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The Chicago Blackhawks only played in the new-look Central Division during the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season. The worst part about it was the fact that some of their normal Central Division rivals played in the West for one season. The Hawks weren’t able to play against a lot of their most fierce rivals which wasn’t […]

Chicago Blackhawks: 3 trades to make with West playoff teams – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More

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When I interviewed Chicago rapper and SlumpGang member Receo Gibson a few years ago about changing his stage name from Sage, the 64th Wonder to Lunxch, he said he did it to help get out of a creative tight spot. “When I was under the moniker Sage, I felt, like, clustered,” he said.…Read More

In Italy, the drug claim didn’t mar the praise that poured in Sunday from the Italian establishment for the victory of the rather anti-establishment Maneskin, a glam rock band that got its start busking on Rome’s main shopping drag.

ROME — The Italian glam rock band that won the Eurovision Song Contest returned home Sunday to the adulation of fans, congratulations from the government and so much speculation that the lead singer had snorted cocaine during the show that he vowed to take a drug test.

“We want to shut down the rumors,” Maneskin lead singer Damiano David told reporters at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport as the band arrived home after their victory in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Rumors spread on social media after David was seen bending over a table during the Saturday night live television broadcast. Asked at a post-victory news conference whether he’d snorted cocaine, David said he doesn’t use drugs and that he’d bent over because another band member had broken a glass at their feet.

Eurovision confirmed that broken glass was found under the table in question, but announced David had offered to take the test, which is scheduled for Monday.

In Italy, the drug claim didn’t mar the praise that poured in Sunday from the Italian establishment for the victory of the rather anti-establishment Maneskin, a glam rock band that got its start busking on Rome’s main shopping drag.

Their win gave Italy a sorely needed boost after a dreadful year as one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus and will bring next year’s competition back to the place where European song contests began.

The band was the bookmakers’ favorite going into the Eurovision finale and sealed the win early Sunday with the highest popular vote in the enormously entertaining, and incredibly kitsch, annual song festival.

“We are out of our minds!” Florence’s Uffizi Galleries tweeted, echoing Maneskin’s winning song lyrics, along with an image of a Caravaggio Medusa and the hashtag #Uffizirock.

Maneskin, Danish for “moonlight” and a tribute to bass player Victoria De Angelis’ Danish ancestry, won with a total of 529 points. France was second while Switzerland, which led after national juries had voted, finished third.

“It is amazing. It is amazing,“ band members said as they got off the plane and were met by a gaggle of reporters outside baggage claim.

De Angelis said the band was shocked at the claims of drug use, which were echoing particularly loudly in runner-up France, where mainstream media prominently reported the suspicions and the country’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, was even asked about them on a news show Sunday.

Le Drian stayed clear on the controversy, saying: “If there is a need to do tests, they’ll do tests.”

De Angelis said the band wants to put the controversy behind them because drug use goes against their ethos and message.

“We are totally against cocaine and the use of drugs and we would have never done it of course, so we are shocked that many people believe this,” she said.

The band got its start performing on Via del Corso, the main commercial thoroughfare in downtown Rome. Their scrappy performances in front of a Geox shoe store were a far cry from the over-the-top, flame-throwing extravaganza Saturday night that literally split David’s pants.

David told a news conference this week that starting out on the street was embarrassing, since the group had to contend with other musicians vying for the same prized piece of sidewalk while neighbors complained about the noise.

“They were always calling the police,” De Angelis said, laughing.

Maneskin’s win was only Italy’s third victory in the contest and the first since Toto Cutugno took the honor in 1990. The victory means Italy will host next year’s competition, with cities bidding for the honor.

Launched in 1956 to foster unity after World War II, Eurovision evolved over the years from a bland ballad-fest to a campy, feel-good extravaganza. It has grown from seven countries to include more than 40, including non-European nations such as Israel and far-away Australia.

Legend has it that Eurovision got its inspiration from Italy’s Sanremo Music Festival, which began in 1951 as a post-war effort to boost Italian culture and the economy of the Ligurian coastal city that has housed it ever since.

Perhaps best known for having launched the likes of Andrea Boccelli and one of Italy’s most famous songs “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” — popularly known as “Volare” — the Sanremo festival usually picks Italy’s official selection for the Eurovision contest.

Maneskin won Sanremo this year with the same song, “Zitti e Buoni” (“Quiet and good”) that it performed Saturday night in Rotterdam.

De Angelis said she hoped that their victory would send a message to future Italian contestants that ballads aren’t the only genre that can win contests.

“We think maybe from now on more bands will have the chance to play what they want and not be influenced by the radios or what the main genre is in Italy,” she said. “They can feel themselves and play rock music too.”

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Two double homicides were reported on the West Side.

Eleven people have been killed and at least 35 others wounded in shootings in Chicago since Friday night, including a 15-year-old boy who died in Lawndale on the West Side.

About 11:50 p.m. Friday, Dajon Gater was on a front porch in the 3900 block of West Lexington Street when two people approached and began firing, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

He suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

On Sunday night, two men were found fatally shot in Bronzeville on the South Side.

About 8:40 p.m., they were found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds inside a car in the 4600 block of South Federal Street, police said. A 49-year-old man and 56-year-old man were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.

On Saturday night, a man was killed and two others were wounded in a shooting in Washington Park.

The three were standing on the sidewalk about 7:30 p.m. in the 5500 block of South Michigan Avenue when people inside a gray Jeep and a blue Acura opened fire, police said. A 46-year-old man was shot in the back and was taken to the University of Chicago, where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner’s office identified him as Johnnie Williams.

Another man, 30, was shot in the head and was also transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said. A third man, 50, was struck in the arm and was taken to the same hospital in good condition.

Early Saturday morning, two people were fatally shot in West Garfield Park. They were standing outside about 2 a.m. in the 4000 block of West Wilcox Street when someone approached them on foot and fired shots, police said.

One man, 24, suffered gunshot wounds to the head, neck, chest and leg, police said. He was transported to Loretto Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. He was identified as Haniff Collins, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The second man, 29, was struck in the chest, torso and arm, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital where he was also pronounced dead, police said. He was identified as Derrick McCampbell.

Hours earlier, a man was fatally shot on the Eisenhower Expressway on the West Side.

The 27-year-old was westbound on Interstate 290 about 12:07 a.m. when someone fired shots from another car on the ramp to Austin Boulevard, Illinois State Police said. The man was pronounced dead at a hospital, state police said.

Friday night, two people were fatally shot at an East Garfield Park convenience store.

About 10:25 p.m., a man was arguing with a 23-year-old woman in the 500 block of North Kedzie Avenue when he began shooting at her and an 18-year-old man with her, police said.

The woman suffered a gunshot wound to the torso and was transported to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, officials said. She was identified as Destiny Nunez of Aurora.

The man was struck multiple times in the torso and leg and transported to Norwegian American Hospital, where he died, officials said. He was identified as Adrian Navarro.

At least 35 other people have been wounded in shootings since 5 p.m. Friday.

Last weekend, 48 people were shot citywide, including a 2-year-old girl, a 13-year-old boy and two Chicago police officers.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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The Chicago Bears have had a very dramatic offseason. They got it started by handing a franchise tag to wide receiver Allen Robinson. He and the organization have been at odds over the contract extension talk for a while now so they have some convincing to do if they want him to play there beyond […]

Chicago Bears: 3 veterans who can still be cut for cap space – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More

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Jonathan Holtzman is a developer who seldom is wowed by what his competitors do. He can look across a Chicago skyline embellished by apartment towers of recent vintage and find a certain sameness.

“Developers in Chicago seem to be obsessed with building concrete high-rises with floor-to-ceiling glass with small bathrooms,” he said. Holtzman also mentioned competitors’ small closets — “Chicago has four seasons,” said the Detroiter — and few nooks for a home office– “People have always worked from home.”

Holtzman takes issue with apartment builders who flip their projects to an investor once the units are leased. The CEO of City Club MDA Apartments is a long-term owner of what he builds, with past projects including a Gold Coast building and renovations of the landmarks Randolph Tower and Fisher Building downtown. He believes his approach leads to a different product. His marketing pitch is an “apartment hotel” strategy, with higher-end amenities and finishes.

“We don’t build to sell. When you build to sell, your customer is the buyer of your apartment community. When you build to keep, your customer is your renter,” Holtzman said.

“We’ve always felt that the hospitality industry treated their customers better than do the owners of apartment buildings. We never understood why.” He doesn’t mind being called a “disrupter” in his field. “That’s pretty much my reputation,” he said.

Holtzman’s attitude is on display at 63 E. Lake St., the southeast corner of Lake and Wabash Avenue, where he has opened an expansion of an apartment project he completed in 2006. It’s a seven-story “modern” structure alongside the original 23-floor building on the corner. The original is a 1927 design of Daniel Burnham Jr. that Holtzman converted from offices to apartments. The addition has frontage on Wabash but still uses the Lake Street address.

Provided

The “modern” wing offers 81 units, studios to penthouses, in different layouts, adding to the 190 units in the original building. Tenants have access to indoor and outdoor theaters, a heated outdoor pool and wraparound sun loungers. Holtzman said the complex doesn’t have a doorperson. Instead, it has a 24/7 concierge available to help with any of life’s problems.

He also touts roomier closets and “sexy bathrooms.” Traditionalists on the marketing team might prefer a term like “luxurious,” with oversized tubs meant for soaking and rain-style showerheads. Some units are for short-term rentals, even for the night, but these aren’t Airbnb units. They would be for corporate stays.

Rents range from about $1,400 to more than $3,000 per month, he said.

Holtzman was in town last week to officially open the modern wing and to host some tours. He said 75% of the units in the new building have tenants and that occupancy in the original building is 95%. Leasing inquiries have increased as society slowly gets the upper hand on the pandemic. Holtzman sees it as a sign that renters, especially millennials, are ready to get back to big-city living, with the attractions and the — well, other millennials — that they miss.

“The traffic that leads to rentals has doubled and tripled since March,” Holtzman said. He sees the Loop as being an underserved market with plenty of condos but a paucity of rentals.

It’s an optimistic outlook that he’s bringing to the Lake View community as well, where Holtzman wants to build on what may be the last vacant site overlooking North Lake Shore Drive. The site is nearly two acres at Waveland Avenue that for years has slithered out of developers’ grasps.

Details may change, but Holtzman has proposed a two-section building with 19 and six stories, containing 333 units. In April, the East Lake View Neighbors gave the project a key letter of support. It also has the backing of condo associations for buildings at 3600 and 3660 N. Lake Shore Drive. The latter is a high-rise called the New York. Despite the address, the building is set back from the Drive. Holtzman’s building would go up east of it and block some views, but its alignment has proven satisfactory to the condo association.

Holtzman hopes to start the 18-month construction late this year. The site is in the 46^th Ward of Ald. James Cappleman, who said the project still needs to go through his zoning advisory committee. The developer already has modified the design, addressing traffic access and other concerns, after meetings with neighbors, Cappleman said. “This one looks really, really good,” he said of the proposal.

If there’s a hangup, Cappleman said it’s in the city’s planning department. He said the agency raised questions about the building’s mix of materials that might not hold up to Chicago winters. A department spokesman said only that the building’s design is under review.

Allowing for winter shouldn’t be too much for a guy from Detroit who knows renters need space for out-of-season duds.

BKV Group

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Moon Alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Scorpio.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

No doubt, you’re already feeling Mercury retrograde affecting your sign even though it does not technically go retrograde until May 28. (Symbolically, it’s been slowing down since May 16.) Be proactive about your cars and trucks because transportation delays are classic. Get ahead of the game.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Checks in the mail will be late and financial matters will experience delays because of Mercury retrograde. This influence has started and will intensify in the next month. The good news is you can swiftly wrap up old details and old business during this time.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Many of you are in contact with ex-partners and friends from your past because Mercury retrograde will be taking place in your sign. Technically, this occurs from May 28 to June 22; but in reality, its influence is May 16 to July 8. (This longer span covers when it slows and has to catch up again.) Good luck!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Mercury retrograde is generally something like the hounds from hell for most of us. “What? Not that again?” However, this particular Mercury retrograde will actually benefit you because it will help you to do research and study the past. You can use this to your advantage! (Each Mercury retrograde is different because it’s in a different sign.)

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

You are already probably hearing from old friends as well as members of groups to which you might have belonged before because of the influence of Mercury retrograde. You can use this influence in the next few weeks to rethink goals. You might even resurrect an old goal?

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

This month, Mercury retrograde is taking place at the top of your chart. In fact, its influence has already begun, which means you might be hearing from parents, bosses and authority types you haven’t seen for a while. This could be an opportunity for you? A helpful reconnection?

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

You are one of the signs that can actually benefit from the frustrating impact of Mercury retrograde because this particular Mercury retrograde will help you to study the past, especially history, and it will also help you finish important papers or manuscripts. Yes!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Although Mercury retrograde will create delays in business negotiations, especially with banks or about shared property, it can also smoothly expedite old business from the past — like insurance issues that might be dragging on. This could be helpful!

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

If it has not happened already, you will soon hear from ex-partners and old friends from the past due to the influence of Mercury retrograde. Sometimes this is an unnerving experience. Nevertheless, it could be an opportunity for closure?

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You will feel the brunt of Mercury retrograde at work or in any task that you set for yourself. Expect delays, mixed-up communications, lost paperwork, missed appointments and shortages. Cope as best you can because what choice do you have?

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Many of you will be thinking about, dreaming about, or in contact with old flames — now or later this month because of the influence of Mercury retrograde. Some of you will deal with old business related to kids and sports as well.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Stock the fridge because relatives might be camped on your doorstep. This is because Mercury retrograde will put you in touch with family members you haven’t seen for a while. However, Mercury retrograde will also help you to work on home repairs you’ve been avoiding.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actor Alfred Molina (1953) shares your birthday. You are witty, talkative and compassionate. You have a fine analytical mind and yet, you are also intuitive. Because of your imagination, you excel in the arts and music. As this year shifts, you will overcome obstacles and make strides toward the realization of your goals, especially those that involve learning or further study. Some of you will teach as well.

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The Cubs have had success throughout their lineup in May and an adjustment in the team’s approach has helped generate more consistent offense.

ST. LOUIS — Coming off a down year for his offense, manager David Ross had a simple message for his lineup of MVPs, All-Stars and 2016 World Series champions during spring training:

“Remember who you are.”

That message has gotten through to his club, and after a slow start, the Cubs’ offense has become one of the best in baseball in the last month.

Javy Baez, one of the players who got off to a slow start, came through in the 10th inning with a two-run home run in the Cubs’ 2-1 victory Sunday against the Cardinals.

“It’s been good,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We obviously got off to a terrible start as a unit, and everyone has started to settle in big-time now and kind of find their own groove and their ins and outs with the ebbs and flows of the season.”

A few members of the team’s core moved on in the offseason, but much of the team’s lineup has stayed the same.

One big reason behind the offensive resurgence has been the MVP-level play of Kris Bryant. Bryant has been healthy and is back to being one of the best players in the majors. He leads the Cubs in nearly every offensive category, slashing .312/.406/.604 with 10 home runs, and 28 RBI. Bryant ranks second in the National League in extra-base hits.

“Confidence is very important in our game and remembering how good of a baseball player you are,” Ross said. “I think KB has said it. . . . I can’t speak for players, but last year I felt there was such an anxiety to get going.

“I really feel like this season just continues to go and we’re in May and we’re like, ‘Wow, we still have a long way to go.’ This feels a little more normal to those guys, and they settled and stopped putting so much pressure on themselves to do this or that, and they understand, ‘I’ve got four or five at-bats every day.’ ”

The knock against the Cubs’ lineup the last several years has been its reliance on home runs. But what has made this run of success stand out has been the uptick in run production without the long ball. The Cubs are averaging 5.5 runs per game in May.

“It’s been a lot of fun to watch us hit,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer said. “I also think that one of the things that has been really fun to see is that we’ve been putting the ball in play more. That’s been a challenge for us historically, striking out and relying too much on homers to score. Homers are great, but you have to have more than one club in your bag as far as scoring runs.”

“We’re going to hit home runs as a unit, that’s for sure,” Rizzo said. “But when we’re not hitting ’em, [we’re] going to [have] do it in different ways and put the ball in play to get the next guy up there.”

Some of the Cubs’ offseason additions have been a major part of the change in offensive profile. Matt Duffy, Eric Sogard and Nico Hoerner have had strong starts, and their ability to contribute regularly with a contact approach has clearly had a trickle-down effect on the rest of the lineup.

After ranking near the bottom of most NL offensive statistics, the Cubs rank third in the league in hitting (.263) and OPS (.756) this month.

The Cubs have seen how an all-or-nothing approach can be a frustrating way to score runs, but the current version of the offense, with some of the various adjustments in approach, has a much higher chance of being sustainable over a season.

“They’re always picking each other’s brains,” hitting coach Anthony Iapoce said. ‘‘It’s kind of nice to hear from other guys who haven’t been Cubs [like Sogard and Duffy] on how they go about their routine or what they think about the opposing pitcher and [also having] experienced guys who aren’t afraid to speak up.

“It’s all contagious. Everybody’s feeling good and getting hits.’’

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