Former WGN sports editor Jack Rosenberg, shown in a 1958 photo at Comiskey Park, has died at age 94.
Rosenberg, who was a force behind WGN’s sports programming, is credited with helping form the modern sports broadcast.
Longtime WGN-TV and WGN Radio sports editor Jack Rosenberg died earlier this week at age 94.
Rosenberg, who was a force behind WGN’s sports programming, is credited with helping form the modern sports broadcast. He started working at WGN in 1954.
“Jack was sports editor at WGN for 40 years, a career encompassing all Chicago sports teams and thousands of broadcasts,” former WGN director of production Bob Vorwald tweeted. “The sound of his typewriter softly clicking behind Jack Brickhouse was the soundtrack of summer for generations of Cubs fans.”
2) Jack was sports editor at WGN for 40 years, a career encompassing all Chicago sports teams and thousands of broadcasts. The sound of his typewriter softly clicking behind Jack Brickhouse was the soundtrack of summer for generations of Cubs fans. pic.twitter.com/E6n4Bzdf8z
Rosenberg was inducted into the WGN Radio Walk of Fame in 2017 and the Silver Circle of the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2011.
Naperville North’s Jack Hill (12) hits a four-point play to give the Huskies the lead against Wheaton-Warrenville South in 2018. | Sun-Times file photo
The Sun-Times is counting down the 50 high school basketball programs with the most wins during the decade.
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.
Now, with the calendar inching closer to wrapping up an unforgettable 2020, the end of this month closes out another decade. And it’s another high school basketball time period to look back on.
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. 35 Naperville North today and will add one program a day going forward.
35. NAPERVILLE NORTH 194-93
Decade’s biggest storyline: The memorable 2016-2017 grabbed headlines.As a No. 4 sectional seed, North went on a run that included a sectional title and a trip to the DeKalb Super where it lost to Bolingbrook. It was the first sectional title for the Huskies in 19 years and just the third in program history.
The highlight of the run was an upset over top sectional seed Wheaton-Warrenville South that left fans and the basketball world talking and dissecting. Coach Jeff Powers’ team deliberately fouled throughout the game, sending Wheaton South to the line rather than letting them shoot three-pointers. Wheaton South finished 21 of 36 from the line as Naperville North committed 32 fouls in the game.
Underrated highlight: Over the course of the decade, the program’s involvement with the Hoops for Healing Thanksgiving Tournament, along with Oswego, continued to build, progress and raise money for such a worthy cause.
The original purpose and goal of the tournament was to raise awareness for cancer research. Now the the funds that are raised go to support Camp Hope at Edward Cancer Center in Naperville, a unique support program for kids who have a parent or grandparent undergoing cancer treatment.
To date, Hoops for Healing has raised over $375,000 for cancer.
Player of the Decade: Tom Welch (2019)
All-Decade Team: Matt LaCosse (2011), Mitch Lewis (2017), Chris Johnson (2018), Jack Hill (2018) and Tom Welch (2019)
Other decade news and highlights:
–The Huskies won four DuPage Valley Conference championships in the decade, including 2011-12, 2015-16, 2017-18 and 2018-19. The2017-18 team went 26-3, won the DVC, earned the No. 1 sectional seed and claimed a regional championship before being upset in the sectional semifinal.
-Another highlight came when the Huskies stunned the No. 2 team in the state, Evanston, in the 2017 When Sides Collide Shootout.
During the winter of 2020, there are all sorts of activities we’re being told are off limits— holiday parties, Christkindlmarket, cuffing season— but what about all the things we can do? If you’re the type to break out the snow pants and don your trusty boots at the first sign of snow accumulation, you can still have a great time taking advantage of fresh layers of powder at our city’s many sledding spots. Put on your mask (why not be warm and safe?) and check out these 6 top-notch sledding hills around Chicago.
This large forest preserve on the south side is generally a great place to be in any season if you’re trying to spend some time outdoors; the sledding hill here is near the Dan Ryan Woods Visitor Center.
After living past lives as a quarry and a landfill, Palmisano Park is now an urban oasis to the people of Bridgeport, and its gentle slope of a sledding hill is nicknamed “Mount Bridgeport” by locals.
Though usual features like a warming house aren’t an option right now, sledders in West Ridge can brave the cold and snow to check out the park’s hill— the perks of which include stairs on either side for greater ease getting back up the slope.
4500 N Lakeshore Drive | W. Montrose, Chicago IL 60607
While it’s not beach season at the moment, you will want to head over to Lake Shore Drive and Montrose for some outdoor fun. Amid running tracks and football/soccer fields, Cricket Hill sits ready and available for sledding this winter.
While there is a sizable center hill here, it has more recently been off-limits to sledders for safety reasons; fortunately, there are smaller hills that still provide a safe (but fun!) opportunity for sledding.
‘Tis the season to be jolly. Or…something like that? 2020 hasn’t exactly been merry and bright, but that doesn’t mean we should celebrate any less. So grab your ugly sweater and heavily spiked eggnog and let’s get this party started. Here are the best things to do in Chicago for next few weeks to have yourself a merry little December.
Move over, Clark Griswold. The ZooLights boast 2.5 million bulbs of holiday razzle dazzle. Feel free to roam the park and take in all the sparkly lights but heads up, most animals will be indoors. Tickets are $5. Looking for something with less kids? Book tickets for an adult-only night out on December 10th (complete with hot chocolate and mulled wine) featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas tribute concert.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree. If you’re wishing for a heavenly-smelling real pine this year, check out this fun pop-up. Snap a selfie with your besties next to some twinkly lights or explore their full 2-acres in historic Goose Island. Tickets start at $21 per person and come with Jack’s Winter Walk and a delicious donut. Yum.
He sees you when you’re drinking! The iconic Santa Baby Christmas bar is back with all of the holiday cheer your inner elf desires. Ho-ho-ho your way through their multi-rooms, multi-levels, and the interactive Christmas experience. Just a heads up, after a few of their Instagram-worthy cocktails, you might make naughty list this year.
Oh what fun it is to ride! Get to know your city during this 90-minute boat cruise. It’s a great excuse to snuggle up next to your sweetie and learn about the history of our beautiful downtown. The best part? Colder weather and a global pandemic means less tourists (the Grinch would approve). Tickets and departure times range, learn more here.
Join the Mad Hatter and his even madder guests for a 90-minute psychedelic cocktail menu created with Rabbit Hole Bespoke Gin. Three enticing cocktails await you, each carefully construed from curious ingredients that’ll befuddle your tastebuds. Don’t be late for this very important date, or it’ll be ‘off with your head’! Tickets start at $65.00.
Load up the kids in your sleigh (aka your car) and head to this drive-in movie theater for a festive night out. Watch classics like Home Alone on December 11th or A Christmas Story on December 19th. Don’t forget the popcorn, hot chocolate, and of course, candy canes.
Things to Do Chicago Featured Image Credit: Jack Frost Pop Up on Facebook
You might be accustomed to a wild night out on the town on New Year’s Eve in Chicago. We get it— dancing in a throng of people and toasting the new year with a group of friends can be pretty fun; but as any seasoned homebody will tell you, there’s more than one way to celebrate a special occasion. From food and beverages to entertainment and community, Chicago has the whole ringing-in-2021-in-a-pandemic situation covered.
Why cook for yourself on New Year’s Eve when you’ve probably been cooking (and washing dishes) all year? For a delicious night in, you can take advantage of Luella’s New Year’s Eve Special, which gets you braised short rib, king crab, grits, and bananas foster-style banana pudding for just $35.
Since shortly after the start of COVID restrictions, Logan Square’s tropical cocktail bar has been pouring its fruity concoctions into bottles for Chicagoans to enjoy in the safety of their own homes. If you visit Lost Lake’s Instagram, each week the menu and hours for pickup are posted on their story highlights—titled “Menu”—so that you can find the best time (and flavors) for stocking up on libations.
Runners can’t gather in person to participate, but this virtual 5K allows registrants to run anytime between December 26 and January 3. A portion of the required $40 registration fee benefits Direct Relief, which has been working hard to support healthcare care workers during the pandemic.
Enjoy the New Philharmonic’s New Year’s Eve Concert
Featuring pieces ranging from waltzes to pop tunes to movie music, this New Year’s Eve concert, led by Maestro Kirk Muspratt, premieres 2 p.m. on December 31, and is available for streaming on demand through January 3.
New Year’s Eve Chicago Featured Image Credit: Philharmonic on Facebook
The holiday season doesn’t feel quite complete without some warm drinks, sweet treats, and some decorative Christmas lights in Chicago. It’s difficult to gather— as we have in the past— for the kinds of festivities we’re used to, but fortunately one of the prettiest parts of the season can still be seen lining streets, hanging from eaves, and winding around railings. Check out these Christmas lights around Chicago area.
Though no formal lighting ceremony was possible this year, a 45-foot spruce stands in its usual spot in Millennium Park for all to see. Small groups can visit the illuminated tree near Michigan and Washington through January 7.
Those looking for a festive twinkle or two can also venture to Morton Arboretum, where holiday lights can be experienced from the comfort of one’s own car. Several displays of lights are beautifully incorporated into the arboretum’s trees along a two-mile stretch of road now through January 3.
Impressive light displays at Brookfield include a “600-foot-long tunnel featuring thousands of colored lights all synchronized to music,” an illuminated tree, and LED sculptures depicting some of the animals who call the zoo home. Tickets to see all of these lights (as well as other forms of festive fun) are available through December 31.
The Lights Festival wasn’t quite the crowded event this year that is has been before, but luckily, taking a stroll down the Magnificent Mile and enjoying the illuminated trees along the street is free, safe, might help you get into a more festive mood.
As part of the Riverwalk art project’s fall programming, excerpts of the Joffrey’s Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker are projected onto the façade of theMART (formerly known as The Merchandise Mart). The installation is free to view every night at 7 p.m.
Since Roscoe Village holds its own holiday decorating contest each year, it’s a great place to go for a walking or driving tour if you’re on the hunt for festive light displays. On December 23, you can find a map of all homes entered in the contest at roscoevillage.org to guide your illuminated adventures.
