Friday’s column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) With Illinois trailing Michigan in the second half of the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, Illini junior Rayvonte Rice grabbed the basketball, raced down the court on a one-man fast break and leapt off the floor for a what looked to be a sure one-handed dunk. Instead, […]
Author Archives: Dave
On St. Patrick’s Day, it’s easy being green in Chicago
This weekend’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) … The WISCH LIST By Dave Wischnowsky You may be able to freeze the Chicago River, but you can’t freeze out its traditions – not on St. Patrick’s Day Weekend, at least. With all the ice and snow that’s plagued […]
With Win, The Bubble Now Beckons For Illini
Thursday’s column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) Can you be on the bubble for being on the bubble? If so, that’s precisely where ninth-seeded Illinoisfinds itself today after an impressive 64-54 victory over eighth-seeded Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. On the strength of a season-high 25 points from […]
A New Arena Won’t Fix DePaul Basketball Alone
Today’s column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) With last-place finishes in the Big East piling up and attendance numbers at Allstate Arena plummeting, DePaul basketball is clearly in need of a fix. But a new arena in Chicago isn’t going to fix it alone. And the worry here is that the Blue Demons’ forthcoming $170-million […]
Cubs Can’t Be Shortsighted With Castro
Friday’s column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) When it comes to Starlin Castro’s fielding percentage, the good news is that it’s improved every season. But the bad news? Well, after four years of big league ball, it’s still never been better than .967. And for those of you scoring at home, that’s not good. Despite […]
IHSA Boys’ Basketball Tournament belongs in Champaign
From the Saturday, March 8, editions of The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) … The WISCH LIST By Dave Wischnowsky Its name changed months ago, and now down in Champaign, State Farm Center is finally getting a facelift too – or, at least, the beginnings of one. But come November 2016, […]
Expand Soldier Field, But Not For A Super Bowl
Today’s column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) Since its massive overhaul back in 2002, Soldier Field has never really made much sense. Inexplicably, it is one of the NFL’s smallest stadiums (capacity: 61,500) despite its location in the NFL’s second-largest market (9.52 million metro area population). It doesn’t have a retractable roof even though it […]
Suddenly, The Fun Is Back For Illini Basketball
Today’s column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) Late Monday morning, my buddy Danny was preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago when he spotted a familiar face outside his gate at LAX. Bill Murray’s. A Deerfield native and a proud University of Illinois alum, Danny approached Murray – the famous Wilmette native […]
Behind Chicago’s Civil War ‘Home Front’
From the Saturday, March 1, editions of The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) … By Dave Wischnowsky The WISCH LIST Our state is called the Land of Lincoln. But, ironically, when it comes to the Civil War that defined Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, the Great Emancipator’s home state of Illinois is likely […]
Giving An Opening Day Holiday The Cold Shoulder
Today’s column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) Does America’s national pastime deserve a national holiday? Well, Budweiser and Ozzie Smith think so. But as much as I love baseball, I can’t say that when it comes to establishing Opening Day as a holiday that I’m drinking Bud’s Kool-Aid. For one thing, it’s far too cold. On […]