Chicago -
By Marty Gangler
Who’d a thunk that we would all be bored with the regular season even before the Cubs clinched the division?
It sure seems like the days off for guys and the sorta more wacky lineups than normal have come even before the games become truly meaningless.
Sure, they still seem to be trying to win of course, but geez, what is there left to talk about?
I guess you could ask Big Poppa Joe if the Cubs would be any good at football.
Posted on September 12, 2016
By Roger Wallenstein
As a fan who’s been following the White Sox for more than six decades, I’m a guy who was raised on Friendly Bob Adams and General Finance, the Hamm’s Bear from the Land of Sky Blue Waters, and White Owl Cigars, as in “That’s a White Owl wallop!”
So you can imagine my surprise at what I found when I visited the men’s room on the first-base side of the lower level along about the fourth inning of the Labor Day match-up between Chris Sale and the Tigers’ Justin Verlander.
Posted on September 12, 2016
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
And that’s an unlikely best-case scenario. Plus: Gone Gould; Wisconsin Sends Us An Angel; Leonard “Stink” Floyd; Ryan Pace Is Now On The Clock; Secret Bears Under Wrap?; A Lot Of Pundits Love The Packers; Coffman Can’t Take The Patriots Anymore; There Are Many Ways To Be Smart, Even For Dipshits; and The NFL Is Concussed.
Posted on September 9, 2016
By Simon Darcy and David Legg/The Conversation
Some 160 countries are participating in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, involving an estimated 4,350 athletes competing for 528 medal events across 22 sports.
This signifies an 11-fold increases in athlete participation from 400 at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Countries represented at the Games have grown from 21 in 1964 to 160, and the number of sports has increased 2.5 times from nine to 22.
The Games have evolved from an event for only athletes who used wheelchairs to now welcoming 10 different impairment types that make up the athlete classification system for competition.
Posted on September 9, 2016
By Carl Mohrbacher
Holy crap, you guys! Welcome back!
It’s been eight long months and the only thing left on Earth that can hold people’s attention for seven hours at a time has returned to television!
No, it’s not your children! Because dance recitals are bullshit!
No, it’s not porn! Because of chafing!
Say it with me!
Posted on September 8, 2016
By Jim Coffman
People can feel bad about Robbie Gould’s release if they want but bringing in left guard Josh Sitton for the low, low price of a slight downgrade at kicker is a significant win for the Bears.
It isn’t quite that simple, of course, but Gould’s (contract’s) exit and the signing of former Tampa Bay kicker Connor Barth for about half of what the 11-year Bear kicker was going to make ($3 million) created critical space under the cap.
And the money that will fill that space became part of the contract offer three-time Pro Bowler Sitton couldn’t refuse. Meanwhile, Barth might be a bit of an upgrade over Gould, who blew two potential game-winning kicks last year and missed a pair of extra points in the final exhibition game this year. He turns 35 in December and is a little ways down the back side of his career.
Posted on September 6, 2016
By Marty Gangler
I said last week that the next couple of weeks were going to be the most fun of the season. But I really thought it would be a bit longer than it looks like it’ll be. With the magic number already down to 10 and the Cubs showing no stopping in sight, this sucker should be wrapped up before we get to another Cub Factor next week.
Posted on September 6, 2016
By Andre Perry/The Hechinger Report
Colin Kaepernick is a role model whether you like it or not. Many view Kaepernick’s choice of protest as disrespecting the flag, our armed forces and America itself, but the vitriol toward the football player represents the fears that children may grasp the power of civil disobedience. Students who idolize athletes like Kaepernick may also mimic him at school and sit during the pledge of allegiance in protest.
Children in our broken U.S. school system have many reasons to take a seat
Posted on September 5, 2016
By Roger Wallenstein
He sits apart in the far corner of the dugout, cap pulled low over his eyes, alone in his thoughts.
This image of a formerly elite pitcher who has lost the ability to retire big league hitters in many ways represents the futility of this White Sox season. Once again, James Shields on Saturday appeared to be an aimless novice rather than Big Game James, winner of 127 major league games coming into the 2016 season. He lasted only until one out in the third inning at Minnesota as the Sox bowed 11-3.
While wondering just how much more embarrassment Shields will be exposed to by getting the starting nod every five days from manager Robin Ventura, you had a feel the pain of the former ace, who now owns a 5-17 record with an ERA of 6.07 in 28 starts between San Diego and the Sox this season.
Posted on September 5, 2016
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Highlight reel heroes – daily. Plus: About Tommy La Stella; Hawk Harrelson Still Allowed On Air; White Sox’ One Direction: Down; The Chicago Bear Sox; The Case Against Derrick Rose; and College Football’s Kickass Kickoff.
Posted on September 2, 2016
