Memorial Day 2021: What does it mean to Honor and Remember?on May 31, 2021 at 1:04 pm
Memorial Day 2021: What does it mean to Honor and Remember?on May 31, 2021 at 1:04 pm Read More »
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Chicago Bears: Justin Fields low-balled by wannabe ex-NFL quarterbackon May 31, 2021 at 12:00 pm
While Chicago Bears fans wait in angst for the 2021 NFL season and hope to see rookie Justin Fields take over the starting job, some analysts can’t seem to get enough attention.
Former NFL quarterback (if you can even call him that) Chris Simms began releasing his quarterback rankings last week and, when he got to number 39, most of us stopped reading. At number 40, Simms had Cleveland Browns backup Case Keenum.
At 39? It was Fields.
Just after Fields was fellow rookies Trey Lance at no. 38 and Kellen Mond at no. 37 — an incredibly odd sight to see. At 36, he ranked Marcus Mariota.
These rankings are just a few days old, but have struck quite the chord in Bears fans all over, and justifiably so.
Chicago Bears rookie Justin Fields should use this absurd analysis for easy motivation.
Remember back in 2017 when evaluating quarterback prospects, Simms was the one who questioned whether Deshaun Watson could hit a 10-yard out with consistency and even alluded to the fact that Watson could be “out of work quickly” in the NFL.
Since then, Watson has gone on to throw for over 14,500 yards and 104 touchdowns and earned three straight Pro Bowl nods. Meanwhile, Simms’ NFL “career” saw him start just 16 games, throw for a total of 3,117 yards with 12 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
To say Simms was wrong on Watson is an understatement.
Never forget: this is also the guy who had the audacity to rank Tom Brady as his third-best quarterback of all-time and throw Joe Montana all the way down at number seven, for absolutely no logical reason.
The most annoying part of Simms’ above rankings might just be that he has Aaron Rodgers as his GOAT. The single-Super-Bowl-winning Rodgers? The greatest quarterback of all-time?
Where is Freezing Cold Takes when you need them?
Are we really going to listen to a guy who started only 23 career games and whose career spanned five seasons as primarily a backup? How can anyone take these rankings seriously.
Simms fumbled 10 times in 23 starts, for crying out loud, and he wants to talk about Fields’ “mechanics issues?”
Good grief.
Not only will Simms be wrong about Fields, he will be more wrong about Fields than he’s been about any player in his career as an analyst — a career which, by the way, has gone far better than his days as an aspiring quarterback did.
When Fields breaks every franchise passing record in the Chicago Bears’ history book seven or eight years down the road, just remember these rankings. Remember those that actually took Simms’ words with anything larger than the smallest grain of salt.
Fields as the 38th ranked quarterback in the NFL might be one of the worst pieces of analysis the sports world has ever seen.
Sugar Pie DeSanto brings her unbreakable AAPI spirit to soul musicSalem Collo-Julinon May 31, 2021 at 11:00 am
Sugar Pie DeSanto’s seven-decade career has included touring with James Brown, writing for Chess Records, and recording the 1966 hit “In the Basement” with Etta James.
I always come back to classic soul, Motown, and R&B when I need to feel grounded, and lately life has pushed me deep into my collection of 60s party hits—which includes the 1966 single “In the Basement” by soul singers Etta James and Sugar Pie DeSanto.…Read More
Melina Duterte of Jay Som and Ellen Kempner of Palehound join forces as BachelorMatthew Siguron May 31, 2021 at 11:00 am
Bands hyped as “supergroups” usually sound cool in theory but often wind up less memorable than the better-known projects of their members. By contrast, the pop rock on Bachelor’s debut, Doomin’ Sun, will stick to your brain like bubblegum on the bottom of your sneaker.…Read More
27 shot, 2 fatally this weekend in ChicagoSun-Times Wireon May 31, 2021 at 11:27 am
A 12-year-old boy was with a group of people about 1 a.m. Saturday when someone inside a black Dodge Charger fired shots in the 7100 block of South Dobson Avenue.
Twenty-seven people were wounded, two fatally, in shootings across Chicago since Friday night.
In the most recent fatal attack, a 29-year-old man was killed Saturday night in a shooting in Logan Square on the Northwest Side.
The man was on the sidewalk about 9 p.m. when someone got out of a vehicle in the 3700 block of West McLean Avenue and began shooting, according to Chicago Police.
He was struck in the arm and leg and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released.
The shooting happened in front of an apartment complex located in the middle of the residential street. At least four shell casings could be seen inside an area police taped off, which stretched for half a block.
Hours earlier, a 26-year-old man was fatally shot while driving in Lawndale on the West Side.
About 2:15 p.m., he was driving east on Ogden Avenue, when he was shot in the face and chest, police said. The vehicle he was driving came to a rest after striking a light pole in the 3100 block West Ogden Avenue.
He was brought to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. He has not been identified.
In nonfatal attacks, two men were wounded in a shooting early Monday in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side.
The pair were standing outside about 3:45 a.m. in the 5700 block of West Grand Avenue when the male suspect approached them and asked what gang they were affiliated with, police said.
The men responded that they were not a park of a gang, police said. The male suspect then pulled out a handgun and fired shots before leaving the scene.
One man, 33, was struck in the arm and torso and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, police said. The other, 31, was shot in the leg and was taken to the same hospital in good condition.
A man was wounded in a shooting on Lake Shore Drive early Sunday in the Near South Side.
The 20-year-old was traveling south about 12:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Lake Shore Drive when he heard shots and felt pain, police and Chicago Fire officials said.
He was shot in the face and was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was stable, police said.
A 12-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet early Saturday in Great Crossing on the South Side.
The boy was with a group of people about 1 a.m. when someone inside a black Dodge Charger fired shots in the 7100 block of South Dobson Avenue, police said.
A bullet grazed his leg and he was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, police said. He may not have been the intended target, according to police.
On Friday, a ride-share driver was grazed by a bullet during a struggle with a person who tried to rob him in Bronzeville.
About 6:55 p.m., the driver was in the 4000 block of South Wabash Avenue when a male got into the back seat of the car, pulled out a gun and demanded the 42-year-old get out of the vehicle, police said.
The two struggled over the gun, causing it to discharge, police said. The man was grazed in the abdomen and the attacker fled the scene.
The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said.
At least 20 others were wounded in citywide gun violence between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
Last weekend, 12 people were killed and at least 42 others were wounded in shootings across Chicago, making it the deadliest of the year.
27 shot, 2 fatally this weekend in ChicagoSun-Times Wireon May 31, 2021 at 11:27 am Read More »
2 wounded, 1 critically, in Belmont Cragin shootingSun-Times Wireon May 31, 2021 at 10:13 am
The pair were standing outside Monday in the 5700 block of West Grand Avenue when the male suspect approached them and asked what gang they were affiliated with.
Two men were wounded in a shooting early Monday in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side.
The pair were standing outside about 3:45 a.m. in the 5700 block of West Grand Avenue when the male suspect approached them and asked what gang they were affiliated with, Chicago police said.
The men responded that they were not a park of a gang, police said. The male suspect then pulled out a handgun and fired shots before leaving the scene.
One man, 33, was struck in the arm and torso and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, police said. The other, 31, was shot in the leg and was taken to the same hospital in good condition.
No one is in custody as Area Five detectives investigate.
Tulsa Race Massacre documentaries help bring a largely forgotten tragedy to lightJonathan Landrum Jr. | AP Entertainment Writeron May 31, 2021 at 10:30 am
History, PBS, CNN and National Geographic observe the 100th anniversary of the attack on a Black-owned business district and residential neighborhood.
LOS ANGELES — Several documentary filmmakers — some backed by NBA superstars — are shedding light on the historically ignored Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the most horrific tragedies in American history.
LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are among those releasing documentaries based on the racially motivated massacre. The projects come during the 100th anniversary of the massacre in Greenwood, a Black-owned business district and residential neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Each documentary uniquely takes a deep dive into how the thriving Greenwood community — dubbed Black Wall Street because of the number of Black-owned businesses — was decimated in a two-day attack by a white mob. In the aftermath, at least 300 Black people were killed. More than a thousand homes were burned and others looted, leaving roughly 10,000 residents displaced and homeless and the Black business district destroyed.
“This has to do with African Americans systematically being run off their land with assets and property being destroyed,” said Stanley Nelson, who co-directed “Tulsa Burning: 1921 Race Massacre” with Marco Williams. Westbrook — who formerly played with the Oklahoma City Thunder — is an executive producer of the documentary that premiered Sunday and repeats at noon Tuesday on the History channel.
National Geographic, CNN and PBS will also debut documentaries. Another documentary, “Black Wall Street” is being distributed by Cineflix Productions, but no network has yet picked it up.
Nelson said all of the projects are much needed and important, especially with the commemoration of the massacre coming near the one-year anniversary of last year’s racial reckoning sparked by the death of George Floyd. (A former Minneapolis police officer has since been convicted of murdering Floyd.)
“I think the more the (Greenwood) story can be brought to light, the better,” said Nelson, an Emmy winner. “I’m sure that every film will be totally different. I think there’s a special timing here.”
Director Salima Koroma said the story should be told more than once. She pitched her Tulsa massacre documentary to some networks nearly five years ago, but drew no interest because she believes the “gatekeepers” weren’t ready to welcome the story.
Eventually, Koroma’s project found a home with James and Maverick Carter’s The SpringHill Co. She believes the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and Carter’s association played a major role in pushing the project forward.
“I just had to get it to the right gatekeepers,” said Koroma, director of “Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street’’ which airs at 8 p.m. Monday on CNN and later streams on HBO Max.
“They see we have to tell Black stories,” she said. “Now everybody’s scrambling to tell it. Finally, tell these stories. I think that’s what’s happening.”
Some filmmakers said the story was a tough one to tell because much of the content doesn’t exist anymore.
“So how can you tell a feature documentary? … Now people are putting in the resources to do more than just the photos,’’ Koroma said. “You can do animation or graphics. It’s a tough one to tell. But with all our powers combined, we can tell this story.”
The Tulsa massacre story had been largely forgotten or unknown to some until HBO series “Watchmen” and “Lovecraft Country” shed light on the dark tragedy within the last two years. Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett’s production company recently signed a deal with MTV Entertainment Studios to produce a limited scripted series about the massacre.
Reporter DeNeen L. Brown, who appears in two documentaries, said all the projects chronicling the massacre are needed for educational purposes, since she says most of it was left out of textbooks, newspapers and periodicals from the library. The Oklahoma native said even her father — who is a pastor in Tulsa — never heard of the massacre until the late 1990s, when the Tulsa Race Riot Commission was formed.
“White survivors of the massacre stopped talking about it,” she said. “Black survivors only whispered about it, because there was a real fear among Black people that it could happen again, and it did in other places.”
As a curious child, Brown said she first learned about the massacre after reading about the history of enslaved Black people at school. She said the projects chronicling the massacre can be educational as well.
“It will become something that people and school children will learn about,” said Brown, a Washington Post reporter who has written more than 20 articles on the massacre. She interviewed the descendants of Greenwood residents and business owners in the PBS documentary “Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten,” which airs at 9 p.m. Monday on WTTW-Channel 11.
Brown will be reporting on the search for mass graves in National Geographic’s “Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer,” which premieres June 18. She said documentaries like hers need to be told just as much as the ones about the American Revolution, Civil War and World War I and II.
“(The Tulsa massacre) is not known to the larger community, certainly not known by white America,” said Jonathan Silvers, who worked with Brown as the director on the PBS documentary. “I think the Black American experience has been overshadowed. We white Americans have no idea. That historic violence does cast a very long shadow.”
Four teens shot in restaurant parking lot in Grand CrossingJermaine Nolenon May 31, 2021 at 5:02 am
The group was standing in the parking lot of a Subway, 6718 S. Stony Island Ave., when a dark-colored sedan drove by and someone inside fired shots.
Four teens were shot Sunday night as they stood in the parking lot of a restaurant in Grand Crossing on the South Side.
The group was standing in the parking lot of a Subway, 6718 S. Stony Island Ave., when a dark-colored sedan drove by and someone inside fired shots, Chicago police said.
A 19-year-old man was struck in the foot, and a second 19-year-old was struck multiple times in the legs, police said. They were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
An 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were struck in multiple times in their legs, police said. The 18-year-old was taken to the University of Chicago Medical center and the younger boy was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, both in good condition.
Area One detectives are investigating.
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Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Fans behaving badly: Kyrie Irving nearly struck by bottle thrown from standsJimmy Golen | Associated Presson May 31, 2021 at 3:32 am
Irving had 39 points and 11 rebounds in the Nets’ 141-126 victory over the Celtics, his former team. Afterward, as Irving walked off the court, he was nearly hit by a bottle.
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics opened up to full capacity just in time for the local fans to jeer and swear — and worse — at Kyrie Irving every time he touched the ball.
It might have been their last chance.
Irving had 39 points and 11 rebounds to quiet the first post-pandemic full house at the TD Garden, and Kevin Durant scored 42 points to give the Brooklyn Nets a 141-126 victory over Boston on Sunday night and a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.
Afterward, as Irving walked off the court he was nearly hit by a bottle thrown from the stands. The television broadcast showed Irving and Nets guard Tyler Johnson looking into the stands and pointing; video on social media appeared to show police taking a man in a Kevin Garnett jersey out in handcuffs.
“Fans have got to grow up at some point,” Durant said. “I know that being in the house for a year and a half with the pandemic has got a lot of people on edge, has got a lot of people stressed out. But when you come to these games you’ve got to realize: These men are human. We’re not animals. We’re not in the circus.
“You coming to the game is not all about you as a fan. So have some respect for the game. Have some respect for the human beings. And have some respect for yourself. Your mother wouldn’t be proud of you throwing water bottles at basketball players, or spitting on players or tossing popcorn. So grow the (expletive) up and enjoy the game,” he said. “It’s bigger than you.”
The incident mirrored one in which a Philadelphia fan threw popcorn at Wizards star Russell Westbrook. The Sixers banned him from their games indefinitely.
Irving said he didn’t think banning or even arresting unruly fans would be enough to solve the problem, ascribing it to “underlying racism and treating people like they’re in a human zoo.”
“People feel very entitled out here,” said Irving, who played for the Celtics from 2017-19 and said last week he experienced racism during his time in the city.
“As a Black man playing in the NBA, dealing with a lot of this stuff, it’s fairly difficult. You never know what’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s just unacceptable for that stuff to be happening. But we move on.”
A Celtics spokesman and a spokeswoman for the TD Garden did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“One bad seed doesn’t mean that the whole fruit is poisoned,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. “Our fans have been great. We just had a knucklehead do something knucklehead-ish and it got taken care of, so we’re happy for that.”
James Harden added 23 points and a career postseason-high 18 assists for Brooklyn. Game 5 is in New York on Tuesday night, when the Nets will try to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2014.
The 104 points scored by Durant, Irving and Harden tied an NBA playoff record for three teammates set by Boston’s John Havlicek, Jo Jo White and Dave Cowens in 1973 and matched in 1986 by Dominique Wilkins, Randy Whitman and Spud Webb.
Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said he wasn’t surprised Irving bounced back after scoring 16 points on 6-for-17 shooting in the Game 3 loss on Friday.
“It’s Kyrie Irving. He didn’t have a great game last time out. My money’s on him any time after a performance he had,” Nash said. ”I loved his will, to take some of this adversity and have a great game.”
Jayson Tatum scored 40 points for the Celtics, following up his 50-point effort in a Game 3 victory. But with Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker out with injuries, Tatum couldn’t save the season on his own.
Smart had 16 points and nine assists for the Celtics, who reached the Eastern Conference finals in three of the previous four seasons.
After dropping the first two games in Brooklyn, the Celtics were hoping their home crowd would help them make a series of it. Tatum delivered one win in front of a quarter-capacity crowd on Friday, before the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted as of Saturday.
The Bruins had 17,400 for their playoff game against the Islanders on Saturday — the biggest crowd in the NHL this season. The Celtics left several rows around the benches empty on Sunday and officially announced a sellout crowd of 17,226, about 1,500 fewer than the building’s official capacity.
The fans — most of them attending their first home playoff game in more than two years — gave Durant the New York Yankees treatment in pregame warmups, chanting his name derisively and cheering for each missed practice shot. They were even more foul-mouthed toward Irving, who professed his love for Boston and the Celtics before opting out of his contract in 2019 to join the Nets.
“We know how these people here are in Boston. We know how passionate they are about Kyrie in particular — they’re still upset at him,” Durant said. “That’s no reason for them to act childish. Glad we got the ‘W.’ Hopefully, we don’t have to come back here this year.”
TIP-INS
Nets: Durant’s 17 points were the most in the first quarter for a Net since Kenyon Martin’s 17 in Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Finals against the Lakers.
Celtics: Tatum scored 14 in the first. … Walker (knee) and Robert Williams III (ankle) sat out after playing in the first three games of the series, joining Brown (season-ending wrist surgery) on the injury report.