Remind me, why do Bears, White Sox need to build stadiums with public money?
Why yes, please spend my tax money building the Bears a new stadium.
I don’t care whether it’s on the lakefront or in Arlington Heights, I can think of no better use of public subsidies and reduced property tax bills than a stadium for a franchise that’s already worth a few billion dollars and will be worth a few billion more after its dream castle opens. Just because the Bears play in a league that prints money doesn’t mean they can afford to build their own stadium, plus the fun park and shopping area they want to build around it.
And yes, I’d love to use my tax money to build the White Sox a new stadium, even while we’re still paying off the current stadium, for an owner who needs financial help like I need to see that Danny DeVito sandwich chain commercial again.
Never mind those studies showing little or no public financial benefit to building a sports stadium. Never mind how poorly the Soldier Field rebuild and Guaranteed Rate Stadium turned out.
Actually, I take that back. If anyone can afford to be self-sufficient, it’s our major-league sports teams.
· So we’re in the age of position-less basketball, where back-to-the-basket centers who make a home for themselves in the low post are dinosaurs, huh?
And yet Purdue is bringing 7-foot-4 Zach Edey to the Final Four, where his Boilermakers will play N.C. State and D.J. Burns, who, at 6-9, 275 pounds, is drawing looks from NFL teams. Burns has made 1 of 5 3-point attempts. The winner could meet UConn’s 7-2 Donovan Clingan, who is 2 of 7 from 3-point range this year.
So much for the stretch fives raining in 3-pointers.
Coaches, get yourselves one of those really big fellas, if you can. They seem to be worth the NIL dough.
· Is it true Jake from State Farm is in the transfer portal? I hear Allstate has a ton of NIL money.
· Last week’s loss to UConn wasn’t a good look for Illinois and coach Brad Underwood, who had the wrong game plan, or at least needed to keep a backup ready in case Plan A didn’t work. But it doesn’t negate a very good season: second in the Big Ten, a Big Ten Tournament championship and an Elite Eight berth. Illinois fans surely wanted more, but they really enjoyed what they saw before 5 p.m. March 30.
Of course it will get tougher next season when USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon join the (very) Big Ten.
· What are the chances the Bears trade down in the NFL Draft and pick a quarterback not named Caleb Williams? Maybe Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye or JJ McCarthy?
Sure would be nice to add a few more picks in the draft to pick up some defensive line help, offensive line help and another receiver or two. Whomever the new QB is could use all the help Ryan Poles can get him. And the Bears at long last have to do everything they can to make this QB something special.
· I really want the Bears to draft Texas defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat and pair him with Montez Sweat on the defensive line. The Bears need to corner the market on Sweat, and at 362 pounds, I gotta believe T’Vondre Sweat produces a lot of sweat.
· What does it say about how the NCAA views its women’s tournament that it placed two regionals at one site, and made that one site Albany, N.Y.?
· It’s OK if Caitlin Clark leaves college basketball, as long as we get three more years of Juju Watkins.
· Anybody else still not used to seeing a college game playing quarters instead of halves? And why do the men and women play by different rules?
· I’ll volunteer to be the White Sox’s first-base coach.
· Shota Imanaga, a most impressive start for you with the Cubs. Take care of your hamstrings, please.
· Illinois won a championship Wednesday night, a first for the program. The Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament championship. It’s not the NCAA Tournament, but it’s better than a first-round loss in either bracket. The program is 2-0 all-time in April.
· I think my fantasy baseball team has already mathematically missed the playoffs.
Daily Herald Sports Editor Orrin Schwarz can be reached at oschwarz@dailyherald.com.