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Chicago Cubs: PECOTA projections for NL Central seem offVincent Pariseon February 10, 2021 at 1:00 pm

The Chicago Cubs have had a rough offseason. They let Kyle Schwarber and Jon Lester go. They traded away Yu Darvish. Things aren’t resolved with Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, or Anthony Rizzo. It just feels like this team is taking a major step back. Their starting pitching and bullpen is nothing to be […]

Chicago Cubs: PECOTA projections for NL Central seem offDa Windy CityDa Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More

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Chicago Cubs: PECOTA projections for NL Central seem offVincent Pariseon February 10, 2021 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Blackhawks: Impressive showing against Dallas StarsVincent Pariseon February 10, 2021 at 2:00 pm

Early in the year, we were all very hard on the Chicago Blackhawks. They kept getting smoked and giving up five goals or more so it was hard to blame anyone for legit thinking that this could be the worst team in the league. Since those first few games, they have shown that they aren’t […]

Chicago Blackhawks: Impressive showing against Dallas StarsDa Windy CityDa Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More

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Chicago Blackhawks: Impressive showing against Dallas StarsVincent Pariseon February 10, 2021 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Rotterdam’s Rats on Rafts show off some global swagger on their new albumSalem Collo-Julinon February 10, 2021 at 12:00 pm


In their 15 years together, Rotterdam postpunk band Rats on Rafts have built a comfortable existence and a decent hometown following, but their new album, Excerpts From Chapter 3: The Mind Runs a Net of Rabbit Paths, is a declaration that they’re no longer satisfied with mere comfort. On their 2008 EP, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, and their debut full-length, 2011’s The Moon Is Big, they toed the line between crafting the perfect three-minute punk screed and embracing their more outre influences, especially the example set by fellow Netherlanders the Ex.…Read More

Rotterdam’s Rats on Rafts show off some global swagger on their new albumSalem Collo-Julinon February 10, 2021 at 12:00 pm Read More »

That first step’s a doozy on the gig poster of the weekSalem Collo-Julinon February 10, 2021 at 12:00 pm


This week’s featured gig poster was designed by Anthony Watkins II, who makes music as Mobley, for his upcoming online tour.

This week’s gig poster was designed by Mobley (born Anthony Watkins II), a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Austin, Texas.…Read More

That first step’s a doozy on the gig poster of the weekSalem Collo-Julinon February 10, 2021 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Michael O’Brien’s high school basketball notebookon February 10, 2021 at 5:04 am

Enjoy the basketball while you can. Programs are being shut down right and left due to COVID-19 protocols.

Remember last week when Maine South coach Tony Lavorato said he scheduled 22 games in the hopes of getting to play 16? He knew what he was doing.

The MSL, CSL and Catholic League all have multiple programs shut down. It appears the situation is similar in Central Illinois. It’s encouraging that the schools are shutting things down and being careful. Several Public League coaches I’ve talked to are worried that COVID will run rampant because there won’t be testing and everyone will just play on through.

Enough of that for now. I’m guessing you didn’t come here to read more about COVID-19. It was the biggest basketball night of the year so far. Time to get to the games.

I was in Frankfort tonight and it was the best game I’ve seen so far, really fun basketball. Bolingbrook was quite impressive for awhile and then things turned and Lincoln-Way East showed some real backbone. Both teams have a bright future. I could watch Raiders’ point guard Kyonte Thomas play all season.

Tuesday’s top games

Richards 80, Argo 56: A big season opener for Anthony Taylor with 26 points. Will Adams led the Argonauts with 16. It was the first varsity game for all eight Argo guys that played. That must have been interesting.

Oak Forest 60, Reavis 28: The Bengals lost an awful lot to graduation but they still have Robbie Avila, one of the area’s most exciting prospects. Avila had 27 points and 11 rebounds and Eli Lipsett added 18.

Oak Lawn 68, Tinley Park 38: Senior Rafael Bou posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Junior John McGowan added 14 and Nicco Reyes scored 13. The Spartans drained 12 three-pointers.

Lincoln-Way Central 76, Bradley-Bourbonnais 67: The Knights had four key guys, starters I believe, opt out of the season and are 2-0. It’s kind of fascinating. Frank DeCarlo drained six three-pointers and scored 26. Nick Tingley added 21 and Joe Barrett scored 12.

No. 10 St. Patrick 60, St. Viator 51: Junior Timaris Brown scored 22 and Nick Galati scored 20 for the Shamrocks. This was close throughout from what I saw. Solid debut for new St. Viator coach Michael O’Keefe, who did a nice job at Wheeling.

Marian Catholic 49, Marist 44: Jeremiah Jones led the Spartans with 20 points and Alex Knight scored 21 for Marist.

Shepard 72, Evergreen Park 71: Cole Hermanson dropped 27 points in a close one.

Yorkville 53, West Aurora 50: John Holakovsky, a former assistant at Hinsdale South, wins his first game as a varsity coach. Nate Kraus scored 14 and Ryan Shimp added 10. Don’t hold me to this but I think the game was in Aurora. Solid win.

No. 15 Glenbrook South 76, Niles North 56: Nick Martinelli just keeps pouring in the points and the Titans keep winning. Martinelli scored 26 and Matthew Rosenberger added 16. Yogi Oliff led the Vikings with 16.

No. 14 Rolling Meadows 70, Libertyville 58: Another big night for Max Christie will come as no surprise. The Michigan State recruit finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. Cam Christie added 15. The Mustangs scheduled a Saturday game against St. Rita, which should be fun. I’ll be at that one.

Stevenson 62, Glenbard East 41: I don’t know a ton about the Patriots this season but I’m intrigued. Evan Ambrose has been a really fun player to watch and should be able to make a bigger impact now. He led the way with 16 points and Darius Clemons added 11 points and eight rebounds. That’s a big margin of victory against a team coached by Al Biancalana. Ladonus Rogers led the Rams with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Maine South 59, Vernon Hills 45: That’s three wins to start the season for the Hawks. Sean Gallery, who played well against Loyola, had a huge night with 20 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Plainfield South 68, Joliet Central 61: The Steelmen lose the opener. I haven’t seen highlights for the Cougars yet, but sophomore Troy Cicero scored 14 for Joliet.

No. 1 Notre Dame 74, Batavia 56: Louis Lesmond scored 29 and Troy D’Amico added 25. Those are two big numbers.

No. 17 Homewood-Flossmoor 75, Lockport 46: I expected the Porters to be pretty competitive this season, so the margin of victory is kind of a surprise. However, I think season openers should be taken with a huge grain of salt this season and I don’t plan on valuing them much in the rankings. But well done by H-F, which was also playing its opener.

Andrew 62, Lincoln-Way West 45: Huge defensive effort by the Thunderbolts in the fourth quarter, holding L-W West to just five points. Jolo Amoranto scored 21 and Elijah Laws added 10 for Andrew. Connor Jenkins scored 20 for the Warriors.

No. 7 Hillcrest 72, TF North 54: This is always a fun matchup, but tonight was a special one. Hawks coach Don Houston picked up his 300th win. I remember when he was the young guy taking over for a legend. Time flies. Congrats to Don.

Timothy Christian 66, Bishop McNamara 52: We will be keeping a close eye on Timothy Christian this season, they should be interesting. I need to get to a game. Ben VanderWal had a massive night with 26 points and 17 rebounds and Josh Harris added 24 points and seven boards.

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Michael O’Brien’s high school basketball notebookon February 10, 2021 at 5:04 am Read More »

Durbin, Duckworth to Biden: Do not fire top Chicago federal prosecutorLynn Sweeton February 10, 2021 at 2:31 am

Illinois Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth do not want President Joe Biden to ask U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr., to resign at this time.
Illinois Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth do not want President Joe Biden to ask U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr., to resign at this time. | Sun-Times file photo

Durbin, the Senate Judiciary Committee chair and Duckworth said they were not consulted by Biden and do not want Lausch to step down at this time.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden triggered a political storm in Illinois on Tuesday, uniting the Democratic senators, all five House GOP members and the Illinois Republican Party in protesting his move to fire Chicago-based U.S. Attorney John Lausch while he is overseeing public corruption probes and prosecutions of top Democrats in the state.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who Biden considered as his vice presidential pick, said they were not consulted about the move and do not want Lausch to step down at this time.

On Feb. 22 and 23, Durbin will preside over the confirmation hearing of Merrick Garland, the Lincolnwood-raised federal appeals court judge who is Biden’s choice for attorney general, with a committee vote set for March 1. One of Garland’s missions will be to reverse ex-President Donald Trump’s politicization of the Justice Department.

U.S. attorneys are nominated by a president and must be confirmed by the Senate. Presidents have the power to fire U.S. attorneys.

Lausch and all but two U.S. attorneys appointed by Trump who have not yet moved on were asked to submit resignations by Feb. 28 in a Tuesday conference call with Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki at her Tuesday briefing said requesting U.S. attorneys to resign at the start of a new presidency has been “commonplace among previous administrations, and we look forward to working with the Senate to swiftly fill these openings in the coming weeks. The president has also made clear he wants to restore the independence of the Department of Justice and to ensure it remains free of any undue political influence.”

What is not as commonplace is the backstory when it comes to the Chicago spot: In a Senate defined by partisanship, Trump, Durbin and Duckworth supported Lausch. He was confirmed on a voice vote for a four-year term on Nov. 9, 2017.

Lausch managed a somewhat significant feat in the last three years, maintaining the support of Illinois’ Democratic senators while serving as the Justice Department’s top prosecutor in Chicago under a Republican administration that enjoyed little popularity in the city.

A series of long-running public corruption investigations, most dealing with Democrats, went public under Lausch’s tenure. They led to the racketeering indictment in May 2019 of Ald. Edward M. Burke, as well as the bribery charges leveled last year against ComEd and four members of then-House Speaker Michael Madigan’s inner circle. Though the ComEd case implicated Madigan, he has not been charged with a crime and denies wrongdoing.

Court records show the origins of those cases date back to before Lausch took over.

Other elected officials to face criminal charges while Lausch served as Chicago’s top prosecutor include state Sen. Thomas Cullerton, former Sen. Terry Link, the late former Sen. Martin Sandoval, former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, former Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski and Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta.

In November, the Sun-Times reported Durbin and Duckworth said they had “confidence” in Lausch and wanted him to remain on the job.

In a statement, Durbin and Duckworth said Lausch should not be terminated immediately.

“While we agree with the Biden administration’s criminal justice agenda, we are disappointed with the decision to terminate U.S. Attorney Lausch without consulting us. In 2017, our nonpartisan screening committee gave its support for Mr. Lausch to serve in this position, and the Senate confirmed him unanimously.

“While the president has the right to remove U.S. attorneys, there is precedent for U.S. attorneys in the Northern District of Illinois to remain in office to conclude sensitive investigations. We believe Mr. Lausch should be permitted to continue in his position until his successor is confirmed by the Senate, and we urge the Biden administration to allow him to do so.”

The Illinois House Republicans — Adam Kinzinger, Darin LaHood, Rodney Davis, Mary Miller and Mike Bost — said in a statement Biden should not fire Lausch and U.S. Attorney John Milhiser of the Springfield-based Central District of Illinois until their replacements are confirmed.

“While U.S. attorneys ultimately serve at the pleasure of the president, we believe it would be reckless and irresponsible for President Biden to fire U.S. Attorneys Lausch and Milhiser without successors nominated and confirmed by the U.S. Senate,” they said.

Milhiser recently announced a criminal indictment against former state Sen. Sam McCann.

“There is precedent for allowing a U.S. attorney to remain in office until successors are confirmed, and we strongly believe both should be allowed to do so,” the Republicans said.

Lausch’s departure provided a fertile issue for the new chair of the Illinois Republican Party Don Tracy, elected Saturday. Madigan, dumped as speaker, remains chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

Tracy in a statement applauded Lausch for “dismantling the corrupt Democratic Machine one crony at a time.”

Said Tracy, “Joe Biden cares more about settling scores with Trump than he does standing up for the people of Illinois who desperately want a government that works for them — not for politicians. If Mike Madigan faces no consequences for his party’s corruption, he can now thank Joe Biden for protection.”

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Durbin, Duckworth to Biden: Do not fire top Chicago federal prosecutorLynn Sweeton February 10, 2021 at 2:31 am Read More »

High school basketball scoreson February 10, 2021 at 12:25 am

Please send scores and corrections to [email protected]

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Evanston at Maine West, 7:30 p.m.

Maine South at Vernon Hills, 7:30 p.m.

Niles West at Deerfield, 7:30 p.m.

Glenbrook North at Highland Park, CNL

Glenbrook South at Niles North, 7:30 p.m.

New Trier at Maine East, 7:30 p.m.

DUPAGE VALLEY

Metea Valley at DeKalb, 7 p.m.

Naperville North at Neuqua Valley, 7 p.m.

Waubonsie Valley at Naperville Central, 7 p.m.

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Benet at Joliet Catholic, 7 p.m.

Marian Catholic at Marist, 7 p.m.

Marian Central at Carmel, 7 p.m.

St. Patrick at St. Viator, 7:00

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Streator, 6:45 p.m.

Manteno at Reed-Custer, 6:45 p.m.

Peotone at Herscher, 7 p.m.

Wilmington at Lisle, 7 p.m.

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Kaneland at Plano, 6 p.m.

Morris at LaSalle-Peru, 6 p.m.

Rochelle at Sycamore, 6 p.m.

Sandwich at Ottawa, 6 p.m.

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Marengo at Johnsburg, 7:30 p.m.

Woodstock at Richmond-Burton, 7:30 p.m.

Woodstock North at Harvard, 7:30 p.m.

METRO SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Aurora Central at Wheaton Academy, 7 p.m.

Chicago Christian at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

IC Catholic at St. Edward, 7:30 p.m.

Riverside-Brookfield at Ridgewood, 6 p.m.

St. Francis at Elmwood Park, 6 p.m.

Timothy Christian at McNamara, 7:30 p.m.

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Buffalo Grove at Wheeling, 7:30 p.m.

Elk Grove at Rolling Meadows, 7:30 p.m.

Hersey at Prospect, 7:30 p.m.

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Hoffman Estates at Barrington, 7:30 p.m.

Palatine at Fremd, 7:30 p.m.

Schaumburg at Conant, 7:30 p.m.

NIC – 10

Belvidere at Hononegah, 7:30 p.m.

Belvidere North at Freeport, 7:30 p.m.

Guilford at Auburn, 7:30 p.m.

Harlem at Boylan, 7:30 p.m.

Rockford East at Jefferson, 7:30 p.m.

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grayslake Central at Lakes, 6:45 p.m.

North Chicago at Grant, 7:15 p.m.

Round Lake at Antioch, 6:15 p.m.

Wauconda at Grayslake North, 7:15 p.m.

SANGAMON VALLEY

Cissna Park at Paxton-Buckley-Loda, 7 p.m.

Iroquois West at Clifton Central, 7:30 p.m.

Watseka at Dwight, 7 p.m.

SOUTH SUBURBAN – BLUE

Thornton Fr. North at Hillcrest, 5 p.m.

SOUTH SUBURBAN – RED

Argo at Richards, 6:30 p.m.

Shepard at Evergreen Park, 7:30 p.m.

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Oak Forest at Reavis, 7:30 p.m.

Thornton Fr. South at Eisenhower, 7 p.m.

Tinley Park at Oak Lawn, 6:30 p.m.

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet Central at Plainfield South, 7 p.m.

Plainfield Central at Plainfield East, 7 p.m.

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Oswego at Plainfield North, 7 p.m.

Oswego East at Minooka, 7 p.m.

Yorkville at West Aurora, 7 p.m.

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – BLUE

Bolingbrook at Lincoln-Way East, 6:30 p.m.

Lockport at Homewood-Flossmoor, 6:30 p.m.

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – RED

Lincoln-Way Central at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 6:45 p.m.

Lincoln-Way West at Andrew, 6:30 p.m.

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Stagg at Sandburg, 6:15 p.m.

TRI-COUNTY

Lowpoint-Washburn at Marquette, 5:30 p.m.

Roanoke-Benson at Putnam County, 7 p.m.

Seneca at Midland, 7 p.m.

Woodland at Henry-Senachwine, 6:30 p.m.

NON CONFERENCE

Batavia at Notre Dame, 6:30 p.m.

Glenbard East at Stevenson, at Woodlawn MS, 7:30 p.m.

Grace Christian at Illinois Lutheran, 7 p.m.

Momence at Grant Park, 7 p.m.

Schaumburg Christian at Elgin, 7:30 p.m.

St. Charles North at Larkin, 7:30 p.m.

Tri-Point at Gardner-So. Wilmington, 7 p.m.

LITTLE TEN TOURNAMENT

Hiawatha at DePue, 6 p.m.

Leland at LaMoille-Ohio, 6 p.m.


Many schools livestream games on the NFHS Network, which often charges fans to watch. However, several local schools stream games on their own that are free to watch. Some schools do all the games, some just home games and some select games.

If your school streams games, please send a link to the channel or home page to [email protected]. Here’s a list of all the schools that have submitted links so far.

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High school basketball scoreson February 10, 2021 at 12:25 am Read More »

Watch Your Eyesight — Now at Home —during Workplace Eye Wellness Monthon February 10, 2021 at 12:28 am

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Watch Your Eyesight — Now at Home —during Workplace Eye Wellness Month

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Watch Your Eyesight — Now at Home —during Workplace Eye Wellness Monthon February 10, 2021 at 12:28 am Read More »

Cops fired over photos tied to Elijah McClain not reinstatedon February 9, 2021 at 11:40 pm

Three suburban Denver officers fired over photos reenacting a neckhold like the one police used on Elijah McClain before the 23-year-old Black man died in 2019 will not get their jobs back, officials said Tuesday.

In decisions upholding the terminations of Aurora Officers Erica Marrero, Kyle Dittrich and Jason Rosenblatt, the Aurora Civil Service Commission noted that the photos, which became public about a month after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, caused pain for McClain’s family and hurt already-strained relations between police and the community.

McClain’s death drew renewed attention last year amid the national reckoning over police brutality and racial injustice, prompting investigations by the city, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI.

Police Chief Vanessa Wilson fired the three officers last year over the photos taken at a memorial to McClain two months after his death. Marrero, Dittrich and another officer who resigned, Jaron Jones, are shown smiling in one photo taken on Oct. 20, 2019, and in another, Jones has his arm around Dittrich’s neck in a fake neckhold like the one used on McClain.

Dittrich texted the photos to two officers who stopped McClain — Nathan Woodyard and Rosenblatt — to try to cheer up Woodyard, authorities said. Rosenblatt responded “ha ha,” while Woodyard did not respond and deleted the photos. Woodyard was not disciplined.

Officers stopped McClain as he walked down the street on Aug. 24, 2019, after a 911 caller reported that he looked suspicious. Besides the neckhold, McClain was injected with the sedative ketamine. He suffered cardiac arrest and was taken off life support.

Rosenblatt initially tried to put McClain in the neckhold but couldn’t because of his position. The maneuver, called a carotid control hold, restricts the flow of blood to a person’s brain, rendering them unconscious. It’s been banned in several places after nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.

According to a lawsuit the McClain family filed against police and paramedics, Marrero and Dietrich were among the officers who arrived after McClain was restrained on the ground.

In July, Jones resigned over the photos, and Marrero, Dittrich and Rosenblatt were fired for conduct unbecoming of an officer. The three had appealed their terminations and can still sue to get their jobs back.

Wilson, the police chief, said Aurora officers must serve the community with “dignity, respect and a sense of humanity.”

“This supportive decision of the Civil Service Commission enables us to take another step forward on our path to a new way in rebuilding trust with our community through transparency and accountability,” she said in a statement.

Last year, the commission upheld Wilson’s firing of an officer for failing to help a restrained Black woman begging for help after she became lodged upside down in the back of his patrol car.

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Cops fired over photos tied to Elijah McClain not reinstatedon February 9, 2021 at 11:40 pm Read More »