body-worn camera during the arrest, according to Brown’s letter.

The officer is charged with violating five departmental rules, including those prohibiting officers from disrespecting or mistreating others and engaging in “any unjustified verbal or physical altercation with any person.”

Troche-Vargas’ attorney, Tim Grace, declined comment.

The incident happened about three months before the city reached a settlement in the lawsuit stemmed from the 15-year-old’s arrest on Feb. 15, 2018.

According to the federal lawsuit, filed by the boy’s mother Rosalva Puentes de la Torre, Troche-Vargas was driving his personal SUV near Lockwood Avenue and Altgeld Street when he blew a stop sign and “narrowly missed hitting” the teen on his bicycle.

Troche-Vargas then swerved in front of teen and slammed on his brakes, causing the teen to run into the back of the SUV, the lawsuit states.

The officer got out of his SUV and tackled the boy in the street and “struck him about his body,” according to the complaint. Troche-Vargas identified himself as a cop and said he “was acting within the scope of his employment as a Chicago police officer.”

Onlookers called 911 and “intervened to protect” the boy, who also called authorities and summoned his father to the scene, according to the complaint.

An unnamed officer told the boy’s father that his son would be charged with assault if he requested an ambulance, the complaint claimed.

An ambulance eventually transported the boy to a hospital, where he was treated for “lightheadedness and contusions to his right hip, right shoulder, right upper arm, and head,” the complaint stated.

From there, he was taken to the 25th District police station where at least one unnamed officer “created or approved false police reports and false criminal complaints” related to the boy’s arrest, according to the complaint.

He was charged with aggravated assault, but the boy received a letter in March that Cook County prosecutors “would not be filing any charges” against him, according to the complaint.

The suit — which named the city of Chicago, Troche-Vargas and three responding police officials — claimed the boy was the victim of a false arrest and “malicious prosecution.” It accused Troche-Vargas of battering the teen and using excessive force.

The $100,000 settlement did not have to be approved by the City Council, which only reviews settlements over that amount.

Troche-Vargas has served on the police force for nearly nine years and earns an $84,054 annual salary. During that time, he’s been the subject of five complaints but none have been sustained, according to the Invisible Institute’s Citizens Police Data Project. That includes a use of force complaint stemming from an incident that happened less than two weeks after the boy’s arrest.

Now facing dismissal, a status hearing in Troche-Vargas’ disciplinary case is scheduled for Monday.

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Are you loving the cool air, high skies, and color-changing leaves? Yes, we think it’s safe to say fall is finally here in Chicago! This year, we’ve gathered a list of the tastiest seasonal menus across town. So throw on a comfy sweater, stroll down the street in your boots, and pamper yourself with a fall drink and pair it up with one of these specialty items.

122 W Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603

Concierge Cocktail is a rotating handmade cocktail series that is bottled in-house and created by the Director of Concierge Services, Bobby Gonzalez. A portion of the proceeds from every bottle sold is donated to a chosen charity. This season’s cocktail was created in partnership with Erin Toole Williams the great-great-granddaughter of John the Baptist (J.B.) Stradford, one of the wealthiest men in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the early 1900’s.

Visit Kimpton Gray Hotel to find out what the specialty cocktail is this year!

Farmheads

Friends and families coming to dine at Farm Bar Lakeview or Farmhouse Evanston get the best of fall ingredients straight from the farm! The food and cocktail menu features ingredients directly from owner TJ Callahan’s Brown Dog Farms in Mineral Point, WI including crisp apples, raspberries, fresh honey, morel mushrooms, and black walnuts.

Looking for a good fall cocktail? Guests can taste fresh apples within one of the house ciders or warm up with a Brown Dog Old Fashioned made with New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon, Rhinehall Apple Brandy, Brovo Orange Curacao, Brown Dog Farm Honey Simple Syrup, and Walnut Bitters.

Also, the cider flight is back this fall by popular demands!

Image Credit: Yours Truly

613 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654

Recently opened in River North, Yours Truly is predominantly a cocktail and wine bar with bar bites, featuring a modern take on the 1990’s Martini Bar. It’s a neighborhood spot to grab a well-crafted drink, watch a game, and meet with friends without pretension. Try their Appletini made with dehydrated apple and camomile tea, cinnamon bitters, and your choice of gin or vodka, or Espresso martini made with double espresso, liquor 43, mole bitters, cacao simple syrup, and vodka.

Image Credit: Sunda Sushi

Sunda Sushi

110 W Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60654

Besides the fact it is still warm enough to enjoy one (or three!) sushi rolls, we’re all super excited about the seasonal cocktail at Sunda Sushi this year. If you haven’t had the chance, make sure to try their Peared Sake — a new Japanese cocktail with grey goose la poire, ginger, pineapple, sparkling sake, cinnamon rim.

854 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607

From restaurateur and famed Chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa, Nobu Chicago opened in September 2020 and features a variety of fall flavors on the menu. Guests can start their meal with shishito peppers and roasted baby corn, before enjoying dishes like the crispy shiitake salad or tempura sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and mushroom.

And… guess what? Are you enjoying that crisp fall air and want to enjoy a cocktail with skyline views? The bar at The Rooftop at Nobu Chicago features a variety of cocktails, Japanese whisky, scotches, and digestifs perfect for your post-dinner drink.

845 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607

Chef John Manion’s Argentine-influenced menu is the perfect date night spot this autumn! Live-fire cooked steaks pair perfectly with dishes like Japanese sweet potatoes and baby broccoli and cauliflower. Trying something new? Entrees like morcilla topped with apple mostrada or quail with giardiniera and red chimichurri offer a touch of fall flavors and spice that excite the palate.

As for drinks, what’s better than pairing your meal with a glass of wine? After all,  El Che Steakhouse & Bar is the only restaurant in Chicago, and the United States for that matter, with an all South American wine list.

Image Credit: Wood

3335 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657

Instead of pumpkin, Chef Devin prefers to cook with Kabocha Squash, as he notes it is much more dense and intense in flavor than a regular pumpkin. He serves it in a variety of ways including grilled, roasted, in soup, tempura fried, and more. Additionally, Chef Devin is excited about cooking game birds such as quail. New to the menu this fall, diners can expect a Balsamic & Rosemary Grilled Quail with a salad of charred radicchio, wheat berries, roasted local farm grapes from klug.

Of course, you’ll need the right seasonal drink to pair with your dinner. Try Two Timer, a delicious fruity drink made with peruvian pisco brandy, apricot nectar, yellow chartreuse, lemon and cinnamon stick syrup, or Northern Border, a classy, refreshing cocktail made with bulleit rye, old overholt rye, fernet branca, maple, cardamom, angostura, and orange peel.

Image Credit: The Smith

400 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Located in Chicago’s River North area, The Smith features an expansive outdoor patio and seasonal menu items including a new variety of salads, schnitzels, desserts, and more.

145 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60602

Located in the heart of Chicago’s Loop area, The Dearborn serves exquisite offerings for lunch, dinner, and brunch service. New to the menu this fall, diners can indulge in Cinco Jotas Jamon Iberico served with peppadew peppers, goat cheese croquette, really good olive oil, parsley, mâche & frisée salad.

Additionally, diners can enjoy Roasted Airline Chicken Breast served with boursin, spinach & grilled artichoke stuffing, housemade parmesan gnocchi, seasonal mushroom, fava beans, spicy chicken sausage, and natural jus. And don’t forget to try a Morningstar: a mojito made with Playpen vodka, lemongrass and ginger, French calamansi beaujolais vinegar, The Bitter Truth cucumber bitters, Fever Tree cucumber tonic, and mint, served long on crushed ice.

Image Credit: The Press Room

1134 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607

As his favorite season finally arrives in Chicago, Chef Noah Zamler’s is most excited about working with root vegetables, sweet potatoes, and creating unique, heartfelt pasta. In terms of unique ingredients, Chef Noah turns to Espresso Powder and Cocoa in one of his pasta. While the cocoa doesn’t make the pasta taste like chocolate, it gives it unique coloring. Meanwhile, the Espresso Powder gives the pasta a “jolt” of energy.

He also loves to use Parsley Root for his pasta fillings. He notes the starchy vegetable holds up very well when making a puree out of it, giving the dish a velvety texture. Additionally, he is excited to work with Celery Roots, as he tends to treat them similar to steaks and will feature a sweeter glaze to create the perfect bite.

On the other hand, new fall cocktails include the Three Bites of the Apple, a spin on the classic old-fashioned with apple cider syrup and cranberry bitters. Also, diners can sip on their homemade Hot Cider featuring Bourbon & Calvados, cranberry bitters, lemon expression, and Michigan cider mulled with allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, peppercorn, sea salt, and orange.

Stan’s Donuts & Coffee is celebrating the return of their fan-favorite fall donuts and beverages in stores starting Sept. 10. The fall menu includes favorite Apple Cider and Pumpkin flavors and the addition of a new Taffy Apple donut that is sure to satisfy your morning caramel apple cravings.

Also, Stan’s fall donuts pair perfectly with seasonal beverages, including Stan’s take on the favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte and unique offerings like Spiced Apple Chai-der and Caramel Apple Latte.

Featured Image Credit: The Smith

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Spooky season isn’t complete without pumpkin patches and corn mazes. Not only are they fun fall activities for all ages, but let’s be honest…we do it for the Gram too! We’ve rounded up the best of the best corn mazes and pumpkin patches near Chicago for your fall festivities and your Instagram feed.

Looking for Halloween happenings at bars and restaurants? We have a full guide for that as well!

1467 N Elston Ave. Chicago, IL 60642

Surround yourself with two acres of outdoor fun right in the heart of Chicago in Goose Island. This pop-up experience includes a larger-than-life corn maze, pumpkin patch, carnival games, ax throwing, fortune tellers, food trucks, and full bars. Jack’s also has plenty of photo-op spots like its popular pumpkin house and oversized pumpkin spice latte. It’s the only place in the city proper where you can get your fix of outdoor fall fun. 

29W310 North Ave. West Chicago, IL 60185

With a haunted-themed hayride and barn experience, Sonny Acres is all about the spooky season vibes. The farm is a family-owned and operated business and has been serving the community since 1883. It has the classics like a pumpkin patch, petting and self-feed zoos, hayrides, and pony rides, but Sonny Acres can get the adrenaline pumping too. When the sun sets, experience a haunted hayride and barn complete with spooky characters from clowns and zombies to goblins and ghouls.

16849 S Cedar Rd. Homer Glen, IL 60491

Find a fall family favorite about an hour’s drive southwest of Chicago. You can get lost in the cornfields with two mazes at different levels. For a challenge, make your way through 3.4 miles of tall corn. If you want a quicker bout or are accompanying children, walk through Konow’s 0.4 mile-maze. Konow’s also has an animal barn with pigs, sheep, alpacas, cows, and more. An indoor western town brings you back to the old days. Inside, you’ll also find two large corn pits, a western-style shooting gallery, a hands-on mining experience, straw playgrounds, mechanical bull, bounce house, and more.

13341 W 151st St. Homer Glen, IL 60491

If you’re looking for more of an amusement park vibe, Bengtson’s has got it covered. Rooster Rodeo is one of the farm’s newest attractions and is a fun roller coaster track ride. Other new attractions include Rockin’ Rabbits, a bouncing mechanical ride, and Barrel Blast, a rustic take on the classic spinning teacups ride. Bengtson’s also offers a few other farm-themed track rides, a 90-feet fun slide, pig races, a petting zoo, pony rides, and of course, a pumpkin patch. 

3709 Miller Rd. McHenry, IL 60051

Approximately 50 miles northwest of Chicago, you’ll find the popular pick-your-own destination Stade’s Farm & Market in McHenry. The farm produces 2,200 acres of corn, soybeans, and fresh fruits and vegetables that are sold in the Farm Market. If you’re more of the DIY type, you can also harvest your own apples, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, peppers, and more. There are about 30 acres of pumpkins in its pumpkin patch so you’re bound to find the perfect one! Stade’s has 35+ farm-related attractions, including a petting zoo, corn maze, giant slides, and hayrides. 

909 English Prairie Rd. Spring Grove, IL 60081

If you really want to master the corn maze, go to Richardson Adventure Farm for the ultimate challenge. Home of the 28-acre corn maze, Richardson will have you winding through ten miles of live corn. This behemoth of a maze is actually composed of four smaller mazes with its own paths and checkpoints, so you can do just one maze or all four if you’re feeling adventurous. The farm also has a bungee-enhanced bouncer, carousel, slides, two-pedal kart tracks, paintball shooting, and more attractions. If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, Richardson also has unique experiences like zip-lining and zorbing.

Featured Image Credit: Sonny Acres Farm

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One person was killed and four other were wounded outside a Wicker Park club in the 1500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue over the weekend. | Sophie Sherry / Chicago Sun-Times

Teanius Sykes, 35, faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery, reckless discharge of a firearm and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.

A West Side man has been charged with being one of the gunmen who opened fire outside a Wicker Park nightclub over the weekend, killing one person and wounding four others.

Teanius Sykes, 35, faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery, reckless discharge of a firearm and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Chicago police.

Three bursts of shots were fired in the 1500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue around 3:40 a.m. Sunday, police said.

A 32-year-old man was shot in the chest and died at Stroger Hospital. Another man, 30, was shot in his left leg, a 22-year-old woman was shot in the right leg, a 25-year-old woman was shot in the back, and another 25-year-old woman was hit in the left leg, police said.

Police said Sykes was “identified as one of the offenders” who opened fire on the block. No other information was released.

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Taft’s Ryan Porebski during practice on October 12, 2021. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Ryan Porebski was in the starting lineup as a middle linebacker for Taft’s opener against St. Patrick his freshman year, and he’s still there as a senior.

The summer before Ryan Porebski’s first year at Taft, he was practicing with all the other freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Zach Elder, then the Eagles’ defensive coordinator and now their coach, could see then that Porebski was special.

Knowing how front-loaded Taft’s schedule was, Elder thought maybe the best course would be to start Porebski on the lower levels before promoting him to the varsity after the game against Simeon in Week 4.

But John Coursey, a longtime college and high school coach who was working with Taft’s linebackers that year, had other ideas.

”I’d start him [on varsity],” Coursey told Elder and the other Taft coaches.

”This guy’s been coaching football forever,” Elder said of Coursey. ”He’s a coach’s coach.”

So Coursey’s words carried extra weight. And they were spot-on in assessing the newcomer.

Porebski was in the starting lineup as a freshman middle linebacker for Taft’s opener against St. Patrick that year, and he’s still there as a senior.

”I wasn’t really expecting it,” said Porebski, who started playing football in the Oriole Park youth program as a third-grader. ”At the same time, I wasn’t too nervous about it.”

In one way, it was more of the same. Because of weight limitations, Porebski — who was mostly a lineman in his younger days — always played an age group up.

But there were differences, too, in the jump to high school ball.

”I was really surprised with the crowd and the energy on the field,” Porebski said. ”It was nothing like park-district football.”

But the stage was never too big.

”He’s the hardest-working, best kid we’ve ever coached,” Elder said. ”He never seemed overwhelmed as a freshman.

”Ryan practices every day like he’s a backup. He doesn’t take a single rep for granted. He’s our best practice player.”

There’s also Porebski’s football IQ, which his coaches say is way above the norm.

”He’s not just a linebacker; he’s the middle linebacker,” Elder said. ”For four years, that kid has called our defenses.”

Porebski’s drive to succeed has manifested itself in other ways, too. He played basketball as a freshman but switched to wrestling as a sophomore because he thought it would make him a better football player.

Taft wrestling coach Brad Engel, who’s also a football assistant, has seen Porebski’s blue-collar approach pay off in both sports. Porebski was a Public League JV champ in his rookie season, and he has been going toe-to-toe at 220 pounds in practice with two-sport teammate and state qualifier Grzegorz Krupa.

”There’s a level of toughness that comes out of wrestling,” Engel said. ”If you can survive that on a daily basis, it just amps it up for football.”

Porebski, a 6-1, 214-pounder with a 4.8 grade-point average, wants to keep playing football after this year. So far, he has interest from Division III and NAIA schools, such as Augustana, Roosevelt, St. Norbert and Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

He has proved his value against top competition, making 22 tackles in a loss to Phillips and seven to go with three tackles for loss in a victory against Morgan Park.

Plus, Porebski’s workload has expanded this year. Strictly a one-way player in his first two years, Porebski also was a blocking back last year. With some players unavailable because of COVID protocols, Porebski was pressed into service as a running back this fall and had 133 yards and two touchdowns against Morgan Park.

As though he didn’t do enough already, Porebski also is the Eagles’ long snapper.

So somewhere, he hopes, there is a college that could use someone with his work ethic and skills.

”I feel if I keep working hard and getting my film out there, someone will notice,” he said. ”I know my time will come.’

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Fall is indeed foodies’ favorite season. The weather is perfect and the view only helps boost our appetite. After looking at our recent feature on this year’s fall specialty menu and drinks across Chicago, we sure hope you’re ready to indulge. After all, that’s why we gathered all these amazing fall restaurant specials running in October so you can get the most out of this delicious season!

Did we mention October is both National Pizza Month and National Pasta Month?

2001 Price at all 4C Restaurants on October 14th

On Thursday, October 14th only,  Four Corners (4C) is hosting a one-day celebration across all concepts featuring 2001 prices on select items from open to close, including:

$2 All Beers (will receive limited-edition 20th anniversary, color-changing stadium cups with purchase)
If your stadium cup turns green, you have a chance to win! Post your green stadium cup to Instagram tagging your location with #4CTurns20 to enter a contest to win $200 in My4C rewards.

$2 White Claws & Trulys
$2 Tots
$20 Select Bottles of Wine

Participating restaurants include 80 Proof (Old Town), Benchmark (Old Town), Federales (West Loop), Fremont (River North), Gaslight (Lincoln Park), Highline (River North), Kirkwood (Lakeview), Porter Kitchen & Deck (Loop), Ranalli’s (Lincoln Park) and Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern (Wrigleyville).

177 N Ada St #001, Chicago, IL 60607

Available Tuesdays through Thursdays from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, diners can enjoy the “Burger, Beer, & Shot” special for just $19.00. Indulge in Chicago’s, and one of the country’s best burgers served with an ice-cold beer and a shot!

205 N Peoria St, Chicago, IL 60607

This West Loop hotspot features a special for pretty much each night! On Monday, diners can Every Monday from open to close throughout the month of October, diners can now enjoy a specialty pizza of their choice and a bucket of 312 for $30.00. In honor of Taco Tuesdays, diners can order their specialty “Taco Pizza” featuring Marinara, Chorizo, cheese mix, lettuce, white onion, sour cream. Also available on Tuesday through Thursdays, diners can order ½ off specialty cocktails and pizzas for happy hour!

Image Credit: Caroline Manrique

2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Join the Tuesday Pizza parties this month and get one personal pizza + one bottle of wine for $22 at Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar! Pre-order for pick-up or delivery and/or enjoy while dining in-person. Current Choices of Pizza include:
Sunday Gravy with Smoked Prime Rib, House Kimchi Polish Sausage and Giardiniera
Clam, Bacon and Confit Potato with Paddlefish Roe
Smoked King Trumpet Mushroom with Roasted Corn and 8 Month Cotija

Pair your pizza with some Excelsior, Sauvignon Blanc or Excelsior Cab. Having a big party? Order additional pizzas for $12!

400 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

In addition to their incredible happy hour offerings, head over to River North for “Red Sauce Sunday.” Priced at $45.00 for two, diners will receive a Chicken Parmesan, Caesar Salad, Rigatoni alla vodka, Parmesan garlic flatbread, and finish the meal out with rainbow cookies. Making it the perfect date night dinner for two. Half-priced chianti by the glass, carafe, or a big carafe is also available for purchase as an add-on. Red Sauce Sundays are available for indoor or outdoor seating on The Smith’s expansive patio.

2075 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

Start your weekend off right at Gemini. Brunch begins at 9:00 am on both Saturdays and Sundays. Gemini also offers a $25.00 bottomless brunch. Guests can choose from Bellini’s, Mimosas, Pauly G’s Bloody Mary’s, Margaritas, wine, and many more! Starting at 4:30 pm on Sundays, diners can indulge in Gemini’s “Fried Chicken Sunday” special, featuring Southern Fried Chicken, coleslaw, cornbread, and housemade hot sauce for $28.00.

In addition to Taco Tuesday, Old Pueblo Cantina offers guests “Mariachi Monday” featuring live music starting at 5:30 pm. On Tuesdays, diners can enjoy specialty offerings including $7.95 margaritas, $29.95 margarita pitchers, and $10.00 taco platters!

1709 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Offered daily from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Funkenhausen is the hotspot for happy hour in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. Guests can enjoy 1/2 Priced Bar Snacks, $5 Beer, and $7 Select Cocktails.

3335 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657

Every Wednesday, diners can experience “Hump Night All Night” at the bar which includes select entrees from Chef Devin Kreller and a drink of choice for $19.00. Entrees include:

Double Cheeseburger & Frites – slagel farms beef, american cheese, baby gem lettuce, pickles, special sauce, toasted brioche bun + hand-cut beef fat frites w/garlic aioli

Pastrami Reuben & Frites – house-smoked pastrami, caraway rye, sauerkraut, gruyere, house-made pickles, thousand island + hand-cut beef fat frites w/garlic aioli

Roasted Mushroom & Onion Wood Oven Flatbread – house-made dough, creamy mornay, caramelized onions, baby arugula, lemon, mushrooms, alpine cheese

Hand-Made Porcini Radiatore Pasta –  wood oven-roasted maitake mushrooms, spigarello, roasted garlic truffle butter, parmesan cream, fines herbes, mushroom bread crumb

Also available with this special, diners can sip on a glass of Henri Bourgeois French Sauvignon Blanc, Montrose French Rosé, Solitude Côtes du Rhône French Red, 2 Towns Blackberry Cider, and Great Lakes Brewing “Eliot Ness” Amber Lager.

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Look, we said it here first. Everyone should pay attention to the Chicago Sky. If you haven’t yet, you might want to hurry, as their season could end soon. We’re talking like two games soon if everything goes as planned. Because this year, the Chicago Sky WNBA Finals run is legit. And they’re already up 1-0 against the Phoenix Mercury.

What Led To This Chicago Sky Finals Run?

Well, it started with the signing of one key free-agent and Illinois native, Candace Parker. The two-time WNBA champion certainly used her winning experience to bring us back to the promise-land. Next, came the 2021 WNBA Draft that helped further along this Chicago Sky finals run with some young depth.

After the draft and free agency period ended, the Chicago Sky opened their 2021 season on the road with a victory against the Washington Mystics. Game two took place outside of Chicago too, and ended similarly with a win against Atlanta. Their next game was their home opener against the New York Liberty on Sunday, May 23. They would lose that game 93-85, and go on a 7 game losing streak.

But, things change fast in professional sports. The girls countered their losing streak with a 7-game winning streak that took place nearly all of June, and reignited a potential Chicago Sky finals run. When the regular season was all said and done, the team’s record was 16-16. They were back in the WNBA playoffs for the third year in a row.

Chicago Sky’s Playoff Dominance

Things couldn’t have gone any better once the playoffs began, because before we entered the postseason, the team had only won two of their final six games. But in the Chicago Sky finals run, their 6-1. They crushed their first two opponents in the opening rounds, crushing the Dallas Wings 81-64 and then taking care of the Minnesota Lynx with a 89-76 win. Their semifinal matchup could’ve gone a lot worse after they went 1-1 in the first two games. Game one took two overtimes to finish, and in game two, the Connecticut Suns held our girls to 68 points. This would be their worst playoff performance, and their only loss of the postseason. The Sky won the next two games at home as they crushed teams on their way back to the WNBA Finals. It’s their first appearance since 2014, where they were swept 0-3 by none other than our current finals opponent, the Phoenix Mercury.

And now after game one, they’re doing something they failed to do in 2014. Winning a game in the finals. They did it quite handily too, beating the Mercury by fourteen points in the 91-77 victory. The Chicago Sky were led by forward Kahleah Copper who scored 21 points in game one. Copper has actually been a dominating force the entire postseason for the Sky, and is a huge reason why we’re 6-1 this postseason. She led the team in scoring when she averaged 14.4 PPG in the regular season. Then now, when the lights are shining their brightest, Kahleah Copper is making her mark. In the postseason, Copper has averaged 18.6 PPG, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Thanks to her, the Chicago Sky finals run has gone smoothly. The girls are two games away from winning it all for the first time in the Sky’s franchise history. You won’t want to miss game two tonight, at 8:00PM CST on ESPN.

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