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Sorry Don, I just don’t have any Sympathy for the DevilBob Abramson October 4, 2020 at 1:32 am

The Chicago Board of Tirade

Sorry Don, I just don’t have any Sympathy for the Devil

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Sorry Don, I just don’t have any Sympathy for the DevilBob Abramson October 4, 2020 at 1:32 am Read More »

Chicago Cubs: Pathetic since winning 2016 World SeriesVincent Pariseon October 3, 2020 at 1:00 pm

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 02: Javier Baez #9 of the Chicago Cubs hits the ground after fouling a ball off of himself in the 9th inning against the Miami Marlins during Game Two of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 02, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The Marlins defeated the Cubs 2-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 02: Javier Baez #9 of the Chicago Cubs hits the ground after fouling a ball off of himself in the 9th inning against the Miami Marlins during Game Two of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 02, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The Marlins defeated the Cubs 2-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs have been pretty awful since winning the World Series in 2016.

The Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016 and it was the greatest moment in the history of the franchise. It was finally the end of the laughable 108-year drought that had them known as the “lovable losers” for so long. Well, ever since then, things haven’t been that good on the North Side. They have been in the playoffs every year since then except for one but something didn’t feel right in any of those years.

This was a team that had so much talent lined up for the long haul. It wasn’t a question of if they’d win the World Series but how many will they win? Well, the answer is looking more and more like just the one. They have already fired the coach that was there when the won it all and now some of the key players might start t depart.

When you think of the Cubs of this era, the three-headed monster comes to ming. That would be the trio of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez. All three of them are locks to be in the MVP conversation each year but have been brutal in the postseason. Since winning the World Series in 2016, they are a combined 19 for 141 with 51 strikeouts. This is a group that is supposed to lead their team and not put up pathetic numbers like that.

You just can’t get swept in a short series to the Miami Marlins if you’re the Cubs. The Marlins deserved to be in because they battled but they probably would have finished under .500 in a 162 game season. They had a -41 run differential which was one of the worst in the National League. The Cubs should have truly destroyed them.

Instead, they wasted two very good outings from Kyle Hendricks and Yu Darvish. Each of them did very well but the offense scored a total of one run in the two games combined. For a roster that looks so good on paper, they surely were awful in this series. It wasn’t even really just this series either because it was something that was going on all year long. They need to address that in the offseason otherwise, it is going to be more of the same next year.

Hot: Could the Blackhawks make a draft-day trade?

If this Cubs team wants to rebuild then that might be a good idea. If they want to take one more stab at it with this group, nobody would blame them for that either. One thing that is probably true is that Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are probably even less likely to overpay some of their expiring contracts after what they saw from this year. There is no doubt that some difficult decisions are going to follow this loss because they have been pathetic by their standards since 2016.

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Chicago Cubs: Pathetic since winning 2016 World SeriesVincent Pariseon October 3, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: Reasoning behind Tyler Bray being promotedRyan Heckmanon October 3, 2020 at 11:58 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Nam Y. Huh-Pool/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears (Photo by Nam Y. Huh-Pool/Getty Images)

Just a day before their Week 4 game, the Chicago Bears promoted quarterback Tyler Bray.

Why would they do that? If we’ve learned anything about the Chicago Bears and their quarterback situation, it’s that there’s never a lack of drama. So, of course they would promote their practice squad quarterback 24 hours before kickoff.

But, it’s a valid question asked by many fans and media. It seems a little odd that Chicago would sign Tyler Bray to their active roster this close to game day.

Let’s get the facts straight. First off, neither Mitchell Trubisky nor Nick Foles carry an injury designation into Sunday’s game with the Indianapolis Colts. That’s a positive.

Another fact: Teams can sign two extra players to the active roster before a game, per the new CBA. So, the Bears effectively can have 55 players going into game day rather than 53.

Another piece to the puzzle is the fact that the Bears protected Bray this week as one of their practice squad players whom cannot be signed by another team. So, promoting him had nothing to do with a different team wanting to steal him away. No matter what, they couldn’t. Bray was already protected.

Then, we received this nugget from Adam Hoge.

So, there’s no injury to either the no. 1 or no. 2 quarterbacks and Bray’s promotion had nothing to do with another team trying to go after him. Now we learn that he’ll likely be inactive.

The same question still stands. Why would they sign him to the active roster if it, in fact, means nothing?

A strong theory would be along the lines of a last-minute COVID-19 scare. Last week, just a day before their game against the Atlanta Falcons, cornerback A.J. Terrell tested positive. Sure, the game was put in jeopardy because of Terrell’s diagnosis. But, in the end, the game was played as scheduled after no additional positive tests showed up.

This week, we learned about several positive tests from the Tennessee Titans, thus postponing their game this weekend with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those positive tests then worried many Minnesota Vikings fans, whom played Tennessee in Week 3.

Thankfully, no positive tests came out of Minnesota and they can conduct business as usual this week.

On top of all that, New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton tested positive over the weekend, thus pushing back their game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

All of this news regarding positive tests could very well be the reason why the Bears aren’t playing around when it comes to the most important position in football. If they get a chance to sign two extra players to the roster, why not make one of them a quarterback, especially during a week with an influx of uncertainty?

No one is getting traded (for now, at least) and no one is injured. Bray wasn’t being targeted by another team, either. The reasoning behind his promotion has to be explained by mere carefulness by the Bears coaching staff.

The Bears would rather be safe than sorry this week. After all, they are one of the teams who have done a fantastic job this season in terms of their safety protocols.

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Chicago Bears: Reasoning behind Tyler Bray being promotedRyan Heckmanon October 3, 2020 at 11:58 pm Read More »

Watch Berkowitz with State’s Attorney candidate Pat O’Brien on how Kim Foxx is failing to protect Cook County from violence: Cable in Chicago this weekend & on webJeff Berkowitzon October 3, 2020 at 6:04 am

Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz

Watch Berkowitz with State’s Attorney candidate Pat O’Brien on how Kim Foxx is failing to protect Cook County from violence: Cable in Chicago this weekend & on web

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Watch Berkowitz with State’s Attorney candidate Pat O’Brien on how Kim Foxx is failing to protect Cook County from violence: Cable in Chicago this weekend & on webJeff Berkowitzon October 3, 2020 at 6:04 am Read More »

Bless the Mad pay homage to Black music history–and to Chicago–on their self-titled debutLeor Galilon October 2, 2020 at 9:09 pm

Chicago natives and lifelong hip-hop heads Ibrahem Hasan and Matthew Rivera met decades ago while crate digging at a flea market. Their new self-titled debut as Bless the Mad, released by their own Stay the Course label, exudes a collector’s care for music history and a producer’s ear for finding overlooked diamonds and giving them brilliant new settings. Even the album’s artwork contributes to the vibe, collaging together images steeped in the lore of Chicago architecture and music–it includes the logo for Phil Cohran’s jazz band the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, which looks like two Xes connected by a bold line, and a business card for infamous local music reseller Record Al. Bless the Mad understand the spirit that connects the blues, jazz, gospel, soul, R&B, funk, and hip-hop, and they spend the entirety of Bless the Mad stitching together distinctive elements from all those genres into blissed-out, kaleidoscopic music. Though these tracks sound like sample-heavy hip-hop–especially the beats–Hasan and Rivera have built them entirely from scratch, with help from a small community of Brooklyn musicians that includes bassist Diego Alzate, drummer Flavio dos Santos Silva, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Edson Sean, and vocalist Silka. On “Ancestors, Pt. 2,” a reflective funk melody buoys blurry voices as they recite the names of past greats–Alice Coltrane, J Dilla, Art Blakey, Charles Stepney–in an act of homage that helps link Bless the Mad to this chain of history. v

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Bless the Mad pay homage to Black music history–and to Chicago–on their self-titled debutLeor Galilon October 2, 2020 at 9:09 pm Read More »

Gabriel Garzon-Montano concocts a soulful pop melange with Spanglish flairCatalina Maria Johnsonon October 2, 2020 at 10:00 pm

The first time I saw Gabriel Garzon-Montano in concert was at South by Southwest in 2017. His appearance had generated a lot of buzz; a song from his 2014 EP, Bishoune: Alma del Huila, had been sampled for Drake’s 2015 track “Jungle,” and the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter had recently released his debut full-length, Jardin. Partway through his performance, he had an audio issue with his keyboard, and as sound technicians addressed it, he kept the crowd engaged by unexpectedly delving into his Colombian heritage: he grabbed a mike and launched into an impeccable a cappella version of the traditional Afro-Colombian fisherman’s tune “El Pescador,” singing in Spanish and gyrating his hips, and then returned to his reconnected keyboard to complete his set. Blessed with a sweet croon and a supple falsetto, Garzon-Montano can cover a lot of territory, and he rarely veers into the conventional. His sound melds influences from both his parents–he was born in New York to a father with Colombian roots and French mother who played classical and experimental music and was once part of Philip Glass’s ensemble–as well as from his own Latino Brooklynite identity. On Aguita the chameleonic musician shape-shifts with Spanglish flair–as usual he combines hip-hop, R&B, funk, and soul, augmented with new forays into reggaeton and trap–and he occasionally frames his mix of genres with string-rich orchestral backing. Sometimes his songs plunge into the pathos of loss and change (he explores his grief over his mother’s passing on “Moonless”) or the possibilities of cathartic frenzy in the dance club (the title track and “Muneca,” his first tunes recorded fully in Spanish), but no matter the topic, Garzon-Montano never fails to intrigue and delight. v

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Gabriel Garzon-Montano concocts a soulful pop melange with Spanglish flairCatalina Maria Johnsonon October 2, 2020 at 10:00 pm Read More »

Chicago White Sox: Rick Renteria needs to be firedJordan Campbellon October 2, 2020 at 12:00 pm

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Manager Rick Renteria #17 of the Chicago White Sox signals the bullpen to make a pitching change against the Oakland Athletics during the eighth inning of the Wild Card Round Game One at RingCentral Coliseum on September 29, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 29: Manager Rick Renteria #17 of the Chicago White Sox signals the bullpen to make a pitching change against the Oakland Athletics during the eighth inning of the Wild Card Round Game One at RingCentral Coliseum on September 29, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Chicago White Sox loss to the Oakland Athletics is proof that the manager Rick Renteria needs to be fired.

The Chicago White Sox were eliminated in the 2020 Major League Baseball postseason after their Game 3 loss to the Oakland Athletics in Game 3 on Thursday.

The loss and consequent elimination of the White Sox put an end to a 2020 season in which the White Sox were arguably the most exciting team in baseball.

However, the excitement over the White Sox quickly transformed into concern after the team went from the No.1 seed in the American League to the No.7 seed during the final week of the regular season. Criticism of White Sox manager Rick Renteria was prevalent during the final week of the regular season as many expressed concern over how the veteran manager created his lineup on a game-to-game basis.

Renteria seemed to have temporarily silenced his critics after the White Sox defeated the Athletics in Game 1 on Tuesday, 4-1. However, after the White Sox dropped two consecutive games and were eliminated from the postseason, Renteria is now on the hot seat and rightfully so.

More than Renteria’s inconsistencies with penciling a lineup on a game to game basis, Thursday proved that the postseason is too large of a task for the former Cubs’ manager and the reason why he needs to be fired.

The downfall for Renteria on Thursday was his use of the pitching staff.

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Dane Dunning was the starter for the White Sox on Thursday and Renteria had a quick hook as he pulled Dunning in the first inning after allowing two hits. Rookie flamethrower Garrett Crochet was the next man up for the White Sox and he got the White Sox out of the first inning unscathed but was forced to leave the game with left forearm tightness after striking out the first hitter he faced in the second inning.

The seven pitchers that Renteria went to after Crochet’s injury in the second inning proceeded to allow six runs ( five earned) on six hits and nine walks.

While the White Sox bullpen has certainly not been a strength of the team in 2020, Renteria put the unit behind the 8-ball with his quick hook of Dunning in the first inning. It was a shining example of a manager having egg on his face during his first postseason series. It also confirms the theory that Renteria is not the manager to lead a team that has World Series expectations.

Let there be no mistake, the White Sox are going to enter the 2021 season with World Series expectations and rightfully so. But if the plan is for the White Sox to live up to those expectations, then the team must have a new manager when they take the field next season.

Look no further than Renteria’s own career. Renteria was the manager of the Chicago Cubs as the team was grooming their young stars and after the 2014 season when it was clear that the Cubs were nearing the idea of contending, the team moved quickly to replace Renteria with Joe Maddon after he departed the Tampa Bay Rays. In the two immediate seasons after the Cubs made the switch from Renteria to Maddon, they made the 2015 National League Championship Series and then, of course, won the World Series in 2016.

The White Sox have a similar trajectory and the only thing that is keeping them from that reality is their current manager. That is why by the time that the team returns to Chicago from Oakland, Renteria needs to be thanked for his efforts during the rebuild but wished best of luck in his future endeavors.

Next: Dak Prescott an option for Chicago Bears

What are your thoughts on if the Chicago White Sox should fire Rick Renteria? Sound off in the comments section with your thoughts.

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Chicago White Sox: Rick Renteria needs to be firedJordan Campbellon October 2, 2020 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: 4 lies about the Mitchell Trubisky benchingRyan Heckmanon October 2, 2020 at 1:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Chicago Bears (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
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Chicago Bears, Mitchell Trubisky

Chicago Bears (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)

Following Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy benching Mitchell Trubisky, the NFL world had many reactions.

This season has already been a whirlwind for the Chicago Bears. All training camp long, it was about the quarterback competition. The coaching staff wouldn’t give us much information one way or another, until head coach Matt Nagy made the announcement the team would stick with Mitchell Trubisky as the team’s starter.

The question, beyond the original decision, was how long Trubisky would keep his starting job. After all of the debate and analysis, it made sense for Nagy to stick with Trubisky to begin with.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. How bad would it look for the team to start with Nick Foles and revert to Trubisky? It was the logical, rational decision to roll with Trubisky initially, because pulling him in favor of the guy you traded a draft pick for, Foles, would have looked better to the public eye.

It also likely appeased general manager Ryan Pace, who was the original Trubisky truther. Pace got his wish. Trubisky started the season.

However, the fourth-year pro was pulled midway through the Week 3 tilt against the Atlanta Falcons. Following an interception Trubisky tossed on a play where Allen Robinson was sitting wide open in the middle of the field, Nagy had seen enough.

As the story goes, Trubisky saw Foles replace him and the Bears went on to win the game in dramatic fashion. Now at 3-0, the Bears are sticking with the former Super Bowl MVP while Trubisky takes a back seat.

Still, with an undefeated record, Nagy and the Bears are under a whole lot of scrutiny by people who cannot get over the benching of Trubisky.

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Chicago Bears: 4 lies about the Mitchell Trubisky benchingRyan Heckmanon October 2, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Chicago White Sox: Trevor Bauer needs to be a priorityJordan Campbellon October 2, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Chicago White Sox (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Chicago White Sox (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

National League Cy Young favorite and soon to be free agent Trevor Bauer should be the priority for the Chicago White Sox this offseason.

The Chicago White Sox were eliminated for the 2020 Major League Baseball postseason on Thursday after their Game 3 loss to the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wildcard Round.

While it is clear that the White Sox need a manager change, it is also clear that the White Sox need to address their starting rotation this offseason.

If there was one flaw of the White Sox during the 2020 season outside of their bullpen, it was the fact that the team had no dependable starting pitcher in their rotation after Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel.

Had the White Sox had an effective third starter in their rotation, chances are the outcome of Game 3 against the Athletics would have been different.

With Michael Kopech being an uncertainty given the idea that he opted out of this season and is coming off Tommy John surgery, the idea was that Dylan Cease could be the third starter for the White Sox.

Cease was inconsistent for the White Sox during the 2020 season.

in 12 starts for the White Sox in 2020, Cease posted an ERA of 4.01 but his 6.36 FIP and 5.2 walks per 9 innings speak to the struggles that the young pitcher had. While Cease should not be written off, and Kopech for that matter, it is clear that the White Sox are going to need to add a third veteran to their starting rotation.

Enter Trevor Bauer.

Bauer was excellent with the Cincinnati Reds during the 2020 season. In 11 starts with the Reds this season, Bauer posted a 1.73 ERA (2.88 FIP) while averaging 12.9 strikeouts per 9 innings and 0.795 WHIP. Bauer is the favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award for his efforts this season and it could not have come at a better time as he set to become a free agent this winter.

For the White Sox, Bauer should be the clear target. If the 2020 Major League Baseball Postseason has made one thing clear, it is that a team must have at least three viable starting pitchers if they have the expectation of advancing to the World Series.

The White Sox have two of three already in Giolito and Keuchel. Giolito was near perfect in his Game 1 victory over the Athletics this past Tuesday and cemented his role as the ace of the rotation. Keuchel, despite his struggles in Game 2 of the series against the Athletics, was an anchor for the White Sox rotation in 2020.

Adding Bauer to the mix would give the White Sox three ace quality starting pitchers at the top of their rotation. Not to mention, the addition of Bauer will take weight off the shoulders of Cease and Kopech. With Cease still trying to find his consistency and Kopech returning after opting out of the 2020 season, a relaxed workload as the fourth and fifth starting pitchers in the rotation would do wonders for the two young starting pitchers.

Next: White Sox Need to Fire Rick Renteria

The Chicago White Sox are knocking on the door of World Series contention and Trevor Bauer is the starting pitcher that will allow them to burst onto the scene. What are your thoughts of the potential signing? Sound off in the comments section with your thoughts.

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Chicago White Sox: Trevor Bauer needs to be a priorityJordan Campbellon October 2, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Cubs: Where do the Cubs go from here after playoff exit?Usayd Koshulon October 2, 2020 at 11:41 pm

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 24: Manger David Ross #3 of the Chicago Cubs talks with Kyle Hendricks #28 of the Chicago Cubs on the mound in the game against the Milwaukee Brewers on opening day at Wrigley Field on July 24, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 24: Manger David Ross #3 of the Chicago Cubs talks with Kyle Hendricks #28 of the Chicago Cubs on the mound in the game against the Milwaukee Brewers on opening day at Wrigley Field on July 24, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

After an early playoff exit, what’s next for the Chicago Cubs?

The Chicago Cubs had plenty of opportunities to get the job done on Friday afternoon. But they were never able to capitalize. After a game one loss at home the Miami Marlins, the Cubs seemed poised to win game two, extending the series to a third game.

The story for the Cubs has been the same every year since 2016: Get to the playoffs, hope to win, only to find no signs of life, and eventually get eliminated at the hands of an opponent the team probably should have handled.

If anything, even the shortened regular season seemed to be like a roller coaster ride, with so many ups and downs, if one really wanted to, they could argue that the Cubs barely did enough to get into the postseason.

What happens next is yet to be determined. But here’s what we do know: First, expect David Ross to be back as the manager next year. In a shortened season, Ross kept his team focused and weathered an unprecedented storm in COVID-19.

However, beyond that, the arrow continues to point sideways. For the Cubs right now, there’s a lot of uncertainty that continues to exist. If any changes are on the way, it’s likely to the same core that carried the Cubs to the World Series back in 2016. Even that World Series championship seems like it was forever ago when in reality, it was just four short years ago.

Maybe it’s time to breakup the tandem of Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. The duo, which was once one of the signature duos in Chicago sports, hasn’t been the same since 2016. Of the two, it’s more likely that Bryant is traded this offseason. Moving him could net the Cubs a significant return that could help the Northsiders in both the present but also build for the future.

Maybe Kyle Schwarber is on the move this offseason too. To where? Nobody knows. However, the Cubs are better off making one major move that improves the outlook of the team rather than just a few smaller moves that are likely to fail. Patching a few holes around the current core hasn’t worked out over the last few years, so a big move that shakes things up significantly may be the only way to go.

The silver lining in an early playoff loss is that the Cubs do have some extra time to explore their options about what they’d like to do this winter. Will it be hard to see some fan favorites like Schwarber potentially traded? Yes. However, doing what’s best for the team in the long-run is what should be the priority over anything else.

Next: Chicago Bears: Four lies about the Mitchell Trubisky benching

Take solace in knowing that changes are likely coming to the North Side this winter but whatever happens, has the potential to change the outlook of the Cubs moving forward. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have some work to do this offseason if the Cubs are going to continue to be relevant. It’s better to attack the issues that plagued the Cubs in 2020 and in years past, rather than waiting before it’s too late.

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Chicago Cubs: Where do the Cubs go from here after playoff exit?Usayd Koshulon October 2, 2020 at 11:41 pm Read More »