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Tailgate

Chicago Mon Apr 14 2014

Inaugural Be The Match Starts Chicago In Right Direction

Finish.jpg It was a blustery spring morning on Saturday as more and more people approached the tent area at Montrose Harbor. The sun was beginning to peak out, and the warmest outdoor temperature since last October put a smile on everyone's face.

In all reality, the weather could have been 40 degrees with rain, but it wouldn't have mattered. A 5K run and 1K walk to benefit finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases was about to start, and the warmth of community and togetherness provided enough energy to power the United Center.

In its inaugural event in Chicago, Be The Match, an organization that for over the past 25 years, has helped countless numbers of individuals find matches from donors, including, according to it's website, 61,000 marrow and cord blood transplants and nearly 6,300 transplants a year. And what better way to help spread awareness of such a program than a healthy stroll on the city's north side.

Continue reading this entry »

Jim Crago

Chicago Mon Mar 31 2014

Spring Officially Arrives With Shamrock Shuffle

Shuffle.jpg

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."
― Anne Bradstreet, The Works of Anne Bradstreet

Winters in Chicago are usually pretty rough on anyone, no matter if you've lived here your whole life or if you're a recent transplant. And if there's one thing everyone in this town can agree on, it's that this last winter was by far the worst in recent memory.

Tourists from far out of town or newcomers fresh out of college would ask, "Is it always this bad around here?" The answer inevitably is, "It gets bad, but this is a little out of the ordinary." With record-setting snowfalls, followed by record-setting sub-zero temperatures -- followed by more snow and then more sub-zero temperatures -- it was enough to make the thick-skinned Midwesterner tremble like a newborn fawn.

After being exposed to such atrocities for a few weeks, the thought on everyone's mind after a long commute home became a little more hopeful, "This, too, shall pass. Heck, there's only 47 days left until Opening Day!" Baseball aside, living in this town for at least three years will make the most callous cynic into an ardent optimist, and every year the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle means spring-like weather truly is right around the corner.

Continue reading this entry »

Jim Crago

Chicago Tue Jul 30 2013

"Chiditarod" For Kids At Garfield Park

Kiditarod.jpg There's nothing that says fun quite like an Iditarod race in Chicago, aptly named Chiditarod, that requires adults to mush about the city at different checkpoints, all for charity. The race, pageant, talent show and fundraiser helped raise over $34,000 in cash donations while collecting nearly 17,000 pounds of food for the Greater Chicago Food Depository this past March 2, after covering 4.8 miles in the greatest spectacle in shopping cart racing.

But why should the adults have all the fun, running around and acting like kids? It's time for the kids to get involved and show the grown-ups how it's done. On Saturday, August 10, the folks at "Chiditarod" will put on "Kiditarod," a kid-oriented version of the race, at a new interactive festival called Figment, that runs Aug. 10-11 at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave.

Continue reading this entry »

Jim Crago

Chicago Tue Apr 16 2013

Running Into Fear

Boston-Marathon-bombing-runners-jpg.jpg


I've always had a hard time trying to understand what it takes to inflict pain on or wish ill will towards another person. What does it take to psyche yourself up enough to fly a plane into a building, to carelessly shoot at another person, or to plant bombs near the finish line of a marathon? I want to know, but realize I'll never understand.

I think back to when I wrestled in high school: I would visualize wrapping my opponent up like a pretzel until the referee slapped his hand on the mat, declaring me the winner (this rarely happened, but I did have a few wins under my belt). But in the end, we would shake hands in the spirit of competition and go about our separate ways.

Continue reading this entry »

Jim Crago / Comments (1)

Running Mon Apr 11 2011

A Sweltering Shamrock Shuffle

The weather often is tricky for the Shamrock Shuffle, but typically that means chill or rain, not the humid, 80-degree conditions runners had to deal with Sunday. But with the race pushed back this year, a record 32,427 completed the 8-kilometer (4.97-mile) downtown trek.

Were your friends among them? Check this searchable database to see how they finished.

Jim Reedy

Chicago Tue Feb 01 2011

Short Hops: Stocking Up Before the Storm

ramirez tribune.jpgPhoto: Nuccio DiNuzzo, Chicago Tribune

Sports fans always love keeping the guys we know and love, and the White Sox sure have been doing a lot of that lately. They brought back free agents Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski, picked up Ozzie Guillen's 2012 option and Monday they gave shortstop Alexei Ramirez a four-year, $34.5 million contract extension.

The new deal, which includes a $10 million team option for Year Five, wasn't strictly necessary. The 29-year-old Ramirez was entering the final season of the cheap four-year deal he signed as a Cuban free agent three years ago, but the Sox could have kept him around for a few more years through arbitration. Instead, they decided to give him a little more money on the front end in exchange for a few years of cost-effective security on the back end. And it won't cost anything this season.

Jim Margalus of South Side Sox likes the move: "I'd call this contract fair, with an overtone of fun. Ramirez is often a blast to watch, and he's not going anywhere. That's good."

***

Good news for the Bulls too, as Joakim Noah had the cast on his right hand removed Monday after practice. The fourth-year center, one of the league's premier rebounders and post defenders, will participate in non-contact drills with the team on their current road trip and could be ready for game action after the all-star break in three weeks.

Continue reading this entry »

Jim Reedy

Running Thu Dec 02 2010

Chicago Santa Speedo Run: Open Bar and Speedos

Have you ever wondered what your co-worker would look like in a Speedo or bathing suit? Here's the perfect solution. The Chicago Santa Speedo Run will have participants running in almost nothing at all for the sake of raising money for the Chicago Diabetes Project. Not only will you avoid getting slapped, but now that cute girl or guy in the cubicle over will see you as a paragon of virtue and charity. The event begins at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning at Shenanigans on 16 W. Division Street. After a three hour open bar at Shenanigans, the 1 mile race will saunter down Rush street and fly back up Michigan Avenue.

The race was started by Annie Hemmesch, a type 1 diabetic, who now organizes the event. Last year, over 150 runners came to strut their stuff. Hemmesch is hoping to double that number this year.

Brave runners can sign-up for "Early Speedo Registration" before the event at the cost of $35. Last minute runners can register at Shenanigans for $40. Though "speedos are encouraged, you don't have to run or wear a speedo...as long as its festive," but why would you want to do it any other way?

The Chicago Santa Speedo Run will begin at:
Saturday, December 04, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Shenanigans
16 W. Division Street
Chicago, IL 

For more information visit: http://www.chicagosantaspeedorun.com/

Moises Montenegro

Running Mon Mar 22 2010

Race Reports: The Shamrock Shuffle

The Vernal Equinox took place on Saturday at exactly 5:32 p.m. and in spite of the slushy and angry mess that Mother Nature dumped on Chicago this weekend, spring is officially here. Less telling than the Sun being directly overhead at the Earth's equator, but a far more relevant indicator of spring's presence to Chicagoans was the "Shamrock Shuffle" on Sunday morning. The Shuffle is a 35 year-old rite-of-spring in the Windy City, and this year, Tailgate editor and resident bon vivant, Brian Lauvray, took it upon himself to run the 8K course and celebrate the start of Chicago's outdoor running season.

Starting Line:

The Shamrock Shuffle had over 36,000 people register for the race and according to the announcers, 25,000 of them decided to show up. 25,000 is a lot of anything, maybe not an "Obama Just Got Elected Party" but, let's just say, Grant Park was jam packed with spandex-clad people vying to get to the front of the line, get their racing bib on and make sure they were staying warm. Oddly, there seemed to be way more women in this race than guys, not odd in some anti-suffragist notion, like, "Gosh, women are running these days?" but odd in the sense of "Guys, you don't want to get off the couch and run? No? Okay, cool."

Continue reading this entry »

Brian Lauvray

Running Wed Oct 21 2009

A 15K With Chocolate? Sweet!

200_choc_chase copy.gifYou may not have previously connected competitive running with copious amounts of chocolate, but if you're harbored a secret desire to chow down on Hersey's candy, hot cocoa and chocolate fondue after running a 15K you're going to want to be at Montrose Harbor on Sunday, Nov. 1

RAM (Running Away Multisport) Racing and the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute are teaming up to present The Hot Chocolate 15K/5K race Nov. 1, 8 a.m., at the harbor, 601 W. Montrose at Lake Shore Drive. In addition to the usual runner's swag like a running jacket, wicking fleece running hat and draw string backpack, partcipants and viewers can indulge themselves in "200,000 pieces of Hershey's candy, over 140 gallons of warm chocolate fondue from chocolate fountains and nearly 800 gallons of hot chocolate."

The race is as benefit for Global Brigade, "the world's largest student-led international relief organization that helps empower volunteers to provide communities in developing countries with the tools to improve the quality of life." For registration information, check out their website.

So in case you get stiffed on Halloween, well, you've got a place to recoup your losses.

Ken Green

Running Fri Oct 09 2009

Make A Run For It

NPhoto 2.jpgIt's Chicago Marathon weekend, which usually places the locals in three categories: those who are in it, those who watch it and those who are annoyed by it ("Dang, I just wanted to get to Home Depot and I run into THIS?").

If you're in it, there's a good chance you took part in Thursday night's pre-race pep rally at Niketown that featured a number of elite runners and a Chicago Bear thrown in for good measure (wide receiver Johnny Knox, not a bad runner himself). U.S. marathon legend Joan Benoit Samuelson and other U.S. running stars took part in a Q-and-A session and led runners on a short run just to keep those marathon juices flowing.

Continue reading this entry »

Ken Green

Running Wed Oct 07 2009

Show The World What They're Missing

Lakeside Tee.jpgOk, so we may not have the 2016 Olympics to crow about. But who needs 'em? Fine, Rio, have a ball, knock yourselves out. We didn't really want the stinky ol' Olympics anyway.

Sour grapes aside, this weekend's 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is still a pretty good international showcase for the city, combining some of the excitement of the Games with a chance to show off the beauty and culture of the city to the world. An international field will ensure that more than a few nations will be focusing on the race, and the fact that average Chicagoans will also be taking part alongside the elite runners gives it enough of a local twist that the rest of us may be compelled to tune it to the telecast.

That is, if we aren't actually on the street cheering on the runners. We may curse the traffic delays and reroutes but there's something a little electric about seeing thousands of runners culminate months of training by running right past your (theoretical) front door.

Continue reading this entry »

Ken Green

Running Tue Sep 29 2009

Crosstown Showdown Rundown

marathonrunner.jpgIndividually speaking, North Siders and South Siders haven't had a lot to cheer about this year, sportswise. With both the Cubs and the White Sox wrapping up a couple of nosedive seasons, the lone highlight this year might have been the annual crosstown showdown. But now that that's over...

But there's one more opportunity to renew this (for the most part) good-natured rivalry during the upcoming Chicago Marathon when high school athletes from the north side of the city and the south side will compete in a race within the race, the "Northside/Southside Challenge", a 2.62 mile run during the running of the actual marathon.

With the invitational meet, "Nike is inspiring the next generation of runners by giving them the experience of racing in the footsteps of their running heroes," according to Reg Hamlett, general manager of Nike's central territory. "The Northside/Southside Challenge is a ground-breaking way to bring a new energy to a preeminent marathon."

The race will begin the boys competition at 7:40 a.m., follow by the girls competition at 7:45 a.m. But groups of runners will start at 31st and Michigan Ave and will end at the Marathon finish line.

The prep athletes who will participate will be selected by Whitney Young coach Robert Geiger and coached by Nike athlete/spokespersons prior to the race. Individual and team winners will be named for the boys and girls squad and an overall winning team will be chosen from the group with the best cumulative time.

Ken Green

Swimming Wed Jul 08 2009

Last Chance for Chicago Tri

Space is running out to register for the 27th annual Chicago Triathlon held on Sunday, August 30, 2009. While you probably know by now whether you're in good shape to compete in a triathlon (the training program puts my cycling-specific program to shame), if you're into seeing what you can do with a minimum of time, or if you were fence-sitting, now is the time to register.

The international-distance Chicago Triathlon consists of a 1.5-kilometer (.93 mi.) Lake Michigan swim, a 40-kilometer (24.8 mi.) bike on Lake Shore Drive, and a 10-kilometer (6.2 mi.) run along Chicago's lakefront. For those aforementioned fence-sitters and those interested in a shorter test of endurance and will, a "Sprint Distance" race, approximately half the distance of the international distance is the ideal choice.

Register here.

Zach Thomas

News Wed Jun 10 2009

Short Hops

  • It was a rough start for the Chicago Sky in their season opener, but top rookie Kristi Toliver is taking it one game at a time.
  • ESPN Chicago muses on the White Sox young "saviors", recent call-ups Gordon Beckham and Aaron Poreda.
  • Meanwhile, the Sox newest draft picks still have that new car smell.
  • On the other side of town, the Cubs' top pick says he was hoping they would select him all along because he admires their history...
  • ...which, as a Tribune article states, has been well documented on film.
  • A golf foursome with Ben Roethlisberger, Justin Timberlake and Michael Jordan? Somebody pinch former Chicago cop Larry Giebelhausen, because he must be dreaming.
  • Chicago's long history of heavyweight boxing add another chapter as Frez Oquendo takes on Gonzalo Basile in a June 26 bout.
  • Fire fan favorite C.J. Brown looks back on 12 years with the team.
  • Add Mike Ditka to the Not-Crazy-About-Jay-Cutler (Anti)Fan Club. Did this guy kick a puppy or something?
  • It may be too late to register as an individual for the 2009 Chicago Marathon, but you can still get in under the wire by joining a team.
  • Finally, meet the man who motivated Michael Jordan to greatness (by beating him out for the last spot on their high school basketball team): Leroy Smith. (If he looks a little like Charlie Murphy, that's purely coincidental, we're sure.)


Ken Green

Running Mon Mar 09 2009

Neither Rain Nor Sleet...

...nor some combination of the two was able to keep hearty runners from showing up ad a cold and wet North Avenue Beach house Saturday morning to take part in the "Official Opening Day of Running" sponsored by Nike. OK, sure there isn't an "official" opening day when it comes to running but if baseball and other sports can have one, well...

Even if the title of the event was a bit tongue-in-cheek, the event proved to be a seasonal start of sorts for some of the participants who, unlike the TRULY dedicated runners - the ones who don special gear and hit the trails in 10-below temperatures - have been waiting for just the right day to leave the indoor treadmill and hit the pavement. Not only were they coaxed out of their holes like groundhogs by food, music and giveaways, but Olympian Alan Webb and runner Sanya Richards were on hand to lend inspiration as well.

Continue reading this entry »

Ken Green

Running Fri Mar 06 2009

A Dry Run... Finally

alan-webb-353-mile.jpgWhile the diehard runners in the city have been out there all winter pounding the pavement in below-zero weather, it's days like these, the ones where the string of 30 degree days are broken by the first 50 and 60 degree days of the year, that get most of us casual runners to get off the treadmill and let the rubber meet the road.

Nike evidently knows this. Either that or they're very fortuitous when it comes to scheduling events and getting cooperation from the weather. On the first warm weekend of the year so far, the sports shoe giant is holding what they're calling "The Official Opening Day of Running" event (and no, there is no real official opening day of running, so don't bother looking it up). Granted the weather forecast for the day of the event (to be held tomorrow, Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m. at the North Avenue Beach house) calls for temps in the 40s and possible rain, but considering the teeth-chattering weather we've had just prior to this, that is (literally) a day at the beach.

As if the weather weren't enough of an enticement to bring out the Regular Joes and Josephines among the city's runners, there will be music, food, drinks and an Irish dance contest. In addition, Olympic runner and American record holder in the mile Alan Webb (in inset photo) will be on hand to lead participants in a two-mile run.

It might be a smart move to show up at this event. Considering the fickle nature of Chicago weather, who knows when you'll get another chance like this.

Ken Green

News Fri Jan 23 2009

Short Hops

  • Trouble at local high school basketball games means new rules for fans and players
  • It's never to early to start thinking marathon
  • Try as they might, the Utah Jazz still can't get over the damage done to them by Michael Jordan and the Bulls
  • Step away from the italian beef: Chicago has a goal of going from the fattest to the fittest city in the country
  • No, smelt fishing doesn't involve taking a good, long whiff. It's a Chicago thing.
  • Taking a cue from their No. 1 Fan, the White Sox are issuing a call to social service
  • A Libertyville native gets a chance to play with (the) Fire.
  • That commercial with LeBron James dreaming of playing fo the Cleveland Browns? What if some of our local non-football athletes had the same dream?
  • A charity stair climbing event takes place this Sunday at the 80-floor Aon Center. Around floor 57, just keep telling yourself, "It's for the kids, it's for the kids..."


Ken Green

News Sat Jan 10 2009

Short Hops

Ken Green / Comments (1)

News Thu Oct 30 2008

Short Hops

  • The Blackhawks keep getting kudos for their turnaround, if primarily on a marketing basis. The latest huzzah comes from Forbes magazine.
  • Derrick Rose has inked an endorsement deal with Wilson Sporting Gods. Take that, Nike.
  • A trio of British hockey stars recount their experience running the recent Chicago Marathon.
  • The Bulls' Luol Deng gets a bit of pub from the Telegraph of the UK. Deng has played with the Great Britain national team.
  • As if Cubs fans didn't have enough reasons to cry in their beer, this guy has given them one more: Philadelphia won it all.
  • That FiveThirtyEight.com website that has political junkies all geeked up? It came from the mind of Chicago sports number-cruncher Nate Silver.
  • The Chicago Outfit, the city's other roller derby team, hold their Dia de los Muertos clash. It'll be the Sugar Skulls vs. the Zombies.
  • Pitcher Julio Castillo, the Peoria Chiefs player who hit a fan with a ball? He's been indicted. If you haven't see it, the video is below.


Ken Green

News Thu Oct 23 2008

Short Hops

  • Not a big fan of the ultimate fighting myself (Saturday nights in Wrigleyville about 10 years ago... Been there, done that). But for those who are, this is a big weekend in UFC-land, including a weight-in and Q&A open to the fans on Friday at the Chicago Theater. The main event, of course, is Saturday at the Allstate Arena.
  • If you think you want to give it a shot yourself, there are tryouts on Monday. Note: There will be blood.
  • Not to be outdone, UFC's bastard cousin, pro wrestling, has a bunch of events lined up in the coming days as well on the local level.
  • USA Today is as surprised at Kyle Orton as we are.
  • A Chicago woman is at the center of a controversy on how marathons are timed. The recent Chicago Marathon also has a mini-controversy base on the timing system.
  • Chicago State University has a new AD and a new conference.
  • A new fan joins Bear Nation...but hangs on to his Detroit Lion allegiance. Why?
  • Cool Hunting has a story on Chicago's new Dutch Bike shop.
  • The Windy City Rollers crack the seal on their new home, the UIC Pavilion, with a match against the Carolina Rollergirls. Oh, and there's supposed to be free beer!
  • The bye-week Bears talk about their scariest Halloween costumes. Probably not as scary as their game against Atlanta, but still...

Ken Green

News Fri Oct 17 2008

Short Hops

  • The Minnesota Vikings' Bernard Berrian expects boos when he returns to this old stomping grounds at Soldier Field this Sunday. C'mon Bears fans, don't let him down.
  • If his contract doesn't discourage the White Sox from resigning him, Ken Griffey Jr.'s recent knee surgery might.
  • Evanston remembers one of his favorite sons, former MLB pitcher Kevin Foster.
  • Speaking of favorite sons, new Wolves head coach Don Granato is happy to be back home as he prepared for the team's home opener Saturday night.
  • Remember the Cubs' "fan" who tried to auction off his loyalty on eBay? He may have found a buyer and a kindred spirit in the Boston Red Sox.
  • In the battle of sports radio on Chicago (well, it's actually just a two-horse race), WSCR-AM has taken the lead.
  • De La Salle's Mike Shaw is being touted by ESPN as the "next big thing" in Chicago high school basketball.
  • Even if you're not entered in this weekend Urbanathlon, you can still go down and enjoy the party.
  • The Windy City Rollers are holding tryouts. If you think you have what it takes (and can come up with a clever alias like "Val Capone" or "Lucy Furr"), come to a scrimmage preview on Monday. Incidentially, the WCR All-Stars made it to the national finals in Portland, Oregon.

Ken Green

News Thu Oct 09 2008

Short Hops

  • OK, look, baseball in Chicago in 2008 is OVER. Can't we all just get along?
  • But before we go, a final look back...
  • OK, maybe one more look, from a fan trying to come to grips with his affliction.
  • The Sky re-signs Canty and Wyckoff.
  • Feeling down after recent sporting results in Chicago? The Daily Illini has the answer.
  • Got golf fever? Snow is for quitters.
  • When it comes to the Chicago Marathon, last year is, well, so last year.
  • And to get you in the mood...


Ken Green

Running Thu Oct 09 2008

On Your Marks...

Participants in this Sunday's Chicago Marathon are no doubt getting their final tune-up runs before the big day. So why not make that final run while trotting alongside a real Olympian?

Top U.S. runners include Joan Benoit Samuelson, LaShawn Merritt, Sanya Richards and Alan Webb will offers words of inspiration and motivation at a free 2008 Niketown Marathon Pep Rally and Training Run today, 6:30 p.m. at Niketown, 669 N. Michigan Ave.

Continue reading this entry »

Ken Green

Running Fri Oct 03 2008

Just Do It, Chicago Style

Being a lifelong Chicagoan, I have to admit that I have a touch of that thing called civic pride. Even in the face of a do-nothing, bloated, cash-devouring City Council; a public transportation service that occasionally likes to take little siestas during rush hour and a sports scene that more often than not leaves your throwing items in frustration (present baseball teams excluded, of course).

It's not boastful civic pride. I don't travel to other cities and tell them how much better our city is, how tall our buildings are or how clean our streets are (well, only when in NYC) or how our pizza is better. But if they ask, sure I'll explain to them what makes Chicago so freaking cool, from its great lakefront to its kickass summer music festivals. I just don't mention

I even like the Chicago Marathon. Yeah, it can be a pain in the ass sometimes, trying to navigate the city streets on those October Sundays, getting blocked by stampede of whippet-thin runners with two-percent body fat and parka-wearing supporters and slapping your forehead as you suddenly remember, "Damn, the race is today!"

Continue reading this entry »

Ken Green / Comments (3)

News Thu Oct 02 2008

Short Hops

  • Eddie Vedder, Schmeddie Vedder. The Tampa Bay Rays have their own crooning fan in Kevin Costner.
  • Sure, they're involved in a heated playoff series. Doesn't mean that Derrek Lee and Mark DeRosa shouldn't think about their longterm future.
  • The Wrigley Field faithful aren't the only ones singing "Go, Cubs, Go". A "fan" in California wants them to win too, although for admittedly selfish reasons.
  • If the Twins had their way, it would have been double-or-nothing against the White Sox. (OK, not really, but...)
  • According to one writer, the Fire fans are some of the nicest around town.
  • Got an extra $90,000 or so lying around? You can sponsor your own triathlon.
  • Two more elite runners (PDF) announced for the Chicago Marathon field.
  • Now that Ben Gordon is back in the fold and Derrick Rose is in the lineup, the Bulls should be a front-runner in the NBA's Central Division, right? Not so fast...
  • Got crazy flipper fingers? A supple wrist? Check out the pinball expo.
  • The Chicago Outfit Roller Derby team host their last clash of the season when they take on the Hammer City Rollergirls of Hamilton, Ontario.

Ken Green

News Thu Sep 25 2008

Short Hops

  • The White Sox ship may be sinking, but Juan Uribe is worried about a different boat.
  • Cubs' manager Lou Pinella talks about his future with the Cubs.
  • "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks has added to this personal roster.
  • With talk of the sale of the Cubs heating up again, a YouTube video offers one possible outcome.
  • That All-Time Cubs/White Sox team has irked one fan... in Indianapolis.
  • The White Sox will take on the Reds in next year's Civil Rights Game.
  • Donovan McNabb says he's fired up to play against the Bears this Sunday. Great... just great.
  • An AIDS activist is running from New York City to Chicago to raise awareness of the disease's devastating affect in Africa
  • The Chicago Red Stars of the Women's Professional Soccer league obtained the rights to four international stars.
  • "Cicero Fury" comes to, well, Cicero in the form of an evening of boxing on October 17.
  • Brush up on your Big Wheel skills. The Urban Assault Ride is coming to Chicago this weekend.
  • More pedal-powered fun: bike polo.

Ken Green

Feature Thu Sep 11 2008

Short Hops

  • No, we didn't expect the Bears to beat the Colts last Sunday night either. But if they're going to build on that, there are three things they must do to beat the Carolina Panthers this Sunday.
  • Even if they don't win the game, the Bears are still scoring touchdowns at the bank.
  • Arguing over who gets the last drumstick is one thing. But a Cubs-White Sox World Series could drive one family nuts.
  • REALLY old school White Sox fans will mourn the death of former manager Don Gutteridge.
  • Current White Sox star Carlos Quentin hopes to be healthy by the playoffs. Question is: will he be playing or watching?
  • Patrick Kane and Jonathan Towes, the Blackhawks' Teen Titans (OK, they're not really teens but it's not far off) get some more (inter)national publicity.
  • From Kansas City to Chicago on a bike: Are gas prices THAT high?
  • The marathon gold-medalist from this year's Olympics, Constantina Tomescu-Dita of Romania has joined the field (pdf) of runners for the 2008 Chicago marathon. Hopefully, we'll have better weather this year.
  • The Sky take on the New York Liberty in their next-to-last game of their WNBA regular season.
  • Chicago teams finished third, fourth and fifth in the 2008 North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association Gay Softball World Series.
  • You're in Lisle. You're riding your bike. You have a hankering to see a play. What are you going to do?

Ken Green

Running Fri Aug 29 2008

Join The Human Race

As an (extremely) novice runner, I'm slowly understanding the reasons why so many people leap (drag? Stumble?) out of bed early in the morning to pound the sidewalks and bike paths of this city as part of their morning running ritual. Granted, making those initial steps in the wee hours of the day can take a bit of effort, but once you get into the rhythm it can be a refreshing experience, particularly at the end of a run when feeling of "good tired" sweeps over you.

Yeah, I said it. Me, the guy who used to run through a pack of Benson and Hedges (accompanied by the appropriate amount of alcohol) in a night. OK, I still sneak the occasional smoke every now and then, but it hasn't dimmed the strange new feeling of actually looking forward to a run at least two or three times a week outdoors (the treadmill wins the rest of the week) or, yes, actually participating in a 5k race some day... soon.

Continue reading this entry »

Ken Green / Comments (1)

News Thu Aug 14 2008

Short Hops

  • It may not make it to the side of a milk carton, but the Chicago Fire fan club Section 8 is missing their banner.
  • Some people might have an opinion about who they are, but a new book of photos entitled "We Are Cubs Fans" seeks to define the loyalists visually. The obligatory Ronnie Woo Woo photo is included.
  • Speaking of the Cubs, Sports Illustrated joins the rest of the country in being amazed that they AND the White Sox are both in first place and may make the playoffs in the same season for the first time since 1906.
  • And speaking of the Sox, Fox Sports calls the acquisition of Carlos Quinten the steal of the century. OK, they call it the steal of the season. It just LOOKS like the steal of the century.
  • The Bears are set to unveil a major advertising blitz. Too bad they can advertise for a quarterback.
  • Tickets for the National Pro Fastpitch softball championships go on sale this Saturday at Judson Sports Complex in Elgin, home of the Chicago Bandits. The Bandits are one of the four teams who will be participating.
  • Now that the Blackhawks are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, new fans might want to read about one of the team's legends featured in a story from the Sports Illustrated vaults.
  • Mark them on your calendar: The Human Race, the cycling National Championships in Downers Grove, Chicago Gems women's baseball, Windy City Rollers action and gay rodeo.

Ken Green

News Thu Aug 07 2008

Short Hops

  • Rex, Kyle...or even Chad Pennington. What difference does it make without an O line?
  • ..but at least we have a first-rate stadium.
  • He was much more than the guy who had the ball go between his legs in the 1984 NL Championship Series. The Indianapolis Star catches up with Cubs legend Leon Durham.
  • If you've been reading Tailgate's own Zach Thomas, you know that bike racing is booming in the Chicago area. The Chicago Tribune plays catch-up.
  • A South Side group is getting kids as young as eight into the challenging sport of triathlons...
  • ...while elsewhere on the South Side, another group is bringing the sport of rowing to a new, younger crowd.
  • The Urbanathalon is coming! Yes, it sounds like some B-movie monster, but actually it's a moderately strenuous 10-mile race, obstacle course thingy. Not too late to enter
  • Bring the pain: The UFC is coming to the Allstate Arena October 25. Top bout on the card is Anderson "The Spider" Silva vs. Patrick "The Predator" Cote. Anyone in UFC nicknamed "The Fluffy Bunny"?
  • Start saving your betting bucks now. The Arlington Million is this Saturday.
  • Twenty-five years ago, they installed lights in Wrigley Field. Purists howled. The world survived.

Ken Green

Bicycling Mon May 19 2008

Car Culture on Lakefront Path

Lakefront Path is one of Chicago's primary alternate transportation arteries. Over eighteen miles of trail pass through Southshore, Lincoln, Jackson, Burnham, and Grant Park allowing thousands of cyclists, skaters, tourists, and runners to pound the path daily. The path is both a reminder of Chicago's rich architectural history (skyline views are plentiful) and glimpse of a potential future where alternative transportation methods replace gas hungry automobiles.

Nuzzled next to Chicago's famous Lake Shore Drive, however, the path adopts many components of car culture. A familiar mixture of pedestrians, stoplights, informative signage, and different sized vehicles litter Lakefront Path. Pay attention to the below analogies and always remember to avoid Gapers Block (the social phenomenon not the publication).

Sedans, SUVS, and Hybrids
. Driving down Lake Shore Drive usually presents an interesting collage of vehicles ranging from taxi cabs to Hummers, all driving at different speeds with separate destinations. Filling the role of the Hummer and large SUV on Lakefront Path is the in-line skate. Both SUVs and in-line skates boast a disproportionate "energy to distance traveled" ratio and also consume an excessive amount of lane space. Scientific studies from the Angelos Foundation suggest one skater occupies the space of 2.5 cyclists with road tires.

Continue reading this entry »

Andy Angelos / Comments (1)

Running Thu Apr 24 2008

Running Out of Time

If you were planning to enter this year's Bank of America Chicago Marathon (and you were, right?), you might want to hold off on the carbo loading. Race directors announce they've reached their 45,000 participant capacity. But hold on, you're not completely off the hook. You can still fulfill that vow you made last year to run in the next one (while you were sitting on the couch watching the finish while scarfing down a McGriddle). You can register to run with one of the official charity partners or an affiliated international tour group.

After the deadly incidents of last year's abbreviated race, you'd think that registration would trickle in rather than fill up a little more than six months before the race (October 12). I guess that's due to that thing they call dedication. An early good luck to the participants.

Ken Green

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