Harry Chappas

The thing that irritates me is that this offense is missing what Kevin White was drafted to be. His supposed skill set is what they lack. The special teams are still a soft spot as well. How does this defense compare to the 85 Bears. They really have no weak spots.

He is not a first ballot HOF kind of guy but he's like those old timers that used to get in because the veterans committee played with them and liked them. His fans are ecstatic and the baseball "purist" are pissed. The other 98% don't care one way or another. He is the anti-Ron Santo, he got in because the 80's White Sox members of the selection committee (Reinsdorf, LaRussa) and the rest of the people thought he was a deserving member. I was flipping on MLBN to see the start of winter coverage and when all the talk was Yankees, Dodgers, cubs getting Machado and Harper I turned it off and then flipped back to see the announcement right around Bears kickoff....great timing....no clue Harold was on the ballot.

I'd love to hear Hawk Harrelson's thoughts on this. Met Baines a few times, you could tell he would be a great teammate.

I was going to post that. Don't get caught watching the paint dry. Can't get into shape during the season. He just needs to say we are unathletic and hope to change this in the off season but we are going to suck until next season.

Didn't he have a direct hand in saving the life of two players, Greg Walker and Danny Farqhar.

Gar has to have photos of someone to keep his job.

That is the same Pratt. He used to write for the UIC paper also. I read a couple of things from in the Trib seems to be doing a good job. At some point you would think that Madigan and Burke would have had enough of lining their pockets and ride off into the sunset but greed has no shelf life i suppose.

As a 24 year old he has the talent to take a flyer. Is the baggage warranted? Billy Beane is without a doubt one of the best GM's in baseball you now see why he may have appeared to have been fleeced in that deal but in reality the cubs took on the baggage. There had to be some take as to why the A's would make that move between Theo and Beane. My guess is the smoke was there for a while and Russell will most likely be with his third organization with money and performance playing no part in why he was moved from the two previous.

Maybe the new hitting and pitching coaches will suffice seeing as they have had six different one's the last three years.

If the pass is behind the line of scrimmage they can block and go downfield before the pass is thrown/caught. The problem with the blocking is O-linemen are not built for open field blocking except for a few guards.

It is not the same place as it was even 10 years ago. They are recruiting for academic and athletic kids. They are not getting free rides but there is more financial aid then there had been in the past. Football was down last year and there were internal reasons for that but for the most part they are a 7/8 win team in a tough as hell conference. Basketball is the same way but they instead of the football powers there are the CPS basketball powers. Baseball is an annual top 10 program as well. The basketball kid transferred in as a Junior.

Yes classes 1 through 3 are all public schools and all except for a couple are out of the Chicago sprawl so the IHSA is probably happy with how it is working now. IF they can bump up the 4A teams to 5A, even better. Friday will be all downstate/western IL schools and Saturdays will be privates.

The Rice QB had a bum ankle he was a run first guy. That killed them. Recruiting is a big thing but the educational advantages and athletic v cps and crappier suburban districts are the key. As are smaller enrollment so. The IHSA has moved almost all privates to at least 5A with new rules. If MC doesn't choke last week all but 6A would have been Catholic v Catholic.

Mercy.

Wonder if this will open the playbook a little for things the Lions have not yet seen.

Bryant ain't leaving he is just going to do what Harper is doing. Why is Rizzo being phased out?

The cubs have sunk $750M into rebuilding wrigley that does not count for what they are doing outside of the park. They have begun to sell off stake in the team to raise funds. The contracts they have picked up in Darvish, Chatwood and Hamels were necessary because they needed pitching and will going forward. Their business model does not fit a $30+M player into the equation nor should it. In 3 years they will need to ante up as just about everyone will need to be paid except for those with current terrible contracts.

The defense should allow them to be in every game and save us from the Cutler embarrassing moments. My lord does the national media love Chicago sports. I am starting to think that Chicago is more highly sucked up to than Boston or New York. The Hawks at ND on New Year's Day.

I think Rice can give LWE a game, I think LWE would annihilate Marist. I've seen Rice and Marist twice. On paper Rice is better but they are prone to mistakes and their special teams are a train wreck. That being said the same way Marist can beat Rice Saturday is the same way Loyola can beat LWE...not because they are better but because it is high school football and things happen.

I was at that game.......Brother Rice has some history of fan "issues" both adults and parents. You think Loyola will make a game of it Saturday?

The Chicago area draw in general to catholic schools in that area is probably 50% of what it was in your day. There is no option in Chicago other than catholic schools. There are still draws from the suburbs and even Indiana as it's a pretty good education and community for those schools but you need the money and willingness to get your kids there . Evergreen Community High School is getting more kids from EP but it's still kind of an after thought there. The investment in that education pays off when looking to go to college and how prepared they are.

In the 1980's tuition was affordable and the doors were just opened and kids showed up. Enrollment was never an issue. This game is huge to Brother Rice as they, Laurence, Rita and MC are all competing for tuition dollars. Marist is as well, but they are humming along now that they are co-ed. Just won state volleyball title. McAuley is now seeing an attendance slip as well. A Rice win is a nice recruiting win for them. The placement test is in 3 weeks and this will top of mind for the kids in your old stomping ground. 1 kid is $10K a year.....

It's at Marist. Biggest game in history of both schools.

In reality it doesn't mean anything without the $$$$ attached to it but what harm is there in it? Everyone wants their ego stroked.

The bigger issue is why does he like the Bulls. They have sucked since he was 4 years old.