ChicagoBears (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears were able to get a deal done with veteran leader and fan favorite Danny Trevathan.
Thursday, the sports world was rocked left and right by major sports leagues putting a halt to their operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, the NFL is not in season and, to this point, hasn’t been impacted in a significant way.
After all of the major announcements had passed, the Chicago Bears made some positive news on Thursday night. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the team had agreed in terms to bring back veteran inside linebacker Danny Trevathan on a 3-year deal.
General manager Ryan Pace had a decision or two looming at this position. Before the new league year officially begins on March 18, he will have made at least one of them. Interestingly enough, the Bears had three key free agents at inside linebacker.
Trevathan, of course, was the first and most notable name on the list. Second is the younger Nick Kwiatkoski, who enters the free agent pool coming off his rookie contract. Third, the Bears have veteran journeyman Kevin Pierre-Louis, who came to them from the New York Jets a year ago.
With Trevathan in the fold, Pace now has one less of his key names to worry about. Going forward, though, there are several more decisions to be made in terms of in-house talent. Furthermore, fans get to look forward to the madness which unofficially begins March 16 when the legal tampering period starts.
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Let’s address the Trevathan deal though before we peek ahead to next week. Looking solely at the Trevathan signing, one can pretty much assume a few things are true. My three big takeaways are as follows.
The ChicagoBears should absolutely have an interest in New York Giants’ free-agent Markus Golden.
With free-agency (legal tampering period) set to kick off in just three days, one player who needs to be on the Chicago Bears’ radar is edge rusher Markus Golden. The former second-round pick in 2015 out of the University of Missouri has had a bit of an up-and-down career but could be primed for a breakout after last season.
Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, Golden didn’t do much his rookie year but recorded 12.5 sacks in his second year under defensive coordinator James Bettcher, who was with the Cardinals from 2015-2017. For Golden, 2017 was a bit of a wasted year, as he only played in four games. The following year, while appearing in 11 games, he still managed only 2.5 sacks. However, Bettcher was not with the team at that tie, having taken the defensive coordinator position with the New York Giants.
Why is that important? Well, because Golden reunited with Bettcher in New York this past season where he recorded another 10 sacks in 16 games. In other words, Bettcher has figured out how to unlock the talent and potential that made Golden a second-round pick in 2015. If Chuck Pagano and the defensive staff can utilize Golden in the same way Bettcher has, he could flourish on the edge opposite Khalil Mack, and alongside Akiem Hicks.
Quarterback pressure out of the edge position opposite Mack would be a welcomed addition to the team, who has struggled to get former top-ten pick Leonard Floyd to live up to his draft-day expectations. While the familiar refrain from Floyd supporters is his ability to drop in coverage and “do the little things” that is not why you draft an edge rusher that high. Moreover, it’s not why you pay him $13.2 million for 2020, which is what the Bears will do if they don’t rescind his fifth-year option.
There has been some scuttlebutt that the Bears are considering rescinding the option, which would save them money, but creat an obvious hole on the roster. Will they do that? The answer is, ‘only if they feel they can replace his production for less money.’
While Golden has a projected market value of $13.5 million according to Spotrac, any team negotiating with him will have to take into account his inconsistency. In that regard, perhaps the Bears could get that number down a bit to say $9 million per year. That would save the Bears $4.2 million and potentially give them more production from a pass-rush perspective.
The Bears could also try to sign a new deal with Floyd, lowering his AAV, but if not, it will be hard to justify the $13.2 million price tag. If they choose to rescind, Golden needs to get serious consideration as a replacement.
60 E. Monroe St. Unit 6801 in Chicago: $1,995,000 | Listed on Jan. 14, 2020
This 2,436-square-foot home in the Loop has three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and 10-foot ceilings. The northeast-facing unit features floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony, and a kitchen with Snaidero cabinets, granite countertops, top-line appliances and a wine cooler. A walk-in closet, bathroom with double vanities, soaking tub and a Seura TV complete the master suite. Building amenities include a pool, hot tub, steam room, fitness center, dog run and access to University Club. One parking space is included.
Agent: Chris Fixler and Ryan Preuett of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty, 312-371-5951
I could have been answering trivia questions at that dark and somewhat creepy bar in Dundee. I could have been at home hunched over a crossword puzzle with Grace and Frankie fighting in the background. But instead, there I was, fighting for a parking spot in the jam-packed parking lot of Woodman’s Food Market, our favorite weekly stock-up store. But this was no routine weekly stock-up!
As I maneuvered past cars snarling up the parking lot, Barb snagged a hard-to-find stray shopping cart, nearly being side-swiped by a hulking SUV for her efforts.
We met up in the produce aisle. I grabbed the last remaining bananas from the shelf display, looking around at the mob of people around us. We were all there stuffing our carts with paper goods, and canned goods, and frozen goods (frozen veggies were hard to find,) but I am not sure any of us knew exactly why.
Were we preparing for self-quarantine? Were we stocking up before the apocalypse happened and the zombies rose from their graves? Were we there because someone in our office had mentioned it would be a good idea to be prepared, though prepared for what was never quite clear? Did all these people in one store really do anything to flatten the contagion curve?
In any case, it was a friendly mob, a quiet riot. Every shopping cart appeared to be filled to the top–an 18-pack of toilet paper takes up a lot of cart space. Yet I didn’t see anyone dragging more than one cart–people were intent on fulfilling their needs but no one was in panic mode. There were no face masks and fortunately, no one was coughing. There were also a lot of upscale shoppers we suspected had never entered a midscale Woodman’s store before. We hoped they were aware of the limited credit card policy before they waited in line at the checkout counter.
About those lines at checkout. The lines were long and moved slowly, the wait in the 45-minute range, but I didn’t hear a single complaint. People had confabs with their line neighbors, comparing purchases. Our son Michael happened to be midway through one line, but I passed up the chance to do a Larry Davidesque chat-cut. I might have tried it another day, but on Corona Thursday, I assumed that particular technique would not have been appreciated by the dozens of shoppers behind him. As it turned out, our line moved much faster than Michael’s, saving my 5 lb bag of frozen blueberries from an in-store thaw. Eventually, it was our turn to have our cartload rung up and leave the party behind.
A shout out of appreciation to the Woodman’s workers. While our cashier was only in the 3rd hour of his shift, our bagger was on his 13th. I heard one cashier apologizing to her boss that she just couldn’t work more than 12 hours. And she really seemed depressed about it. I think she felt guilty for not working more.
This morning the world is still spinning, and I assume there will be some bar trivia in my future. And to that tired cashier at Woodman’s at the end of her long shift–don’t sweat it girl, you will get another chance to serve us on another day.
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Hi! I am Les, a practicing pathologist living in the North Suburbs and commuting every day to the Western ones. I have lived my entire life in the Chicago area, and have a pretty good feel for the place, its attractions, culture, restaurants and teams. My wife and I are empty-nesters with two adult children and a grandchild. We recently decided to downsize, but just a bit! I will be telling the story of the construction of our new home, but also writing about whatever gets me going on a particular day. Be sure to check out the “About” page to learn more about where we plan to go with this blog!
Chicago theatres suspend productions
due to Coronavirus and at guidance of Governor and Mayor
Although in New York, Broadway has gone dark because of COVID-19, in Chicago at this point individual theaters are making individual decisions.
According to Deb Clapp, Executive Director, League of Chicago Theatres, “The safety and health of our audiences, artists and theatre staff remains our highest priority. As the situation around COVID-19 evolves, we will continue to share with our member organizations precautions they can take as outlined by federal health authorities and state and local officials to ensure that theatres are ready to welcome patrons back after this temporary shut-down.”
At a press conference yesterday, Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker asked and strongly recommended that public gatherings of more than 250 people be suspended possibly until May 1. This would include all the Broadway in Chicago Theaters who have not officially responded to this but will be making an announcement later today. This also includes many other theaters in Chicago.
They also mandated that gatherings of more than 1000 be suspended for the same amount of time. The League is working to support members with venues fewer than 250 as they decide the best course of action for their individual venues.
Clapp elaborates, “COVID-19 will have a significant financial impact on our industry in the near and long-term. We want to thank our philanthropic partners, as well as our city and state officials, for their continued support as we all navigate the aftermath of this situation.”
In a statement from the Goodman Theatre they said, “In an effort to help mitigate community spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), Goodman Theatre is suspending performances starting tomorrow (Friday, March 13) until further notice. This action is consistent with the directive of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The suspension affects the current production of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh, directed by Lili-Anne Brown, a Chicago premiere that is currently in previews and was slated to open Monday, March 16—as well as all production-related events. Molly Sweeney by Brian Friel, directed by Robert Falls, has been postponed to an April 20 opening.”
Broadway in Chicago has suspended Hit Her With the Skates saying “in accordance with the Chicago Theater League advisement for the health and safety of everyone, is suspending performances effective immediately. The world premiere of the Chicago production at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted St., Chicago, IL, will now be held on Thursday, April 23, 2020. Preview performances will resume on Tuesday, April 21. Previously purchased tickets may be refunded or exchanged.
City Lit will stay open saying “City Lit is making every effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 so that our patrons can safely attend our theater. Currently, under guidance from Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot given on March 12, 2020, our shows will be going on as planned. Our theater seats 99 in its audience and the suggested size to cancel social gatherings is more than 250. “
Patrons with tickets for performances during this time are encouraged to contact individual theatres directly for more information.
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The 11th Annual Chicago Tattoo Arts Convention is coming to the Chicagoland area on March 20 – 22. You don’t have to be an industry professional to enjoy this event, welcoming tattoo artists, ink lovers, and the general public alike.
You’ll be able to see more than 400 of the world’s best tattoo artists performing their craft live and you can even get inked yourself! Not only do you get to witness some extraordinary artists at work, but you can also watch sideshow arts, live human suspension, burlesque, and more.
Some of the special guests include:
James Vaughn from Ink Master Season 7 & Finalists on Season 1
Kyle Dunbar from Ink Master
Anwon “Boneface” Johnson from Ink Master Season 8 & 9
Other special guests include Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand—who is known as America’s tattoo godmother—and VH1’s Kat Tat from Enigma Beverly Hills Tattoo shop. There will be meet-and-greets so you can rub elbows with some of your favorite celebrity artists. In addition, there are many top tattoo artists that will be attending like “Big Mike” Leon, “Grand Theft” Audra Grosz, and 36 Ghosts, to name a few.
During the three day event, attendees can participate in tattoo competitions and show off their impressive ink. Industry professionals will also be on hand where you can purchase anything you want, including tattoo supplies, clothing, jewelry, and artwork. At the event, there will also be live performances by Olde City Sideshow, Marlo Marquise, The Enigma Live, and human suspension. It is surely going to be an action-packed weekend!
Photo Credit: Mark Wright
The event’s after-parties allow you to get to know your fellow attendees. On Thursday, the after-party will be held at the Liar’s Club. The unofficial official Chicago Tattoo Convention party will be a “Chitown Shakedown,” featuring subculture music you can dance all night to. The event is free to everyone over the age of 21 and starts at 9 pm.
Children under the age of 12 can attend the tattoo convention for free, but everyone else will have to buy a ticket. The tickets can be purchased beforehand for $22/day or $45 for the whole weekend. Tickets will also be available at the door. The event takes place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.
At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.
Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!
Featured Image Credit: Chicago Tattoo Arts Convention
At this point, Ravinia Festival is going full steam ahead with their summer season, hoping that by opening day, May 30, the COVID-19 pandemic will be in the rear view mirror.
In that regard the Festival released the following statement:
It’s difficult to anticipate what impact the disease may have on our 2020 season, which is still three months away. Ravinia is committed to appropriately addressing this quickly evolving situation….focused on the safety of our audiences, guest artists and the general public.
Ravinia Festival 2020 Season
An Overview
Ravinia crowd before Stevie Nicks concert at Ravinia Festival. Photo: Carole Kuhrt-Brewer
The 2020 season boasts more than 120 events from May 30 through September 15, including the annual summer residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with MacArthur “Genius” Marin Alsop stepping into the role of Chief Conductor and Curator, a position created specifically for her.
This summer will also bring 35 artist debuts, including Wayne Marshall, Teddy Abrams and My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, Ziggy Marley, six-time Latin Grammy winners Jesse & Joy, and Dispatch. Repertoire features 24 festival premieres, including Ravinia’s co-commission of Paola Prestini’s Hindsight for Piano and Orchestra as part of a summer-long celebration of the talents and achievements of women who have paved the way, as well as the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote.
Big Names
Tony Bennett performing at his 90th birthday bash at Ravinia Festival in 2016. Photo: Carole Kuhrt-Brewer
Returning favorites include: Tony Bennett, Carrie Underwood, John Legend, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Diana Ross, Trombone Shorty, The Roots, John Fogerty, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Jill Scott, Train (three nights), Gladys Knight, Ms. Lauryn Hill and the Beach Boys.
Other Highlights
Final Season for Welz Kauffman
This will be the final season for Welz Kauffman who announced he would retire at the end of the 2020 season as the President and CEO of the festival where he has served for the past 20 years.
New Chief Conductor
Marin Alsop takes up new position as Chief Conductor and Curator, leading the CSO in five concerts, including Legendary Women’s Voices gala starring Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo.
Focus on Women
The cultural contributions of women will be a summer-long focus to mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote.
RaviniaMusicBox Opens
Immersive RaviniaMusicBox opens with wrap-around movie experience, Bernstein’s Answer, and the National Museum of American Jewish History’s Leonard Bernstein: The Power of Music, the first major exhibit on the Jewish identity of America’s most celebrated musician.
Bernstein Celebration
Multi-season Bernstein celebration continues with Alsop conducting Slava!, Wayne Marshall leading the Ravinia premiere of A White House Cantata starring Patricia Racette and Rod Gilfry, Jamie Bernstein hosting the collection of Anniversaries, and RSMI Singers sharing Arias and Barcarolles.
Birthday Celebrations
Festival celebrates milestone birthdays of Christoph Eschenbach at 80, Itzhak Perlman at 75, Misha Dichter at 75, Bob Marley at 75, Isaac Stern at 100, Clara Schumann at 200, and Beethoven at 250.
Tickets and more
What: Ravinia Festival Summer 2020
When: May 30-September 15, 2020 Where: Green Bay Rd. just north of Lake Cook Road in Highland Park
Tickets: Tickets will be available to donors beginning March 17. Tickets for the public go on April 28 for June and July concerts and April 29 for August and September concerts, exclusively online at Ravinia.org. Season calendar: For the full season calendar, click here.
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Baseball, the beach, picnics, outdoor music. All a huge part of why we love summer. It’s only three months away. Summer is close enough that we can smell it.
When it comes to outdoor music, concerts at the Ravinia Festival has been a constant since 1904. Located in the Highland Park, just north of Chicago, Ravinia is the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States.
Today, Ravinia announced their schedule for the upcoming season. Here’s a look at the popular music coming to the festival this summer:
The opening week begins with Sheryl Crow, followed by Judy Collins and Patti Labelle. The end of June-early July features The Indigo Girls, Steve Miller and John Fogerty. The mid-season is highlighted by performances of country music stars Carrie Underwood and Willie Nelson. Late summer sees the return of Train for three nights, John Hiatt, Diana Ross and Tony Bennett. The season ends with September shows from John Legend, Lauren Hill and the Beach Boys.
The commonality of all these acts is they are returning Ravinia veterans. If you’re looking for new or groundbreaking music, Ravinia is not the place you’ll be going…at least not this summer. However, if you want a nice outdoor evening, with food, wine and friends, this again will be your go-to home.
Here’s a look at the full Ravinia calendar. Tickets go on sale April 28.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
414 Wedgemere Place in Libertyville: $919,900 | Listed on Jan. 31, 2020
This 3,429-square-foot Libertyville home has four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Enter through the foyer to the living room with a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace, a mantel and built-ins. Continue to the kitchen which includes recessed lighting, custom Woodharbor cabinetry, granite countertops, an island with a prep sink, a breakfast bar and stainless steel appliances. The home also has a dining room with a bar-sized refrigerator, an office with exterior access, a master suite with a gas fireplace and a basement with a recreation room. The exterior of the home features a porch and brick patio overlooking the landscaped yard.
One of the many names of Marijuana is Cannabis. In a straightforward language, Cannabis is a drug derived from Indian Hemp plants like Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa. These plants grow wild in many temperate and tropical parts of the world.
Usually, Cannabis is consumed for its calming and relaxing effects. Most people who consume Cannabis experience a sense of relaxation and euphoria, also known as ‘high.’ In a few US States, Cannabis is prescribed medically to help cure a few medical conditions such as chronic pain, poor appetite, and glaucoma.
The main ingredient found in Cannabis is Delta-9 Tetrahydro-Cannabinol, which is commonly known as THC. So, whether you’re into vaping THC or CBD oil cartridges, you would need a vape pen battery. 510 thread vapes originated from new vape pen tech. However, they have continued to evolve and have successfully been accommodating the recent trends in cannabis oil vaping.
The modernized 510 Thread vapes now offer new features and advantages which allow you to indulge in oil vapers.
Why Is Cannabis Consumed?
Usually, Cannabis is consumed for its calming and relaxing effects. Most people who consume Cannabis experience a sense of relaxation and euphoria, also known as ‘high.’ This impact and feeling of ‘high’ come from the compound, namely THC in the Cannabis plant.
In a few US States, Cannabis is prescribed medically to help cure a few medical conditions such as chronic pain, poor appetite, and glaucoma. You can choose a wide variety of products from different brands here at vape4ever.com.
Others sometimes portray cannabis users as being lazy or unmotivated ‘stoners.’ However, research shows that most of the users consume Cannabis rationally, to enhance the quality of their living and that the consumption is done in moderate quantity.
What Is THC?
Tetrahydro-Cannabinol or THC is the chemical that is responsible for most of the effects that are responsible for the psychological impact that the user experiences after using Marijuana. THC is one of the few compounds that are found in the paste, which is secreted by the marijuana plant glands. One of the other compounds, cannabinoids, is also found in this paste.
National Center For Biotechnology Information says that one of the cannabinoids, CBD, is non psychoactive and does the work of blocking the high, which is typically caused by THC.
Cannabinoid receptors concentrate on specific areas of the human brain that are associated with functions like coordination, concentration, thinking, movements, time perception, and such. THC’s job is to attach itself to these receptors and affect these functions of the brain.
The compound, THCP, works in the same manner as THC does when Marijuana is smoked. Just like THC, this compound too latches onto the cannabinoid receptors in the user’s brain and would then interfere with the functions like coordination, concentration, thinking, and movements.
However, whether this compound has the potential to get people high or not is still undecided since the compound has not yet been tested on humans.
The scientists believe that THCP could also have the potential to deliver health benefits. Till now, the primary focus for health benefits had been on CBD, but THCP seems to have stronger potency and binding abilities.
Researchers believe that these findings could further enable more testing, which could lead to discovering and identifying undiscovered compounds.
lesraff
January 17, 2020 at 12:00 am