As a youth intervention specialist and football coach in Chicago Public Schools, Anthony Dotson has heard some hard-luck stories.
But he also can tell a few of his own.
Dotson, who became Chicago Academy’s head coach this spring after two seasons as an assistant, grew up in Bronzeville and played on Troy McAllister’s first team at Phillips as a senior.
He was good enough on the field to earn scholarship offers from Eastern Kentucky and Division II Truman State, but not good enough off it to take advantage of those opportunities.
“In high school, I constantly got into fights,” Dotson said. “I graduated with a 1.9 [grade point average].”
The one college program willing to take a chance on him was Division II Livingstone in Salisbury, North Carolina. But family concerns — his grandmother was battling cancer — and financial issues weighed heavily on his mind.
“I was homesick after that first semester,” Dotson said. “I dropped out and came back home.”
He landed at Division III Rockford for one season before being able to go back to Livingstone to play for one season and earn a bachelor’s in sports management in 2015.
Back in Chicago again, Dotson landed a job at a fitness club. But it didn’t work out and for two months in 2017, he said, he was homeless and sleeping in his car.
Another job at a health food store came and went. But finally his luck turned when he was hired as a security officer in CPS. Five months later, he was promoted to youth intervention specialist. That means working with kids to make sure small problems don’t become big ones.
Two people who have grown to know him well believe it’s the job he was born for.
“Anthony, first of all, has a huge heart,’ said Rahman Muhammad, a deputy chief of detectives with the Chicago Police Department. “His background, his lived experiences — it pretty much guides who he is now. … He’s like a big teddy bear. He’s got his hard exterior, but on the inside, he’s just this kid who wants to be loved and wants to give love in return.”
Chicago Academy principal Lydia Ryan was immediately impressed by Dotson when he applied for the youth intervention job.
“It was really evident, even in the first couple minutes of the interview, that he had a passion for working with young people,” Ryan said. “And we thought, this is a guy who can inspire kids and motivate them, which was something we were missing at the time.”
Dotson has been open with his players about his past struggles, and his stories have resonated with them.
Chicago Academy coach Anthony Dotson runs a linemen drill at football practice.Kevin Tanaka/For the Sun-Times
“It definitely inspires me,” quarterback Earnest Davis said. “I’ll talk to him about stuff at home and we can relate to each other about stuff just growing up. Him relating to us as kids and as players and young men, that makes him one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.”
Lineman Anthony Rivas feels the same way.
“He told me his life story,” Rivas said. “It showed me how much I took for granted and how I should start being thankful. I’m grateful for him being here.”
Chicago Academy doesn’t have much of a football tradition. Dotson is the Cougars’ seventh coach since 2006, and a 26-12 win over Foreman this spring was their first home victory since 2015. That season was Chicago Academy’s high-water mark, with its only conference title (in the Inter-City 5) and a program-record seven wins.
But Dotson intends to end the revolving door of coaches and to build a successful program.
“My everyday motivation,” he said, “is to be a better partner, father, son, friend, mentor and coach.”
This offseason has been one of the more exciting ones in Chicago Bears history, solely based on the fact that general manager Ryan Pace made the splash trade to draft quarterback Justin Fields.
Because the NFL is a quarterback-driven league, this was one of the biggest moves in Bears history. Never have they drafted a quarterback as physically-gifted as Fields is. The future certainly looks bright, if you’re a Bears fan.
However, not everyone agrees with that statement. In fact, ESPN just released a piece they called their “future rankings,” where they ranked every NFL team based on their potential success over the next three seasons (2021-2023).
In order to read the full article, you’ll need an ESPN+ subscription, but to put it simply, the rankings make zero sense for the Bears.
ESPN loves to hate the Chicago Bears, and these future rankings are further proof.
The Bears came in at number 27 out of 32, with a grade of 69.1 For context, a grade of 60 equals what they label as “very bad,” and a grade of 70 equals “average.”
Some of the explanation includes talk like “if Justin Fields doesn’t pan out,” or even moving on from both Khalil Mack and Eddie Jackson.
Here’s the deal: if the Bears moved on from Mack and Jackson in the coming year or so, they could go from ESPN’s current grade to the very bottom of the barrel. These “experts” don’t understand that Mack has still been one of the most effective pass rushers in the league over the past couple of seasons. Despite sack numbers being down, he is still a top-5 disruptor according to Pro Football Focus.
Moving on from Jackson, meanwhile, would be foolish. The guys who wrote these rankings don’t seem to want to look at the facts. Over the past two seasons under Chuck Pagano, Jackson hasn’t been allowed to roam as free, and at the same time the Bears’ pass rush hasn’t been as good as it was under Fangio.
Now under Sean Desai (one of Fangio’s right-hand men), this defense should be far more aggressive, which would lead to Jackson reverting to form, in terms of takeaways and big plays.
Lastly, we come back to Fields. How on earth could you seriously insinuate Fields not panning out? First of all, you’re going to give him just a season or two to make that judgement call? That seems ludicrous, when most quarterbacks get more than two years to develop.
Second, Fields’ physical talent and accuracy coming out of college does everything except set in stone the fact that he’ll pan out. Sure, there’s a chance everybody busts — even Trevor Lawrence, for that matter. But, to even suggest Fields isn’t going to pan out is just silly.
While nothing is set in stone right now, we can all but guarantee that Allen Robinson is entering his final season with the Chicago Bears.
Robinson, playing on the franchise tag in 2021, saw the July 15 deadline pass without an extension from Chicago. The last 10 months have spoken volumes about the frustration Robinson has with the Bears and not engaging in the type of negotiations he would prefer.
Now, the Bears’ only realistic option is to give Robinson the franchise tag again in 2022, which would bump his salary up over $21 million. That seems extremely unlikely, therefore Bears fans better get used to the thought of Robinson playing in another uniform in 2022.
The question is, where will he play?
There are some potential landing spots that would make Chicago Bears fans sick to their stomach.
Next year, the salary cap will be more than it has been in the past two seasons. With the cap going down due to the craziness going on in the world over the last year, many players have signed one-year deals in hopes that next year they’ll get paid in a big way.
That’s what Robinson is hoping, and there will be plenty of teams who will be calling — some of them being less deal for Bears fans.
The realistic spots like the Miami Dolphins or Indianapolis Colts make a lot of sense, and neither would be too disappointing to see Robinson end up with. But, there are some landing spots that would irk Bears fans to no end. It would be difficult to see him end up on one of these five teams, but it is more than plausible to imagine happening.
Join the Chicago Sun-Times’ latest virtual gathering of journalists and strangers you wish you knew on our next season of Local Live(s).
This season will feature artists and speakers from right here in our own backyard, sharing experiences of making Chicago a home away from home.
Our Local Live(s) event will uncover personal stories that will change your perspective, introduce artists that are creating our collective future and pass the mic to voices that don’t often have a stage.
Don’t miss the chance to be part of our next Local Live(s) on August 25 at 7:00 p.m. to hear stories about Making Chicago Home from:
Musician, music teacher and former American Idol contestant Ephraim Bugumba. In 1999, at three years old, Bugumba fled the city of Makobola in the Democratic Republic of Congo with his family and eventually emigrated to the United States as a refugee in 2012. His harrowing journey inspires his music today.
Sun-Times journalist Ismael Perez. Perez recently moved back to Chicago after spending much of the pandemic in Texas with his family. Perez instantly felt a sense of community when moving into his new apartment in Pilsen.
And more!
Local Live(s) is hyper-local, super creative and incredibly fun.
Brought to you by Back Pocket Media and the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Chicago Cubs are in a fair amount of trouble with their current core. Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant are all on expiring contracts. They are all in trade rumors as a result which is only fair. There are rumors out there that they will try to extend Baez and Rizzo one more time before they take trade offers and Bryant is as good as gone. With the way the team has been playing, it seems smart to trade them all for prospects.
One player that might seem impossible to imagine in another uniform is Anthony Rizzo. He had other uniforms before coming to the Cubs but this guy is a legend on the North Side now. Unfortunately, the business side of things might force that to happen. There is one team that is familiar with him and would be a perfect fit should the Cubs be forced to trade him.
That team is the Boston Red Sox. Rizzo once was with the Red Sox organization before he became the household name that he is today. They have players that can play first base well but Anthony Rizzo would be a major upgrade. They don’t have many other positions to upgrade as they make their push for the playoffs so they might actually look for someone to play that position.
The Chicago Cubs might really consider trading Anthony Rizzo to the Boston Red Sox.
Bobby Dalbec has done a good job there but they could use Rizzo in so many different ways. He has multiple Gold Gloves on his shelf for a reason. He is also a very experienced player which could help them a lot. It would be interesting to see him go there and put that jersey on after all he has accomplished since leaving.
Unfortunately, the Cubs aren’t going to get as much for Rizzo (or Baez/Bryant) as people think. He is an aging first baseman with a back issue that might not be going away for good anytime soon. Anything they can get for him would be worth it in the end. A team like the Red Sox who could really use a player like him might offer the most to the Cubs.
Without Rizzo, the Cubs would look completely different as an organization. He knows it and they know it. Without him, they might not have ended the 108-year curse that hovered over the organization for over a century. At this point, however, it is time to move on and the Boston Red Sox would be a great fit.
Roger Lipe recently wrapped up 27 seasons as the chaplain for Southern Illinois Salukis football.
Over the years, Lipe has befriended and counseled countless numbers of individuals from all walks of life. He’s performed weddings and “sadly, a couple of funerals.”
Never one to fully pull back the reins, Lipe continues to walk the spiritual path in a variety of ways, including spending time with his wife (and former SIU football secretary) Sharon, their son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
Get to know Roger Lipe in our Prairie State Pigskin Moving the Chains Q&A.
How did you first get started as SIU football chaplain?
I started in 1994 with (head coach) Shawn Watson. I’ve been with five head coaches, a whole bunch of assistants. I’d have to say that’s close to a hundred coaches that I’ve worked with there. Thousands of players.
For me, it’s been an immense privilege to have served this program for so many years. In every case, I’m a visitor. I don’t have any rights. I don’t have any right to be there. The coaches have been kind to have opened the door to me and let me come in. I’ve never felt like it was my birthright. They don’t owe me anything. They opened the door so I could have an avenue of service. It’s a remarkable thing to have had favor with five coaching staffs in a row in that kind of way is just unspeakable in its value.
I always started with each coach by saying, “If you’ll allow me I’ll do as much or as little as you want me to.” You could just seem them relax. I’m not a guy with a big agenda of 25 things that I want to do.
“I’m here to serve you” and they’d relax and respond, “What do you have in mind?” and then I’d offer specific things.
They’d usually say, “I like that and let’s do it.”
It wins favor because it projects the proper attitude.
What made it so rewarding that you stuck around for 27 seasons?
A couple of things. I get bored in about 10 minutes. A reporter asked me one time, “Why do you still do this?” That’s a good question because I get bored easily. But the nature of collegiate sport is that it’s very, very dynamic. Things change all the time. A quarter of the roster turns over every year. There’s changes in coaches and you get a new opponent every week. So since it’s a very dynamic thing, it’s hard to get bored. There are new challenges and new situations that come up all the time. That keeps me engaged along the process.
The other part of it is that it’s intentionally relational. That’s what makes me go. Those relations that are formed through practices and bus rides and pregame meals and game days. The relational dynamic is incredibly rewarding.
With that said, why have you chosen to step away from football at this time?
I just turned 65 last month. While many of my colleagues and contemporaries are retiring, I have way too much energy for that. I still have a sense of vision and calling. But, I thought it is probably time to make some adjustments this last lap or two, however many years that is. At this age, there is no comfortable position on a bus. It’s harder and harder for me year to year to recover from a football road trip. I walk about seven miles on the sideline on a given day. And then I’d get home and try to recover and do my regular work.
This is a younger man’s game. So I said let’s see if there’s somebody I can give this role to. And what I was thrilled to find was a guy here in Carbondale who is a young associate pastor at church who gets the athletic mindset. He himself was a collegiate athlete. So, I thought I can train this guy. I know him and I trust him. We talked about it, and shoot, he’s ready to go.
You’ve been around the SIU region and culture for many years. What makes it so unique?
“I grew up here my whole life. Carbondale is an odd mix of upstate people as well as all over the world and then you have my family that has been here since the 1700s. We’re very much from here, kind of an extension from Appalachia. We’re a very Southern culture. Loyal, probably to a fault. But we also hold grudges for a long time and are distrustful of outsiders. So there’s all that clannish mentality of people who really protect their own.
Well, a lot of that shows up in how we do sports. We really care about people and we hold tightly to those we know. So you get that mix of cultures built into one place. That happens a lot in the sporting world. Take my wife, for example. She spent 19 years as football office secretary. It hurt her when a staff would leave because she built really tight relationships. It was like family. She was really good at her job, but that was also part of the pain of being in that spot of eventually our friends are going to leave us and it hurts. That’s been the same for me.
You’ve known SIU head coach Nick Hill for years. How have you seen him grow? How have you seen his faith impact him?
I knew Nick when he was a high school kid. I remember standing on the practice field with his high school coach, Coach Martin. I’m watching Nick throw the ball and at DuQuoin for years it was run it, run it and then run it some more. I said, “Coach, you going to throw the ball a little more this year?” He said, “Yeah, I think we might . . . ” Nick was special throwing the ball. Then he came to SIU and played and I watched him grow through that.
(After his time in professional football training camps and the Arena League), Nick came back here as a high school coach. We talked and then all of the sudden he had the opportunity to coach at SIU. We sat there and weighed the pros and cons of coaching high school or taking a chance joining the staff as quarterbacks coach. Back and forth it went, but obviously you see what he chose to do. Then he transitioned into the head coaching job and all that goes with it.
Like a lot of guys you come in with a very idealistic view of things. Well, things are not perfect. Rather than become cynical, I’ve seen Nick more practical in the way he approaches things. He’s not always expecting the best case scenario, but he’s looking for the best way to make something good happen in a less-than-great situation that can arise.
There’s a greater wisdom than there was even five years ago. I see him trying to work with players with a greater sense of maturity than he did early on. I see him growing in all those things. How he’s leading this staff, making time for family instead of just grinding out hours and hours at the office . . . he’s developing well.
You can see Nick nearly every day if you want, but any idea of how many former players you keep in touch with?
Social media lets me keep up with more than I would have been able to 25 years ago. I can’t really put a number on it, but there are a number of guys I will hear from every once in awhile. There’s some guys from way back in ’94 that I’ll bet we talk four or five times a year. Mark Gagliano was a punter for us. He was an academic All-American and an All-American on the field. Now he’s flying jets for Fed-Ex. we’ve stayed in touch over the years. He’s in his 40s now and has a beautiful family. Watching all that growth is incredibly rewarding.
As you said, you’re not a guy who can sit around. What will you do as you pass the baton to the next football chaplain?
I’m going to remain directly engaged with men’s and women’s basketball at SIU and possibly with baseball too. The way collegiate sports are these days, I’m doing meetings with coaches and players now here in the summer because they’re trying to develop those programs around the clock and calendar. I continue to work to develop character coaches or sports chaplains in men’s college basketball in the U.S. Everything from JUCO ball all the way through this year to Baylor at the top of the heap. There’s 1,093 men’s college basketball programs. We’re looking to help those coaches who want (a character coach or chaplain) and place and train a good one to serve their teams. And that’s what I’m directly doing.
Blog co-authors Barry Bottino and Dan Verdun bring years of experience covering collegiate athletics. Barry has covered college athletes for more than two decades in his “On Campus” column, which is published weekly by Shaw Media. Dan has written four books about the state’s football programs–“NIU Huskies Football” (released in 2013), “EIU Panthers Football (2014), “ISU Redbirds” (2016) and “SIU Salukis Football” (2017).
Fly me to the moon, I want to join that great space race, And since I’m not a billionaire I’ll do it all with grace. In other words, shoot me high. In other words, let me fly.
Branson has the early lead Jeff Bezos comes on strong Where are Cook and Zuckerberg? I guess it won’t be long. In other words, it’s July. In other words, earth good-bye.
Who cares what it costs It’s only money after all, Those guys have a ton of it. Enough for the long haul. In other words, satisfy. In other words, don’t justify.
Soaring through the air It really seems like so much fun. Who cares what we leave behind We’re heading for the sun. In other words, I’m the guy. In other words, let me try.
Fly me to the moon, I think there’s just one hitch I get really motion sick. And altitudes a bitch. In other words, with a sigh. In other words, I won’t try.
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Hi! I am Les, a practicing pathologist living in the North Suburbs and commuting every day to the Western ones. I have lived my entire life in the Chicago area, and have a pretty good feel for the place, its attractions, culture, restaurants and teams. My wife and I are empty-nesters with two adult children and a grandchild. We recently decided to downsize, but just a bit! I will be telling the story of the construction of our new home, but also writing about whatever gets me going on a particular day. Be sure to check out the “About” page to learn more about where we plan to go with this blog!
Every time I hear the hook, “Did you realize, that you were a champion in their eyes?” it brings back memories of my childhood. Riding to the store with my parents, delivering porta-potties, with Bobby, or walking into Lance’s house as it was played in the background. Mr. West took an old song and gave it new life. Also proving that Woody Herman and Kanye West are only separated by six degrees.
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Imagine my surprise when, again, I was reminded of that incredible sample (and song) when I sat down to listen to a record that was gifted to me by a friend, and there it was being played by a big band?
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I’ve written before that a good friend, and bandmate, James always brings me surprise stacks of vinyl with everything from jazz to metal. Recently he gave me a copy of The Woody Herman Band‘s, Chick, Donald, Walter, and Woodrow (CenturyRecords, 1978). At that time I didn’t realize what the title had meant, which was actually just all the names of the artists Woody and his band were covering on this project. But once I got into the second side of the vinyl, and heard their version of “Kid Charlemagne,” I had to take a look at the cover again, and then it hit me. “Donald, Walter, and Woodrow” were the names of the Steely Dan members and this side of the album were all Steely Dan covers.
I had to call James to thank him for the records and to tell him of my discovery. He shed a little more light on the project and we shared a couple of laughs.
Kanye West, Steely Dan, and The Woody Herman Band, who would’ve thought?
An 18-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting July 13 that wounded a 2-year-old boy in Humboldt Park on the Northwest Side.
Miguel Avelar was charged with two felony counts of attempted murder, according to Chicago police.
About 7:25 p.m. July 13, the boy and a 32-year-old man were standing outside a home in the 1500 block of North Tripp Avenue when a dark-colored car pulled up and someone got out and began firing about 7:25 p.m., police said.
The man was struck in the face and the boy was struck in the leg, police said. Both went to Saint Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center and were transferred to Stroger in critical condition.
Avelar was arrested about 6:25 p.m. Monday in the 1600 block of North Parkside Avenue, after being identified by police as the person who allegedly fired the shots, police said.
Wynonna Judd’s voice is like chugging diet pop. Her raw, forceful alto sometimes burns a little going down, but the addictive sweetness keeps you coming back for more. Judd has been performing since she was a teenager in the Bay Area in the late 70s, singing occasional backup vocals with her mother, Naomi Judd, for a local country band called the Cowpokes. In 1979, Wynonna and Naomi moved to Nashville and immersed themselves in the music scene, and after signing to RCA as the Judds in 1983 they found international fame. The duo toured constantly for years, and by the end of the decade they’d become one of the most popular singing groups in country music. The Judds retired their act in 1991 so Naomi could concentrate on some ongoing health concerns, and the following year Wynonna launched a solo career with a broader stylistic range and began crossing over to pop audiences. She’s long been a fan of doing covers–her latest EP, 2020’s Recollections (Anti-), features renditions of songs by the likes of Nina Simone, John Prine, and Slim Harpo–and the set lists for these shows will feature plenty of her favorite blues-rock and country-rock classics. Wynonna and her husband and bandmate, Cactus Moser (they met in the 80s, when his band Highway 101 shared a bill with the Judds on tour), will also play original material they composed while locked down together during the pandemic. These shows are the closest most of us can get to hanging out with these two musicians at home, listening in as they swap leads and share stories. v
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