Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Open thread

Posted in:

Illinois
YouTube

* Keep it local, keep it polite. Thanks tons.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 2:08 am

Comments

In a Chicago sports lull at this time of year, it’s good to see the Blackhawks in playoff contention again.

Comment by Dutch Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 7:33 am
Yadi is staying with the Cardinals. Yay! He’s my favorite player.

Comment by Dog Lover Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 7:58 am
Given enough vaccine Champaign County Public Health said they could vaccinate 18,000 or more people a week. Entire county could be vaccinated by May 4. Send us the vaccine.

Comment by CapnCrunch Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 7:59 am
It’s good to see the Blackhawks starting to win, the kids playing well. Two overtime winners in a row, fun to watch. It looks like they have a goalie to replace Crawford.

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:08 am
It’s not really cold until the train tracks are lit on fire in Chicago.

Is one of the best out of context sentences.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:29 am
I need a name for a new heifer calf. any suggestions?

Comment by flea Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:34 am
flea: Colin Calfernick

Comment by don the legend Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:38 am
=I need a name for a new heifer calf. any suggestions?=

‘Rona

So for months we hear “Let the Kids Play” because that was really the important part. But it wasn’t really. These parents wanted to resume living vicariously through their children. Now we are being assaulted on social media and otherwise about allowing spectators. I think parents need to take the bull by the horns and make all sports club sports and not part of the school. That is how it is done in Europe.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:38 am
I’m tired and i need a vacation to a warm place with a beach.

Comment by blue line Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:40 am
Seventeen days until Spring Training begins!

Comment by Practical Politics Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:41 am
JS Mill - but if you make them all club sports, beyond the control of school administrators, then the teachers (really, IFT/IEA) will lose leverage when they strike and sports get put on hold. Thus, not seeing how that reaches the 60/30 standard.

Comment by Mary Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:43 am
Does anybody want Carson Wentz on the Bears?

Comment by Chambanalyst Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 8:59 am
Chambanalyst - Wentz seems to be going the cheapest at the moment. Last I saw for a trade was 1st rounder, Nick Foles, and Tarik Cohen (though he denies that). I’d say that’s the best deal for an upgrade at QB they’re going to get.

Comment by DuPage Guy Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:04 am
@@I need to name the new heifer calf. Any suggestions?

Bobbie…
All the girls were named Bobbie… red headed Bobbie, blonde Bobbie, Brunette Bobbie. Life was so much simpler back in Collinsville as a kid.

Comment by Club J Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:09 am
@Mary- For starters- this does not require a legislative change.

Second, I note that you do not like teachers or unions.

Third- Parents would return control (or try) of athletics very quickly when they couldn’t get coaches anymore, which is already happening in youth sports and HS sports- no one wants to coach and be abused by unhinged parents (most of whom are really great people until their kids play a sport).

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:09 am
=Does anybody want Carson Wentz on the Bears?=

NO

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:12 am
===Does anybody want Carson Wentz on the Bears?===

Nick Foles? He seems to play better when Wentz is around.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:19 am
JS Mill brought up the issue of sports going private clubs. The sad thing is we are moving towards that world. Many kids from poor and working class backgrounds can’t afford to play football or some other sport because SOME public schools charge a fee.

Comment by Arnold Scolfield Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:20 am
I hope Carson Went(z) somewhere else

Comment by Don Overdrive Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:30 am
There are few things worse during this pandemic when it comes to people looking out for others than the parents of the high school athletes… and then the dismissing of the arts and other things high school students are missing as well.

I was more shocked at Mayor Lightfoot’s seemingly unknowning way to the status of CPS schools and sports.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:30 am
I thought the Hawks were crazy when they let Crawford go. He was a marvelous goalie leading them to their last two Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015. Boy was I wrong. The goaltending has been rock solid. Lankinen and Subban are both playing well. They are fun to watch again.

Comment by "Old Timer Dem" Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:42 am
=The sad thing is we are moving towards that world. Many kids from poor and working class backgrounds can’t afford to play football or some other sport because SOME public schools charge a fee.=

The really sad thing is the cost of running these programs and how they draw focus away from 98% of our mission.
And the kids that can’t afford the fees are usually taken care of or waived. That has been my experience in my 25 plus years.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:42 am
=I was more shocked at Mayor Lightfoot’s seemingly unknowning way to the status of CPS schools and sports.=

I’m shocked that you are shocked. Lightfoot sends her kid to private schools. Why would she be concerened about the welfare of CPS students?

Comment by Pawar Lost Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:42 am
== Third- Parents would return control (or try) of athletics very quickly when they couldn’t get coaches anymore, which is already happening in youth sports and HS sports- no one wants to coach and be abused by unhinged parents (most of whom are really great people until their kids play a sport). ==

Having been a youth football coach and a scout leader, I will say I think an under-appreciated deterrent to getting adults involved is the concern about how you are going to be perceived by other adults. I have to say, I heard more than one ‘joke’ about being involved in youth activities. I officiate now and I have seen (as an official and before) some completely unhinged behavior from adults, I have also seen coaches and athletic directors who are aware and very appreciative of us doing what we do. The beauty in my opinion of HS Football is in part that at most schools you will not find another sport or activity that more accurately gives you a cross-section of the ethnic and economic population of the school. Period.

Also for what it is worth, intense scouting parents can in many ways be more annoying than sports parents.

== So for months we hear “Let the Kids Play” because that was really the important part. But it wasn’t really. These parents wanted to resume living vicariously through their children. Now we are being assaulted on social media and otherwise about allowing spectators ==

Well, I am not being ‘assaulted’ by this on social media, but sure let’s go with that. Let’s say I have a kid who plays football (let’s start there) I would want to be in the stands to watch him play the six games. Parents want to watch and support their kids, you should see the crowds we would get at robotics competitions. Freely admit, I enjoyed watching football games even when my kid wasn’t in the game. I enjoyed watching robotics when my kid competed and when he didn’t.

Did I at times live vicariously through my kid’s sports, heck yeah I did. Did I live vicariously through my kids when they got academic honors in HS, heck yeah I did. After my son’s knee surgery was I happy that I was there and able to see him score his first post-surgery try (a score in Rugby), oh man was I.

Yes you can watch sports (depending on the school) via streaming and you can watch robotics via twitch (streaming) but it is better in-person. I can’t fault a person wanting to see their kid perform in sports live and in-person or with the choir live and in-person.

Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:46 am
Club sports are already far more important in soccer. Top players often eschew high school competition where coaching is often of questionable quality and the level of competition is uneven at best. College coaches attach little, if any, importance to a player’s high school career. They scout and recruit club players. Other sports are leaning this way. If this becomes a trend, high school sports will become less important. However, it is always football that seems to drive the bus and given how expensive setting up club competition would be, I imagine the loss of football can be used as a wedge in teacher strikes for the foreseeable future.

Comment by Captain Obvious Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:54 am
I’m finally signed up for the vaccine.

Not having heard from my health care provider yet (”Don’t contact us, we’ll contact you”), I decided to try through Walgreens. Once they got their website problems fixed, it was easy-peasy.

Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:57 am
An ad yesterday on this blog called for BEP goals on healthcare administration and credit card processing. The ad suggests that the money you put through your own credit card to fund your iPass should have BEP spend included. The ad suggests that the healthcare dollars paid to your doctor should have BEP spend included. It’s misleading, unfair, and not reasonable. I support BEP - but not misrepresentation.

Comment by Lincoln Lad Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 9:58 am
High School athletes who are going to college really only care about the club sport circuit with one exception - football. For a number of reason there is no AAU or club equal to playing on a high school team.

But school sports shouldn’t trend to club only. Club kids play HS sports because they want to play with classmates, they enjoy repping their school and its just easier for half the year.

But the cost of club and truly the travel requirements of club sports leaves it largely out of realm of possibility for many. I do a travel club sport with my son and I can say a single parent with more than one kid wouldn’t be able to make it work.

And while the AAU basketball system is rife with payouts and shadow money, 99% of the rest of the sports aren’t. And with football, really only a school can take on the equipment, staffing, travel and insurance requirements of that sport.

But please - don’t say “all parents” are whining about the caveats to a return to play. Many/Most parents understand, stay quiet and just glad to see their kids have the same opportunities that kids in 48 other states have had.

And I’ve never seen cost stop any public school kid from playing a sport. If they ask for help to pay a fee they are going to get it.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 10:13 am
@OneMan- you make my point for me.

=I am not being ‘assaulted’ by this on social media=

Why would you be? You are a youth official and do not have much to do with what is happening now. In our small district our AD is getting blistered. And things have been calm here in general.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 10:25 am
flea asks, “I need a name for a new heifer calf. any suggestions?“

Is it just me or is “flea” a great name for the calf?

Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 10:47 am
@OneMan - Thank you for officiating.

@flea - Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Ayrshire, Holstein?

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 10:59 am
“I need a name for a new heifer calf. any suggestions?“ Get a second one and you can name the Calfin and Hobbes.

Comment by Skeptic Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:17 am
@flea - Gotta be a girls name?

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:21 am
Attacked on social media over spectators guidelines? Yep, me too, even though we stream all of our home games.

I enjoyed my high school sports, but I’m ready for them all to go club. What I’d really like, though, is to see those clubs structured like the European soccer clubs - the professional organizations sponsor and financially support their own clubs rather than leave it up to the kids. They see this type of player development through clubs as investing in the future of their professional soccer teams.

Comment by Still Waiting Wednesday, Feb 10, 21 @ 11:44 am