By Roger Wallenstein

Life may simply be a series of choices, but some are easier than others.
When I was a just a kid of six or seven, our family moved to suburban Chicago from Cincinnati. The choice of Sox versus Cubs was an obvious one. The Sox were a good team. The Cubs weren’t, and we were frontrunners.
For all I know, our dad never saw an American League game until he drove us to Comiskey Park for the first time. Since the Reds were his National League team, he never said boo about us becoming Cub fans even though we lived on the North Shore.
In the grander scheme of things, this sort of choice ranks below choosing a career, how best to parent children, or whether to drink light beer. You might want to put being a faithful, loving spouse who makes healthy decisions in your top two or three.
Nevertheless, picking the White Sox more than 60 years ago clearly goes into my “life-changer” column.

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Posted on May 12, 2014

By Jim Coffman

Can anyone tell me, specifically, what it is that Jonathan Toews does so well? It isn’t puck-handling. It isn’t Marian Hossa-style hold the puck and hold the puck and hold the puck and then make the perfect pass or shot at the absolute last second.
His shot is strong but not blisteringly fast or accurate. He is a physical presence, especially on defense, but he isn’t flying around crashing into everyone and thank goodness. Otherwise he’d probably be out with an “upper body injury” that sure looked like a killer shot to the head. Actually, we’ll get back to that physical presence stuff.
He skates well but he isn’t flying down the ice faster than just about anyone else like, say, a Patrick Sharp.
I suppose we have to go with a cliché. I mean, there is a reason people say certain things about great athletes and then say them again. It is because those truths are particularly apt, particularly frequently.

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Posted on May 12, 2014

Meet The NFL’s Most Infamous Talent Evaluator

“Think of the most important thing you’d want to know about an NFL prospect,” Barry Petchesky wrote for Deadspin on Thursday, ahead of last night’s draft.
“The piece of information that should be listed first on his NFL.com draft profile. It is, almost certainly, nothing like these:

Texas A&M WR Mike Evans: “His father, Mickey, was murdered when Mike was 9.”
NIU safety Jimmie Ward: “Has a child.”
Oregon TE Colt Lyerla: “Grew up poor in an unstable environment.”

“The man behind all these evaluations is Nolan Nawrocki, known around some parts as Trollscout. Perhaps most famous for his dog-whistle evaluations of Cam Newton and Geno Smith for Pro Football Weekly, Nawrock is now part of the official NFL media machine.”
Click through to read Chicago writer Daniel Libit’s profile of Nawrocki, re-posted from last month.

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Posted on May 9, 2014

By Dan O’Shea

I’ve already had an unusually good number of Cubs and White Sox mentions in this column this season, which is a neat trick considering neither team is a real contender (don’t fool yourselves, Sox fans).
Yet this week I find myself on the topic of local heroes once again – it’s the week of the Crosstown Cup.
Now, maybe this series is not what it was. Maybe it would be more exciting to see Jose Abreu wrestle a bear than watch his team take on the other named for baby bears. But there is still reason while you’re perusing the waiver wire to occasionally stop at the name of a Cubs or Sox player.
In fact, here are two names beyond the usual suspects – the Abreus and Rizzos – who might be able to help your fantasy team.

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Posted on May 8, 2014

By Steve Rhodes

“The Blue Jays could make up their 2.5-game deficit in the AL East by making four changes, Paul Swydan writes in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com,” MLBTradeRumors.com notes.
“One of those moves would be an upgrade at second base, and Swydan suggests that Rickie Weeks, Luis Valbuena, Emilio Bonifacio and Danny Espinosa could all be logical trade targets.”
So that’s why the Cubs still have Darwin Barney – someone’s gotta play second once even mediocrities like Valbuena and Bonifacio are sent packing.
When the Cubs go on the road, it must be like the flea market coming to town.

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Posted on May 6, 2014

By Roger Wallenstein

The good ones never stop trying to figure out what’s going on when it’s going bad, and when it’s going good, they know how to keep it going. He’s one of, if not the hardest-working hitting coach I’ve had. He gets all the credit.
– Adam Dunn
After the game he’s in the cage working with people. [Guys] like Viciedo and [Gordon Beckham]. Those guys will be saying he’s their guy.”
– Paul Konerko
Yessir, looks like the White Sox have a keeper in new batting coach Todd Steverson. Only problem is that those quotes from Dunn and Konerko were lifted from last season when Jeff Manto was the team’s hitting instructor.

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Posted on May 5, 2014

By Ryan Goldberg/Special to ProPublica

Today at least 95 percent of American racehorses have the drug in their system when they leave the starting gate. Is this horse in this race the reason why?
Fifty years after the 1964 Kentucky Derby, revisiting the race and its implications for drugs in the Sport of Kings.

On looks alone, Northern Dancer did not stand out as he entered the starting gate for the 90th running of the Kentucky Derby in 1964. He was the small bay colt from Canada nobody had wanted to buy as a youngster. He had sore feet and a volatile temperament. Still, as he filed into Post 7 and the crowd of 100,000 got to its feet, Northern Dancer was the second betting choice. Churchill Downs anticipated a classic.
Once the gates opened, a horse named Mr. Brick charged to the front, and the pace was quick early on. Mr. Brick was followed by Royal Shuck, Wil Rad and The Scoundrel, who slightly bumped the betting favorite, Hill Rise.
Jockey Bill Hartack, with three Derby wins in his career, later recalled that he had a snug hold on Northern Dancer. He dropped him to the rail where he could save ground.

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Posted on May 3, 2014

Licensed By Both The NHL And The NCAA

This 100% aluminum beauty holds approximately six to eight bottles of your favorite beverage, plus ice.
Check the reviews:
“Not what I expected.”
– one star, K-Rud.
“Terrible buy for the price.”
– one star, LuckyEscape.
Watch the video:

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Posted on May 2, 2014

By Dan O’Shea

A few observations from the opening month of the 2014 baseball season.
Fantasy Player Of The Month: Jose Abreu.
Who would have thought we’d highlight the fantasy feats of two different South Side-by-way-of-Cuba players in the first few weeks of the season? First, it was Alexei Ramirez, the sneaky mid-round value who went on run of over-achievement to start the season. Now, it’s sleeper-turned-fantasy starter Abreu, who broke the rookie records for HRs (10) and RBI (32) in the month of April despite going through two mini-slumps where he was collectively 2-for-40. Abreu is drawing comparisons to Miguel Cabrera, and already looks like the fantasy steal of the year.

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Posted on April 30, 2014

By Steve Rhodes

“The ones who have left talk as if they’ve escaped,” Gordon Wittenmyer writes for the Sun-Times.
“As if the Cubs have become baseball’s Alcatraz, where players do time until free agency or the inevitable trade while the lucky ones get reduced sentences by virtue of one-year flip contracts.
“Just listen to Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Matt Garza’s advice to Jeff Samardzija, who will be on the trading block this summer.

“All I can tell him is keep pitching; pitch your way out of it,” said Garza.

Yes, but how do we escape?

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Posted on April 28, 2014