A former Orr Academy High School basketball star was defending himself when he shot and killed a man who chased him with others and ran away with his dog in Pilsen, the college athlete’s defense attorney said Monday.

There were several “armed robbers” who went after Raekwon Drake Saturday, so it is “ludicrous” that Cook County prosecutors think they have enough evidence to convict the 22-year-old with murder, Drake’s lawyer Frank Himel said.

However, prosecutors had earlier pointed out that the victim, 26-year-old Martin Palafox, let the dog go before Drake and his girlfriend repeatedly beat Palafox as he was lying on the ground.

Drake finished off the attack by shooting Palafox in the head, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.

While Judge Charles Beach said he understood the theft of a pet could be traumatic, he said it was “curious and perhaps odd” that Drake left his dog outside to be snatched while he presumably went inside to retrieve his gun.

Drake, who was shot in the leg during the incident, remained hospitalized at Stroger Hospital and did not appear at his bond hearing Monday where Beach ordered him held without bail.

Drake had joined Post University men’s basketball program after transferring from Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, the Waterbury, Connecticut school had tweeted.

He planned to play at Post this upcoming season, Orr basketball coach Lou Adams told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Drake was walking his dog near his apartment around 6 p.m. when a group of approximately three men started to chase him around the block, Murphy said.

Drake eventually ran into his apartment, leaving the dog outside. The group of men went on to take the pet and started to walk down the street in the 1800 block of South Paulina Street before Drake came back outside with a gun and fired approximately four shots in their direction, Murphy said.

No one was injured at that point.

Sun-Times Media

Palafox, who had been holding the dog, dropped the animal as he attempted to run away. But Drake’s girlfriend allegedly began punching and kicking him while he was on the ground. Drake joined her, hitting and kicking Palafox before shooting him as Palafox remained on the ground with his hands in the air, Murphy said.

When Drake and his girlfriend tried to run away, one of the other men from Palafox’s group fired back, striking the couple, Murphy said.

Palafox, of Joliet, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Drake’s girlfriend was hit in the right shoulder and also taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was listed in good condition, authorities said.

Prosecutors didn’t mention in court Monday whether Drake’s girlfriend would be facing charges.

The entire incident was captured on various video surveillance cameras on the block, Murphy said.

A handgun was recovered from the window well of Drake’s apartment when a search warrant was executed, Murphy added.

Himel stressed that his client has no criminal history and is “not someone that’s predisposed to this type of conduct.”

“Certainly there’s a chance he can be found guilty of first-degree murder but more likely there’s a chance he could be found guilty of a lesser offense,” Himel said. “… And more likely than that, there’s going to be 12 people [in a jurors box] that are going to say, ‘At gunpoint, you tried to steal my dog from me, and so you getting shot is justified.'”

A 2018 graduate of Orr, Drake was a three-time Sun-Times All-Area basketball selection. To put that in perspective, current Los Angeles Laker and Simeon graduate Talen-Horton Tucker made the team once and former Morgan Park and Illinois star Ayo Dosnumu made it twice.

Drake led the Spartans to Class 2A state basketball championships in 2017 and 2018, which began a streak of four consecutive state titles for Orr. The 2017 Spartans were featured in Rick Telander’s award-winning series “A season under the gun.”

Adams said he’s known Drake since he was in eighth grade and still talks to him two or three times a week.

“I know the kind of heart he has. He takes care of his grandmother. I don’t know what happened with this situation but he’s a good kid,” Adams said.

Drake is expected back in court July 30.

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A 19-year-old man who was wounded in a shooting last month in Back of the Yards on the South Side has died.

Ivan Almaguer was pronounced dead at 10:20 p.m. Sunday at Kindred Hospital Chicago North, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On June 1, he was in the 4700 block of South Ada Street with two other people when someone fired shots from a passing gray SUV, Chicago police said.

Almaguer was struck in the head and hand, officials sad. An 18-year-old man was shot in the foot and the third person suffered a graze wound to their thigh.

An autopsy found Almaguer died of his gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

No arrests have been reported.

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A 3-year-old boy was hurt in a shooting Monday in Lawndale on the West Side.

He was riding in a vehicle driven by a 24-year-old woman about 3:55 p.m. in the 3700 block of West 16th Street when someone unleashed gunfire, Chicago police said.

A bullet grazed the boy in the lower back, police said. The woman drove to Loretto Hospital, where the boy was in good condition.

No arrests have been made. Area Four detectives are investigating.

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A man was killed in a shooting Sunday in Gresham on the South Side.

He was inside of a residence about 4 p.m. in the 8600 block of South Lowe Avenue when someone opened fire, striking him in the chest, Chicago police said.

The 35-year-old was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m., police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Though his identity has not been released, an autopsy found he died of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.

No arrests have been reported. Area Two detectives are investigating.

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DENVER — Shohei Ohtani will be the American League’s starting pitcher in Tuesday’s night’s All-Star Game and will bat leadoff, too, as the designated hitter in another landmark for the two-way Japanese sensation.

A 27-year-old in his fourth major league season with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani is the first two-way starter in the history of the All-Star Game, which began in 1933.

“I was actually not expecting to be chosen as a pitcher at all,” Ohtani said Monday through a translator. “It’s a huge honor and I’m going to try my best.”

Ohtani has generated huge buzz across baseball for his exploits at the plate and on the mound. He leads the majors with 33 home runs and is 4-1 with a 3.49 ERA in 13 starts.

“This is what the fans want to see. It’s personally what I wanted to see,” said AL manager Kevin Cash of Tampa Bay.

Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals will be the starting pitcher for the National League in the game at Coors Field.

Ohtani was elected to start at DH by fans and was voted to the AL pitching staff by fellow players. He’s hitting .279 with 70 RBIs, trailing only Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (73) and Boston’s Rafael Devers (72).

On the mound, Ohtani has struck out 87 and walked 35 in 67 innings. His fastball averages 93.8 mph, essentially the same as the 93.7 mph exit velocity of balls off his bat, tops among qualified major league batters.

Ohtani is the most accomplished two-way player since Babe Ruth, who last pitched regularly in 1919. Fans were to see him in action starting Monday night in the Home Run Derby.

Ohtani will become the second Japanese pitcher to start an All-Star game after Hideo Nomo in 1995 and the third Asian. Hyun Jin Ryu of South Korea started in 2019.

A rules change this year for the All-Star Game will allow Ohtani, listed as a DH, to be treated as two individual players and remain as a hitter when he is removed as a pitcher.

“I begged Major League Baseball to tweak the rule,” Cash said.

Guerrero will bat second and play first base for the AL, followed by Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts, New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, Devers at third, Toronto second baseman Marcus Semien, Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, Blue Jays left fielder Teoscar Hernandez and Baltimore center fielder Cedric Mullins.

NL manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers has San Diego shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. leading off, followed by the Dodgers’ Max Muncy at designated hitter, St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado, Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, Cincinnati right fielder Nick Castellanos, Reds left fielder Jesse Winker, Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto and Pittsburgh second baseman Adam Frazier.

Traded by Colorado during the offseason, Arenado is likely to remain a fan favorite at Coors Field.

Scherzer will make his fourth All-Star start, matching Jim Palmer and Randy Johnson for second-most behind five each by Robin Roberts, Lefty Gomez and Don Drysdale.

Scherzer started the 2013 All-Star Game for the AL while with Detroit, and the 2017 and 2018 All-Star Games while with Washington. An eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner, he is 7-4 with a 2.66 ERA this season with 134 strikeouts and 22 walks in 98 innings.

The All-Star Game returns this year after the cancellation of the 2020 event at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles due to the coronavirus pandemic, which delayed opening day until July 23.

This year’s game was scheduled for Atlanta’s Truist Park, but baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred Manfred announced April 2 that the event would be moved because of Georgia’s new election law, which critics say will negatively affect communities of color.

Four days later, Manfred said this year’s game would be played at Coors Field, which held its only previous All-Star Game in 1998.

Because of last year’s cancellation, Dodger Stadium will host the All-Stars in 2022.

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House For All; Chicago’s NISA Club Announces Ticket Pricing For Groups Of 10 Or More

Chicago House AC Group Tickets for parties of 10 or more for individual matches during the 2021 Chicago House AC Fall NISA Season are now available for purchase starting at the group pricing of $12 per seat, per match.

The House’s inaugural 2021 NISA Fall Season includes nine home matchups at SeatGeek Stadium starting with the team’s home opener versus New Amsterdam FC on August 21st, followed by matchups against Detroit City FC (8/29), LA Force (9/17), Michigan Stars (9/24), San Diego 1904 FC (10/9), Chattanooga FC (10/13), Maryland Bobcats FC (10/23), Stumptown AC (11/13) and Cal United (11/20).

Fans can book their group tickets by visiting the website or by contacting Chicago House AC Ticket Sales Representative, Roberto Diaz via email at [email protected] or by phone at (773) 818-1009.

Additional group pricing is available for qualified groups such as youth soccer teams, non-profit organizations, first responders, military members, corporate outings and more.

Parking for individual matches is also now available with the purchase of group tickets for $20 per vehicle.

For more information on all Chicago House AC ticket packages, parking and the 1790 Founders Club, please visit www.chicagohouseac.com, contact Roberto Diaz or email [email protected].

Chicago House AC

Founded in 2020, Chicago House Athletic Club is a community-based professional soccer team which will begin play in Fall 2021 at the 20,000 capacity SeatGeek Stadium at 71st and Harlem in Bridgeview, Illinois. The team will compete in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA,) a U.S. Soccer sanctioned third division league. Led by Managing Partner, President & CEO Peter Wilt, Chicago House AC is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) committed to transparency and working with its constituents to use its platform for social justice, diversity, equality, inclusion and community improvement. For more information, contact us at [email protected], visit www.chicagohouseac.com and follow on social media @ChicagoHouse_AC. “Our City, Our House.”

The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA)

The National Independent Soccer Association was founded in 2017 with a mission to bring professional soccer to every city in the United States. A pro league member of U.S. Soccer, NISA focuses on a model based on meritocracy, independent clubs controlling their own league, clubs owning their intellectual property, all without the barrier of territorial rights. Sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation, NISA also runs the mid-summer pro-am Independent Cup tournament, the year-long amateur league NISA Nation, and NISA Media. For more information about NISA visit NISAOfficial.com or contact at [email protected]. Follow NISA on Twitter @NISALeague and on Instagram @nisasoccer.

Feature Image Credit: Chicago House AC on Facebook

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The same neighborhoods continue to bear the brunt of gun violence in Chicago, with most of those shot over the weekend attacked in areas that have been much more violent this year than last.

Of the 10 police districts where shootings occurred between Friday evening and Sunday night, only one has been doing better this year, Harrison, traditionally one of the city’s worst areas, according to data kept by the Sun-Times.

Five of the 46 people hit by gunfire were attacked in the Harrison police district, which covers East and West Garfield Park. None of the 11 fatal shootings occurred there.

Shootings in Harrison have been down 5% from this time last year. The other nine districts have seen shootings increase anywhere from 4% to 144%.

Overall, the number of people shot in Chicago is up 12.6% through July 10, compared to the same period in 2020, and 59 percent over the same time in 2019, according to police department statistics.

Over the weekend, the most people were shot in the Gresham police district on the South Side (7) and the Ogden district on the West Side. (7) Next was Englewood with six.

Following are some of the attacks:

• A man was killed and another wounded Friday evening in a home in West Pullman on the Far South Side. The shooting occurred around 5:20 p.m. in the 11800 block of South State Street, Chicago police said. Shawn Young, 47, was shot in the head, buttocks and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The other man, 34, was struck in the hand and shoulder. He was in critical condition at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
• An hour later, a man was killed in Roseland on the South Side. He was on the sidewalk in the 11000 block of South Vernon Avenue when a light-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside fired about 6:20 p.m., police said. The 39-year-old was struck in the chest and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released.
• Two people were shot and killed Saturday afternoon in a drive-by in Englewood on the South Side. The men, 20 and 33, were in the parking lot of a gas station in the 6100 block of South Ashland Avenue when a dark-colored car pulled up and someone inside opened fire, police said. The 33-year-old was struck in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The younger man was struck throughout his body and pronounced dead at the scene.
• A man was killed and two women were wounded Saturday night outside Cook County Jail. Londre Sylvester, 31, and a woman were walking in the 2700 South of West California Avenue when two people got out of a car and began firing about 8:50 p.m., Chicago police said. Sylvester was struck in the face and chest and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The woman, 60, was struck in the knee and taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was listed in good condition. Another woman, 35, standing nearby was grazed by a bullet to her face, police said. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and was also listed in good condition.
• On Sunday, a man was killed and another critically wounded in a shooting in the Lower West Side. They were walking in the 2100 block of South Oakley Avenuewhen someone opened fire about 3:45 a.m., police said. The gunman may have fired shots from a black car. A 22-year old was shot in the chest and was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. He hasn’t been identified. The other, 25, was shot in the head and was taken to the same hospital in critical condition, police said.
• A man was wounded Friday in West Englewood on the South Side. He was in a parked car in the 5600 block of South Wolcott Avenue when someone opened fire about 6:10 p.m., police said. The 26-year-old was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.
• A 59-year-old man was wounded late Friday in the University Village neighborhood. He was walking in the 1300 block of South Blue Island Avenue when he shot about 10:15 p.m. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was in fair condition..
• On Saturday, two men were seriously hurt in a shooting in West Garfield Park. They were standing with a group of people about 1 a.m. in the 4100 block of West Adams Street when someone opened fire, police said. A 32-year-old was shot twice in the chest and went to Stroger Hospital, where he was in serious condition, police said. The other man, 48, was struck in the back, chest and arm and went to Mount Sinai hospital, also in serious condition.

At least 32 other people were wounded in shootings between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

Last weekend in Chicago, 104 people were shot, 19 fatally, making it the deadliest and most violent this year.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms and a high near 75 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low around 66. Tomorrow will be partly sunny with a chance of showers and a high near 83.

Top story

Photographer takes stunning images of nebulas and galaxies — all from light-polluted downtown Chicago

Downtown Chicago’s light pollution makes it nearly impossible to see stars in the night sky, yet Gian Lorenzo Ferretti can see nebulas thousands of light years away while standing right on his balcony in the heart of the city.

Since November, Ferretti has been posting his astrophotography on his Instagram (@gianlorenzo_photography), capturing vibrant images of nebulas and galaxies with his telescope from his home in University Village.

“A lot of the people that follow me thought I was photoshopping the photos or creating them on my own,” He said. “I’m not making anything up.”

While he works as an architectural photographer, he has always been passionate about astrophotography even before he knew much about it.

Ferretti captures the pictures using narrow-band filters on his telescopes, the same kind of filters NASA uses on the Hubble Space Telescope, he said. The filters allow narrow light wavelengths to pass through, cutting out all light pollution. They then isolate the gas emissions of the nebula he targets, allowing him to capture these photos.

“A few years ago it would’ve been unthinkable to shoot astrophotography here,” he said. “You can still do something really cool, even if you’re in one of the most light-polluted cities in the U.S.”

Learn more about how Feretti takes the pictures and his plans for the future.

More news you need

1. An 18-year-old woman was pronounced dead after her body was pulled from the Chicago River early yesterday near Goose Island on the North Side. The woman, who has been identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office, was unresponsive when she was pulled from the river, police said.
2. An FBI agent’s successful legal battle could result in additional benefits for almost two million other long-serving veterans who want to further their education. The man, who lives in Virginia, had sued the government, arguing that the federal VA shortchanged him on tuition benefits provided under the GI Bill.
3. Chicago business groups are nervous as Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, citing evidence of longstanding inequities, reviews assessments citywide. The reform-minded Kaegi faces a big test in reassessing property values after we reported the county’s “senior freeze” tax program was riddled with errors and weak oversight.
4. The Berghoff is back slinging fresh beers and delicious German food in the Loop. The venerable downtown restaurant and its Adams Street Brewery fully reopened today for the first time amid the pandemic.
5. A 15-year-old from Aurora and a Naperville gym manager are among Chicago-area athletes competing on tonight’s episode of “American Ninja Warrior.” The new episode airs at 7 p.m. on NBC.

A bright one

Lincoln Park Zoo welcomes baby piping plover

An endangered piping plover chick has hatched at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Chicago’s most famous bird parents, Monty and Rose, welcomed three new chicks into the world earlier this month at Montrose Beach Dunes Natural Area. But when Monty and Rose decided to dote on the fluffy new arrivals, they abandoned a fourth, unhatched egg.

So the folks at Lincoln Park Zoo moved in.

“After spending a day closely monitored at the zoo in a hatcher, the chick hatched July 10 and appeared strong, healthy and vocal,” according to a statement from the zoo.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file

“We are honored to play a part in the recovery and conservation efforts of these incredible plovers,” said Sunny Nelson, the Hope B. McCormick Curator of Birds and Wildlife Policy. “We are cautiously optimistic but remain hopeful the chick will thrive alongside its parents.”

Read Stefano Esposito’s full story here.

From the press box

Your daily question ?

Where’s the best place near Chicago to go see the stars in the night sky?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Reply to this email (please include your first name and where you live) and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

On Friday, we asked you: How would you describe deep dish pizza to someone who’s never had it before?

“It’s like if you take a regular pizza and mate it with a casserole, and slather it with awesome.” — Mike Irving

“It’s like diving into a pool of yummy cheese and tomato sauce with a savory flakey bottom.” — Philip Garofalo

“Above ground swimming pool made of bread filled with molten hot lava covered in a cheese tarp.” — Jeff Riemersma

“The pizza only tourists eat.” — Mary Puckett Shaughnessy

“The Pizza we give to tourists. Then I’d take them for some real Chicago pizza.” — Kenny Perales

“The first thing I say is that most Chicagoans eat thin crust pizza. Deep dish is a tourist thing. Real Chicago pizza is thin crust, tavern style.” — Mary E. Sullivan Bauer

“What can we say about deep dish? We can say that most of us love our beloved deep dish but truthfully we are most likely to order a thin crust tavern style pizza. (We make terrific thin too!) Occasionally, when the mood strikes us we will choose a deep dish.” — Melissa Bernardin

“Deep dish can be described as having all of the flavor you associate with pizza and a heavy consistency that can be compared to lasagna. The sauce tends to be a little bit spicy and typically is baked for around 40 minutes which gives the crust more of an oven baked bread flavor. It tastes familiar and like nothing else in the world all at once.” — Rich Williamson

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

Sign up here to get the Afternoon Edition in your inbox every day.

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An attorney who represents a former Blackhawks player who alleges he was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010 is open to the possibility of her client participating in the team’s review of the accusations under the right conditions.

A former federal prosecutor has been hired by the Blackhawks to conduct what the team says is an independent investigative review of the allegations in a pair of lawsuits filed against the team. In an internal memo sent on June 28, CEO Danny Wirtz said Reid Schar and Jenner & Block LLP “have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead.”

The first suit alleges sexual assault by former assistant coach Bradley Aldrich during the team’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, and the second was filed by a former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting in Michigan.

Susan Loggans, an attorney who represents the former player and student, said Monday that her clients were open to participating in the review by Jenner & Block. But she said they want to know more about the parameters of the investigation, and they want the opportunity to conduct their own interviews of key former and current team executives.

“We’ve never been told what the investigation includes,” Loggans said. “For example, are they just investigating whether or not sexual misconduct occurred, which seems to be very evident that it did, or are they going to investigate whether the Blackhawks knowingly allowed it to exist without doing anything? They’ve never said what they’re investigating.”

Loggans also said the Blackhawks haven’t said anything about what if any part of the review would be made available after it was completed, or what they plan to do with the results.

Loggans said an attorney from Jenner & Block asked if he could interview her clients, and she asked for more information and the chance to interview one or more team executives under the same terms for interviewing her clients.

“They responded, saying they really couldn’t do that,” Loggans said.

A message was left Monday seeking comment from the Blackhawks. In his June 28 memo, Wirtz said the team would refrain from further comment until the independent review and legal proceedings had concluded.

In his lawsuit, filed on May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court, the former player says Aldrich assaulted him, and that the team did nothing after he informed an employee. The suit also alleges Aldrich assaulted another unidentified Blackhawks player. The former player who sued and is seeking more than $150,000 in damages is referred in the document as “John Doe.”

The eight-page lawsuit says Aldrich, then a video coach for the Blackhawks, “turned on porn and began to masturbate in front of” the player without his consent. It says Aldrich also threatened to “physically, financially and emotionally” hurt the player if he “did not engage in sexual activity” with him.

According to TSN, two Blackhawks players told then-skills coach Paul Vincent in May 2010 of inappropriate behavior by Aldrich. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

Vincent was called into a meeting with then-team President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey executive Al MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said he asked the team to report the allegations to Chicago police, and the request was denied.

Vincent said Monday in an email to the AP that he had not been contacted by Jenner & Block.

An attorney for Aldrich told Chicago public radio station WBEZ that his client denies the allegations in the lawsuit. In a May statement to the radio station, the Blackhawks said the allegations directed at it were groundless.

After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a student and is now on that state’s registry of sex offenders.

The former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting filed a separate lawsuit against the Blackhawks on May 26, saying the Blackhawks provided positive references to future employers of Aldrich despite allegations from at least one player and took no action to report the matter.

That suit says the student was a hockey player at Houghton High School near Hancock in 2013 when Aldrich sexually assaulted him at an end-of-season gathering.

Houghton police records say an investigator reached out to the Blackhawks about Aldrich, but human resources executive Marie Sutera would confirm only that he was once an employee. She requested a search warrant or subpoena for any further information regarding Aldrich.

Miami University in Ohio also has opened an investigation. Aldrich was employed by the school from June 2012 to November 2012. He resigned “under suspicion of unwanted touching of a male adult,” the university’s attorney told police.

A spokeswoman for the school said Monday it was aware of two accusations of sexual assault involving Aldrich.

“In November 2012, Miami University was made aware of allegations of an off-campus sexual assault involving a non-student adult and Brad Aldrich,” Jessica Rivinius said in an email to the AP. “When the Miami University Police Department reached out to the alleged victim, they offered to assist the individual in filing a police report with the Oxford Police Department. The individual declined to make a report.

“A second adult alleged victim came forward in 2018 and filed a police report with Miami University Police about an assault that occurred off-campus in 2012. That report was forwarded to the Oxford Police Department.”

Rivinius said the review of Aldrich’s employment at Miami is being conducted by Barnes & Thornburg LLP, and the school plans to release a report at the conclusion of the investigation.

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The definition of Pandora’s Box, according to Merriam-Webster’s, is “a prolific source of troubles; something that will lead to many problems.”

By adopting a new policy for student-athletes that allows them to accept compensation — called “NIL” for “Name, Image and Likeness” — the NCAA, as well as the rest of the grown-ups in the room (state and federal legislators) just created a big new source of troubles.

This is sure to lead to many, many problems for student-athletes.

As a former student-athlete, former college athletic administrator and kid who grew up far below the poverty line, I’m actually torn by the NCAA’s decision, adopted on July 1, to allow student-athletes to benefit financially from their name, image and likeness. My mom and I sure could have used an extra $10, $100 or $1,000 back when I was a student-athlete. But that opportunity didn’t exist in 1987, the year I received a football scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.

So I generally favor allowing student-athletes to be compensated in big-time college sports, but it should be done properly, in a safe environment, not in the “Wild West” manner of the NCAA’s new policy. The NCAA just told 18-to-21-year-olds to go out and get endorsement deals, do appearances and market themselves — and, hey, don’t forget to pay your taxes on all that.

Let’s be real. Only a handful of players — quarterbacks, running backs and a few others — will make the “big bucks.” Most other student-athletes won’t.

Don’t worry, that won’t cause any drama in the locker room.

At face value, this opportunity looks pretty good. A student-athlete can sign autographs at the local supermarket, while another student-athlete signs a shoe/apparel contract and yet a third says, “If you send me $10, I’ll send you an autographed photo.”

But who is going to administer all of this? Who is going to police all the possible ways student-athletes could be exploited?

Some colleges and universities have said they’ll hire someone to manage al this; others say they’ll outsource the job. But will they? These are the same schools still trying to recover from the unexpected costs and layoffs created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What about the school that simply can’t afford to hire more staff? Will responsibility for managing all these instant small business decisions now fall solely on the student-athlete?

At 12:01 a.m. on July 1, several student-athletes announced they had formed their own businesses to handle their marketing and endorsements. Really? When I played for the Chicago Bears, I hired a professional marketing firm to handle this stuff. Not a bunch of pals. Not a parent.

Do student-athletes even have time for this?

The NCAA has been arguing for years that student-athletes don’t have enough time even to be students. To go to classes. To hit the books. But now they’re supposed to handle marketing, endorsements and a schedule of personal experiences?

What will be their office hours? What will happen to their grades? If there’s an opportunity to make some money during class time, what will be their priority?

It all threatens to become a huge distraction from education — and from sports — for student-athletes. And we all know how much coaches love distractions.

Is there a solution? Is there a more workable balance? There is, and I’ve been preaching it for years.

Rather than be completely freed to market themselves individually, with all the pitfalls that presents, student-athletes should receive a straight-up percentage of the revenue from their respective sport. Colleges and universities pull in billions from sports — from broadcast rights, merchandising rights, sponsorships and the like — and there’s no reason in the world student-athletes should not share in that.

And that money then should be put into a trust that the student-athletes can’t touch until they are 28 to 30 years old. When they are in a better and more mature place in life to handle the money responsibly.

Any alternative, to be honest, looks better than what the NCAA has just done: Told student-athletes they finally can do something, but given them no guidance or assistance in how to do it.

The grown-ups in the room should have spent more time thinking this through — how to responsibly roll out a new era of financial compensation for student-athletes — rather than just throw open Pandora’s Box.

But, instead, the NCAA has left it to the student-athletes to figure this mess out, while dodging a bullet itself. Because, with this new NIL policy, they won’t have to share one dollar of their own billions in revenue.

Isn’t that ironic?

Christopher Zorich, who played defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears from 1991 to 1996, is a partner at the executive search firm Randall Partners.

Send letters to [email protected].

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