What’s New

Nick Saban — what a bum.

Believe it or not, that’s what some really nutty Alabama fans were saying in 2007 — Saban’s first season at the school — when the Crimson Tide lost not once, not twice but six times. Everybody who was anybody beat the Tide that year, including Georgia. Was Saban the same guy who’d won a national title at LSU? Or was he the fish out of water who’d flopped in the NFL with the Dolphins?

It’s kind of funny to think back on it.

Oh, and Georgia hasn’t beaten the Tide since. To be clear: 0-7. To be clearer: 0-8 after Monday’s college football championship game in Indianapolis.

Why pick Alabama? It’s not just that Saban and the Tide are working on their seventh national title (Saban’s eighth) together. It’s not just that Saban is 25-1 against members of his coaching tree and 4-0 against the Bulldogs’ Kirby Smart. It’s not just that Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young, world-class pass rusher Will Anderson and so many other great players roll with the Tide. And it’s not just that Alabama already beat Georgia — by 17 — for the SEC championship.

There’s no “just” when it comes to the Tide. It’s all those things above and more, all the time.

Sure, beating them can be done. Clemson has pulled it off twice on the playoff stage. Texas A&M — led by former Saban assistant Jimbo Fisher — did it in October. The Bulldogs are talented enough to beat anybody and still ticked off about what went down in Atlanta.

Easy? No. But the bum does it again, 31-27.

And here’s what’s happening:

SUN 9

Bears at Vikings (noon, Fox-32)

What’s at stake? Merely everything. OK, fine, nothing. But you know what, Matt Nagy? Feel free to go out with a bang anyway.

49ers at Rams (3:25 p.m., Fox-32)

The Niners can win their way into the playoffs (though a Saints loss or tie would also get them there). The Rams can lock up the NFC West title. And Matthew Stafford can say, “I still can’t believe I got the hell out of Detroit.”

Panthers at Buccaneers (3:25 p.m., Ch. 2)

With a monster game, might Tom Brady have a chance to steal the MVP award from Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers? Either way, take the under on receiving yards by Antonio Brown.

Bulls at Mavericks (6:30 p.m., NBCSCH)

Will banged-up star Luka Doncic play? Easier for the Bulls to notch a 10th straight win if he doesn’t, but definitely more fun to see the guy out there doing his thing.

Chargers at Raiders (7:20 p.m., Ch. 5, Peacock)

It’s win-and-you’re-in — for each team — in the final game of the NFL regular season. Can’t draw it up any better than that, can you?

MON 10

Alabama vs. Georgia (7 p.m., ESPN)

Don’t believe those SEC braggarts who say the Tide’s and Dogs’ second-stringers could make it to the playoff. They might be able to win the Big Ten West, though, if we’re being completely honest.

TUE 11

CBB: Illinois at Nebraska (7:30 p.m., BTN)

The Illini (Ayo who?) are off to a 4-0 start in Big Ten play for the first time in 12 seasons. Oh, relax, we were just kidding with the Ayo thing.

CBB: Valparaiso at Loyola (8 p.m., CBSSN)

Princeton alum Ryan Schwieger could be out conquering the world. Instead, the graduate transfer is leading the Ramblers in scoring. Some guys just have it all.

WED 12

Nets at Bulls (9 p.m., ESPN)

The Nets might not be ready to admit it, but this has the makings of a heck of a rivalry. We should probably start making a list of all the things we dislike about New Jersey.

THU 13

WBB: Northwestern at Illinois (7 p.m., BTN)

Seniors Veronica Burton and Courtney Shaw have the Wildcats rolling. They go for a 14th straight “W” — whoa, that’s a lot — in this head-to-head series.

Canadiens at Blackhawks (7:30 p.m., NBCSCH)

You can throw out the records when these teams play. For real, though, please throw out the records.

FRI 14

Warriors at Bulls (6:30 p.m., ESPN, NBCSCH)

Now this is entertainment with a capital “E.” Especially if the Bulls don’t let Steph Curry and Co. hand them another capital “L” like that 26-point blowout in November.

CBB: Michigan at Illinois (8 p.m., FS1)

The Wolverines have fallen so short of expectations thus far, you almost have to feel bad for them. But seriously, folks.

SAT 15

Man City vs. Chelsea (6:30 a.m., Peacock)

The second-place Blues absolutely must have this one if they’re going to have any chance of catching top-of-the-table City. At least that’s what our soccer-mad friend in the hipster scarf tells us.

NFL wild-card games (3:35 p.m., 7:15 p.m., TBD)

We can’t tell you who will be playing, where the games will be or what networks they’ll be on. Other than that, we’ve got you covered.

Read More

Email
print

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James just entered another all-time top-10 in the NBA, passing Alvin Robertson for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time steals list after notching four steals against the Atlanta Hawks.

1dBrian Windhorst

20hBrianna Williams

1dZach Lowe

2 Related

When it comes to defense, James knows a thing or two about stopping his opponents. Along with being in the top-10 in steals, he’s a five-time NBA All-Defensive first-teamer and has made some incredible chase-down blocks in his career. He currently averages 1.7 steals per game this season.

James is tenth on the list, but how far is he away from No. 1? If he hopes to catch the top player, the 37-year-old forward might have to pick up the pace.

Here’s an updated list of the top-10 NBA players in steals:

Steals: 3,265

The Utah Jazz teams of the 1990s were led by the dynamic duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Stockton, the 6-foot-1 point guard, knew how to take the ball away from the opposition.

His 3,265 steals are the most in league history by a wide margin — over 500 more than the next player on this list. In addition, he was the league’s steals champion in 1988-89 averaging 3.2 per game, one of seven players to average more than three steals in a season, per StatMuse. Stockton ranked No.1 in steals again in 1991-92 and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive second-team five times in his career.

Steals: 2,684

He’s roaming the sidelines as the Dallas Mavericks head coach nowadays, but Kidd was looking for steals on the hardwood when he played from 1994-2013. He was especially skilled early in his career, where he averaged two or more steals a game from 1995-2003. Kidd was a four-time All-Defensive first-team selection and averaged 1.9 steals per game during his career.

BRIAN BAHR/AFP via Getty Images

Steals: 2,514

Many recognized Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan for his sensational scoring ability, as he ranks fifth all-time in points scored. But he was equally great on the defensive end.

He led the league in steals three times (1987-88, ’89-90 and ’92-93) and won the Defensive Player of the Year in 1988. He was a nine-time first-team All-Defensive selection in his 15-year NBA career, tied with Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Kevin Garnett for the most in league history.

Steals: 2,445

Nicknamed “The Glove,” Payton was exceptional at plucking the ball away from his foes — and talking trash to them. He led the league in steals during the 1995-96 season, which helped him secure Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was selected to the All-Defensive team nine times, all first-team. Payton entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

(Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)

Steals: 2,402 and counting

Chris Paul is still playing in the NBA, adding to his 2,402 career steals. He averages 1.9 steals per game this season for the Suns, his most since 2018-19. The 36-year-old guard has led the league in steals six times, four of those spanning from 2011-2014. He’s also a nine-time All-Defensive selection — seven on the first team.

Steals: 2,310

Class of 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Cheeks never led the league in steals during his NBA career, but he’s still regarded as an elite defender. He averaged 2.1 steals per game for his career and averaged two or more in his first ten seasons.

Get access to exclusive original series, premium articles from our NBA insiders, the full 30 for 30 library and more. Sign up now to unlock everything ESPN+ has to offer.

Steals: 2,307

Scottie Pippen was one of the best defenders of his era and the first forward to appear on the all-time steals list. The six-time champion averaged 2.9 steals a game in 1994-95, helping him secure the league’s steals title. In 17 seasons, he made the NBA’s All-Defensive team 10 times, eight as a first-team selection.

Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images

Steals: 2,207

Clyde Drexler’s consistency on the defensive end helped him average two steals a game for his career. Although he’s top-10 all-time in steals, he does not have an All-Defensive selection, a unique distinction from the other players on this list. After playing 16 seasons, Drexler was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

Steals: 2,162

Although his post moves were smooth, Hall of Fame big man Hakeem Olajuwon was a force on defense. He won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year Awards from 1993-95, the same years he won his championships with the Houston Rockets. Olajuwon made the All-Defensive first team five times and is the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks. In addition, he’s the only center to rank in the top 10 all-time for blocks and steals.

Steals: 2,113 and counting

James is the newest addition to the top-10 and joins his friend Paul as the only active players to rank in the top-10. The Lakers forward could ascend higher on this list as the season progresses. He’s within striking distance of Olajuwon and Drexler and could pass them before the year ends. However, he has a long way to go if he wants to catch Stockton at No. 1.

Read More

Email
print

The Memphis Grizzlies placed coach Taylor Jenkins in the NBA’s health and safety protocols Saturday, according to the team.

Nearly half the league’s head coaches have now entered the protocols at some point this season, with Jenkins becoming the 14th.

The Grizzlies play at the LA Clippers on Saturday afternoon, with Memphis assistant Brad Jones serving as the team’s interim coach.

Memphis also placed center Steven Adams in the health and safety protocols. Adams had been the only Grizzlies player to appear in the team’s first 40 games this season and entered the day as one of only 17 players around the NBA to not miss a game in the 2021-22 campaign.

Ja Morant also was ruled out of Saturday’s game with a thigh injury.

“Yes, we have to plan when we find out that so-and-so’s got COVID or so-and-so’s got an injury,” Jones said. “Who’s the next man up, blah blah blah. … It’s a challenging time, obviously.”

Jenkins’ addition comes one day after Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd entered the protocols. Kidd tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday night.

Jenkins was fully involved in Saturday’s game plan, Jones said, noting they spoke several times that morning alone.

“Hopefully, other than a different-looking, uglier guy, older guy on the sidelines, you guys won’t notice any difference with what’s going on out there,” Jones said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read More

Hey, hey. Want us to let you in on a secret? If you’re feeling down, go check out Luft Balloon! They’re here to take care of you with colorful, dynamic balloon designs that boast personality, happiness, and positivity — what we need the most in today’s world.

Established during the pandemic, Luft Balloon, an 100% female-owned business, has quickly become the well-known business of Joy among many Chicago residents and businesses alike. Now officially B-Corp certified, owner Elaine and her amazingly talented team cannot wait to change more lives with their vibrant and joyful balloon designs. Combining ballons with activism, Luft Balloon is also at the forefront of many important causes, including Black Lives Matter, supporting small businesses, and mental health awareness.

The Beginning of Everything

It’s not every day someone thinks about starting a balloon business. So what got Elaine, the founder of Luft Balloon, into this world, and why did it become her passion? Well, turned out it wasn’t that hard to navigate the balloon design world, after all, because Elaine came from a landscaping background.

While we cannot begin fathoming building domes and trees with balloons, Elaine pointed out that the design and creation process was actually not as different as we’d think from landscaping. Basically, it still goes back to building structures, whether its the big Christmas balloon pop-up, or the smaller balloon bursts.

As of why she chose balloon as her current medium, Elaine shared with us how the business idea came into place.

“It’s always been about bringing joy to our communities,” said Elaine as she talked about her very first balloon burst — an impulsive creation when she was stuck in her house when the pandemic first started. All she needed was some sort of an outlet, so she decided to build a balloon burst outside of her house, and immediately saw how much joy it brought to her neighbors.

Her neighbors would come to ask if they could get a balloon burst as well, and that was the very beginning of Luft Balloon.

Have you seen colorful balloon bursts outside some small businesses last year? That’s good work from Luft Balloon! Every year, Luft Balloon chooses a cause to contribute to, following their slogan of “encouraging dialogue with balloons.” And for 2021, they chose to support small businesses considering how much negative impact the pandemic has caused.

The idea is simple. Who wouldn’t be drawn to a bunch of colorful balloons? And when you look at the balloons, you’ll see the business they’re featuring. Wouldn’t you want to walk in just to see what’s going on? Even if you don’t, wouldn’t you at least remember that business? For example, the next time you see that brand name, you might go: “Oh wait, I remember them! That’s the place with those awesome balloons!”

Meanwhile, you can also shop advocacy balloons for BLM, mental health awareness & suicide prevention, and peace advocacy balloons and bursts at Luft for free. More message ballons will be added in the future, too.

Did we get your interest up in Luft Balloons? I mean… Come on. It’s cute, colorful balloons we’re talking about. Who doesn’t smile at a bunch of balloons? So, whether you’re looking for something to make your return-to-office this year brighter, or planning a surprise birthday present, or looking to decorate an event venue, add balloons to your list of options.

In the future, Elaine, the owner of Luft, is also planning on developing a collaborative program involving local artists and businesses.  They also do pop-ups and seasonal balloon designs for different holidays. Therefore, better stay tuned to their Facebook and Instagram for more updates!

Featured Image Credit: UrbanMatter Chicago

Read More

Email
print

The Memphis Grizzlies placed coach Taylor Jenkins in the NBA’s health and safety protocols Saturday, according to the team.

Nearly half the league’s head coaches have now entered the protocols at some point this season, with Jenkins becoming the 14th to do so.

The Grizzlies play at the LA Clippers on Saturday afternoon.

Jenkins’ addition comes one day after Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd entered the protocols. Kidd tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday night.

Read More

Ayo Dosunmu has proven to be a quick learner throughout his rookie campaign.

As far as Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal was concerned, maybe too quick.

After getting called for two traveling violations during Friday’s eventual 130-122 Bulls win, Dosunmu said that Beal offered up some on-the-court advice to him.

“After the travel, the play before I scored, [Beal] was like ‘Just go deliberately. Deliberately go one way and then just get into your shot. Don’t think about it, just take it and drive and get to your spot,’ ” Dosunmu said. “The next play I did it on him.”

That’s why the base line jumper by Dosunmu left Beal shaking his head.

“[Beal] was like, ‘I didn’t say do it on me, I just said do it in the future,’ ” Dosunmu said.

Not bad, Rook.

“He was traveling, he got called for two travels in the corner because he was very indecisive,” Beal told the Washington reporters. “As a young player, you’ve got to kind of know what you’re about to do before you receive the ball. I looked at Coach [Billy] Donovan and he was telling him to just catch and go. And it’s funny, I told him the same thing. I was like, ‘You just gotta catch and rip, don’t shuffle your feet. You catch and shoot or you catch and go.’ ”

Dosunmu definitely went, as the basket was just two of the 18 points the former Morgan Park High School standout had in the win.

It impressed Beal, and left an impression on Dosunmu.

“That probably was my first time [an opposing] vet has done that,” Dosunmu said. “But it just shows what kind of player and person he is, also. He saw something that could have been corrected, and he saw something in me that he could help me correct, and he gave me advice.

“I think that’s just cool of him, and I appreciate that because him being one of the best scorers in this league, getting advice from him, that’s how the trend continues.”

Not the only trend that Dosunmu has been riding.

Over the last three basketball seasons for the combo guard, he really doesn’t understand anything but playing winning basketball.

Dosunmu went 21-10 for the Illini two seasons ago, and led them to a 24-7 mark last season. Then he was drafted by the Bulls in the second round, and all the hometown kid has done is made good, with the Bulls atop the Eastern Conference at 26-10.

That’s 71-27 (.724 winning percentage) his last three years of basketball.

Crazy, especially for the few Bulls players that have been a part of this organization and seen what a dumpster fire it resembled far too often.

Not that there’s many of those holdovers left, with Zach LaVine obviously the key witness to the most failure that’s taken place, followed by Coby White and Patrick Williams.

That’s it.

White, who was drafted No. 7 overall back in 2019, saw the Bulls go 22-43 in his rookie campaign, and then last season finish a disappointing 31-41 with a team that had playoff aspirations.

And while White expected this latest version of the Bulls to be a playoff contender back in training camp, he admittedly didn’t see a .722 winning percentage coming.

“I ain’t gonna lie and sit here and be like [I knew] at the beginning of the year we’d be number one in the East,” White said. “I knew we’d be really good from training camp. We’ve got a team filled with winning players and hungry players that want to win.

“My first two years were different from this. It’s been fun to win again and like I always say, we’re just a bunch of guys who love to hoop, and love each other on and off the court; so we get it done.”

Read More

Please send scores and corrections to preps @suntimes.com.

Saturday, January 8, 2022

BLUE WEST

Manley at Juarez, 1:00

CHICAGO CATHOLIC CROSSOVER

Leo at De La Salle, 5:00

DUKANE

Geneva at Wheaton North, 7:15

Glenbard North at St. Charles North, 7:15

St. Charles East at Batavia, 7:30

Wheaton-Warrenville South at Lake Park, 7:15

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grayslake Central at Antioch, 1:00

North Chicago at Grayslake North, ppd.

Round Lake at Grant, 3:30

Wauconda at Lakes, 2:30

NONCONFERENCE

Addison Trail at Maine West, 5:30

Amundsen at Mather, 12:00

Ashton-Franklin Center at Serena, 4:30

Christian Life at Elgin Academy, 12:00

Clemente at Fenwick, 7:00

Comer at Prosser, 6:00

DRW Prep at Providence-St. Mel, 12:30

Gardner-South Wilmington at Dwight, 7:00

Grant Park at Wilmington, 6:30

Herscher at Iroquois West, 7:00

Hononegah at Fremd, ppd.

Hope Academy at Kenosha Tremper, Wis., 1:00

IC Catholic at Lisle, 6:45

Maine South at Lockport, 5:30

Marian Central at Christ the King, 2:30

Marmion at Newark, 3:00

Metea Valley at Conant, 6:00

Naperville North at Marist, 5:00

Nazareth at Riverside-Brookfield, 4:00

New Trier at Hinsdale South, 6:00

North Boone at Woodstock, 7:15

Payton at Latin, 1:00

Peotone at Wheaton Academy, 6:00

Plainfield East at Lincoln-Way East, 1:30

Plano at Aurora Central, 12:00

Pontiac at Joliet Catholic, 2:30

Proviso East at Lake Forest Academy, 3:00

Rochelle at Mendota, 3:00

Rockford Boylan at Jacobs, 1:00

Rolling Meadows at Deerfield, 6:00

Sandwich at Yorkville, 6:00

Schurz at Hoffman Estates, 6:00

St. Edward at Aurora Christian, 7:30

St. Francis de Sales at Bishop McNamara, 4:30

St. Viator at Morgan Park, 2:00

Stillman Valley at Indian Creek, 6:00

Taft at Evanston, 4:00

Timothy Christian at Illiana Christian, Ind., 7:00

Vocational at Hyde Park, 1:30

West Aurora at East Aurora, 4:30

Westmont at Chicago Christian, 7:00

York at Sandburg, 12:30

Young at Totino-Grace, Minn., 7:00

CLINTON

Seneca vs. Rochester, 12:00

Ridgewood vs. Mt. Zion, 1:30

DEPAUL PREP

Loyola vs. St. Patrick, 12:30

St. Ignatius vs. Bolingbrook, 2:00

DePaul Prep vs. Homewood-Flossmoor, 3:45

Benet vs. Glenbard West, 5:30

DOWNERS GROVE NORTH

Hinsdale Central vs. South Elgin, 3:00

Downers Grove North vs. Oswego East, 4:30

HIGHLAND

Yorkville Christian vs. St. Louis Chaminade, Mo., 3:00

St. Rita vs. Peoria Notre Dame, 4:45

Kenwood vs. St. Louis Christian Brothers, Mo., 8:00

LAKE ZURICH

Buffalo Grove at Glenbrook North, 3:30

Lindblom at Palatine, 4:30

Lake Zurich at Willowbrook, 6:00

PADUCAH, KY.

Curie vs. Murray, Ky., 10:30

ROCK FALLS

Reed-Custer vs. Mercer County, 12:00

ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN

Kankakee vs. Mahomet-Seymour, 2:00

Manteno vs. Monticello, 5:00

Oak Lawn vs. Normal, 6:30

Read More

Mercifully, the Matt Nagy era should come to an end shortly after the Bears’ season finale Sunday at the Vikings.

For Bears fans frustrated by an offense that was almost as torturous as Nagy’s weekly explanations for it, the expected firing won’t come a moment too soon. The same could be said for Nagy, whose franchise has, for the last seven weeks, allowed him to fend for himself in the court of public opinion.

The Bears, as a matter of organizational principle, do not fire head coaches in the middle of a season, nor do they let any of Nagy’s bosses speak on the record during the season. That left Nagy to deny bogus reports of his own firing twice.

It felt unnecessarily cruel, especially for a man who, despite his on-field shortcomings, has handled himself with grace at almost every turn in the last four seasons.

Does Nagy deserve to be fired? Yes. Did he deserve to be forced to march alone while being flogged publicly for the last seven weeks? No.

Marc Trestman lost the respect of his players in less than a season and a half. John Fox was aloof during his three seasons. Nagy has been neither, keeping his players engaged enough to avoid soap-opera drama that plagued the end of the other two regimes.

Make no mistake: Nagy was a far better Bears coach than either man. Yet he likely will meet the same fate they did: coaching the season finale in Minneapolis, only to fly home and be fired.

Since George Halas coached his last game in 1967, only two Bears coaches have a better winning percentage than Nagy’s .531: Mike Ditka (.631) and Lovie Smith (.563). In fact, Nagy could go 0-17 next season and still finish with a better winning percentage than Dave Wannstedt had with the Bears.

He won’t get the chance, of course. The reasons go far beyond Cody Parkey’s ”double-doinked” kick that would have given the 12-4 Bears a first-round playoff victory in January 2019. Nagy fixed the kicker position and has gone four games under .500 since.

Hired to develop second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky and retained to do the same for rookie first-round pick Justin Fields, Nagy was instead the architect of an offense that, in the last three seasons, has failed to finish above the bottom seven in the NFL. Trubisky made the Pro Bowl as an injury alternate in 2018 but never developed further.

The Bears’ running game wasn’t much better. After calling only seven running plays in a loss to the Saints in 2019, Nagy declared, ”I’m not an idiot,” and said the Bears needed to run more. In 2020, he fired himself as play-caller in the middle of the season. This season, he did it again.

Nagy never could steer the Bears out of a skid. They lost four games in a row in 2019, six in a row in 2021 and five in a row this season.

He juggled coaches, too, going through two offensive coordinators and three defensive coordinators in four seasons. Only two members of Nagy’s first staff are in the same role four years later: special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor and receivers coach Mike Furrey.

Nagy struggled despite being given resources that would have rendered earlier coaches speechless. In 2019, the Bears reopened a renovated Halas Hall after a $100 million makeover. In 2018, eight days before Nagy’s regular-season debut, general manager Ryan Pace traded two first-round draft picks as part of a package to land outside linebacker Khalil Mack. The Bears then signed Mack to a six-year, $141 million contract that was the richest ever given to a defensive player.

All of that money — and all of that investment in quarterbacks — yielded one winning season and two playoff losses in four seasons. As Nagy prepares to take to the sideline for what likely will be the last time Sunday, he won’t have a chance to change, either.

Read More

Look up at the clock on the wall. Or look down at your watch. Fine, just look at your phone. With each passing second — tick, tick — do you know what we’re getting closer to?

That’s right, death.

The death of the four-team College Football Playoff, that is. Come on, did you really think I was being that dark?

This weekend in Indianapolis, the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick — otherwise known as the CFP management committee — will gather in an attempt to make progress toward expansion. If all goes well, university presidents and chancellors will be looped in before the Alabama-Georgia championship game Monday and maybe, just maybe, there will be some big news spinning out of the climactic event of the season.

For the record, I’m using “progress” and “well” very loosely.

The likeliest outcome: a 12-team playoff model that would feature the top six conference champions, according to the CFP rankings, and the six highest-ranked other teams. To this point, the clearest, most consistent talk has been about the four highest-ranked conference champs receiving first-round byes and all playoff games continuing to be hosted by existing bowls.

And when might a bigger, not-necessarily-better playoff take hold? It’s hard to pinpoint, but you can bet it will be well before the end of the CFP’s current, exclusive contract with ESPN. That runs through the 2025 season — at almost a half-billion dollars per year — but nothing is going to stop either side from upping the ante. ESPN already airs all the New Year’s Six bowls and so many others that it’s really little more than a matter of moving some puzzle pieces around.

So, yes, out with the “old” model, which, frankly, has been a competitive failure, and in with a new one that potentially adds eight more teams that have utterly zero chance of winning the title. It’s understandable if college fans don’t wish to share such a fatalistic outlook, but, hey, welcome to reality. So far, 12 out of 16 playoff semifinals have been decided by a minimum of 17 points. Four of seven title games have been, too. And many of the 16 lopsided games have been biblical beatdowns, about as enthralling as the typical Aaron Rodgers mismatch against the Bears.

Yep, exciting stuff. So exciting that I might be forced to light my own heels on fire just to stay awake and finish this column.

So, we come down to Alabama-Georgia again. Where have we seen this before? On the first Saturday of December, when the Crimson Tide beat the then-No. 1 Bulldogs. Why do we need to see it again? Because nobody else in the country has any business being on the field with either of these teams. Clearly, that would be no less true if the playoff field were expanded to eight teams or 12 or 16 or more.

“If this is the best four teams and they played each other, I don’t see the logic in [saying] if we had more teams, there would be better games,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said in a news conference in Indy. “I don’t know how that adds up.”

That’s because it doesn’t. All that adds up instead is the national focus on the playoff, which already has gotten out of control, thanks mainly to ESPN’s single-issue coverage of college football. The more teams in the playoff, the less anything else matters. Certainly not the non-playoff bowl games. And, far less than before, the rivalry-fueled “showdown Saturdays” that always have made the college game’s regular season uniquely compelling.

There’s something strange about the way this season is ending, meanwhile. With a repeat of a matchup we just saw. With bowls season — outside the four playoff teams — having been defined as much by who wasn’t playing as who was. The transfer portal is more clogged than ever. Show me an NFL mock draft, and I’ll show you a long list of college stars who blew off their bowl games to begin preparing for the next chapters of their football lives. And why not do just that? Why play in a completely watered-down non-playoff exhibition and put one’s professional career at risk?

ESPN analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard threw a wet blanket over the season the other day when the former complained that college players don’t “love football” anymore and the latter whined that they have a “sense of entitlement.” Sorry, fellas, but that’s not it. Those in power in college football are stopping at nothing to send revenues into orbit. Players would be foolish not to look out for No. 1, whatever that means to them on an individual basis.

Maybe one good thing will be that more playoff teams will mean more teams competing in the postseason at full strength or close to it. Alabama and Georgia are loaded to the gills with NFL talent, but their guys are still in the fight.

“War daddies,” Saban calls his best ones.

That’s about as unromantic as it gets. The love of the game? Please. College football is all about the national championship — and more so than ever. Late Monday night, only one team will be left standing. Apparently, it’s incumbent upon the rest of us to be so cynical that we don’t give a damn about anybody or anything else.

Read More

Confusing rules on how proof-of-vaccination mandates would affect skaters at ice rinks in the city and suburbs have left some hockey players, and their parents, scratching their heads.

Similar, but not identical, mandates took effect Jan. 3 for gymnasiums and bars and restaurants that require proof of vaccination for patrons five and older.

The city’s mandate was announced Dec. 21. Cook County followed suit two days later.

Over the holiday break, parents quickly started calling and emailing local officials to see whether youth skaters would really need to show proof of vaccination to play hockey — as is the case to work out in a gym.

Clarifications were issued.

The county announced it would not require skaters 18 and younger to show proof of vaccination. And spectators would not need to show proof of vaccination, provided that no food or drink is being served at the rink and patrons remain masked at all times.

The city, though, said an indoor ice rink falls under the mandate governing gyms and fitness venues and is therefore still subject to the mandate.

“Standard open ice time and recreational leagues (whether youth or adult) would require vaccination check,” Elisa Sledzinska, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, said in an email to the Sun-Times this week.

The email made an exception, however, for programming at a rink that is “organized or sponsored by an after school program, daycare, school, or the Park District.” Youth playing at private rinks in privately-run leagues are not exempt.

At rinks around the city, a patchwork of rules and enforcement has followed as the mandate rolled out this week.

At McFetridge Sports Center on the North Side, one of two indoor rinks run by the Chicago Park District, vaccination cards were being checked Friday at the door for an open skate. Though masks were required on the ice, only one skater out of about a dozen could be seen wearing one.

“Next week it might be different; it seems like it’s constantly shifting,” said parent and player Tom Crozier, 51, whose eight-year-old son who plays for a park district team called the River Dogs.

Still, he is happy the rinks remain open. “I’m just glad we can play hockey,” he said, referring to the shutdowns last year when the sport was on hiatus due to the pandemic. While the closures applied to all fitness centers at the time, hockey teams across the country have seen a series of COVID outbreaks and at least one study found an increased risk of transmission on indoor rinks.

Even rink operators appear confused by the latest rules, however. According to a person with knowledge of rink operations at McFetridge, youth hockey teams unaffiliated with the park district would also not have to adhere to the vaccine mandate, although it was not immediately clear whether that was in accordance with the city’s policy.

Likewise, Fifth Third Arena, which has two indoor, public rinks at its facility near the United Center, notified some hockey team captains late last month that while it would be cutting off food and drink service, it would not require proof of vaccination for anyone involved in its youth or adult programs. The notification did say the ice arena would be taking a “firm stance” on requiring masks for everyone, including skaters on the ice.

However, a notice on the arena’s website now says “all on-ice participants 18 years of age and older must show proof of vaccination and photo ID.”

Spokespeople for the rink, which is owned by the Chicago Blackhawks, did not respond to requests for comment.

Johnny’s Ice House — a privately run rink that has two locations west of downtown — is following the city’s mandate and requiring proof of vaccination, according to a notification to patrons.

Bret Hartung, assistant coach for the Stallions, a Chicago youth hockey team that’s not affiliated with the park district, said it’s confusing trying to stay abreast of the rules but said everyone seems to be doing their best.

“We’re trying to follow the rules as we realize what they are to each rink we visit,” said Hartund, whose team regularly plays at park district and private facilities in the city and suburbs.

A sign at McFetridge Sports Complex.Brian Rich/Sun-TimesRead More