pingjoseph2-blog

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Love Dining Rooms? A Vintage 1-Bedroom at 431 W. Oakdale in East Lakeview

This 1-bedroom in Oakdale Towers at 431 W. Oakdale in East Lakeview came on the market in May 2019.

Oakdale Towers was built in 1926 and has 57 units. It doesn’t have parking.

This unit is on the 13th floor and has some lake views from the bedroom.

It has some vintage features including a fireplace in the living room which is electric.

The listing says it has been “fully renovated.”

The kitchen has white cabinets and quartz counter tops with Kenmore Pro Plus appliances and a Bosch dishwasher.

The bathroom has a dual vanity along with a walk-in rain shower and separate deep Roman whirlpool tub.

This unit has a large separate dining room measuring 17×13.

It’s also a rare vintage unit that has central air.

Glorious Central Air Conditioning has been Installed for Your Added Pleasure.

There’s coin laundry in the building and rental parking available in the neighborhood.

Originally listed in May 2019 for $349,900, it remains listed at that price.

If you’re a vintage fan, is this renovated unit like buying something new?

Lisa Asher Santillan at Jameson Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.

Unit #13B: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 1350 square feet

Sold in March 1997 for $115,000

Originally listed in May 2019 for $349,900

Currently still listed at $349,900

Assessments of $698 a month (includes heat, gas, cable, exercise room, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger and snow removal)

Taxes of $4201

Central Air

No in-unit washer/dryer (coin laundry available in the building)

No parking but rental in the neighborhood for between $135 to $225 a month

Electric fireplace

Bedroom: 15×13

Living room: 22×13

Dining room: 17×13

Kitchen: 22×9

Gallery: 12×6

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2019 at 5:43 am and is filed under Lakeview. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://cribchatter.com/?p=26295

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A highly unprofessional trepanation on the gig poster of the week

Gig Posters / Music / Visual Art A highly unprofessional trepanation on the gig poster of the week

Posted By Luca Cimarusti on 11.28.18 at 06:00 AM

ARTIST: Bill Connors SHOWS: Oozing Wound, Conduit, Rectal Hygienics, and Bruges at Sleeping Village on Fri 12/14 MORE INFO: instagram.com/billconnors

Tags: gig poster, gig posters, gig poster of the week, Bill Connors, Sleeping Village, Oozing Wound, Conduit, Rectal Hygienics, Bruges, Image

Source: https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2018/11/28/a-highly-unprofessional-trepanation-on-the-gig-poster-of-the-week

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Daylight Savings Time

Fall back.

An extra hour of sleep. Or an extra hour of work.

Or both.

Steve, our bartender, is serving extra drinks.

Labels: we got nothing

Source: http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/2018/11/daylight-savings-time.html

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Dent sees similarities between current Bears, 1985 champions

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) -- To Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent, the Chicago Bears sure have the look of a champion.

Dent sees striking similarities between the current team and the 1985 shufflin' crew that brought home the founding NFL franchise's lone Super Bowl championship. That team dominated like no other, and the current group still has some climbing to do to reach the same level.

''To me, this team looks just like us in '84, '85,'' he said. ''We really started to jell, to be the best that we can be. We beat one another, and when you beat one another, no one else can beat you but yourself. That's what drove us to be the best that we can be.''

How high the Bears can go remains to be seen. But in Chicago, optimism is soaring.

The Monsters of the Midway re-emerged last season, winning the NFC North at 12-4 in coach Matt Nagy's first season and making the playoffs for the first time since 2010. The defense, led by All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack, ranked among the best in the NFL.

The Bears thought they were in position to make a run, only to have the season end on former kicker Cody Parkey's double-doink miss off the upright and crossbar in a wild-card loss to Philadelphia at Soldier Field.

As the Bears celebrate their 100th anniversary this weekend, the past and present are colliding.

Six Hall of Famers and 230 former and current players and coaches were on hand for the opening ceremony on Friday. The festivities continued Saturday with panel discussions featuring past and current Bears.

Hall of Famers Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Mike Ditka shared stories ranging from their interactions with George Halas to championship seasons and what propelled them.

Butkus recalled the seeds for becoming one of the most feared tacklers ever to put on a helmet and pads taking root as a high school running back at Chicago Vocational High School.

''I was just going more by what bothered me as a running back in high school,'' he said.

Singletary recalled his first team meeting with Halas.

''You were looking at history,'' he said. ''You were looking at somebody of competence. You were looking at the guy who basically started the whole league.''

The Bears naturally are shining a bright light this weekend on a past that includes nine championships. They have 28 Hall of Fame busts on display as well as the Super Bowl XX Lombardi Trophy.

It's been a long wait for another one. But the jump the Bears made last year under Nagy no doubt energized their fan base as well as their alumni.

Can these Bears win it all?

''Don't know,'' Singletary said. ''Do they have the players? Yes. Do they have the talent? Yes. Maturity is going to be the thing that has to be there. Hopefully, they can do that.''

Dent sees similarities to where the Bears were entering the 1985 season. Like the current group, they were coming off a brutal playoff loss - 23-0 to San Francisco the previous year in the NFC championship game.

That team had one of the most dominant defenses ever assembled with Dan Hampton, Singletary and Dent leading the way. Last season, Chicago had three All-Pros on defense with safety Eddie Jackson and cornerback Kyle Fuller selected along with Mack. Defensive end Akiem Hicks also made the Pro Bowl.

Dent said Mack will have to add ''another wrinkle'' to his game after five seasons because ''there's a lot of film out there'' on him and ''father time's gonna catch up.'' But he also has plenty of help, with Hicks and linebacker Roquan Smith creating havoc and Jackson and Fuller anchoring the secondary.

''You can't double everybody,'' Dent said. ''That's just like us.''

---

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/dent-sees-similarities-between-current-bears-1985-champions-224137644--nfl.html?src=rss

[pingjoseph2-blog]

A Lincoln Park 2-bedroom, 2 ½ bath at the landmark Belden-Stratford

See rent and availability info at: https://www.BeldenStratford.com

The Belden-Stratford is a grand Beaux Arts landmark fronting Lincoln Park steps from the park’s most popular attractions: the zoo, the conservatory, North Pond, and Lake Michigan beaches.

The Belden-Stratford has studio to 2-bedroom, 2- and 2 ½ bath apartments with high ceilings, plank floorings, vintage detailing and all modern interiors.

Amenities include 24/7 door staff, on-site management, package receiving, a fitness room and a rooftop sundeck.

Join YoChicago in this sponsored video for a walk through one of the apartments.

Source: http://yochicago.com/a-lincoln-park-2-bedroom-2-%c2%bd-bath-at-the-landmark-belden-stratford/60555/

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Check Out the National League MVP and Cy Young Award Odds

In 2016, Kris Bryant became recognized as the National League’s Most Valuable Player. And just two years later, Javy Baez wound up just short of the honor, finishing second to Christian Yelich. Both guys will be back on the Cubs roster in 2019 and both figure to re-enter the MVP hunt among the other top contenders.

But don’t take my word for it, SuperBook USA just released their 2019 NL MVP odds and there are Cubs everywhere, including right there near the top!

2019 SuperBook USA NL MVP Odds

Bryce Harper: 6/1

Nolan Arenado: 7/1

Paul Goldschmidt: 10/1

Kris Bryant: 12/1

Manny Machado: 15/1

Freddie Freeman and two others: 18/1

Anthony Rizzo/Rhys Hoskins: 20/1

Javy Baez and three others: 25/1

Justin Turner and two others: 30/1

Marcell Ozuna and nine others: 40/1

Also: Kyle Schwarber: 80/1

Now, first and foremost, we must remember: gambling odds are not power rankings. There’s obviously something to be said for the power of group projections like the ones created by a market of gamblers, but things like popularity play a disproportionately large role.

But with that said, I actually think these are pretty fair. I probably wouldn’t have Harper on top, but he certainly has the offensive potential to win another MVP trophy. And Nolan Arenado is probably going to win one one of these years.

Guys like Paul Goldschmidt, Freddie Freeman, and Anthony Rizzo, meanwhile, are always going to be (rightly) dinged for their position, even if they check so many of the other boxes. And for that same, but opposite reason, I’d say Javy Baez, the 2018 runner up, and Manny Machado are pretty good bets here, figuratively speaking.

You can check out the full list of NL MVP odds from SuperBook USA right here:

But that’s only half the story.

SuperBook USA also has odds on the 2019 NL Cy Young award winner, though the Cubs (understandably) don’t fare as well there:

Max Scherzer: 5/2

Jacob deGrom: 7/2

Aaron Nola: 7/1

Clayton Kershaw: 12/1

Noah Syndergaard: 15/1

Kyle Freeland: 18/1

Madison Bumgarner and two others: 20/1

Stephen Strasburg: 25/1

Zack Greinke: 30/1

Jon Lester and three others: 40/1

Also: Jose Quintana and Kyle Hendricks: 50/1, Cole Hamels: 60/1, Yu Darvish: 100/1

The NL Cy Young award is not as even a race as the MVP honors. The Scherzer/deGrom/Nola crowd is rightfully at the top with a whole lot of space behind them. And, in my opinion, guys like Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner are pretty bad bets at the moment (just given their injury history and 2018 season).

At the same time, I couldn’t justify a 10/1 position on Jon Lester right now, either. I think there’s a perfectly good chance he’s great again in 2019, but I don’t think he’s much of a risk to take home his first Cy Young award at age 35. Kyle Hendricks and Yu Darvish, however, do seem to offer some value. Hendricks has already led the laegue in ERA once in his career, was a Cy Young runner up as recently as 2016, and still has youth on his side. Yu Darvish, meanwhile, has the sort of stuff when he’s on to at least compete for the award and isn’t quite as old as some of the other Cubs rotational veterans. Do I think he’s likely to win that award this year? Nah. But at 100/1, that’s pretty good value.

And then there’s Jose Quintana and Cole Hamels. Both pitchers have shown enough ceiling throughout their careers (obviously to different degrees) to justify their positions, but like everyone else in the Cubs rotation, I just wouldn’t put money on it.

Ultimately, this is all just for fun, though, so what are you seeing above that stands out? Is there great value to be had? How about the bad bets? My money would probably be on Scherzer, but he’s getting up there in age, too.

Take a look at the full list and let me know what you think:

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/02/27/check-out-the-national-league-mvp-and-cy-young-award-odds/

[pingjoseph2-blog]

5 Chicagoland schools make top national rankings

Niche, a website offering data, ratings and user reviews about schools, towns and neighborhoods, released its 2020 Best Schools rankings today. Five schools in Illinois made it into the top 20 national public school rankings, which included an evaluation of over 94,000 K-12 educational institutions:

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora (No. 2)

Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago (No. 3)

Northside College Preparatory High School in Chicago (No. 11)

Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire (No. 14)

Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago (No. 20)

Niche differentiates its lists from traditional school rankings, which usually compare test scores and academic performance, by including user input (comments from current students, alumni, and parents) and analyses of campus life, extracurricular activities, the availability of special needs programs and diversity.

“Parents and students need more than test-score data. They need to understand what it’s really like to attend a school before they start the application or registration process,” said Luke Skurman, CEO at Niche, in a statement accompanying the release.

Data about schools often plays into the real estate process, a point not lost on Skurman. He noted that “choosing a school often is related to other big life decisions” and that this type of data offers “a great starting point for helping every family and every student find where they belong.”

Looking strictly at institutions in the Chicago metro area, here’s Niche’s top ten:

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora

Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago

Northside College Preparatory High School in Chicago

Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire

Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago

Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale

Jones College Prep High School in Chicago

Glenbrook South High School in Glenview

Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook

Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills

Source: https://chicagoagentmagazine.com/2019/08/05/5-chicagoland-schools-make-top-national-rankings/

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Cardinals (7:15 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

Tonight, the Cubs and Cardinals will square off for just the fourth time this season, with the Cubs having taken each of the first three at Wrigley Field back at the beginning of May.

And on the mound for both teams is a free agent starting pitcher signed before the 2018 season – Miles Mikolas for the Cardinals and Yu Darvish for the Cubs. Obviously, Mikolas has looked like the better signing overall, especially after a big season in 2018 (2.83 ERA through 200+ IP). But the gap has narrowed considerably this year … mostly because Darvish is alive and technically pitching and Mikolas has been pretty bad (4.76 ERA, 4.85 FIP) – i.e. not because Darvish got his groove back.

Speaking of which, please get your groove back, Darvish. Luis and I would love something positive to discuss on Outside the Ivy Tonight – airing after postgame with Kap and Dejesus. GO CUBS.

Game Info

Chicago Cubs (31-23) at St. Louis Cardinals (27-28) – Friday, May 30th at 7:15 CT on NBC Sports Chicago, 670 The Score

Starting Pitchers

Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (R)

versus

Cubs: Yu Darvish (R)

Chicago Cubs:

Kyle Schwarber, LF

Kris Bryant, 3B

Javy Baez, SS

Anthony Rizzo, 1B

Jason Heyward, RF

Addison Russell, SS

Victor Caratini, C

Albert Almora Jr., CF

Yu Darvish, P

St Louis Cardinals:

Matt Carpenter, 3B

Paul DeJong, SS

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B

Marcell Ozuna, LF

Matt Wieters, C

Dexter Fowler, RF

Kolton Wong, 2B

Harrison Bader, CF

Miles Mikolas, P

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/05/31/pre-gamin-cubs-at-cardinals-715-ct-lineups-broadcast-info-game-thread-8/

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Khalil Mack trade lauded by analytics folks, but Raiders still must draft good players

Jon Gruden has been vindicated. So says MIT, which gave the Oakland Raiders and their supposedly Luddite head coach an award for the Khalil Mack trade to the Chicago Bears last year.

At the time, the deal was widely panned from Oakland’s perspective by much of the football literati, most of whom are quite friendly with the concept of using analytic data to properly execute value in trades involving draft picks.

So have those folks come around? We’re guessing there’s still cynicism for the wisdom of trading an elite established pass rusher who is still very much in the prime of his career. And that’s part of what makes this debate fascinating.

The 2019 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference might have changed the view of things. And might Gruden have been playing possum with his anti-analytics rant at the NFL scouting combine last year?

It was a rant that Gruden appeared to invite when he spoke about “taking the game back to 1998,” droning on about “GPS” data and eschewing the analytic approach that many progressive teams had endorsed for team-building methods in the modern NFL since Gruden had last coached.

Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden speaks at the NFL scouting combine (AP Photo)

More

It’s hard to know what Gruden does and does not endorse when it comes to this specific element of analytics, in terms of player and draft-pick trades anyway. After all, the Mack deal hurt his team in the short term — the Raiders had 17 fewer sacks than any other NFL squad last year — and other trades (such as Martavis Bryant) appeared to be that of a franchise that did not value its draft-pick assets.

So ... where does that leave us?

The thing about the Mack trade ...

Let’s first say that the MIT folks are likely a whole lot smarter than me. After all, I’m the product of a state school, earning only a bachelor’s degree. But if those analysts are going to praise the trade the way they did, shouldn’t they at least have waited until it had been fully completed? After all, the Raiders have yet to use any of the draft picks they’ve received in return for Mack.

If making a full judgment on an NFL prospect takes, let’s say, three years, it might behoove us to wait until at least 2023 to stamp an ironclad winner or loser on the deal. After all, the Raiders still get picks from the Bears in next year’s draft, including their first-rounder.

And yes, we understand what the Sloan Sports Conference was doing here. It was saying that the real value is in getting the picks, and if the Raiders go on to draft a busload full of busts, well, that’s not Sloan’s fault.

Isn’t this a Cleveland Browns debate too?

There is a direct line between what we’re debating with the Raiders and what unfolded the past few years in Cleveland. After all, former Browns executive Sashi Brown unleashed a bold, vast plan to accumulate as many assets — in the form of draft picks — as possible.

Now that plan is coming to life as the Browns enter 2019 as one of the NFL’s most exciting and talented teams. But poor Sashi, the apple of the NFL analytics contingent’s eyes, is out of a job there and new general manager John Dorsey is the one spending all of the draft picks that Brown had accumulated.

The circumstances in Oakland are different, with Gruden enacting his deals after taking over, but the point remains: How much credit do we give Brown for the Browns’ revival? After all, he’s the one who loaded the chamber with ammunition, even if someone else pulled the trigger.

And taking it a step further with the Raiders in mind ... how much weight did Gruden place in his analytics people (yes, the Raiders have them) and how much of it was a stubbornness in not wanting to pay Mack? That’s a question only Gruden can answer — and it likely would require a hearty dose of truth serum to get a clear response.

Story continues

Pressure is now on Raiders to make picks

Gruden is the Raiders’ grand poo-bah. Every major personnel decision is run through him. Yes, the Raiders now have a general manager, but we all know Mike Mayock doesn’t wield the power to go rogue on these kinds of calls. One of those two men has a 10-year, $100 million contract, and — spoiler — it’s not Mayock.

But that’s not to undersell his involvement. The two reportedly are thick as thieves so far, fitting hand in glove, Mayock told NBC’s Peter King this week, and we have to assume Gruden is letting his personnel head do his job effectively even with certain understandable limitations.

There also are the unknown contributions of Dave Razzano, the team’s vaguely titled director of football research, along with director of football analytics David Christoff. (Funny enough, guess where Christoff got his degree from ... yup, MIT.) How much did Gruden weigh each of their input before making the Mack trade?

That’s likely impossible to tell, but it’s worth noting that many inside the building felt at the time that the tipping point for former GM Reggie McKenzie’s eventual ouster was that trade, when McKenzie reportedly was a bit out of the loop on the deal at first and Razzano was the one doing the initial work on it. McKenzie was out of the job a few months later around Week 14.

But whoever gets credit for the trade other than Gruden is now pushed to the side. If Gruden and his army of personnel folks don’t nail the picks they’ve landed for the Mack and Amari Cooper trades, it will all be for naught. Oakland currently has four picks in the top 35 selections overall, including three first-round selections (Nos. 4, 24 and 27). The Bears and Dallas Cowboys made the playoffs which hurt the Raiders’ draft positioning, but they can thank their own 4-12 campaign for putting them in the catbird’s seat at No. 4.

Again, we likely won’t be able to stamp any kind of finality on this deal, even though both sides now have strong views on it, for many years. We also know that won’t stop people from picking a side. If you were anti-Gruden before, it’s unclear how much the Sloan award changes that negative view; and if you were always pro-Chucky, well, you might be borderline insufferable now celebrating the deal’s visionary genius, supported by the smart math community.

Just do us one solid, will you please? Maybe wait to see which players they end up picking before you close the door on this puppy, OK? Please and thanks in advance.

More from Yahoo Sports:

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/khalil-mack-trade-lauded-by-analytics-folks-but-raiders-still-must-draft-good-players-170854240.html?src=rss

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Cubs Announce Prospects of the Month: Vimael Machin and Craig Brooks

The Cubs today announced their prospects of the month for May, and although Bryan nailed the position prospect winner, he missed on the pitcher … but only because the Cubs went with a bit of a surprise in a reliever.

Vimael Machin is another guy who was an organizational, bounce-around-the-farm-as-needed type who is emerging as an actual big league utility prospect. Quite an outcome for a senior signing, and it’ll be interesting to see how soon he gets a chance to head back to AAA.

Brooks didn’t pitch a whole lot in May, as a AA reliever, but when he did, it was absurdly dominant. He was a guy who was included in big league camp this year, so clearly the Cubs see the future upside. I’ve got to assume he’s not long for the AA bullpen, and will soon get a look at Iowa.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/06/06/cubs-announce-prospects-of-the-month-vimael-machin-and-craig-brooks/

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Is This the Coolest High Rise Penthouse in the City? 500 W. Superior in River North

This 4-bedroom duplex penthouse in The Montgomery at 500 W. Superior in River North came on the market in February 2019.

The Montgomery was an office building that was converted into condos at the height of the boom in 2007.

Built in 1972 as part of the corporate headquarters of Montgomery Ward, its architect was Minoru Yamasaki who also designed the New York City’s World Trade Center at the same time.

It has 245 units and garage parking.

This unit is one of the south facing penthouses with views of the entire downtown skyline.

It has 4800 square footage of living space on two floors and 1000 square feet in an outdoor rooftop deck which has a built-in bar/grill and professional landscaping with irrigation.

The unit has been completely renovated and reconfigured from the 2017 sale. If you have a Redfin account, I encourage you to look at the “before” pictures.

It’s now a smart home with contemporary finishes such as a custom built central kitchen with dark modern cabinets along with Wolf and Subzero appliances.

The unit also has a unique feature which is a full second kitchen which is a “prep” kitchen. This is a common feature in homes of the wealthy who would likely have staff to prepare for dinner parties, events etc.

The master suite has two huge walk-in closets including a 400 square foot “hers” closet, with vanity and sitting area, and a 250 square foot “his” closet.

There are two other bedrooms on the main floor, with one that is an interior room which doesn’t have a window.

There’s also a 600+ wine cellar.

The second floor has a separate guest suite with its own kitchen and full bath which leads out to the terrace.

The unit has central air, washer/dryer in the unit and 2 side-by-side heated garage spaces.

Originally listed for $4.995 million, it has been reduced to $4.75 million.

Is this the coolest high rise penthouse on the market right now?

Mary Hanburger at Jameson Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.

Unit #2801: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 4800 square feet, penthouse

Sold in January 2007 for $2,645,000

Sold in September 2017 for $2,667,500

Originally listed in February 2019 for $4,995,000

Reduced

Currently listed at $4,750,000

Assessments of $3515 a month (includes heat, a/c, gas, doorman, cable, Internet, exercise room, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)

Taxes of $41,357

Central Air

Washer/dryer in the unit

Bedroom #1: 18×23 (main level)

Bedroom #2: 17×14 (main level)

Bedroom #3: 11×13 (main level)

Bedroom #4: 12×28 (second floor)

2nd kitchen: 18×8

Laundry room: 7×8

Terrace: 31×35

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 27th, 2019 at 5:56 am and is filed under River North. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://cribchatter.com/?p=26041

[pingjoseph2-blog]

We Care About Officers! (not really)

A giant obstacle to seeking help:

When a new state law took effect in August, supporters believed it would finally remove an obstacle for police officers seeking mental health treatment and maybe help lower a high suicide rate. Turns out it was not that simple.

The law prohibits police departments from firing officers whose firearm owner’s identification cards have been revoked after an inpatient stay at a mental health facility. Many departments, including the Chicago Police Department, require officers to have FOID cards.

After the law was passed, Chicago and some other departments said they would still require FOID cards for officers who work the streets. Those who lost their cards would be placed on desk duty.

Advocates say this leaves in place a major hurdle as officers contemplate whether to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress and other job-related problems: They’ll keep their paycheck, but they’ll be sidelined as an officer.

You'd think the astronomically high suicide rate among officers would make someone in authority take a look at making it easier for officers to seek help. You'd be mistaken. Badly.

Labels: info for the police

Source: http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/2018/11/we-care-about-officers-not-really.html

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Alderman Dowell Says One Central is Too Much

Last week developers unveiled an ambitious plan to build over the train tracks just west of Lake Shore Drive and Soldier Field.  Just a week after the neighborhood meeting, Alderman Dowell has unsurprisingly come back that changes are needed (via Chicago Tribune):

The multibillion-dollar plan led by Wisconsin-based developer Bob Dunn created a buzz of excitement, but also raised concerns after neighbors saw conceptual renderings of a row of dramatic towers just west of Lake Shore Drive, between McCormick Place and the Field Museum.

Dunn has only offered broad strokes so no one knows how tall the skyscrapers would be nor the total amount of space that would be built. Nevertheless, 3rd Ward Ald. Pat Dowell, who hosted last week’s community meeting for the One Central project, is already saying it’s too much. She seeks reductions in building height and density on the 34-acre site that would use air rights over Metra train tracks.

While revisions to a vague conceptual presentation was unavoidable and 100% necessary, the one piece that stuck out in the article we read on the Tribune has us scratching our heads:

Yet the plan faces many of the same hurdles the other megadevelopments have encountered — including neighbors’ objections to having their view of Lake Michigan blocked.

The article provides this additional perspective on the views:

Neighbors who attended the presentation had mixed reactions.

“I was really blown away by what I saw,” said Tina Feldstein, president of the Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance neighborhood group. “The idea that there could be a transportation hub of that caliber, right here on the lakefront, is not only a boom for this area but also for the city.”

Feldstein described the plan to connect many of Chicago’s top tourist attractions along the lake to public transportation as “50 years overdue.” She also said she was encouraged by the developer’s willingness to try to create a new high school on the site.

But Feldstein acknowledged One Central’s potential to obscure or fully block lake views in many nearby towers is a big drawback.

“I feel their pain that their views are going to be obstructed, even though they knew one day it would come,” Feldstein said. “There were a large number of people at the meeting who were hurting.”

While we understand the pity for the people with views, it's a reality of city living.  Views aren't a right and aren't guaranteed - despite what your real estate agent says.

We'll see how this goes.

Source: http://www.sloopin.com/2019/03/alderman-dowell-says-one-central-is-too.html

[pingjoseph2-blog]

For Bears, handling success is unfamiliar territory

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -- With a tighter grip on the NFC North, the Chicago Bears are in unfamiliar territory and facing a different kind of challenge as the season heads toward its final stretch.

Learning to handle success.

''We have to make sure that we just continue to keep those blinders on, keep the earmuffs on, don't listen to anything and just keep playing our football,'' coach Matt Nagy said.

The Bears sure look as if they're serious about winning the division after a 25-20 prime-time victory over the second-place Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The defense dominated, with Khalil Mack leading the way. Cody Parkey bounced back from a miserable performance to make all three of his field goals. And the Bears (7-3) came away with their fourth straight win.

One concern for them: Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky injured his right shoulder.

Nagy made no reference to Trubisky's health after the game or when he met with reporters on Monday afternoon. But the Bears later said Trubisky would not have participated had they practiced. They were required by NFL rules to release a hypothetical injury report because they play Thursday at Detroit.

That the Bears are leading the division is quite a change after four consecutive last-place finishes. For the first time in years, managing success is an issue for them.

''When it's the other way, and people tell you how bad of a coach you are, how poor of a player you are and you should be cut and you should be fired, we don't listen to it,'' said Nagy, in his first season as a head coach. ''So it's the same thing when you're having success. You don't listen to it. You understand both sides, but we worry about what's said in this building.''

There are plenty of good things to say about the Bears at the moment.

They're heading toward their first playoff appearance since the 2010 season. They're on their longest win streak since a six-game run in 2012. They beat division opponents the past two weeks after dropping 10 in a row against them. And they could make it three over the NFC North in a 12-day span with a victory at Detroit on Thursday.

The Bears beat the Lions 34-22 at Soldier Field on Nov. 11 , with Trubisky throwing for a career-high 355 yards and three touchdowns. Chicago also jumped out to a 26-0 lead and sacked Matthew Stafford six times in that game.

The victory over Minnesota was a sort of validation for Chicago after beating teams with losing records the previous three games, including the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.

''It shows that we can battle with the best of them,'' running back Tarik Cohen said. ''It shows that we are still getting better and that we haven't reached our ceiling yet. Only we can decide what our ceiling is.''

The Bears are looking good at the moment, with a defense ranked third overall through Sunday. They were allowing league lows in yards rushing per game (77.8) and per carry (3.5), and had more interceptions (18) and takeaways (27) than any other team.

''I think our offense is doing a great job with having the first possession and putting points on the board,'' cornerback Prince Amukamara said.

''Our offense is really getting things going, so it makes it a little bit easier for the defense because now we know the opposing team's offense needs to get going and start passing more to get points on the board.''

Mack had a sack against Minnesota, giving him three in the past two weeks and eight in eight games this season. And Eddie Jackson returned an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Parkey also got some redemption after hitting uprights four times while missing two field goals and two extra points against the Lions. But he didn't attempt an extra point on Sunday.

Nagy opted to go for two after each of their two touchdowns. And he acknowledged Parkey's struggles the previous week factored into those decisions. He also insisted his own aggressive nature and a belief the plays would work were big reasons.

Chicago converted both times, with Trubisky passing to Josh Bellamy in the second quarter and Adam Shaheen in the fourth.

''It worked,'' Nagy said. ''It doesn't always work. And you've got to make sure that you get two out of every three.''

Nagy said he discussed the plan with Parkey and wasn't worried about how it would impact his confidence.

''Whenever you're honest with people, it's so easy to do what you do because you're real with them,'' Nagy said. ''You tell them exactly what you're feeling and everybody knows the plan.''

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-handling-success-unfamiliar-territory-234754725--nfl.html?src=rss

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Bulls give important injury updates before getting throttled by Jazz

John Paxson made an appearance in front of the media before the Bulls’ ugly 114-83 loss against the Jazz on Saturday night, and it was to announce that rookies Wendell Carter Jr. (thumb) and Chandler Hutchison (toe) are officially done for the season. Neither rookie has played since January.

Hutchison said his fracture is about “75 percent healed” (wasn’t his initial timetable like a month?) and he should be good to go for Summer League. Denzel Valentine apparently may also be a Summer League candidate, which would be kind of weird, but that decision will be up to him.

Otto Porter Jr. may also be close to getting shut down with his shoulder injury (and other nagging things), with Paxson saying the forward “may run out of time” and “it’s trending” in the direction of a shutdown.

LaVine seems closer to a return, but he’s also dealing with multiple injuries (knee, thigh) and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just shut him down as well with eight games left. Jim Boylen doesn’t want to do this yet because “competitive spirit” and “Bulls across their chest” reasons:

Oh, yeah, there was a game on Saturday night, and it’s one it sounds like Dunn shouldn’t have played in. Jimbo was sure proud of him, though:

Dunn was ineffective after one of his best games of the season against the Wizards, scoring four points on 1-of-8 shooting in 21 minutes. This effort on one of the first plays of the game was a sign of things to come:

He also got badly schooled by Ricky Rubio:

But to be fair to Dunn, he was injured, and the entire Bulls team mailed in this performance. They were down 15 after one quarter and 70-36 at halftime. It was never close and there were basically zero bright spots. Lauri Markkanen led the Bulls with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, but he shot just 6-of-20 from the field.

But, uh, Cristiano Felicio reached double figures for a third straight game, so the Bulls had that going for them.

Meanwhile, the Jazz were clowning and stunting and celebrating all over the Bulls, with highlight-reel play after highlight-reel play. All five of their starters scored in double figures (seven players overall), with Rudy Gobert’s 21 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks leading the way.

The Bulls are now 21-53, and with the Hawks stunning the Sixers on a Trae Young buzzer-beater, the fourth-worst record is looking close to a lock. The Bulls are still only 1.5 games ahead of the Cavs, so the bottom three remains a possibility.

Source: https://www.blogabull.com/2019/3/24/18279555/bulls-give-important-injury-updates-before-getting-throttled-by-jazz

[pingjoseph2-blog]

Trubisky’s sophomore season was impressive, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

Filed under the “trying something new” category comes a collaboration of personalities, strengths, styles, and even blogs. I am very excited to bring a unique cross-over between Da Bears Blog and Windy City Gridiron.

This off-season project started months ago as a few random Twitter comments sparked an interesting idea. There are tons of analytics folks out there in the NFL world, and an equal amount of film buffs. But something hit Johnathan Wood and myself at the same time: what if we used the analytics to tell the story and confirmed/de-bunked with the old “eye test?”

The result is something that we both think is pretty cool and hopefully Bears fans will enjoy this as well. I urge you to read Johnathan’s article before going any further (although I will be taking excerpts from his article in this one).

So to sum up…

…Trubisky was really good on short stuff, but struggled throwing the ball deep. This isn’t a surprise to anybody who watched the Bears this year, but it’s good to see the numbers backing up what we all observed. Stay tuned tomorrow, when Andrew Link of Windy City Gridiron will look to the film to see what went wrong to account for Trubisky’s deep struggles.

Nobody really wants to see a bunch of short throws from Mitchell Trubisky, besides, there will be some more silver lining articles to come, so let’s focus on the deep ball. Fifteen yards seems to be the magic number for what constitutes a deep ball by the numbers, I am not sure I totally agree, so I mainly focused on throws over 20 yards.

Things weren’t as pretty when we look at the deep ball though, as you can see in the table below:

That’s not as good as we’d like to see. Trubisky was well below the league average in all four categories, and he even threw more interceptions (9) than touchdowns (7). Deep passes completely account for Trubisky’s uptick in interceptions as a sophomore, and improvement here would turn him from an average/above-average QB into one of the better passers in the league.

The numbers clearly show that there was something off about Trubisky’s deep ball, but there has to be a reason, right? I came up with 3 reasons why the deep ball struggled. As with many things in sports, you can make the case for different reasons on the same play. Cause and affect. Did poor mechanics cause a throw to be inaccurate? Possibly. Could a poor decision still be well thrown? Absolutely. While I had to ultimately put clips into certain categories, there are often times when you could put a play into any of the 3.

Timing/Poor (In)Decisions

Whether it be timing within a new offense and with new players or simply being a second year quarterback whose unsure of his reads. Whether those factors lead to indecision or, many times, a poor decision, Trubisky struggled with the deep ball last year. There are tons of hesitations, late throws, and poor decision making, but in the spirit of length, I am only looking at week 1 (at Packers) to week 7 (vs Patriots).

This was clearly something that affected Trubisky, and the offense as a whole, a great deal. These types of issues really cleared up quite a bit later in the season, so that was something to build on for 2019.

Mechanics/Pocket Awareness

Ah yes, mechanics. We have all heard it about Trubisky, and rightly so. You generally see the mechanics break down with heavy pressure, so I don’t think that mechanics are as big of an issue as others claim it to be, but there were still times that they fell apart. Moreso than anything, I would categorize his play early as laissez-faire. They just seemed lazy.

But again, this improved as the season wore on and it’s not something that I worry about a whole lot. This is another aspect that should improve in 2019.

Ball Placement/Accuracy

Accuracy. I really hate to use that term. Yes, there are some throws that were simply missed, but all quarterbacks miss throws. A lot of times, the ball was simply put in the wrong place. If a pitcher hits the target and still gives up a home run, is that “missing the mark?” Nope, that means that the ball should have gone to a different spot. That is the biggest issue I have seen has been Trubisky’s inability to pick the right throw.

I blame some of this on it being the first year of a new offensive system, a large part on simply being on the same page as his receivers, but there were a few where his targets let him down, and the highest priced ones the most...

This is an area that needs to improve and I believe that it will. Again, later in the season, Trubisky started making different throws. You could tell that there was more chemistry later in the season than earlier. With all-11 starters returning, all-11 starters knowing the playbook, an imrpoved running game, and a healthy Allen Robinson II and Adam Shaheen, this offense is poised to make a huge leap in 2019.

Keep checking back on Da Bears Blog and Windy City Gridiron for more of this fun series!

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/2/12/18221265/chicago-bears-mitchell-trubisky-sophomore-season-was-impressive-plenty-of-room-for-improvement

[pingjoseph2-blog]

New bullpen addition George Kontos is happy the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016...but he didn't want them to

New bullpen addition George Kontos is happy the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016...but he didn't want them to originally appeared on nbcsportschicago.com

George Kontos is just like you.

He was born in the Chicagoland area (Lincolnwood), grew up a diehard Cubs fan and went to school close to home at Northwestern. He even lived and died with that uber-emotional 2003 National League Championship Series, hanging out on Waveland Avenue with college buddies during the infamous Bartman Game.

But that's where the comparisons stop.

When the Cubs finally won it all in November 2016, the veteran reliever had a unique perspective...and he wasn't quite sure what to feel.

Kontos rooted for the Cubs his whole life and now finally gets to put on a uniform with the iconic logo, signing a minor-league deal with the organization over the winter. But he was originally selected out of Northwestern by the New York Yankees in the 5th round of the 2006 MLB Draft and later traded to the San Francisco Giants in April 2012. He spent the next five years in San Francisco, winning a pair of World Series but also losing to those 2016 Cubs in the NLDS after a collapse by Kontos' bullpen mates in Game 4.

"Being in baseball, I'm obviously rooting for the team I'm playing for. I've come in and played against the Cubs lots of times and the 8-year-old inside of me has always rooted for them," Kontos said. "But 2016 was a little bit difficult because they went through us in the first round and we had that bit of a collapse in Game 4 with our bullpen.

"So that one was tough. I can't say I was rooting the Cubs on then, just because it was so fresh and left such a bad taste in my mouth after how we finished our season. But now that it's moved on, I'm happy that they were able to do that. It was something I always hoped for growing up and the fact they were able to do it and I was able to watch it is awesome."

Kontos still lives in Chicago, so even after the Giants were knocked out in 2016, he couldn't escape the Cubs' run. Not that he necessarily wanted to, either.

As that postseason developed, Kontos was recruited by 120 Sports (now Stadium) to do a live broadcast of Games 1 and 2 of the World Series in the West Loop studios.

He still had to fight through those mixed emotions for the broadcasts, especially because he - like Cubs manager Joe Maddon - felt great about the Giants' chances if they were able to get back to Wrigley Field for Game 5 of the NLDS with Johnny Cueto on the mound. Maddon has often pointed to how important that Game 4 comeback was because San Francisco had Cueto looming for a winner-take-all matchup at what guaranteed to be a tense atmosphere at the corner of Clark and Addison.

But now, looking back, Kontos can revel in the joy the same way other Cubs fans can. Plus, the dude has two World Series rings already from the 2012 and 2014 Giants.

He hasn't spent a lot of time around these Cubs, but he can see some similarities between those Giants "dyansty" teams and this current Cubs roster. 

"The thing we had with the Giants the years we won is we had unbelievable team chemistry," Kontos said. "Everyone checked their ego at the door and it was playing as a unit to accomplish one common goal to win that day. And as the season progresses and as the postseason kicks in, that motto is definitely amplified where we have to come in and win today. It's all about picking each other up."

Kontos may get caught up in the numbers game in the Cubs bullpen, as there are plenty of arms vying for the last couple spots in spring training.

Who knows how this will all shake out with Kontos, but for now, he's getting to play for the team he grew up watching and rooting for.

"It's a dream come true," Kontos said. "I've been a Cubs fan since I was 5 years old. In those dreams as a little kid, it was always a Cubs uniform I was wearing as I was envisioning myself in a major-league game. 

"Being able to step into this clubhouse and put this jersey on and hopefully getting the opportunity to toe it up at Wrigley on Opening Day or whenever throughout the season, it's definitely going to be a dream come true for me, my family and everybody who's ever rooted me on along the way - teachers, friends, people from Northwestern. There are a lot of ties that go back there and I'm very proud to pitch in front of whenever I pitch at Wrigley."

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Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/bullpen-addition-george-kontos-happy-222036518.html?src=rss