Chicago Bears: Russell Wilson best fits Bears situation right nowon February 26, 2021 at 12:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

We all know the Chicago Bears are going to need to make a move at quarterback this offseason. It’s just a matter of when the Bears front office decides to bite and make a move that would allow Chicago to officially move on from the Mitchell Trubisky era.

Thursday morning, was an ordinary day until news broke that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson wants out of Seattle. For a player of Wilson’s caliber, it’s no surprise he feels this way. Seattle has massively underperformed over the last few seasons and Wilson, who’s 32 years old knows his time to win multiple championships is running out.

The Chicago Bears and Russell Wilson are a perfect match for each other right now.

Chicago has been linked to nearly every quarterback this offseason. It’s no surprise considering the Bears have never had a true franchise quarterback and everytime the franchise takes a chance on someone, it never pans out.

However, General Manager Ryan Pace and Head Coach Matt Nagy know that their jobs are on the line heading into 2021. A big swing at the QB position needs to happen and Wilson makes more sense than anyone.

Wilson isn’t just trying to win, he’s trying to win now. He knows that as you get older, it’s harder to win championships when surrounded by a mediocre roster. Wilson needs to look no further than the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers, who’s long been considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL yet has just one Super Bowl to show for it.

Wilson and Bears make too much sense. Chicago has an exciting core on the offensive side of the ball that features David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Darnell Mooney, and Cole Kmet. Retain wide receiver Allen Robinson and the Bears are in a position to be one of the NFL’s best offenses in 2021.

But there is more: The Bears defense. Recall that Wilson had success earlier in his career in Seattle when the famed “Legion of Boom” was terrorizing offenses every week. Now look at the Bears defense. Despite being one of the older units in the NFL, Chicago’s defense has an elite pass rusher in Khalil Mack, a stud linebacker in Roquan Smith, and cornerback Kyle Fuller, among a handful of names.

Essentially, Chicago has a playoff-ready defense. For Wilson, it means that he wouldn’t have to play savior every single game, regardless of what the situation is. Any team that has Wilson is going to be tough to compete against, however, few teams can offer a defense the caliber of Chicago’s in a sales pitch to Wilson.

Next: Chicago Bears: Russell Wilson would consider Chicago

Chicago is in win-now mode and so is Russell Wilson. Wilson has more years left in the tank than most think and at least for the forseeable future, a pairing of Wilson and the Bears makes too much sense.

Chicago Bears: Russell Wilson best fits Bears situation right nowon February 26, 2021 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Illinois State ready to debut plenty of new faces on offenseon February 26, 2021 at 12:16 pm

Prairie State Pigskin

Illinois State ready to debut plenty of new faces on offense

Illinois State ready to debut plenty of new faces on offenseon February 26, 2021 at 12:16 pm Read More »

Much of Chicago burned last year, not just the Loop, with a big rise in arson casesFrank Mainon February 26, 2021 at 11:30 am

Chicago firefighters surveying a garage destroyed by arson on Oct. 4 in the 2200 block of North Rockwell Street. | Provided

Arsons were up nearly 65%, a Sun-Times analysis finds. Hardest hit: the South Side and the West Side. Even during post-George Floyd riots, most arsons were linked to gangs. And it’s not just Chicago.

It was one of the searing images of the rioting in downtown Chicago last summer: a man wearing a Joker mask standing in front of a police sport-utility vehicle engulfed in flames.

The graffiti-strewn SUV was one of seven Chicago Police Department vehicles and one CTA vehicle torched in the Loop last May 30. More than 60 other arson fires were reported across the city over the next few days of anti-police rioting sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a white police officer kept his knee on the neck of Floyd, who was Black.

The fires set downtown by rioters after Floyd’s death were only one element, though, in a year that saw a major increase in arson. Over the course of 2020, hundreds of other arson fires were reported in Chicago. The number of fires authorities deemed suspicious was up nearly 65% last year over 2019, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis of city crime data shows.

“With a 65% increase, you have a problem,” says Matthew Smith, executive director of the Washington-based Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.

Federal authorities charged Timothy O’Donnell with setting fire to this Chicago police SUV last May 30 in the Loop while wearing a Joker mask.

Smith’s organization tracks arsons across the country, looking for patterns of fires set to collect insurance payouts. His group is doing a national study to see whether there’s a link between the coronavirus pandemic and fires set for fraudulent purposes.

“After the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, we saw a dramatic spike occur in real estate fires and auto fires and autos ending up at the bottom of lakes and rivers,” Smith says. “In looking at the FBI’s statistics and what we are hearing, there is an increase in arson across the country.”

It’s unclear how much of a role insurance fraud played in Chicago’s sharp rise in arsons.

The police say they think many of the arsons last year were fires set by homeless people, by people who were angry and lashing out and by others involved in rioting or gang-related activities.

A Sun-Times review of 25 cases in which people have been charged with arson in connection with fires last year in Chicago didn’t find any fraud allegations.

Altogether, 583 arsons were reported last year in Chicago compared with 375 in 2019, 373 in 2018, 444 in 2017 and 516 in 2016. Chicago also saw huge spikes in the number of murders and shootings last year and in 2016.

Eleven of last year’s arson arrests involved people charged with setting vehicles on fire. Most of those cases appeared to involve suspects angry at the owners of the vehicles.

Jacob Fagundo, 22, appears to be the only person the Chicago police arrested on charges of torching a Chicago Police Department vehicle last May 30 in the Loop.

But federal authorities say another man, Timothy O’Donnell, 31, was the villain in the Joker mask. They’ve charged him with placing a lighted object in the gas tank of a Chicago police SUV that burned in the 200 block of North State Street on May 30.

Last year’s arson arrests also included four people accused of setting garage fires and four accused of starting fires inside buildings.

Two others were arrested for setting fires in businesses — including a Jewel-Osco store at 87th and State streets on July 30 and a convenience store at a Gulf gas station at 8649 S. Ashland Ave. on Nov. 28. Neither fire caused serious damage. Those fires don’t appear to be connected to any political demonstrations or rioting.

Four people were arrested on suspicion of setting fire to garbage cans.

Most of the nearly 70 arsons during the unrest in late May and early June didn’t happen downtown but in other neighborhoods.

Dozens of convenience stores and retail shops were hit by arsonists, along with five department stores, five groceries, two churches, a currency exchange, a car dealership, a bank, a bar, a barbershop, a carwash and a drugstore. Most of those fires were set on May 31 and June 1.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading the investigation of the arsons that occurred in Chicago between May 30 and June 4. Police say they’re continuing to work with ATF on those cases and that there’s no evidence any of those arsons was the result of fraud.

During the rest of 2020, when there were no riots, the South Side and West Side were hit the hardest by arsonists. The police district with the most arsons was Deering, which includes Bridgeport and Back of the Yards, followed by the West Side’s Harrison District, which includes West Garfield Park. Police attribute many of those fires to gang activity.

One of the most potentially dangerous fires was in Homan Square on Feb. 20, 2020, when the police say 38-year-old Precious Hinton used lighter fluid to set fire to a row house in the 900 block of South Lawndale Avenue where she was squatting.

Three apartments were destroyed and a man was injured when he jumped from a second-floor window during a fire on Feb. 20, 2020, in the 900 block of South Lawndale Avenue that fire officials said was set by an arsonist.

A 63-year-old man jumped from a second-story window there to escape the fire, suffering minor injuries, and three apartments were damaged, officials say.

A neighbor recorded Hinton on a cellphone video saying she set the fire to get away from the devil, according to footage aired on WGN-TV. Court-ordered psychiatric services were ordered for Hinton, who’s in jail awaiting trial, court records show.

In another dramatic case, Luis Ramirez, 54, is accused of setting fire last Oct. 4 to boxes that were sticking out of a trash can in an alley in the 2200 block of North Rockwell Street. A garage caught fire, destroying a 2012 Audi Q5 SUV and causing gasoline cans and propane canisters to explode.

“It went off like a bomb,” says Matthew Denny, who ran out of his Logan Square home after his alarm system went off and saw flames he estimates were 30 feet high.

A surveillance camera showed someone setting fire to Matthew Denny’s trash can in an alley in the 2200 block of North Rockwell Street on Oct. 4.

Ramirez was arrested Oct. 15 in Wicker Park after a city Department of Streets and Sanitation worker saw a man matching the description of the arsonist, Denny says.

Matthew Denny’s Audi Q5 was incinerated in an arson in the detached garage of his Logan Square home on Oct. 4.

“I’m not giving this guy a pass, but I don’t think he was trying to hurt anybody,” Denny says of Ramirez, who says he’s still willing to testify against him.

Denny says his insurance company replaced his car and rebuilt his garage for about $40,000.

Mathew Denny in front of his garage, which was destroyed by fire that authorities suspect was the work of an arsonist.

Lincoln Park also was hit with a series of arson fires.

David Adkison, a lawyer, says a trash fire set about 5 a.m. on July 30 in the alley behind his Lincoln Park condo caused slight damage to his brick garage but destroyed a neighbor’s wooden one.

Juan Escobar, 44, of Palatine, is accused of setting that fire and others in the area to “calm himself down,” according to prosecutors. They say surveillance videos showed Escobar setting the July 30 fire and another one on June 29. He was arrested while riding a bike on a sidewalk near a dog park, according to a police report.

Police say an arsonist set a fire that damaged garages last July 30 in an alley in the 2600 block of North Orchard Street in Lincoln Park.

“It was just one of those crazy things that happens in the city,” Adkison says. “It’s concerning, don’t get me wrong. I was pretty happy when they caught the guy.”

The majority of last year’s arsons didn’t result in an arrest. Police say they made 55 arson-related arrests last year involving people suspected of arson or criminal damage to property as well as convicted arsonists who failed to register their addresses with the police department.

Much of Chicago burned last year, not just the Loop, with a big rise in arson casesFrank Mainon February 26, 2021 at 11:30 am Read More »

Bill Becker, lawyer Oprah credited with helping build Harpo Studios empire, dead at 78Maureen O’Donnellon February 26, 2021 at 11:30 am

Bill Becker and his wife Maureen (far right) during a trip to Hawaii with Oprah Winfrey. | George Burns / Harpo Inc.

He made a memorable appearance on her show. Winfrey was taking drive-thru orders at the Rock N Roll McDonald’s, where he complained unwittingly to his boss about her slow service.

Bill Becker’s career as a labor lawyer began with representing coal mines and grocery stores and culminated in helping Oprah Winfrey create a media empire.

He rose to become Winfrey’s trusted general counsel, heading a legal team of 25 employees. He handled employment matters ranging from hiring to severance as well as negotiating union contracts for Winfrey’s Harpo Studios.

“Bill Becker began working with me in the early days of Harpo and was a critical member of the team,” Winfrey said, “serving as general counsel and adviser regarding all things legal.”

Mr. Becker, 78, died Feb. 11 in Chicago. He had Parkinson’s disease and suffered a stroke in October, according to his daughter.

Oprah Winfrey with an arm draped around Bill Becker, who stands next to her in the front row, center, in this photo of the legal team at Harpo Studios.

In addition to labor and real estate issues, he oversaw a variety of entertainment matters. With an eye toward Federal Communications Commission regulations, for instance, he’d warn producers away if he thought the show was at risk of dubious claims or deceptive guests. It also was his department that made sure Winfrey had clearance for all of the music heard on her show and that dressing rooms were furnished with the food and drinks specified in some entertainers’ contracts.

He helped with the mobilization of a legal team to investigate allegations of sex abuse at the girls’ school Winfrey founded in South Africa.

Organized and meticulous, Mr. Becker also helped Winfrey choose her private plane, according to his daughter Cathy. And as “The Oprah Winfrey Show” wound down in 2009, he helped plan an all-expenses-paid Mediterranean farewell cruise for 1,800 of her employees, their families and friends.

He made a memorable appearance on her show 20 years ago when Winfrey was taking orders at the Rock N Roll McDonald’s. Coincidentally, he rolled up in the drive-thru just then and could be heard complaining unwittingly to his boss, “Yes, ma’am, I gotta tell you this is the slowest service I’ve ever had here.”

Winfrey calls that moment “one of my all-time favorite memories of Bill.”

“I had agreed to do a story on working at McDonald’s,” she said. “And while I was there, fumbling my way through takeout orders, Bill pulls up and is blowing his horn and complaining about the slow service.

“ ‘Sorry, sir, it’s my first day,’ I said. I recognized his voice through the order speaker. When he pulled up to get his order, he was shocked to see ME in the takeout window handing him his Big Mac. He sent me an email apologizing right after and asked if there was anything he could do to make it up to me. We ended up putting him behind the McDonald’s counter taking orders, and he was a good sport about it.”

Working for Winfrey was “exciting in a new way every day,” Mr. Becker once told law.com. “Because she’s a creative butterfly, we never know where she’s going to land.”

He was born in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens. His mother Catherine was a New Yorker from an Italian American family. His father William Ludwig Becker was from the town of Hochst, now part of Frankfurt, Germany. When Mr. Becker was a toddler, his family moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where his father — who served with the Army Corps of Engineers — worked on the top-secret Manhattan Project.

Later, the family moved to Easton, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Becker was class valedictorian at Notre Dame High School. He attended Haverford College. For a time, his father worked in Germany as a watch company consultant. Young Bill landed a summer job at the company, where he “worked in a German beer garden and had to wear lederhosen,” his daughter said.

He went to law school at Washington University, where he met Maureen DeBlois, who was studying for her master’s degree in chemistry. She later worked for Monsanto. They were married for about 40 years until her death in 2007.

Bill Becker at a 2015 reunion of his Haverford College class.

They settled in Glen Ellyn after he was hired by the law firm Laner Muchin. He represented coal mines, Chicago grocers including Heinemann’s Bakeries and Stop & Shop and also WTTW-TV and WFMT-FM.

“He could do it all. He was extraordinarily ethical,” said his former law partner Arthur Muchin.

He said Winfrey hired their firm in the late 1980s for its labor expertise and Mr. Becker’s experience with broadcasting clients.

Mr. Becker told law.com he wasn’t very familiar with Winfrey when they met — but he remembered she liked his green-and-orange tie. Several years later, when she asked him to become her in-house general counsel, he retired from Laner Muchin and moved to Harpo.

“It’s hard to separate the success of the show from Bill,” said attorney Elizabeth Yore, who said she and other members of Harpo’s legal department admired his kindness and sense of humor. “He was the best boss I ever had.”

As a young man, he didn’t like having to wear his uncle’s hand-me-down suits. Once he started making some money, he bought some nice suits and ties at Mark Shale.

Bill Becker and Lauralea Suess, his second wife.

He met Lauralea Suess, a teacher who would become his second wife, when he responded to her ad in the personals in the Chicago Reader.

“He sent a long, beautiful piece about losing his wife that was very sincere,” she said. “It was, like, ‘I lost the woman I loved; I was married to her for 40 years. I’m just looking for companionship.’ It wasn’t, ‘I like to take walks along the beach.’ ’’

After several months of dating, they went out for dinner at the North Pond Cafe in Lincoln Park. She was looking over the menu when he told her she was missing the most important line. He’d had “Lauralea, will you marry me?” printed at the top.

“He got on his knees in front of everybody at the restaurant,” she said, “and said, ‘Will you marry me?’ ”

They were married in 2009 and lived downtown in a condo overlooking Millennium Park. They enjoyed theater, dining at Acanto restaurant and travel, including winter trips to Puerto Vallarta and a safari to Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, where they saw rhinos, elephants, giraffes and wildebeest.

A Zoom memorial was planned for Saturday. Mr. Becker also is survived by his brothers Robert and Christopher and a granddaughter.

Bill Becker, lawyer Oprah credited with helping build Harpo Studios empire, dead at 78Maureen O’Donnellon February 26, 2021 at 11:30 am Read More »

8 shot, 1 fatally, Thursday in ChicagoSun-Times Wireon February 26, 2021 at 8:50 am

Eight people were shot, one fatally, Feb. 25, 2021 in Chicago. | Sun-Times file photo

A 28-year-old man was fatally shot Thursday night in the 200 block of North Leclaire Avenue, police said.

Eight people were shot, one fatally, Thursday in Chicago, including a man killed in Austin on the West Side.

The man, 28, was found unresponsive about 8:15 p.m. on the street in the 200 block of North Leclaire Avenue, Chicago police said. He suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and was taken to Loretto Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not yet identified the man.

In non-fatal shootings, a 40-year-old man was wounded on the Near West Side.

The man was shot in the leg about 6 p.m. as he walked down the street in the 1300 block of West 13th Street, police said. He was transported to Stroger Hospital for treatment, police said. His condition was not immediately known.

A 26-year-old man was seriously wounded in a shooting in Calumet Heights on the South Side.

About 2 p.m., officers found the man near his vehicle after a dark-colored Nissan Altima drove by and fired shots at him in the 1600 block of East 95th Street, police said.

The man suffered a gunshot wound to his buttocks and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in serious condition, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.

Thursday afternoon, a man was shot as he drove on the Dan Ryan Expressway with a woman and child in the car near Garfield Boulevard.

Troopers were called about 1:15 p.m. to a shooting in the inbound local lanes, Illinois State Police spokeswoman Elizabeth Clausing said in a statement.

Paramedics found the gunshot victim, a 24-year-old man, near 35th Street and Wentworth Avenue, according to Langford.

The man was shot at least twice in his leg and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, Langford said. State police said the wounds were not life-threatening.

About 12:45 p.m., a 22-year-old man was wounded after a gunman pulled up in a vehicle and fired shots in Bronzeville on the South Side.

The victim was inside another vehicle as shots rang out about 12:45 p.m. in the 4700 block of South Calumet Avenue, according to police. He took himself to Providence Hospital with a gunshot wound, police said. He was listed in fair condition.

Two people were shot Thursday morning at a gas station in Wentworth Gardens on the South Side.

The man and woman were in the parking lot of a gas station about 2 a.m. in the 200 block of West Pershing Road when two males got out of a tan-colored Chevy sedan and opened fire, police said.

The 42-year-old man was struck in his right arm and the 63-year-old woman was struck in her left knee, police said. They were brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment. The woman does not appear to be the intended target, police said.

In the day’s first reported shooting, a woman was wounded in Little Italy on the Near West Side.

About 12:25 a.m., she was found lying outside on the ground in the 2300 block of West 23rd Place, with a gunshot wound to her thigh, police said. The woman, thought to be in her early twenties, was brought to Stroger Hospital for treatment, police said. She was not able to tell officers details regarding the shooter.

Eight people were shot, one fatally, Wednesday in Chicago.

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

8 shot, 1 fatally, Thursday in ChicagoSun-Times Wireon February 26, 2021 at 8:50 am Read More »

Tony La Russa has high praise for Nick MadrigalDaryl Van Schouwenon February 26, 2021 at 4:43 am

Sox second baseman Nick Madrigal looks to throw to first base as teammates look on during a spring training baseball practice Wednesday. | Ross D. Franklin/AP

“Nick is a young guy you can trust in any situation,” La Russa said. Madrigal is similar to David Eckstein, a former player of La Russa’s who hit 35 homers in a 10-year career.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — In Nick he trusts.

As White Sox manager Tony La Russa put it, second baseman Nick Madrigal is a player who won’t hit many homers, but he’s one La Russa can win with.

“Nick is a young guy you can trust in any situation,” La Russa said. Madrigal is similar to David Eckstein, a former player of La Russa’s who hit 35 homers in a 10-year career.

La Russa acknowledged he has won with sluggers — see the 1983 Sox with Greg Luzinski, Ron Kittle et al, the Bash Brothers in Oakland and Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman in St. Louis — but “I’m just telling you the more guys you have in your lineup who know how to play the game of baseball,” the better.

“They know how to play the score and they know how to manipulate the bat and direct the ball to different parts of the field, and you can play whatever game you want to play with them. Then you can dictate a chance to win all kinds of games. You don’t have to win a game when the wind is blowing out. Nick, I mean, he’s an artist.”

La Russa’s emphasis in this camp is a two-strike approach, and Madrigal, who batted .340 in 29 games in his first season in 2020, hit .321/.357/.679 with two strikes and struck out only seven times (while walking four times). As a first-round pick out of Oregon State in 2018, he came to the Sox with a reputation as a heady player, but there were baserunning and fielding mistakes.

“[After] last year, just getting a little taste, I can do a lot more to help this team,” Madrigal said Thursday, “on the basepaths or in the batter’s box, on the defensive side. I didn’t even showcase what kind of player I truly am. I’m excited to go out there, especially being a lot healthier this year and feeling almost completely 100% at this point.”

Madrigal played through a sore thumb and had surgery on his left shoulder — stemming from an injury on a slide — after the season. He’s participating in defensive drills and taking live batting practice and is close to returning to game action.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be this Sunday [for the Cactus League opener against the Brewers at Camelback Ranch] or next week for the first game, but I’m thinking it’s not too far out,” he said.

Moncada close to full speed

Third baseman Yoan Moncada has held off from throwing because of normal spring arm soreness, but La Russa said he was surprised to learn Moncada might be ready to play Sunday or Monday, an indication he’s close to being full go.

“I’m definitely not going to push it,” La Russa said. “So we’ll see how he feels [Friday]. We’re taking legitimate infield relays and all that stuff, see how his arm feels.”

Going, going …

Thirteen of the Sox’ 14 Cactus League home games are sold out. Capacity is 2,400 because of coronavirus restrictions, with tickets available only for the March 2 game against the Rangers.

Tony La Russa has high praise for Nick MadrigalDaryl Van Schouwenon February 26, 2021 at 4:43 am Read More »

No. 5 Illinois tops Nebraska without injured star Ayo DosunmuTerry Towery | APon February 26, 2021 at 6:00 am

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn, who had a game-high 24 points, dunks against Nebraska in the second half Thursday. | Holly Hart/AP

Ayo Dosunmu, who broke his nose Tuesday against Michigan State, is expected to miss at least two more games and possibly more.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Kofi Cockburn scored 24 points, freshman Adam Miller added 18 and No. 5 Illinois beat Nebraska 86-70 on Thursday night.

Illinois (17-6, 13-4 Big Ten) was without national player of the year candidate Ayo Dosunmu, who broke his nose Tuesday against Michigan State. Dosunmu is expected to miss at least two more games and possibly more.

“I’m going to leave it to the doctors,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “There are some other issues, too. But I’m going to keep that private. When you are dealing with the head and facial area, it’s very sensitive. We are not going to jeopardize that young man’s career.”

Underwood declined to comment further on the issue. Dosunmu was on the bench in street clothes for Thursday’s game.

Without him, it was a couple of freshmen who stepped up on Senior Night that helped the Fighting Illini right the ship following their loss at Michigan State.

Freshman guard Andre Curbelo narrowly missed a triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Miller’s 18 points were his most since he scored 28 against North Carolina A&T in the Nov. 25 season opener.

Trey McGowens led Nebraska (5-17, 1-14) with 18 points. Kobe Webster and Shamiel Steveson added 12 each for the Cornhuskers.

Illinois was 30 for 62 from the field (48%) while Nebraska shot 27 for 61 (44%). The Illini outrebounded Nebraska 43-29.

“I thought Curbelo had an unbelievable game,” Cornhuskers coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He controlled (the game) and almost ends up with a triple-double.”

It was a physical game from the opening tip. Back-to-back technical fouls were called on both teams late in the first half, and there were several minor scuffles. Miller hit two 3-pointers and made several circus layups to pull Illinois ahead.

Miller had 16 points at halftime and Illinois led 36-28.

NO STOPPING KOFI

Hoiberg admitted his team had no answer for Illinois’ 7-foot center.

“They are the No. 5-ranked team in the country,” Hoiberg said. “Listen, Kofi’s an unbelievably tough matchup, especially when he’s knocking out free throws like he was tonight.”

Cockburn, who has struggled at the foul line along with most of his teammates lately, went 8 of 10 on free throws against Nebraska.

Underwood said Cockburn might take more abuse from other players than anyone in college basketball.

“Look, he’s 7 feet tall, weighs 300 pounds, can bench 450 and squat the house,” Underwood said. “He gets banged on more than anyone else. We saw a little frustration out there from him tonight, but that’s not who he is.”

BIG PICTURE

Illinois needed this one, with three tough road games coming up and Dosunmu likely to sit out at least two of them. Terrific games from two freshmen in Curbelo and Miller helped pick up the slack against Nebraska.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Illinois might slip because of its loss to Michigan State this week, but this win should keep the Illini in the top 10.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Hosts Minnesota on Saturday.

Illinois: Begins a regular season-ending three-game road trip at No. 23 Wisconsin on Saturday.

No. 5 Illinois tops Nebraska without injured star Ayo DosunmuTerry Towery | APon February 26, 2021 at 6:00 am Read More »

Horoscope for Friday, Feb. 26, 2021Georgia Nicolson February 26, 2021 at 6:01 am

Moon Alert

Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 5:15 to 11:15 a.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Leo into Virgo.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Today you have to put your own emotional considerations second to the demands of others. This doesn’t mean you’re a martyr. It means that you see what needs to be done and you’re prepared to deliver. “No man is an island.” (Not even a peninsula.)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You can’t hide your feelings because you’re emotional and effusive about something, especially how much you care for children. You will also delight in fun times, sports events and social diversions. Life feels good!

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

You are high visibility lately. People admire you. Nevertheless, today you need some solitude because you need a breather. You can’t be all things to all of the people all the time. Therefore, take time for yourself today. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll be of no use to anyone.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You’re hungry for a real conversation today. You want people to tell you what’s really going on and how they truly feel. You don’t want superficial chitchat that is merely a polite exchange about nothing important. You want the real goods.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

You have money on your mind today. Actually, money is energy. It makes things happen. Ideally, it improves the lives of people, although this is not always the case because the more money and power that you have, the more problems you have as well.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Today the moon is in your sign, which makes you more emotional than usual. However, it also makes you more sensitive to the feelings and moods of others. It’s good to know that when the moon is in your sign, your luck is a little bit better. Ask the universe for a favor!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Today you’re happy to work alone because you prefer to be by yourself. You’re not being antisocial. You just need time to collect yourself because this is a busy time because you’re busting your buns! You need to take time to rejuvenate.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

A conversation with a female colleague could be meaningful. In fact, this discussion might ultimately cause you to think differently about your future. You might even change future objectives. This could be wise because let’s face it, life is a constantly changing landscape.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Even though you are focused on home, family and your private life right now, today for some reason, you are high visibility. People notice you more than usual. (Be aware of this in case you have to do any damage control.) Possibly, you can use this to your advantage?

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Feelings of escapism are strong within you today. You want to get away from all this. You want adventure and a chance to learn something new! Ideally, you would like to travel; however, most people can’t travel right now. Therefore, think of ways to expand your horizons through study, film, movies, books and talking to others.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Many money issues are important for you right now. Your earnings and cash flow plus bills, debt, inheritances and anything to do with shared wealth or shared property. Keep your focus on these issues today.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Because you have to go more than halfway when dealing with others today, be accommodating, polite and friendly. This is the easiest way to make this a pleasant day for yourself. You won’t be giving up anything. In fact, you will be gaining.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Singer, songwriter Johnny Cash (1932-2003) shares your birthday. You are a dreamer who is also a hard worker. You are intuitive and a good judge of character. Service to others will be an important theme for you this year, especially within your family. Therefore, take care of yourself so that you can be a strong resource. Meanwhile, decide to invest in the relationships that you value. Hang out with quality people.

Horoscope for Friday, Feb. 26, 2021Georgia Nicolson February 26, 2021 at 6:01 am Read More »

Michael O’Brien’s high school basketball notebookon February 26, 2021 at 4:31 am

Here’s what Simeon coach Robert Smith had to say about the atmosphere at tonight’s game against Curie: “It’s just kind of weird. I know CPS is trying its best but these kids need some people in the gym with them. I mean, even if it’s just two people per kid on the home team. At least somebody in the gym so it could feel like a basketball game. This feels more like open gym.”

Smith is completely right, it was very strange. But I was so happy to have high-level Public League basketball played in front of me that I didn’t even realize until I was home. The game was absolutely fantastic. And other than me and maybe three or four Curie school employees, no one saw it at all.

I have a ton to say about Curie. Mike Oliver has done it again. This team is excellent and underrated. It’s going to have to be fully addressed on the next No Shot Clock. You can listen to this week’s right here…

Thursday’s top games

No. 11 Fenwick 73, St. Ignatius 61 OT: Another overtime game for the Friars. This time it was some heroics from Bryce Hopkins that sent the game to the extra period. Hopkins had a full court drive and layup at the buzzer. He finished with 31 points and Den Juette added 13. Richard Barron led the Wolfpack with 16. Another tough one for Fenwick tomorrow night, they are at Brother Rice.

No. 7 Hillcrest 71, Oak Forest 61: The Hawks pick up a big road win. Julius Rollins earned rave reviews and scored 26. Hamahrie Bowers had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Robbie Avila led the Spartans with 30 points and 14 rebounds.

King 69, Dunbar 39: The Jaguars improve to 2-0 behind nice games from Farron Jones (18 points) and David Abdullah (13 points, six assists).

No. 3 Young 66, No. 14 Homewood-Flossmoor 42: Check out that score. The Dolphins crushed the most-hyped team in the south suburbs.

Corliss 62, Bogan 56: The first interesting score of the Public League conference season. The Trojans are 3-0 and have been a consistent threat since Harvey Jones took over. Senior Jeffery Oakley had 24 points and 12 rebounds and Freddie Cooper added 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

Hyde Park 69, Phillips 61: Lightning quick junior Davontae Hall had a game-high 16 points and five assists. Sophomore Cam Williford scored 15 and was 4 for 6 from three.

Shepard 49, Eisenhower 47: Cole Hermanson scored 23 and Myles Palmer had 16 to get the Astros a tight win.

Rich 68, Thornridge 24: Lopsided win for the Raptors. Antonio McCanns had 16 and Donovan Johnson added 14.

Fenger 57, South Shore 25: I hope you didn’t forget about Fenger. Remember that supersectional run last season? Lonell Strickland had 15 points and 11 rebounds. KeJuan Currie also scored 15 and Isaiah Hall added nine points and five assists.

No. 20 Kenwood 91, Morgan Park 68: JJ Taylor scored 37 and grabbed eight rebounds. What a start to the season for the sophomore.

Michael O’Brien’s high school basketball notebookon February 26, 2021 at 4:31 am Read More »

60-degree temperature swing forecast to cap wild February weather in ChicagoSam Kellyon February 26, 2021 at 1:25 am

Residents headed to the lakefront at Lawrence Avenue on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Temperatures, which hit -7 earlier this month, could rise to the mid-50s this weekend — and approach the 60s near Kankakee.

After a month that saw Chicago smothered under an endless blanket of snow and sub-freezing temperatures, residents might be tempted to break out their shorts and fire up the grill as temperatures are expected to soar into the mid-50s this weekend — and even near 60 just an hour south of the city.

After a brief spell of rain and snow on Friday night, temperatures could reach a high of 50 degrees on what is expected to be a sunny Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

On Sunday, temperatures could climb even higher to 54 degrees during the day, before plummeting to a low in the mid-20s at night, the weather service said.

Cities like Kankakee could see temperatures as high as 56 on Saturday and 58 Sunday.

Above freezing daytime temps will continue, with many areas looking to climb above 50 this weekend. Mainly dry conditions are expected with the exception of minimal impacts from light rain and wet snow Fri night. pic.twitter.com/e72oZu3imP

— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 25, 2021

Despite the snow and ice that stubbornly cling to parts of the city, weather service meteorologist Todd Kluber said that the dramatic swing in temperature — from -7 degrees on Feb. 7 to the warmer weather expected this weekend — is not unusual for this time of year.

“Its just a pattern change, we’re getting to the point where the sun feels pretty warm this time of year,” Kluber said. “This is the same sun angle we see in mid-October, so when you think of those warm fall days, we’re getting the same sun angle now we would see at that time, even though we have snow on the ground and everything.”

The warmup comes after a three-week stretch saw 34.1 inches of snow fall on O’Hare — the snowiest stretch of that length in four decades.

And although we had been on pace to mark the coldest February on record, things have evened out somewhat: the average temperature as of Wednesday, 17.3 degrees, would result in the 14th coldest February on record.

Ice along the Lake Michigan coast is seen melting Feb. 23, 2021.

60-degree temperature swing forecast to cap wild February weather in ChicagoSam Kellyon February 26, 2021 at 1:25 am Read More »

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