By Jerry Nowicki The State Wednesday, July 29 released new guidelines for youth and recreational sports that will drastically limit allowable activities based on the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus. Governor JB Pritzker announced the new guidelines at a COVID-19-related news conference in Chicago Wednesday, calling it a “situation
By Bobby Narang The Northern Illinois University (NIU) football team was dealt another blow for the Fall season last week. The Huskies were scheduled to open the season against Rhode Island September 5 at Huskie Stadium, but the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) announced it was suspending all league football games
By Woodrow Carroll The 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season started last week, although under reduced circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The MLB season annually plays twice as many games as the typical National Hockey League or National Basketball Association with 162 games. The revised baseball schedule has
It may turn out that in the face of COVID-19 that Major League Baseball (MLB) later may be viewed as intrepid. The virus rages. College Fall sports schedules are being canceled left and right, and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which is the usher of all extra curricular activities,
By Robin Reder Dolan and Murphy men’s fastpitch softball team played in two tournaments over two weekends July 10-12 in Denmark, Wis. and July 17-19 in St. Paul Minn.. Dolan, based in Aurora, took place in St. Paul for an 8-4 record overall, however, was winless in Denmark. In Denmark,
By Bobby Narang Mike Dunn is in the next chapter in his coaching career. His next stop won’t require an introduction. Dunn stepped down from his position as Yorkville High School’s boys basketball coach July 14 to accept the head boys basketball coaching job at York High School in Elmhurst.
By Woodrow Carroll In 1959, the Chicago White Sox ended a 40-year drought by winning the American League pennant. Prior to 1959, the last postseason appearance by the White Sox was 1919. Sadly, the 1919 White Sox are best remembered for the Black Sox scandal that saw eight players on
Empty stadiums may not be the first choice, and not even a good option, however, just knowing that there are games being played is a bit of comfort in this COVID-19 times. We all may ask where do we go from here? Major League Baseball, following a handful of preseason
By John Schutt NASCAR Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts 600, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, July 19. A wreck occurred in the last 10 laps of the race which allowed Austin Dillion to get up front for the first time in the race. He led the final restart
By Bobby Narang The Northern Illinois University (NIU) football team took a pair of losses before the season even reached August. The Huskies suffered a heavy financial loss and had two of their non-conference games dropped last week when the Big Ten Conference announced it was limiting all Fall sports
By Woodrow Carroll If we are fortunate an abbreviated version of the 2020 Major League Baseball season will get under way Friday, July 24. Let no civil unrest nor a nasty virus stand in the way of the Boys of Summer. Both of Chicago’s Major League Baseball teams will open
The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) recently named the Dick Durrant Academic Athlete of the Year award winners for 2019-2020. Waubonsee Community College earned four of the five co-winners of this prestigious award, given annually to the male and female student-athletes in the ISCC who attain the highest grade point
Quandary! That word sums up the near future in sports, from middle school through all of the professional ranks. Tentative might be another good word. Where do we go from here, a function of the COVID-19 situation in which professional teams start the trek to play in a season with
Aurora Central Catholic is the site of a baseball game July 8 of Illinois Indians (blue shirts) vs. Dirt Bags (white uniforms), both travel teams.
By Bobby Narang Late last week, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) released its guidelines for Phase 4 of Illinois’ reopening plans. Called the Return to Play guidelines, the IHSA allowed contact days to begin Monday. The return to play guideline is a major step for high schools throughout the
By Woodrow Carroll Sometimes being in the right place at the right time is what is needed. For others, a blend of skill and timing come together and bring championship success. For Harold “Sam” Samorian, the right mix was clearly at the high school level. Let us turn the clock
In essence this week’s reflection is a college notebook. More accurately, it is a focus on excellence, with the late football coach Bob Reade, and, wrestling coach, Justin Pearch. A starting note includes a realization that COVID-19 reached into Division III football, 2019 National champion North Central College in Naperville.
By John Schutt NASCAR Cup Series, Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered By Big Machine Records, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Ind. Sunday, July 5. This famous track is owned by the Penski organization with a recent purchase. The Fourth of July weekend was busy with an Indy Car race on
By Bobby Narang Matthew Weerts is heading out west to find his mojo. Technically, the Batavia High School soon-to-be-senior linebacker found his football mojo a long time ago. Weerts, whose nickname is “Mojo,” committed to the University of Arizona in late June. The 6-4 and 224-pounder had many offers, including
By Woodrow Carroll To the historian, the word dynasty usually refers to a succession of royal, or powerful families that held power for an extended period of time. In modern times, dynasty often refers to a sports franchise that reigned supreme for an extended period of time. With Chicago as
