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 | Comments (0)

News Thu Sep 04 2008

Short Hops

• The Chicago Sky go for their fourth win in a row, a franchise record, when they host the Seattle Storm tonight at the UIC Pavilion.
• A Los Angeles resident tells about the great time he had seeing the Cubs at Wrigley Field recently. Of course, this was before their recent, ahem, troubles.
• Despite their contract differences, a Sporting News writer thinks Ben Gordon and the Bulls are "destined" for each other.
• The Bears' Kyle Orton says he's not the same QB he's been in the past. Thank God.
• Meanwhile, another NFL quarterback with a Chicago connection, Donovan McNabb, tells of growing up a Chicago sports fan.
• The next time your significant other complains about your obsession with sports, show them this.
• Now that you've seen the commercials a bazillion times, you might as well go out and see that Red Bull Flugtag thing in person.
• Got the need for speed? It's a big weekend for racing at Chicagoland Speedway.
• Or if you like your racing a little more sedate, try model boat racing at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
• And speaking of water (don't you love these segues?), the Big Shoulders Open Water Swim Classic is this Saturday at Ohio Street Beach.
• Chicago has a champion on the diamond, thanks to the Chicago Maccabi softball team who took gold at the Maccabi Games.

- Ken Green | Comments (0)

Sky Tue Jul 22 2008

Fowles Check Back In

Chicago Sky fans will breath a sigh of relief tonight when star rookie center Sylvia Fowles returns to the lineup against the Indiana Fever tonight at the UIC Pavilion, 7 p.m. She blogs about her return here. Fowles isn't expected to start, but will see action. Fowles missed 17 games after injuring her left knee while blockiing a shot in a game against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 3. Small consolation for Fowles, but the play marked the first goaltending call in WNBA history. The Sky went 6-11 in her absence

- Ken Green | Comments (0)

Baseball Thu Jul 03 2008

Short Hops

• Steve Stone joining Hawk Harrelson in the White Sox TV booth? According to the Tribune, it could happen, though the dominos have to fall in just the right way.
• ESPN’s Scoop Jackson says the Bulls’ drafting of former Simeon High School star Derrick Rose evokes the memory another Simeon hoopster tabbed for greatness, Ben Wilson, whose murder 24 years ago stunned the city.
• Deposed WSCR morning man Mike North says he has four deals on the table. No word on whether any of them involve dishing out extra relish.
• A new online marketplace offers fans the chance to put in a bid for playoff and World Series tickets for the Cubs (provided they make it) from season ticket owners looking to dump them. Presumably the website will offer the same deal for (ahem) the White Sox.
• The Chicago Rush take on the Grand Rapids Rampage (don’t you love those Arena Footbal League names?) in an AFL Divisional Round playoff game this Sunday, 2 p.m., at Allstate Arena. In other Rush news, wide receiver Donovan Morgan was named AFL Rookie of the Year
• The Sky’s Sylvia Fowles is getting a bit antsy since being sidelined with a knee injury, as she reports on her WNBA blog.
• White Sox catcher A.J. Piersynzki needs your help in selecting his at-bat music. Though the website lists suggestions (“Panama” by Van Halen?) , I’m sure there are more appropriate songs...right?
• Also, the White Sox host the first Double Duty Classic, featuring the top high school baseball players from across the Midwest, on Monday, July 7, 2:30 p.m. The game will honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues and is named for legend Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe.

- Ken Green | Comments (1)

Sky Tue Jun 03 2008

Parker, Fowles in WNBA Showdown

It’s a homecoming for one and a chance to become a hometown hero for the other.

The WNBA’s top two rookies, Naperville native Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks and Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky, will try to show why they went one-two in this year’s draft when the two teams meet at the UIC Pavilion tonight, 7 p.m.

It’s the only appearance of the Sparks (3-1) in Chicago this season and represents a big test for the Sky (1-3), who showed signs of improvement last season and suffered a couple of close losses this season.

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- Ken Green | Comments (0)

Sky Tue May 27 2008

Things Looking Up for Sky?

It’ll be somewhat of a minor achievement, but the Chicago Sky will try to move above .500 for only the third time in their existence when they take on the Minnesota Lynx Thursday night, 7 p.m., at the UIC Pavilion.

The Sky (1-1) won the first home opener in their three-year history this past Thursday when they defeated Sacramento 87-77. In that game, Sky guard Armintie Price, who picked up her WNBA Rookie of the Year award before the game, scored a career-high 22 points, along with four steals and four assists. Forward Candice Dupree added 22 while rookie center Sylvia Fowles chipped in with 11 point and seven rebounds. (Fowles blogs about her first year in the WNBA along with other top league rookies here.)

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- Ken Green | Comments (0)

Sky Thu May 15 2008

Sky Deals Center Ngoyisa

With the addition of highly-touted rookie center Sylvia Fowles, the writing was apparently on the wall for Bernadette Ngoyisa. The former Sky center was traded to the Indiana Fever for veteran guard K.B. Sharp.

Ngoyisa missed the entire 2007 WNBA season with an injured shoulder. In the 2006 season, she averaged 10. points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game.

In Sharp, the Sky get a veteran guard who appeared in all 37 games last season. She averaged 3.2 ppg and 1.4 apg. Howeverr, during the 2007-08 offseason, Sharp played in France and averaged 11.4 ppg.

- Ken Green | Comments (0)

Sky Wed May 14 2008

Sky On The Air

It worked for the Blackhawks so why not the Sky?

So low on the radar that some people wondered if they were still around, the Blackhawks saw their profile rise when they (finally) arranged to have home games televised on a regular basis. And having a decent season with some up-and-coming youngsters didn’t hurt either.

Now the Chicago Sky, the city’s WNBA franchise, is hoping for the same results after signing a new TV broadcast deal with WWME-TV, Channel 23.

The seemingly ubiquitous Me-TV will broadcast eight regular season Sky home games beginning with the May 22 home opener against Sacramento. Eric Collins will provide play-by-play while former Bull Stacey King will be the color analyst.

The Sky will continue to have their games broadcast on radio on WVON-AM, 1690 with local broadcast legend Les Grobstein as play-by-play man and Tauja Catchings as analyst.

The complete TV broadcast schedule is: May 22, Sacramento 7 p.m.; May 29, Minnesota, 7 p.m.; June 3, Los Angeles, 7 p.m.; June 13, Washington, 7:30 p.m.; June 28, Detroit, 7 p.m.; July 22, Indiana, 7 p.m.,; September 4, Seattle, 7 p.m.; September 14, Houston 3 p.m.

- Ken Green | Comments (0)

Sky Thu May 08 2008

Sky's The Limit with Fowles

No. 1 vs. No. 2 is always a big draw, particularly in sports. Think Ali vs. Frazier in boxing. Navratilova vs. Evert in tennis. Bird vs. Magic in the NBA. Kobayashi vs. Joey Chestnut in hot dog eating.

Soon, we may be able to add Parker vs. Fowles.

That’s Candace Parker, the No. 1 over all pick in this year’s WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks vs. Sylvia Fowles, the No. 2 pick in the draft by the Chicago Sky. The two superstars-in-training will meet for the first time as pros tonight, 7 p.m. at the Sears Centre, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway in Hoffman Estates in the last preseason game for both teams before the WNBA regular season begins.

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- Ken Green | Comments (0)