What’s New

8 shot, 1 fatally in Chicago so far this weekendSun-Times Wireon March 20, 2021 at 10:14 pm

At least four people were shot, one fatally in Chicago since 5 p.m. March 19, 2021.
At least eight people have been shot, one fatally, in Chicago since 5 p.m. March 19, 2021. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file photo

A man was killed in a shooting Friday in the 3100 block of West Lake Street.

A man was killed and seven others have been wounded in shootings across Chicago so far this weekend, including a 10-year-old boy who was shot Friday in East Garfield Park on the West Side.

The boy was sitting in a vehicle with two other people when someone walked up and fired shots at them about 6:50 p.m. in the 3100 block of West Lake Street, Chicago police said.

A man, 24, was struck in the side and pronounced dead on the scene, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as Marquel Robinson of East Garfield Park.

The boy was shot in the leg, while a 25-year-old woman was struck in the thigh and ankle, police said. Both were taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.

Saturday morning, a 17-year-old boy was shot and seriously wounded by a person who then stole his vehicle in Austin.

The teen was sitting in his vehicle about 2:55 a.m. in the 5400 block of West Race Avenue when a person shot him and took his vehicle, Chicago police said. He suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and leg and was transported to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood in serious condition.

In other nonfatal attacks, a man was shot Saturday afternoon in Austin on the West Side.

The man, 31, was standing near an alley about 4:30 p.m. when someone in a black vehicle fired shots at him in the 4900 block of West Fulton Street, Chicago police said. The man was struck in both legs and taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition.

Two men were wounded in a shooting earlier Saturday afternoon in Douglas on the South Side.

About 3:05 p.m., the men, 27 and 31, were in the 3400 block of South Prairie Avenue when they heard shots and felt a pain, Chicago police said.

The 27-year-old was struck in the back and torso, and was brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said. The 31-year-old was struck in the neck and taken to the same hospital in good condition.

Hours earlier, a man was grazed in a shooting in Avalon Park on the South Side.

He was on the sidewalk about 1:16 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when someone opened fire, Chicago police said. A bullet grazed the 38-year-old in the elbow, and he was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.

Forty people were shot, 5 fatally, last weekend in Chicago.

Read More

8 shot, 1 fatally in Chicago so far this weekendSun-Times Wireon March 20, 2021 at 10:14 pm Read More »

Ohio man to serve over 15 years in prison for suburban truck stop shootingSun-Times Wireon March 21, 2021 at 1:07 am

An Ohio man was sentenced to over 15 years in prison March 18, 2021, for a suburban truck stop shooting.
An Ohio man was sentenced to over 15 years in prison March 18, 2021, for a suburban truck stop shooting. | Adobe Stock Photo

William Lutz, 59, fired shots at another truck driver whom he believed was blocking the road on June 8, 2019, at a truck stop in Hampshire, according to the Kane County state’s attorney’s office.

An Ohio man was sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison Thursday for a road rage shooting in June 2019 at a truck stop in the far northwest suburb of Hampshire.

William Lutz, 59, fired shots at another truck driver whom he believed was blocking the road on June 8, 2019, at a truck stop off U.S. Route 20, according to the Kane County state’s attorney’s office.

The truck driver was grazed by a bullet that flew through his door, and Lutz was found shortly after parked at the nearby intersection of Route 47 and Interstate 90, where he apparently tried to commit suicide by consuming 30 pills, the state’s attorney’s office said.

Lutz was ordered held on $750,000 bail, and later pleaded guilty to the charge of armed violence, prosecutors said.

He will receive credit for the 649 days he has already served in the Kane County jail.

Read More

Ohio man to serve over 15 years in prison for suburban truck stop shootingSun-Times Wireon March 21, 2021 at 1:07 am Read More »

Blackhawks avoided fighting back against Lightning aggressions at Jeremy Colliton’s requestBen Popeon March 21, 2021 at 12:41 am

The Lightning were aggressive with the Blackhawks this series, but the Hawks avoided fighting back. | AP Photos

The Lightning — still upset over Connor Murphy’s hit on Erik Cernak on March 7 — constantly tried to goad the Blackhawks into fights this series. Colliton told the Hawks not to engage. “We don’t want our top guys sitting for five minutes,” the coach said.

The Blackhawks and Lightning developed an odd rivalry this March.

After Connor Murphy’s match penalty for hitting Erik Cernak on March 7 — the third of five meetings between the teams in a 16-day span — the Lightning were ready for the rivalry to explode during this now-concluded series.

On both Thursday and Saturday, the Bolts constantly harassed the Blackhawks — focusing particularly on Murphy — after whistles, hoping to instigate a fight or skirmish. On Saturday, that after-the-whistle aggression spilled into normal play at times, including one moment when Alex Killorn clotheslined Adam Boqvist with a blindside glove to the face.

But at coach Jeremy Colliton’s request, the Hawks refused to engage or fight back.

“We don’t want our top guys sitting for five minutes, unless there’s a specific reason,” Colliton said after the Hawks’ 4-1 loss Saturday.

“When you play the same team multiple times, it’s going to get chippy, and you hope you give as much as you take. Play hard, play between the whistles, be hard to play against — that’s what we’re going to do.”

It initially seemed likely the growing tension between the two teams would erupt Saturday.

During his pregame press conference, Colliton detailed why he believed Murphy’s hit on Cernak was legal, then passionately denounced the Lightning’s tactics to try to goad Murphy into fighting Thursday.

“It just doesn’t make any sense to me,” he said. “They’ve got some guys who play a hard game, a physical game. If [Lightning defenseman Victor] Hedman finishes a hard check on Murph, I don’t think they’re going to love if we’ve got guys chasing him around the ice or expecting that he should take a five-minute [major] or risk breaking his hand on someone’s head.”

He said he’d specifically instructed Murphy not to fight.

“Murph has no problem answering the bell,” Colliton said. “He probably would love to. But we’ve asked him not to, because he’s too important to our team. We need him on the ice… He’s a hard player, he’s a physical player, and that’s part of what he brings. I don’t think he should have to be warding off challengers for the whole game.”

Yet while the Lightning’s aggressive behavior continued undeterred once the puck dropped, Colliton’s message to his team — avoid unnecessary penalties, even if it means not standing your ground — remained the same, too.

And so the Hawks followed that instruction. Nikita Zadorov didn’t deliver any big hits. Murphy never entertained the Bolts’ solicitations. Not even minor-league scrapper Reese Johnson, inserted into the lineup for just his fifth NHL game, made any noise.

Only Alex DeBrincat went to the penalty box for any sort of retaliation. He and Yanni Gourde were both given cross-checking minors for a relatively tame pre-faceoff duel in the second period.

“The ref thought it was a good idea to put us both in the box,” DeBrincat said later. “I didn’t really think they were going to call a penalty, but I guess better sit two minutes than five for fighting.”

True to Colliton’s fears, the Lightning then scored during four-on-four play with DeBrincat sidelined.

The Hawks and Lightning will face each other only once more this regular season, and not until April 27 in Chicago. By then, the two teams’ behaviors this month may well be forgotten.

But Colliton’s strategy to keep his players out of the penalty box could prove relevant against other opponents before then.

Asked Saturday what kind of situation would justify in his mind a fighting major, he offered only a brief answer: “You know it when you see it.”

Read More

Blackhawks avoided fighting back against Lightning aggressions at Jeremy Colliton’s requestBen Popeon March 21, 2021 at 12:41 am Read More »

3 things we learned: Western offense sputters in loss at ISUon March 21, 2021 at 1:29 am

Prairie State Pigskin

3 things we learned: Western offense sputters in loss at ISU

Read More

3 things we learned: Western offense sputters in loss at ISUon March 21, 2021 at 1:29 am Read More »

3 things we learned: Running game, defense spark Illinois State’s first spring victoryon March 20, 2021 at 11:57 pm

Prairie State Pigskin

3 things we learned: Running game, defense spark Illinois State’s first spring victory

Read More

3 things we learned: Running game, defense spark Illinois State’s first spring victoryon March 20, 2021 at 11:57 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: How Kenny Golladay’s contract impacts Allen Robinsonon March 20, 2021 at 9:49 pm

(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Kenny Golladay‘s new contract should be embarrassing to the Chicago Bears for failing to give their star receiver, Allen Robinson, more money than him.

Golladay has reached an agreement with the New York Giants on a four-year, $72 million deal with $40 million guaranteed.

The former receiver for the Detroit Lions was offered between $11-$12 million with the Bears for one year but passed on the offer to take a longer, richer contract with the Giants.

What does this contract mean for star Bears receiver Allen Robinson?

Robinson just signed his franchise tag last Thursday, locking himself in for $18 million this season with the Chicago Bears. Should he be insulted by Golladay’s payday? Absolutely.

Golladay has had one pro-bowl season in 2019, which was his only healthy season in his four total years in the NFL. That season, Golladay caught 65 passes for 1,190 yards, and a league-tying 11 touchdown catches.

Last season, Golladay was injured for most of the season — playing just five total games. He caught 20 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns.

In one game last season, Tyreek Hill caught 13 balls for 269 yards and three touchdowns, doing most of the work Golladay did in a season in one game versus the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And guess what? Hill makes $18 million per year too.

Golladay in his four seasons with the Lions has played 47 of 64 possible games in the NFL. He has recorded 183 receptions for 3,068 yards and 21 total touchdowns — half of them coming in the 2019 season.

Robinson, on the other hand, has been super successful in his career, and recent years. In his career, Robinson has really only missed one season in 2017 with an ACL tear. He has racked up 457 catches, nearly 6,000 receiving yards, and 39 total touchdowns in his seven-year career in the NFL. He has been elected to just as many pro-bowls as Golladay in his career too, with just one.

Last season, Robinson caught 102 passes for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns. Outside of touchdowns, that’s more in each category than Golladay’s best season. Remember, Robinson has never had a Matthew Stafford caliber quarterback as Golladay had in his first four seasons. He has dealt with Blake Bortles, Mitchell Trubisky, and Nick Foles throwing to him.

Let’s compare the two receivers’ best seasons: Golladay in 2019, and Robinson in 2015. Robinson has more receptions, yards, touchdowns, first downs, and yards per target. Golladay had a much better catch rate, only because Robinson had 32 more targets than him.

No offense to Golladay, he’s a great receiver and a major threat in the NFL. He’s simply not as good as Robinson though.

Now how do you think Robinson should feel?

Golladay just came off of his rookie contract and was handed a four-year deal for $72 million after having just one truly successful season. After Robinson similarly had one truly successful season in 2015 and one mildly successful season the following season, Robinson made just $14 million per year over three years with the Bears, and never received an extension.

Bears fans still don’t know what’s to come of Robinson’s future in the NFL. He unexpectedly signed his franchise tag, for either one of two options. Robinson could have suspected the wide receiver market has been undervalued the offseason (Corey Davis $9 million, JuJu Smith-Schuster takes $8 million pay cut). Or, the Bears have secretly told Robinson they plan to trade him, forcing him to sign the franchise tag.

Next: Chicago Bears: Desmond Trufant replaces Kyle Fuller on defense

Golladay’s contract value is certainly misleading because the Giants offered him too much money, but you get the idea. Robinson is one of the best receivers in the NFL and is leaps and bounds ahead of Golladay in his career and the present day. He deserves more money and a team that better values him, which isn’t the Bears.

Read More

Chicago Bears: How Kenny Golladay’s contract impacts Allen Robinsonon March 20, 2021 at 9:49 pm Read More »

CHOOSE PROGRESSon March 20, 2021 at 8:05 pm

Improv Class For The Soul

CHOOSE PROGRESS

Read More

CHOOSE PROGRESSon March 20, 2021 at 8:05 pm Read More »

Loyola-Illinois matchup stokes memories of 1963 championship run for Sister Jean: ‘You just keep puffing along’Madeline Kenneyon March 20, 2021 at 6:11 pm

Sister Jean, pictured in 2019.
Sister Jean, pictured in 2019. | Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times

Loyola’s beloved ambassador hasn’t finished her full scouting report yet, but she has her Ramblers beating the top ranked Illinois squad and making it to the Elite Eight.

After being cooped up in her downtown apartment for more than a year, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt was able to attend her first basketball game of the season on Friday.

And what it game it was.

With Loyola back in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four years, Sister Jean, accompanied by her right-hand man Tom Hitcho and a caregiver, got to watch her beloved Ramblers back in action in March from the stands at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

On Saturday, the team’s beloved ambassador described the opening minutes of eighth-seeded Loyola’s first-round matchup against ninth-seeded Georgia Tech as “nerve-wracking,” especially when Loyola fell into a 13-3 hole early. But the Ramblers were able to regroup and ultimately beat the Yellow Jackets 71-60 in what ended up being a “spectacular game” by Sister Jean’s standards.

“We have such a passion for the game,” Sister Jean said. “They did so well [Friday], we weren’t sure about it, but we always felt we could do it. And it’s like a little engine that could — you just keep puffing along and get relaxed.”

Next up: Top-seeded Illinois on Sunday.

The last time the in-state neighbors met in the NCAA Tournament, John F. Kennedy was president and Sister Jean was working at Mundelein College.

She doesn’t remember much of that 1963 game, but she does vividly recall the Ramblers winning the national title that year.

“As soon as we won, all the male students from Loyola… walked down Sheridan Road … even though it was midnight, and were yelling ‘We won! We won! We won!’” she said.

Loyola coach Porter Moser and his squad have their work cut out for them this weekend. Sister Jean said she believes Loyola’s love for the game and a little prayer could help the Ramblers as they prepare to go up against one of the best teams in the country.

She said she hasn’t completed her full scouting report on the Illini yet, though she’s already started laying the foundation by watching a little film and pulling boxscores. She believes Loyola has a fighting chance given how Ohio State almost beat Illinois in the Big Ten Championship game earlier this month.

But that was all the intel Sister Jean would release ahead of the second-round matchup.

“For the rest of my information on Illinois, we might have somebody sitting in this group from there, and I don’t want to tell him my secret,” she said.

In the meantime, Sister Jean did give her prediction for the game. It’ll be a hard-fought battle, but she has Loyola edging out Illinois and heading as far as the Elite Eight.

“I believe, again, that we can do it,” Sister Jean said. “So we’ll try. We’ll try our best, and we’ll do our best.”

Read More

Loyola-Illinois matchup stokes memories of 1963 championship run for Sister Jean: ‘You just keep puffing along’Madeline Kenneyon March 20, 2021 at 6:11 pm Read More »

Tensions between Blackhawks, Lightning rising as Jeremy Colliton denounces behavior around Connor MurphyBen Popeon March 20, 2021 at 4:43 pm

Connor Murphy’s March 7 hit on Erik Cernak has sparked heavy frustrations between the Blackhawks and Lightning. | Getty

“If [Victor] Hedman finishes a hard check on Murph, I don’t think they’re going to love if we’ve got guys chasing him around the ice or expecting that he should take a five-minute [major] or risk breaking his hand on someone’s head,” a frustrated Colliton said Saturday morning.

Tensions between the Blackhawks and Lightning, largely stemming from Connor Murphy’s March 7 hit on Erik Cernak, have hit a boiling point this weekend.

Ahead of Saturday’s 3 p.m. game between the two division rivals, Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton emphatically denounced the Lightning’s behavior in Thursday’s game, when they frequently tried to incite Murphy into a fight.

“I don’t think he should have to be warding off challengers for the whole game because he’s finishing his checks,” Colliton said during his pregame press conference. “[Murphy] has no problem answering the bell. He probably would love to [fight]. But we’ve asked him not to, because he’s too important to our team. We need him on the ice. We’ve asked him to suck it up and make a team decision and just play, and he’s done that.”

Murphy received a match penalty and was ejected from that March 7 game — which was extremely chippy throughout — after the hit.

But the NHL did not suspend or fine him afterward, and Colliton said Saturday he believed the hit was actually legal.

“He went through [Cernak’s] chest,” Colliton said. “He hit him hard, but I don’t believe it was a dirty hit… I’m well-acquainted with headshots and obviously against them in any way. But at best it was glancing, incidental contact there. Obviously [Cernak] missed the rest of the game, but it wasn’t a head issue; otherwise he wouldn’t have played 20 minutes the next game against Detroit.”

Thursday’s matchup — a 4-2 Hawks loss — was the two teams’ first meeting since March 7, and the Lightning tried to take enforcement into their own hands.

Barclay Goodrow was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first minute of the game for trying to instigate a fight with Murphy. Other Lightning players were often seen jostling Murphy during stoppages later in the game.

“Goodrow came up to me and challenged me to fight,” Murphy said postgame Thursday. “I just said no to the fight and he wouldn’t get it go, so he got a penalty. There were times throughout the game guys are going to chirp and have some trash talk because they’re unhappy about the last game…and that’s just the way it went.”

Lightning coach Jon Cooper, after the game Thursday, conversely ripped Murphy for not accepting the “ramifications for what you do.”

“This is a tough game and tough players play it,” Cooper told reporters. “If you’re going to be physical, you’ve got to reap what you sow.”

Leading into Saturday’s rematch, Cooper’s comments and his players’ actions have struck a chord with Colliton and the Hawks.

Growing frustration with other teams was always inevitable given the NHL’s scheduling format this year, and the Hawks and Lightning will be playing their fifth game against each other in a two-week span. (They have just one remaining meeting this season: April 27 in Chicago.)

But this level of outward distrust and anger between two teams, especially before a game even starts, has rarely been seen around the league in 2021.

Colliton declined to disclose the Hawks’ lineup Saturday morning — the third consecutive game day against the Lightning in which he has kept it secret. Then he named Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman in an example pointing out what he perceives as the hypocrisy of goading Murphy.

“They’ve got some guys who play a hard game, a physical game,” he said. “If Hedman finishes a hard check on ‘Murph,’ I don’t think they’re going to love if we’ve got guys chasing him around the ice or expecting that he should take a five-minute [major] or risk breaking his hand on someone’s head.”

Read More

Tensions between Blackhawks, Lightning rising as Jeremy Colliton denounces behavior around Connor MurphyBen Popeon March 20, 2021 at 4:43 pm Read More »

Cubs prospect Jesus Camargo arrested, faces felony drug chargesRussell Dorseyon March 20, 2021 at 7:16 pm

AP Photos

Eagle County sheriffs found 21 pounds of meth, oxycodone pills and cash along with baseball gloves and cleats in Camargo’s vehicle.

MESA, Ariz – Cubs prospect Jesus Camargo was arrested on Wednesday in Eagle, Colorado after deputies found 21 pounds of meth and oxycodone pills in his duffel bag. Camargo, who was held on $75,000 bond, faces four felony possession and distribution charges.

According to reports, local authorities pulled Camargo over for speeding and drifting in and out of lanes. Upon K-9 units searching the vehicle, Eagle County sheriffs found the meth, oxycodone pills and cash in a Cubs duffel bag, as well as baseball gloves and cleats.

“We are aware of the arrest of one of our Minor League players,” Cubs SVP of communications Julian Green told the Sun-Times in a statement. “We are investigating this matter and cannot provide additional comment until we have further details.”

Camargo, 25, signed with the Cubs as an international free agent out of Sinaloa, Mexico in 2014. He pitched for Class A-Advanced Myrtle Beach in 2019.

Marisnick skills on display in first week of games

Outfielder Jake Marisnick’s Cubs debut this spring was delayed after being slowed by a right calf injury. But after his first week of game action, he’s already showing why the Cubs wanted to add him to their outfield mix.

Marisnick, who is considered one of the game’s best defensive outfielders, has already been making plays with the glove and the bat and his early results have already gotten the attention of his manager.

“It’s an easy run out there [in the outfield],” Ross said. “It’s one of those sneaky [runs], it doesn’t look like he’s moving very fast. But he’s just covering a ton of ground. He just runs the ball down with ease. … It’s good. The arm is good. He’s swung the bat well, so it’s been nice to have him back and healthy.

“It looks like a group that enjoys playing the game and that’s kind of the vibe I’ve gotten early,” Marisnick said. “I’m really happy to be here right now, to be honest with you just kind of interacting with these guys and seeing the group that’s in that clubhouse. It’s unbelievable.”

The 29-year-old outfielder signed a one-year deal this offseason and has a career .229/.281/.385 slash line with 56 homers and 72 stolen bases.

Wick throws off the mound

Right-hander Rowan Wick threw off the mound for the first time this spring after suffering an intercostal injury earlier this spring. Wick threw 10 pitches during his bullpen as his throwing progression ramps up. The 28-year-old right-hander reached 105 feet playing long toss last week.

“Rowan Wick is in a really good spot,” Ross said. “He’s itching to do more. [We’re] trying to navigate a good plan for him. He’s feeling really good, but as good as he’s feeling which is always great news, with all the time off we’re trying to build him back up in the right capacity. The trainers and the pitching guys are on top of that, but things are going really well for him.”

Read More

Cubs prospect Jesus Camargo arrested, faces felony drug chargesRussell Dorseyon March 20, 2021 at 7:16 pm Read More »