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CTU prez Sharkey will “manage” Mayor Lightfooton February 1, 2021 at 11:25 pm

The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

CTU prez Sharkey will “manage” Mayor Lightfoot

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CTU prez Sharkey will “manage” Mayor Lightfooton February 1, 2021 at 11:25 pm Read More »

Big East postpones DePaul-Villanova men’s basketball gameAssociated Presson February 1, 2021 at 11:28 pm

DePaul coach Dave Leitao has been dealing with an adjusted schedule this season.
DePaul coach Dave Leitao has been dealing with an adjusted schedule this season. | Nam Y. Huh/AP

The postponement is one of three schedule adjustments for the Blue Demons announced Monday by the Big East Conference.

DePaul’s game next week at third-ranked Villanova has been postponed, one of three schedule adjustments for the Blue Demons announced Monday by the Big East Conference.

DePaul’s game against Xavier on Wednesday also has been postponed due to COVID-19-related issues in the Xavier program. DePaul’s previously postponed game at St. John’s on Jan. 2 has been rescheduled for Feb. 20.

A date for the rescheduled Villanova game will be announced once it’s finalized.

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Big East postpones DePaul-Villanova men’s basketball gameAssociated Presson February 1, 2021 at 11:28 pm Read More »

The winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 2 Morgan Parkon February 1, 2021 at 8:54 pm

When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.

The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.

The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.

Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s best teams and best players. Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.

This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.

We present No. 2 Morgan Park today and will add one program a day going forward.

2. MORGAN PARK: 257-63

Decade’s biggest storyline: Winning state championships is not supposed to be a foregone conclusion. But when it came to Morgan Park and Class 3A basketball, there were times it felt that way over the past decade.

There were multiple titles during the decade, but the first one was the biggest one.

Morgan Park had steadily improved year by year under coach Nick Irvin in leading up to the 2012-13 season. But that team, which featured the brilliant backcourt of Billy Garrett, Jr. and Kyle Davis, was the first of five Morgan Park teams that reached Peoria — and the first state title for Morgan Park in nearly 40 years.

That 33-3 team crushed everyone en route to Peoria. The Mustangs won the regional over St. Laurence 86-53. They beat their two sectional foes by a combined 99 points. A 33-point win over Hillcrest in the supersectional sent Morgan Park to the IHSA State Finals. And it was more of the same in Peoria, beating Limestone 70-49 in the state semifinals and handling Cahokia 63-48 in the final.

Underrated highlight: The state championship won in 2016-17 was arguably the toughest of the four that were won in the decade. It’s often forgotten how Morgan Park, which finished the year 26-6, capped off that grueling championship run.

Wayne Blackshear shoots.
Wayne Blackshear shoots.
Sun-Times file photo

The Mustangs faced Springfield Lanphier in the state semifinals, losing star Ayo Dosunmu to injury but finding a way to hold off the Lions for a 60-53 win. With Dosunmu sidelined for the final against Fenwick, Morgan Park pulled out an exciting 69-67 win in overtime. It was freshman star Nimari Burnett who came through, hitting six three-pointers and finishing with an eye-opening 24 points.

Player of the Decade: Wayne Blackshear (2011)

All-Decade Team: Wayne Blackshear (2011), Billy Garrett, Jr. (2013), Charlie Moore (2016), Ayo Dosunmo (2018) and Adam Miller (2020)

Other decade highlights:

-Blackshear was both a McDonald’s All-American and the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year in 2011.

-The arrival of Marcus LoVett from California electrified the city and state for one season as the dynamic guard was one of the more entertaining players of the decade. In his senior year he led Morgan Park to Peoria, where the Mustangs finished third in the state in Class 3A in 2014-15. He was the talk of Peoria when he put up a sizzling 45 points in the state semifinal loss to Belleville Althoff.

-The Public League’s Red-South, which ultimately changed to the Red-South/Central, has been the state’s toughest conference in the state for the better part of the decade. Morgan Park won or at least shared two conference titles.

-Morgan Park won Proviso West Holiday Tournament titles in 2012 and 2015.

-Although Morgan Park did make four trips to the Chicago Public League title game, the Mustangs fell short all three times. Morgan Park lost to Curie in 2019, fell to Simeon in 2017 and 2020 and came up just short to Young in overtime in 2013.

-The Mustangs won 20 or more games in each of the past 10 seasons.

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The winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 2 Morgan Parkon February 1, 2021 at 8:54 pm Read More »

The very long goodbye: Living with a geriatric peton February 1, 2021 at 7:38 pm

Windy City Legal Geek

The very long goodbye: Living with a geriatric pet

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The very long goodbye: Living with a geriatric peton February 1, 2021 at 7:38 pm Read More »

What’s the Deal With Tinctures?on February 1, 2021 at 5:46 pm

Illustration by John Kenzie

I’m curious about tinctures — the liquid drops. How do people use them?

One way to take them is by dropping them directly under the tongue. Just give them a couple of minutes to absorb before swallowing. This is a good option for people who don’t like to smoke but want something that will kick in faster (usually within 30 minutes) than edibles. Some tinctures are strong, as much as 10 milligrams of THC in one milliliter (about a dropperful), but you can get them as low as two and a half milligrams per dose.

You can also add tinctures to food or drink, though that will delay the high because they will be processed through the digestive system. For food, you want an oil-based version. Earthy flavors (which include so-called tasteless tinctures) blend well with salad dressings and sauces, while fruity ones tend to be better for teas. Alcohol-based tinctures are more potent but have a bitter taste, which is easy to mask with sweeter beverages.

Have a question for our budtender? E-mail [email protected].

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What’s the Deal With Tinctures?on February 1, 2021 at 5:46 pm Read More »

Northwestern Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald is Here to Stayon January 31, 2021 at 7:37 pm

Fans of the Northwestern Football program had reason to celebrate over the past few days after the team announced a new deal for coach Pat Fitzgerald. Pat’s contract locks him up for the next ten years, which means the school will have their most winningest coach through 2030. In 15 seasons, coach Fitz led the Wildcats to a 106-81 record. Northwestern Football has been their most dangerous in recent years as they’ve had two-10 win seasons, four  bowl victories, and two Big Ten West Division championships since 2015.

Pat Fitzgerald’s new contract should keep the team at the top of the Big Ten standings for years to come. As a coach, Fitzgerald was named Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 2020 and he also won Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2018. But his accomplishments as a Wildcat don’t stop there. Pat Fitzgerald formerly played as a linebacker on the Northwestern Football team. In his playing years he earned back-to-back honors as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He also helped lead the team to a Rose Bowl and two consecutive Big Ten championships. As a player or a coach in 14/16 of the program’s bowl appearances, it was definitely important that the team keep Fitzgerald around for the long-run.

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Despite interest from NFL teams looking for new coaches, Pat Fitzgerald will remain in the NCAA for the next decade. This bodes well for the Northwestern Football program as they look to continue their recent success. In 2020, the Wildcats went 7-2, made an appearance in the Big Ten Championship game, and beat Auburn in the Citrus Bowl. Coach Fitz is certainly a leader on the field, but he continues to lead the team when the clock stops. Last season, amidst the health crisis, Pat Fitzgerald made it a point to hold his team accountable and stick to the strict health and safety protocols. This resulted in just one single positive case on the team for the whole season. Sacrifices were certainly made to accomplish this, but it was well worth it after the team hoisted another bowl game trophy.

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Pat Fitzgerald’s coaching tenure isn’t only defined by wins and success against a pandemic. As the team’s leader, he’s placed a focus on academic success for his players. For the third year in a row, the Northwestern Football team led the FBS in NCAA graduation success rate. The team earned a record 69 Academic All-Big Ten honors and posted an average team GPA of 3.24 in the fall. With nine players recording perfect 4.0 GPAs, it’s clear that the future of this program is in great hands. 

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At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.

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Tell us what you think matters and what we should write about next in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: Northwestern Football Instagram (@nufbfamily)

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Bedroom boogie artist Layton Wu opens a portal to paradiseLeor Galilon February 1, 2021 at 12:00 pm


Chicago-based, Taiwan-born bedroom-pop auteur Layton Wu blurs boogie, yacht rock, and sun-kissed 60s pop into a calming sound that helps dial back my anxiety when every scrap of news cranks it to “high.” He released the luxuriant Summertime Mixtape (Sunset Music) four days after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and since I first listened to it, I’ve absolutely needed to keep listening to it. Wu sings in a soft-edged but outgoing coo that’s both sultry and endearing, accompanied by tight funk bass, nimble percussion, and soothing keys that float in the background or gleam like sunlight off a window.…Read More

Bedroom boogie artist Layton Wu opens a portal to paradiseLeor Galilon February 1, 2021 at 12:00 pm Read More »