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For Sale: 3′ X 5′ American flag. Like new, but not in great shapeBob Abramson June 14, 2020 at 7:03 pm

The Chicago Board of Tirade

For Sale: 3′ X 5′ American flag. Like new, but not in great shape

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For Sale: 3′ X 5′ American flag. Like new, but not in great shapeBob Abramson June 14, 2020 at 7:03 pm Read More »

I have a question: Why does anyone use ‘the ask’?Margaret H. Laingon June 14, 2020 at 7:14 pm

Margaret Serious

I have a question: Why does anyone use ‘the ask’?

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I have a question: Why does anyone use ‘the ask’?Margaret H. Laingon June 14, 2020 at 7:14 pm Read More »

What was Whitney Young Principal Joyce Kenner’s horrible offense?Dennis Byrneon June 13, 2020 at 10:41 pm

The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

What was Whitney Young Principal Joyce Kenner’s horrible offense?

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What was Whitney Young Principal Joyce Kenner’s horrible offense?Dennis Byrneon June 13, 2020 at 10:41 pm Read More »

‘Tear down the Abe Lincoln statue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park’Dennis Byrneon June 13, 2020 at 11:13 pm

The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

‘Tear down the Abe Lincoln statue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park’

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‘Tear down the Abe Lincoln statue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park’Dennis Byrneon June 13, 2020 at 11:13 pm Read More »

The Week in Chicago Craft Beer, June 15-18Mark McDermotton June 14, 2020 at 4:39 am

The Beeronaut

The Week in Chicago Craft Beer, June 15-18

©2020 CTMG – A Chicago Tribune website –
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The Week in Chicago Craft Beer, June 15-18Mark McDermotton June 14, 2020 at 4:39 am Read More »

Glorifying the police is part of the problemTron Griffinon June 14, 2020 at 5:39 am

Keeping An Eye Out

Glorifying the police is part of the problem

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Glorifying the police is part of the problemTron Griffinon June 14, 2020 at 5:39 am Read More »

Chicago Cubs Draft: Ranking the NL Central draft haulsRyan Sikeson June 13, 2020 at 11:00 am

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Chicago Cubs Draft, Jordan Nwogu

(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs landed some nice pieces in an abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft, but how does their class stack up against the rest of the NL Central?

Just as quickly as it arrived, the 2020 MLB Draft is gone. Just five rounds, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic canceling the college baseball season. The Chicago Cubs had the 16th overall pick in the draft, taking Ed Howard, a shortstop from Mount Caramel High School, in the first round.

They followed that with Dallas Baptist’s Burl Carraway in the second round, who provides an attractive option for the bullpen. He already features two plus pitches in both his fastball and curveball, and scouts believe that he could see the big leagues in a short amount of time. In the third round, the Cubs addressed the lack of outfield prospects – or depth of outfield prospects, I should say – taking Michigan’s Jordan Nwogu.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Nwogu had a breakout sophomore campaign in 2019, posting a .992 OPS with 12 home runs and 46 RBI to go along with 16 stolen bases. He’s a toolsy outfielder that the Cubs will love and could plug-in after just a couple of seasons down in the minors.

Luke Little could end up being one of the steals of the drafted, taken in the fourth round out of San Jacinto Junior College. He throws 105 MPH and has starter material if he can find consistent command. If not, he provides another attractive option in the ‘pen and potentially may take over as the team’s closer one day.

The Cubs’ final pick in the 2020 MLB Draft could be a tough sign, Koen Moreno, who is committed to East Carolina in the fall. With the slot values and bonus pool money, he may try this whole draft thing again in three years. Now that we’ve recapped the Cubs side of the draft, where do they rank among their NL Central foes?

Next: Great value in the first three rounds

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Chicago Cubs Draft: Ranking the NL Central draft haulsRyan Sikeson June 13, 2020 at 11:00 am Read More »

Chicago Bears: Let’s find out what an angry Mitchell Trubisky meansRyan Heckmanon June 13, 2020 at 12:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears fans finally got to hear from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky for the first time in months.

For what seems like an eternity now, the Chicago Bears have been hiding their quarterbacks from us. After an offseason that saw general manager Ryan Pace go out and bring in a Super Bowl MVP and respected veteran, while still boasting a former no. 2 overall pick at the same position, we have long wanted to hear from the most talked about player himself.

Friday, fans finally got that opportunity as Mitchell Trubisky gave the media some face time for the first moment in months.

There were some important moments throughout the time we heard from Trubisky. One key snippet came when the quarterback told us he had been watching every snap from the last two seasons, now recognizing what defense he was looking at versus what he thought he saw on the field at the time.

That, in particular, is not very comforting to anyone invested in the Bears whether it be as a fan, employee or coach. If he’s just now realizing what defense he was facing a year and a half ago, versus maybe, oh I don’t know the following week in the film room?

Yikes. This kid has a long way to go, and he might never get there.

But, Trubisky seemed more motivated than ever, and that can only be a good thing.

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It’s now or never for both the Chicago Bears and Mitchell Trubisky…

Mitchell Trubisky is pissed off, and he should be. Was he pissed off after the playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles? Was he pissed off seeing his offense sputter in 2019 en route to an 8-8 record? Was he pissed off after seeing the team invest in Nick Foles?

You bet he was, and now it’s time to figure out what kind of stones this kid has and whether or not he turns the page in his development.

The writing is on the wall. Trubisky, himself, acknowledged that his play did not merit a fifth-year option being exercised by the Bears. He obviously gets it.

He’s not only playing for his job in Chicago, but he’s playing for his future in the NFL at this point in his career. If he loses this quarterback competition, he’s no more than a backup in 2021 and beyond. In all likelihood, he will never become another team’s full-time starter.

His days in the NFL are numbered, and hopefully he fully comprehends that fact.

An angry Trubisky can be a good thing. It could ignite one heck of a quarterback competition during training camp.

On the other hand, if Trubisky gets too emotional and into his own head far too much, that could become his downfall. This could go either way, and it’ll be something to closely monitor in the coming months.

The Bears have a roster built to win now, for the most part. They just need to be able to count on their starting quarterback, whomever that might be.

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Chicago Bears: Let’s find out what an angry Mitchell Trubisky meansRyan Heckmanon June 13, 2020 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bulls: Ownership has dampened the coaching searchRyan Heckmanon June 13, 2020 at 1:00 pm

Chicago White Sox (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Chicago White Sox (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls have the door open to find a replacement for Jim Boylen, but ownership has not made this process an easy one.

For Chicago Bulls fans, The Last Dance could not have come at a better time. It was exactly what we needed to take our minds off of the craziness happening in the world and our sudden loss of sports as we know it.

However, for the Bulls organization in and of itself, the documentary was not kind. Obviously, we saw all of the great moments; the championships and achievements. But, we also saw the ugly side of the organization.

You’ve heard of the saying, “from the top, down,” I’m sure. Many organizations across the United States have long-lasting, happy employees because it all starts from the top, down. Leadership and ownership within these organizations are typically genuine and take their employees’ best interest into consideration when making decisions.

That isn’t exactly the case with the Bulls. Jerry Reinsdorf still owns the team, and he has long allowed the front office to treat players and coaches like dirt. Just take Jerry Krause for one example. The documentary shed a lot of light on how Krause mistreated people, and the players strongly disliked him for it.

Reinsdorf went on to allow John Paxson to be in a position of power for far too long, and the Bulls were a wreck for the majority of his time as vice president. It seemed like it was one rebuild after another, and all along, Paxson was at the helm.

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So, it’s no wonder word has it that the Bulls have a poor reputation around the league. I’m pretty sure most fans could tell you that, and none of us have any inside information. It’s blatantly obvious that the Bulls have a poor reputation. If they didn’t, fans wouldn’t have been screaming for front office changes for the last decade.

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Why would any up-and-coming coach want the Bulls job right now? Sure, it’s a historic sports city. It’s a large market. There’s plenty of potential cash to be made in Chicago as an iconic franchise. But, the Bulls cannot live in Michael Jordan‘s shadow any longer, and NBA coaching candidates are well aware of that fact.

The incompetence at the top has gone on for far too long. But, the hiring of Arturas Karnisovas brings hope to the future of the Bulls. Maybe, just maybe, he’s finally the one to bring real change — meaningful, lasting change.

That starts with letting go of Jim Boylen and finding a replacement. Now that the Bulls are in full-on offseason mode, the search should ramp up. Ideally, the perfect candidates are not only qualified, but up for the job.

Hopefully, Karnisovas is a strong salesman. Because, I have a feeling he’s going to have to do a cinch better than Tommy Boy in selling a coaching candidate on the Chicago Bulls.

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Chicago Bulls: Ownership has dampened the coaching searchRyan Heckmanon June 13, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Blackhawks: 2020 could enhance Toews and Kane’s legacyVincent Pariseon June 13, 2020 at 2:00 pm

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks already know that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are all-time greats but success in 2020 could enhance their legacy.

Everyone in Chicago Blackhawks‘ land knows how good Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have done in their careers. There is little debate about the fact that they are two of the four greatest players in the history of the team and they might even be one and two. Both of them have been wildly successful in different areas and that has allowed the Blackhawks to win as a team. They are the perfect duo to have been the face of this franchise for a long time.

They have led the team to multiple Stanley Cup Championships. 2010, 2013, and 2015 are three of the greatest years in the history of the team. They were all done with Toews and Kane leading the way. Different teammates have lined up around them and different obstacles have been put in front of them and they persevered through them all.

Toews is more of the two-way centerman while Kane is all offense. They have rarely ever played on the same line in their careers at even strength and that has been a way to spread the wealth on their lines. Well, between all of the team and individual accolades these two have earned themselves, they are going to walk into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

So could they enhance their legacy any further? They absolutely can. Any hockey player can do that before they retire. Even the great ones can earn even more respect for how they go about things. Well, winning the Stanley Cup in the year of COVID-19 is going to be a massive challenge. They had to pause their season, wait about four months, and then resume play in one hub city. It is crazy circumstances and whoever comes out on top deserves tons of credit.

There are people who think whoever wins will have an asterisk next to their name but that shouldn’t be the case. They should be revered even more because of the fact that it is even harder in these circumstances.

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It would be especially impressive for Toews and Kane if they did it because the Hawks weren’t that good of a team in 2019-20. If they won the Cup this year it would probably be because these two guys put the team on their back and ran with it. It’s not like they are a powerhouse like the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, or Colorado Avalanche are so they would be overcoming a lot more adversity. Toews and Kane making a deep run here would absolutely enhance their legacy as not only Chicago athletes, but hockey players in general.

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Chicago Blackhawks: 2020 could enhance Toews and Kane’s legacyVincent Pariseon June 13, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »