Results tagged “sports”

Suffering from lingering soreness in his calf, White Sox closer Bobby Jenks had an MRI to determine whether there was any structural damage in his lower leg. The results of the MRI were good news, as they revealed no damage. When asked about his prospect for being ready to go on Opening Day, Jenks said, "no doubt about it." more ›

If you're anything like us, you've filled out at least a half dozen brackets since NCAA selection committee set the field of 65 for this year's tournament as you try to find just the right mix of sure things and upsets to win bragging rights over colleagues and amaze your friends. more ›

It's been a while since the likes of Bill Russell and Lenny Wilkins had to fill dual roles as player-coaches, but the Bulls just might need Vinny Del Negro to trade in his suits for shorts this week. Kirk Hinrich will be forced to miss Tuesday's game after being suspended one game by the league for making contact with an official after he was ejected from Friday night's game against Miami. more ›

With the NCAA Tournament's brackets announced on Sunday evening to set the field of 65, it's time to make your picks for the sixth annual Chicagoist Tournament Challenge! Think you know more about college basketball than Chicagoist's writers and fellow readers? Prove it! Don't know that much about college basketball? So, what... it's usually that one who picked teams based on their mascots that wins anyway! more ›

The Cubs were dealt yet another blow to their hopes of ever winning a World Series title when pitcher Angel Guzman suffered a potentially career-ending injury last week. Following MRI tests that confirms the team's worst fears, Cubs GM Jim Hendry called Guzman's injury "a significant tear" and a "ligament injury," in the front, bottom part of the right shoulder -- one that players rarely recover from. One treatment option for Guzman would be to try and strengthen the muscles near the injury, a process that would take at least four to six week to determine whether it was working. Instead, Guzman seems to be leaning towards surgery -- even though the risky operation very well might end his career. more ›

Are we reading too much into LeBron James' filing of paperwork with the NBA league offices this week? Following through with his previously announced intentions, King James submitted an application to change his jersey number from 23 to 6, wanting the league to honor Michael Jordan by retiring the number league-wide in much the same was that Major League Baseball did for Jackie Robinson. While we don't believe you can really compare Jordan's on-court accomplishments to what Robinson did - breaking his sport's color barrier - we do wonder what LeBron's comments mean in terms of his future. more ›

The NFL's free agency period began on Thursday, and the Bears are stalking a number of top defensive players available. Will the historically stingy McCaskey clan open the purse strings and let GM Jerry Angelo sign the players needed to help his club? Perhaps they will, as Coach Lovie Smith headed to Charlotte Thursday night to chaperon Julius Peppers back to Chicago on Friday. The most coveted free agent this off-season, defensive end Peppers has recorded 81 sacks during his first eight seasons, all with the Carolina Panthers. He's previously expressed interest in joining the likes of Urlacher, Briggs and Harris on the Bears defense, and while a number of teams are expected to pursue him, the Bears were the first to get him on a plane. When he departs town, will it be with a new contract in hand? Some, including the NFL Network's Mike Lombardi, think so. more ›

After one disappointing season, the Bears released offensive tackle Orlando Pace on Monday. The future Hall of Famer was signed as a free agent last off-season to a fill a gap on the left created by the retirement of John Tait. The 13-year veteran started 11 games for the Bears, but ended the season on the bench. And while the Bears didn't expect Pace to perform to the level that'll help enshrine him in Canton, they were expecting more when they signed him to a 3-year, $15 million deal last April. Even the Bears hiring of offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who was Pace's offensive coordinator and head coach with the St. Louis Rams, wasn't enough to save his job. The Bears would prefer to use his cap space to chase other free agents. Teams can begin signing free agents on Thursday. Meanwhile, Pace is apparently mulling retirement. more ›

It made our week when we learned that White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen had made the leap and joined Twitter. Known for speaking his mind, what venue could be better for Oz to share his off-the-cuff thoughts with his fans and followers, especially as the team begins Spring Training? Tweeting for less than a day, Ozzie's already offered classics like this non sequitur, "going to eat in half hour why dye no have a job?" referring to former Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye. more ›

Sure, we're still digging out from yet another serving of snow but spring is just around the corner. We know this because the Cubs and White Sox have finally opened camp in Arizona. Cubs pitchers and catchers arrived in Mesa last Wednesday, while the Sox battery showed up in Glendale on Sunday to kick off Spring Training. With the entire season ahead, fans of both teams can still express optimism for the upcoming season, but both teams are coming off disappointing seasons without playoff appearances. Has either team improved enough to change that in 2010? more ›

Given Chicago's (perhaps unhealthy) continued infatuation with the 1985 Bears team, it's certainly shrewd marketing to keep getting more members of that squad involved with the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League. Already coached by Steve "Mongo" McMichael, the Slaughter recently signed the late Walter Payton's son Jarrett to play running back for them. Now, the Punky QB himself, Jim McMahon has signed on as team owner. McMichael said during the Friday press conference, "Chicago football fans have another opportunity to see a McMahon, McMichael and Payton triple-threat in action." But just how visible an owner with McMahon be? He said on Friday, "I am excited to be a part of this team and it gives me a chance to keep my ties here in Chicago since I moved out (to Florida)." more ›

With the greatest free agent class of all time available this summer, the Bulls are actively trying to amass as much room under the salary cap with which to lure the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh to Chicago. As today's 2 p.m. trading deadline looms, rumors have linked just about every player on the roster not named Derrick Rose to potential deals. But it's John Salmons who is the first to be sent packing in return for the coveted expiring contracts. Salmons goes to the Milwaukee Bucks in return for Kurt Thomas and Francisco Elson Hakkim Warrick and Joe Alexander. more ›

Shani Davis successfully defended his Olympic 1,000-meter title yesterday, joining Lindsay Vonn's downhill win and Shaun white's golden performance on the snowboard halfpipe as part of a banner day for the U.S. Olympic team in Vancouver. In the process Davis, who first started speedskating in Evanston, also made history by becoming the first speedskater to win 1,000-meter speed skating golds in consecutive Olympics. more ›

With sports talk radio among the industry's few bright spots, some think there may room for some competition to ESPN Radio 1000 and The Score 670. Jeff Smulyan, CEO of Emmis Communications and "father" of sports radio, is exploring options to turn one of Emmis' underperforming FM stations into yet another outlet for sports fans. And if Smulyan turns The Loop 97.9 or Q101 into a sports talk outlet, the White Sox might be among their flagship programming. The Sox are currently broadcast their games on The Score, but their current deal expires after the upcoming 2010 season. The Sox make $3 million on their radio rights, but a move to a new FM station could be much more lucrative for the team with the ninth highest radio audience in MLB. White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is close friends with Smulyan, and he could decide to partner with Emmis by taking an ownership stake in the new network. He already owns a piece of Comcast SportsNet, which airs some Sox and Bulls games. if a new sports station does take off, don't expect the Sox to be the only big draw however -- with the recent shake-ups in Chicago radio, a number of big names without current radio homes, like Mike North and Steve Dahl, might eventually find themselves behind the mic before too long. more ›

Are the Sox about to add one last major piece to their 2010 roster? In spite of apparently better offers from Central Division foe Detroit, the White Sox remain bidders for the services of free agent outfielder Johnny Damon. The 36-year-old left-handed hitter played last season for the World Champion New York Yankees, hitting .282 with 24 home runs while driving in 82 runs. more ›

Cubs tickets officially go on sale at 8 a.m. Friday at the Wrigley Field box office, and 10 a.m. online and by phone. As in past years, to get a space in line at the park you'll need to acquire a wristband ahead of time. They will be handed out at Wrigley between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday, and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. Around 6 a.m. Friday, WGN radio will announce the starting wristband number for ticket sales. For those attempting to buy online, the virtual waiting rooms will open at 9:30 a.m., while phone lines open right at 10 a.m. more ›

The Chicago Bulls sent two representatives to Dallas this weekend for the NBA's annual All-Star Weekend. Rookie Taj Gibson suited up for the first year squad in the Rookie Challenge on Friday and scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in the game that saw the rooks beat the second years players 140-128. more ›

One of our favorite baseball players, former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas, is expected to officially announce his retirement from baseball later today at a press conference in Chicago. The "Big Hurt" broke into the majors with the White Sox in 1990 and played in Chicago through the 2005 season. For much of his time in Chicago, he was among the most feared hitters in the game. His 1994 slugging percentage of .729 was the highest in the American League since Ted Williams, and perhaps he could have led the Sox to a World Series title in 1994 had the strike not wiped out the end of the season. While injured for much of the '05 season, he did win a World Series ring with the team in his final year with the club. Thomas played for a season and a half each in Oakland and Toronto after departing the Sox, but did not play in 2009. more ›

With Omar Vizquel joining the White Sox, he knew he had to choose a new jersey number. The number 13 he's used to wearing currently belongs to skipper Ozzie Guillen, who wasn't going to give it up. Instead, Vizquel asked another one of his fellow Venezuelan shortstops if he could borrow his number. Said Vizquel, "One day I was hanging out with Luis Aparicio and I had the courage to ask if I could use his number. He thought about it for a while and with a little smile said it would be great." With Hall of Famer Aparicio's blessing, the White Sox will "un-retire" the 11 jersey for Vizquel to wear in 2010. more ›

Richard Dent will have to wait at least one more year before being granted entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, after the list of latest inductees were announced on Saturday and his name remained off the list. The former Bears defensive lineman was a finalist for the sixth time in the last seven years, but once again failed to reach the threshold necessary for enshrinement in Canton. more ›

The Chicago Bulls are doing to their blossoming center what many opponents have been unable to -- shut Joakim Noah down. Suffering through a painful bout of plantar fasciitis, the team has decided to rest Noah at least through next weekend's All-Star Break. The team hopes it will give him time heal and return to form. While trying to play through the pain lately, his performance has noticeably suffered -- he recently slipped to third in rebounding after being the second most prolific on the boards for most of the year. more ›

Sunday's Super Bowl is fast approaching, but for most Chicago football fans the game will once again be mostly about the food, drink and commercials -- Super Bowl Shuffle reunion! -- as our Bears will also be watching the game from home. So how does one from these parts choose which team to cheer for -- the Indianapolis Colts or the New Orleans Saints? Some may choose to cheer against the Colts because the beat our Bears when the two teams met in Miami for Super Bowl XLI in 2006. Others may pick the Colts because they're our neighbor to the southeast. more ›

Thinking of running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon? We're not sure why you'd want to torture yourself that way, but in case you do we're letting you know that registration has opened for the 2010 race. Entry costs $135.00 and you should act fast if you plan to run -- registration always fills up well in advance of the October race date. more ›

While fans cast some questionable votes -- Iverson, really? -- in picking the starters for the NBA All-Star Game, the coaches did a better job when selecting the reserves to round out the rosters on Thursday. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose was among the players picked to suit up for the Eastern Conference squad. The second year player is currently averaging 19.8 points/game and 5.9 assists/game for the 22-22 Bulls. Slowed by an ankle injury to begin the season, Rose has come on strong of late. He's averaging 23.5 points and 6.5 assists a game this month. more ›

With the NBA trade deadline looming in a couple weeks, the rumors are starting to build as teams look to bolster their roster for the playoffs or adjust their future salary cap commitments ahead of the best free agency class in a very long time (some would say ever). With the Bulls mired in a disappointing season -- although now back to .500 after winning four straight -- and expected to be strong suitors of the likes of LeBron James, Dawyne Wade and Chris Bosh this summer, they are likely to shop some of their higher priced talent to clear cap space. more ›

In the wake of Gaines Adams' death last week of an enlarged heart, the NFL is considering echocardiogram tests for all players. The NFL's Cardiovascular Committee began discussing the possibility of mandatory heart tests last week to help detect issues like the enlarged heart that ultimately led to Adams' death. Testing could begin as soon as next month's draft combine. more ›

As we mentioned yesterday, the key storyline at this weekend's SoxFest was whether DH Jim Thome would return to the White Sox or not in 2010. GM Kenny Williams wanted him back, while manager Ozzie Guillen felt his roster had the bats it needed. Guillen and Thome met Sunday evening, and the Sox manager told the slugger as much. And so Thome won't be returning to the Sox. With the Twins rumored to be interested, we can only imagine the ways Thome will make Guillen regret the decision in 2010. more ›

Williams and Guillen are often the main attraction at SoxFest thanks to their outspoken natures, and once again it was those two who made headlines over the weekend for their public disagreement over whether the team should bring back Jim Thome. Thome, an Illinois native and popular player who played DH for 3 1/2 years, was traded mid-season to the L.A. Dodgers. Now a free agent, many want to see him return -- including Williams apparently. While early in the weekend he seemed to back Guillen's vision for a roster that offered maximum versatility, Williams also suggested the team needed Thome's left handed power. Guillen plans to employ a DH-by-committee in 2010, saying, "I don't want a DH just to be a DH. I want a guy to help me different ways." Guillen also expressed concerns that a reduced roll may not suit Thome. Williams appears ready to defer to his manager on the decision, we may know as soon as today. If the Sox do want to bring back Thome, they may need to act quickly -- before the Twins sign him. more ›

Perhaps Crane Kenney was green with envy after the White Sox moved into sparkling new Spring Training digs in Glendale, Arizona last winter. For the past year, the Cubs' president has been exploring options for new spring training facilities for the North Siders -- even toying with the idea of the Cubbies moving to Florida and the Grapefruit League after more than 50 years in Arizona. While wooed heavily by Naples, Florida, the Cubs have decided to stay put in Mesa after reaching an agreement with the city for a brand new $84-million facility. more ›

We realize that sponsorships are a big part of pro sports, but sometimes it seems that companies and team take their tie-ins a wee bit to far. Sometimes, apparently, they agree. After sponsoring the White Sox's weekday start time of 7:11pm, convenience store chain 7-Eleven has decided to let their deal with the team expire. The purveyor of beer, soda and snacks on roller grills paid $500,000 for three years of sponsorship, but when the deal ran out after the 2009 season they decided to step away. As a result, the Sox will take the field at U.S. Cellular Field at 7:10pm instead for 2010. To our knowledge, the Lincoln Park bowling alley paid nothing for this. more ›