Afternoon Edition: June 10, 2021on June 10, 2021 at 8:00 pm

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 sunny with a high near 80 degrees. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 66. Tomorrow will be sunny again with a high near 86.

Top story

New Trier student dies after being electrocuted while walking along CTA tracks in Evanston

A 16-year-old girl died after she was electrocuted while walking along CTA tracks in Evanston early Wednesday.

Samantha Cerrone, a sophomore at New Trier High School, was walking with another teenage girl near the Purple Line Central Street station around 2 a.m., according to Evanston Fire Department Chief Paul Polep.

Cerrone, of Winnetka, was electrocuted and taken by paramedics across the street to Evanston Hospital, where she was pronounced dead an hour later, Polep and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. The other girl was uninjured.

Autopsy results have not been released.

David Struett has the full story.

More news you need

  1. An “interim” CPD policy intended to limit when officers chase suspects on foot still gives cops too much latitude to engage in pursuits that can lead to fatal encounters, activists say. The new temporary policy takes effect tomorrow and the public will have until July 15 to officially comment on it.
  2. Patrick Daley Thompson’s federal case took another turn today as a prosecutor told a judge Daley Thompson made false statements to federal agents about payments on loans from a failed Bridgeport bank. U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama also floated the idea of a trial either in October or February.
  3. The feud between “Windy City Rehab” star Alison Victoria and former co-host Donovan Eckhardt continues ahead of the show’s expected return later this year. In a court affidavit fighting an attempt to move the case to California, Eckhardt pointed out that Victoria still lives in Chicago “in a home that I built.”
  4. A 36-year-old man was sentenced to court supervision and community service this week after he admitted he attacked Ald. Brendan Reilly outside a River North bar. It’s unclear what led to the Feb. 18 attack.
  5. Parkway Gardens, one of the biggest and most notorious affordable housing complexes in Chicago, is no longer for sale. The company that owns the property confirmed today it’s been taken off the market after being listed in April, Dave Roeder reports.
  6. “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert is returning to his original comedy home, Second City, as one of the the company’s newly appointed members to its new board of directors. It’s believed to be the first time in Second City’s 61-year history that it’s been governed by a board.

A bright one

Chicago museums to stay open late Friday to celebrate full reopening of city

Some of Chicago’s largest museums will stay open late tomorrow night to celebrate the city reopening for the first time in nearly 15 months.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the one-night commemoration yesterday as the city readies itself for tomorrow, when the city enters what’s called Phase 5 — the lifting of capacity restrictions that had been in place since last spring.

The newly updated Boeing 727 exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry which will stay open late on June 11 in celebration of the city fully reopening.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Under Phase 5, all sectors of the economy will reopen. With no capacity limits, festivals, weddings, conferences, sporting events and museums are making a return in full force.

Participating museums — including Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, DuSable Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry — will extend their closing time by several hours.

Get the full schedules for tomorrow at each museum in Manny Ramos’ story.

From the press box

Your daily question ?

With Chicago set to fully reopen tomorrow, how do you think the city handled the pandemic over the last 15 months?

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

Yesterday, we asked you: What is the best part about your neighborhood? Tell us why. Here’s what some of you said…

“Our subdivision is filled with caring people we are proud to call neighbors. We are of all ethnicities, our own melting pot! As it should be in the USA.” — Donna Schraeder

“Brynford Park is a perfect spot. Quiet neighborhood, but still urban. Near the North Park Village Nature Center and the North Branch Bike trail. 94’s backed up? Take Lake Shore Drive downtown. Our neighbors look out for one another but aren’t nosy. We have beautiful community gardens on every corner, too.” — Elizabeth Brown

“My corner of Edgebrook — Wildwood is surrounded by forest preserves. We get deer, raccoons, foxes and opossums visiting us, woodpeckers and hawks and chipmunks, too. We live in a forest in the city!” — Jason Betke

“Kenwood. Close Proximity to shopping, transportation, lakefront, parks, museums, hospitals.” — Norman Littlejohn

“Our neighborhood is the most ethnically diverse among all of heavily segregated Chicago’s neighborhoods — the whole world lives in West Ridge.” — Michael R. Butz

“I live next to a cemetery all my neighbors are quiet.” — Joseph Dennis Steele

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.

Read More

Afternoon Edition: June 10, 2021on June 10, 2021 at 8:00 pm Read More »

White Sox voice Jason Benetti’s excitement for Olympics goes beyond calling baseballon June 10, 2021 at 8:26 pm

White Sox TV voice Jason Benetti developed an affinity for the Olympics as a kid. He rooted for all the small countries whose delegation amounted to the person carrying the flag at the opening ceremony.

During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Benetti watched curling religiously while attending Syracuse. He and his friends became such fans that they went to the Utica Curling Club to learn more about the game.

And during his time calling High-A baseball, he watched with friends at a Wilmington, Delaware, sports bar as swimmer Jason Lezak rallied the American men’s 4×100-meter relay team to victory in the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. It was one of Michael Phelps’ record eight gold medals.

“Honestly, I’ve watched the call from [NBC’s] Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines probably about 100 times,” Benetti said. “I always loved the majesty and the joy and the possibility of the Olympics that somebody that you’ve never heard of does something that changes their lives.”

In the upcoming Summer Games in Tokyo, viewers will hear Benetti, who will announce his first Olympics as NBC’s lead voice for baseball. He’ll call the semifinals, bronze-medal and gold-medal games Aug. 4-7 from the network’s studios in Stamford, Connecticut, alongside analyst Eduardo Perez of ESPN.

Kevin Cross, the president and general manager of Sox TV home NBC Sports Chicago, was part of network discussions about Olympics coverage, and he put in a good word for Benetti. Cross called him near the end of spring training to gauge his interest in the job.

“I said, ‘Are you serious?’ ” Benetti recalled. ” ‘I got a COVID vaccine and a call to do the Olympics within 90 minutes of one another. I have no idea what’s gonna happen the rest of the day, but it’s not gonna top this.’ “

From the sound of it, Cross didn’t need to twist anyone’s arm.

“We have been familiar with Jason for some time,” said Rebecca Chatman, vice president and coordinating producer of NBC Olympics production. “His attention to detail, passion for the game and the comfortable way he weaves storytelling into his play-by-play made Jason an ideal baseball voice for us.”

The job required the Sox and ESPN, for whom Benetti calls almost everything, to sign off. Both made the process quick and easy.

“I’m eternally grateful that it happened that way because they didn’t have to do that,” Benetti said.

Sox radio voice Len Kasper will join Steve Stone on NBCSCH, and Connor McKnight will join Darrin Jackson on ESPN 1000.

Benetti always wanted to call the Olympics, but it seemed so out of reach – often literally and figuratively – that he never conceptualized he would do it. Now he can, and he’s already ahead of the game. Team USA has several former Sox.

Todd Frazier, Jon Jay and David Robertson played for the Sox while Benetti was in the booth. Benetti has remained friends with Frazier, and they’ve exchanged texts. Other prominent former major-leaguers on the team are Homer Bailey, Edwin Jackson and Matt Kemp.

Manager Mike Scioscia’s team clinched a spot in the six-team Olympic field Sunday by beating Venezuela in a qualifying event in Florida. The Americans joined Israel, Japan, Korea and Mexico. The final spot will be determined in another qualifier June 22-26 in Mexico. The Olympic tournament begins July 27.

Benetti is excited to work with Perez, his partner on ESPN baseball Statcasts. Perez, a former major-league player and coach and the son of Hall of Famer Tony Perez, also has served as an analyst on ESPN’s international MLB coverage. He and Benetti called KBO games for the network last season.

“His international understanding and his ability to connect with so many people and our ability to do shows together, I am so thrilled,” Benetti said. “He is one of my favorite people on the planet. He has contacts across the globe about baseball. He’s the perfect analyst for this.”

Benetti has seemed busier than ever lately. He has called MLB and NBA games for ESPN, and he and Kasper debuted their podcast, “Sox Degrees,” on Monday. Sox general manager Rick Hahn was the guest, and he shared a side of him that fans don’t see.

“We’re not gonna be news-breakers. We’re here for the stories,” Benetti said. “We’re here for asking questions that other people won’t ask and legitimate curiosity.”

Next up are the Olympics, which are sure to give Benetti plenty more stories to tell.

Remote patrol

  • The Cubs return to Fox on Saturday, when they host the Cardinals. Joe Buck and A.J. Pierzynski will call the game, with Ken Rosenthal reporting. ESPN then will carry the Cubs’ next three games: Sunday night against the Cardinals and Monday and Tuesday nights against the Mets in New York (ESPN won’t show the game Tuesday locally). Marquee Sports Network will air both Mets games.
  • NBC will air an unprecedented 13 nights of primetime coverage on the broadcast network of the U.S. Olympic team trials for diving, swimming, gymnastics and track and field beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Read More

White Sox voice Jason Benetti’s excitement for Olympics goes beyond calling baseballon June 10, 2021 at 8:26 pm Read More »

16-year-old boy shot, seriously wounded in Chicago Lawn alleyon June 10, 2021 at 8:32 pm

A 16-year-old boy was seriously wounded in a shooting Thursday afternoon in Chicago Lawn on the Southwest Side.

A gunman came up to the teen in an alley and opened fire around 1:15 p.m. in the 6100 block of South Spaulding Avenue, Chicago police said.

The boy was shot in the groin and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was listed in serious condition, police said.

Additional details were not released.

Read More

16-year-old boy shot, seriously wounded in Chicago Lawn alleyon June 10, 2021 at 8:32 pm Read More »

Cubs, White Sox announcers’ national profiles make for ‘weird’ broadcastson June 10, 2021 at 8:47 pm

No city’s baseball announcers have a greater profile than Chicago’s. White Sox TV voice Jason Benetti calls baseball, football and basketball for ESPN. Sox radio voice Len Kasper calls baseball for Fox. Cubs TV voice Jon “Boog” Sciambi calls baseball for ESPN radio and basketball for ESPN TV.

But their national work can make for strange bedfellows. Sciambi called the Sox-Angels game for the first “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast of the season. Kasper, the former Cubs TV voice, has called three Sox games for FS1 – one with former Cub Eric Karros – forcing him to keep an impartial tone. On Monday, Benetti called the Cubs-Padres game for ESPN with Doug Glanville, another former Cub.

“It’s weird for everybody,” Benetti said. “It’s a little jarring when Boog does a Sox game and I do a Cubs game. But it’s a testament to the professionalism of everybody here.”

Benetti won’t take Sox games off to call a game on ESPN. But to stay in the network’s rotation, he’ll call a game on a night the Sox are off, such as Monday. It’s easier to do this year because local TV announcers are still broadcasting remotely. The game Monday just happened to involve the Cubs.

“I know when Joe Buck was doing Cardinals games, he did Cubs games [for Fox],” Benetti said. “I can be neutral. To me it’s another game. I know there’s a Sox fan here and there that’s like, ‘Come on, what are you doing?’ But it’s part of the gig. Sometimes you have to do a game of the rival.”

Read More

Cubs, White Sox announcers’ national profiles make for ‘weird’ broadcastson June 10, 2021 at 8:47 pm Read More »

#Chi50Contest Ruleson June 10, 2021 at 8:01 pm

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

The #Chi50contest Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) starts at 9:01 a.m. CT on July 1, 2021, and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on December 31, 2021 (“Sweepstakes Period”). This Sweepstakes will be subject to these Official Rules, and by entering, all entrants agree to abide and be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the judges and Sponsors. The Sweepstakes is intended for play in the United States only, and is void where prohibited and outside the Sweepstakes area set forth below. Do not participate if you are not eligible and not located in the United States at the time of entry.

1) Eligibility: This Sweepstakes is open to legal U.S. residents residing in the Illinois counties of Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, or Will; who are 21 years and older as of the first day of the Sweepstakes Period. Employees (and their immediate household or family members) of Chicagoland Publishing Company, LLC, publisher of Chicago magazine, Lou Malnati’s (collectively, Chicagoland Publishing Company and Lou Malnati’s will be referred to as “Sponsors”) and any of their respective parent companies, affiliates, and subsidiaries, and any of the advertising agencies, prize providers, promotion and delivery contractors and/or public relations companies associated with this Sweepstakes, are not eligible to participate. Immediate family members include spouse, parents, siblings, and children and their respective spouses. Potential winners may be requested to provide proof that all eligibility requirements are met as well as proof of ownership of the email address associated with the winning entry. Void where prohibited and outside the above-listed area.

2) Challenges and Prizes: Visit 5 locations from the Chicago magazine Iconic Eats issue and win a free Lou Malnati’s t-shirt (only 250 available). VALUE: $10. Visit 25 locations from the Chicago magazine Iconic Eats issue and win a free small deep-dish pizza with one topping (only 100 available). VALUE: $20. Visit all 50 locations from the Chicago magazine Iconic Eats issue and and win a pizza per month for 12 months (only 1 available) VALUE: $500. Once the main prize is gone all other winners will receive a $50 gift card (only 50 available) VALUE: $50.

3) How to Enter: To enter, visit the restaurants featured in Chicago magazine’s Iconic Eats issue, take a photo of your meal, tag @chicagomag and @loumalnatis, use the hashtag #Chi50contest then post it to your Instagram (Note: Stories will not be accepted. Participants must post to their feed). The entrant is the person who posts the photos to their feed. If there is a dispute over who submitted an entry, the entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the Instagram account used to enter. The authorized account holder of an Instagram account is deemed to be the natural person who is assigned to an Instagram account by Instagram.  Potential winners may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder. Incomplete entries will be disqualified, and Sponsors are not responsible for entries that are lost, late, deleted, garbled, corrupted, misdelivered, or misdirected as a result of technical, internet or other online difficulties or errors. All entries must be received by the close of the Sweepstakes Period. Limit one prize per person.

4) Winner & Notification: During the duration of the Sweepstakes the entrant may pick up their prize whenever they complete a challenge. To claim your prize, you must be redeemed in person at the Lou Malnati’s Michigan Ave (410. North Michigan Ave) location. Participants must show proof of their posts on Instagram to claim their prize. Each prize can only be redeemed once. Limited prize quantities.

Sponsor will not be responsible for any cancellations, delays or substitutions or any acts or omissions whatsoever by the venue or any other person or entities providing any of the prize services.  All prize details will be at Sponsors’ sole discretion. Winners assume sole responsibility for all expenses and incidental costs associated with the prize not explicitly outlined above, including without limitation, all federal, state and local income, sales and use taxes (if any), or any other taxes, fees, and surcharges, gratuities, tips, transportation, parking, souvenirs, concessions, upgrades, personal items, and incidentals. There are no refunds. Prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash and may not be sold, bartered or auctioned. Prize may not be substituted except that Sponsor in its discretion may substitute a prize, or portion thereof, with a prize or portion of equal or greater value if it deems necessary. Any such changes will be announced by Sponsor. Any portion of the prize not used by winners is forfeit and no cash substitute will be offered or permitted. If winners are unable to use the gift card, prize will be forfeited. Prize offered is provided “as is” with no warranty or guarantee either express or implied by Sponsors. Sponsor not responsible for loss, delay, or damage in delivery. Prize substitutions are not allowed, and prize is not transferable. Only Sponsor may elect, at their discretion, to substitute a prize of greater or equal value because of lack of availability. Prize is awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. Properly claimed prize will be awarded, but in no event will Sponsor award more prizes than are provided for in these Official Rules.

5) Other Conditions: By entering this Sweepstakes, each entrant agrees to release, waive and hold harmless Sponsors, Tribune Publishing, Instagram, and their affiliates, subsidiaries, parent corporations and advertising and promotional agencies, and all of their officers, directors, shareholders, employees and agents from any and all injuries, claims, damages, losses, costs, or expenses of any kind (including without limitation attorney’s fees) resulting from accessing the Sweepstakes website; submitting an entry or otherwise participating in any aspect of the Sweepstakes; the receipt, ownership or use of any prize awarded; preparing for, participating in or traveling to and/or from any prize-related activity, or; any printing, typographical or other error in these Official Rules or the announcement of offering of any prize. Neither the failure of Sponsors to insist upon or enforce strict performance of any provision of these Official Rules nor the failure, delay or omission by Sponsors in exercising any right with respect to any term of these Official Rules, will be construed as a waiver or relinquishment to any extent of Sponsors’ right to assert or rely upon any such provision or right in that or any other instance. Sponsors also reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Sweepstakes. If there is any discrepancy between any term of these Official Rules and marketing or entry materials used in connection with the Sweepstakes, the Official Rules will govern.

By accepting the prize, winners agree, where legal, to allow Sponsor and its agents and licensees to use winner’s name, voice, photograph, likeness, any statement provided by winners, and any information provided on the entry form, in any medium of communication, including advertising, promotional or other purposes in connection with the Sweepstakes, without additional compensation.

6) Internet/Fraud/Tampering: If for any reason this Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, or if this Sweepstakes or any website associated therewith (or any portion thereof) becomes corrupted or does not allow the proper playing of the Sweepstakes and processing of entries in accordance with these Official Rules, or if infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, actions by entrants, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes, in the Sponsors’ sole opinion, corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes, the Sponsors reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual implicated in such action and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend this Sweepstakes or any portion thereof. If this Sweepstakes is canceled, the Sponsors will conduct a random drawing to award prize from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to the time of the action or event warranting such cancellation, provided Sponsors are able to do so. If such cancellation, termination, modification, or suspension occurs, notification will be posted on Chicago magazine’s Instagram feed. Sponsors reserve the right to prohibit any entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes if, at their sole discretion, Sponsors find such entrant shows a disregard for, or attempts to circumvent, these Official Rules, or acts: (a) in a manner the Sponsors determine to be not fair or equitable; (b) in an annoying, threatening or harassing manner; or (c) in any other disruptive manner. If a dispute arises regarding compliance with these Official Rules, Sponsor may consider, in its sole discretion, data reasonably available to Sponsor through information technology systems in Sponsor’s control, but Sponsor will not be obligated to consider any data or other information collected from any other source. Sponsors assume no liability for: (a) any incorrect or inaccurate entry information, or for any faulty, failed, garbled or jumbled electronic data transmissions; (b) any unauthorized access to, or theft, destruction or alteration of entries at any point in the operation of this Sweepstakes; (c) any technical malfunction, failure, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or communications line failure, regardless of cause, with regard to any equipment, systems, networks, lines, satellites, servers, computers or providers utilized in any aspect of the operation of the Sweepstakes; or (d) inaccessibility or unavailability of the Internet or the Sweepstakes website or any combination thereof.

7) In Case of Dispute: By entering the Sweepstakes, entrants agree that: (a) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Sweepstakes, or prize awarded, will be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (b) any and all claims, judgments and awards will be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the Sweepstakes but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (c) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses. This Sweepstakes will be governed and enforced pursuant to Illinois law, excluding choice of law provisions. The federal and state courts located in Cook County, Illinois will be the exclusive forum for any dispute regarding any Official Rule or activity associated with the Sweepstakes. All entrants agree, by participation in the Sweepstakes, to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in Cook County, Illinois.

8) Official Rules: Official Rules are also available at http://chicagomag.com. All requests for Official Rules must be received within 60 days of the end of the Sweepstakes Period.

9) Sponsors: Chicagoland Publishing Company, LLC, 560 W Grand Ave., Chicago, IL, 60654; Lou Malanti’s, 3685 Woodhead Drive, Northbrook, IL 60062

This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram.  Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the Sweepstakes should be directed to Sponsors, not Instagram.

Read More

#Chi50Contest Ruleson June 10, 2021 at 8:01 pm Read More »

COPS/Take a Jump into our World/Paul Harvey When he was Alive/He captured iton June 10, 2021 at 8:46 pm

JUST SAYIN

COPS/Take a Jump into our World/Paul Harvey When he was Alive/He captured it

Read More

COPS/Take a Jump into our World/Paul Harvey When he was Alive/He captured iton June 10, 2021 at 8:46 pm Read More »

Chicago restaurant and bar owners rejoice in anticipation of end to capacity limitsMitch Dudekon June 10, 2021 at 7:22 pm

A glass of wine at City Winery Chicago.
Capacity limits and social distancing rules for restaurants and bars are expected to lifted Friday. | Sun-Times file

The industry has been under capacity and social distancing restrictions since March 2020. They go away Friday.

Noise. Trays full of drinks skillfully navigating crowded rooms. Live music.

Bar and restaurant owners took a few minutes Thursday to express their joy that the sounds and sights they took for granted prior to the coronavirus pandemic will be returning, beginning Friday, as the state lifts social distancing and capacity mandates.

“It’s extremely exciting,” said Jodi Agee, owner of the Jefferson Tap in the West Loop. “I’m actually near tears. It was really hard for everybody. … We’re at the end of the tunnel, the light is here.”

Len DeFranco, owner of Hawkeye’s Bar & Grill in Little Italy, was eager to once again host diners who could sit down and relax without fear.

“More customers will realize that restaurants are safe … and that there is not a germ lurking behind every glass and dinner plate to attack them. So, for those reasons I’m grateful and very thankful,” he said.

The comments came during a virtual news conference by the Chicago Restaurants Coalition to celebrate the reopening.

“We’re excited, the energy is great in this city, the weather is awesome and we’re just happy to welcome everyone back into the restaurant at 100%” said Kim DiPofi, whose family owns Pompei Restaurant in Little Italy.

Laura Fashoda, general manager of City Winery in the West Loop, said her employees were over the moon to welcome back guests to dine and listen to live music and more at its West Loop venue.

“We are ramping up our efforts to get that room full of people, live music, wine tastings, wine tours, weddings,” she said. “We have brides on a weekly basis that are calling and just ecstatic and thrilled that they have waited so long for this special moment and now they can celebrate it at City Winery,” she said.

Friday marks the first time since March of last year that bars and restaurants won’t be under social distancing and capacity rules.

“This has been a long road,” said Roger Romanelli, the coalition’s coordinator.

Sam Toia, head of the Illinois Restaurant Association, also took a minute to reflect on the long-anticipated day.

“Friday represents a giant, positive step for Chicago. June 11, 2021, will come to represent a milestone breakthrough of this crisis — and the day our industry began to rebuild,” he said in an email.

Read More

Chicago restaurant and bar owners rejoice in anticipation of end to capacity limitsMitch Dudekon June 10, 2021 at 7:22 pm Read More »

College Football Playoff is considering expanding to 12 teamsRalph D. Russo | Associated Presson June 10, 2021 at 7:38 pm

Alabama head coach Nick Saban and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood hold the college football national championship trophy in January. the College Football Playoff is considering expanding the field from four teams to 12.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood hold the college football national championship trophy in January. the College Football Playoff is considering expanding the field from four teams to 12. | Chris O’Meara/AP

A 12-team playoff would include the six highest-ranked conference champions in major college football, plus six at-large selections.

The College Football Playoff announced Thursday that it will consider expanding from four to 12 teams to settle the national championship, with six spots reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions and the other six going to at-large selections.

The CFP’s surprising announcement outlined a plan that would triple the number teams that enter the postseason with a chance to win it all.

Even if the format is adopted — no earlier than this fall — there was no indication in the proposal about when an expanded playoff could be in place. The soonest would seem to be for the 2023 season, but it is probably more likely to be after the 2026 season.

A selection committee would still be involved but a 12-team playoff would not limit how many teams can come from any one conference. The conference champions would receive first-round byes and teams 5-12 would face each other in four games played on campus sometime during the two-week period following conference championship weekend, typically early December.

The plan calls for no re-seeding of the bracket as teams advance. Quarterfinals would be hosted by bowl games on New Year’s Day —- unless that falls on a Sunday, in which case those games will be played Jan. 2 — and an adjacent day.

The semifinals would also be hosted by bowl games, as is the case now.

The proposal includes no dates for semifinals and the championship game to be played, but did indicate the semifinals would not be played as a doubleheader on a single day.

Currently six bowl games have a three-year rotation for hosting the semifinals and the championship game site is open to bidders, similar to the what the NFL does with the Super Bowl. The current semifinal bowl rotation includes the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton and Peach bowls.

“The process for selecting the six bowls that would rotate as hosts of the quarterfinals and semifinals (is) still to be determined,” the CFP plan said.

The plan is expected to be presented to CFP officials in Chicago on June 17-18. It’s an important step in a process that has several more ahead.

The management committee must determine next week whether it will recommend expansion to university presidents who make up the CFP oversight committee. The presidents are scheduled to meet with the management committee in Dallas on June 22.

If the presidents sign off, the next step is determining whether the plan can be implemented and when.

The College Football Playoff is entering year eight of a 12-year agreement with ESPN. The deal doesn’t lock in a format but an assumption has been that any changes would come after that deal expires following the 2025 season.

CFP executive director Bill Hancock has said no changes to the CFP format could be made this season or in 2022.

The four-team playoff was implemented in 2014, a natural progression from the Bowl Championship Series, which matched No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the title game from 1998-2013.

The playoff’s popularity seems to have stagnated as only a few teams have grabbed the majority of the spots since 2014.

Alabama and Clemson have each made the playoff six times in seven years. Ohio State and Oklahoma have each been selected four times. That’s 71% of the playoff spots to just four of the 130 teams that play major college football.

A 12-team field with six spots reserved for conference champions would guarantee at least one team from outside the Power Five conferences would be in the playoff each season. The Group of Five has never had a team crack the field of four or been particularly close.

Read More

College Football Playoff is considering expanding to 12 teamsRalph D. Russo | Associated Presson June 10, 2021 at 7:38 pm Read More »

Former Bears OL Kyle Long’s NFL comeback hits snagPatrick Finleyon June 10, 2021 at 7:48 pm

Kyle Long joined the Chiefs in March after a year of retirement. | AP Photos

Now a member of the Chiefs, Long hurt his knee Wednesday.

Kyle Long’s NFL comeback hit a snag Wednesday.

Playing for the Chiefs after spending last season in retirement as a CBS Sports analyst, the former Bears guard suffered a knee injury. Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters Thursday that “there’s a chance he has to have surgery on it, but we’ll see,’’ though the team does not believe he has ligament damage. They hope he’ll be back for the start of the regular season.

“I did everything I could to prepare to get back for football,” Long wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning. “Zero regrets. I’ve been getting better everyday and having so much fun with my new team. Focusing on controlling the things I can control. Yesterday was not one of those things! Thanks for the well wishes.”

Long started only 29 of 64 regular-season games over his last four years with the Bears because of a variety of injuries. He reached the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, during which he missed only one contest.

He missed most of the 2019 season after the Bears put him on injured reserve with a hip injury that October. Long believed he could have continued playing that year. The Bears didn’t pick up his 2020 option. Long walked away from the sport and into retirement, which lasted one year.

With his body feeling better, Long went from 255 pounds in retirement to 315 pounds in preparing for his return. He signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs in March and was playing right guard during organized team activities.

Read More

Former Bears OL Kyle Long’s NFL comeback hits snagPatrick Finleyon June 10, 2021 at 7:48 pm Read More »

Westminster dog show will be an outdoor, spectator-free event this yearAssociated Presson June 10, 2021 at 6:04 pm

Chet, a berger picard, performs a jump in an agility obstacle in Tarrytown, New York, at the Lyndhurst Estate where the 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held outdoors.
Chet, a berger picard, performs a jump in an agility obstacle in Tarrytown, New York, at the Lyndhurst Estate where the 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held outdoors. | AP

The show was rescheduled from its usual February dates and isn’t allowing in-person spectators. Human participants must be vaccinated or newly tested.

NEW YORK — There will be plenty of tradition, pup and circumstance at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show this weekend.

But for the first time in its 145-year history, the storied canine competition is trading the buzz of the Big Apple for the airy grounds of a suburban riverfront estate, one of many changes prompted by pandemic precautions.

The show was rescheduled from its usual February dates and isn’t allowing in-person spectators. Human participants must be vaccinated or newly tested. Dogs will compete as usual on green carpet for televised parts of the competition, but some other rounds will happen on an even more traditional green carpet — the lawn at the Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, New York.

And the sought-after best in show trophy will be awarded under a tent outside Lyndhurst’s Gothic-castlelike mansion, not in the sports palace of Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden.

An all-American dog, a mixed-breed, is collared by their trainer after performing in an agility obstacle course, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Tarrytown, New York, at the Lyndhurst Estate where the 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held.
AP
An all-American dog, a mixed-breed, is collared by their trainer after performing in an agility obstacle course, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Tarrytown, New York, at the Lyndhurst Estate where the 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held.

“It’s a heartbreak because that’s definitely part of the prestige of going, and the nostalgia,” says handler Renee Rosamilla of Ocala, Florida. “But I’m just, honestly, thrilled that they were able to let us have Westminster this year.”

The show kicks off with an agility competition Friday, followed by weekend events including the traditional breed judging that leads to the best in show title. It will be conferred Sunday night during a live broadcast on Fox. (Earlier rounds also are being televised or streamed.)

Some off-the-beaten-path breeds are in the hunt for the big prize this year. Dog cognoscenti are keeping an eye on high-ranking hopefuls including a lagotto Romagnolo — an Italian truffle-hunting breed that first appeared at Westminster only five years ago — and a Dandie Dinmont terrier, the 15th-rarest U.S. breed, by the American Kennel Club’s count. The Dandie, named for a character in Sir Walter Scott’s 1815 novel “Guy Mannering,” is considered to be at risk of disappearing even in its homeland, the United Kingdom.

The show also is due to feature four breeds that are eligible to compete for the first time — the barbet, the dogo Argentino, the Belgian Laekenois, and the Biewer terrier.

A barbet, biewer Terrier (from left), Belgian laekenois and dogo Argentino are presented for journalists during a news conference, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Tarrytown, New York., at the Lyndhurst Estate where the 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held outdoors.
AP
A barbet, biewer Terrier (from left), Belgian laekenois and dogo Argentino are presented for journalists during a news conference, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in Tarrytown, New York., at the Lyndhurst Estate where the 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held outdoors.

Despite pandemic uncertainties and changes, Westminster filled its usual number of entry slots and even expanded the agility roster a bit, organizers said.

Still, with many dog shows canceled over the last 15 months, it was tough or impossible for some dogs to get the points needed to qualify for Westminster. There were 545 AKC-sanctioned dog shows nationwide last year, down more than 60% from 2019.

Tracy and Peter Rousseau have repeatedly made the trip to Westminster from their cattle ranch in Franktown, Colorado, to help ensure that their breed — the Norwegian lundehund, rarest of all in the AKC rankings — is represented. But none of their current dogs qualified, and the couple felt hesitant, anyway, because of virus concerns and other issues.

“We really do love showing our dogs, love educating people about this quirky little breed,” said Peter Rousseau, a civilian military employee and retired Air Force sergeant. “With all the pandemic craziness and everything, it just didn’t work out this year. We’re looking forward to getting back to it.”

The last Westminster show concluded Feb. 11, 2020, when there were only 13 confirmed coronavirus cases nationwide, though the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has since concluded the virus was already more prevalent. Within about a month, holding a public event was unthinkable.

Westminster spokesperson Gail Miller Bisher said organizers spitballed various scenarios for 2021. A virtual show? An event with archival footage? Fans-via-video, like at NBA games last summer? Something outside New York? And outdoors?

“We felt we owed it to the dog community and to the sports community to put this up,” club President Charlton “Chat” Reynders III said. “We just wanted to be sure that we created a venue where the person that might be most nervous about COVID, or health, would feel safe.”

By last fall, the club decided on June at the 67-acre Lyndhurst, about 25 miles north of Manhattan. The estate hosted a smaller dog show for decades, and former owner and Gilded Age railroad magnate/financier Jay Gould’s sons had dogs that won prizes at Westminster.

The show returns to the Garden in January 2022.

In the meantime, this year’s move is requiring some adjustments for handlers such as Rosamilla, who’s scheduled to show a harrier named Joker, a flat-coated retriever called Tildy and a Plott hound that goes by Fritz.

Unfamiliar with the area around Lyndhurst, Rosamilla initially booked at three different hotels before settling on one. Then she had to plan how to prep the dogs without the usual “benching” area where handlers have cheek-by-jowl berths — and a power supply — for grooming. This time, there will be a grooming tent, but competitors who need blow dryers or other electric accoutrements will have to wield them in their vehicles, homes or hotels.

“It’s definitely going to have challenges, but I always look forward to going to Westminster. We’ll just make do with whatever it throws at us,” Rosamilla said.

And, she said, “I’m sure the dogs are absolutely going to love it.”

Read More

Westminster dog show will be an outdoor, spectator-free event this yearAssociated Presson June 10, 2021 at 6:04 pm Read More »