chicagotribune--2020-02-03--5 best, 5 worst Super Bowl commercials of 2020

Tugging at the heartstrings is probably a wise thing for the all-knowing , all-powerful Google to do .
It could @ @ @ @ @ it cunningly turns all that it learns about us into money for its bottom line @ @ @ @ @ as I began this ad — produced in-house — wanting to deride it as the @ @ @ @ @ whose wife dies and is left with Google as his companion , it won me @ @ @ @ @ , by the end of the demonstration of how he ’ s using the Goog @ @ @ @ @ alive , I even had tears in my eyes .
The line about her “ @ @ @ @ @ over the edge .
Learning at the end that he does have a dog was @ @ @ @ @ .
So : Well-played , Google , but , still , please don ’ t @ @ @ @

It wasn’t easy advertising in this year’s Super Bowl. There was an actual competitive game to contend with, for one thing, and politicians tried to butt into the festivities, too. Plus, NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s tragic death complicated things for some advertisers, who had to edit commercials or re-calibrate campaigns.
In the end, though, the Fox network extracted many pounds of flesh from America’s consumer products companies for the privilege of filling the spaces between the footballing. I watched and ranked all of the ads. And, putting the ads for Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg aside because politics is a separate category, these are the five best and five worst I saw.
Advertisement
BEST
1. Snickers - “Fix the World”
In a winningly snarky callback to Coke’s famous “teach the world to sing” ad, Snickers tries to make the world a better place with its own group-walking sing and hilltop gathering. But first it’s got to show what’s wrong: Grown men ride scooters, people name their kids after vegetables and “milk keeps getting reinvented.” The problems are all funny and the “solution” is even better: The singers eventually gather around a huge hole so they can fix the world with an admittedly stupid idea: “feeding it a (giant) Snickers.” Who could have predicted this year’s best ad would come from a self-deprecating candy bar? Pro tip: For full effect, watch the minute-long version here rather than the short version that aired on TV.
[ Column: Where Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s unapologetically sexy halftime show fits into #MeToo ]
2. Cheetos - “Can’t Touch This”
The snack chip brand built on orange flavor dust wants you to know that it now also offers its familiar powder as a coating on bagged popcorn. Its means of delivering this message is ingenious: Our snacking, every-guy hero learns to raise his fingers, now also bearing the coating, to get out of situations ranging from helping move furniture to catching a boss (I presume) in a trust fall. Better yet, each time he holds up this suddenly potent discolored hand, 1990s hitmaker MC Hammer pops up to sing the title of his best-known tune, “U Can’t Touch This.” This is one of the first ads I watched this year, and I was instantly certain it was going to be the one with the most perfectly used celebrity. (Postscript: Yep.)
Advertisement
3. Google - “Loretta”
Tugging at the heartstrings is probably a wise thing for the all-knowing, all-powerful Google to do. It could help us forget the way it cunningly turns all that it learns about us into money for its bottom line. Still, as much as I began this ad — produced in-house — wanting to deride it as the sad tale of a man whose wife dies and is left with Google as his companion, it won me over. And, yeah, by the end of the demonstration of how he’s using the Goog to keep memories of Loretta alive, I even had tears in my eyes. The line about her “perfect handwriting” pushed me over the edge. Learning at the end that he does have a dog was a needed touch, too. So: Well-played, Google, but, still, please don’t share my data.
4. Little Caesars - “Best Thing Since Sliced Bread”
It wouldn’t be fair to comment on Little Caesars pizza quality since it’s been decades since I’ve had it. But the company’s first Super Bowl commercial is a flavor bomb. Little Caesars’ delivery service is the “best thing since sliced bread,” says a customer receiving pizzas at her door, and panic ensues at Sliced Bread headquarters. Very nimbly rendered panic. New ideas (sparkle bread) are stupid; “sliced bread is toast,” says a newsman; and, by the end, there’s an ostrich in the hellscape the office has become. In the note-perfect coda, the guy delivering another Little Caesars order is the Sliced Bread CEO, played by Rainn Wilson of “The Office.”
5. Jeep - “Groundhog Day”
The Super Bowl falls on Groundhog Day, 2020, and in this clever ad, it’s the movie “Groundhog Day” all over again for Bill Murray. Except he’s older and he notices an orange Jeep that looks like a toy car writ large in downtown Punxsutawney. “That’s different,” he says. He kidnaps the groundhog and the vehicle and begins a series of the kind of adventures you can apparently have in a Jeep Gladiator: driving with the top down (“who cares” if he freezes to death, Murray tells a guy); going fatbiking on snowy trails; snowshoeing. It’s hard to fumble the every-day-repeats concept, and this ad does a nimble job carrying it down the field. Best is Murray playing whack-a-mole and telling his rodent buddy “It’s not personal.” Points, too, for the tagline, “No day is the same in a Jeep Gladiator.” Chicago deejay Steve Dahl has a quick voice cameo as the radio voice at the start of the spot.
WORST
1. Mtn Dew Zero Sugar - “As Good As the Original”
Of course, Bryan Cranston paying homage to Jack Nicholson’s “Here’s Johnny” scene in “The Shining” is going to be well played. That’s kind of the problem, though. He seems genuinely about to kill Tracie Ellis Ross in the Shelley Duvall role, cowering behind the door that he tears through with a big axe. It is, in other words, a highly convincing domestic violence scene. That it’s a movie tribute and that Bryan/Jack offers her a sugar-free Mtn Dew instead of continuing to strike the door (or get his hand slashed) only takes a little of the dark edge off. I know Mtn Dew fancies itself extreme; this is extremely tone-deaf. Two stars are in the ad paying homage to two other stars, but the ad itself earns zero.
2. Coca-Cola Energy - “Show Up”
I think Coke is trying to be funny here, with Martin Scorsese waiting for Jonah Hill at a party and Hill not immediately answering the text. “Martin Scorsese Being Dotted,” a news report somehow says. While Hill is not responding (as if an actor would ever keep this director hanging), the actor grabs a Coca-Cola Energy, which is apparently Big Red’s answer to Red Bull, and rallies to make it to the bash. There’s not a legitimate chuckle in these 60 seconds, and it feels miscast and out of step. I like the old, sincere-to-sappy Coke a lot better.
3. Facebook Groups - “Ready to Rock?”
Does this first-ever Super Bowl ad mean Facebook is pivoting to video — the old-school way? It’s been a rough few years for Facebook, proof that it isn’t easy being universally liked as a ubiquitous social media platform while also looking out for your bottom line. This ad tries to turn the focus away from, say, election manipulation or inaccurate data about the power of online video and back to the social part of things. With a mediocre hair band backing track (Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock”), the big F shows us a whole bunch of Facebook Groups who organize via that platform and have something to do with rocks or rocking; even ice cubes count, for a craft cocktail group. The kicker is comic Chris Rock running up the Rocky Balboa steps in Philadelphia only to find Sylvester Stallone there. The celebrity usage sounds good in concept but the execution is lacking. So: one star, and, nonetheless, please don’t share my data.
4. Quibi - “Bank Heist”
Quibi is the well-funded streaming platform that’ll debut in the spring showing videos of ten minutes or less each. To introduce itself to America, it offers bank robbers who run out to the curb to find no getaway driver. He’s watching something on his phone, chuckling, and says, “I’ll be there in a Quibi, less than 10 minutes.” The lead bank robber starts watching, too, and he gets a small glimpse of Chance the Rapper hosting a new version of MTV’s “Punk’d,” one of Quibi’s higher profile signings. The spot is not particularly well played or imagined, but what it does do is effectively start to explain the platform — and that “Quibi” comes from “quick bites.”
5. Michelob Ultra - “Jimmy Works It Out”
Guided by wrestler John Cena — and the promise of Anheuser-Busch’s crazily popular beer-like product at the end — “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon learns to get over his distaste for working out. How much you like this one will depend on how charming you find Fallon in physical-comedy mode, clowning amid athletes Usain Bolt (track), Brooks Koepka (golf) and Kerri Walsh Jennings and Brooke Sweat (beach volleyball). To my taste it’s about as bland and predictable as Mich Ultra itself, but the fact that this “fitness beer” brand can spend $11 million or so on 60 Super Bowl seconds tells you a whole lot of people are very big fans indeed.
Advertisement
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-03--Daywatch: The best and worst Super Bowl ads, weed tours begin in Chicago, and voters’ second choices

Daywatch: The best and worst Super Bowl ads, weed tours begin in Chicago, and voters’ second choices loom large in Iowa

Every year , more than 100 million Americans gather to watch the Super Bowl .
And many of them are @ @ @ @ @ .
Tribune columnist Steve Johnson ranked all commercials from the big game , including his @ @ @ @ @ also narrowed it down to the five best and five worst .

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.
Advertisement
This image provided by Cheetos shows MC Hammer in a scene from the company's 2020 Super Bowl NFL football spot. (Cheetos via AP)
Every year, more than 100 million Americans gather to watch the Super Bowl. And many of them are just there for the commercials. Tribune columnist Steve Johnson ranked all commercials from the big game, including his first zero-star review. He also narrowed it down to the five best and five worst.
The Kansas City Chiefs captured their second Super Bowl title Sunday with a 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Miami
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira conquered the halftime show, and made Super Bowl history as the first two women to headline the performance
Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane, acknowledge supporters after speaking at a campaign event leading up to the Iowa Caucuses at U.S. Cellular Center on Feb. 1, 2020, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
As Iowa Democrats formally launch the process of selecting a presidential nominee Monday night with the first-in-the-nation caucuses, perhaps at no time in their history have Iowans’ second choices loomed so large, thanks to a tight field with no clear front-runner and a sharp division in party ideology between progressives and moderates.
Advertisement
Under caucus rules, a candidate has to receive 15% support to be considered. Without that minimum level of backing, supporters of those candidates can back another. Add to the mix some changes to an already confusing caucus system, and observers are warning not to expect a great deal of clarity from tonight’s results.
Democratic frontrunners made a feverish final pitch in Iowa on Saturday, but who will win is anyone’s guess. “If I were going to bet on this, I don’t think I’d put any money down,” said one party official.
Trump, in his pre-Super Bowl interview on Fox News, falsely said Michael Bloomberg asked for a box to stand on in debates. Bloomberg’s campaign responded: “He is a pathological liar who lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity, and his spray-on tan.”
Campaign 2020: Who are the Democrats running for president and where do they stand on the issues?
Alyssa Rhone of Oak Forest, boards the party bus as Alyssa Cortez, left, of Park Ridge, and Stephen Dinehart of Madison, Wisconsin, hang outside during a Loopr Chicago Nightlife Tour in Chicago on January 25, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Welcome to the somewhat surreal new world of cannabis tourism in Chicago. Opponents of marijuana legalization opponents have dreaded the spread of pot buses, fearing they will promote intoxication and cause problems like those sometimes found on alcohol party buses.
Downplaying such concerns, a business called Loopr operated its inaugural tour on Jan. 25, transporting a limo bus full of the pot experienced and curious through downtown for some well-behaved partying. Loopr takes passengers on a short bus ride to a condominium on the Near West Side, where they offer couches and tables, bongs and pot grinders, along with coffee and tea, but no alcohol or pot, leaving passengers to bring their own stash.
A passenger who arrived from a flight from Shanghai walks through Terminal 5 with his son and daughter at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Jan. 30, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Amid the rapid spread of the coronavirus from China, public health officials in Chicago are working to contain the United States’ first person-to-person transmission — a balancing act between aggressive precautions based in science and careful consideration of the possibility of public panic.
Infectious disease experts say they’re using lessons learned in outbreaks of SARS and MERS in hopes of another containment success story in the U.S. They also stressed that the virus remains a low risk to those living in Chicago, especially compared with the risk associated with influenza, which kills tens of thousands of Americans each year.
What is coronavirus and what precautions should people in the Chicago area be taking?
Lincoln Park High School in Chicago in 2016. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Lincoln Park High School’s varsity boys basketball team is suspended from the season, and school leaders have been removed amid allegations of “serious misconduct,” according to a letter sent to families Friday.
The boys basketball team’s families were informed an unidentified staff member had been removed from the school a few weeks earlier.


chicagotribune--2020-02-03--With little oversight by Whitney Young leaders, swim coach gained ‘carte blanche’ access to pool, th

With little oversight by Whitney Young leaders, swim coach gained ‘carte blanche’ access to pool, then stole thousands by renting it out, authorities allege

A school administrator told police he “ did not consider the hourly rate ” of the rental agreement and was @ @ @ @ @ it was about $ 1.25 , according to the report .
Parro had not only @ @ @ @ @ after the first year , but had begun renting out the pool for $ 75 @ @ @ @ @ fees over to the school , a police report states .
A real estate attorney @ @ @ @ @ told police that even the sublease rate Parro was allegedly charging was “ far below @ @ @ @ @ according to a police report .

Andrew Parro was 24 when he landed a full-time job at his alma mater, Whitney Young Magnet High School, where he had already been coaching swimming for several years.
Advertisement
The swim program flourished under his leadership, longtime Principal Joyce Kenner would later tell a Chicago detective, “which convinced her to allow him more responsibility and less oversight,” according to a police report summarizing police interviews.
Within a year, Parro, who also worked as a security guard, had obtained “total control” of when the pool opened and closed “without anyone else knowing,” another school employee told investigators. By the following year, 2015, Kenner had created the role of aquatics director for Parro to oversee pool scheduling and maintenance, the police report states.
Advertisement
Shortly after Parro’s abrupt resignation in September 2018, school leaders told police they were “surprised” to learn that Parro had been accused of subleasing the pool and pocketing the proceeds, and that he allegedly hadn’t made rent payments for his club team’s use of the pool for years, according to the police reports.
Parro faces charges of felony theft and official misconduct, to which he’s pleaded not guilty. According to a report released last month by Chicago Public Schools Inspector General Nick Schuler, whose office contacted police after beginning its investigation, Parro allegedly deposited close to $30,000 into his bank account that he gained from “multiple improper side deals to lease the school pool to outside groups” between 2013 and 2016.
Police reports in the case newly obtained by the Tribune provide further details about the alleged scheme, including that school officials told authorities they’d agreed to allow Parro’s private team to use the school pool for about $1,500 a year.
A school administrator told police he “did not consider the hourly rate” of the rental agreement and was “surprised to learn” it was about $1.25, according to the report. Parro had not only allegedly stopped paying those bills after the first year, but had begun renting out the pool for $75 an hour without turning those fees over to the school, a police report states. A real estate attorney for Chicago Public Schools later told police that even the sublease rate Parro was allegedly charging was “far below the market value,” according to a police report.
The administrator “related he did not consider any oversight was needed on his part to ensure Parro had made his payments or that he had followed the terms of the contract," states the police reports, which add “he expected the (Board of Education) would follow up on the payments.”
Kenner told the Tribune via email in early January that she “had no knowledge” of Parro allegedly “renting out the pool to a third party” and “would never have approved this type of transaction.”
Advertisement
Kenner added: “Should I have known yes as the principal of the school. Did I know absolutely not."
Kenner did not respond to a request for further comment Thursday.
Parro’s attorney, Todd Pugh, told the Tribune that Parro’s actions were in the best interest of the swimmers he coached.
After Parro gained access to the aquatic center’s security code and keys, he had “carte blanche” access, another worker at the school told police, adding the use of the pool “increased dramatically."
“There were people in the Aquatics Center at all hours of the day outside of school hours including weekends, which was unexpected,” the worker told police, according to the reports. He also said he started to notice that the pool was using up chemicals more quickly and lightbulbs needed to be changed with unusual frequency.
“Engineers at WYHS joked that the lights must (have) been on all hours of the day to be consuming so many bulbs in such a short amount of time,” the detective noted.
Advertisement
Police opened their investigation after the CPS inspector general’s office uncovered an “ongoing pattern of unauthorized collection of fees for the unauthorized rental” of the pool, amounting to $16,900, according to the police reports.
Police continued investigating in collaboration with the CPS inspector general’s office, revealing more information about payments Parro allegedly pocketed, including installments of $4,550 from one vendor, $5,255 from a second vendor and $1,050 from a third, according to police reports.
On July 31, 2019, a grand jury indicted Parro on felony charges. The following week, Parro was arraigned at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, where sheriffs took him into custody.
At a status hearing on the case Wednesday, Parro’s lawyer told the judge they were waiting to see documents referenced in the CPS inspector general’s report. The judge set Parro’s next appearance for March 11 and said there could be a “possible resolution.”
After the hearing, Pugh said that while a resolution in March was possible, it was not certain. He did not say how the case might be resolved.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-03--A year after high-profile split, Harvest Bible Chapel revamps, and Pastor James MacDonald sues radio

A year after high-profile split, Harvest Bible Chapel revamps, and Pastor James MacDonald sues radio host ‘Mancow’

The defamation lawsuit , filed in Cook County Circuit Court in December , brought back to the surface many of @ @ @ @ @ central role in MacDonald ’ s eventual departure from the church he helped found in @ @ @ @ @ began to complain about MacDonald ’ s leadership style , the church racked up millions @ @ @ @ @ While the church was expanding across northern Illinois , the Midwest and into Florida , @ @ @ @ @ the red , taking out costly mortgages on property it had received either for free @ @ @ @ @ leading many to wonder about what was happening to the money .
With member giving @ @ @ @ @ in March that it was dealing with $ 40 million of combined debt .

It has been a year since the relationship between Harvest Bible Chapel and Pastor James MacDonald began to dissolve.
Since MacDonald’s ouster, Harvest has completely revamped its leadership team, replacing the single senior pastor model with an executive leadership team. By next month, two churches, one in Naples, Florida, and another in Niles, will have left the Harvest network, becoming independent.
Advertisement
MacDonald, meanwhile, has stayed out of the limelight for months. But right before the holidays, the lingering aftermath of MacDonald’s contentious departure spilled into court when the pastor filed a defamation lawsuit against Chicago radio personality Erich “Mancow” Muller. The pastor contends the radio show host made false statements about him, invaded his privacy by releasing a surreptitiously recorded conversation on the air and inflicted emotional distress.
Now, Harvest is moving forward on its new path. A lead ministry pastor and operations director are in place, with the church still looking to fill a lead teaching pastor role. And with questions swirling about financial oversight, the church said it has relaunched its finance committee, which reports directly to the new elder board.
Advertisement
Harvest did not make church leaders available for interviews about the organization’s future. In a detailed emailed response to questions from the Tribune, however, a church spokeswoman said Harvest’s mission remains the same: to glorify God in all that they do.
Spokeswoman Sherri Smith said the church has about 6,000 members at six area campuses: the Chicago Cathedral in the Gold Coast, Elgin, Rolling Meadows, Crystal Lake, Aurora and on Deerfield Road in Highland Park. A branch in Niles is becoming the independent Cityline Bible Church in February. A church in Naples, Florida, where a former pastor was dismissed a year ago in a flap over his concerns about MacDonald coming to the church to preach, also is no longer operating under the Harvest umbrella.
Smith said this period of change has taught the church of “the importance of plurality in leadership, the value of greater accountability in structures and practices, a stronger focus on being led by the Holy Spirit, humility in the understanding of God’s awesome sovereignty, and more accessibility of the leadership to the church family and vice versa.”
James MacDonald, center, founding and senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, and his wife, Kathy MacDonald, right, greet church members following Sunday service on Dec. 8, 2013, in Rolling Meadows. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
While MacDonald’s leadership style led some to bristle, he remained an extremely talented preacher who attracted thousands each week to Harvest locations. He also hosted the “Walk in the Word” podcast, a series of sermons on Biblical themes. With MacDonald gone, the church is recalibrating, but Smith said Harvest pastors will continue to deliver “high-impact worship services” that resonate.
“Harvest continues to hold a high view of Scripture and values the preferred method of expository Bible teaching,” she wrote. “We are looking for these shared values in our next lead teaching pastor.”
New members have been attracted to Harvest, Smith said, for most of the same reasons that people have been coming to the church for years: “proclaiming the authority of God’s Word without apology, lifting high the name of Jesus through worship, believing firmly in the power of prayer, sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness and enduring in love as the foundation of all relationship(s).”
As for MacDonald, in addition to his pending lawsuit against Muller, he is in arbitration with Harvest regarding the high-profile separation. MacDonald’s attorney, Phillip Zisook, did not make MacDonald available for an interview, citing the litigation and an ongoing arbitration case with Harvest. In 2000, Zisook represented former Chicago Bears player Keith Van Horne in a lawsuit filed against Muller that resulted in a $1.6 million settlement for the football player.
Both Zisook and Harvest’s Smith declined to answer questions about the arbitration case, though the Harvest website says the church is working with the Institute of Christian Conciliation to resolve matters.
Advertisement
The defamation lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court in December, brought back to the surface many of the issues that played a central role in MacDonald’s eventual departure from the church he helped found in 1988. As some members began to complain about MacDonald’s leadership style, the church racked up millions of dollars in debt. While the church was expanding across northern Illinois, the Midwest and into Florida, Harvest continued to operate in the red, taking out costly mortgages on property it had received either for free or at minimal cost, leading many to wonder about what was happening to the money. With member giving lagging, the church said in March that it was dealing with $40 million of combined debt.
Muller was at one time a member of Harvest. As the situation turned messy at the church, Muller began to highlight the issues during his morning radio show on WLS-AM and on his podcast, often criticizing MacDonald in his blunt, passionate style.
MacDonald, in his lawsuit against Muller and his employer, Cumulus Media, denies a series of allegations, some of which Muller discussed on his shows. In the lawsuit, MacDonald denies accusations that include soliciting the murder of a rival, planning to plant child pornography on the computer of an adversary and the sexual assault of a woman during a mission trip. He is asking for damages in excess of $50,000.
MacDonald, in claiming that Muller violated Illinois eavesdropping laws, also alleges that someone at the church surreptitiously recorded one of his conversations in which he is heard disparaging several others. Muller played portions of the recording on the air during his radio show during early 2019.
Zisook said the recording, which the suit alleges was illegally made and then illegally obtained by Muller, was indeed MacDonald, but that the tape did not provide the context for the pastor’s comments. Nonetheless, Zisook said, the recording was made without MacDonald’s consent, secretly passed along to Muller and distributed on the air.
According to the lawsuit, someone recorded MacDonald speaking inside an enclosed and soundproof audio studio at Harvest’s campus in Elgin by activating recording equipment, allowing MacDonald’s conversation to be taped. That person, whom the lawsuit does not identify, then gave it to Muller.
Advertisement
“As long as a radio station has a bully with a microphone, they will have to exercise supervision and control,” Zisook said.
A Cumulus spokeswoman said the company has no comment on the lawsuit.
MacDonald, a founding member of Harvest, was fired Feb. 13, about a month after he took a leave from his preaching and duties at the church. A statement by church elders at the time of his termination cited “conduct that the Elders believe is contrary and harmful to the best interests of the church." The audio recordings that Muller played on his radio show were cited by church leadership in their announcement, and appeared to be the last straw as the elders tried to determine whether MacDonald and Harvest should remain together.
At the time, Muller told the Tribune that MacDonald is “a carnival barker actor” who was running the church for his own benefit.
Advertisement
poconnell@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-03--As Chicago-area Catholic schools close, parents hope new funding scheme signals church’s commitment

As Chicago-area Catholic schools close, parents hope new funding scheme signals church’s commitment to education

“ As much as I hate to give them any more of my money ...
I grew up Catholic , @ @ @ @ @ to keep my kids in Catholic school , ” said Beata Wojcik , the mother @ @ @ @ @ Louise , which will close at the end of this school year .

Linda Mitlyng hugs her son, Lars, 6, as she picks up her two children at St. Thecla School on Chicago's Far Northwest side on Jan. 31, 2020. The archdiocese is closing St. Thecla at the end of the school year. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
It has become a recurring theme with the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago’s school system: mounting concern over declining enrollment and rising costs; parish leaders devising a strategy to address the problems; parents mobilizing to prevent their children’s schools from shutting their doors. And in the end, another round of school closings.
This bleak reality has become familiar for many of the nation’s Catholic school systems: hit with rising expenses and shrinking enrollment, many are fighting for survival.
Advertisement
The Archdiocese of Chicago, which recently announced the closure of five schools, has been beset with similar troubles, with total enrollment dropping to about 71,000 this year from more than 95,000 eight years ago.
But the recent announcement of a “historic” agreement between the archdiocese and the Big Shoulders Fund, giving the nonprofit more than 50% control of 30 schools, after another round of school closures, has left many parents hoping the move signals a new commitment by the church to Catholic education.
Advertisement
Church officials are emphatic they remain deeply committed to the success and vibrancy of Catholic schools.
“In the future, the archdiocese is absolutely committed to the vital mission and ministry of Catholic education,” said Jim Rigg, superintendent of Catholic Schools.
Big Shoulders CEO Josh Hale greets preschoolers as they switch classrooms at St. Genevieve Catholic School in Chicago on Jan. 30, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Despite its dwindling size, Chicago’s Catholic school system remains one of the largest private school systems in the country. And its schools have received more Blue Ribbon Awards, a distinction given by the U.S. Department of Education to school for academic excellence, than any other school system in the country.
Since 2009, the number of Catholic schools in the United States declined by more than 1,200, and there are roughly 400,000 fewer students attending Catholic schools, according to the National Catholic Educational Association.
In the Chicago area, the recent announcement of five school closings and mergers frustrated parents and students who were dismayed by the archdiocese’s decision, which is forcing hundreds of students to scramble in search of another school.
“We expect more from the Archdiocese,” said Bill Dixon, whose daughter’s school, St. Jane de Chantal in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood, will close at the end of this school year. Dixon spent a recent weekday evening with many other parents at a fair at the school that gave parents the opportunity to find out about other Catholic schools.
Linda Mitlyng said she was "furious and heartbroken" when she learned in November that her children's Catholic school would be closing this year.
Advertisement
“It is very important for my kids to have a Catholic education,” Mitlyng, whose two sons attend St. Thecla in the Norwood Park East neighborhood.
But now, when deciding which Catholic school her sons will be attending next, Mitlyng said she and her husband have to take everything into consideration, including the longterm viability of the school.
Students walk under a fading mural at St. Pius V Elementary School in Pilsen on Jan. 28, 2020. St. Pius V is one of the 30 schools to receive part of a $90 million investment. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“I just don’t want this to happen again,” she said. “I want to make sure the next school doesn’t close, and my children have to go through that hurt again.”
Jessica Consola, the mother of two students at St. Jane, echoed Mitlyng’s parental concern.
“If the (archdiocese) wants to get out of educating kids, please just tell us," she said. “Please just don’t put us through this time and time again.”
Archdiocese officials say school closures are necessary as declines in parish numbers continue to reshape the church’s landscape.
Advertisement
“We do not seek out school closures,” Rigg said. “We see that as our last resort.”
With the archdiocese in the middle of a sweeping reorganization that already has led to the merger and closing of dozens of parishes, some parents are struggling to a bright future for Chicago’s Catholic schools.
“It’s too ironic that Big Shoulders have a 51% stake in those 30 schools,” Consola said. “How long will it be before the (archdiocese) basically turns the reins over to them?”
Archdiocese and Big Shoulders officials remain optimistic, however, pointing to the continuing strengths of Catholic education, despite its recent troubles.
Nationwide, catholic school students in most cases outperform their public school counterparts on most measures of academic success, said Sister Dale Murphy, director of public policy and educational research for the National Catholic Education Association.
“They’re not just learning about religion,” she said. “They are in rigorous academic programs.”
Advertisement
The archdiocese’s school system does outpace Chicago Public Schools in many academic standards, although critics point out private schools are able to be selective about their students.
More than 98% of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools’ students graduate from high school, compared to 77% of Chicago Public Schools students, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. And more than 96% of Catholic school students go on to attend a four-year college, according to the archdiocese.
Preschoolers gather for a song at St. Genevieve Catholic School in Chicago on Jan. 30, 2020, when Cardinal Blase Cupich and Big Shoulders CEO Josh Hale visited. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Despite their schools’ academic accolades, the archdiocese is feeling the financial strain of operating hundreds of schools. A state tax credit for scholarships for lower-income students, put in place under Gov. Bruce Rauner, has helped fill the gaps in many cases, but isn’t a panacea.
“The greatest driver of revenue in any Catholic school is tuition, and if enrollment drops too low, you don’t have enough tuition dollars coming in, and that creates financial pressures that can result in a school closure,” Rigg said.
Last week, the archdiocese made news with its announcement of its partnership with Big Shoulders that will funnel tens of millions of dollars into Catholic schools in Chicago’s lower-income communities over the next decade. Big Shoulders agreed to invest $47.5 million in 30 Catholic schools located predominantly on the city’s South and West sides.
This partnership and financial investment will not only allow the selected schools to thrive, but it will allow Catholic schools officials to focus on their other 180 schools, Rigg said.
Advertisement
Many of parents of students at schools already slated for closure, however, lamented their families being displaced and being warned about a potential school closure with only a few months’ notice.
In the months before the archdiocese announced the closing of five elementary schools recently, parents, parishioners and school employees embarked on large fundraising drives to keep the schools open. But despite being lauded by the archdiocese for putting forth “strong efforts," all five schools — St. Jane de Chantal, in Chicago; St. Colette, in Rolling Meadows; St. Joseph, in Round Lake; St. Louise de Marillac, in La Grange Park; and St. Maria Goretti, in Schiller Park — failed to meet the financial or enrollment goals set by the archdiocese.
"School officials changing the benchmark and goals to keep the school open,” said Dixon, St. Jane’s school board president.
Despite many parents’ frustrations with the archdiocese, most of those contacted regarding the closing schools said they intend keep their children in Catholic schools.
“As much as I hate to give them any more of my money ... I grew up Catholic, so I’d like to keep my kids in Catholic school,” said Beata Wojcik, the mother of two daughters attending St. Louise, which will close at the end of this school year.
Mitlyng said her children’s spiritual formation in Catholic school is invaluable.
Advertisement
“Having a presence of God every day in the school ... you can’t replace that,” she said.
janderson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-03--2 police officers in serious condition after rollover crash on Far South Side

A marked police Ford Explorer was driving southbound on Yates Boulevard at 12:17 a.m. when a 2005 Buick LaCrosse heading @ @ @ @ @ the police car at the intersection in the 8500 block of South Yates Boulevard in @ @ @ @ @ police said .

Two officers were taken to a hospital in serious condition after being hit by a vehicle early Monday in the South Chicago neighborhood, according to Chicago police. (Paige Fry/Chicago Tribune)
A Chicago police squad car was struck early Monday on the Far South Side, sending two officers to a hospital in serious condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
A marked police Ford Explorer was driving southbound on Yates Boulevard at 12:17 a.m. when a 2005 Buick LaCrosse heading eastbound on 85th Street hit the police car at the intersection in the 8500 block of South Yates Boulevard in the South Chicago neighborhood, police said.
Advertisement
The crash caused the squad car to roll on its side, police said. A female and a male officer were inside the vehicle.
They were both taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where their conditions were stabilized, Fire Department officials said.
Advertisement
By 3 a.m., they were reported to be in fair condition, police said.
The 41-year-old male driver of the Buick stayed on scene, police said. He was not injured.
The crash is under investigation, police said.
pfry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Ask Amy: Mom's picky eating creates embarrassment

Whether her disordered eating is caused by health problems or specific food-based fears , is something that she should sort @ @ @ @ @ to expand her cuisine , and be less limited and fearful , she should seek @ @ @ @ @ Her eating problems are definitely interfering with her enjoyment of some everyday experiences .

Dear Amy: I married into a Korean family. (I'm not Korean.)
My mother lives nearby. She is very closed-minded about food. She won't try new things, and rarely goes to restaurants, because she tends to nitpick every part of the meal, or say that some ingredient "disagrees" with her.
Advertisement
Recently, my in-laws threw a big party at their house, to celebrate my mother-in-law's 70th birthday. The party was catered, featuring mostly Korean food.
They invited my mother to the party. Knowing that she was likely going to have issues with the food, I gave her a heads-up so she could plan accordingly. She said, "Don't worry about me," and so I didn't.
Advertisement
At the party, she immediately stated that she "couldn't eat a thing."
My very sweet father-in-law paid special attention to her, to encourage her to try something.
A few minutes later, I looked out and saw my mother-in-law firing up the grill in order to cook a single hamburger for my mom, while everyone else sat down at the table and enjoyed the catered food.
While everyone was polite, I was incredibly embarrassed at my mother's closed-mindedness and stubborn behavior.
I want her to try new things, and to get out of her comfort zone. I also don't want to exclude her, just on the basis of her picky eating habits. What would you recommend?
— Perturbed by Pickiness
Dear Perturbed: Your desire for your mother to leave her comfort zone is natural and understandable, but her extremely picky eating does not excuse her rudeness.
Your mother might have ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), an eating disorder characterized by an extreme aversion to lots of different foods. You could suggest that she research this possibility (information about ARFID is on the National Eating Disorders website: nationaleatingdisorders.org).
Advertisement
However, having dietary limitations, restrictions, phobias or preferences does not give a person license to announce it at a party.
Furthermore, the idea that your mother let your mother-in-law cook a special dish for her -- at your MIL's own landmark birthday party -- is quite beyond the plate.
The way you present this, your mother behaved in a way that was both rude and entitled.
Whether her disordered eating is caused by health problems or specific food-based fears, is something that she should sort out. If she wants to expand her cuisine, and be less limited and fearful, she should seek medical and/or therapeutic help. Her eating problems are definitely interfering with her enjoyment of some everyday experiences.
In the future, you should encourage her to bring her own food in a container. She could very easily say, "I have a very limited diet, so I need to bring my own food whenever I eat away from home." She should not make any pointed, critical, or specific remarks about the food offered.
You (and she) should also offer heartfelt gratitude to your in-laws for being so kind and hospitable.
Advertisement
Dear Amy: I don't know if readers send you follow-ups about how they are doing, and if they're taking your advice, but I want to let you know that I have!
My letter was signed "Angry Ashley." I was hanging out with "Steve," and it wasn't a good situation for me. I took your advice and I have been going to counseling, and I have started an antidepressant.
I've been hanging out with new people, and I'm a lot happier.
I've met some pretty awesome people, and I'm less afraid.
I've watched some of the movies you've recommended, and that's why I like your column. You seem to love movies, and your advice is direct.
Thank you so much for printing my letter. It really helped me, and I hope it also helps other women who have a similar situation.
Advertisement
— No longer "Angry Ashley"
Dear No Longer: Your original question outlined a "friends with benefits" relationship where you didn't enjoy the friendship, nor (as far as I could tell) any benefits.
Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Thank you so much for the positive update! I'm happy that you are taking good care of yourself. Your relationship with yourself is the only one guaranteed to last.
Dear Amy: Your answer to "Going Nuts in Niagara Falls," about the squirrels overrunning her new property was terrible! Squirrels do not take well to relocation. These animals deserve protection, not relocation.
— Squirrel Lover
Dear Lover: In an unplanned and perfectly ironic twist, this column ran on "Squirrel Appreciation Day." My inbox is now flooded with anti-Amy mail, much of it, very possibly, written by squirrels.
Advertisement
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--49ers assistant Katie Sowers makes history as the 1st female coach in the Super Bowl

But she missed out on capping her trailblazing night with a championship when the 49ers couldn ’ t hold the @ @ @ @ @ the fourth quarter before losing 31-20 to the Chiefs .
Her night featured a 60-second @ @ @ @ @ knocking down another door for women .

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Katie Sowers made history Sunday night, becoming the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl.
The first female coach to help win a Lombardi Trophy remains up for grabs.
Advertisement
Sowers, an offensive assistant with the 49ers, also is the first openly gay coach in the Super Bowl.
But she missed out on capping her trailblazing night with a championship when the 49ers couldn’t hold the 20-10 lead they took into the fourth quarter before losing 31-20 to the Chiefs. Her night featured a 60-second Microsoft commercial thanking her for knocking down another door for women.
Advertisement
The latest Super Bowl featured women in many roles.
[ A look at ESPN’s documentary on the NFL’s 4 female owners: ‘I don’t want (players) to look on me as some little old lady who is just kind of hanging around’ ]
Norma Hunt, widow of Chiefs founder Lamar, is the only woman to have attended all 54 Super Bowls and is part of the ownership group that brought Kansas City its first Super Bowl title since 1970. The 49ers have Denise DeBartolo York as co-chairman.
Then there’s Bears owner Virginia McCaskey, 97, who appeared in the NFL commercial shown at the start of the Super Bowl to celebrate the start of the league’s next century.


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Chiefs win their 2nd Super Bowl title — and 1st in 50 years — by rallying from a 10-point deficit in

Chiefs win their 2nd Super Bowl title — and 1st in 50 years — by rallying from a 10-point deficit in a 31-20 victory over the 49ers

San Francisco needed a spark and , as it often has this season , the running game provided it .
@ @ @ @ @ trenches , the 49ers gained 53 yards on five straight rushes before Garoppolo hit on @ @ @ @ @ The second completion , over the middle to Kyle Juszczyk , saw the fullback look @ @ @ @ @ nifty open-field move past safety Daniel Sorensen — perhaps Kansas City 's best tackle .
@ @ @ @ @ zone for a 15-yard TD to tie it at 10 .

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Uncomfortable and under duress for much of the game, Patrick Mahomes suddenly recaptured his mojo and lifted Andy Reid and the Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory, the team’s first NFL championship in a half-century.
All it took was falling behind by double digits in the postseason, again. Then Mahomes led the Chiefs to 21-straight points in the final 6:13, hitting two long passes on touchdown drives for a 31-20 victory Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers.
Advertisement
"We never lost faith," Mahomes said. "That's the biggest thing. Everybody on this team, no one had their head down. We believed in each other. That's what we preached all year long."
The Chiefs (15-4) trailed 24-0 and 17-7 in their previous playoff games. This time, Kansas City nearly didn't have time for a comeback.
Advertisement
Kansas City's fans in the crowd of 62,417 at Hard Rock Stadium got little opportunity to chant and do the tomahawk chop as KC fell behind 20-10 in the third quarter. Mahomes even threw his second interception of the night after they fell behind.
But the vaunted 49ers defense wilted late and Mahomes brought the magic that makes him special.
He completed passes of 44 yards to Tyreek Hill and 38 to Sammy Watkins. The touchdowns came on short throws to Travis Kelce to cut the deficit to three and to Damien Williams for the lead. The first NFL title in Chiefs coach Reid's two-decade career was clinched by Williams' 38-yard TD run, sending red-clad Chiefs fans into chants of "Andy!" Andy!"
Reid, 61, won a Super Bowl ring with the 1996 Packers while in charge of tight ends. He's been seeking one as a head coach since being hired by Philadelphia in 1999. The Eagles lost in their only trip to the big game after the 2004 season.
"This is what it's all about," Reid said. "What a great team, great coaches. Appreciate every bit of it."
Chiefs players douse coach Andy Reid after their 31-20 win against the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (David Santiago/Miami Herald/TNS)
Mahomes found Hill, whose bobble led to the second San Francisco pick, for 44 yards on a third-and-15 — the first long pass completed by Kansas City. A 20-yard pass interference call on Tarvarius Moore, who had that earlier pick, put the ball at the 1 and Kelce was wide open for the score.
The Chiefs defense — confounded by the Niners’ misdirection much of the game — got stingy and forced a three-and-out. Mahomes soon hit Watkins down the right sideline behind Richard Sherman for a 38-yard gain, leading to Williams’ first score.
San Francisco (15-4) had nothing left in the fourth quarter, and its coach, Kyle Shanahan, saw yet another late-game meltdown by his team. Three years ago, as offensive coordinator in Atlanta, he was part of the Falcons’ Super Bowl collapse and loss in overtime to New England.
Advertisement
Kansas City, an original AFL franchise, won the final Super Bowl before the full merger, beating Minnesota in 1970. Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt even coined the phrase Super Bowl.
Now the Hunt family can add a Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Lamar Hunt Trophy earned with the AFC crown.
"It's a beautiful trophy," Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said. "I'm so happy for our players, coaches and fans. And especially Andy Reid. Nobody deserves this trophy more than Andy Reid."
San Francisco went 4-12 in 2018 and Shanahan was on something of a hot seat this season. He came close to a ring once again, but down the stretch the Niners couldn't slow the no-huddle attack at which Mahomes, Hill, Kelce, Williams and all the other Chiefs excel.
“We have heart,” Mahomes said. “We never give up and those guys around us, the leaders on the team, have that mindset that we never give up.”
The fourth-quarter fireworks by the Chiefs were along the lines of the expected offensive explosion. Earlier, there were some strong drives but not a lot of huge plays.
Advertisement
The 49ers used up nearly six minutes on their opening drive, yet got only Robbie Gould's 38-yard field goal. Kansas City took up 7:26 for its next march, including a fourth-and-1 run by Williams on a direct snap to the 49ers 1. All four Chiefs in the backfield spun around before the snap.
Mahomes took it in to end the 15-play series on a run option.
The 7-3 deficit was the first for San Francisco since Game 15. It soon became 10-3 after Jimmy Garoppolo's ill-advised lob under pressure was intercepted by Bashaud Breeland. Another fourth-down gamble paid off for KC, with Williams gaining 3 on a pitchout. But the Chiefs stalled and Harrison Butker kicked a 31-yard field goal.
San Francisco needed a spark and, as it often has this season, the running game provided it. Gouging the Chiefs in the trenches, the 49ers gained 53 yards on five straight rushes before Garoppolo hit on a pair of passes. The second completion, over the middle to Kyle Juszczyk, saw the fullback look like anything but with a nifty open-field move past safety Daniel Sorensen — perhaps Kansas City's best tackle. Juszczyk surged into the end zone for a 15-yard TD to tie it at 10.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 19 Actress and model Emily Ratajkowski takes a handoff on the field before the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Matt York/AP)
Gould's 42-yarder gave the Niners their first lead, capping the opening drive of the second half. Again, their misdirection plays kept the Chiefs off-balance on defense.
Advertisement
As Garoppolo did in the first half, Mahomes then threw into heavy coverage trying to hit Hill and was picked by Fred Warner. It was the first interception of Mahomes in five postseason games.
And it paid off with another efficient series for the Niners, keyed by a 26-yard completion to Kendrick Bourne on third down. Raheem Mostert, the star of the NFC title game, surged in from the 1 for a 20-10 edge.
Hardly unfamiliar territory for Kansas City, which trailed Houston 24-0 and Tennessee 17-7 in the playoffs. Both of those holes were dug in the first half. This one came with 17 1-2 minutes remaining.
Mahomes, Reid and Company merely shrugged, rallied, and brought a first championship since 1970 to Kansas City.
Here’s how the game unfolded:
49ers strike first after 58-yard drive
The 49ers have struck first in Super Bowl 54.
Advertisement
Robbie Gould kicked a 38-yard field goal with 7:57 left in the opening quarter, and San Francisco has taken a quick 3-0 lead over Kansas City.
The Chiefs have now given up the first score in all three of their playoff games this season.
Kansas City took the game’s opening kickoff and went three-and-out, with Patrick Mahomes throwing a pair of incompletions. The 49ers avoided disaster when returner Richie James Jr. muffed the Chiefs’ ensuing punt but recovered.
The 49ers coolly went 58 yards in 10 plays, the big blow being a 32-yard run by Deebo Samuel.
Patrick Mahomes’ TD puts Chiefs ahead
The Chiefs took a risk and wound up with a touchdown.
After Damien Williams got 4 yards on fourth-and-1 from the San Francisco 5, quarterback Patrick Mahomes ran it in for the game’s first TD with 31 seconds left in the opening quarter as Kansas City took a 7-3 lead over the 49ers in the Super Bowl.
Advertisement
The 49ers were stuffed on first-and-goal, and then Mahomes went to his right before finding a crease and getting into the end zone.
49ers safety Jimmie Ward was shaken up on a third-down play where Mahomes scrambled near the right sideline and came close to picking up a first down. Ward came in at full speed to dislodge the ball from Mahomes’ hands and it caromed out of bounds, but he remained down for about a minute after making the big hit.
Woman attempts to run onto field
A woman has apparently tried to get onto the field at Super Bowl LIV.
Security personnel stopped the woman's bid during the first quarter. An Associated Press photographer captured images of the woman being tackled by security before she made it onto the playing surface.
Security personnel tackle a woman who tried to run onto the field during the first half of the Super Bowl between the 49ers and Chiefs on Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (John Bazemore/AP)
It was not immediately clear if the woman would be facing charges.
Fourth-down gamble pays off for Chiefs
Another fourth-and-1 call by Chiefs coach Andy Reid has paid off.
Advertisement
Harrison Butker's 31-yard field goal with 9:32 left in the first half was good, and Kansas City has pushed its lead over San Francisco to 10-3.
Damien Williams got 3 yards on fourth-and-1 from the San Francisco 19 to keep the drive going.
Jimmy Garoppolo TD pass ties it 10-10
Jimmy Garoppolo connected with Kyle Juszczyk on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 5:05 left in the first half, and the Super Bowl 54 between San Francisco and Kansas City is tied at 10-10.
FULLBACK TOUCHDOWN IN THE SUPER BOWL.@JuiceCheck44 stays on his feet for the TD reception! #GoNiners
📺: #SBLIV on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app pic.twitter.com/4PhoxTZjqh — NFL (@NFL) February 3, 2020
Garoppolo is now 8 for 10 for 69 yards and a score. He had been picked off on San Francisco’s preceding drive, which strangely means good things are going to happen: He’s now 39 for 42 for 461 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions this season in the drive immediately following an interception.
Robbie Gould puts Niners back in the lead
Robbie Gould connected again on the opening drive of the third quarter, and San Francisco has jumped out to a 13-10 lead over Kansas City.
The 49ers took the second-half kickoff and went 60 yards in nine plays, chewing up 5:31 of clock. Gould hit from 42 yards out.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, there were no shortage of reactions to the Super Bowl halftime show starring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks said the show “almost got me in trouble." Florida Sen. Rick Scott tweeted that he thought Pitbull should have been part of the show — “America was robbed" — he said.
Raheem Mostert puts Niners up 10
The 49ers cashed in on Patrick Mahomes' interception.
Raheem Mostert went in from a yard out, and San Francisco took a 20-10 lead over Kansas City with 2:35 left in the third quarter.
The 49ers needed just under three minutes to go 55 yards in six plays, with Jimmy Garoppolo connecting with Kendrick Bourne on a big 11-yard gain while facing third-and-8 to keep things going.
That’s now 17 unanswered points for the 49ers. They’re outgaining the Chiefs 292-185.
Advertisement
Patrick Mahomes hits Travis Kelce to pull Chiefs within 3
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are not done yet.
Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 6:13 left, pulling the Chiefs within 20-17 of the San Francisco 49ers. The score snapped a run of 17 unanswered points by the 49ers.
Facing third-and-15 from his own 35 with about 7 minutes left, Mahomes spun away from heavy pressure and heaved the ball toward Tyreek Hill for what became a 44-yard gain down to the San Francisco 21 and essentially kept the Chiefs’ hopes alive.
They got some help on the next third down. Mahomes’ pass on third-and-10 toward Kelce in the end zone led to the 49ers getting flagged for pass interference. On the next snap, Mahomes and Kelce connected for the 1-yard touchdown pass.
Patrick Mahomes’ 3rd TD puts Chiefs back in the lead
Just like that, the Kansas City Chiefs have taken the lead.
Patrick Mahomes connected with Damien Williams on a 5-yard scoring pass with 2:44 left, and the Chiefs now lead the San Francisco 49ers 24-20. Mahomes connected with Sammy Watkins for a 38-yard gain down the right sideline, the biggest blow on the drive.
Advertisement
THE @CHIEFS TAKE THE LEAD!
Back-to-back scores put Kansas City on top! #ChiefsKingdom
📺: #SBLIV on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app pic.twitter.com/fMDm3iaqAS — NFL (@NFL) February 3, 2020
Williams is a former member of the Miami Dolphins, and now has a go-ahead score in the Super Bowl in his former home stadium. The play to the right pylon held up after a lengthy replay review.
The Chiefs have been masters of comebacks throughout this postseason, erasing double-digit deficits to beat Houston and Tennessee.
And now they’re on the cusp of doing it again for a Super Bowl title.
Damien Williams’ 2nd TD extends Chiefs’ lead
Damien Williams has scored again, a 38-yard run with 1:12 left and the Kansas City Chiefs are about to end their 50-year wait for another Super Bowl title.
They lead San Francisco 31-20, after ripping off 21 points in a span of about five minutes.


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Trump fumbles tweet congratulating the Kansas City Chiefs on their Super Bowl win

On the heels of the Kansas City Chiefs ’ 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers , Trump tweeted his @ @ @ @ @ a “ fantastic comeback.
” He added : “ You represented the Great State of @ @ @ @ @ , the entire USA , so very well .
Our Country is PROUD OF YOU @ @

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — President Donald Trump fumbled his congratulatory tweet after the Super Bowl.
On the heels of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Trump tweeted his congratulations to the Chiefs for a “fantastic comeback.” He added: “You represented the Great State of Kansas and, in fact, the entire USA, so very well. Our Country is PROUD OF YOU!”
Advertisement
Plenty of people in Kansas are indeed Chiefs fans. But just as many and likely more are in Missouri. Just ask the season ticket holders at Missouri-based Arrowhead Stadium. Or the thousands cheering Sunday night in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
Although the Missouri-Kansas state line divides metropolitan Kansas City, the team itself is based on the Missouri side.
Advertisement
no idea if he doesn't know or just made the mistake for attention pic.twitter.com/UNIKQS017O — Whet Moser (@whet) February 3, 2020
The president’s tweet was quickly deleted and later replaced with a new message: “We are proud of you and the Great State of Missouri. You are true Champions!”
Leaving out Kansas altogether might annoy those on the other side of the state line.


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory reduces membership in the 50-year title drought club to 18 pro sports fra

Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory reduces membership in the 50-year title drought club to 18 pro sports franchises

Among NFL teams , several have gone longer without a Super Bowl title .
The Cardinals , Jets , Browns @ @ @ @ @ as long as or longer than the Chiefs , who played their first three years @ @ @ @ @

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The 50-Year Championship Drought Club is no place to be for a proud pro football franchise.
The Chiefs turned in their membership card Sunday, ending five decades without a Super Bowl title by defeating 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV. They left the group of NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB teams that either haven’t won a title at all or haven’t captured one since at least 1970.
Advertisement
The Vince Lombardi Trophy, the Stanley Cup, the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy and the Commissioners Trophy for the World Series winner are hoisted and kissed — and in hockey’s case, filled with champagne.
But you have to win one to celebrate with it. And the Chiefs did Sunday with a Lombardi Trophy presentation, confetti and the game’s MVP honor handed to Patrick Mahomes.
Advertisement
And a half-century is a dry spell that feels like a desert.
The sports calendar of 1969-70 started with 85 teams in the NFL, NBA/ABA, NHL and MLB. Since then, 19 franchises, including the Chiefs, had come up empty.
The Chiefs won Super Bowl IV on Jan. 11, 1970, after the 1969 season. Sunday’s game at Hard Rock Stadium marked their first appearance in pro football’s championship game since then.
Among NFL teams, several have gone longer without a Super Bowl title. The Cardinals, Jets, Browns and Lions have been around as long as or longer than the Chiefs, who played their first three years as the Dallas Texans.
The Jets won Super Bowl III — the first NFL title game to be called the Super Bowl — and the Browns won the last of their four NFL championships in 1964. The Lions won the last of their three in 1957.
Since the Texans/Chiefs were founded with the AFL in 1960, the Bills, Chargers, Oilers/Titans, Vikings, Falcons and Bengals have denied their fans a championship longer than the Chiefs had. The Bills, Chargers and Oilers won AFL championships in the 1960s.
But the last five years have brought good news for long-suffering fan bases.
The Royals ended a 29-year drought when they captured the 2015 World Series.
Advertisement
The Cubs ended 108 years of misery with their 2016 World Series title.
The Cavaliers, who entered the NBA in 1970, won their first NBA championship in 2016 behind LeBron James.
The Astros, born in 1962, won the World Series for the first time in 2017.
The Eagles’ Super Bowl victory after the 2017 season was the franchise’s first title since the 1960 NFL title.
The last two Stanley Cup champions were of the first-time, long-time variety. The Capitals entered the NHL in 1974 before hoisting the Cup for the first time in 2018. Last season’s champion, the Blues, launched in 1967 and waited even longer.
The Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory means the state of Missouri completed a major-league championship sweep over the previous decade among current teams. The Cardinals won the 2011 World Series, the Royals the 2015 World Series and the Blues the 2019 Stanley Cup.
Advertisement
And now the Chiefs.
Franchise title droughts of at least 50 years
Year of last championship or when entered the league
1947 NFL Chicago/St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals
1948 MLB Cleveland Indians
1951 NBA Rochester/Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City/Sacramento Kings
1957 NFL Detroit Lions
1958 NBA St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks
1961 MLB Washington Senators/Texas Rangers*
1961 NFL Minnesota Vikings*
1961 NFL Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (AFL title)
1963 NFL San Diego/LA Chargers (AFL title)
1964 NFL Cleveland Browns
1965 NFL Buffalo Bills (AFL title)
1966 NFL Atlanta Falcons*
1967 NHL Toronto Maple Leafs
1967 NBA Denver Rockets/Nuggets (ABA/NBA)*
1968 NFL Cincinnati Bengals*
1968 NBA Phoenix Suns*
1969 NFL New York Jets
1969 MLB San Diego Padres*
*Never won a championship
2020 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)
Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Column: Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t the star the 49ers needed him to be in the Super Bowl

It wasn ’ t the ill-advised , mind-boggling second-quarter interception that led to a Chiefs field goal that will define @ @ @ @ @ but there weren ’ t any notes of greatness to remember it by either .
@ @ @ @ @ tenure in San Francisco , the 49ers have always said the Arlington Heights native and @ @ @ @ @ Illinois quarterback is “ one of the guys ” for the way he fits in @ @ @ @ @ the background .

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — With his former coach, Bill Belichick, and former mentor, Tom Brady, in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a chance to break from their shadows and build his own Super Bowl legacy.
Garoppolo already won two rings as Brady’s understudy, but when the 49ers traded for him in 2017, the torch that general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan needed a quarterback to carry belonged to him.
Advertisement
Sunday was supposed to be the day Garoppolo earned his place next to Joe Montana and Steve Young as the face of a 49ers team that won a Super Bowl.
The stage was set, the 49ers led by a double-digit margin and yet when the curtain fell, Garoppolo had a leading role in a tragedy and not a triumph.
Advertisement
It wasn’t the ill-advised, mind-boggling second-quarter interception that led to a Chiefs field goal that will define Garoppolo’s performance, but there weren’t any notes of greatness to remember it by either. From the outset of his tenure in San Francisco, the 49ers have always said the Arlington Heights native and former Rolling Meadows and Eastern Illinois quarterback is “one of the guys” for the way he fits in with teammates and blends into the background.
Against a Chiefs team led by star quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, the 49ers needed Garoppolo to be more than an average Joe. Instead, he played the role that became all too familiar and way too comfortable.
[ A fantastic story of the little guy that makes it big’: How Jimmy Garoppolo went from Rolling Meadows to Eastern Illinois to the Super Bowl ]
With a solid if unspectacular stat line and a handful of nice throws on chunk plays, Garoppolo proved what he has shown all along. He’s more than capable of leading a balanced 49ers attack, but he’s less likely to be the best player on the field when he’s playing in a big game.
Other quarterbacks — such as Mahomes — can pull a rabbit out of a hat in multiple ways, while it seems Garoppolo hasn’t yet figured out how to drop anyone’s jaw.
When the 49ers simply needed Garoppolo to manage the offense, he did it seamlessly in a third quarter that featured two scoring drives and allowed the 49ers to take a 10-point lead. But when the Chiefs began to threaten the 49ers’ supremacy midway through the fourth quarter, Garoppolo was not the man to punch his offense out of a corner.
On a critical three-and-out that gave the Chiefs the ball back with more than five minutes on the clock, Garoppolo threw two incompletions and had a pass batted at the line of scrimmage.
When the Chiefs took the lead — in large part thanks to Mahomes’ brilliance and heroics — Garoppolo struggled to move the ball and took a fourth-down sack that popped the balloon containing the 49ers’ Super Bowl hopes.
For fans who followed the 49ers all season, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Garoppolo wasn’t the X-factor on Sunday. He had great games and bad games, good games and games that made you shrug your shoulders. He was never the unquestioned star of the 49ers offense, like Mahomes has been on a Chiefs team filled with elite talent.
Advertisement
The formula of Garoppolo merely being “one of the guys” worked for an entire season, and the odds are good it will work in the future too. The 49ers have incredible depth, top-tier talent at critical positions and a coach considered one of the game’s best.
What they don’t have is a star quarterback. On the game’s biggest stage, that hurt.
2020 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)
Visit The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--The best tweets we saw during the 2020 Super Bowl

# BabyNut here , back and cuter than ever !
Now what should I do next ?
Tell me in @ @ @ @ @ ll try to do them in real time !
And yes… suggestions that are a @ @ @ @ @ : //t.co/UWFWzPURht

#BabyNut here, back and cuter than ever! Now what should I do next? Tell me in the replies and I’ll try to do them in real time! And yes… suggestions that are a little nutty are ok. https://t.co/UWFWzPURht


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Faulty mail delivery prompts Norridge, Harwood Heights mayors to act

“ Unfortunately at this time this route has had some internal issues , which at this time we are working @ @ @ @ @ moment we are working with the personnel we have available , with this being said @ @ @ @ @ delivery of your mail for a period of time .
In the meantime , let @ @ @ @ @ seek ways to improve service to customers and meet or exceed the standards that have @ @ @ @ @ wrote .

Mail going through the Harwood Heights, pictured, and Norridge post offices is delayed, misdirected or never arrives, residents and businesses say. (Bob Chiarito / Pioneer Press)
After dozens of complaints from residents and businesses that say they don’t receive mail for days or weeks at a time, or receiving mail addressed to a different address for the last six to eight months, Norridge’s Village President Dan Tannhauser has taken his case to Congress.
Tannhauser recently reached out Congressman Mike Quigley, a Democrat in the 5th District, and also notified the West Central Municipal Conference, which represents governments in western Cook County. They in turn promised to contact U.S. Senator Richard Durbin about the problems residents and businesses in Norridge and the surrounding area have faced for more than six months.
Advertisement
Additionally, Tannhauser forwarded letters written by Harwood Heights Mayor Arlene Jezierny, who said her village is also experiencing problems with the U.S. Postal Service to both Quigley and the WCMC.
Both Quigley and Durbin’s office did not immediately return phone calls.
Advertisement
“Every day I get complaints from residents,” Tannhauser said. “One guy just called me saying his wife heard a noise near the back door. They just threw the mail at the door. It was all laying in his backyard.”
Jezierny said residents and businesses in Harwood Heights have also been experiencing numerous problems with the postal service.
“Yesterday we did not receive any mail. For a village hall to not get any mail is very unusual,” Jezierny said. “Our water bills are coming in late, we have waived the penalties because it’s not the residents’ fault.
"Our businesses have called me and they need to wait for checks to come before they can send out their goods and they aren’t getting the checks and their customers are mad.And nothing is being distributed correctly. It’s very upsetting to businesses and residents as well as our municipality.”
Tannhauser said mail to the Village of Norridge has been affected as well.
“We just got a letter back last week that was postmarked from October,” he said, adding that Norridge has also waived late penalties on residential water bills. Both village presidents say they have not received any feedback yet and are not sure what the problem is.
“I don’t know what they are doing,” Jezierny said.
Mail going through the Norridge post office and annex, pictured, and the Harwood Heights post office is delayed, misdirected or never arrives, residents and businesses say. (Bob Chiarito / Pioneer Press)
Tannhauser speculated that part of the problem may be postal workers who are upset with new routes.
Advertisement
“We heard they rebid out mail routes to the mail carriers and they are upset,” he said.
One Harwood Heights resident who complained filed several complaints to the Harwood Heights postal annex, received an email back from postal customer care representative Joseph Rodriguez blaming issues on “internal problems.”
“Unfortunately at this time this route has had some internal issues, which at this time we are working to resolve. At the moment we are working with the personnel we have available, with this being said, we will monitor the delivery of your mail for a period of time. In the meantime, let me assure you we constantly seek ways to improve service to customers and meet or exceed the standards that have been set,” Rodriguez wrote.
Late mail isn’t the only problem some are facing. Joe Harrison, owner of American Speedy Printing in Harwood Heights said some days he gets no mail and other days he receives “a ton.” Additionally, he believes someone at the post office may have committed fraud.
“We also had a check that I mailed at the post office that was opened. Someone changed the amount and cashed it. It’s crazy,” Harrison said.
Both Jezierney and Tannhauser have been keeping residents up to speed on the issue on their villages’ social media pages. Additionally, Tannhauser wrote a letter to Norridge residents Jan. 27, informing them what steps he has taken. He also said he expects to hear something soon.
Advertisement
“We have a meeting coming up in two weeks at the West Central Municipal Conference and Congressman Quigley is supposed to show up. We should hear something there if not sooner,” Tannhauser said.
In the meantime, both Tannhauser and Jezierney urged residents to contact them if they do not receive mail and say they understand the frustration.
“Mail is important. People depend upon checks. They depend on paying bills and getting bills paid. It could affect their mortgage, it could affect their insurance. It could affect a lot of things so this really needs to get resolved,” Jezierny said.


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Super Bowl music review: Jennifer Lopez, Shakira conquer, make it Latin pop night in America

In these days of the endless melisma , anything under two minutes qualifies as a minor victory for those of @ @ @ @ @ show-off singing when it comes to the national anthem .
And pop star Demi Lovato @ @ @ @ @ a 1:51 version , delivered .
The singer , who a only a week ago @ @ @ @ @ first stage appearance since being hospitalized in 2018 , sounded sure of her intentions from @ @ @ @ @ things focused on the song rather than histrionics .
She added some spice to a @ @ @ @ @ a soaring “ free ” and the closing “ brave .
”

No way, no how were Shakira and Jennifer Lopez going be ignored. They seized their big nationally televised Super Bowl halftime moment, and likely stopped more than a few million viewers from making a run to the refrigerator for more beer and spinach dip.
This was less about music than it was eye-catching spectacle, a sea of constant motion filling TV screens across America with an air of smiling, shimmying exuberance. It was Latin pop night at the Super Bowl, with two ready-to-conquer dancer-singers-entertainers as hosts.
Advertisement
In the pantheon of Super Bowl extravaganzas, usually hollow events long on special effects, it demolished all efforts to resist its considerable charms. Prince’s 2007 Super Bowl performance is still king of halftime, but Shakira and J Lo were certainly the most undeniable performance since then.
Beyond the sheer entertainment value, this was also a moment that resonated for a community. The two artists helped launch the Latin pop wave in American pop two decades ago, with Lopez’ 1999 debut album, “On the 6,” and Shakira’s first English-language album, “Laundry Service” (2001). Between them, those albums sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
Advertisement
Their dual appearance marked the first time in the Super Bowl’s 54-year history that two women headlined the halftime show. In addition, it was the first time the showcase event was topped by two Latinx performers. Recent years have seen an explosion of artists with Latinx roots on the pop charts, including J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Cardi B and Ozuna. In turn, the NFL has significantly increased its advertising aimed at the 52 million Hispanics in the United States. Forbes reported a 60 percent increase in the NFL ad budget from 2010 to 2015, to $243 million.
[ All the 2020 Super Bowl commercials, ranked ]
As for the show, the multi-faceted, bilingual Shakira ruled. There she was belly-dancing between Mariachi horns, pounding the drums, playing guitar and leaping into the audience, born aloft by dozens of grasping fans. She mashed together hints of bossa nova from Brazil, cumbia from her native Colombia, tejano from Mexico, Middle Eastern rhythms and African accents. For good measure, there were snippets of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”
Shakira looked and moved like an athlete with her wrist bands and body-bending flexibility. Lopez turned her leather-clad pole-dancing entrance into her own contortionist display, though she was no match for Shakira’s musical adventurousness. But when the two joined forces as the whirlwind set hit the home stretch, they very much looked like a couple of rock stars, with their mounds of hair flying in the Miami night.
Demi Lovato performs the national anthem before the NFL Super Bowl 54 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami Gardens, Fla. ( (Seth Wenig/AP)
[ The best tweets we saw during the 2020 Super Bowl ]
The prelude to the Super Bowl on Sunday was certainly pleasant enough, with on-point versions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.”
In these days of the endless melisma, anything under two minutes qualifies as a minor victory for those of us who value concision over show-off singing when it comes to the national anthem. And pop star Demi Lovato, who checked in with a 1:51 version, delivered. The singer, who a only a week ago at the Grammys made her first stage appearance since being hospitalized in 2018, sounded sure of her intentions from the outset, and kept things focused on the song rather than histrionics. She added some spice to a few key words, notably a soaring “free” and the closing “brave.”
Singer Yolanda Adams performs 'America the Beautiful' prior to Super Bowl LIV between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefsat Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Elsa / Getty Images)
Veteran gospel singer Yolanda Adams, standing on a football-shaped mini-stage, also exuded generosity and poise with her “America the Beautiful.” A choir offered counterpoint harmonies as Adams gracefully extended a few syllables, and then nailed the “shining sea” punctuation point.
Greg Kot is a Tribune critic.
greg@gregkot.com
Advertisement
.


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Leaders removed, boys basketball season suspended amid allegations of ‘serious misconduct’ at Lincol

Leaders removed, boys basketball season suspended amid allegations of ‘serious misconduct’ at Lincoln Park High School

“ I ’ m here to ask you guys that support me and my teammates in this basketball world to @ @ @ @ @ , ” the petition implores .
“ This is the city playoffs coming up next @ @ @ @ @ and everybody else that plays on the team is hurting… They already have taken away @ @ @ @ @ to take away our season this is not right we have worked so hard to @ @ @ @ @ we are at today we refuse to let this happen to us .
”

Lincoln Park High School’s varsity boys basketball team is suspended from the season, and school leaders have been removed amid allegations of “serious misconduct,” according to a letter sent to families Friday.
“Due to multiple allegations of serious misconduct involving the athletics program at Lincoln Park High School, the district has removed Interim Principal John Thuet and Assistant Principal Michelle Brumfield from their positions," states the letter from Chicago Public Schools Network Chief Laura LeMone. "Dean John Johnson and Boys Basketball Coach Donovan Robinson have been reassigned from their duties pending the outcome of these investigations. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the misconduct allegations involving the team, the remainder of the varsity boy’s basketball season has been suspended until further notice.”
Advertisement
The letter does not mention head coach Pat Gordon, who was removed earlier in January, CPS officials confirmed.
The boys basketball team’s families were informed an unidentified staff member had been removed from the school in a Jan. 9 letter, in which Thuet wrote he’d been “made aware” that members of the team "took an overnight trip over winter break that was not a school sponsored event.”
Advertisement
“The staff member who led the trip has been removed from the school, and the district is investigating this situation in accordance with CPS policy," Thuet wrote.
The unidentified staff member in the Jan. 9 letter was Gordon, a source told the Tribune.
An online petition to reverse the team’s suspension, created by one of the junior players, was approaching 1,500 signatures Sunday afternoon.
“I’m here to ask you guys that support me and my teammates in this basketball world to help us get through this,” the petition implores. “This is the city playoffs coming up next week Tuesday and our seniors and everybody else that plays on the team is hurting… They already have taken away our coach now they want to take away our season this is not right we have worked so hard to get to the point that we are at today we refuse to let this happen to us.”
Parents interviewed by the Tribune expressed frustration with the decision to suspend the team and with the limited information that had been provided to them. Players said they found out by email that their season was suspended and worried they might miss out on the Chicago Public League playoffs starting this week.
Mariama Habib, the mother of the player who created the petition, said the team should be able to keep playing while the investigation is ongoing.
“This is all crazy,” said another parent whose son is a senior on the team. “These kids are great at what they do, and I feel like they should have the opportunity to finish off their season.”
Advertisement
While Friday’s news is difficult for the school community, district staff wouldn’t have taken such actions if they didn’t believe they were necessary to promote a safe and supportive environment, LeMone wrote.
For the time being, CPS has appointed Judith Gibbs and Jerryelyn Jones as the “Administrators-in-Charge” of LPHS. Both are described as “veteran school leaders with years of successful school leadership experience in several Chicago Public Schools.”
Families are invited to a meeting at 6 p.m. Monday in the school’s auditorium about the leadership change and transition plans.
“LPHS will continue to be a strong school community with your support, and your child’s best interests will continue to be the central focus of decisions made at the school level,” the letter states. “While I am unable to discuss details regarding the investigations that led to the removal of these staff members, I am available to discuss steps the district takes to keep students safe and matters related to your child.”
Also, on Jan. 25, Thuet sent all LPHS families an email about “an allegation that one of our employees engaged inappropriately with a student.” The employee, who was not identified in the email, was removed from the school, and an investigation was initiated by the Office of Inspector General, according to the email.
According to the source, the employee was Larry Washington, the girls basketball coach.
Advertisement
The boys varsity team was ranked 13th in Illinois as of Friday, with a 19-3 record overall and 8-1 in its 10-team conference. They narrowly won their last game 59-58 and were scheduled for a playoff game Tuesday. State finals are in March.
Chicago police are not investigating, according to Sgt. Rocco Alioto, a police spokesman who was citing preliminary information.
“From what I am seeing, it does not look like we have any allegations/investigations going,” Alioto wrote in an email on Friday night.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--Bulls’ latest 2nd-half fade in a 129-102 loss to the Raptors leaves Zach LaVine frustrated: ‘We thre

Bulls’ latest 2nd-half fade in a 129-102 loss to the Raptors leaves Zach LaVine frustrated: ‘We threw it away. ... You have to figure out how to stop doing that’

The Bulls were on the way toward a blowout 129-102 loss to the Raptors , capping a winless three-game trip @ @ @ @ @ to pull within striking distance of a playoff spot , and LaVine ’ s career-best @ @ @ @ @ at least 20 points was about to end .
His expression on the bench never @ @ @ @ @ until his reaction to a superfluous timeout coach Jim Boylen called with 1:04 remaining in @ @ @ @

TORONTO — The Bulls, one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA, were presented with an opportunity at the start of this road trip.
Advertisement
Here’s how the trip went.
First, they blew a seven-point lead with four minutes to go to lose to the Pacers in overtime. Then, they gave up 54 points to Kyrie Irving and lost to the Nets. And to cap it off Sunday, they held a three-point lead at halftime over the Raptors only to lose by 27 points.
Advertisement
“When opportunity knocks you got to open the door and we just stood there,” Bulls guard Zach LaVine said. “We might have jiggled the handle a little bit, but that’s about it.”
The Bulls do deserve some credit for competing with a shell of a roster they expected coming into the season — Kris Dunn’s MCL sprain makes four of their top rotation players out with an injury. But this is a young team showing few signs of progress that routinely loses in the same way and is now a season-low 14 games under .500.
Besides a missed opportunity and a disastrous road trip, here are three takeaways as the Bulls return home.
1. Zach LaVine’s streak of 20-point games ends.
In every January game, Zach LaVine scored at least 20 points. In the first game of the month of February, he scored 18 points. It snapped the longest stretch of 20-point games by any Bulls player not named Michael Jordan.
That’s impressive stuff. During that span, LaVine averaged 28.5 points per game and shot 46%, even as he increasingly shifted from the Bulls primary threat on offense to sometimes their only scoring threat.
Bulls head coach Jim Boylen reacts to a play during the first half against the Raptors. (Frank Gunn / AP)
The Raptors are second in the NBA in defensive rating because they take away a team’s primary option and force other role players to beat them. LaVine tried to make the right decisions and not force anything, finishing with seven assists to just 10 field goal attempts.
“I was just trying to play the right way,” LaVine said. “When I got in the pick-and-roll or got by the first defender, they were sending two or three [defenders] in the paint. So I try to kick it. Obviously kick it to the open teammate, but I just tried to figure out to play the right way or try to be more aggressive. It’s a balance, I thought I created some open shots today, but throughout the flow of the game I guess I could’ve been a little bit more aggressive or something like that.”
2. Daniel Gafford was shaky in his return.
The Bulls did get some good news before the game when rookie center Daniel Gafford was cleared to play after missing nine games with a dislocated right thumb. Although he still has a nasty scar across his thumb, his return was a welcome one for a team short on frontcourt depth.
Advertisement
[ Kris Dunn sidelined with an MCL sprain in his right knee; Bulls have no timeline for his return ]
But Gafford played only nine minutes and spent some of those favoring a right ankle he tweaked in his return to the floor.
“I wasn’t moving as well as I could,” Gafford said. “But I was moving. As long as I’m moving, I’m going to keep trying.”
3. Next up for the Bulls: the trade deadline.
The Bulls do not have another game before Thursday’s trade deadline at 2 p.m. CT and now it’s up to them to decide how best to approach it. Jim Boylen plans to meet with John Paxson, the Bulls vice president of basketball operations, when the team gets back to Chicago.
The Bulls could have justified keeping this group together if they were technically fighting for a playoff spot, but this road trip could also give them reason to explore the market as sellers. Denzel Valentine has had a difficult time getting minutes under Boylen, even with all the injuries, so he seems like a likely candidate to be moved. Teams will have interest in forward Thaddeus Young if the Bulls decide to make him available.
“We have an off-day [Monday], but I will meet and we’ll discuss everything that’s out there,” Boylen said. "But you know the evaluation process gets tough when you have guys in and out of the lineup.’’
Here’s more coverage from Sunday’s game:
As the clock ticked down in the fourth quarter Sunday, Zach LaVine sat near the end of the bench with a blank stare across his face.
Advertisement
The Bulls were on the way toward a blowout 129-102 loss to the Raptors, capping a winless three-game trip that began with a chance to pull within striking distance of a playoff spot, and LaVine’s career-best streak of 17 games with at least 20 points was about to end. His expression on the bench never changed, at least not until his reaction to a superfluous timeout coach Jim Boylen called with 1:04 remaining in a 25-point game.
LaVine has seen games like this, not only during this disappointing and increasingly injury-riddled season, but also for the entirety of a Bulls rebuilding process that has started to plateau.
“I was just upset, man,” said LaVine, who finished with 18 points and seven assists. “It gets frustrating when you lose games. I’ve been going through it the last three years here. It just gets frustrating. It’s like anybody else in our position. We’re human. You have human reactions and feelings. We all get frustrated eventually.”
Especially considering games like Sunday’s have been playing out all season for the Bulls. They repeatedly have shown they can compete with some of the NBA’s best teams — at least until halftime anyway.
The Bulls opened the game with one of their best halves of the season, knocking down 11 of 24 3-pointers (45.8%). Thaddeus Young scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, and the Bulls assisted on 16 of their 21 field goals as they entered the break with a three-point lead.
Advertisement
Raptors forward Patrick McCaw moves the ball past Bulls guard Coby White during the first half. (Frank Gunn / AP)
But their hot hand from beyond the arc cooled in the third quarter as they shot 3 of 13 on 3s (23.1%) while the more talented Raptors took over to outscore the Bulls 35-22 in the quarter. Terrence Davis scored a season-high 31 points off the bench for the Raptors.
“They did their job to win. We threw it away,” LaVine said. “The same story we do most of the games we lead at halftime or going into the third quarter. You have to figure out how to stop doing that.”
The Bulls have yet to figure out how to close out teams in the second half, one reason they have struggled to beat winning teams all season.
Chicago Tribune Sports Weekdays A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
They went 0-3 on this trip against three Eastern Conference teams in playoff position. Despite starting the day in ninth place in the conference, the Bulls are now 0-18 against the top eight teams in the East.
“I thought the third quarter we had some plays to make, we didn’t make them,” Boylen said. “I thought we dropped our heads a little bit in that third when the ball wasn’t going in and they made their run. That’s what we talked about.
“We’ve got different guys playing, new guys playing and we’ve got guys out. We’ve got to learn how to play in that third quarter when the ball is not going in.”
Advertisement
The Bulls will be tested without two pillars of their defense in center Wendell Carter Jr., who has not played since Jan. 6 because of a high ankle sprain, and guard Kris Dunn, who the team revealed before the game has a sprained MCL in his right knee.
They yielded 262 points in back-to-back road losses to the Nets and Raptors this weekend.
The Bulls deserve credit for the way they’ve competed despite being decimated by injuries, but the gap between them and teams like the reigning NBA champion Raptors is wide and gets exposed as the game goes on.
“You just have to go out there and play,” LaVine said. “Nobody is going to feel sorry for you. They may look at us like it’s an easy win; try to take advantage of it. You just have to go out there and play.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-02--4 charged after rap video shoot at Airbnb goes awry, turns up cache of weapons

Circuit Judge John F. Lyke Jr. granted release for three of the suspects on personal recognizance bonds because they lacked @ @ @ @ @ but they will be placed on electronic monitoring pending trial .
Holmes , of the @ @ @ @ @ , was ordered held on $ 5,000 bail and electronic monitoring , as well as @ @ @ @ @ a previous case in DuPage County .

Four men were charged with felonies after an unsanctioned rap video shoot at a Wicker Park Airbnb property grew over capacity, leading to a bust during which Chicago police recovered more than 20 illegal firearms, authorities said.
None of the men charged was linked to weapons found at the Saturday morning party in the 1200 block of Milwaukee Avenue, but Cook County prosecutors on Sunday said all four either resisted arrest or shoved officers as police tried to clear the party.
Advertisement
Three of the suspects, James Holmes, 25, Martrell Williams, 22, and Alexander Raeland, 41, were each charged with felony aggravated battery to a police officer, and Lamont Clay, 27, was charged with felony resisting/obstructing an officer.
Clockwise from top left: Martrell Williams, Alexander Raeland, Lamont Clay, James Holmes. (Chicago Police Department)
The incident began around 2 a.m., when officers responding to a call of a loud party found about 200 people at a rap video shoot in an Airbnb rental inside the three-story commercial building, prosecutors said Sunday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue.
Advertisement
Seeing that the unit was over capacity, violating city ordinance, police began dispersing the crowd, Assistant State’s Attorney Meredith Rudolfi told the court.
As the group dispersed, authorities said Alexander called a police captain an expletive and shoved him in the chest before the officer performed an emergency takedown and arrested him, Rudolfi said.
Holmes also made a derogatory statement to an officer before shoving that officer into a second officer, authorities said. He continued to struggle with officers until a Taser was used on him and he was taken into custody, Rudolfi said.
Authorities said Williams was leaving the party when he pushed the arm of a female officer carrying a rifle before lowering his shoulder into a second officer. After being arrested, he told police he didn’t remember confronting the officers, adding that it wouldn’t have happened “if he wasn’t so drunk,” Rudolfi said.
Overnight, #ChicagoPolice crashed a gang-related party in 1200 Blk of N. Milwaukee Ave & seized over 20 illegal guns. 5 people of interest have been detained & are being questioned by detectives. Trace investigation into guns to see if they are linked to other crimes is underway pic.twitter.com/vok8FO7HZ7 — Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 1, 2020
Lastly, Clay held on to a railing as police escorted him out of the party, and an officer suffered minor injuries during the arrest.
Circuit Judge John F. Lyke Jr. granted release for three of the suspects on personal recognizance bonds because they lacked a significant criminal history, but they will be placed on electronic monitoring pending trial. Holmes, of the first block of North Menard, was ordered held on $5,000 bail and electronic monitoring, as well as a $425 bail from a previous case in DuPage County.
Following the breakup of the party, Chicago police posted two photos on social media displaying 25 handguns, two semi-automatic rifles and numerous gun magazines seized at the party. Despite this, prosecutors never mentioned weapons during the hearing.
Police noted that a fifth person had been taken into custody but was released without charges. Police said they were trying to determine whether any of the seized weapons were connected to crimes.
Advertisement
Airbnb has aimed to crack down on illegal parties and nuisance guests after a deadly shooting at a an Airbnb in suburban San Francisco left five people dead.
A spokesman for Airbnb released a statement Sunday calling the behavior at the party in Chicago “unacceptable,” saying the listing was removed.
“We’re thankful to (Chicago police) for getting illegal weapons off the street,” said spokesman Ben Breit.