By Thomas Chambers

If you think about it, we’ll have the perfect storm in Chicago dirt racing Saturday with the 75th running of the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (Grade II, 1-1/4 miles main track) at beautiful Hawthorne Race Course.
Not a blow-you-to-Oz kind of cyclone, mind you, but a nifty little race that’s quite well entered for 2011. Add predicted great weather, a nice crowd and wagering possibilities, and it’s a can’t miss.
Most people think Arlington when they think Chicago racing, but since AP has put so much emphasis into the Arlington Million and other high-level turf races, “dirt” racing there has gotten short shrift. There’s been no shrift since they installed the artificial surface in 2007, and there are no current Grade I races on the main track.
Conversely, Hawthorne runs the Illinois Derby in the spring and this race each autumn. They’re the best in Chicago dirt racing each year.

Read More

Posted on October 7, 2011

By Carl Mohrbacher

It’s Gonna Move Ya
While it had all of the creativity of an ’80s Juicy Fruit jingle*, last Sunday’s roughly 89-1 run/pass ratio against the Carolina Panthers got the job done and effectively moved the chains.
But don’t get your skis shined up too soon, Forte.
That’s probably the last time we’ll see you get a chance to shine like that this season.

Read More

Posted on October 6, 2011

By Dan O’Shea

Week 5 is the start of NFL bye weeks, which can wreak havoc on your fantasy football team if you failed to check players’ bye weeks when you originally drafted them.
I don’t necessarily try to make a lot of draft decisions around bye weeks, but if you draft two RBs you really like and they both have the same bye week, you shouldn’t wait too long before grabbing a third and fourth who won’t cause an automatic loss for you that week.
Of course, there are reasons to love bye weeks, too. Here are just a few.

Read More

Posted on October 4, 2011

Both Teams Going For U.S. Open Cup Milestones

“The Fire’s late-season drive to make the MLS playoffs is still going strong, but it’ll be put briefly on hold,” Len Ziehm writes for the Sun-Times. “The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final is Tuesday night against the host Seattle Sounders, and plenty of history will be on the line.
“The summerlong Open Cup has been played annually since 1914 and the Fire could become the third team to be a five-time champion, joining the Bethlehem (Pa.) Steel and Maccabi Los Angeles. If Seattle wins, they would be only the second team to win three consecutive titles, along with the New York Greek-Americans.”
Let’s take a look.

Read More

Posted on October 4, 2011

By Roger Wallenstein

The image I prefer to remember from Ozzie Guillen’s departure shows him kneeling down to eye level with Mark Buehrle’s kids in the caverns of the Cell. He was having fun with the little ones, seemingly relaxed and, dare I say, likeable when the TV cameras captured him long after the final pitch of his last game as Sox manager.
The rest is bizarre. He ranted about needing enough money to buy a boat, clothe his wife properly, and travel to Spain. As if he couldn’t do all that on a paltry $2 million salary amidst an unemployment rate of more than 9 percent with millions wondering where their next paycheck would come from. Ozzie was an agitated, angry man.

Read More

Posted on October 3, 2011

By Jim Coffman

Devin Hester hesitated early in his big kickoff return in the first half Sunday against Carolina, and a few minutes later he stumbled after a few steps when he took a punt all the way back for a touchdown. Both actions served to concentrate the coverage team down the middle.
And then, in each case, he made what will always be his signature move: He briefly ran laterally before – at just the right instant – cutting up the field and into daylight.
Knowing the exact split-second to make that move has always been Hester’s genius. And when that genius is combined with glorious acceleration – he goes from 0 to 60 almost as fast as a 2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 – he makes good plays great.

Read More

Posted on October 3, 2011

By Mike Luce

We’re headed into Week Five with some big (Clemson-Virginia Tech, Nebraska-Wisconsin) match-ups as conference play starts up across the country. Before the weekend gets underway, let’s get caught up on some recent headlines.
* Coyote Ugly: New Mexico released head coach Mike Locksley after the Lobos lost another game last Saturday, bringing the UNM season record to 0-4. Locksley leaves behind a less than illustrious record (2-26) during his tenure and a history of deplorable behavior off the field. Less than six months into the job, an assistant in Locksley’s office filed a sexual harassment suit against him. (Locksley was eventually cleared of the charges.)
Later in his first year, Locksley received a reprimand from the university after allegedly punching receivers coach JB Gerald coach in the face.

Read More

Posted on September 30, 2011

By Carl Mohrbacher

New Trick, Old Dog
I haven’t decided whether to give Lovie Smith and his staff credit for playing to win by running one of the best special teams trick plays in recent memory or to lambast them for putting it on tape in a game that was basically out of reach. Since it got called back, we can’t give it a cool nickname like the Homer in the Gloamin’ or the Dirty Bay Reacharound, so we’ll have to settle on the Windy City Nothing.

Read More

Posted on September 28, 2011

By Carl Mohrbacher

Which team should I adopt for the postseason?
-Oliver, Warbucks TN
Without question, adopt the Yankees. I’m tired of seeing teams take themselves off the “haven’t won a title in X number of years” or the “haven’t won a title ever” lists.
The last thing you want to see during a tang lull is your roommate parading a series of 10’s through the apartment.

Read More

Posted on September 28, 2011

By Marty Gangler

Finally, that debacle is over.
We here at The Cub Factor are actually excited now that we can look ahead to next season. Will there be an Upton Brothers Report? A Disguise of the Week for new manager Bobby Valentine? The adventures of Chicago’s new great crime stopper, The Clevenger? Mount Listach? The possibilities are endless.

Read More

Posted on September 28, 2011