The Chicago Bears likely would have cut Adam Shaheen, but found a buyer instead.
Back in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears made a couple of mistakes early on. The first was in drafting Mitchell Trubisky at no. 2 overall instead of, well, you know. The second mistake came in the very next round when they took Adam Shaheen at no. 45 overall.
The 6-foot-6 monstrous tight end out of Ashland came to the Bears with a nickname, “Baby Gronk.” Therefore, he had some huge expectations laid out for him. Shaheen was supposed to be the future of the tight end position in Chicago.
But, three seasons in, he has been far from the answer at tight end for the Bears.
Shaheen has yet to play a full season for the Bears, appearing in 27 of 48 games in three years. In those three seasons, Shaheen has caught just 26 passes for 249 yards and four scores. He has also had injury concerns.
For several reasons, the Bears likely would have cut him before the end of training camp. With new roster limitations in place due to the coronavirus pandemic and doing things much differently in 2020, Shaheen was a no-brainer in terms of a future roster cut.
However, the Bears did the unthinkable: Ryan Pace found a trade partner.
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The #Bears are trading TE Adam Shaheen to the #Dolphins, per source.
Chicago has traded Shaheen to the Miami Dolphins, and according to multiple reports, it’s for a conditional sixth-round pick.
Remember when the Bears traded Jordan Howard for the same price tag? That makes this Shaheen deal look absolutely brilliant.
Shaheen joins Mike Gesicki in Miami and will likely compete for the second or third spot on the depth chart.
As for Chicago, their tight end picture is shaping up before our eyes. Once having over 10 on the roster, Chicago’s tight ends look a bit different now. Obviously, free agent signee Jimmy Graham will be the starter. Next up is going to be rookie second rounder Cole Kmet, whom the Bears took out of Notre Dame — let’s hope his future pans out better than the likes of Shaheen.
Then, they have another free agent signee in Demetrius Harris, who will come in primarily as a blocker. Beyond those three, it’ll probably be between J.P. Holts and Jesper Horsted for the fourth spot — maybe the Bears even keep five total, using Holtz as a fullback.
This is a position which was in desperate need of an upgrade after last season, and hopefully the Bears have put themselves in a situation where see they improvement.
Pace is also a winner here because he obtained another pick, which he has been more apt to trade in recent years. Stocking back up on picks is going to be crucial, especially if the salary cap changes for the worse starting next season — but that’s another story. As for now, the Shaheen deal looks wise for Chicago.
If 2020 was a normal year instead of the horror show it has been, I would be writing a Daily Cubs Minors Recap right now. Instead, I’m forced to do something different. I’m forced to turn my focus almost completely to the MLB level if I want to write at all this season. So, here I am, and here is my plan:
I’m going to utilize my framework for the Minors Recap and use it to do a deeper dive into the Major Leaguers. Readers familiar with the Minors Recap know that in addition to the basic game recaps, I keep track of trends, transactions, and most importantly, try to present a deeper look at a different prospect each day. My challenge now is translating that template to the Major League action, where readers a far more familiar with the players involved.
The good news is I have a ton more data to work with at the MLB level. Oh, the video and pitcher/hitter data that I dream about being published for Minor League action, even in a delayed fashion, is available in near-real time for the Majors. This will allow me to dig a little deeper than I ever been able to on prospects.
I’ll be doing some experimentation over the first couple of weeks as I settle on a layout and determine what readers are responding to and what I enjoy writing most.
This Opening Day performance by Kyle Hendricks may rank up there with any by a Cubs player in history. Depending on your age you’ll have witnessed the Tuffy Rhodes three-homer game against Doc Gooden, or the Kosuke Fukudome game winning shot in his debut. I’ve been wracking my brain and the only game that came to mind as far as a better Opening Day pitching performance by a Cub in my lifetime was the near no-hitter hurled by Jose Guzman in his Cubs debut, but it turned out my memory was faulty because it happened in game two of the 1993 season, not the opener –which was started by Mike Morgan, who lost to none other than Greg Maddux in his Braves debut (sad face,… obligatory f— Larry Hines and so forth).
Top Performers
Hendricks did the Brewers dirty, and did so without ever hitting 90 mph on the gun. His sinker and changeup were dancing like we’ve come to expect. He mixed his four-seamer up in the zone appropriately. A nice early game surprise was the sharp break on his curveball. We saw flashes of it in his final exhibition tune up, but it was nice to see him incorporate it fully in a real game. He’s throwing that pitch better than he ever has, and if he has found a fourth reliable offering, the league better watch out.
On the topic of his curve though, it should be noted that Hendricks did go away from the pitch as the evening wore on. He seemed to lose a little feel for it, as the velo on it fluctuated the further into the game he went. This may be a sign Hendricks hasn’t fully locked in that offering, so don’t be surprised if he enters some starts this year without any feel for it at all. It’s something I’ll be keeping an eye on this season.
But even if the curve does falter in some outings, we know Hendricks can remain effective with his other three pitches. There was no better example than the way he handled Christian Yelich:
Hendricks worked him up-and-down, as well as in-and-out with his fastballs and change, inducing two ground balls while also striking out Yelich twice.
According to Statcast, Hendricks allowed just two hard hit balls all night, both to Orlando Arcia.
HIs Fangraphs Game Score of 86 was the 4th best of his career, behind a pair of other complete game shutouts against the Cards in 2019 and the Padres back in 2015, each of which rated as 89, as well as an 87 he earned in a complete game against the Phillies in 2016. His .527 WPA last night was the second best of his career, behind only a .530 he posted over 8 innings of one run ball on the road against a potent Astros lineup last year.
Injuries, Updates, and Trends
There’s not much to track here one game into the season. I already touched on the recent signings of Derek Dietrich and Ryan LaMarre yesterday morning.
New Rules
DH count: Caratini 1
Thanks to Cyle Hendricks the Cubs were not forced to go to their pen and have to deal with the three batter minimum rule, but we did see the Brewers deploy lefty specialist Alex Claudio in a situation where it came into play. With the Rizzo-Baez-Schwarber trio due up to start the 6th, Claudio remained in after retiring Rizzo to lead off the inning. Baez smoked a ground ball that resulted in an error by Brewers first baseman Justin Smoak before Claudio struck out Schwarber. It is easy to imagine, especially with the current expanded rosters, the Brewers would not have allowed Claudio to face Baez had Rizzo managed to reach. But with the new rule, the Brewers were forced to stick with him regardless.
On July 30th, the South Shore community will be gleaming with bright colors for a very special celebration.
As many already know, the South Shore area is home to so many Chicago gems. One place in particular is the South Shore Cultural Center, where Barack and Michelle Obama had their wedding reception. Some of our city leaders reside in this area as well and let’s not forget the tennis courts, golf courses and a beautiful lakefront views. I briefly lived in the South Shore in 2012-2013 and I enjoyed going for a walk with my son to some of the neighborhood stores to get a quick bite to eat. I also recall driving past 76th and Jeffrey Ave. and seeing the DreamSpots Leasing & Sales office and admiring the company logo on the outside of the building. I used to think to myself,
“that is one cool name for a real estate establishment.”
I didn’t realize that shortly after seeing the office a few times, I would meet the CEO, Perdure “Coach” Carter while out networking.
Celebrating 10 Years of A Dream Fulfilled
Chicago-native, Perdure “Coach the Closer” Carter has been the CEO & Managing Broker of Dream Spots Leasing & Sales for the past 10 years. He entered his 30’s with 10 agents. He now has 100 agents and has over 19 years of Real Estate experience. Perdure has solidified himself as a Top 1% Producer in Chicago real estate, helping over 120 investors flip properties for a profit. For many, it can be a dream to discover the wealth of possibilities one can accomplish with the right mindset, resources and commitment to achieve.
Perdure flipped his first property on the west side of Chicago 6 months after landing a job as a Physical Education teacher in 2002. Afer a year of teaching, he transistioned into real estate investing full-time and has never turned back. He is the person you call when you want to learn how to make $50k in 4 months if you’re committed to doing the work.
Flipping With Purpose
Carter is this week’s Success Stories feature because of what he does as someone who has thrived in Real Estate industry. His company is regularly engaged with the South Shore community. Food giveaways and special programming is offered to those who are committed to creating sustainable income and the opportunity to build out their dreams. I can only imagine what else is in store for this company that continues to provides resources for many to succeed.
Dream Spots Leasing and Sales even offers a Brokers Scholarship Program. This company’s focus is to help investors rebuild economically challenged communities by offering a flipping program (www.flippingwithapurpose.com). Check out their Real Estate Develpoment Program that is broken down in 4 phases to develop long term success in Real Estate.
On July 30th, Perdure and the DreamSpots Leasing & Sales team invites its community out to celebrate a decade of serving with purpose with a mural reveal that will be sure to stop traffic. This mural will be a new landmark in the South Shore community for all to enjoy.
The anniversary celebration will start at 5p.m. at 7600 S. Jefferey Blvd. Bright colors for attire is preferred. Dj Sho time will have the music going and food will be provided. The mural is funded for by CEO Perdure Carter as a dedication to our communities, legends, unity and the South Shore area.
Teamwork makes the “DREAM” work
Perdure never hesistates to highlight the fact that their is no dream without an effective team. He is known for being a mentor and Chicago leader for many Realtors and Investore in Chicago. That’s why he is more often referenced as “Coach”.
Starting in March 2020, everything about how we lived our lives changed. Activities that we took for normal, we now had to think about and most likely overthink before doing them. It’s four months later and life as we knew it before the pandemic is slowly starting to return….very slowly. Places that were closed are beginning to reopen. That leads to decisions on whether we should be going to them. Tough decisions.
I like to think I’ve been careful during the pandemic. I usually think things through before going anywhere….usually. For instance, I’ve been going to the grocery store since this started in March, but I go to stores where I know the layout. I try to buy only a few things, I go get them, check out and get out! I try to spend ten minutes or less in the store. Same thing at Walgreens when buying needed items. Yeah, I admit to occasionally breaking this rule, such as when I was trying to buy a new cell phone and doing the research on new models, but it’s rare.
However, now with almost everything partially opened, it’s led to possibly taking more chances and definitely to more thinking and decisions.
The big ones are easy:
Airplanes, nope…not yet. Not even with an empty middle seat. It’s going to take a wedding or a death to get me to fly…and maybe not even then.
Cruises…nope…maybe never. We’ve already seen where new cruises have been linked to multiple cases of Coronavirus. There’s nothing I need to see bad enough to get me on a ship in the near future…not even Alaska.
The little ones make the decisions tougher.
Restaurants have been open for more than a month. I’ve eaten outside on more than a few occasions. I’m never comfortable doing it. I may act cool and collected while doing this, but the reality is far from it. I’m always looking around to make sure that no one is sitting next to our table. When the meal is over, I’m glad to be gone. And, now that we can eat inside, I’m worse. I’ll do it, but admittedly, it’s scary.
That leads to this weekend. Museums are now open. Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications reopened yesterday with free admission through August 2nd. They have an exhibit called “Stay Tuned: Rock on TV.” It’s from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and features artifacts from the early days of the rock-television era. It started last October and was planned to end in April.
Keyword is plans because…
plans during a pandemic in 2020 …what plans?
I missed early opportunities to see this and now the pandemic has given me a second chance.
In order to keep people safe from the virus, the museum is limiting the number of people allowed into the building. It’s ten at a time and you’re limited to ninety minutes before you leave and the next group of ten come inside. Sound safe, right?
My plan was to order my ticket, be there at ten today, see the exhibit, take photos, leave, go home and write about it.
Plans during a pandemic in 2020…what plans?
I went to be last night excited about my Saturday adventure….but I couldn’t fall asleep. I started thinking overthinking my plan. Why was I going to make this trip? Was it necessary to do this. Why take a risk? After much tossing and turning, I decided no. I cancelled my plans.
Plan during a pandemic in 2020…what plans?
Instead of going downtown, I decided to head to my local Starbucks for coffee and a sandwich. They have an outdoor area where I can eat and read a book. Sounds safe, right? Safer than a museum, right?
I get to the store and see people waiting outside. That’s not a good sign, is it? Strike one! I look inside and people are lined up to the door. That another not so good sign, right? Strike two! I look at the outside seating and it’s full. STRIKE THREE! I’M OUT!!!
Plans during a pandemic in 2020…what plans?
Oh well, I went home, had coffee, read my book, watched some baseball and wrote this instead of writing about my trip to the museum. It was not my original or my back-up plan, but it worked. Still, I’d like to see that museum exhibit. Maybe later in the year when hopefully things calm down…maybe. I’d make plans, but…
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
I am part of a group on Facebook that supports each other with our fitness goals. The group has almost 43,000 members and I have not read a troll on there yet. I enjoy how supportive the women are to each other. It does not matter if the woman posting is 120 pounds or 200 pounds, she will receive encouraging words or likes. I usually scroll through and give likes or if there is a question that I have an answer for I will respond.
Last week a lady posted a picture of herself and she looked totally fit to me. She was complaining about how other people who were her same height and weight looked better than her. She stated that she could not be great. I had to respond and tell her she was great, and she should not compare herself to other people. She said she was just stating facts.
I am not sure what she sees when she looks in the mirror. I am convinced she has a distorted view of herself. I am not judging her because I feel that many of us have distorted views of ourselves. We have let the opinions of others dictate how we feel about ourselves.
If you want to be healthy physically you need to be healthy mentally. I am convinced that the two go hand in hand. You need to have a healthy mindset. Stop the negative self-talk. Do not continually go over your flaws. We all have them. Do not rehearse your failures. We all have them also. I like this quote from Dr. Maya Angelou. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” Negative self-talk with sabotage your success. You have heard the term you are what you eat. You also are what you think.
You may have had people speaking negative to you from childhood into adulthood. You must not let the words spoken to you by other people control how you think about yourself. You are beautiful, intelligent, and great! Find a place of calmness and peace where you can take hold of the person you are meant to be. Find positive people to be around. Realize that God created you and He does not make any mistakes. Declare that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
A lot of times, I write in my blogs that if you feel that you cannot deal with your circumstances seek professional help. I am writing that in this blog. Seek professional help if you are overwhelmed. There is nothing to be ashamed of in seeking professional help. Search the Internet there are some places that offer free online counseling if your insurance does not cover it.
I have been interested in preventive medicine since my childhood. In the 70s, my aunt would take me with her to meet with a doctor who emphasized preventive medicine. A lot of the things that doctor discussed then has become standard today.
The much anticipated documentary feature A Most Beautiful Thing, chronicles the life of five courageous teenagers who grew up on the West Side of Chicago and earned a place in sports history. The film details the story of Arshay Cooper, Ray (Pookie) Hawkins, Preston Grandberry, Malcolm Hawkins and Alvin Ross from their teenage years at Manley High School, as they persevered through adversity and gang violence in one of Chicago’s underserved communities.
In 1996, these young men bonded a friendship after a chance meeting at Manley High School to participate in a rowing program that was the first of its kind at the school. Their dedication and achievement in a water racing sport not often exposed to the African American culture, helped them excel to become the nations first African American High School rowing team.
“When we were on the water, we were in a place where we couldn’t hear the sound of sirens or bullets, and that allowed us to shape a different vision for ourselves, of who and what we could become,” describes Arshay, the captain of the rowing team. “And that was a beautiful thing.”
Living in a poverty stricken neighborhood and some being in rival street gangs, what brought Arshay and his teammates together was their interest in a rowing boat, staged in the middle of the school’s lunch hall, that led them to register for Manley’s first after-school rowing program. “As the first Black high school rowing team, we thought we were going to change the sport, just like Jackie Robinson changed baseball, but instead, the sport changed us,” explains Arshay. “Rowing gave us a purpose and gave us each other. It saved my life.”
Now in his mid 30’s, Arshay is the author of his award winning self published memoir A Most Beautiful Thing, of which inspired one of the most important documentary films of this decade. Directed by award winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio, an Olympic rower herself, Mary took notice when Arshay reached out to her through Twitter to introduce his new book. “I am, like most rowers, passionate about the sport, and immediately ordered it,” says Mary. “I was excited about a story I had never heard of, and a team I could not believe existed. Rowers, on the West Side of Chicago? How did I not know this?
Mary explains that as a community “we rowers are all grit, all guts, all grind. No glory. No one in a boat is the star because you are only as fast as the weakest link.” When Arshay’s book arrived, Mary says it was mesmerizing. “His story was inspiring, devastating, funny, sad and hopeful, all in a single read.”
Mary thought it was extraordinary that Arshay as a teenager, whose mother was struggling with generational trauma and addiction, and the brother of gang members, found something special about the sport of rowing that changed his life. She says “the racing distance is 2000 meters, somewhere between 5-7 minutes, and the amount of training to prepare for a race, that starts with a sprint, settles to a near sprint, and ends with a final sprint, is grueling.”
A Most Beautiful Thing examines the lives of Arshay, Pookie, Preston, Malcolm and Alvin on how they protected themselves from a life of crime during their high school years. From growing up as teens to becoming fathers, family men and entrepreneurs, the film depicts many victorious moments.
After 20 years away from rowing, they all decided to race once again, this time for their sons and community, and to pay homage to one of their first rowing coaches. NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, one of the executive producers of the film, says that was the moment that touched his heart. “With the recent events that have transpired, it is even more meaningful to be part of a project which shows young Black men, in a positive, human, and hopeful way,” says Hill. “The protagonist of the film, Arshay Cooper, is a leader of his generation and his name will be one that soon everyone will know.”
A Most Beautiful Thing documentary feature is based on Arshay Cooper’s award winning self published memoir A Most Beautiful Thing and directed by award-winning filmmaker and Olympic rower, Mary Mazzio. The film is narrated by Grammy and Oscar-winning artist Common, executive produced by NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, NBA All-Star DwyaneWade, and Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder, and features original music by femdot., Reuben Vincent, King Draft and Swank; Ian Kelly, GQ, and other hip-hop artists, with beats by Khrysis, E.Jones, Kash, and the The Soul Council.
A Most Beautiful Thing premieres on Xfinity on Demandstarting July 31st and on Peacock,NBC’s new steaming platform, starting September 1st. Arshay Cooper’s memoir, A Most Beautiful Thing is published by Flatiron Books. For updates visit www.AMostBeautifulThing.com.
About the Author: Don Howze is an Emmy Award Winning Film/Tape Editor and Associate Professor of Journalism and Television Production. Don is the producer and director of the upcoming film documentary The Production Crew, funded in part by The Field Foundation of Illinois. imdb.me/dondvideo. Contributing writer, Daina Howze.
Chicago’s Black History Vintage Video Series: celebrating Black History Month.
Cheryl Burton, Bobby Broom, Hosea Sanders and The Emotions. Exclusively on chicagonow.com/classic-soul-music.
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Don Howze is a columnist for The Art of New Media featured on ChicagoNow.com. He is an Emmy Award Winning Film/Tape Editor and Associate Professor of Journalism who covers entertainment news and innovative technology used in today’s arts and entertainment industry. IMDb.me/dondvideo
The Cubs started 2016 3-0. The Cubs started 1995 4-0. Those are the only times in the past twenty-five years that the Cubs have managed to win more than one game to start the season. It looked like the 2020 vintage might actually start the year with a winning streak. Yu Darvish was shaky but escaped the first inning without any damage. Willson Contreras delivered what felt like the oh so rare two out base knock with runners in scoring position to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
But this one flipped in the second inning. Darvish yielded a one out double to Lorenzo Cain, but induced an easy groundball from Ben Gamel that should have resulted in the second out of the inning. The Cubs failed to execute the run down and both runners were safe. Eric Sogard’s two out single tied the game. Darvish would not yield the go ahead runs until the fourth inning, but once it became a battle of the bullpens it was clearly to the Brewers advantage.
The bright spot for the Cubs might have been the 1-2-3 ninth inning pitched by Dillon Maples. The Cubs are still built to ride a starting staff with a bullpen full of question marks. Maples flashed the potential to be one of those answers today, and with few positives to pull from, the Maples outing was a silver lining.
Oh that and Orlando Arcia is mortal. I was slightly concerned that he was going to pull a Kirk Nieuwenhuis this year after last night.
Yu Darvish had good stuff, but he was not sharp in his outing. He struck out the side in the third inning, but otherwise had to work hard on a hot afternoon. The defense didn’t help in the second inning, but this looked more like the Darvish in his first 26 Cubs starts and not the ace that finished the 2019 campaign.
Brewers starter Corbin Burnes wasn’t sharp either. He walked Anthony Rizzo and plunked Javier Báez with one out to start the game. Kyle Schwarber struck out looking, but a Contreras single put the Cubs up 1-0. Burnes walked one in the next two innings, but was not dinged for any damage. He yielded a one out single to Victor Caratini in the fourth inning to end his day. Not former Blackhawk Brent Suter was greeted with Jason Kipnis first base hit in a Cubs uniform. You may not know this, but Jason Kipnis is from Northbrook. Unfortunately Ian Happ bounced in a fielder’s choice with Caratini thrown out at the plate on a contact play. Kris Bryant grounded out to end the inning.
The top of that fourth inning saw the Brewers take a 3-1 yield on Ben Gamel’s triple. Darvish stranded Gamel at third base with no outs to keep the Cubs in this one. Duanne Underwood Jr. gave up a bomb to Justin Smoak making it a 4-1 Brewers lead in the fifth inning. Kyle Schwarber launched his own two run shot in the bottom of the fifth against Suter but the Cubs were still trailing 4-3.
Brad Wieck was given the sixth inning. He retired the first two batters, but walked Eric Sogard. Christian Yelich’s first and only hit of the series so far was the two run blast that followed, making it 6-3. James Norwood took over in the seventh and the bullpen roulette continued to bite David Ross. Avisaíl García singled with one out and made the correct read on Omar Narváez’s double scoring from first. Ian Happ made a diving attempt on Narváez’s hard hit ball, but wasn’t particularly close to making the grab on a tough play into the wall. Lorenzo Cain put the final tally on the board with his run scoring single in the next at bat.
The Cubs one real chance to get back into the ball game was in the seventh inning against Devin Williams. Rizzo walked and Báez delivered a one out single. Schwarber flew out but Williams plunked Contreras to load the bases. Williams struck out Jason Heyward swinging to end the threat. Former Cub David Phelps and Eric Yardley combined for a stress free final two frames as the Brewers evened the series.
Random Reference
Yu Darvish might not be Steve Trachsel, but he is a deliberate worker. This stands in stark contrast to Kyle Hendricks’ quick tempo. Add in the additional commercial breaks with a national broadcast along with the heavy bullpen usage in an 8-3 ballgame and this one felt like Robert Redford in the movie Sneakers.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 10: Brent Seabrook #7 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck against the San Jose Sharks during the home opening game at United Center on October 10, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks are in an interesting spot with their former star defenseman, Brent Seabrook.
The Chicago Blackhawks are an interesting team headed into their play-in series against the Edmonton Oilers. Each team is loaded with offensive firepower that should trade chances during the series but the team who is slightly better at defending and gets slightly better goaltending will win the series. For Chicago, Brent Seabrook has been a long time staple on the blue line but he isn’t going to be there in Edmonton with the Hawks.
Brent Seabrook says he will not be traveling with the team to Edmonton for the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round. #Blackhawks
Seabrook doesn’t feel ready to go yet. He had a conversation with Stan Bowman on Thursday and they decided that he is for sure not going to be a part of the Blackhawks postseason roster. Despite his dip in play over the last few seasons, you should still consider that a loss for the Hawks because they don’t have much ready to go in his place that will be better.
Brent Seabrook seems to think that he still has a lot to give to an NHL lineup. The fact is that Jeremy Colliton doesn’t a lot of the time and Seabrook seems to know it. According to him, he will be in the NHL next season but he isn’t sure where that will be.
Brent Seabrook: “I don’t know what my place is with the Blackhawks. That’s a question for Stan and Jeremy. As for the NHL, I do I know I can be an impact player on a hockey club.” #Blackhawks
He knows and has accepted that he might not play out the rest of his current deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. It is very sad that it has come down to this for one of the greatest defensemen to ever play for the Blackhawks organization. He is a multi-time champion and was a major part of every single one of them. Hopefully, there is a point late in Seabrook’s career that he is able to be in a lineup healthy and playing well.
He is not going to be in the playoff lineup but we will certainly be watching to see what the next chapter is for his NHL career. He is motivated to be an NHL player next year and beyond which is good for him. He will continue his career but his future in Chicago certainly appears to be in doubt. You have to feel wanted to play professional sports and it doesn’t seem like he is wanted in Chicago right now. He would absolutely sign off on going to a team that does want him, according to a lot of his soundbites from Friday.
Cinder Well is the brainchild of Ireland-based, California-bred singer and multi-instrumentalist Amelia Baker. As part of the Santa Cruz anarchist folk-punk scene, she’s previously played with dusky folk trio the Gembrokers and metal- and Klezmer-influenced collective Blackbird Raum, among others; in 2015 she launched Cinder Well as a solo outlet where she could collaborate with a shifting cast of musicians. By the time she released Cinder Well’s 2018 debut full-length, The Unconscious Echo, she’d developed a sound that draws from haunting traditional English, Irish, and American folk, using to explore themes of generational and historic trauma tied to white supremacy and fascism. Baker’s new record, No Summer, is steeped in American folk; it combines her reworkings of three traditional Appalachian songs with original material. Baker recorded No Summer in a converted church in Anacortes, Washington, with Nich Wilbur, joined only by violist and vocalist Marit Schmidt and violinist and vocalist Mae Kessler, and the combination of their bare-bones music and her striking vocals packs major emotional heft. She sets the tone for the album by opening with a take on the traditional “Wandering Boy,” an ode to wanderlust and homesickness; as she launches into her original piece “No Summer,” it’s clear that feelings of isolation, longing, and being torn between worlds and desires can transcend places and years. Despite its centuries-old roots, No Summer is absolutely a record of its time–and it’s easy to imagine its diaristic confessions and observations resonating with generations not yet born. v
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