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Billy Packer, college sports broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours, dies at 82

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Billy Packer, an Emmy award-winning college basketball broadcaster who covered 34 Final Fours for NBC and CBS, died Thursday. He was 82.

Packer’s son, Mark, told The Associated Press that his father had been hospitalized in Charlotte for the past three weeks and had several medical issues, and ultimately succumbed to kidney failure.

Packer’s broadcasting career coincided with the growth of college basketball. He worked as analyst or color commentator on every Final Four from 1975 to 2008. He received a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality, Studio and Sports Analyst in 1993.

“He really enjoyed doing the Final Fours,” Mark Packer said. “He timed it right. Everything in life is about timing. The ability to get involved in something that, frankly, he was going to watch anyway, was a joy to him. And then college basketball just sort of took off with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and that became, I think, the catalyst for college basketball fans to just go crazy with March Madness.”

Packer played three seasons at Wake Forest, and helped lead the Demon Deacons to the Final Four in 1962, but it was his work as an analyst that brought him the most acclaim.

He joined NBC in 1974 and called his first Final Four in 1975. UCLA beat Kentucky in the title game that year in what was John Wooden’s final game as coach.

Packer was also part of the broadcast in 1979 with Dick Enberg and Al McGuire when Magic Johnson’s Michigan State team beat Larry Bird’s Indiana State squad in the title game. That remains highest-rated game in basketball history with a 24.1 Nielsen rating, which is an estimated 35.1 million viewers.

Packer went to CBS in the fall of 1981, when the network acquired the rights to the NCAA Tournament. He remained the network’s main analyst until the 2008 Final Four.

In 1996 at CBS, Packer was involved in controversy when he used the term “tough monkey” to describe then-Georgetown star Allen Iverson during a game. Packer later said he “was not apologizing for what I said, because what I said has no implications in my mind whatsoever to do with Allen Iverson’s race.”

Sean McManus, the chairman of CBS Sports, said Packer was “synonymous with college basketball for more than three decades and set the standard of excellence as the voice of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.”

“He had a tremendous impact on the growth and popularity of the sport.” McManus said. “In true Billy fashion, he analyzed the game with his own unique style, perspective and opinions, yet always kept the focus on the game. As passionate as he was about basketball, at his heart Billy was a family man. He leaves part of his legacy at CBS Sports, across college basketball and, most importantly, as a beloved husband, father and grandfather. He will be deeply missed by all.”

Packer was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale took to Twitter as word of Packer’s death spread. “So sad to learn of the passing of Billy Packer who had such a passion for college basketball,” Vitale tweeted. “My (prayers) go out to Billy’s son Mark & the entire Packer family. Always had great RESPECT for Billy & his partners Dick Enberg & Al McGuire-they were super. May Billy RIP.”

College basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla tweeted: “We fell in love (with) college basketball because of you. Your voice will remain in my head forever.”

Packer was viewed as a controversial figure during his broadcasting days, often drawing the ire of college basketball fans, particularly on North Carolina’s “Tobacco Road.”

“As a kid, I was a big NC State fan growing up, and I would watch a game and the next day I’d be like, ‘Boy you sure have it out for NC State, don’t you?’ And he would just laugh,” Mark Packer said.

The younger Packer, who is the host of ACC PM on the ACC Network, said it didn’t matter what school — most fans felt the same way about his father.

“He would cover North Carolina game and Tar Heels fans would be like, ‘you hate North Carolina,'” Mark Packer said. “Wake (Forest) fans would be like, ‘you hate us.’ And Billy just sort of got a kick out of that.”

Mark Packer said that while most fans will remember his father as a broadcaster, he’ll remember him even more for his business acumen. He said his father was a big real estate investor, and also owned a vape company, among other ventures.

“Billy was always a bit of a hustler — he was always looking for that next business deal,” Packer said.

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Stoking the fires of ‘wokeness’

When the talk turns to left-wing “woke” ideology on college campuses, I sometimes say I was there at the creation. I basically resigned my first academic job over it. Clearly it was quit or get fired — basically for having the wrong perceived identity and a congenital resistance to moralistic cant.

This was a New England university English department during the ’70s. Things started off uncomfortably, with a flamboyantly gay administrator making a show of telling people he’d hired me as a “hunk.” To object would be “homophobic,” so I kept quiet.

There were many similar embarrassments, such as a colleague at a department function inquiring after my “pretty little wife” in a sneering tone, as if being a Southern girl made her a trivial person unworthy of serious attention. Having been raised in Little Rock, she was also presumed to be racist by definition. People patronized her to her face. Mostly, she kept such incidents to herself for fear I’d do something crazy.

These weren’t ordinary New Englanders, I hasten to add. Only academics. Elsewhere, people asked her questions just to hear her accent. And while she won’t like me bragging on her, Diane was always near the top of any class she enrolled in and earned graduate fellowships despite being seriously cute. We’d been introduced by the dean of the graduate school.

OK, enough. It soon became clear that the personal was indeed the political, as the left-wing jargon of the era had it, and that I was the wrong kind of person. A self-styled “radical” colleague once commiserated that it must be hard for an “aristocratic Southerner” like me to deal with the university’s enlightened racial climate.

I am an Irish Catholic from Elizabeth, New Jersey. But I was also under formal investigation for failing a Black student who’d submitted no term paper and failed to show up for the final exam. I had failed her partly as a means of determining if she was still alive; I never wanted to break a bereaved parent’s heart by awarding a passing grade to somebody who’d died.

I was grudgingly exonerated, but the handwriting was on the wall.

After we moved to Diane’s hometown, I taught more Black students in one semester than during three years in New England. I played pickup basketball in the gym, and half of the school’s varsity team ended up in my class.

But that’s another story. I ultimately decided I’d chosen the wrong profession and got into journalism, where skepticism works better than dogmatism.

So now comes the reaction. Weary of moralizing professors, Republican politicians are promising to use government power to shut them up. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis hopes to establish himself as a white nationalist alternative to Donald Trump by picking fights with teachers and professors at Florida’s public universities about race and gender.

He has openly boasted that under his leadership, “Florida is where ‘woke’ goes to die.” Recently he banned an Advanced Placement course on African American studies from being taught in the state’s schools because it is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.”

Whoever wrote that has no idea what “inexplicably” means.

However, it’s clear that DeSantis thinks it’s legitimate to use government power to muzzle people he disagrees with. He’s a culture warrior of uncommon zeal.

The federal judge who issued an injunction blocking the enforcement of DeSantis’ ballyhooed “Stop WOKE Act” for violating the First and 14th Amendments quoted George Orwell: “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”

Evidently, DeSantis aspires to win the electoral votes of the same Deep South states that supported George Wallace in 1968, plus Florida.

Nationally, however, it’s a dead-bang loser.

Closer to home, there’s the newly elected Arkansas governor and former Trump administration head prevaricator Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She’s another right-wing politician invoking the word “freedom” to mean that people who disagree with her need to shut up, or else.

Sanders has issued executive orders banning critical race theory from being taught in Arkansas schools, although there’s zero evidence of it happening. She’s promised to rid the state of classes that make students feel guilty for being white.

Some wonder what Sanders has planned for the museum near her alma mater, Little Rock Central High, commemorating the signal event in the state’s history — when President Dwight Eisenhower dispatched the 101st Airborne to stop a white racist mob from preventing nine Black students from enrolling. There’s even a sculpture commemorating the bravery of the Little Rock Nine on the state capitol grounds.

As a Catholic schoolgirl at the time, my wife wasn’t involved in the racist protests. But she has always felt embarrassed about those events, and we sent our sons to Central High.

Gene Lyons is a National Magazine Award winner and co-author of “The Hunting of the President.”

The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines.

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Chicago Bears, David Montgomery (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

This past season, the Chicago Bears finished as the NFL’s number one rushing attack, led by a trio of Justin Fields, David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert.

Despite not having much of a passing offense, the Bears were downright lethal on the ground. Going into next season, however, the back field could look much different.

For four seasons now, Montgomery has become a fan favorite and the primary workhorse for the Bears’ run game. This spring, however, his contract is up and Montgomery enters free agency for the first time as a pro.

Many fans would love to see Montgomery back in Chicago, but running backs are rarely paid substantial money anymore. It’s a position that’s become replaceable, and that’s exactly what the Bears could do with Herbert waiting in the wing — replace Montgomery.

What could David Montgomery ask for in free agency from the Chicago Bears?

In a recent column, Bears insider Chris Emma gave us some insight as to what Montgomery might ask for in free agency.

“Montgomery might seek $12 million annually, which is what running backs Aaron Jones (Packers) and Joe Mixon (Bengals) receive from their teams. That figure is tied for the seventh-highest annual salary for a running back.

“It would be a reasonable request from Montgomery, though the Bears might be more inclined to want to pay something like the $7 million annually that Leonard Fournette (Buccaneers) and James Conner (Cardinals) make. Those two running backs pull in the ninth-highest salaries at their position,” Emma wrote.

A salary of $12 million definitely seems steep, and it is by comparison. As Emma pointed out, Montgomery would be making the same as Jones and Mixon.

On the other hand, the Bears enter this offseason with the most cap space of any team in the league and could easily give Montgomery that kind of money. Maybe, the Bears front load his new deal and guarantee a good chunk over his first two years of the contract.

That way, the Bears can still afford plenty of other free agent talent and also not necessarily be tied down to Montgomery’s contract longer than two years at the very least.

Regardless, Montgomery just seems like a player you hang onto, keeping the best part of this team intact and the chemistry there. Hopefully for both sides’ sake, the Bears and Montgomery can get a deal done.

Next: Bears: 5 best free agent wide receiver fits in 2023

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David Razowsky wants to set “yes, and” on fire

Improvisers from around the globe flock to Chicago to learn the “right” way to improvise, yet veteran actor (actor, not improviser) David Razowsky’s new book throws “yes, and” in the trash, sets it on fire, composts it, and plants a tree with it. He’s earned the right, after ten years on Second City Chicago’s mainstage with Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Amy Sedaris, Rachel Dratch, and others; serving as artistic director of Second City Hollywood; and now working as a traveling instructor who has taught in prisons, and even delivered a TedTalk. He’s philosophical, funny, and says “fuck” frequently. Razowsky sat down with me to talk about his methodology, the good ol’ days of improv,, and Bacon-Flavored Bacon Bacon.  

Sheri Flanders: So how was writing a book? 

David Razowsky: It’s sort of like waking up one morning and you’re pregnant. And you don’t know what creature got you pregnant, so you don’t know how long the gestation period is, and what you do know is it’s too late to abort it. The most important thing is to keep it alive so that it doesn’t kill you. Then when you’re like, “I think I’m gonna give birth to it,” you go to the Internet and google lists of names for the book, like baby names. Then, if you’re self-publishing it, it’s like there’s no doula, there’s no midwife. It’s like being in a cave and . . .

. . . biting on a stick?

That’s the process!

Credit: Courtesy David Razowsky

Most improv instruction is structured around the eight-week class. As a teacher I was always like, “OK, I can see half of you have not gotten it yet, and now I have to move on to next week’s lesson,” and felt super frustrated. What are we missing by being stuck in this format?

In the book, I talk about how I reached a point at Second City where I didn’t want to deal with a rigid structure anymore. That allowed me to do whatever the fuck I need to do. I don’t do eight-week classes anymore. I feel like one of the problems is—what’s the word that everybody’s using nowadays? Pedagogy. My advice to improv teachers is to not worry about what you have to finish teaching and be with the students every step of the way. You’re modeling what kind of an improviser to be by modeling what kind of a teacher you are. Every once in a while somebody says, “Wow, you really spent a lot of time with Alice.” And I’m like, “Alice needs a lot of time right now, and when you need time, I’m going to spend time with you.” Did you ever study with Del [Close]?

No. That was before I moved to Chicago.

Del had a class at iO. It wasn’t a class in improvisation, it wasn’t a class in Harold, it was a class on what was on Del’s mind. I loved it. He would say, “I went to the Art Institute and I saw some Hopper. I think we’re gonna do some Hopper scenes.” And I’m like, what? But when you have the confidence of the students, knowing that they’re along for the ride, they’re gonna do whatever the fuck you want to do.

A Subversive’s Guide to Improvisation: Moving Beyond “Yes, And” by David Razowsky, Boyd Parker Press, paperback and ebook, 496 pp., $9.99, amazon.com

In the book you talk about how most improvisers don’t identify as actors. Why is that? 

When I started at iO in 1985 or ’86, there were maybe four improv schools in the country? Wow, I could be totally wrong! [starts counting] Dudley Riggs? I don’t know if the Committee was around when I was there in San Francisco, Keith Johnstone, of course, Second City, Players Workshop which was connected to Second City at that time, and iO. So six. So the people that I took classes from weren’t improvisers, because there wasn’t such a thing. They were actors, directors, and writers. They were imparting skill sets that are vital in good scene work: blocking, viewpoints, tempo, repetition, typography, architecture . . . I think the reason that people don’t teach it now is they didn’t learn it. 

I love the way your book throws out all of the traditional improv rules like “yes, and,” and that there’s a section geared toward advanced improvisers.

Say NO! There is no play that doesn’t have the word “no” in it. And there is no play that doesn’t have a question in it! There is no play where they’re not talking about somebody who isn’t there! All of that. Why is it that improvisers aren’t fucking allowed to do that? Fuck off!

I don’t teach “yes, and,” so it’s already advanced. I’m teaching, “look at your partner right now, what are they thinking?” And keep going with that. So what ends up happening is we start opening our hearts more, and we start going, “I trust you, you trust me.”

There’s a show called Naked Lunch, a podcast by that guy, Phil, Rosenberg? Rosenthal? One of my fellow Jews, whatever. He interviewed Elaine May for her first podcast. She talked about when she first really sat down with Mike Nichols, just to fuck around on a park bench, or something, she realized, “He’s got my sense of humor! And I like his sense of humor!” The need for “yes, and” doesn’t apply to them! Because they’re living in their own world!

In your book you recall your father telling you to get a real job, and having a meandering career like many artists—myself included. As artists, there’s always the doubt of “Is this what I should be doing?” How did you navigate that?

There’s something that happens to us called compulsion. I’m compelled to do this, I have to do this, I must do this. As much as I feel like I don’t want to do this, I have to do this. 

Like somebody says “Come out, we’re gonna eat dinner together” you’re going to go, even though you just ate. And you’re reading a menu for the restaurant, and you see Bacon Flavored Bacon Bacon! Anything below that, you’re not paying attention to, because you cannot get that Bacon Flavored Bacon Bacon out of what it is that you’re doing. As much as you try to do something else, it’s not going to work, because that’s not what you want to do! There’s always this thing in the back of your head that’s going, “Yeah, like, I’m making the money, and yeah, I got a parking space, and yeah, I got bennies. But you know what?—”

I could be having Bacon Flavored Bacon Bacon. 

Exactly. After a while, the universe gives you signs. It was just a matter of me being at the right place at the right time, which really helped push me. Then to be cast with Mick Napier and Splatter Theatre—which changed the face of theater I think in Chicago, arguably the Annoyance changed the face of improvisation and sketch writing—I was part of that. I was also in a theater company with Carell and Colbert and Amy Sedaris, and that was the universe saying, you’re in the right place. I couldn’t fucking get enough of it because I was given the opportunity—and I think that that is a huge thing right there—I feel I’m coming from a place of privilege. I never take that for granted. 

Steve Carell, Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, and David Razowsky, Second City, 1994. Courtesy Second City

I went into your book as an improv person, ready to nerd out, then I realized that this book is also really accessible for somebody who’s like, “I don’t do improv and I’m never gonna do improv.” You just have a lot of fun stories about life and theater.

This book is for anybody who has a curiosity about what it was like to be putting on a sketch show, how to work with people, no matter where it is that you are. It’s for writers, I think it’s also for directors. And that’s why there’s a Buddhist part of it—it’s like, this is for everybody. This is for any creative person, you know? Do whatever it is that you want to do! Fuck the voices that are telling you not to do it!


How Chicago shaped Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert’s friends and former cast members look back at his formative years in Chicago.

by Mike Thomas
September 3, 2015August 18, 2021


iO improvises its rebirth

After the comedy revolution during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many performers began speaking out about toxic culture in the sketch and improv world, iO was one of the many theaters that had to close its doors, seemingly for good. Upright Citizens Brigade, which began its life in Chicago, closed its longtime New York venue; they…

by Wanjiku Kairu
September 15, 2022September 16, 2022


iO past, present, and nonfuture

Remembering the comedy theater’s humble beginnings and reflecting on its dramatic end

by Jack Helbig
August 4, 2020August 18, 2021


Read More

David Razowsky wants to set “yes, and” on fire Read More »

David Razowsky wants to set “yes, and” on fire

Improvisers from around the globe flock to Chicago to learn the “right” way to improvise, yet veteran actor (actor, not improviser) David Razowsky’s new book throws “yes, and” in the trash, sets it on fire, composts it, and plants a tree with it. He’s earned the right, after ten years on Second City Chicago’s mainstage with Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Amy Sedaris, Rachel Dratch, and others; serving as artistic director of Second City Hollywood; and now working as a traveling instructor who has taught in prisons, and even delivered a TedTalk. He’s philosophical, funny, and says “fuck” frequently. Razowsky sat down with me to talk about his methodology, the good ol’ days of improv,, and Bacon-Flavored Bacon Bacon.  

Sheri Flanders: So how was writing a book? 

David Razowsky: It’s sort of like waking up one morning and you’re pregnant. And you don’t know what creature got you pregnant, so you don’t know how long the gestation period is, and what you do know is it’s too late to abort it. The most important thing is to keep it alive so that it doesn’t kill you. Then when you’re like, “I think I’m gonna give birth to it,” you go to the Internet and google lists of names for the book, like baby names. Then, if you’re self-publishing it, it’s like there’s no doula, there’s no midwife. It’s like being in a cave and . . .

. . . biting on a stick?

That’s the process!

Credit: Courtesy David Razowsky

Most improv instruction is structured around the eight-week class. As a teacher I was always like, “OK, I can see half of you have not gotten it yet, and now I have to move on to next week’s lesson,” and felt super frustrated. What are we missing by being stuck in this format?

In the book, I talk about how I reached a point at Second City where I didn’t want to deal with a rigid structure anymore. That allowed me to do whatever the fuck I need to do. I don’t do eight-week classes anymore. I feel like one of the problems is—what’s the word that everybody’s using nowadays? Pedagogy. My advice to improv teachers is to not worry about what you have to finish teaching and be with the students every step of the way. You’re modeling what kind of an improviser to be by modeling what kind of a teacher you are. Every once in a while somebody says, “Wow, you really spent a lot of time with Alice.” And I’m like, “Alice needs a lot of time right now, and when you need time, I’m going to spend time with you.” Did you ever study with Del [Close]?

No. That was before I moved to Chicago.

Del had a class at iO. It wasn’t a class in improvisation, it wasn’t a class in Harold, it was a class on what was on Del’s mind. I loved it. He would say, “I went to the Art Institute and I saw some Hopper. I think we’re gonna do some Hopper scenes.” And I’m like, what? But when you have the confidence of the students, knowing that they’re along for the ride, they’re gonna do whatever the fuck you want to do.

A Subversive’s Guide to Improvisation: Moving Beyond “Yes, And” by David Razowsky, Boyd Parker Press, paperback and ebook, 496 pp., $9.99, amazon.com

In the book you talk about how most improvisers don’t identify as actors. Why is that? 

When I started at iO in 1985 or ’86, there were maybe four improv schools in the country? Wow, I could be totally wrong! [starts counting] Dudley Riggs? I don’t know if the Committee was around when I was there in San Francisco, Keith Johnstone, of course, Second City, Players Workshop which was connected to Second City at that time, and iO. So six. So the people that I took classes from weren’t improvisers, because there wasn’t such a thing. They were actors, directors, and writers. They were imparting skill sets that are vital in good scene work: blocking, viewpoints, tempo, repetition, typography, architecture . . . I think the reason that people don’t teach it now is they didn’t learn it. 

I love the way your book throws out all of the traditional improv rules like “yes, and,” and that there’s a section geared toward advanced improvisers.

Say NO! There is no play that doesn’t have the word “no” in it. And there is no play that doesn’t have a question in it! There is no play where they’re not talking about somebody who isn’t there! All of that. Why is it that improvisers aren’t fucking allowed to do that? Fuck off!

I don’t teach “yes, and,” so it’s already advanced. I’m teaching, “look at your partner right now, what are they thinking?” And keep going with that. So what ends up happening is we start opening our hearts more, and we start going, “I trust you, you trust me.”

There’s a show called Naked Lunch, a podcast by that guy, Phil, Rosenberg? Rosenthal? One of my fellow Jews, whatever. He interviewed Elaine May for her first podcast. She talked about when she first really sat down with Mike Nichols, just to fuck around on a park bench, or something, she realized, “He’s got my sense of humor! And I like his sense of humor!” The need for “yes, and” doesn’t apply to them! Because they’re living in their own world!

In your book you recall your father telling you to get a real job, and having a meandering career like many artists—myself included. As artists, there’s always the doubt of “Is this what I should be doing?” How did you navigate that?

There’s something that happens to us called compulsion. I’m compelled to do this, I have to do this, I must do this. As much as I feel like I don’t want to do this, I have to do this. 

Like somebody says “Come out, we’re gonna eat dinner together” you’re going to go, even though you just ate. And you’re reading a menu for the restaurant, and you see Bacon Flavored Bacon Bacon! Anything below that, you’re not paying attention to, because you cannot get that Bacon Flavored Bacon Bacon out of what it is that you’re doing. As much as you try to do something else, it’s not going to work, because that’s not what you want to do! There’s always this thing in the back of your head that’s going, “Yeah, like, I’m making the money, and yeah, I got a parking space, and yeah, I got bennies. But you know what?—”

I could be having Bacon Flavored Bacon Bacon. 

Exactly. After a while, the universe gives you signs. It was just a matter of me being at the right place at the right time, which really helped push me. Then to be cast with Mick Napier and Splatter Theatre—which changed the face of theater I think in Chicago, arguably the Annoyance changed the face of improvisation and sketch writing—I was part of that. I was also in a theater company with Carell and Colbert and Amy Sedaris, and that was the universe saying, you’re in the right place. I couldn’t fucking get enough of it because I was given the opportunity—and I think that that is a huge thing right there—I feel I’m coming from a place of privilege. I never take that for granted. 

Steve Carell, Paul Dinello, Stephen Colbert, and David Razowsky, Second City, 1994. Courtesy Second City

I went into your book as an improv person, ready to nerd out, then I realized that this book is also really accessible for somebody who’s like, “I don’t do improv and I’m never gonna do improv.” You just have a lot of fun stories about life and theater.

This book is for anybody who has a curiosity about what it was like to be putting on a sketch show, how to work with people, no matter where it is that you are. It’s for writers, I think it’s also for directors. And that’s why there’s a Buddhist part of it—it’s like, this is for everybody. This is for any creative person, you know? Do whatever it is that you want to do! Fuck the voices that are telling you not to do it!


How Chicago shaped Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert’s friends and former cast members look back at his formative years in Chicago.

by Mike Thomas
September 3, 2015August 18, 2021


iO improvises its rebirth

After the comedy revolution during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many performers began speaking out about toxic culture in the sketch and improv world, iO was one of the many theaters that had to close its doors, seemingly for good. Upright Citizens Brigade, which began its life in Chicago, closed its longtime New York venue; they…

by Wanjiku Kairu
September 15, 2022September 16, 2022


iO past, present, and nonfuture

Remembering the comedy theater’s humble beginnings and reflecting on its dramatic end

by Jack Helbig
August 4, 2020August 18, 2021


Read More

David Razowsky wants to set “yes, and” on fire Read More »

Percussionist Daniel Villarreal plays songs from the intersection of his many musical lives

Panama-born, Chicago-based drummer Daniel Villarreal is involved with myriad musical projects. He coleads the groups Dos Santos, Valebol, the Los Sundowns, and Ida y Vuelta; he’s collaborated extensively with grab-bag marching band Mucca Pazza, sibling duo Wild Belle, and soulful psych-pop singer Rudy De Anda; and he’s a familiar face on Pilsen’s DJ circuit. At the intersection of all those endeavors is his debut album, Panamá 77, released last May on International Anthem. Working with plenty of colleagues from his various projects, Villarreal cocomposed 11 lush, hypnotically motivic instrumental tracks, many of which undulate with psychedelic organs and synths.

Villarreal’s affinity for the organ runs deep: his father was an organist in a touring conjunto band, and it was the first instrument Villarreal learned as a boy. (“Patria,” the only cover tune on the album, was written by Panamanian organist Avelino Muñoz, whose family taught Villarreal’s father.) But Villarreal dedicated Panamá 77 to his late grandmother Ofelia De León, who helped raise him while his parents worked in nearby Panama City. She’s the namesake of the album’s second song, which is buoyed by surfy solos from guitarist Nathan Karagianis (a Dos Santos colleague) and an organ groove by Cole DeGenova (who’s also collaborated with a long list of artists, including Chance the Rapper, Lupe Fiasco, and Meshell Ndegeocello).

For this show, Villarreal will be joined by Danjuma Gaskin on congas and the same musicians who recorded “Ofelia” and “Patria”: DeGenova on keys, Karagianis on guitar, and Gordon Walters on bass. As they did at the Panamá 77 release show at Thalia Hall last July, the quintet will play the record in its entirety with help from a few surprise guests.

Daniel Villareal Thu 2/2, 7:30 PM, SPACE, 1245 Chicago, Evanston, IL, $15-$22, all ages

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Percussionist Daniel Villarreal plays songs from the intersection of his many musical lives Read More »

Percussionist Daniel Villarreal plays songs from the intersection of his many musical lives

Panama-born, Chicago-based drummer Daniel Villarreal is involved with myriad musical projects. He coleads the groups Dos Santos, Valebol, the Los Sundowns, and Ida y Vuelta; he’s collaborated extensively with grab-bag marching band Mucca Pazza, sibling duo Wild Belle, and soulful psych-pop singer Rudy De Anda; and he’s a familiar face on Pilsen’s DJ circuit. At the intersection of all those endeavors is his debut album, Panamá 77, released last May on International Anthem. Working with plenty of colleagues from his various projects, Villarreal cocomposed 11 lush, hypnotically motivic instrumental tracks, many of which undulate with psychedelic organs and synths.

Villarreal’s affinity for the organ runs deep: his father was an organist in a touring conjunto band, and it was the first instrument Villarreal learned as a boy. (“Patria,” the only cover tune on the album, was written by Panamanian organist Avelino Muñoz, whose family taught Villarreal’s father.) But Villarreal dedicated Panamá 77 to his late grandmother Ofelia De León, who helped raise him while his parents worked in nearby Panama City. She’s the namesake of the album’s second song, which is buoyed by surfy solos from guitarist Nathan Karagianis (a Dos Santos colleague) and an organ groove by Cole DeGenova (who’s also collaborated with a long list of artists, including Chance the Rapper, Lupe Fiasco, and Meshell Ndegeocello).

For this show, Villarreal will be joined by Danjuma Gaskin on congas and the same musicians who recorded “Ofelia” and “Patria”: DeGenova on keys, Karagianis on guitar, and Gordon Walters on bass. As they did at the Panamá 77 release show at Thalia Hall last July, the quintet will play the record in its entirety with help from a few surprise guests.

Daniel Villareal Thu 2/2, 7:30 PM, SPACE, 1245 Chicago, Evanston, IL, $15-$22, all ages

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Chicago Bears, Justin Fields (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Since the moment the Chicago Bears secured the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the takes have been wild.

Sure, on one hand you have the sensible thoughts from fans and media who truly get it. Those opinions mostly include general manager Ryan Poles trading the pick and securing a haul of draft capital in return. With that haul of draft capital, Poles can then continue building around franchise quarterback Justin Fields, getting him the necessary protection and weapons he deserves.

That would only make sense, right?

Yet, on another end of the spectrum, you have some media and fans who think the Bears should stay at number one, trade Fields, only to draft another quarterback like Alabama’s Bryce Young and, in essence, start over again.

Say what you will about sports media, as everyone has their favorite outlet and trusted “expert” these days. But, the idea of the Bears starting over seems quite hilarious, especially after the exciting breakout we saw from Fields last season.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is in on the Chicago Bears building around Justin Fields and skipping on the quarterback position in the 2023 NFL Draft class

In the same radio segment Kiper said a double-trade-down scenario is possible for the Bears in this year’s draft, he also gave some high praise to Fields.

“To me, there is no quarterback in this draft better than Justin Fields,” Kiper said on Waddle and Silvy.

Wow, that is extremely high praise for a polarizing quarterback such as Fields.

After last season, some people believe Fields is going to be great. Some, on the other hand, believe he’s just a running quarterback with limited passing potential.

Kiper, one of the most well-known draft experts of the last two decades, believes Fields is better than any quarterback in this class — and that includes Bryce Young.

There are a lot of people who believe Young is the real deal, and that he’s as surefire a pick as we’ve seen in quite some time. And that might be true, but the Bears sticking with Fields makes far more sense than drafting another rookie.

Kiper is right, too. Fields has hardly scratched the surface of what he can do as a pro, and once the Bears put the talent around him, the world will see a completely different side of him.

Next: Should the Bulls blow it up before it’s too late?

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Blackhawks’ shuffled lines all contribute in win over Flames

CALGARY, Alberta — With Jonathan Toews a late scratch due to illness Thursday against the Flames, Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson shuffled all four forward lines in warmups.

And then all four lines scored in a 5-1 Hawks win.

Jason Dickinson moved up to first-line center and deposited a beautiful goal on a nearly-between-his-legs shot. Max Domi moved down to Toews’ second-line center role and earned an assist on Taylor Raddysh’s goal.

Third-line wing Sam Lafferty extended his red-hot stretch with a two-on-one tap-in. And Boris Katchouk, making his first appearance since Jan. 3, scored for the fourth line — a goal on which recent call-up Luke Philp earned his first NHL point. Defenseman Connor Murphy also hit an empty net.

The Hawks’ January winning surge, written off for dead after the past two losses, apparently might not be quite done yet.

Chasing Kane

Patrick Kane tallied one assist and two shots on goalThursday.

That latter category has been scrutinized lately because he went consecutive games last weekend (against the Blues and Kings) with zero shots for just the second time in his career.

“[We’ve been] chasing the puck a lot and not [having] much puck possession,” Kane said Thursday. “When we do get it, we can do a better job of hanging onto it.”

The only other instance was in December 2010, but it really shouldn’t count. He was injured 23 seconds into the first game, and the second game came three weeks later.

He has been talking about needing to get more possession since November, but he hasn’t been able to resolve the problem. That has been reflected in his production: he entered Thursday on pace to finish with 56 points in 77 games this season, down from 92 points last year.

It might actually be unresolvable, considering the way this Hawks team is constructed. He has no choice but to keep trying to do so, though, and he did play well Thursday — he easily could’ve had two or three points.

‘It has been not a great year, production-wise. It’s disappointing, for sure,” he said. “You get used to playing with certain guys [in] a certain style for two, three, four years. All of a sudden, it’s different. It’s not like it’s any worse or better; it’s just different.

“You have to learn…how to go to the right areas, be in the right spot for your teammates. I know it has been over half the season, but some games it clicks, some games it’s been a little bit different.”

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Can Hendrickson Guide Fire to MLS Playoffs?

After taking over at Soldier Field in 2021, Ezra Hendrickson had a tough first year as Chicago Fire head coach. However, the 2022 season is done and dusted, and Fire is looking ahead to an exciting 2023 MLS campaign.

Big Season Ahead for Fire

Most clubs have the same ambition in America’s top tier, with the playoffs being the priority for many. The 2023 season promises to be as thrilling as ever and will undoubtedly be worth tuning in for.

The sports streaming market is in demand these days, with soccer being one of the standout sports. According to ExpressVPN’s data on sports streaming in the US over the past five years, only NFL and NBA are more popular than soccer. Soccer streaming has become even more favored than baseball.

When a new manager arrives, it can take time for things to click into gear. Hendrickson took over for the start of the 2022 season after leaving the Columbus Crew assistant manager role in November 2021.

After a mediocre 2022 campaign, Hendrickson and his Chicago side are looking to kick on this year and secure a playoff berth. It will undoubtedly be challenging, but the Illinois outfit can find form and seal a top-seven finish.

Looking Back on 2022

Chicago made a solid start to their 2022 season, as they were unbeaten in their opening five games. Before a 1-0 loss at Orlando City in April, Fire beat DC United and Sporting Kansas City and drew with Inter Miami, Orlando, and Dallas.

However, things went rapidly downhill after the 3-1 home success over Kansas, as Hendrickson’s side failed to win any of the next ten MLS matches and claimed just one win in 12. A flurry of wins from July to August revived their slim playoff hopes, but inconsistency cost them dearly in the end. 

There’s no other route…. pic.twitter.com/ctdEJc7hAI

— EZRA (@EzraHendrickson) August 23, 2022

 

Chicago finished 12th place in the Eastern Conference table, collecting 39 points from 34 matches. They were nine points behind Orlando, who took the final playoff spot in the Eastern section. Overall, Fire picked up ten wins, drew nine times, and suffered 15 defeats.

Can Fire Sneak into Playoffs?

A new season brings plenty of optimism, and Chicago is looking for a top-seven finish in the East in 2023. They have added a few new additions to the squad, with Jonathan Dean and Arnaud Souquet arriving. They also have some talented players, including former Liverpool man Xherdan Shaqiri. However, as covered by the official MLS website, a few star faces have left the club this winter, leaving a massive gap in the team.

𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗟

Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign Chicago Fire forward Jhon Durán for a potential fee of €20.4m 😳 pic.twitter.com/2PipL1Dg30

— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) January 16, 2023

Chicago is undoubtedly an outsider going into the new season. Los Angeles is the favorite to retain their MLS Cup crown at 11/2, while Philadelphia Union and LA Galaxy are being tipped to have strong seasons. As for Fire, the bookies are offering around 75/1 for them to win the 2023 MLS Cup. Their one and only MLS Cup success came way back in 1998.

Chicago has a tough start to their 2023 season. Looking on Chicago Fire’s webpage, Hendrickson’s side welcomed New York City to Soldier Field on the opening weekend before traveling to Philadelphia in game two. Can they get off to a good start and make 2023 a year to remember?

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