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High school football: Aidan Gray showcases his running game in Naperville North’s win against Naperville Central

It isn’t a particularly strong year in the area for quarterbacks. There are several solid high school players but almost a complete lack of top college prospects in the senior class.

That makes Aidan Gray a unique weapon for Naperville North. The Northwestern recruit is the only quarterback among the state’s top 20 prospects in the Class of 2023.

Gray led the Huskies to a dominant 31-3 road win against rival Naperville Central on Thursday.

He was 16-for 21-passing for 131 yards with one interception. Gray is comfortable and composed in the pocket and showcased a strong, accurate arm. But there was an added dimension to his game on Thursday.

The 6-3, 200-pounder had 14 carries for 70 yards. Gray looked like a quarterback that enjoyed running the ball, regularly picking up a handful of extra yards after that first hit.

“We haven’t been showing that much,” Naperville North coach Sean Drendel said. “It was something we wanted to unveil as the season went on. He’s not afraid of contact and he’s not afraid to play hard. He’s a special kid.”

Naperville Central (6-3, 4-2 DuPage Valley) beat the Huskies (7-2, 4-2) in a low-scoring, 10-7 game in Week 6. The Redhawks also knocked Naperville North out of the playoffs last season. The natural rivals are a little too well-acquainted.

“At this point we have figured each other out and know everyone’s tendencies,” Gray said. “So it’s just down to being the tougher person on each play. We had a lot of emotion built up for this game because we felt like we didn’t give it our all the first time we played.”

Naperville Central managed a field goal on the opening drive of the game. It was all Naperville North from then on.

Danny Eloe (six carries, 64 yards), Cole Arl (six carries, 25 yards) and Nathan Jacobs (six carries, 44 yards) all scored short touchdown runs and Arl added a 12-yard TD run in the third quarter.

Naperville Central had an effective run game with Tyler Dodd rushing 16 times for 70 yards.

Quarterback Chris McCormack was 8 of 17 passing for 93 yards with two interceptions. McCormack and Dodd connected for a 47-yard pass in the first half but that was the only big play the Redhawks managed.

“It was a great defensive effort,” junior safety/wide receiver Luke Williams, who had three catches and an interception, said. “We had some determination to get revenge after what happened earlier in the season.”

Drendel pointed out in his postgame remarks to the team that the Huskies haven’t played a game in November since 2010.

“We’re trying to make the season last as long as possible,” Gray said. “We believe we have all the pieces to get down to Champaign. The seniors are all making great memories and the juniors want it for us a lot and that’s why we’ve been successful this year.”

The DuPage Valley hasn’t had a highly-ranked team for most of the season, which is unusual. Naperville North, Naperville Central, DeKalb and Neuqua Valley have all beaten up on each other.

“There are four really good teams in the conference,” Drendel said. “I wouldn’t want to be playing us right now.”

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Tony Brown, NBA referee for 20 years, dies at 55on October 21, 2022 at 1:07 am

7:38 PM ET

Tony Brown, who officiated more than 1,100 NBA games over almost two decades, has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his family announced Thursday. He was 55.

Brown was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April 2021 and recovered to the point where he was able to return to work in the NBA replay center last season. He entered hospice care in Atlanta in recent days, his family said.

“We are and have been sustained by the consistent outpouring of love and support through this journey in developing strength, acceptance and peace,” Brown’s family — his wife, Tina Taylor-Brown and their children Bailey, Basile and Baylen — said in a statement. “We ask that you join us in that spirit as we prepare to celebrate Tony’s life. Our biggest thank you to our village of family and friends, near and far, old and new. Your love is immeasurable.”

Brown was selected to officiate a pair of NBA All-Star games, plus worked a game in the 2020 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. He also worked championship-round games in the CBA and WNBA, plus was a WNBA All-Star official before moving to the NBA in 2003.

The native of Tallahassee, Florida, was diagnosed after experiencing some stomach discomfort, which he initially attributed to what he thought was bad sushi. After more than a dozen rounds of intense chemotherapy, Brown was feeling well enough to return to work — with the blessing of his medical team, the NBA and his family.

“I haven’t had time to sit around and be like ‘Why me?’ or ‘What am I going to do?'” Brown told The Associated Press earlier this year. “Me not fighting would have made me feel like I was letting people down. What kind of example was I going to be to my kids if I just laid in this bed and let it overtake me? I had to show my kids that there’s nothing in life that you can’t challenge and overcome if you have a positive mindset.”

Such was his life’s story. He embraced challenges.

A talented high school basketball player, Brown accepted a scholarship to Florida A&M before eventually deciding to transfer to what was then called Clark College — now Clark Atlanta University. No scholarship was available there for him, so Brown worked his way through school as an employee of Delta Air Lines. He cleaned planes, drove passenger carts, then became a flight attendant and remained employed by Delta until retiring in 2007.

By then, his NBA career was in full bloom. He worked the 2018 All-Star Game in Los Angeles, then was picked to work the 2021 game that was moved to Atlanta. His fellow referees for that 2021 game were fellow Atlanta residents Tom Washington and Courtney Kirkland — who, like Brown, were graduates of historically Black colleges and universities, and that game was one in which the NBA committed to showcasing HBCUs and raising more than $3 million for scholarship funds.

“The most important part about this entire game, for us, is that we are representing the NBA officials and we have to do an outstanding job for them,” Brown told AP before that game. “Every night that we go on that floor we are representing each other. And that’s the greatest accolade and accomplishment that we can ever have, doing our job.”

Even in the final days of his life, Brown’s focus was on others. His family and friends worked feverishly to fund a scholarship for Clark Atlanta players in the days before his death. Earlier this month, some Clark Atlanta players visited Brown in hospice and presented him with a jersey as a thank-you for his efforts.

Attorney Mawuli Davis, one of the primary organizers of the scholarship effort, said the family is still chasing the $100,000 goal and hopes to present a check for that amount to Clark Atlanta at its men’s basketball season-opener Nov. 7.

“Tony Brown embodies everything it means to be a Clark Atlanta basketball player,” Clark Atlanta coach Alfred Jordan said. “His hard work, determination, and perseverance are what set him apart from the rest because those qualities are hard to come by these days.”

Brown also inadvertently was part of a historic night in the NBA.

On Dec. 30, 2020, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was livid that no foul was called on a drive by DeMar DeRozan, who was then playing for the Spurs in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown ejected Popovich for his outburst, and Popovich pointed to then-Spurs assistant Becky Hammon to take over.

With that, Hammon became the first woman to direct a team in NBA history.

Earlier that year, Brown made what was his lone on-court appearance at the NBA Finals. He was in the league’s restart bubble at Walt Disney World for several weeks and said when he got the word that he was one of the 12 referees picked for the title series his mind immediately went to how his family would react to the news.

“I was speechless when I found out,” Brown said at that time. “The first thing I went through was the sacrifices that my family made to stand by my side during this journey. I was more happy for my family than anything else.”

In addition to expressing appreciation for his caregivers, Brown’s family publicly thanked The Lustgarten Foundation and PanCan, an organization dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer, along with the NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association for their support.

“Keep striving for the cures,” his family said.

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Once a target of protests, Chicago’s new $128 million fire and police academy now sparks pride, excitement

It was once a target of nationwide protests and of what critics, including Chance the Rapper, called a symbol of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s misplaced spending priorities.

Now, as the city’s expanded and more costly police and fire training academy nears completion, it’s seen by some as a source of excitement and possibility for a West Garfield Park community no longer forgotten.

With a $128 million price tag — up nearly 35% from the original cost — the academy will have just about everything first-responders need to train, Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt told City Council members at Thursday’s budget hearing.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) then bragged indirectly about the project (“a beautiful place,” she called it) she fought so hard to bring to the 4400 block of West Chicago Avenue in her impoverished West Side ward.

“I want to know now from you, what are your plans once you come into the new fire academy that’s being built in my ward?” Mitts asked.

Nance-Holt said it’s “very exciting” to think about the training that can be offered at the state-of-the-art facility.

“It’ll be a soft launch for a lot of us. They’re still going through a lot of training. Getting to know the building,” Nance-Holt said.

There will be opportunities for firefighters to train with each other and also with other first responders, she added. That includes special operations teams and CTA training, she said.

There’s also “a model city” with shells of buildings, and an ambulance, “which is very exciting, too, so they can have real-life experience being on an ambulance,” she said.

A rendering of the “neighborhood” of training structures and mock buildings that will be part of a new academy for Chicago police officers and firefighters.

Public Buildings Commission

Part of the facility currently under construction.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

“Our recruits get trained there. We’re looking at promotional training there. We’re looking at executive development training for our staff as well. .. And being there by the [new] Boys & Girls Club is actually a benefit, too, because now, we can interact with those young people … and try to give them some insight into what we do and maybe considering doing what firefighters and paramedics do every day.”

Last summer, the City Council agreed to lease 20,000 square feet of land on the 34-acre-campus to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago at $1 a year for up to 75 years.

That paved the way for an $8 million, 18,000-square-foot youth development center, separated from the academy by an open-air plaza.

At the time, Mitts called it a “history-making moment” for a West Side that desperately needs youth programming to provide a constructive outlet for young people.

“When I first came in, the first thing I asked for was a youth center for our children. It took me 21 years,” Mitts said that day.

Without mentioning the #NoCopAcademy movement by name, Mitts noted Thursday some had asked, “Why have a Boys & Girls Club next to a public safety academy?”

“Why not, I say? They can’t be what they can’t see,” Mitts said.

She told Nance-Holt: “I am so glad to hear you echo that same sentiment. We have to look for the positive. We can’t look for the negative.”

A rendering of the training academy for Chicago firefighters and police officers.

Public Building Commission

The value of having the club next to the academy became evident later in the hearing, when Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th) hammered Nance-Holt about the shortage of minorities in the fire department — despite repeated outreach.

“We have all been out there trying to recruit. [But] I’ve found a lot of our youth don’t want to do this job,” the commissioner told Taylor.

“I need to take you with me in my car when I go talk to young people in high schools, and they look at me and go, ‘I don’t want to do that. I ain’t doin’ that. Are you crazy? I ain’t going in a fire.’ “

A $33 million “mock neighborhood” pushed the cost past the original $95 million.

The “tactical scenario village,” sort of like a movie set, includes a pretend city block complete with a six-story burn tower and a car crash area to simulate emergency rescues.

“The areas where they do the training on the upper floors — if you had a fire, a true-scenario, once they destroy, how long are you looking for the rebuild so that you can keep it going?” Mitts asked.

District Chief of Special Operations Jamar Sullivan said the burn tower is built with “very resilient material that can actually withstand repeated use.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot was president of the Police Board in March 2018 when she said locating the facility “in this high-crime, impoverished neighborhood, where relations between the police and the community are fraught, without a clear plan for community engagement, is a mistake.”

But in June 2019, a month after taking office, she toured the academy, watched recruits apprehend mock suspects in a dark hallway, and said she came away convinced a new academy is essential.

“This is gonna be a significant investment on the West Side that desperately needs investment, but if we’re gonna make that kind of investment, I want to get it right. I want it to be the best-in-class training facility for first responders anywhere in the country. That’s what we ought to aspire to,” she said on that day.

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High school football scores: Week 9

Please send scores and corrections to [email protected].

Wednesday, October 19

RED NORTH-CENTRAL

Senn 30, Steinmetz 6

NONCONFERENCE

Washington 40, Gage Park 0

Thursday, October 20

RED CENTRAL

Rowe-Clark vs. Pritzker at Lane, 7:15

RED NORTH-CENTRAL

Lake View vs. Von Steuben at Winnemac, 3:45

RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Dunbar at Perspectives, 7

RED SOUTHEAST

South Shore vs. Corliss at Gately, 7:15

RED WEST

Kennedy vs. Little Village at Stagg, 3:45

Raby vs. Bulls Prep at Lane, 4:15

DUPAGE VALLEY

Naperville North at Naperville Central, 7

Neuqua Valley at Metea Valley, 7

Waubonsie Valley at DeKalb, 7

SOUTH SUBURBAN BLUE

Hillcrest at Oak Forest, 6

Lemont at TF South, 6

TF North at Tinley Park, 6

SOUTH SUBURBAN RED

Evergreen Park at Argo, 6

Reavis at Richards, 7

Shepard at Eisenhower, 7

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Hinsdale South at Addison Trail, 6

Morton at Willowbrook, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

York at Oak Park-River Forest, 6

NONCONFERENCE

Oak Lawn at Bremen, 6

Solorio vs. Bowen at Eckersall, 3:45

Young vs. Hubbard at Gately, 4:15

Friday, October 21

RED CENTRAL

UIC Prep at Speer, 7:15

RED NORTH-CENTRAL

Schurz vs. Sullivan at Winnemac, 3:45

RED SOUTHEAST

Goode vs. Dyett at Eckersall, 3:45

RED WEST

North Lawndale vs. Payton at Lane, 4:15

CCL-ESCC BLUE

Marist at Brother Rice, 7

CCL-ESCC GREEN

Nazareth vs. Benet at Benedictine, 7

Notre Dame at St. Rita, 7:30

CCL-ESCC ORANGE

Montini at Joliet Catholic, 7:30

St. Laurence at Providence, 7:30

CCL-ESCC PURPLE

Carmel at Marian Catholic, 7:30

CCL-ESCC WHITE

Marmion at De La Salle, 7

St. Ignatius vs. Fenwick at Triton, 7:30

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH

Deerfield at Niles North, 7

Highland Park at Maine West, 6:30

Maine East at Vernon Hills, 6

CENTRAL SUBURBAN SOUTH

Evanston at Glenbrook South, 7

Glenbrook North at Niles West, 7

New Trier at Maine South, 7

DUKANE

Geneva at Lake Park, 7:30

St. Charles East at Wheaton North, 7

St. Charles North at Batavia, 7

Wheaton-Warrenville South at Glenbard North, 7

FOX VALLEY

Burlington Central at McHenry, 7

Crystal Lake Central at Prairie Ridge, 7

Crystal Lake South at Huntley, 7

Dundee-Crown at Jacobs, 7

Hampshire at Cary-Grove, 7

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Streator, 7

Herscher at Reed-Custer, 7

Lisle at Peotone, 7

Manteno at Wilmington, 7

KISHWAUKEE BLUE

Harvard at Johnsburg, 7

Plano at Marengo, 7

Richmond-Burton at Rochelle, 7

KISHWAUKEE WHITE

LaSalle-Peru at Kaneland, 7

Morris at Sycamore, 7

Woodstock at Ottawa, 7

MID-SUBURBAN EAST

Buffalo Grove at Hersey, 7

Elk Grove at Wheeling, 7

Prospect at Rolling Meadows, 7

MID-SUBURBAN WEST

Barrington at Fremd, 7:30

Hoffman Estates at Palatine, 7:30

Schaumburg at Conant, 7:30

NORTH SUBURBAN

Lake Forest at Mundelein, 7

Lake Zurich at Waukegan, 7

Libertyville at Stevenson, 7

Zion-Benton at Warren, 7

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Antioch at Round Lake, 7

Grant at North Chicago, 7

Grayslake Central at Lakes, 7

Wauconda at Grayslake North, 7

SOUTHLAND

Kankakee at Crete-Monee, 6

Thornwood at Thornridge, 5

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Joliet Central at Plainfield Central, 6:30

Joliet West at Plainfield South, 7

Romeoville at Plainfield East, 7

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE WEST

Minooka at West Aurora, 7

Oswego East at Plainfield North, 7

Yorkville at Oswego, 7

UPSTATE EIGHT

Elgin at Glenbard South, 7

Fenton at East Aurora, 7

Glenbard East at Bartlett, 7

South Elgin at Streamwood, 7:30

West Chicago at Larkin, 7

VERMILION VALLEY NORTH

Clifton Central at Momence, 7

Dwight at Seneca, 7

NONCONFERENCE

Aurora Christian at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

Back of the Yards vs. Fenger at Stagg, 3:45

Chicago Christian at Ridgewood, 7:15

Clark vs. Curie at Hope Academy, 4:30

Collins vs. Englewood STEM at Gately, 4:15

DePaul Prep at Marian Central, 7:30

Homewood-Flossmoor at Lincoln-Way West, 7:30

Lincoln-Way East at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7

Lockport at Andrew, 7

Ottawa Marquette at Sherrard, 7

Phillips vs. Kenwood at Lane, 7:15

Riverside-Brookfield at Bishop McNamara, 7:15

Sandburg at Lincoln-Way Central, 7:30

St. Edward at Elmwood Park, 6

St. Francis at IC Catholic, 7:15

Stagg at Bolingbrook, 7

Taft vs. Morgan Park at Gately, 7:15

Walther Christian at Christ the King, 7:30

Westmont at Aurora Central, 7

Woodstock North at Hope Academy, 7:30

Saturday, October 22

RED CENTRAL

Catalyst-Maria vs. Rauner at Lane, 1

RED NORTH-CENTRAL

Amundsen vs. Mather at Winnemac, 1

RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Chicago Richards vs. Ag. Science at Gately, 10 a.m.

UP-Bronzeville vs. Hyde Park at Eckersall, 1

RED WEST

Lincoln Park vs. Crane at Winnemac, 10 a.m.

BLUE CENTRAL

Butler vs. Noble Academy at Lane, 10 a.m.

Longwood vs. Muchin at Hales, 10 a.m.

CCL-ESCC BLUE

Mount Carmel at Loyola, 1:30

CCL-ESCC PURPLE

St. Viator vs. St. Patrick at Triton, 1

SOUTHLAND

Bloom at Thornton, noon

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Leyden at Downers Grove South, 1

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Downers Grove North at Lyons, noon

Glenbard West at Hinsdale Central, noon

NONCONFERENCE

Chicago Military at Chicago Academy, 1

Kelly vs. Tilden at Eckersall, 10 a.m.

Lane vs. Simeon at Gately, 1

Lindblom vs. Johnson at Stagg, 10 a.m.

Marine at Orr, 1

Marshall vs. Prosser at Orr, 10 a.m.

Proviso East at Proviso West, 1

Rich Township vs. Leo at St. Rita, 1

Westinghouse at Brooks, 1

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Giannis Antetokounmpo among NBA stars with stellar opening-week lookson October 20, 2022 at 5:52 am

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Relive some of the wildest moments from the 2021-22 NBA season (1:33)Here are the wildest moments from last year to get you ready for the 2022-23 NBA season. (1:33)

8:21 PM ET

The 2022-23 NBA season is finally here, and that means players will show off their style on the pregame runway.

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Tuesday night saw some of the league’s brightest stars rock outstanding attire. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James channeled his 2003 draft-day look with modern updates. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green also rocked an eye-catching suit on ring night, and Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden came extra relaxed to his season opener.

More stylish looks were on display Wednesday as more teams began their seasons. Sleek suits, graphic T-shirts and flashy accessories were worn by players pregame.

Here are some of the most fashionable arrivals from the NBA opening week:

Wednesday

Dallas Mavericks

Tim Hardaway Jr. and JaVale McGee led the Mavs’ pregame looks with their flashy jewelry.

Portland Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard‘s monochromatic fit was subtle yet effective in his season debut. Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic‘s coats dazzled, while Anfernee Simons went for a more laid-back look.

New York Knicks

Knicks players rocked multiple looks ahead of their matchup with the Grizzlies.

Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane opted for sweatsuits ahead of the season opener.

Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker‘s denim jacket was a modest opening-night fit, but his pink ride entering the arena was something to behold.

Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young‘s zebra-print shirt led the way for top fits on the Hawk’s roster.

Washington Wizards

Wizards players arrived for the first game of the season wearing several sharp looks.

Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton‘s “Slim Jim” shirt and purple pants stole the show for the Pacers’ opening-night fits.

Brooklyn Nets

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills were among the Nets players with outstanding fits.

New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson and other Pelicans had jackets on for their game in Brooklyn.

Detroit Pistons

Pistons players rocked everything from relaxed looks to casual fits.

Chicago Bulls

DeMar DeRozan rocked a sweatsuit while rookie Dalen Terry sported a Louis Vuitton backpack.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become a fashion guru in the NBA and opted for an all-black ensemble. Other Thunder players wore jackets.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Naz Reid and Anthony Edwards donned stylish jackets ahead of their season debuts.

Tuesday

Los Angeles Lakers

At the 2003 NBA draft, James turned heads with his memorable white suit. To kick off year 20 in the NBA, The King rocked another all-white suit, shades and a necklace.

Davis and Westbrook sported all-black fits for opening night.

Golden State Warriors

Ahead of his 11th season and fourth ring night ceremony, Draymond Green kept things professional with a stunning green suit. Curry and center James Wiseman opted for more casual looks.

Philadelphia 76ers

Harden is known for his eye-catching looks, and he pulled up to opening night wearing a cozy pregame outfit.

Montrezl Harrell rocked icy chains, sleek shades and a sweater ahead of his first game with the Sixers.

P.J. Tucker, who’s beginning his first season with Philly, arrived at TD Garden in a vibrant pink ensemble ahead of tipoff.

It appears rookie and Alabama alum JD Davison lost a bet to teammate Grant Williams, a Tennessee alum. Davison rocked a Vols jersey pregame days after Tennessee’s football team defeated Alabama’s in Knoxville.

Boston Celtics

Tatum, Brown, Al Horford and Malcolm Brogdon all stepped out in fashionable attire for the season opener.

Camouflage pants and neutral colors were the options for newly signed Celtic Blake Griffin.

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Tony Brown, NBA referee for 19 years, dies at 55on October 21, 2022 at 12:45 am

7:38 PM ET

Tony Brown, who officiated more than 1,100 NBA games over almost two decades, has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his family announced Thursday. He was 55.

Brown was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April 2021 and recovered to the point where he was able to return to work in the NBA replay center last season. He entered hospice care in Atlanta in recent days, his family said.

“We are and have been sustained by the consistent outpouring of love and support through this journey in developing strength, acceptance and peace,” Brown’s family — his wife, Tina Taylor-Brown and their children Bailey, Basile and Baylen — said in a statement. “We ask that you join us in that spirit as we prepare to celebrate Tony’s life. Our biggest thank you to our village of family and friends, near and far, old and new. Your love is immeasurable.”

Brown was selected to officiate a pair of NBA All-Star games, plus worked a game in the 2020 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. He also worked championship-round games in the CBA and WNBA, plus was a WNBA All-Star official before moving to the NBA in 2003.

The native of Tallahassee, Florida, was diagnosed after experiencing some stomach discomfort, which he initially attributed to what he thought was bad sushi. After more than a dozen rounds of intense chemotherapy, Brown was feeling well enough to return to work — with the blessing of his medical team, the NBA and his family.

“I haven’t had time to sit around and be like ‘Why me?’ or ‘What am I going to do?'” Brown told The Associated Press earlier this year. “Me not fighting would have made me feel like I was letting people down. What kind of example was I going to be to my kids if I just laid in this bed and let it overtake me? I had to show my kids that there’s nothing in life that you can’t challenge and overcome if you have a positive mindset.”

Such was his life’s story. He embraced challenges.

A talented high school basketball player, Brown accepted a scholarship to Florida A&M before eventually deciding to transfer to what was then called Clark College — now Clark Atlanta University. No scholarship was available there for him, so Brown worked his way through school as an employee of Delta Air Lines. He cleaned planes, drove passenger carts, then became a flight attendant and remained employed by Delta until retiring in 2007.

By then, his NBA career was in full bloom. He worked the 2018 All-Star Game in Los Angeles, then was picked to work the 2021 game that was moved to Atlanta. His fellow referees for that 2021 game were fellow Atlanta residents Tom Washington and Courtney Kirkland — who, like Brown, were graduates of historically Black colleges and universities, and that game was one in which the NBA committed to showcasing HBCUs and raising more than $3 million for scholarship funds.

“The most important part about this entire game, for us, is that we are representing the NBA officials and we have to do an outstanding job for them,” Brown told AP before that game. “Every night that we go on that floor we are representing each other. And that’s the greatest accolade and accomplishment that we can ever have, doing our job.”

Even in the final days of his life, Brown’s focus was on others. His family and friends worked feverishly to fund a scholarship for Clark Atlanta players in the days before his death. Earlier this month, some Clark Atlanta players visited Brown in hospice and presented him with a jersey as a thank-you for his efforts.

Attorney Mawuli Davis, one of the primary organizers of the scholarship effort, said the family is still chasing the $100,000 goal and hopes to present a check for that amount to Clark Atlanta at its men’s basketball season-opener Nov. 7.

“Tony Brown embodies everything it means to be a Clark Atlanta basketball player,” Clark Atlanta coach Alfred Jordan said. “His hard work, determination, and perseverance are what set him apart from the rest because those qualities are hard to come by these days.”

Brown also inadvertently was part of a historic night in the NBA.

On Dec. 30, 2020, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was livid that no foul was called on a drive by DeMar DeRozan, who was then playing for the Spurs in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown ejected Popovich for his outburst, and Popovich pointed to then-Spurs assistant Becky Hammon to take over.

With that, Hammon became the first woman to direct a team in NBA history.

Earlier that year, Brown made what was his lone on-court appearance at the NBA Finals. He was in the league’s restart bubble at Walt Disney World for several weeks and said when he got the word that he was one of the 12 referees picked for the title series his mind immediately went to how his family would react to the news.

“I was speechless when I found out,” Brown said at that time. “The first thing I went through was the sacrifices that my family made to stand by my side during this journey. I was more happy for my family than anything else.”

In addition to expressing appreciation for his caregivers, Brown’s family publicly thanked The Lustgarten Foundation and PanCan, an organization dedicated to fighting pancreatic cancer, along with the NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association for their support.

“Keep striving for the cures,” his family said.

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Blackhawks searching for ‘proper, objective way’ to decide number retirements after Marian Hossa

The Blackhawks have a jersey retirement conundrum.

Their 2010-to-2015 Stanley Cup dynasty era featured many talented, impactful players, only some of whom can realistically have their numbers raised into the United Center rafters for good.

It’s a situation that’s impossible to complain about but will also be impossible to solve in a way that pleases everyone.

“I don’t know if there is a perfect answer,” Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz told the Sun-Times on Wednesday.”We’re going to have to find a way to build the right group that can make that decision, with input from a diverse set of people that have perspectives on this.”

There are three obvious choices in Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. It’s essentially guaranteed that Nos. 88, 19 and 2 will never be worn again by future Hawks. Those three stars formed the center of the core of all three championship teams and also lasted the longest with the franchise.

One can make a valid argument that Kane is both the best American-born NHL player and the best Blackhawks player of all time. Toews is one of the best centers of his generation and has set the standard for what it takes to be a captain in the modern-day NHL. Keith is one of the best defensemen of his generation and was arguably the Hawks’ best playoff performer throughout the dynasty.

But Marian Hossa’s selection as the first player from the modern dynasty era to have his number retired complicates the situation.

Hossa was a fantastic two-way forward, was part of all three Cup wins and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year, but he nonetheless played only 543 of his 1,309 career (regular season) games and scored only 415 of his 1,134 career points with the Hawks.

When Hossa’s No. 81 jersey rises before the Hawks-Penguins game on Nov. 20 — the Hawks’ first such ceremony since retiring Pierre Pilote and Keith Magnuson’s shared No. 3 jersey in 2008 — it’ll open the number-retirement door for a quite a few other Hawks.

Brent Seabrook (No. 7), Patrick Sharp (No. 10) and Niklas Hjalmarsson (No. 4) were also important players and leaders on all three Cup-winning teams. Sharp tallied more points for the Hawks (532) than Hossa did. Seabrook’s 1,114 games played for the Hawks rank third in franchise history, behind only Keith and Stan Mikita.

Corey Crawford (No. 50) won only two Cups but was a crucial part of both, and he ranks third in franchise history in goaltender wins. Legendary pre-dynasty stars Steve Larmer (No. 28), Chris Chelios (No. 7, shared with Seabrook) and Doug Wilson (No. 24) also have plenty of backers among the fan base.

So where will the organization draw the line? How will drawing the line even work?

“Hossa was a very organic process, a natural thing upon his retirement,” Wirtz said. “As we go forward, we need to put some structure around this. … We’re working right now on fleshing that out so we have the proper, objective way to honor everyone.

“The good problem we have is we have 100 years of history and incredible players to celebrate and honor. There’s only so much room in the rafters, there are only so many statues you can build, so you have to build out ways in which we can honor [players] and let our fans participate in that.”

Meanwhile, as far as Hossa himself, the Hawks remain in talks with the now-43-year-old Slovak about a potential role in the organization, which he had teased during his last appearance in Chicago in April.

Hossa has a “high level of interest on the business side in addition to potentially what he can offer on the hockey side,” Hawks business president Jaime Faulkner said, and the two parties are having “frequent communication about it.”

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Chicago Cubs Rumors: Cody Bellinger should be considered in CFJordan Campbellon October 20, 2022 at 9:50 pm

Oct 5, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

As the Chicago Cubs wait for the Major League Baseball postseason to conclude to begin their offseason plans in earnest, speculation has suggested that the team is expected to return to spending actively in free agency with the intention of contending in 2023.

After prioritizing the rebuild of their minor league depth over the past two seasons, Cubs president of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer confirmed with reporters that the team has plans to spend intelligently in the offseason with the goal of competing in 2023.

“Spending Intelligently” has become somewhat of a trigger term for Cubs fans as the concern is that the team will use that as the reason for not dipping into the deep end of free agency.

That is not an accurate assessment as spending intelligently can mean lucrative free agent deals but deals that are also friendly to the team. Look no further than the last offseason when the Cubs spent heavily on deals for starting pitcher Marcus Stroman and outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

‘Spending Intelligently” means that the Cubs probably shouldn’t trade for Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani this offseason but should actively spend in free agency in order to field a contender next season ahead of their next competitive window truly opening.

The Cubs will be in the on the likes of Carlos Correa and Trea Turner with the likelihood being that Correa actually does sign but the team also has other areas of need.

Centerfield is an area of need for the Cubs. Rafael Ortega’s slash line of .241/.331/.358/ for an OPS of.688 in his first full season at the Major League level would seem to suggest that the team does not enter 2023 with the idea of a 31-year-old journeyman being their everyday option in centerfield.

Christopher Morel has the ability to play centerfield but his value to the 2023 Cubs will likely come with no set position as he has the flexibility to play in both the infield and outfield. He will likely be an everyday player while not having a true position.

Fortunately for the Cubs, two of their top three prospects are centerfielders in Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brennan Davis.

Davis will likely begin the 2023 season with the Cubs’ triple-A affiliate while Crow Armstrong will likely start with the Cubs’ double-A affiliate. The Cubs will need a cheap, preferably defensive-minded stopgap for centerfield in 2023.

A former NL MVP would be the smart type of move for the Chicago Cubs.

That stopgap should be current Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger. Bellinger is a candidate to be non-tendered this offseason and the Cubs would make sense as a place where the 2019 National League MVP can rebuild his value.

2022 marked the third consecutive season here Bellinger has struggled offensively as he had a slash line of .210/.265/.389/.654 but he continued to be a plus defender for the Dodgers in centerfield.

Bellinger’s power numbers also appeared to be on a slight uptick in 2022 as his ISO .179 was up 40+ points from 2021 and his 19 home runs marked the most he has had since 2019.

Given the struggles that Bellinger has had over the past three seasons, he likely will be in the market for a short-term deal and an AVV less than the $18.1MM that he would be projected to receive from the Dodgers if tendered a contract.

With that in mind, Bellinger figures to be a name that the Cubs look at this offseason with the hope of addressing their short-term need in centerfield while rebuilding his value.

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Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show

Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. 

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Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.


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The choice is yours, voters

MAGA’s Illinois Supreme Court nominees are poised to outlaw abortion in Illinois—if, gulp, they win.

by Ben Joravsky
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Pedals, petals, and pandemic

Shepsu Aakhu, a founding member of MPAACT (Ma’at Production Association of Afrikan Centered Theatre) has crafted many of the company’s shows over the past 32 years. But I’m not sure I’ve seen one as personal as his current world premiere, Ride or Die, now at the Greenhouse Theater Center under the direction of the legendary Chuck Smith. 

Ride or Die Through 11/20: Thu-Sat 8 PM, Sun 3 PM, Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln, 773-404-7336, greenhousetheater.org, $22-$40

Presented as a sort of theatrical diary of Aakhu’s experiences in the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown and the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the slayings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the piece incorporates close-up images of flowers Aakhu took during numerous bike rides over the first months of the pandemic, accompanied by his entries tracing his thoughts and reactions to what was going on in the world. (He called the 200 entries “Project Uplift,” and shared them along the way with a few friends, including Smith.)

Sometimes those trips took him to predominantly white neighborhoods, where inevitably questions of personal safety arose. (Would a paranoid homeowner call the cops?) Often he was on the lakefront trail, officially closed by order of Mayor Lightfoot. But as he found out, the cops didn’t care enough to get out of their cars to chase him away.

His stories are told in an intertwining fashion by five ensemble members of various races and genders, all dressed in identical black athletic pants and gray hoodies. But they’re not so much a choral construct as aspects of his own psyche, interrogating each other as if Aakhu is setting up Socratic dialogues with himself to figure out the world going mad (and trying to stop the madness) around him.

Along the way, as the flowers survive the extremes of Chicago weather, he reminds us (and himself) that they are both delicate and tough. He explores the evolution of the story of the magical “genie” over time. And he tries to understand the events of January 6. “We can’t impeach an entire country,” he notes—a pointed reminder that Trump wasn’t the cause of the disease of white supremacy and authoritarianism; he just gave permission for a frighteningly large number of people to give it their full-throated devotion.

There will be any number of pandemic plays in the years to come, to be sure. But Aakhu’s deeply personal account, rendered with grace, passion, and wit by Smith’s ensemble, provides an important snapshot of one Black man’s experiences, filtered through isolation, nature, protests, and family. At the end, the ensemble tells us, “We are all leaving rehab and rejoining society,” and it’s a pretty accurate way of summing up how the last couple of years have felt.

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