Wisch: Is Ron Zook's Job At Illinois Secure?
As a University of Illinois season ticket holder, I've watched a lot of Ron Zook football during the past six years. Most of it bad.
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As a University of Illinois season ticket holder, I've watched a lot of Ron Zook football during the past six years. Most of it bad.
Christmas is over. New Year's is looming. And in between this week the Big Ten gets its bowl season rolling.
You've worried about the offense. And, now, you've worried about the defense.
Dasher and Dancer. Cookies and Milk. Mistle and Toe. And … NBA and Basketball?
Merry Christmas, Illini Nation. Bah, humbug. For Illinois basketball fans, there are few – if any – things worse than losing to Missouri in the annual Braggin' Rights battle.
So, apparently, you can get a managing gig if your name is Pete Rose. Just as long as there's a "Junior" attached to the end of it.
Say they don't win another game. Say the Bears lose to the Jets, lose to the Packers and lose in the first round of the NFC Playoffs. (I'm not saying they will, mind you. Not at all.) Would you still declare Chicago's 2010 NFL season a success?
On Feb. 8, 1896 – one month after X-Rays were discovered and nine months before William McKinley was elected as the United States' 25th president – a the Midwest's premier universities held a powwow in Chicago and established the Big Ten.
OK, it's taken a couple of days, but I'm finally on board with this whole new Big Ten thing. The conference is bigger, it's badder (and that's just what they're saying about our divisions!) and, thanks to all those new multi-name football awards, it's also more hyphenated than ever before.
They call Chicago the Second City. But New York appears to be turning itself into the City of Second Chances. For ex-Cubs, at least.
This past summer, when the Big Ten announced that the University of Nebraska was signing on as the league's 12th team, the Conference That Can't Count hit a stand-up triple.
Eleven years ago, I was sitting in the press box at Michigan Stadium, watching the Wolverines storm to a 27-7 lead over Illinois midway through the third quarter when a kindly, gray-haired U. of M. alum seated in my row leaned in toward me.
They both played high school ball on a team with a more glamorous teammate (Bracey Wright and Evan Turner). Each entered college with a ton of talent – and probably a few too many pounds. But one worked his way into shape, led his team to the national championship game and became a first-round NBA pick.
Tom Brady and his golden arm (and his golden locks … and his golden pair of UGGs) are coming to town. The Bears are in first place at 9-3. And, at 10-2, the New England Patriots can say the same.
Imagine Superman signing on as the official spokesman for Kryptonite tights. Then imagine Albert Pujols putting on Cubs pinstripes. What's less likely?
For Cubs fans, there's only one thing bleaker than the 2010 regular season. And that's the 2010 offseason. So far, at least.
Last Sunday, after the Bears upended Philly, I was eating crow. Seven days later, after watching them struggle to beat the better-but-still-bad Lions, I was about ready to cough it back up.
The news was stunning, if not surprising, this morning when I woke up, turned on the TV and learned from the crawl on the screen that Ron Santo had passed away at 70 after a lifetime of health issues.
Redcoat or Turncoat. Whatever you want to call him, in the eyes of Cubs Nation, Ryan Theriot has turned heel.
As far as weeks go for college basketball teams, this one is about as big as it gets for the University of Illinois.
Earlier this month in his weekly Sports Illustrated Q&A, Dan Patrick posed the question to Brian Urlacher, "Best team in the NFC now?"
With a record of 7-3, the Bears aren't a joke. But I still can't take them seriously. Can you?
Mikel Leshoure has officially arrived. So, does that also mean he's already gone?
Last week, when pitching coach Larry Rothschild bolted the Chicago Cubs (honestly, finally) for the New York Yankees (honestly, seriously?) after a nine-year stint on Chicago's North Side, I'm pretty sure that one name was the first to pop into most fans' minds as a potential replacement.
A Chicago woman said stress is making her sick after months of fighting City Hall over a $233,000 water bill for a vacant house that doesn't even have plumbing. Her alderman is trying to get the city to wipe out that bill.
Munetaka Murakami hit his 11th homer of the season and reliever Seranthony Domínguez struck out two in the ninth inning for his sixth save as the Chicago White Sox beat the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Friday night.
Efforts were ramping up Friday night to support the family of a Little Village fruit vendor who was killed in a mass shooting that left three other people wounded earlier this week.
A Buffalo Grove High School security guard has died, after he was hit by a pole that fell on him following a car crash outside the school earlier this week.
The Chicago Bears picked three offensive players on the second day of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Iowa center Logan Jones on in the 2nd round, and Stanford tight end Sam Roush and LSU wide receiver and return specialist Zavion Thomas in the 3rd round.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that the Federal Reserve's inspector general will investigate cost overruns in project to renovate the central bank's headquarters.
Hegseth indicated during a Pentagon news conference that the Trump administration is in no hurry to reach a peace deal as the war continues.
Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said Mayor Brandon Johnson's campaign promises of improved transparency in the mayor's office don't match his actions since he took office.
It's looking increasingly likely that Illinois voters will not see an amendment about creating a "millionaire tax" on the ballot in November.
The soldier allegedly bet on Nicolás Maduro's removal as president of Venezuela before news of the raid was reported, sources told CBS News.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
A new $48 million wellness center opened Thursday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The goal is to improve the health and quality of life for people on the West Side of Chicago.
La Rabida Children's Hospital went all out for Earth Day on Wednesday, with volunteer cleanup efforts by staffers and activities for patients and families.
It has been several weeks since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly shut down — and then on Wednesday, it just as swiftly partially reopened, with some services available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 80% of deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
The United States has long struggled with understanding and finding ways to help treat mental illness. A new documentary, which is screening Saturday in Chicago, examines the reality of living with mental illness in America.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the Lincolnwood Village Board approved a pre-development agreement with the mall, providing a roadmap with the property owner for further preparations and government approvals for redevelopment.
The only remaining location of Pal Joey's pizzeria in Batavia, Illinois, will soon be going out of business, its owner announced this week.
Investment research firm Morningstar could move into the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago once Google is done renovating the former Illinois state government building.
Trader Joe's is planning to open a new location at the Lincoln Village Shopping Center in Chicago's North Park neighborhood, the office of Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) recently announced.
The satirical news outlet The Onion has a new plan to take over conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars platforms and turn them into parodies.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
The satirical news outlet The Onion has a new plan to take over conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars platforms and turn them into parodies.
Emily Saliers, one-half of the Atlanta folk duo The Indigo Girls, has revealed that she has been diagnosed with two incurable movement disorders that will forever change the way that she sings.
Blues icon and world music pioneer Taj Mahal will be headlining the Chicago Blues Festival this June.
Chief meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
A Chicago woman said stress is making her sick after months of fighting City Hall over a $233,000 water bill for a vacant house that doesn't even have plumbing. Her alderman is trying to get the city to wipe out that bill.
Efforts were ramping up Friday night to support the family of a Little Village fruit vendor who was killed in a mass shooting that left three other people wounded earlier this week, as police continued to search for the killer.
A Buffalo Grove High School security guard has died, after he was hit by a pole that fell on him following a car crash outside the school earlier this week.
Workers represented by United Steelworkers Local 12775 are headed back to work at NIPSCO, after ratifying a new contract with the utility.
Efforts were ramping up Friday night to support the family of a Little Village fruit vendor who was killed in a mass shooting that left three other people wounded earlier this week.
A Chicago woman said stress is making her sick after months of fighting City Hall over a $233,000 water bill for a vacant house that doesn't even have plumbing. Her alderman is trying to get the city to wipe out that bill.
A Buffalo Grove High School security guard has died, after he was hit by a pole that fell on him following a car crash outside the school earlier this week.
Workers represented by United Steelworkers Local 12775 are headed back to work at NIPSCO, after ratifying a new contract with the utility.
A mother in southwest suburban Morris, Illinois, is fighting for stiffer penalties for adults charged with grooming children. Some local lawmakers agree, saying Illinois' current law is too weak and puts kids in danger.
A mother in southwest suburban Morris, Illinois, is fighting for stiffer penalties for adults charged with grooming children. Some local lawmakers agree, saying Illinois' current law is too weak and puts kids in danger.
Almost 24 hours after a derailment made a mess of the Red, Purple, and Yellow lines in Chicago, the CTA continued to investigate the cause of the incident, and experts were raising concerns about what they called a troubling pattern.
There are 22 city of Chicago crews out on our roads filling potholes across the city day in and day out.
Michaels spent years as an advocate for sexual assault survivors, putting pressure on Congress and speaking out on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein survivors, like herself.
Residents in one part of Chicago's Noble Square neighborhood say they've been dealing with cars careening off the Kennedy Expressway and crashing into their front yard for decades, and the state won't help.
Munetaka Murakami hit his 11th homer of the season and reliever Seranthony Domínguez struck out two in the ninth inning for his sixth save as the Chicago White Sox beat the Washington Nationals 5-4 on Friday night.
The Chicago Bears picked three offensive players on the second day of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Iowa center Logan Jones on in the 2nd round, and Stanford tight end Sam Roush and LSU wide receiver and return specialist Zavion Thomas in the 3rd round.
The Chicago Bears selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick in the 1st round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Andrew Benintendi hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth inning that lifted the Chicago White Sox over the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 for their third win in four games.
Dansby Swanson had his first game-ending hit in five years, and the Chicago Cubs rebounded from a pair of blown leads to beat Philadelphia 8-7 in 10 innings for their ninth straight win and the Phillies' ninth loss in a row.
Efforts were ramping up Friday night to support the family of a Little Village fruit vendor who was killed in a mass shooting that left three other people wounded earlier this week.
Zamil Limon's remains were found on the Howard Franklin Bridge in Tampa. His roommate was in custody, officials said.
The family of a 16-year-old boy who was shot and killed while waiting for the bus near Hyde Park Academy High School said they believe the shooting was sparked by a minor argument earlier in the day at school.
A woman was ordered detained Thursday on charges that she shot and wounded three men on busy Irving Park Road in the Chicago neighborhood of the same name earlier this month.
A lockdown was lifted at Evanston Township High School on Thursday afternoon, after shots were fired at a park near the school.
