Chicago -
By Steve Rhodes
The column will not appear today as once again I have business to tend to. And yet, we’re still here to serve.
* “The man in the middle is now the man on the outside looking in,” our very own George Ofman writes in Bears In A Body Bag. “This is not good if you’re Brian Urlacher. It’s much worse if you’re the Chicago Bears and perhaps even worse if you’re a Chicago Bears fan.”
Posted on September 15, 2009
By Steve Rhodes
From the Kelly Files:
* “He lost contact with those he considered his closest friends – either they were cooperating against him or they feared he was doing the same to them,” the Sun-Times reports.
That’s the funny thing about loyalty in machine politics; it’s the ultimate one-way street. And it bears a striking resemblance to loyalty in another organization that demands it fiercely but is comprised of almost wholly untrustworthy folks: the Mob.
(More on that comparison here.)
Posted on September 14, 2009
By Natasha Julius
Oh, come on, don’t leave! This Report is going to be awesome!
Kickoff!
It’s finally here – NFL Kickoff Weekend 2009. And with that, it’s time for the Weekend Desk Handicapping Department to spring into action. Here are our official picks for this weekend’s key match-ups.
Posted on September 12, 2009
By Steve Rhodes
I have a pretty comprehensive rant prepared tieing together many of today’s news stories – connecting the dots if you will – but I just don’t feel like being angry today. I’m too tired. Too much to do. So here are some other items.
1. Cub Factor writer Marty Gangler will be the guest bartender at the Beachwood Inn tonight. His shift will run 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and then perhaps he’ll stick around and regale us with one of his classic monster jukebox sets.
2. “Me and Tom Ray were looking for a bar to play acoustically at the same time, and we wanted a place that didn’t do music,” Rick Sherry (Devil in a Woodpile; Sanctified Grumblers) tells our very own Matt Harness in Bloodshot Briefing: Beer-B-Q Dreams. “So we would go into all these neighborhood bars and check out the vibe. We weren’t hustling places, and we really just ended up drinking there all night. But we really liked the Beachwood Inn. We were trying to scope out a place where we could play there. We always had a good time there. The Beachwood was always at the top of our list.”
Posted on September 11, 2009
By Steve Rhodes
I thought President Obama gave a fantastic speech. A home run. It was disingenuous in places, it was too late, and it wasn’t much different than what we’ve been hearing forever, but it was a fantastic speech.
But here’s what I said back to the TV during the proceedings.
I also feel I had a good night on Facebook:
Posted on September 10, 2009
By Steve Rhodes
I didn’t realize until I read Mark Brown’s column this morning how courageous our aldermen were being by unanimously rubber-stamping a blank check for an Olympic bid that was once sold as risk-free to taxpayers.
But now I get it.
“They’ve looked at the financial numbers,” Brown assures us.
Really?
Posted on September 9, 2009
By Steve Rhodes
In no particular order.
1. The Bears’ biggest problem is their lack of depth, particularly on offense. Without an adequate running back behind Matt Forte, an adequate quarterback behind Jay Cutler, and an adequate wide receiver anywhere, the Bears are already on a tightrope.
(The Vikings probably have the most talent of any team in the division, as usual, but they are terribly mismanaged, as usual; that’s why the Packers will probably win the NFC North. But I am a Jay Cutler believer.)
2. “Senate President John Cullerton told us he’s looking at ways to subtract the clout factor from legislative scholarships,” the Tribune editorial board notes today.
How many ways are there besides simply eliminating them?
Posted on September 8, 2009
Editor’s Note: The rest of the Beachwood will return on Tuesday.
By Natasha Julius
So we took a couple of weeks off. So what? It’s not like we missed the death of liberalism or anything.
Market Update
Despite recent reports indicating an end to the recession, many analysts still feel the worst is yet to come. While a stronger than expected performance in the manufacturing sector gave a glimmer of hope, key indicators such as protracted celebrity burials are still way down compared to years past.
Posted on September 5, 2009
By Steve Rhodes
1. “[Ald. Tom] Allen teed off on next week’s unprecedented closing of Chicago’s marquee shopping strip amid word that Winfrey did not give local Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) the 45 days’ notice required before permits are issued for most other outdoor ‘special events’,” the Sun-Times reports.
Oprah don’t need no stinkin’ permits. Permits are for chumps.
Posted on September 4, 2009
By Steve Rhodes
On Chicago Tonight last night, Chicago 2016 CEO Lori Healey said that public support “generally was in the 70 percent range.”
Oops.
A Tribune poll out today says just 47 percent of city residents support the Games. That’s down from 61 percent in February. And 84 percent “disapprove of using tax revenue to cover any loss.”
Pat Ryan refused to comment on the poll.
In other words, he refused to even acknowledge its existence.
Posted on September 3, 2009
