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Blackhawks radio analyst Troy Murray announces he has cancerJeff Agreston August 9, 2021 at 3:35 pm

Blackhawks radio analyst Troy Murray announced through the team Monday that he has cancer. Murray did not reveal what type of cancer or whether he’ll join John Wiedeman in the WGN booth at the start of next season.

“With the love and support of my family, friends, the Wirtz family, the Chicago Blackhawks organization and WGN radio I’m confident that together, we will beat this,” Murray, 59, said in a statement. “I look forward to being in the booth calling Blackhawk games in front of the most passionate and energetic fans in all of hockey. My family and I appreciate privacy during this time as we fight this challenge.”

Murray has been a part of the Blackhawks’ broadcast teams since 1999, when he was a studio analyst for Fox Sports Net Chicago. He became the radio analyst in 2003, when The Score carried the Hawks. The team moved to WGN in 2008.

“Troy Murray has the full support of the Chicago Blackhawks organization as he begins his treatments,” Blackhawks CEO Danny Writz said in a statement. “He was a tough player on the ice and is as passionate as they come in the broadcast booth. We know he will fight cancer with the same vigor that has endeared himself to so many.

“The entire Blackhawks family will be right beside Troy, offering whatever support and care that he, his wife, Konnie, and his children, Blake, Julia and Phoebe need, every step of the way. At this time, we ask to respect the privacy of Troy and his family and to keep them all in our thoughts.”

Murray was a third-round draft pick of the Hawks in 1980, and he played in 12 of his 15 NHL seasons for them. His best came in 1985-86, when he was the first Hawk to win the Selke Award, which goes to the NHL’s top defensive forward. That year, he set career highs in goals (45), assists (54) and points (99).

A five-time 20-goal scorer, Murray appeared in 915 career NHL games, scoring 584 points (230 goals, 354 assists) and drawing 875 penalty minutes while playing for the Hawks, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Colorado. He also appeared in 113 playoff games, recording 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) and 145 penalty minutes.

Murray was a member of Colorado’s Stanley Cup championship team in 1996.

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Blackhawks radio analyst Troy Murray announces he has cancerJeff Agreston August 9, 2021 at 3:35 pm Read More »

On Milkweed: A Layman’s Take (with apologies to Margaret Serious)on August 9, 2021 at 3:23 pm

The Quark In The Road

On Milkweed: A Layman’s Take (with apologies to Margaret Serious)

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On Milkweed: A Layman’s Take (with apologies to Margaret Serious)on August 9, 2021 at 3:23 pm Read More »

After 15 years, Chicago hip-hop duo Abstract Mindstate reunite–thanks to Kanye WestLeor Galilon August 9, 2021 at 11:00 am

I routinely scroll through all the new music people have uploaded to Bandcamp using the “Chicago” tag, and in January I noticed something curious: Still Paying, the previously unreleased second album by local hip-hop duo Abstract Mindstate. The group recorded it in 2004 and planned to release it in ’05, but the material got shelved and they broke up that year. Rapper E.P. da Hellcat became a behavioral analyst, and her former bandmate, rapper-producer Olskool Ice-Gre, immediately began working more closely with one of the contributors on Still Paying, Kanye West. Over the past couple years underappreciated, forgotten, or never-released Chicago hip-hop recordings have made their way onto Bandcamp with greater frequency, so I didn’t think twice about seeing a wealth of Abstract Mindstate music–demos, EPs, mixtapes, solo work, unreleased recordings–materialize on the site throughout that month. Perhaps I should’ve guessed something was afoot, but I can’t imagine anyone predicting that Abstract Mindstate would reunite at Kanye West’s behest.

Kanye’s public behavior has been abhorrent since he cozied up to Trump a few years ago, and it’d be irresponsible to forget his garrulous recitations of right-wing talking points. From a certain angle, Kanye reuniting Abstract Mindstate–and producing the entirety of their brand-new full-length, Dreams Still Inspire, and releasing it to launch his new label, YZY SND–can be seen as an olive branch to the hip-hop community burned by his recent antics. Dreams Still Inspire is a deliriously joyous sample-based hip-hop album that captures a sound that old heads swear died two decades ago. Abstract Mindstate have retained all the magical chemistry that ignited between E.P and Gre when they met at Jackson State in Mississippi in the late 90s. Their brief, burly bars on “A Wise Tale” provide as much of an adrenaline boost as the skipping, soulful vocal sample that propels the song. Abstract Mindstate’s members are both in their 40s, and they bring the wisdom and perspective of their longer lives to their lyrics. On “My Reality,” when E.P. raps about balancing mundane tasks at her day job with the surreal experience of reuniting with Gre, I find myself wondering what other great storytelling this duo could’ve committed to tape during the 15 years they were split up. v

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After 15 years, Chicago hip-hop duo Abstract Mindstate reunite–thanks to Kanye WestLeor Galilon August 9, 2021 at 11:00 am Read More »

High school football notebook: St. Rita’s Valen Erickson commits to Nebraska, Illini prioritize in-state recruitsMike Clarkon August 9, 2021 at 2:44 pm

The next stop on Valen Erickson’s unconventional football journey will be Lincoln, Nebraska.

Erickson, a 6-6, 280-pound offensive tackle heading into his senior season at St. Rita. committed to Nebraska on July 30.

He’s one of two Big Ten recruits for this year’s Mustangs along with Ohio State-bound wide receiver Kaleb Brown.

It’s heady territory for an athlete who didn’t even start playing football till seventh grade and then had to navigate the challenges of being recruited in the COVID-19 era.

“It was definitely stressful,” Erickson said. “Like coach [Todd] Kuska said, ‘You’ve got to stay positive.'”

Erickson has been doing that for a while. He was born and raised in Chicago before moving to Ocala, Florida, for several years.

“That’s where the love of football started,” said Erickson, who started out as a basketball player.

While in Ocala, he became a fan of Central Florida, which rose to prominence under Scott Frost, who’s now the Nebraska coach.

Erickson moved back to the Chicago area before his sophomore year and realized his future was in football.

“Rita is pretty stacked with basketball players,” he said. “I didn’t think I had a shot there.”

The same is true of the football team, though. But Erickson was good enough to make his presence felt for the Mustangs’ Class 5A runner-up in 2019. He got his first offer right after that season, from Purdue.

Then came COVID-19.

College coaches were still interested, but they wanted to see some updated film, which was finally available during the pandemic-delayed spring season.

Erickson wasn’t the same player — he was a lot better, which only makes sense.

“My last sophomore game, I was 15,” he said. “My first junior game, I was 17.”

More offers came in: Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and Louisville among them. Kuska wasn’t surprised.

“Once we got him accustomed to our way of doing things, I knew he would take off,” Kuska said. “[He’s] very athletic, he’s got great feet, great length.”

With his pick of Power Five offers, Erickson’s earlier appreciation of Frost tipped the scales.

“Nebraska … just felt right,” Erickson said. “They definitely recruited me the hardest.”

Illini make headway

As the focus shifts from recruiting to the start of preseason practice on Monday, a look at commitments in the senior class shows Bret Bielema is living up to his promise.

The first-year Illinois coach said he would prioritize in-state recruits, and that’s just what he’s done.

Of the top 30 players in 247Sports.com’s composite rankings for the class of 2022, eight are committed to the Illini: Fenwick receiver Eian Pugh, Oswego East linebacker Jared Badie, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley athlete Aiden Laughery, Joliet Catholic running back Jordan Anderson, Brother Rice tight end Henry Boyer, Rochester receiver Hank Beatty, Joliet Catholic safety Malachi Hood and Iroquois West offensive lineman Clayton Leonard.

The only other school with more than one commitment from the state’s top 30 is Northwestern. The Wildcats actually have three of the state’s top 10 players: Naperville Central receiver Reggie Fleurima, Marist offensive tackle Deuce McGuire and Maine South receiver Chris Petrucci.

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High school football notebook: St. Rita’s Valen Erickson commits to Nebraska, Illini prioritize in-state recruitsMike Clarkon August 9, 2021 at 2:44 pm Read More »

Chicago Bulls: Lonzo Ball trade official, investigation still ongoingRyan Heckmanon August 9, 2021 at 2:30 pm

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Chicago Bulls: Lonzo Ball trade official, investigation still ongoingRyan Heckmanon August 9, 2021 at 2:30 pm Read More »

5 Common Issues With Commercial Properties (And How to Fix Them)on August 9, 2021 at 1:59 pm

Small Business Blog

5 Common Issues With Commercial Properties (And How to Fix Them)

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5 Common Issues With Commercial Properties (And How to Fix Them)on August 9, 2021 at 1:59 pm Read More »

At least 75 people shot in Chicago over the weekend. Cop among the 9 killed, 16 wounded in three mass shootingsSun-Times Wireon August 9, 2021 at 1:01 pm

At least 75 people were shot over the weekend in Chicago, more than half during a 10-hour span that saw a Chicago police officer killed and three mass shootings that wounded 16 people.

The mass shootings occurred about an hour apart in Gresham on the South Side early Sunday, not long after two Chicago Police officers were shot during a traffic stop in West Englewood.

One of the officers, Ella French, 29, died in the shooting, which occurred shortly after 9 p.m. at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue. Her partner remained in critical condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Other attacks:

— The first mass shooting was at a lounge in the 1800 block of West 87th Street on the South Side, police said. Around 2:05 a.m., a 24-year old man started shooting after getting into an argument with a a 37-year-old man, police said.

The older man was shot twice in the neck and three times in the back. He died at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, police said. The 24-year-old was shot eight times and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition, according to the police. He was taken into custody.

At least five others at the lounge were also shot. A man, 38, was shot once in the abdomen and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said. Also taken to that hospital were a 23-year-old man, grazed in the face, and a 37-year-old woman shot in the back. Their conditions were stabilized, police said.

Two men, 33 and 56, were taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park where their conditions were stabilized, according to police.

— About an hour earlier and about two miles away, a gunman opened fire following an altercation with two security guards who wouldn’t let him into a club in the 8300 block of South Halsted Street, police said.

One of the guards, 40, was shot multiple times and was taken to Christ Medical Center where he died, police said. The other guard, 42, was shot in the back twice and in the thigh, police said. He was taken to Christ in serious condition, police said.

At least three other people standing nearby were shot, police said. Two males, ages unknown, were each shot in the leg and went to Little Company of Mary, police said. A man, 21, was shot in the chin and taken to the University of Chicago where his condition was stabilized, police said.

— Around 7 p.m., Saturday, four men were wounded in a shooting on the Near West Side that left three of them in critical condition, police said. The group was standing near a park in the 200 block of South Maplewood Street when someone fired from a car, according to Chicago police.

Three of the men, ages 23, 27 and 28, were struck multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said. A 20-year-old man was struck in the ankle and taken to the hospital in good condition, police said.

— Just before 12:25 a.m. Sunday, three people were shot while at a gathering outside in the 11400 block of South Throop Street in Morgan Park on the Far South Side, police said.

A man, 39, was shot in his lower back and woman, 24, was shot in the buttocks, police said. They were both taken to Christ where their conditions were stabilized, police said. Another man, 24, was grazed in his leg and was treated and released at the scene, police said.

— A man was fatally shot in the South Loop on the Near South Side. Just before 2 a.m., the victim, 24, was shot three times in his abdomen in the 2200 block of South Michigan Avenue, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

— A person was found shot to death in a car on the Southwest Side. Just before 1:00 a.m., a man, 47, was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his torso in the 3000 block of West 38th Street, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. He has not been identified.

— In the weekend’s most recent fatal shooting, one man was killed and another wounded Sunday morning in Austin on the West Side.

About 11:40 a.m., the men, 30 and 62, were standing on the sidewalk in the 5400 block of West Augusta Boulevard when two people approached and fired, police said.

The 30-year-old was struck in the head and chest, and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. He has not yet been identified. The older man was struck in the buttocks and taken to the same hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Fifty other people, including two boys 16 and 17, were shot across Chicago over the weekend.

Fifty-one people were shot, six fatally, citywide last weekend.

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At least 75 people shot in Chicago over the weekend. Cop among the 9 killed, 16 wounded in three mass shootingsSun-Times Wireon August 9, 2021 at 1:01 pm Read More »

A New Book Redefines the Refugee ExperienceLynette Smithon August 9, 2021 at 1:52 pm

What led you to Sullivan for your new book, Refugee High: Coming of Age in America?

Most refugees in Chicago are resettled in Rogers Park, and for many of them, Sullivan is their neighborhood school.

The kids have incredibly varied needs. Some can only communicate through Google Translate. Others refuse lunch because they’re used to eating just one meal a day in their home countries. What is Sullivan doing right for them?

You think of a refugee kid, and then you don’t necessarily think about how diverse that set is. You have kids from Syria who graduated college but fled and don’t have any of their papers, so they’re reluctantly back in high school. Or you have kids in the same classroom who spent their entire lives in a refugee camp and have very little formal education. It comes down to flexibility and understanding that the education is going to look different for every kid.

The book originated as a story in Chicago magazine. What made you think there was more to mine?

With a book, there’s just so much more space to explore contradictions and nuances and all the small, beautiful things about these kids’ lives. I was interested in complicating this idea of a refugee narrative.

One way you do that is through interludes that tell the parents’ stories. What’s one that resonated with you?

I had heard that Tobias [the father of a Congolese refugee] probably wouldn’t talk to me. And you can tell that he is broken in a lot of ways without even talking to him. I went into that interview expecting very little. There was a moment where I was sitting there, and he started telling me about when he fled the Congo with his daughter. He started singing this lullaby out of nowhere, the lullaby he would sing to his daughter over and over again as they were making their way in the dark through the jungle. That completely changed everything I had thought about him.

And what about the kids?

So many of the stories we hear are focused on, understandably, the trauma that refugees experience, the life in camps, the hardship. But you walk into Sullivan, and you see that these kids are doing TikTok dances or they’re Snapchatting. They’re flirting. They’re gossiping. They’re just teenagers in ways that are immediately recognizable. There’s something really magical about that.

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A New Book Redefines the Refugee ExperienceLynette Smithon August 9, 2021 at 1:52 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears Rumors: Justin Fields close to becoming starting quarterbackRyan Heckmanon August 9, 2021 at 1:41 pm

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Chicago Bears Rumors: Justin Fields close to becoming starting quarterbackRyan Heckmanon August 9, 2021 at 1:41 pm Read More »

If you’re falling short of 10,000 stepson August 9, 2021 at 1:43 pm

Retired in Chicago

If you’re falling short of 10,000 steps

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If you’re falling short of 10,000 stepson August 9, 2021 at 1:43 pm Read More »