Wisch List

Tuesday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) For Notre Dame, ranked No. 1 in the land with a single regular-season game remaining, the door to the national championship is wide open. But the door to the Big Ten? Well, that’s almost closed.

For everyone.

Back in September, when the Fighting Irish announced that they were kinda, sorta joining the ACC by agreeing to play a semi-league schedule in football and a full slate of games for its other sports, I shared my thoughts about a move that was hailed by most analysts across the country as super brilliant and really wise and great and stuff.

“I understand the reasons why Notre Dame is bolting to the ACC – most significantly, its ability to have the cake of conference affiliation, while being able to dine on football independence, too,” I wrote. “Nevertheless, I still think the Big Ten was the best fit for the Irish.

“Because, someday, in an age of superconferences (which most likely is still coming), a situation will arise where Notre Dame is going to have to join a league – all the way. And when that happens, its football program would have been a better fit in the Big Ten than the ACC, which will always be more of a basketball conference than it ever will be a football one. And, as we all know, football is what Notre Dame is really about. Today, tomorrow and forever.”

Well, flash forward two months, and that superconference situation has again arisen – far sooner than anyone imagined. This week, the Big Ten rocked the nation when word leaked that Maryland and Rutgers were bolting the ACC and Big East to become the 13th and 14th members of Jim Delaney’s favorite league.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

This weekend’s Wisch List newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

The WISCH LIST

By Dave Wischnowsky

Here in Illinois, we all live in the Land of Lincoln. And the same goes for Daniel Weinberg. Except that in Chicago, he’s spent the past four decades also working in Lincoln Land.

“I didn’t have a big interest in Lincoln [coming out of school], it just happened,” recalled Weinberg, 68, a native of Glencoe and the longtime owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in River North. “But I was born and raised in Illinois, so Lincoln is in my DNA. How could it not be?”

Indeed. For native Illinoisans, Honest Abe is in our bloodstream. And this weekend, it’s also in our theaters. On Friday, “Lincoln,” the critically acclaimed film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the iconic 16th President, premiered nationally.

As one of the leading Lincoln experts in Illinois, Weinberg not surprisingly received a private screening of the film earlier this month (spoiler: He liked it).

Other Lincoln buffs, perhaps including you, would enjoy making a visit to Weinberg’s book store, which is unlike any other in Illinois – and probably the entire country.

“I think of what we do as intellectual retail,” Weinberg said.

Continue reading “In Chicago, Abraham Lincoln still lives here”

Today’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) I’ve always found it odd that here in Illinois, despite being the fifth most populous state in the country, we have only three major college football programs.

Out west, Colorado and Utah have just as many FBS schools. Kentucky does too. Even Indiana has four, while Michigan boasts five and Ohio a whopping eight. But, yes, here in the Land of Lincoln there are but three: Illiinois, Northwestern and Northern Illinois.

The first two schools, of course, are members of the Midwest’s boldest and best conference, the Big Ten. But it’s the third one, a member of the Mid-American Conference, that’s the best program in this state. Yes, that’s right. NIU is indeed Illinois’ No. 1 football operation – and not just for this season, during which the Huskies are 10-1, the Wildcats 7-3 and the Illini 2-8.

The truth is, Northern has held that title for a while.

Have your doubts? Well, let’s look at the numbers.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

It’s been a down year for University of Illinois football.

Have you noticed?

However, things are off to a strong start for new Illini coach John Groce and his basketball team — both on and off the court. On Wednesday, Groce & Co. received Letters of Intent from five highly regarded recruits during the November Signing Period and I got a chance to chat about this class — ranked among the best in the nation — with my guys Jeremy Werner and Lon Tay on 93.5/95.3 ESPN Radio in Champaign-Urbana.

To listen to our chat about Illinois hoops — and a little bit of Chicago Bears — you can access the podcast right here.

My piece today for ChicagoSide, which also appears in this week’s edition of Time Out Chicago …

Over in South Bend, Domers are talking about a national title. Up in Evanston, Northwestern’s Wildcats are looking like a legitimate Big Ten team. And out in DeKalb, the directional arrow for Northern Illinois is pointing straight up—again.

It’s great to be a college football fan in Illinois.

Unless you’re a fan of Illinois.

In Champaign, the mood is blue with almost no orange shining through. Having been outscored 263-87 over the past seven games, life is rough for the 2-8 Fighting Illini and their embattled first-year coach Tim Beckman. And the success of Notre Dame, NU, and Northern Illinois is only making things worse—possibly for years to come.

In August 2011, Mike Thomas took the reins from Illinois’ retiring athletic director Ron Guenther, who during his long tenure in Champaign never displayed a great desire to aggressively promote the Illini brand in Chicago. However, during his introductory press conference, Thomas announced that he wanted to strengthen Illinois’ presence up north.

To continue reading, visit ChicagoSide …

Tuesday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) Well, it’s that time of the year again.

Time to gripe about the state of Soldier Field’s turf. Time to groan about how the Chicago Bears have not – and seemingly will not – replace the stadium’s natural grass surface with a synthetic one. And time to ask once again if the team will reconsider their position on the issue.

Because it seems all wet to me.

On Sunday night, as the rain poured down at Soldier Field, the Bears and the Texans slipped and slogged their way to a 13-6 final score as ugly as an offensive lineman’s backside. Now, of course, there’s nothing that can be done about a rainstorm in Chicago – you know, without a retractable roof facility (don’t get me started) – but plenty can be done to give the players better footing at Soldier Field, no matter the Windy City elements.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so.

In January 2011, as complaints about Soldier Field’s slippery sod were running roughshod about town, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and linebacker Brian Urlacher both chimed in, calling their home field “one of the worst in the league” and its footing “horrible.”

The criticisms prompted Soldier Field general manager Tim Lefebvre to go on the radio to counter that he would be fine with installing synthetic turf at the stadium. But it’s the Bears who aren’t.

To continue reading, visit CBSChicago.com …

Saturday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) Two years ago, Nathan Scheelhaase was soaring.

These days, though, the guy’s just sore.

And so are University of Illinois football fans who not only are wondering what’s happened to their Fighting Illini team during this sadsack 2-7 season, but also what’s happened to their quarterback.

Back in 2010, as you might recall, Scheelhaase looked like he was a budding star during his redshirt freshman season.

But now, as a junior he just looks, well, bad.

Looks, of course, can be deceiving. And in Scheelhaase’s case – just like Juice Williams’ before him – I think they indeed were.

To be fair, this rough autumn for Illinois’ veteran signal caller hasn’t been all his fault. After all, not only has Scheelhaase seen the Illini give up a whopping 32 sacks – 10 more than any other Big Ten team – he’s also suffered the brunt of most of them (17) even though he hasn’t been on the field for part or all of four games due to injuries.

Heck, even Jay Cutler probably feels sorry for the guy.

J’Marcus Webb, too.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

(Image via TheSportsBank.net)

This weekend’s Wisch List newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

The WISCH LIST

By Dave Wischnowsky

Are the Chicago Bears simply halfway through the season, or are they already halfway to the Super Bowl?

Well, time will tell. In fact, the next two weeks just might do it.

So far this year, the Bears have jumped out to an impressive 7-1 start, although critics might argue that it’s come against opponents with a less-than-impressive overall record of 27-39.

On Sunday night, however, the Bears will get a major test when they host the Houston Texans, considered the AFC’s best team with a 7-1 record. Then come next weekend, the Bears head west to tangle with the San Francisco 49ers, currently perched atop the NFC West at 6-2. Depending on how Chicago fares in those battles, we’ll know a lot more about the realities of its championship hopes.

But this we already do know: Much like the 1985 Bears of Super Bowl championship lore, these current Monsters of the Midway have been winning largely because of their stellar defense.

In fact, so good are the 2012 Bears that the team has already scored seven touchdowns on interception returns, just two short of the NFL record with half the season remaining.

Continue reading “Shades of ’85? Right now, Bears’ ‘D’ is on par”

Thursday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) The days are dark in Champaign right now.

And it has nothing to do with the time change.

At the University of Illinois, the football program is caught up in a tailspin so severe that an ETA on its actual crash landing remains unavailable. As a result, the first-year football coach has hardly instilled confidence – let alone enthusiasm – among a frazzled fan base. And in turn, the second-year athletic director has become the target for many a critical arrow, including those from yours truly.

With despair sweeping across the Illinois prairies – and creeping through the streets of Chicago – a restless Illini Nation is in dire need of a savior to light the way back to brighter days.

Enter John Groce.

On Friday night, the Illini’s new hope, er… new basketball coach’s Fighting Illini team tips off the 2012-13 season when it hosts Colgate at Assembly Hall. Here’s to hoping that we see a brand of basketball that’s minty fresh.

But whatever the flavor, I expect that we will see plenty of different things from Groce’s inaugural team when compared to departed coach Bruce Weber’s. That includes a faster pace, perhaps some zone defense and hopefully higher scoring totals. But an antsy Illini fandom needs to not expect to see too much from Groce & Co.

After all, it’s too soon.

To continue reading, visit CBSChicago.com …

Is there any hope for Illinois football this season — or next? What are the hopes for Illinois basketball in 2012-13? Are the Cubs completely hopeless with the pitching staff they have (or don’t have). And how hopeful should we be about the Bears this year, are they really as good as they’ve looked.

I got the opportunity to share my thoughts about those topics Tuesday afternoon on the Tay & J Show on ESPN Radio 93.5/95.3 in Champaign-Urbana. To listen to the podcast, you can click here.