A shooting was reported May 28, 2021, on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 47th Street. | Adobe Stock Photo
The shooting and crash happened in the I-94 northbound local lanes near 47th Street, according to Illinois State Police.
No one was injured following a reported shooting late Friday night on the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side.
About 11:50 p.m., officers responded to a crash and reported shooting in the I-94 northbound local lanes near 47th Street, according to Illinois State Police.
A male driver and passenger were not struck by gunfire and were not injured in the crash, state police said.
Following an investigation, all northbound lanes of traffic reopened about 1 a.m.
Michael Bowden, talking with ex-Cubs catcher Welington Castillo, pitched for the Cubs in 2012 and 2013. | Sun-Times
At 34, the former Cubs pitcher continues to live the dream: He’s playing the game he loves with the independent Dogs.
Nancy Bowden still remembers the garage sale where she spotted an old, cheap mitt.
It cost about a dollar, give or take 50 cents. The single mother of three seized the chance to buy the glove for her youngest child, Michael, who was 4 at the time.
“It was very worn,” she said with a laugh. “If it was a brand-new one, I don’t know if he would have taken to it as much. But it was already broken in, and that was it. We never even mentioned him doing anything else but play baseball.”
The glove led to games of catch, which led to T-ball, which led to travel teams and high school showcases with Bowden as a top prospect at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora. Theo Epstein and the Red Sox drafted him out of high school with the 47th overall pick in 2005, and Epstein brought him to the Cubs seven years later in a deal that sent Marlon Byrd to Boston.
Now 34, Bowden is not ready to close the book on his baseball career. He loves the game too much.
That is why Bowden signed to play independent ball this season with the Chicago Dogs of the American Association. This weekend marks the opening homestand for the Dogs, who play at Impact Field in Rosemont.
It’s a long way from the majors, but Bowden doesn’t mind.
“The game itself is still fun for me,” he said. “I love the game, I love competing and I love the challenge — physically and mentally. And I think I can still play.”
So does his manager, Butch Hobson, a former big-league third baseman and Red Sox skipper who quickly has come to admire Bowden for his work ethic and the example he sets for younger players on the team.
“Our No. 1 goal is to get guys back, either with an organization or maybe overseas somewhere, and our No. 2 job is to go out and win a championship,” Hobson said. “That’s the way we approach it. If I see scouts in the stands, I’m going to find them, and I’m going to say, ‘What are you looking for?’ ‘I’m looking for a starter.’ I’ll say, ‘Well, you need to watch Michael Bowden start. He’s throwing the ball very well. I think he could help somebody.’ ”
Highs and lows
Bowden was 21 when he made his major-league debut for Boston in a start against the White Sox.
Mark Buehrle was the opposing starting pitcher. The Sox’ lineup included A.J. Pierzynski, Carlos Quentin, Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Alexei Ramirez and Ken Griffey Jr.
Yet the kid from Aurora was undeterred. He held the Sox to two runs in five innings, outdueling Buehrle to earn the victory.
“That was something else,” Bowden said. “At Fenway, playing against one of my hometown teams, with Griffey and Thome in the lineup. It’s just like, ‘This is crazy.’ ’’
He pitched in parts of five seasons for Boston, posting a 2-2 record with a 5.61 ERA in 39 games (two starts).
Then came the trade to the Cubs, where he went 0-0 with a 2.95 ERA in 30 relief appearances in 2012, followed by a 1-3 record with a 4.30 ERA in 34 relief appearances in 2013.
Bowden, who grew up a Cubs fan, savored having Wrigley Field as his workplace.
Next came stints with the Seibu Lions in Japan and the Doosan Bears in South Korea. He fired a no-hitter in 2016 with Doosan and helped the team win the KBO championship.
He tried to pitch through injuries the following season with Doosan. But when he came home at the end of the 2017 campaign, he did not even have the strength to make coffee or take a plate out of the cupboard.
That’s when he knew he needed shoulder surgery.
He sat out the 2018 season to recover. He tried a comeback in the Dodgers’ system in 2019, reaching Triple A, but never felt sharp.
Just as Bowden started feeling optimistic toward the end of 2019 and heading into 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“At the point when I had surgery, I thought it might be over for me,” Bowden said. “I didn’t know if I would be able to keep playing. So every day that I get out there and get better and keep playing this game, I’m just very blessed and very grateful for the opportunity.”
Right at home
On and off the field, Bowden’s role has changed since his days as an up-and-coming pitching prospect.
He’s a soft-spoken veteran now. More important, he’s a devoted husband to Markella and a proud father to their four children: 6½-year-old twins Micah and Nadia, 2½-year-old Sophia and 16-month-old James.
“They came to the game the other day, and they were all there,” Bowden said. “That was awesome. They haven’t seen me pitch in a long time. My twins were young in Korea, and those memories are fading, which is sad, but they got to see me pitch.
“I saw my son up there in the skybox crushing a hot dog.”
No ketchup, of course, at least if the Dogs have anything to say about it. And no pressure for Bowden as he bonds with his new teammates and looks forward to a summer at home.
“Where I’m at right now, I just want to see how things go,” Bowden said. “I think I’m going to continue to get better, and I’m hoping that I get some opportunities in the future. I still think I can play this game for a few more years and play at a very high level. With that being said, health is my main focus, and I’m not quite where I want to be yet. But I’m going to continue to get out there and pitch to get those repetitions, so I can continue to elevate my game.
“Yeah, I would love to go play for the Cubs again. I would love to play for the Sox. I actually would love to go back to Korea — I had a great experience there; it’s fun baseball; they treated my family well.
“But at this time in my life, I’m playing baseball kind of on my own terms. I’m out there having fun. I’m in a good position right now.”
Nancy Bowden said Michael’s joy was evident on his face when he took the mound for the first time with the Dogs.
“I told him the other day, ‘You’re living the dream,’ ’’ she said. “ ‘You’ve got a beautiful home, beautiful wife, beautiful kids.’ And he gets to be a part of them growing up. Every single part of them growing up.”
His baseball journey started at a garage sale, continued to the majors and took him around the world.
He doesn’t know how the story will end. He’s OK with that.
“He’s a consummate professional, a class act,” Hobson said. “He’s a tremendous person to have on the team, and the guy can pitch. He knows what he’s doing out there.”
The Fire’s Boris Sekulic challenges Inter Miami’s Joevin Jones during last week’s game. | Getty
The Fire pitched their first shutout last week, and are looking to stay stingy against Djordje Mihailovic and CF Montreal.
Maybe coach Raphael Wicky and the Fire found something against Inter Miami CF.
For the first time all season, the Fire kept the opposition off the scoreboard. Even without star attacker Rodolfo Pizarro, the Inter Miami attack led by the Higuain brothers — Gonzalo and Federico — figured to be too much for the Fire.
That wasn’t the case.
The Fire (1-4-1, four points) held Inter Miami to one shot on goal. Unlike other instances in the Wicky era, the Fire played a smart 90 minutes in coming up with their first victory of the season.
“The whole team was very compact, worked very hard, worked synchronized together,” Wicky said. “That’s what we’re trying to do every game. And on top of that, we really didn’t [make] any easy mistakes today. I think the team was very focused and concentrated.”
One of Wicky’s talking points has been that defense is a team concept, and errors up the field can lead to the ball ending up in the Fire net. Those scores, he maintains, aren’t solely the defenders’ fault.
Nothing of the sort happened against Inter Miami. The Fire were disciplined, and that was true of everyone on the field.
“It’s the teamwork,” Wicky said. “It’s not only the defenders.”
Last Saturday, the Fire appeared to somewhat alter their shape. Instead of playing their standard 4-2-3-1, they shifted to a 4-3-3.
Captain and center back Francisco Calvo discounted the apparent change in formation that saw the Fire begin with a three-man midfield of Fabian Herbers, Mauricio Pineda and Alvaro Medran. Whatever the case, the midfield seemed to mesh well with the back line of Boris Sekulic, Wyatt Omsberg, Calvo and Miguel Navarro.
“We played our football; we kept believing in our idea,” Calvo said. “[It’s] the idea that our staff is bringing to us, that we like, and we grabbed a big three points for the club today.”
To win consecutive games for the first time since Sept. 23 and 27, the Fire will have to beat Club de Foot Montreal (2-3-2, eight points) on Saturday at Soldier Field. Formerly the Montreal Impact, one of CF Montreal’s top players has been attacker Djordje Mihailovic, a former homegrown player with the Fire who was dealt in the offseason.
Mihailovic, with two goals and an assist, should present another challenge. But after the Inter Miami victory, at least the Fire have some momentum and recent proof that they can stop talented opponents.
It would also help if the Fire could control the ball like they did against Inter Miami. They had 57.4% of the possession and dictated play, and combined with the Fire shutting down counterattacks, that led to few chances for Inter Miami to challenge goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
Those are all positive indicators for Saturday, the Fire’s last game until June 19 because of the FIFA international window.
“It’s difficult when you lose a game and have to wait so long to play the next game,” Pineda said. “So it would be really good to go into that break with two wins in a row.”
NOTE: The Fire announced Friday that their Aug. 14 match at Soldier Field against the Columbus Crew is shifting to Aug. 15, and that the Oct. 31 game with the New England Revolution will now be played Sept. 22. Both alterations were made because of conflicts with Bears home games.
The Westgate SuperBook installed the Packers as a 2.5-point favorite against the Bears on Oct. 17, but that will change if quarterback Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay.
LAS VEGAS — “Be my guest,” Paul Stone said as he waved pal Jim Schrope ahead of him in line at a South Point sportsbook ticket window a bit past 11 a.m. May 21.
Book director Chris Andrews had just released the spreads of 97 college football Games of the Year, and Stone and Schrope were some of the sharp bettors eager to take positions.
Schrope put a grand on Alabama, giving 13 points to Miami in a Sept. 4 game in Atlanta. The line moved to 14. Stone still saw value and put $1,100 on the Crimson Tide.
It had eked to 16 by Wednesday. At some shops around the country, it climbed to 17.5. Says Schrope, “That’s a lot of one-way action.” Of his dozen tickets, he coveted ’Bama -13 against the Hurricanes.
“When they put that up at under two touchdowns, I think a lot of people were salivating,” Schrope said. “If I hadn’t been one of the first two people in line, I would not have gotten that number.”
A recent swing through the usual troika — Circa Sports downtown, the off-the-Strip Westgate SuperBook and the South Point, at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard — was anything but common.
Football is king. It doesn’t kick off for another few months, but pigskin wagering is in full swing. The earliest birds savor the sweetest rewards. In one case, thanks to a friend of 10 years, that meant giving 13 points instead of 14.
“Usually, I let Paul go in front of me,” Schrope said. “He does so much for me. But he said, ‘You go first this time.’ I was grateful. I got the best number available.”
CIRCLE OCT. 17
Money has been trickling in at Circa on the Bears, moving their Super Bowl-title odds from 50-1 to 40-1 over the last three months.
Part of the property’s allure is yes/no proposition offerings, allowing patrons to wager, say, on the Bears to win Super Bowl LVI and the Packers to not win a fifth Lombardi Trophy.
The odds of the Bears not winning the next title are -7200, or wager $7,200 to earn $100 — also the Steelers’ figures.
Green Bay, meanwhile, the site of the daily Aaron Rodgers drama, is -2200 to not claim the crown. To win it all, the Packers are +1200 (bet $100 to win $1,200).
At the Westgate, SuperBook chief Jay -Kornegay and his staff produced spreads and totals on every game of the 18-week NFL season, an epic achievement.
An intriguing tilt is Packers-Bears on Oct. 17 at Soldier Field. The SuperBook installed Green Bay as a 2.5-point favorite.
Rodgers is 21-5 against the Bears. That game’s complexion changes considerably, though, if he retires or is traded this summer.
The Bears getting 2.5 at home possibly against a Rodgers-less Packers squad would seem to be value. However, Long Island handicapper and nationally syndicated SportsGarten radio host Tom Barton never indulges in such early NFL lines.
“Too much can happen” he said. “Sure, Rodgers might not be there. But what if he is and they are unbeaten? What if Allen Robinson or [Khalil] Mack goes down? Too many injury variables in [pro] football.”
FADE AUBURN, IOWA STATE
At 10:19 a.m. May 20, Andrews released those 97 college games, blank spaces where spreads belong, on Twitter, noting, “Time to do some homework, fellas.”
Schrope, a 56-year-old aerospace engineer for the navy who lives in San Diego, drove to Vegas that day and went to work.
He had handicapped, via his power ratings, dozens of games. He jettisoned the ones that weren’t on that list. He attacked the ones that he hadn’t handicapped.
His day job affirms his affinity for numbers, and he has profited on his college GOY endeavors each of the last six seasons.
The 59-year-old Stone provides a handicapping service, college football being his wheelhouse, to select clientele from his east Texas residence. When he and Schrope discuss games, people listen.
Last Friday morning, Schrope saw that his lines on nine Notre Dame games matched, almost exactly, what Andrews had produced. He moved on.
Alabama-Miami was a no-brainer. Out of Schrope’s next 11 wagers, six entailed fading (betting against) programs that he believes have inflated statures; three against Auburn, three against Iowa State.
“Part of my usual strategy,” he said. “In all six of those cases, I felt like I got a very reasonable number.”
He is on Oklahoma State (Oct. 23) and Texas (Nov. 6), each getting 10 points at Iowa State, and he has West Virginia +8 at home Oct. 30 against the Cyclones.
“Iowa State will be very good, I just don’t think it’ll contend for a playoff spot,” Schrope said. “Those lines are a little bit out of whack. I think they all should have been under a touchdown.”
Schrope got LSU -3 at home against Auburn (Oct. 2), Georgia -4 at Auburn (Oct. 9) and Ole Miss +6 at Auburn (Oct. 30).
He views new Tigers coach Bryan Harsin, a former quarterback and coach at Boise State, as a regional misfit.
“He’s a West Coast guy,” Schrope said. “To me, it’s a really strange hire.
“Quarterback Bo Nix has completely underperformed there. Maybe this new regime turns him around, but I see this as a transition year for Auburn.”
Rory Dames said there isn’t a shortage of Red Stars who are capable of being starters in this league. The energy of this group is to play the role your assigned.
Red Stars coach Rory Dames had reminded his players throughout their goal-less start to the regular season that as soon as they break through with one goal, they’ll have no problem scoring.
The Red Stars haven’t struggled creating chances, but Wednesday night in their match against Kansas City, those opportunities turned into goals and a 2-0 victory.
Dames was right. Once you get the ball rolling, it doesn’t stop.
“We have a lot of frontrunners who can score,” Dames said. “It’s just a matter of who is going to step up in each given game and take their chances.”
Dames slightly changed his lineup. He needed to rest some of his starters, including Mallory Pugh, who played her first 90-minute game in two years last Saturday, and he had confidence in the depth on his roster.
Dames said there isn’t a shortage of Red Stars capable of being starters in the NWSL. A positive of this group is its willingness to play assigned roles. As fans saw from Arin Wright on Wednesday, that can mean rotating to the front line.
The starting lineup against Kansas City featured Wright, Mackenzie Doniak and Katie Johnson in the attack. Sarah Woldmoe started in place of Danny Colaprico in the midfield, and the back line looked the same as it did against Gotham FC last Saturday.
Bringing in Kealia Watt and Pugh in the 60th minute proved to be a shrewd decision. Wright, Johnson and Doniak were able to wear down Kansas City’s defense just enough for Watt and Pugh to come in and leave their mark.
Within five minutes of entering the match, Watt scored off a left-foot shot from Pugh’s lead pass. Five minutes later, Doniak got a pass from Pugh on the wing and scored from the center of the box.
“Mal looks like herself,” Watt said. “She’s so great at picking the ball up and running at the line. She adds another weapon to our front line and makes it extremely difficult to defend all of us.”
Pugh’s journey since turning pro in 2017 has not been easy. The Red Stars are the third team she has played for in three years.
Dames said Pugh has been unfairly criticized because of her decision to start her professional career so early, followed by recurring injuries. He said that people forget how young she is and that her best soccer is ahead of her.
“She trusts her body,” Dames said. “She feels she can accelerate, start, stop and can cut. On both those goals, she broke in -transition.”
The team once again opted to have only a few players participate during the national anthem by kneeling while the rest of the team stayed in the locker room in support of Casey Kreuger.
Watt said this will be how the anthem is handled throughout the season after the NWSL used footage of Kreuger sharing a deeply emotional moment with teammate Julie Ertz in a promotion video.
The Red Stars play the Houston Dash at BBVA Stadium on Saturday. It’s the team’s first trip there since its opening match of the Challenge Cup, in which Sarah Gorden alleged she and her boyfriend were racially profiled by a security guard. The league’s investigation lasted about three weeks, and no disciplinary action was taken.
Going into the 2021 offseason, the ChicagoBears had to be shrewd. General Manager Ryan Pace was tasked with utilizing the Bears’ minimal cap space to address a plethora of needs and retool a team that has stagnated over the past two seasons since winning the division crown in 2018. The Chicago Bears are going […]
Irish left-hander John Michael Bertrand forms a top combo with Tanner Kohlhepp. | Kamil Krzaczynski/AP
Coach Link Jarrett’s team a surprise national power
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Link Jarrett received a visit from an old friend during a recent home series against Florida State, where he played his college ball 30 years ago.
Notre Dame’s second-year coach, who has steered the Irish to 30 wins in their first 40 games and the top seed in this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, sat back and listened to Rick Mathews as he had so many times before.
The 74-year-old scout, based in Centerville, Iowa, made the trip east not just to check in with a former infielder he once supervised as the Rockies’ field coordinator. The former big-league bench coach and bullpen coach was on special assignment for the Rockies to see just what sort of baseball magic is unfolding in Jarrett’s program.
“I was told to come watch because this is the most well-balanced, complete, well-coached team in college baseball,” Mathews told his former pupil, according to Jarrett.
Jarrett, 49, could hardly process what he was hearing.
“This is a guy who essentially ran the minor-league system for the Rockies,” Jarrett said. “He’s been with them for 30 years, and he came to our game. This guy has done everything you could do in professional baseball.”
Even though the Irish dropped two of three to the Seminoles for their only series loss out of 12 this season, Mathews continued to relay how impressed he was with the surprise national power in the Midwest.
“That kind of made me step back and think,” Jarrett said. “I don’t always see the big picture. That’s probably when it hit me that some of the people that are in the game, that sit up there and watch, probably see things that I obviously don’t, that I overlook.”
Among those, Jarrett said, was how hard his team plays and how engaged in every pitch they remain, day to day, inning to inning. That’s how a program that has reached the NCAA Tournament only once since 2006 and lost projected closer Tommy Vail and senior starter Jack Sheehan to preseason injuries could set the college game abuzz.
Notre Dame has climbed as high as No. 2 in the national polls despite ranking 13th out of 14 ACC teams in scoring. The Irish are only sixth in the league in on-base and slugging percentage but rank third in ERA under longtime pitching coach Chuck Ristano thanks to three of the top four individuals in the ACC.
That includes the chart-topping combo of lefty John Michael Bertrand and righty transfer Tanner Kohlhepp, who started his college career at Tennessee. A patchwork pitching staff worked its league-best fifth shutout Wednesday in the ACC Tournament opener in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Nobody’s too proud,” Jarrett said. “Everybody’s just, ‘Give me the ball.’ We can’t start everybody, and we can’t close everybody. We don’t care. We mix and match.”
What the Irish do best, however, is catch the ball. They lead the ACC in fielding percentage, committing only 21 errors all season until muffing two chances in the tournament opener against the Hokies.
“I think our defense is exceptional,” said Jarrett, hired away from UNC Greensboro in 2019 to replace Mik Aoki after nine seasons.
Doubters can point to a down year for the ACC, where N.C. State (15th), Florida State (17th) and Miami (24th) were the only league clubs to join seventh-ranked Notre Dame in Baseball America’s latest national rankings.
It will be interesting to see how the NCAA selection committee seeds Notre Dame, which has reached the College World Series only twice in its history (1957 and 2002), and just how much respect it will get when it comes to tournament hosting privileges.
Even then, the Irish, who fell 14-1 to Virginia in Friday’s pool finale, could turn any potential slights into an advantage.
“We definitely have a chip on our shoulder,” senior second baseman Jared Miller said after playing through a sprained left wrist for much of the regular season. “But each time we step on the field, it’s just another game. We play hard . . . and we’ll see how far that takes us.”
A look at the Sox’ City Connect uniforms | mlb.com
Friday, the White Sox released their new City Connect uniforms as part of a Nike series that will end up featuring seven clubs including the Cubs
I still remember the first jersey I ever wore to 35th and Shields as a young White Sox fan growing up in the ’90s.
OK, it technically was a replica of the 1991-99 road uniform, but I wore it with the pride and respect the name on the back — Frank Thomas — deserved.
Growing up in a Sox household, it was natural for me to align myself with the Big Hurt. He made his major-league debut two months before I made my debut in the world. I’m not saying his career in baseball somehow predestined my humble existence as a journalist, but we’re definitely connected, for the sole fact he’s my favorite player and that replica jersey took up space in my closet long after I outgrew it.
The White Sox’ 1990 cap logo is generational. Similar to the “NY” of the Yankees, the “B” of the Red Sox or the “LA” of the Dodgers, the Old English “S-O-X,” which became the team’s primary logo in 1991, is a clear identifier. Some influential people have worn those letters on hats, with arguably no one raising the logo’s status higher than the members of N.W.A., who made it a hip-hop staple in the early ’90s. Dr. Dre famously wore it in his “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” video in 1993. “Chicago changed their colors to black and white, which was perfect for us,” Ice Cube told NBC Sports when he was in town with his Big3 basketball league in 2017.
On Friday, the Sox unveiled their new City Connect alternate uniform as part of a Nike series that will end up featuring seven teams, including the Cubs. The Sox’ uniform was the third to be released, following the Marlins’ and the Red Sox’, and combines pinstripes and black and white of the past with a gothic “Southside” across the chest and matching “Chi” on the cap — a nod to the South Side community that shapes the team’s mentality today.
The Sox will wear the uniform for the first time June 5 against the Tigers.
Shortstop Tim Anderson was the first person from the Sox to see the design concept, before Nike or even chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. He had two words for the design team: “That’s dope.”
The Cubs’ City Connect uniform will be unveiled the week of June 7. Over the last 60-plus years, the Cubs have made only minor tweaks to their home uniforms, and their primary logo hasn’t changed since 1976. Tradition matters more for some teams, I guess. And taking risks with uniforms isn’t always rewarded. In 1976, the Sox wore white jerseys with a black collar, pairing them with shorts instead of traditional baseball pants. I wasn’t around to see those uniforms in person, and I thank the universe for that.
New uniform reveals used to get minimal mention, if any, with teams sometimes holding reveal ceremonies, but nothing like what it has become. The releases of today — with accompanying jersey sales — are no doubt a money grab, but they’ve also become a special way to involve fans and communities.
Fans on social media seem to enjoy what the Sox put out Friday. The new “Chi” cap has the potential to compete with the 1990 logo, especially in Chicago.
Personally, I think it’s time for me to upgrade my Thomas jersey. It’s still hanging in my closet.
Patrick Kane #88 of the ChicagoBlackhawks looks to pass against the Florida Panthers at the United Center on March 25, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Panthers 3-0. | Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Chicago may value tradition over innovation — at least when it comes to uniforms.
When there are eight professional sports teams in your city there will never be a shortage of opinions or hot takes ranging from who has the best stadium, head coach, team and even concession food.
So, when the White Sox released their brand new City Connect uniforms it seemed like the perfect time to answer one critically important question in this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times Sports polls on Twitter.
We’ve seen some fresh threads from teams like the Red Stars, Sky and White Sox this year. The Sky introduced three new uniforms ahead of the WNBA’s 25th anniversary season: the Heroine, Explorer and Rebel edition uniforms. Each uniform holds a significant tie to Chicago. The Rebel Edition, for example, pays homage to women of Chicago breaking through glass ceilings and pushing beyond boundaries.
The Red Stars introduced a new kit ahead of their season opener against Gotham FC to mixed reviews. It was dubbed the momentum kit and is meant to reflect the connection from the club’s historic past to its future.
“Is it ever not the Blackhawks,” asked @LooWaters, which leads us to believe Chicago is a city that values tradition over innovation. At least when it comes to uniforms.
You know what they say? If it’s posted on Twitter, it must be true.
Poll No 1. (two-part question): Who has the best uniforms in Chicago right now?
Time again for our weekly “Polling Place” questions. Let us hear from you! Selected comments will appear in Saturday’s paper.
This is a two-part question so only vote once! We’re watching you
Q1: Who has the best uniforms in Chicago right now?
Upshot: The Blackhawks and Bears returned similar results in the polls. Twitter limits the number of choices to four per poll so without inaccurately deeming one a loser, we’ll say these equally traditional uniforms tied. The Bears who have used the same font since 1949, have stepped outside the box in recent years. The team’s throwback uniforms in 2019 paid homage to ones worn in 1936. They had no resemblance to its traditional jersey and helmet set and fans weren’t overly supportive of the new look. The throwback set was controversial beyond what fans thought as well because Black players were banned from the league from 1934-1945.
While we continue to see teams like the White Sox and the Sky introduce innovative looks to fans, this poll reminds us, nobody in Chicago likes change.
Commented @MurgesJohn, “The Chicago Blackhawks Jersey has withstood the test of time. No Jersey comes close in Chicago or anywhere else for that matter!”
Were there positives coming from this Bulls season compared to last? Many. But the NBA isn’t horseshoes. This is a what have you done for me lately league, and the Bulls again fell very short in that department.
The NBA shouldn’t be an excuse business. The current Bulls regime knows that much better than the old one did.
That was demonstrated by executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas in his season-ending address with the media.
“There were lots of games that we played for 3½ quarters,’’ Karnisovas said. “Learning to win often requires a transition period. That is part of what we are going through here. We expect a steep learning curve with this team. The ups and downs in games were drastic, going from game to game. Consistency is the mark of a mature, developed team, a team that adapts to adversity. I get it, it’s protocols, lack of practice time, lack of rest and development gets to you. But every team was in the same situation. Resilient and mature teams rise above challenges.’’
Game, set and match. So while there was improvement over last season’s circus, the goal was not even close to being met. That’s why the overall grade for this season’s Bulls is a D.
Zach LaVine
The All-Star guard had career numbers across the board and was even willing to exert more energy defensively for the first time in seven seasons. That has to continue, as does the idea of understanding how to impact winning. GRADE: A-.
Coby White
It’s not often that a player fails point-guard school and loses his starting seat in the class, only to come back and actually look like a capable starter. Here’s the problem: White excelled at a point in the season when the pressure had dwindled. GRADE: C+.
Tomas Satoransky
The veteran guard hasn’t been the point guard/outside threat he was with the Wizards, but he did have some glue moments for the starting and reserve units. GRADE: C.
Garrett Temple
The veteran battled through some injuries and was inconsistent on the court, but his leadership for the money the Bulls paid for him? Priceless. GRADE: B.
Troy Brown Jr.
An ankle injury limited Brown to 13 games, but it was a solid showing, especially on the defensive end. Need to see more of Brown moving forward. GRADE: Incomplete.
Ryan Arcidiacono
The Bulls have an option on Arch, and while pound for pound, he’s one of the tougher players on the roster — see the charges he takes — it will be interesting to see if he’s picked up. GRADE: B-.
Javonte Green
Like Brown, the sample size was too small to fairly judge, but when he played, there was defensive energy. He is a free agent, and decisions have to be made. GRADE: Incomplete.
Patrick Williams
The rookie has uncanny tools for a 19-year-old, but he needs to stop overthinking his role with the team and play with aggression offensively. Williams should have been the third-best player on the roster at the end of the season and wasn’t. GRADE: B-.
Daniel Theis
Sure, he looks like a villain in a Jason Statham movie, but Theis brought a presence and toughness this team sorely needed. Now it’s about keeping the free agent in a Bulls jersey. GRADE: B+.
Denzel Valentine
The Michigan State product had some memorable moments this season — and not all of them good. Either way, the free agent-to-be is never boring when he’s in the game. GRADE: C.
Lauri Markkanen
The player once considered a foundation piece of the rebuild had every opportunity to excel this season. The right coach, the right offense, then some fellow Euros added to the roster at the deadline. But he continued to vanish far too often. GRADE: D.
Thaddeus Young
Coaching matters, and it definitely did with Young. He went from wanting to retire under former coach Jim Boylen to establishing a career high in assists under Billy Donovan. Then you add the leadership aspect. GRADE: A-.
Al-Farouq Aminu
The veteran has picked up his player option for next season at $10.1 million and might take over Cristiano Felicio’s chair at the end of the bench. GRADE: F.
Cristiano Felicio
It’s not Big Cris’ fault that former general manager Gar Forman thought he was the smartest exec in the room and handed the backup center $32 million. Felicio, however, never seemed to work on his weaknesses. GRADE: F.
Nikola Vucevic
The “Vooch’’ can fall out of bed and put up a double-double, but can he and LaVine figure out how to lift this team into the playoffs next season? GRADE: B+.
Billy Donovan
It was good to cover a coach who actually tries to be transparent, admits mistakes and takes ownership of losses.
Donovan was handcuffed after the deadline, getting five new players in the locker room and having almost no practice time to get them assimilated, but, again, in a pass/fail business, the Bulls didn’t get it done. GRADE: C.
Front Office
Karnisovas took a big swing in acquiring Vucevic and possibly losing a 2021 draft pick to do so and still fell short of the postseason. The message sent league-wide, however, was the Bulls are now a culture of trying to win rather than trying to survive.
We’ll see if it resonates. But for now, the Bulls are once again a lottery team that could lose its first-round ticket. GRADE: D.
