Jim O'Donnell
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Jim O'Donnell: Carstanjen, Churchill Inc., stumble trying to defend PetrilloSep 01, 2021 1:00 am - THE TRANSITING TOWN BULLY of Illinois thoroughbred racing continues to trip all over itself. Churchill Downs Inc. - the out-of-state carnivore that knows no shame - has ...
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Jim O'Donnell: Is versatile sports funnyman Bruce Wolf sneaking back into comeback mode?Aug 27, 2021 1:00 am - FOR CLOSE TO 25 YEARS, Bruce Wolf was as good as it got as one of the most consistently witty, creative people in Chicago sports media. From his breakout turn as the cra...
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Jim O'Donnell: Track, track, Bears — could those be Churchill's '3 finalists' for Arlington Park?Aug 24, 2021 1:00 am - THE WORDS STRUGGLE to make it from the logic portion of the brain through the fingers to the keyboard. But could “the three finalists” in the Churchill Downs Inc. biddin...
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Jim O'Donnell: The day Dick Duchossois said 'no' to Whitney HoustonAug 20, 2021 1:00 am - MUCH IS BEING MADE about the extraordinarily sad, doomed and downright mean spirits emanating from Arlington Park these days. Arlington's 2021 live season will go down i...
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Jim O'Donnell: Arlington Million Day media gets parting gift - Petrillo throws all out of press boxAug 16, 2021 1:00 am - FOR DECADES, DICK DUCHOSSOIS saw to it that at the conclusion of Million Day, most working media received a gracious memento for their toil. Early Saturday evening at Ar...
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Jim O'Donnell: Hopefully a splendid day awaits the last Arlington farewell of Dick DuchossoisAug 12, 2021 1:00 am - THE GREEK DRAMATIST SOPHOCLES WROTE, "One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been." The evening of Dick Duchossois has arrived. He is 99 years old. ...
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Jim O'Donnell: Frank Calabrese is still dreaming big - just not on low-budget 'Million Day'Aug 11, 2021 1:00 am - ARLINGTON PARK'S GREATEST CHAMPION of the new millennium may be at the track for its probable last hurrah on Saturday. And then again, maybe Frank Calabrese won't be. Hi...
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Jim O'Donnell: Former Bears executive talks in realities about the team and Arlington ParkAug 06, 2021 1:00 am - JERRY VAINISI IS ONE OF THE MOST ill-starred responses on any possible “Chicago Sports Jeopardy!” board. The answer would play in the $1,600-$1,800 range and would speak...
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Jim O'Donnell: Is Churchill Inc. planning a quick 'Meigs Field' on Arlington Park?Aug 04, 2021 1:00 am - YET ANOTHER OMINOUS CLOUD is drifting northward from Louisville regarding any possible future horse racing at Arlington Park. And this one is right out of The Richie Dal...
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Jim O'Donnell: Simone Biles scores a victory for the enduring glory of independent thoughtJul 28, 2021 1:00 am - ROBERT FROST CALLED IT "The Road Not Taken." The Beatles sang, "Think For Yourself." The fierce French nationalist Charles de Gaulle referred to it as the unique sort of...