The 52nd annual Chicago Air and Water Show occurred this past weekend and, unless you were out of town, you probably heard the noise as jets raced overhead over two afternoons. Hundreds of thousands of people hit the Lakefront - while no attendance has been announced yet, estimates are usually in the two million range - and many more took to rooftops all over the city to take in the sights and sounds of the annual event. more ›

Imagine our surprise when gearing up to see tonight's performance by The Mystery Jets, a band whose live show we've greatly anticipated seeing, only to be stymied. So yesterday we checked the website of the club they were scheduled to play to confirm the set-time, only to discover the show had been moved to Schubas! Which, oddly enough, is where we were supposed to see them the first time they didn't come around when their... more ›

Here are some things in the news while we do spit takes at the ticket prices for the upcoming Van Halen tour. A $300-a-year parking permit created for realtors, home health care providers, and social workers to plug a $2.4 million hole in the city's 2007 budget only generated $15,900 in revenue. Facing increasing criticism in allowing BP to increase the amount of pollution it can discharge into Lake Michigan, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels... more ›

With the Bears opening training camp on Friday, it's time to dust off the blue and orange, refresh our memories of last year's Super Bowl XLI appearance, and then start figuring out what to fret about come Week One. The Tribune points out their five areas of concern, while the Sun-Times gives us their ten things to watch for. 1. At the top of both lists is the quarterback situation. Can Rex Grossman be the... more ›

White Rabbits are doing something right, because the Brooklyn sextet has gone from a band we checked out at SXSW because they are friends with a friend of ours to one of the buzziest bands in the blogosphere. No surprise, really – these kids can bring the good times rocknroll, and an 8.1 album rating from Pitchfork didn’t hurt either. more ›

Just as the local sporting goods stores have finally moved out the last of their Bears NFC Champions merchandise, it's time for the Bears and the NFL teams to restock their roster during the NFL draft, which takes place Saturday and Sunday in New York. The draft begins at 11:00 am on Saturday, but there's no need to get up early to watch. The Bears don't draft until the 31st pick in the first round,... more ›

Has it really been two years since we were first introduced to The Mystery Jets? It feels like a lot longer. Now, that may be because the young band is particularly adept at kicking out a certain kind of timeless pop, but we’re willing to bet that the main reason is because we’ve been waiting forever for them to hit Chicago so we could finally experience their much buzzed about live show. A few weeks... more ›

One of the most notable features of S.R. Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of Technology is that its massive open space on the first floor can be manipulated to accommodate numerous activities -- sometimes all at once. This was all apparent at last night's event, "Mixing the Perfect Mies: Celebrating Mies van der Rohe's 121st Birthday," hosted by the Mies van der Rohe Society at IIT. When Chicagoist arrived, we walked right into a black and white ball, complete with jazz music and martinis and tiny quiches, but as we became more aware of our surroundings, we noticed that numerous due date-driven students were hard at work behind a series of portable, collapsible walls on either side of the centrally located affair. We immediately flashed back to our college days, where we were pros at procrastinating, always working very casually until the last minute when a project was due. We'd then pound a couple of Red Bulls and frantically do two weeks worth of work in one sitting. This image made us feel sorry for the students being taunted by the appetizer buffet and open bar that suddenly appeared in the middle of their work space. more ›

Just days after Bears management redeemed themselves by locking up Lovie Smith for the next five years, they once again have us scratching our heads. They traded Thomas Jones, the team's starting running back, to the New York Jets along with their late second-round pick for an early second-round draft pick. Are we missing something? Jones ran for over 1,200 yards in 2006, carrying the ball 296 times and averaging 4.1 yards a carry. He... more ›

While the game was reminiscent of last year's team, the Bears won yet again on Sunday by beating the Jets 10-0 at Giants Stadium. The defense was in top form, creating key turnovers and holding the Jets when it looked like they were close to scoring. Brian Urlacher intercepted the ball in the end zone when the Jets looked poised to open the scoring. The teams went into the intermission tied at 0-0. Perhaps the... more ›

Chicagoist remembers back when we were eight years old, and our beloved Chicago Bears looked like they could run the table on the way to Super Bowl XX. Until an ugly Monday night in Miami, and the Dolphins saved the day for their 1972 team's claim to the only undefeated season. History repeated itself on Sunday, as the 7-0 Bears met the 1-6 Dolphins at Soldier Field and again suffered their first loss against Miami.... more ›

Chicagoist can't remember from our middle school science classes whether bears are nocturnal animals or not, but the NFL certainly thinks they are. With the Chicago Bears now 7-0, the NFL and its broadcast networks are about to get into a bit of a battle over what time and which network will televise the Bears on a couple of upcoming weekends. more ›

Chicagoist is a baseball fan, first and foremost, but the "national passtime" now officially takes a back seat to football in the hearts and minds of most American sport fans. Especially the NFL. And for that, the NFL can thank the incredible leadership of Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue. Rozelle lead the league from 1960 until 1989, when the outgoing Taliabue took over. During their combined tenure, the league became the most successful pro sports... more ›

Chicagoist always thought that right up there with death and taxes, Monday Night Football on ABC was one of life's certainties. But the NFL's recently negotiated new television deals that move the league's flagship game to a new home with an entirely new broadcast team. Yup, after 35 years on ABC, Monday Night Football is moving to cable. more ›

While much of our collective sports attention is forcused on the White Sox, Chicagoist hasn't forgotten that we have a few other teams in this city, and they don't come to a screaching halt just because one of 'em's in the playoffs. So here's what's going on with the others: more ›

The Bears released two veteran players this week, granting Paul Edinger's request to be released while also parting ways with cornerback R.W. R.W. McQuarters. more ›

Kickers are the Rodney Dangerfield of any NFL team. They never get any respect when they're doing their job, and the instant they fuck up their job's in jeopardy. That's the situation that the Bears' Paul Edinger finds himself in now as the Bears have signed former NY Jets kicker Doug Brien, who himself was out of a job in part because a couple missed kicks in the playoffs overshadowed his stellar career numbers. more ›