With the action in Tokyo wrapping up this weekend, it’s looking like a pretty sure bet that this will be yet another Olympic Games in which I have failed to bring home a medal.

Sorry about that.

Going into these games, I thought I was a shoo-in to win the gold in Marathon Channel Surfing on the networks of NBC. But it turns out age has taken its toll on even my talent for watching television at all hours.

I knew I was in trouble when we took a family vacation, and my son’s girlfriend got up at 3 a.m. to watch the U.S. women’s soccer match. There was no way I could compete with that kind of stamina and dedication.

Still, if the organizers of the Paris 2024 games would just add Tears Shed Over The Athletic Achievements Of Strangers as a demonstration sport, I could be a contender.

I think I’ve gotten teary almost once a day, though the highlight had to be the video of those kids in Seward, Alaska, cheering for teenage classmate Lydia Jacoby as she won gold in swimming. Seeing their display of pure joy and excitement for their friend touched my inner fan.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’ve always been a little nutty about the Olympics.

This was proven out at the 1976 summer games in Montreal, when I checked into a mental hospital — OK, it had been temporarily converted into a tourist hostel — just for the chance to attend in person.

I was 21 at the time, and, until then, I had dedicated my life to finding a sport in which I could actually compete as a real Olympian.

I’m using “dedicated” here as a relative term to encompass an unnatural willingness to prove myself mediocre in all manner of athletic endeavors, not any actual dedication to practicing one.

I think that was the same year I took college classes in both fencing and badminton in hopes of still finding my breakthrough sport, having given up by then on all the mainstream endeavors after slowly coming to the realization that I would always be too slow, too weak and too uncoordinated, with a tendency to choke under pressure.

Even now, though, I’ll always wonder whether team handball might have been my calling if only I’d had the chance to try it.

Mental health of athletes has been a major topic at this year’s Olympics thanks to Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the gymnastics competition, and I wonder if perhaps some attention should be devoted to the syndrome of individuals suffering dashed dreams of Olympic glory who never had any business having such dreams.

As I write this, there’s a replay of the women’s water polo and wrestling on one channel and a live broadcast of the men’s 50k walk race on another.

I am switching back and forth, because, of course, I wouldn’t want to miss out on any major development in the walking race — the most ridiculous track and field event in the Olympics. A sack race would make more sense. Or even a mixed man-woman three-legged race.

I know. I shouldn’t give NBC any ideas.

Mixed-gender competitions have become a big thing at these Olympics, in case you haven’t been watching. I still haven’t made up my mind what to think about them.

It’s definitely a bad idea in track, where it creates one more opportunity for the Americans to screw up a relay race while opening up a whole new avenue of excuses: gender-blaming.

What is it about Americans and relay races, especially the men? The deepest bench of fast athletes in the world (with the possible recent exception of Jamaica), but they can’t handle the task of handing off a baton.

I regard the Olympic relay failures over the past 20 years as symbolic of our country as a whole: We can’t pull together and cooperate to accomplish the most simple tasks. No wonder we can’t solve the big problems.

Of course, I once ran the anchor leg of a 4×100 relay when I was 15. Thanks to me, we finished last.

Some people are born to compete, and some are born to wish they could.

I recently bought a kayak. And I’m practicing.

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It never would have occurred to me that an owner of the Chicago Cubs could win a World Series and then, somehow, in the space of five fast years, turn into a villain. In a similar vein, it never would occur to me that a banana could turn into, say, a grenade.

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, his siblings and their dad’s money won a championship in 2016, breaking a 108-year Saharan dry spell. You want to talk about earning a lifetime of goodwill! Tom Terrific had done what had been considered impossible. Chicago was his.

As it turned out, though, winning the World Series and ending that curse was not the impossible part. Ricketts began testing all that goodwill by putting a price tag on anything that moved. Also anything that didn’t move. So Wrigley Field and the surrounding area became the maniacal focus of his attention. It was a theme park devoted solely to making money off Cubs fans.

That wouldn’t have been so bad if an organization purportedly built for multiple championships didn’t start slipping, thanks, in part, to an owner who refused to increase spending on the team that played inside the ballpark. It all hit rock bottom recently when the Cubs traded fan favorites Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javy Baez in the name of not doling out a lot of money.

Tom Terrific had become Tom the Terrible.

Ricketts doesn’t see himself that way because self-awareness doesn’t often visit the fabulously wealthy. He clearly believes he deserves better from fans for winning the World Series, and you can’t help but sense in him a bit of rich-kid resentment that the townies don’t appreciate what he has done for them.

In an attempt to explain why the club had moved Rizzo and the others, Ricketts wrote a letter to Cubs season ticketholders. It was a bunch of nonsense. He signed it “Tom,” in keeping with his man-of-the-people opinion of himself. If you don’t know already, he mixes with everyday folks in the stands. It’s why he calls himself the most accessible owner in sports, even though he’s been treating the media as if it’s COVID-19 contagious for 12 years.

It’s not always easy being an owner in a town as demanding of its sports teams as Chicago is. But some owners make it harder on themselves than would seem humanly possibly. This is a good time to take a look at the people who own the teams in Chicago. It’s a nice exercise in “my how things have changed.”

Whose arrow is up and whose is down? Let’s take a look.

Tom Ricketts, Cubs. Arrow: down.

As if getting rid of three icons weren’t bad enough, news broke Thursday that the Cubs had received permission from a city landmark commission to build a two-story sports book next to Wrigley. There is no such thing as unfortunate timing. There is only aptness. If it looks like the Cubs are money-grubbing, bottom-line, sell-their-soul capitalists, I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing wrong with your vision.

Ricketts wants your cash. The rest is incidental.

Jerry Reinsdorf, White Sox and Bulls. Arrow: up.

Everything is going right for Reinsdorf, whose Sox have legitimate World Series aspirations. Despite some recent struggles, they still have a huge division lead over second-place Cleveland. Even the uproar over the chairman’s decision to hire older-than-God Tony La Russa as manager has been blunted by the team’s success.

Reinsdorf’s Bulls, although still firmly lodged in NBA mediocrity, made some moves recently that, at a minimum, are intriguing. Team vice president Arturas Karnisovas added Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. The Bulls have our attention.

If it’s any consolation to Ricketts, Reinsdorf used to be considered a scoundrel by Bulls and Sox fans alike. So there’s hope.

Rocky Wirtz, Blackhawks. Arrow: down.

Wirtz has a mess on his hands. Chicago and the hockey world are watching to see how the Hawks respond to a former player’s lawsuit. It says the team ignored his claims that a former video coach sexually assaulted him during the 2010 Stanley Cup championship season. Another lawsuit claims that the Hawks failed to notify a Michigan high school of the accusations against the video coach, Bradley Aldrich. After the school hired him, he allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old student. The lawsuit also alleges that the Hawks gave Aldrich a “positive review and/or employment verification” when he applied for a job at the school.

The Hawks have hired a prominent Chicago law firm to investigate the claims, and an outraged fan base will not settle for the affair being swept under a rug. As it stands now, some of the shine of team’s Stanley Cup era has been removed. Reputations, which have taken a beating during the scandal, seem like the least of the Hawks’ problems.

Oh, and if that’s not enough, decisions by the Washington Football Team and the Cleveland Indians to do away with names and images offensive to Native Americans place more of a spotlight on the Blackhawks and their logo. Is a day of reckoning coming?

George McCaskey, Bears. Arrow: sideways.

Other than the surprising addition of quarterback Justin Fields, whom the Bears traded up to get in the 2021 draft, there hasn’t been a whole lot of change to a team that has gone 8-8 each of the past two seasons. And no can be sure when Fields will play this season or if he can play.

Somehow, general manager Ryan Pace is still here, as is coach Matt Nagy … so why isn’t McCaskey’s arrow pointing down? Because there’s still talent on this team, especially on the defensive side. And, given that everything is relative in life, McCaskey doesn’t look nearly as bad as Ricketts right now. A jaundiced observer’s response: Let’s talk again in January.

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SAITAMA, Japan — Soon after the U.S. women finished off Serbia to reach the Olympic gold medal game, members of the Japanese military honor guard started practicing for the medal ceremony.

The U.S. already knows that drill.

Brittney Griner had 15 points and 12 rebounds to help the Americans beat the Serbians 79-59 on Friday to advance to title game.

“This is exactly where we want to be,” said Breanna Stewart, who also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. “Everything is on the line. We’re going to do what we can to make sure we come home with a gold.”

The Americans are now one win away from a seventh consecutive gold medal which would match the U.S. men’s team that won seven Olympic titles in a row from 1936-68.

It would also give Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi five gold medals — the most ever by a basketball player in the Olympics. The Americans will face Japan on Sunday. The teams played in the preliminary round and the U.S. won 86-69. Japan beat France 87-71 in the semifinals, assuring the host nation its first medal ever in women’s basketball.

“I think everybody here wants to win gold for them, for us, for everybody that’s started this streak that got us here,” Griner said. “You know there’s a lot of different reasons why we want to win this gold medal. So I think you’re going to see some really good basketball in the gold medal game.”

The U.S. got a scare when Taurasi, grimacing and appearing to rub her left hip after collision, left the game midway through the third quarter. U.S. trainer Ed Ryan was talking with Taurasi when she went to the bench and she didn’t return. Taurasi missed the three exhibition games in Las Vegas with a hip pointer but appeared to moving without any issues during timeouts.

“Yeah, I’ve been battling this hip thing for a little bit so it’s just a little bothersome,” Taurasi said. “It’s fine.”

The U.S., which beat both France and Japan in pool play, has won 54 consecutive Olympic games now dating back to the semifinals of the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The Americans got off to another strong start for the second straight game. Trailing 4-3, they methodically went on a 20-4 run to take control with a berth in the gold medal game on the line. Griner had four points on one possession. She hit two free throws after a foul was upgraded to unsportsmanlike and then scored cutting to the basket on a pin-point pass from Stewart and the Americans led 25-12 after one.

Neither team could really get much going for the first few minutes of the second quarter as there were more missed shots and turnovers than points. Serbia cut the deficit to nine points behind Yvonne Anderson, who played at Texas and became a Serbian naturalized citizen last year to play in the Olympics. She finished with a team-high 15 points.

The U.S. scored the next nine points, a run started by A’ja Wilson’s three-point play and led 41-23 at the half. The lead ballooned to 23 points early in the third quarter before the Serbia reserves started pressing and cut the deficit to 14 late in the period. The Americans scored the final five points to put the game away.

Serbia rested its starters for most of the second half with the bronze medal game roughly 24 hours away. The country won the bronze in the 2016 Rio Games.

“When you have one last chance to get a medal, it’s definitely who will want it more, who will be more hungry,” Serbia coach Marina Maljkovic said.

Serbia didn’t get a chance to warm up until 25 minutes before the game because traffic delayed the team’s arrival and the NBC Spydercam that hovers above the court had a cable break about 40 minutes before tip.

“It definitely was untimely to have these issues,” said Anderson. “What can you do? We’re an hour away and hit traffic. We tried to come out and there were camera issues. In the end you have to take what you’re given. We already faced an uphill battle.”

Serbia shot just 30% from the field — including missing 15 of its 19 3-point attempts.

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Yep, you’ve guessed it. It’s Crosstown Classic time! And it’s this weekend. And that means your favorite bars and restaurants are serving you the best foods and cocktails for the games. And I know you’re looking for the best spots in Chicago to watch it this weekend. So, look no further! This weekend, cheer on your favorite Chicago baseball teams at baseball hotspots, PB&J, Recess, Rizzo’s Bar & Inn, and Cork and Kerry’s! 

205 N Peoria St, Chicago, IL 60607

This weekend only, sports fans can root for their favorite home team while sipping on a frozen blue cocktail slushy to support the Cubs and a frozen white cocktail slushie to support the White Sox. Are you a fan of both? PB&J can combine the two flavors to make a Blue and White frozen swirl. And if you’re wondering what’s in these special drinks, the White Sox Frozen Colada is made with Bacardi Rum, Pineapple Juice, and Cream of Coconut (Pina Colada) and the Cub’s Blue Frozen Cocktail features Smirnoff Blue Lemonade, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, and Blueberry Redbull!

838 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60642 

Take a break and go to Recess to catch this year’s Crosstown Classic outside on Chicago’s largest outdoor patio. Televisions adorn the entire space within Recess, so whether you’re on the patio or inside their dining hall, you’ll never miss a pitch or the Seventh Inning Stretch. Mix your own margaritas on the brand-new Fender Blender bike between innings for perfectly blended spirits for your party, which serves up to six people. 

3658 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60613

If you’re looking to pay homage to the history of Wrigley Field and its neighborhood, there is no better place than Rizzo’s Bar & Inn! It’s the perfect blend of old school and new school. This unique space features a patio with a retractable roof and heated floors, three full-service bars, twenty-eight LED TV’s and one thirteen-foot LED screen, perfect for this weekend’s Crosstown Classic. Not only is it the ideal place to watch the Cubs, but it’s also a great place to indulge in some alcoholic beverages. No shame in that.

Rizzo’s features FIVE insane fishbowl-type drinks that are perfect if you’re watching the games with your squad. These five include Tito’s Mule, Hornito’s Blood Orange Margarita, White Claw Bucket, Domestic Bucket, and Ketel One Cucumber Mint Refresher. And if you’re hungry and have a huge appetite, Rizzo’s has you covered. Order the Giant Pretzel and you won’t be disappointed. Yes, yes you guessed it, it’s a GINORMOUS Pretzel Served with a Side of Nacho Cheese, Whole Grain Mustard, and Cinnamon Butter. We’re not being hyperbolic when we say it’s basically the size of Wrigley Field itself. 

3258 S. Princeton Ave, Chicago, IL 60616

Last but not least, if you’re a Sox fan, head over to Cork & Kerry’s at the Park. Cork & Kerry At The Park is a neighborhood tavern located in Bridgeport and is only a couple of blocks from Guaranteed Rate Field. Their welcoming turn-of-the-century tavern boasts a menu featuring a large beer and drinks selection, traditional Irish meals, plus plenty of today’s favorite Chicago dishes. Enjoy the games with their award-winning burgers paired with perfectly cooked tater tots. A MUST! Or, indulge in some of Chicago’s favorites like a baseball classic, Vienna hot dog, Italian Beef, or a Four-Cheese Grilled Cheese. And it doesn’t stop there. What’s a baseball game without beer right? Cork & Kerry’s proudly serves Goose Island beers, featuring the 312, 4 Star Pils, Green Line Pale Ale, Old Man Grumpy, and an IPA. 

Featured Image Credit: Rizzo’s Bar & Inn on Facebook

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Improving coronavirus numbers have made more summer events possible. Here’s the latest updates on this year’s changing entertainment landscape.

By

John Silver

Updated

Aug 6, 2021, 10:08am CDT

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Steak is best eaten with yearning in your heart and a big smile on your face.

From the moment you step into your car, the genesis of your journey is an afterthought. How could you wish for anything in your past when food heaven is on your horizon? Steak48 has this way of creating that sense of yearning, imprinting an indelible smile on your face as your car reverses out of the driveway. You could call this another steakhouse, but that’d be giving other steakhouses too much credit.

Steak48 is a destination. An experience. It can only be described as Chicago’s premiere contemporary steakhouse. In fact, you can call 615 N Wabash Ave a microcosm of the allure of the city itself. In a way only the City on the Lake can shine amongst its peers of the metropolii, Steak48 has a way of radiating brighter than its peers in a competitive culinary landscape.

It isn’t easy to stand out amongst the culinary titans in River North. The luminous Steak48 on the facade certainly aids it visually as the backdrop of the barren stone of the Medinah Temple stares back. The warmth of a perfectly done steak, the freshest seafood flown in daily, and a bottle of red wine beckons as the chilling freeze of one of Chicago’s most historic structures slips into irrelevance.

Entering Steak48 in and of itself is a memorable stroll. The large wooden doors protect a mystifying walkway lined with cleavers and knives that would make an aged butcher wish to come out of retirement. Glass enclosure of a 3,000-wine vault greets you alongside a smile from the hostess stand. Atmosphere and service is the true sixth sense when it comes to your culinary experience, and by way of appetizers, your first 90 seconds inside Steak48 sets the tone for the rest of your evening.

The venue is large, yet intimate. As you pass by sections of tables nestled in private rooms and a large wrap-around bar serving premium cocktails to patrons, all 12,000 square feet of elegance is drowned out by one thing—a light beaming from a distance, there to ask you all of the right questions. What is back there? Who is in there? Why am I drawn to this, attracted by it? Any restaurant brave enough to beg its patrons to gaze beyond its pass with an exposed kitchen is a restaurant operating with a level of confidence that permeates through every single aspect of your experience. 

It’s an atmosphere designed to make you feel important. It suppresses the delusion of inflated self-worth with the portrait of true value. You’re supposed to be here. Tonight. This is your destination, and it’s going to be one you speak about to anyone willing to listen. There’s no shortage of individuals—celebrity or everyday person—willing to endorse it with equal pride. 

The menu is large. You feel it in your hand and you’re overwhelmed by the expanse of options and an endless list of potential wine pairings on the back. The weight of it is unimportant, however, as the immediate understanding that every potential combination of food and beverage is primed to be a memorable one. 

It didn’t take long with the cocktail menu to gravitate towards a winner. I instantly went for the Paloma—a smoky rendition with mezcal and fresh grapefruit—while my mother (yes you read that right I treated my mother to a much-deserved dinner) went for the Stone Fruit Martini. 

Cocktail hour might as well have been for a show rather than a 5-star dinner because a mere 20 feet from us, behind the glass enclosure of the kitchen, stood Chef Brian Key. The revered Executive Chef and Chicago native is a natural in his domain. Confident and talented, yet jovial, the Chef interacted with us from a distance as he orchestrated the pass, carefully approving each plate for service. Too often steakhouses carry a stuffy aura of condescending luxury, but not Steak48 and not Chef Brian Key. His demeanor and ability to relate to us as customers made the experience comfortable and only built our excitement to navigate his menu. 

There’s a heightened sense of awareness in the appetizer section of the menu. You’re probably wondering what the hell that means, so hear me out. With 17 different side dish options, some of the thickest, juiciest steaks around, and a raw bar so fresh and succulent you could easily mistake your location for Maine, it needs to be. It’s Chef Key’s arena to showcase his creativity while not exhausting you before you even contemplate the main attractions. 

Items such as the Chicken Fried Lobster and the King Crab & Avocado Stack is Chef Key personified. Crab and lobster are steakhouse staples, but the reimagination of these favorites is what sets the Chef and ultimately, Steak48 apart. 

That main attraction being of course, steak. I could go on for hours about the quality of the cuts, how both plates came out cooked to perfect temperature, how the flavor of the crust enhanced the entire meal, or how each and every bite will melt in your mouth. That’s not why you’re still reading this. No, you’re still reading this because you’re immersed in the feeling of what eating the off-the-menu Butcher’s Cut would mean to you, transporting yourself to a time and place you’ve imagined at a pivotal point in your life. Or you’re picturing yourself sitting in my shoes and having an 18-oz bone-in Filet Mignon on a 500 degree plate being set on the table, tantalizing you before you even bury your knife in it. 

Truth be told, steak is steak and if done properly will be delicious no matter what. We are carnivores and red meat is the holy grail in the same way two plus two equals four. 

But you simply cannot embark on the journey of Steak48 without first understanding that you are there for an incredible steak that highlights the entirety of a memorable experience. It’s the warmth of the sunshine beating down upon your face at the first Cubs game of the season, an ice cold beer in hand as you sit in the bleachers amongst 15,000 people chasing that same high. 

In these moments, there is nothing wrong. You take your first bite of Chef Key’s main attraction and in that moment, the world halts. There is nothing wrong. 

Every main attraction needs a supporting cast and Steak48 is no different. If the steak is Michael Jordan then the Chef’s variety of side dishes is the rest of the 1998 Chicago Bulls. Classic vegetable dishes such as broccoli, creamed spinach, asparagus, sweet corn, and brussel sprouts are done to absolute perfection. If that’s your preference, you have a full endorsement. But you’re here to make a memory, step outside the comfort zone and enhance your meal with the Alaskan King Crab & Rock Shrimp Mac & Cheese, the Asparagus Fries or the Corn Creme Brulee. It’s one thing to head back to Winnetka enjoying a medium rare steak and sauteed sweet corn, it’s another to tell your neighbor the next day that you experienced a dinner Downtown Chicago so unique that the only way they’d understand is if they tried it for themselves. 

In this day and age we are forever moving the boundary of what it means to be “traditional”. The definition of what a steakhouse is supposed to look like is no longer predetermined. Steak48 understands that notion and embraces that. As I stated, the genesis of your journey is irrelevant when the ability to harness a fleeting moment and expand on it knowing the result is more than a meal, but a memorable experience centered around a destination of a restaurant; your possibilities are endless. 

Be real with yourself, though. Just like your suburban neighbor, you’re only going to understand if you put your key in the ignition and go experience it for yourself. 

Steak48 is located at 615 N Wabash Ave. Chicago, IL 60611. To service hours, history, or to make a reservation visit their website at www.steak48.com/steakhouses/chicago/ or call (312) 266-4848. Valet parking is available or accessible parking can be found off of Ohio St at the iPark garage. 

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The 15-year-old was standing outside about 7:45 a.m. in the 7000 block of South Merrill Avenue when a dark-colored sedan drove by and someone inside opened fire, Chicago police said.

By

Sun-Times Wire

Aug 6, 2021, 9:18am CDT

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Mike Madigan and Ed Burke got into politics the old fashioned way: through their dads.

When he was a law student at Loyola, Madigan introduced himself to Mayor Richard J. Daley as the son of Michael Madigan, a precinct captain and 13th Ward Streets and Sanitation superintendent. That made the young man good people in Daley’s eyes. He found Mike Jr. a job in the city’s law department, then supported his candidacy for the state house.

Burke’s filial connection to politics was even more direct: his father, Joseph Burke, was alderman of the 14th Ward. Joe died in 1968. A year later, Ed won a special election to fill his seat, and has held it ever since.

In those days, if you wanted to get ahead in Chicago politics, it helped to be a brat, born and raised in Chicago politics. In 1948, Abner Mikva, a young man from Milwaukee attending the University of Chicago, tried to volunteer at a ward committeeman’s office. He was told, “We don’t want nobody nobody sent.”

Mikva nonetheless went on to a successful career in Chicago politics, serving five terms in the legislature, and four terms in Congress. Back then, he was an outlier, boosted by the transplant-heavy Hyde Park vote—and later by the Evanston vote when the Machine redistricted him out of his alma mater’s neighborhood. Today, he’d be the norm. Consider the origins of some of today’s most successful local politicians.

• Former senator and president Barack Obama: Born and raised in Honolulu.
• Senator Tammy Duckworth: Born in Bangkok, went to high school in Honolulu.
• Cook County Board President and Democratic Party Chairwoman Toni Preckwinkle: Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Mayor Lori Lightfoot: Massillon, Ohio
• Congresswoman and Illinois Democratic Party Chairwoman Robin Kelly: New York City.
• Former congressman and mayor Rahm Emanuel: Born in Chicago, but raised in Wilmette, where he attended New Trier High School.
• Governor J.B. Pritzker: Atherton, California.

Powerful offices once occupied by Irishmen whose roots in Chicago’s neighborhoods ran generations deep are now almost entirely filled by… transplants. What’s going on?

When Barack Obama arrived in Chicago, in 1985, he knew nobody here except a great-uncle who worked at the University of Chicago library. Not a guy who could help him in politics. Eleven years later, he was a state senator. Eight years after that, a U.S. senator. Four years after that, president. Obama successfully threaded the needle of being in Chicago without being of Chicago. As the city that has produced the most Black members of Congress, Chicago was essential to his political rise. But the fact that Obama was not a traditional Chicago politician meant that John McCain’s accusation that he was “born of the corrupt Chicago political machine” never stuck to him, the way it might have stuck to someone named Daley.

In his runs for Congress, and for mayor, Emanuel’s enemies tried to portray him as a carpetbagging suburban elitist. Nancy Kaszak, Emanuel’s 2002 primary opponent, cut an ad depicting a limousine cruising through the Northwest Side—meant to represent Rahm—then declared, “I’m from here.” During the 2011 mayoral campaign, candidate Miguel del Valle scoffed, “I’m from Humboldt Park. He’s from where—Wilmette, Winnetka? I went to Tuley High, he went to what—New Trier? And Rahm’s tougher than me?” Emanuel never lost an election.

In her campaign for mayor, Lightfoot turned her opponents’ backgrounds in traditional Chicago politics against them. A month and a half before the primary, the feds charged Burke with shaking down a Burger King owner for a permit. Lightfoot cut an ad identifying Preckwinkle, Bill Daley, Susana Mendoza and Gery Chico as the “Burke Four,” because of their ties to the shady alderman. She ran not as a Regular, but as a “goo goo”— a good government reformer—the same label that helped Preckwinkle become an alderman with by cleaning up the vote in Hyde Park and Kenwood in 1991. (The incumbent Preckwinkle defeated, Timothy Evans, now runs the county courts.) 

For more than a century, Chicago politics has been based on ethnic alliances. That’s how the experienced politicians were conducting their campaigns. Chico and Mendoza were going for the Latino vote. Willie Wilson was going for the black vote. Daley was going for the white vote. Lightfoot made it into the runoff by selling her anti-corruption message to her fellow goo-goos along the north lakefront—many of them transplants like herself. Then she crushed Preckwinkle by portraying her as a representative of Machine politics.

Why are newcomers to the city beating Chicagoans at their own game? Perhaps it’s because Chicago is a less provincial city than it used to be. Especially since the 1990s, the city has been a magnet for ambitious college-educated professionals from all over the Midwest, and all over the country—and not so much for other age groups. (Preckwinkle and Lightfoot came here to attend the University of Chicago, Kelly to attend Bradley University in Peoria, Duckworth to attend Northern Illinois University.) After making their marks in business, law, academia, and the arts, it was only natural that they would try to conquer politics, too. 

In politics, it often helps to be an outsider. Here in the city with the most corrupt political culture in America, it seems to be helping a lot. Lightfoot, who prosecuted bribe-taking aldermen during Operation Silver Shovel, staked her campaign on the fact that Chicagoans were sick of Chicago politicians. She was right. Chicago wanted somebody nobody sent.

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When two icons of House Music get together to work on productions, there can be only one result, and that is the timeless track, ‘This is Chicago House’ by Vince Lawrence and Chuck “The Voice” Roberts. Vince Lawrence is a Chicago House Music pioneer who worked on the very first House tracks ever to see the light of day. Chuck “The Voice” Roberts is the vocalist behind the legendary club anthem that opened with the words ‘In the beginning there was Jack’ – a statement that has inspired 100’s of remixes and moved millions of dancefloors around the globe.

Vince and Chuck are two of the most iconic artists when it comes to Chicago House music. They have lived and breathed the genre since it first appeared in venues around the Windy City. The duo collaborated with Chicago House AC to produce ‘This Is Chicago House!’ in conjunction with Slang Music Group. The track speaks to every moment in the history of the global House Music family. From legacy to future possibilities, Vince and Chuck focus on the beat, groove and hook, in a way that defines how music should be heard and experienced.

“House music culture is international – soccer fans around the world celebrate their successes with house beats and songs. While collaborating with Chicago House AC, we worked to channel that culture within this song,” says Slang Music Group’s Vince Lawrence, a first-generation Chicago house music producer. “I think it’s awesome that the team acknowledges the efforts of pioneering musical artists such as myself, by naming themselves after the beloved music genre born in Chicago!”

Chicago’s newest professional soccer club adopted ‘This Is Chicago House’ in anticipation of the record gaining prominence as an immediately identifiable song of substance in the community. Producer Vince Lawrence believes ‘This is Chicago House’ will have an undeniable impact on the dance floor. Lawrence points out the driving beats, funky bass, piano and keys to die for, all blessed by Chuck’s sermon from the pulpit. He believes there is no other track currently which completes the musical journey like this. Filled full of the spirit that makes you stomp your feet, move your hips and testify that this is the greatest form of music ever, ‘This is Chicago House’ is without parallel.

With remixes and other versions to come, Vince and Chuck announce just why Chicago is still number one in the eyes of people that know. There is no denying the talent that stands behind the music, and as the world reopens again, this song alone will bring the joy back to those that so desperately need it.

“The roots of House music and its influence across the globe run deep, and those roots start right here in the city of Chicago,” notes Chicago House AC COO, Night Train Veeck. “To be able to pay homage to the pioneers of the genre through the world’s game is something tremendously special.” In addition to the release of the track ‘This Is Chicago House!’ Chicago House AC released their inaugural season Nike kit.

Earlier this season, Chicago House AC announced a multi-year partnership with Nike. To celebrate the partnership, Nike collaborated with Chicago House AC on the creation of a limited edition, collectible kit design that will only be available during Chicago’s inaugural season this Fall.This on-field Nike Vaporknit III jersey is a premium quality piece with the following details included:

A premium embossed Chicago House AC primary crest on the left side of the chest
A commemorative holographic hip tag that includes alternating logos and reads “Inaugural Season Chicago House AC NISA – 2021”
A sublimated Nike logo on the right side of the chest
A sublimated National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) logo on the left sleeve
A sublimated FYZICAL logo on the right sleeve
A sublimated secondary “House” logo in patina green on the upper back
Sublimated numbers below the secondary logo on the middle back
Sublimated player last names below the numbers on the lower back
A sublimated Weiss Memorial Hospital logo on the shorts
Chicago House AC aims to have a deeply positive impact on underserved neighborhoods through initiatives that provide opportunities for educational programming, mentorship and safe places to play soccer and futsal for children in the city. The club will also work inclusively with organizations to improve social justice, racial equality, diversity and community improvement. The club is committing 10% of annual corporate partnership revenue and Nike jersey revenue to be donated to non-profit and community-based organizations and fan directed initiatives.

“We have a jersey. We have an anthem. This is getting real,” said Chicago House AC Managing Partner & CEO, Peter Wilt.

The collectible Nike Vaporknit III jersey is now available for purchase on the club’s merchandise website.

Additionally, if you’re interested in purchasing tickets to Chicago House AC home matches this year, you can find more information here.

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Chicago Bulls: One signing means Lauri Markkanen could stay put by Ryan Heckman

When the Chicago Bulls first drafted forward Lauri Markkanen, the thought was that he would become the ideal stretch four in today’s NBA.

After his first year and going into his second year, Markkanen looked as though he was taking a big leap. Markkanen put on a bunch of muscle in effort to become a more physical scorer and rebounder, and he looked the part as a sophomore.

He put up career-high numbers in his second year, averaging 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds. However, when Jim Boylen took over as head coach, that’s when things began unraveling. He was essentially forced outside and told to play as a perimeter guy.

His game suffered, and Markkanen began looking like a different player because of Boylen’s ineptitude. Now, Markkanen may be on the way out as a restricted free agent, and ready for a fresh start with a new team.

Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen has apparently told Finnish media that he wants out.

Acoording to this interview to Finnish broadcaster Yle Lauri #Markkanen wants to leave Chicago #Bulls and already has offers from several other teams. Seems discussion now w Chicago is if he will leave through sign&trade. #NBAFreeAgency2021 https://t.co/KxCbDanbwj

— Ville Cantell (@villecantell) August 6, 2021

Friday morning, this report came out about Markkanen telling Finnish media that he would like a fresh start.

Markkanen wants out of Chicago.

“We have offers from several different teams. I want a fresh start to my NBA career somewhere else. Hopefully things will be sorted out quickly with the Bulls.” (via YLE)

Prior to this report, it was thought that Markkanen could end up staying in Chicago for one more season. There was only one known, interested team in Markkanen’s services. That team was the Charlotte Hornets.

However, when the Hornets decided to sign free agent forward Kelly Oubre Jr. on Thursday night, they seemingly left the running for Markkanen. Now, the only option for Charlotte would be to acquire Markkanen via sign-and-trade.

Speaking of sign-and-trade, that is still an option for the Bulls if there are indeed “several” teams interested in Markkanen as reported. If there are multiple teams interested in Markkanen, a sign-and-trade could end up being the best route to go for Chicago.

Thus far during free agency, the Bulls have executed a handful of sign-and-trades. Lonzo Ball came to Chicago via sign-and-trade, as did DeMar DeRozan. The Bulls also dealt forward Daniel Theis to the Houston Rockets and in turn received a trade exception.

Interested teams could still include franchises like the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, as first rumored before the start of free agency. The Spurs, above the others, were thought to be a real favorite to land Markkanen as they were interested even before the season ended.

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Bulls: Grading the Bulls’ major free agent moves

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One thing is clear: Markkanen wants out and the Bulls will need to find a backup forward to replace him. They could end up depending on first-year pro Marko Simonovic who is coming over this year, but signing another veteran to help ease Simonovic into the NBA would be a wise move. As things continue to develop with Markkanen, we’ll provide the latest.

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