5 Thoughts About The Illini’s Basketball Schedule

My Thursday, Aug. 29, column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) The Illinois football season begins in just two days, but right now I have Illini basketball on my mind. (That probably tells you everything you need to know about my excitement level for Tim Beckman’s latest pigskin product). On Wednesday, Illinois officially released its basketball […]

Champaign The ‘Worst Town’ In The Big Ten? I Say No

Friday’s column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) I was offended on Thursday. Pat Forde labeled Illinois as “the worst” in the Big Ten. Now, the Yahoo! Sports college football expert wasn’t talking about Illinois’ college football team (that I wouldn’t argue about). Nor was he talking about the university itself (that I would). Rather, Forde […]

Chicago’s colorful contributions to the English language

My Aug. 17 Wisch List newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) … The WISCH LIST By Dave Wischnowsky A couple of weeks ago on Twitter, Big Ten Network anchor Mike Hall started a #GreatChicagoAccentWords hashtag that evoked responses such as “Sox,” “Cicero” and “Comiskey,” as well as “Sausage,” […]

If Wrigley Survived Lights, I’ll Survive A Jumbotron

My Aug. 8 column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) In my dresser drawer there sits a yellow T-shirt that shouts “SUPPORT DAY BASEBALL” in bold red letters on its front side, while its back sports the equally loud message: “NO LIGHTS IN WRIGLEY FIELD.” The shirt – a throwback honoring the “purists” who campaigned during […]

Coaching, Not Admission Standards, Is Illini’s Primary Problem

My Aug. 6 column from CBS Chicago … (CBS) Stanford does it. So does Michigan. Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Vanderbilt do it, too. Heck, even Northwestern has figured it out. Those schools – each ranked higher than Illinois in the 2013 National University Rankings by U.S. News & World Report – all managed to overcome […]