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You can jump-start your Bandcamp Friday browsing with nearly 100 newly Reader-recommended releases.

When COVID-19 pulled the rug out from under live music in March, Bandcamp responded by passing along its usual share of revenue to artists and labels for a 24-hour period.…Read More

Unlike in some other states, Illinois bettors will have to stick to on-field action — not whether a winning player will declare he’s going to Disney World, or if a halftime performer will suffer a wardrobe malfunction.

Illinois gamblers now have their first chance ever to lay down legal bets on the Super Bowl, but forget about wagering on the length of the National Anthem or what commercial is coming up next.

Unlike in some other states — and on plenty of illegal offshore sportsbooks — Illinois bettors will have to stick to on-field action. Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said at a meeting last week his agency will only allow bets on “activity directly within the control or jurisdiction of the NFL and or individuals subject to the NFL integrity policy.”

Fruchter acknowledged such novelty prop bets — such as whether a winning player will declare he’s going to Disney World, or if a halftime performer will suffer a wardrobe malfunction — are good for “the growth and success” of the industry.

But he said it’s “imperative that sports wagering be conducted with the highest standards of integrity, and without any appearance or possibility of potential impropriety.”

The regulatory buzz-kill comes as the latest Gaming Board figures showed another record-breaking month in November for the state’s eight sportsbooks. Sports betting has been legal in Illinois for less than a year, but gamblers already have wagered almost $1.4 billion on football, soccer and other contests.

The statewide handle, or amount of money wagered, topped $449 million, a slight increase from the $435 million bettors plunked down in October.

Gamblers lost more than $41 million on those November bets, generating almost $7 million in tax revenue.

The two-month-old figures released on Monday are the latest available due to the amount of time the sportsbooks have to report their revenue under Illinois law.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

The house has come out on top by a grand total of almost $102 million since the state’s first wager was placed last March, creating about $16 million in taxes.

Illinois’ betting market is now the fourth largest in the nation behind New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania, but it’s seen the fastest growth — and it probably wouldn’t have happened if not for the coronavirus pandemic.

The state’s sports betting law was written to give casinos with physical sportsbooks an 18-month head start on online-only betting companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel, which operated in a legal gray area for several years.

But with COVID-19 shutting down casinos for several months, Gov. J.B. Pritzker nixed a rule requiring gamblers to register to bet in person at a casino, instead letting gamblers sign up from their smartphones.

Now the online giants are on top, with DraftKings — through a partnership with the downstate Casino Queen — drawing the highest November handle ($166 million) of the state’s sportsbooks. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines trailed with $133 million in bets.

Nearly 97% of wagers were placed online in November. Football was the most popular sport to bet on, drawing $253 million in handle — more than five times the next sport (soccer).

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Even though the Chicago Bears are not partaking in Super Bowl LV a host of Chicago bars and restaurants are running take out specials for the big game this Sunday. 2021 marks the 34th time in the last 36 years the Bears will watch from home and seeing as though we’ll all be comfortable on our own couches this year we should at least do so with some of the best food and drink the city has to offer. We’ve rounded up some of Chicago’s finest food and drink takeout deals for you to indulge in for the Super Bowl this Sunday. Whether it be burgers and beer or something a bit fancier, this list has you covered.

Boxcar Betty’s

500 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60661

The new fried chicken in town

This beloved Charleston transplant just opened in the Bucktown neighborhood and is offering you a chance to impress your friends and family with the best new fried chicken sandwiches in town. For the big game, opt for a spread of sandwiches from the signature Boxcar (Pimiento Cheese, Peach Slaw, House Pickles, Spicy Mayo), classic Betty (Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo, Pickles), Chicken “Not So Waffle” (Bacon Jam, Maple Syrup, Pimiento Cheese, Tomato) or Buffalo. The kids meals feature chicken nuggets, and sides include fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato fries and more. Order for pick-up or delivery at Boxcar Betty’s website.

Firelake

221 N Columbus Dr, Chicago, IL 60601

Outdoor Super Bowl Specials

Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday with Specials at FireLake in the heart of Chicago’s downtown. Equipped with a heated patio for outdoor diners, the acclaimed American grill concept will be offering $5 Draft Beer, $1 Smoked Hickory Chicken Wings, $8 Loaded Nachos, and $7 Chef’s Blue Ribbon Texas Chili from 5pm – 10pm. For those who want to fuel up before the big game, FireLake will be open for brunch from 8am – 2pm, as well as lunch and dinner from 2pm – 10pm. Reservations can be made through OpenTable.

Gemini

2075 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

Sliders & Specials

Gemini in Lincoln Park is serving up the ultimate special dishes for this year’s Super Bowl Sunday. Guests can purchase Ernie’s Special Recipe Onion Dip served with veggies, Cheeseburger and Pulled Pork Sliders, and Chips served with Salsa and Guacamole from Old Pueblo Cantina. Available for pick-up or delivery from 4-8pm February 7.

Nonnina

340 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Heat & Eat Italian

Nonnina’s Heat & Eat meals are perfect for the Super Bowl. With serving sizes that feed up to six people, guests can choose from a variety of dishes including Meatballs, Antipasto Plate, Lasagna, Cavatelli, Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Vesuvio, Salmon, and more. Place your order two days prior to your desired pick-up date by calling 312-822-0077. Menu available here.

The Smith

400 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

Super Bowl For Two at Home

The popular River North American brasserie is offering a special Super Bowl package for two, ready to heat & eat right before the game and available for pick-up on Feb. 5 or 6. For $65, the package includes all of the following: Toasted Sesame Hummus with veggies; Potato Chips and blue cheese fondue; Caesar Salad; Spicy Salmon Tartare; 10 Spiced Chicken Wings; Margherita Flatbread; Mini Burger Kit — cook your own four mini burgers with short rib brisket blend patties, bacon shallot jam, American cheese, house pickles, TSB sauce and potato buns; and Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert. Ordering and all details on The Smith’s website.

Smyth + The Loyalist

177 N Ada St #101, Chicago, IL 60607

Two Michelin-starred BBQ packages

Chef John Shields launched a new takeout pop-up offering this winter — Johnny Good Times’ Smoked Meats — offering his two Michelin-starred culinary take on BBQ. For the Super Bowl, go for the BBQ package with smoked brisket, a full rack of ribs, potato salad, pickles, cookies, banana pudding and more. Preorder on TOCK for pick-up here.

Sophia Steak

1146 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette, IL 60091

Super Bowl Sunday Fried Chicken Special

Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday with Sophia Steak’s Fried Chicken for four. Priced at $80.00, guests will receive both white and dark meat, four cornbread muffins, coleslaw, and housemade hot sauce. Guests can also purchase an order of 6 Short Rib Sliders or Pulled Pork Sliders for $24.00. Also available for purchase is Sophia Steak’s Shrimp Cocktail served with Florida Mustard and Cocktail Sauce which comes with 12 shrimp for $36.00.

Urbanbelly

1542 N Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60622

Dumplings and bowls and… pizza?

Chef Bill Kim’s fast casual mainstay in Wicker Park is the perfect alternative game day food: dumplings and urbanbowls. New dumpling flavors include the Spicy Pork Dumpling and Korean Beef BBQ Dumpling, and order your favorite protein on the urban bowls, from tofu and pea shoots to lemongrass chicken to “Phat Style.” Available for delivery and takeout on Caviar, DoorDash and Ritual. Additionally, Chef Bill Kim’s Pizza & Parm Shop is launching in early February — Detroit-style pizza lovers, this is your chance to get Kim’s craveable Asian flavors combined with the iconic square shape and caramelized cheese crust. Available for pick-up at Urbanbelly or delivery via DoorDash; more details to come.

Featured Image Credit: The Smith on Instagram

The post Chicago Bars and Restaurants Doing Takeout Deals for Super Bowl LV appeared first on UrbanMatter.

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With federal aid to venues only now arriving, how are tour managers, stagehands, bookers, and their colleagues in the concert business making ends meet?

Before the shutdown of live music this past March, if you’d asked tour manager Kat Lewis what she expected to be doing in February 2021, she would’ve been able to describe her workdays right down to the bands she’d be having wake-up coffee with.…Read More

Links to all the schools in Illinois that stream basketball games for free.

Many schools livestream games on the NFHS Network, which often charges fans to watch. However, several local schools stream games on their own that are free to watch. Some schools do all the games, some just home games and some select games.

If your school streams games, please send a link to the channel or home page to [email protected]. Here’s a list of all the schools that have submitted links so far. Click on the school name to go to the livestream home page.

• Brother Rice
• Buffalo Grove
• DePaul Prep
• Lake View
• Lane (audio only)
• Lincoln
• Loyola
• New Trier
• Niles Notre Dame
• Peoria Notre Dame
• Seneca
• Stevenson
• Vernon Hills
• York

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A former Northwestern cheerleader alleges she was forced to parade around like a Victoria’s Secret model. Her story of harassment is not a bit surprising.

A former Northwestern University cheerleader shined a bright light on a dark side of college athletics last week in a bombshell lawsuit.

Hayden Richardson alleges that Northwestern has paraded cheerleaders around like Victoria’s Secret models on a runway at events, including football tailgate parties, and forced them to “mingle” with drunk fans.

Why?

For money, of course.

One of the biggest conversations in college sports at the moment is about the exploitation of student-athletes, especially those who play big revenue sports such as football and men’s basketball.

But what about cheerleaders?

Northwestern, Richardson alleges, hoped that by presenting its cheerleaders as “sex objects” fans and alumni would dig deep into their pockets and fork up some serious cash.

Richardson states that she was groped, assaulted and subjected to “incessant sexual comments.” In some instances, she says, fans placed their hands on her buttocks and breasts while taking pictures.

Richardson says she felt “trapped,” as many women do when they find themselves in these uncomfortable situations. She worried that if she did not comply she would be booted from the team, lose her scholarship and be forced to pay the expenses she incurred while on the team.

And when she did come forward, Richardson alleges, Northwestern’s athletics department mishandled her complaints.

In a statement, Northwestern says that it has reviewed Richardson’s complaint and denies it violated any law, including Title IX, the civil rights law that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs.

As a former cheerleader, I found Richardson’s story disturbing but not surprising.

I cheered for four years in high school, which included two years of competitive cheerleading, and three years at Loyola University of Chicago. And let me tell you, even a trip to the bathroom during halftime at games was fraught with awkwardness or harassment from fans.

Sometimes, it was a not-so-subtle brush from behind. Other times, it was much more blatant, with men stopping us to make unsolicited creepy comments about our looks or flexibility.

It wasn’t all bad. At Loyola, we rarely ever were put in a position, like those Richardson describes, where we were separated from teammates. We were a tight-knit squad and had a buddy system of sorts whenever we had to represent Loyola at university-sanctioned events. Our coach also wouldn’t tolerate that type of treatment toward us.

But I know other women for whom Richardson’s story resonates completely. I’ve heard the stories about incidents at obligatory pre-game routines, which sometimes include walking into tailgate parties and big-donor suites and interacting with fans no matter how harassing or belligerent they might be.

Cheerleaders have been sexualized since the dawn of time. But what people need to understand is that these women aren’t just sideline eye candy for fans to hoot-n-holler at. They’re talented athletes who spend hundreds of hours in the gym working on powerful tumbling and gravity-defying stunts to earn their spot on the court and field.

Cheerleading is hard work. It takes as much dedication and determination to make it at the college level as in basketball, football or any other sport. It’s a wholly legitimate sport that deserves a respected place in college athletics, but that won’t happen until boys and men look in the mirror and learn how to properly respect women.

This issue goes beyond the treatment of cheerleaders. Gender-based harassment in the workplace is everywhere. There is a constant drumbeat of news reports.

Just this week, on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Angels suspended pitching coach Mickey Callaway after he was accused of sexual misconduct by five women who worked in sports media. Two weeks ago, the New York Mets fired their general manager, Jared Porter, after it was revealed that he’d sent inappropriate text messages to a female reporter in 2016 when he was working for the Chicago Cubs.

The details the women shared in their damning reports were troubling but not surprising. In fact, they’re relatable to most women — regardless of the industry they work in.

Because here’s the thing about gender-based harassment: It’s as widespread as the coronavirus was at the peak of the pandemic.

Your mothers, your daughters, your sisters and friends — and quite likely yourself, if you are a woman — all have had to deal with some form of sexual harassment over the years. It’s the sad but honest reality.

It happens in the office, at bars and parks, and in hallways at schools.

Even in a nice town like Evanston at a fancy big-time school of Northwestern.

Madeline Kenney is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times who covers news and sports. Her primary beat is the WNBA/Chicago Sky.

Send letters to [email protected].

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