Muller: 2011 -- The Year of The Paper Champion
2011 was the year of the "paper champion" in professional sports, and I have to admit, I have enjoyed watching every moment of each collapse.
Watch CBS News
2011 was the year of the "paper champion" in professional sports, and I have to admit, I have enjoyed watching every moment of each collapse.
Who deserves the chance to face the Tigers for a chance to hoist the crystal ball come January? Well, that is the million dollar question.
Don't blame the owners for the lack of professional basketball in the middle of November. Don't blame the players for nixing the latest offer earlier this week, thus extending the delay until at least mid-December, and quite possibly, until the 2012-13 season.
I'm sorry that all the pro-Ryno Cubs fans aren't going to get their wish, but it is time to put the Kleenex box away and start putting a little more faith and trust towards Epstein and his crew.
Instead of getting excited to watch the defending league MVP Derrick Rose and his Bulls comrades begin their march towards redemption, I was stuck moping around my apartment while my wife watched re-runs of Sex and the City and whatever "breaking news" in the ever-important Kris Humphries Kim Kardashian divorce "saga" was becoming public knowledge.
$2,000 in extra spending money for student athletes, huh? I can live with that.
The NCAA conducted over 80 interviews, four former players admitted to receiving improper benefits, and Cecil Newton came clean about shopping his son to the highest-bidder (roughly $200,000) for his football services. Then, 13 long months later, the boobs in Indianapolis could find no wrongdoing by Auburn University?
The Big Ten has been classified as being "weak" for a couple of years now, and I for one, am getting tired of hearing about it.
NBA commissioner Davis Stern has drawn a line in the sand.
"Pathetic" is the only word to describe the collapse of the Boston Red Sox. And they won't get any sympathy from Chicago Cubs fans.
Any college football fan on the planet knows that none of the crap these bowl executives from the Fiesta Bowl and the Sugar Bowl would exist if the BCS system was scrapped in favor of a playoff system.
Before the college football season began, I felt that Ron Zook and his University of Illinois football team had the most to prove in the Big Ten in 2011.
I don't know if the pressure of being the head coach at Notre Dame is already getting to you or what, but your act is getting really old, really fast.
With college football starting last weekend and the NFL officially getting underway last night up in Green Bay, we are nearing that time of year when we put away the shorts and flip-flops and begin preparations for another cold and miserable winter in the Windy City.
For as much as it pains me to say so, I believe the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers will -- once again -- be the class of the NFC in 2011.
Since Forte entered the league, statistically, he is one of the top five running backs in the NFL yet, he is only due to make a little over $500,000 this season. He has proved his worth on the field and should be paid like it.
No two players trying to make their NFL dreams come true this season epitomize these polar ends of the spectrum more than Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
Everywhere you look, it seems like more and more children are giving up their only shot at being kids, for hopes of stardom on the playing field.
Scout.com's Allen Trieu took a moment to discuss the recruiting landscape for Illinois and Northwestern and the top prep talent in the Chicago area.
It's no secret the Bears have some holes to fill, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Who do you want to see the Bears sign?
Tuesday July 12th, 2011, should go down as one of the best days ever for baseball lovers in the Brew City, and I must admit, as a lifetime member of the long suffering Cubs Nation...it stings.
In my 31 years on this planet, I have witnessed some pretty entertaining sporting events.
Former University of Illinois basketball star Deron Williams may just become a trend setter with NBA basketball players IF the NBA lockout lasts for an extended period of time.
If you are a professional athlete and you were associated with Canadian Dr. Anthony Galea in the past, you are probably feeling a little uneasy right about now.
Well, it is now the beginning of July and the NFL owners and the current players are still trying to agree to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement that would end what has become a ridiculous standoff between the two sides.
One person was killed and another was wounded in a shooting Sunday night at a hotel in northwest suburban Wheeling.
Bodycam videos shows the arrest of a superior court judge in Northwest Indiana for drunk driving last weekend.
Many of those working to put food on the tables of their neighbors are without power themselves.
Activists gathered Monday afternoon on Chicago's Southwest Side after reports of ICE activity and arrests.
The program was launched by the utility company last year, with some saying it makes it easier to address problem poles.
The Supreme Court divided 6-3 in granting the Trump administration's request for emergency relief.
President Trump said tariffs on Canadian automotive and steel imports will rise to 50% on Jan. 1, 2027, in a social media post.
After losing one of the closest House races in the country, Democrat Christina Bohannan is campaigning earlier and deeper into rural Iowa, including counties she did not visit before the 2024 election.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said Monday that there was "no apology necessary" on her part over a heated text exchange with former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin recently.
Researchers and disability rights advocates warn that the dismantling of the Education Department and its erosions of civil rights oversight risk widening the disparities autistic children face.
Cook County homeowners are again facing a sharper increase in property taxes this year than businesses, the Office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas announced Monday.
Contracted linemen from out of state sat idle in a Griffith church parking lot for hours without work orders from NIPSCO, as residents in Northwest Indiana approach two weeks without power.
A law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against NIPSCO, alleging the utility's failure to manage trees and vegetation has left thousands of Northwest Indiana residents without power for up to two weeks.
Dozens of cases of E. coli and salmonella in multiple states are linked to an alfalfa grower in Minnesota, health officials say.
A new Illinois law signed by Gov. Pritzker offers up to $1,000 to eligible homeowners hit by storm damage, but the money won't be available until next year — and the program only covers certain areas of Chicago.
Dozens of cases of E. coli and salmonella in multiple states are linked to an alfalfa grower in Minnesota, health officials say.
Moderna and Merck announced study results that reflect a "landmark moment" in treatment for one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer.
Researchers from the University of Chicago have uncovered some information on how space travel affects — or actually doesn't affect — the heart.
As people age, it becomes crucial to do whatever possible to protect from issues like memory loss. But leading neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter said the process actually starts well before advanced age.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is not adopting new federal child vaccine guidelines and will continue following recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
An expert blames Illinois lawmakers and "internecine political problems" for the failure to seal a deal for a new stadium within the state for the Chicago Bears.
Real estate investment and development firm Concord Capital has acquired nine apartment buildings on Elaine Place, a single-block residential street in Chicago's East Lakeview community.
The Chicago Plan Commission voted Thursday to approve a plan to redevelop Ford City Mall into an industrial complex, despite objections from some neighbors.
A new Barnes & Noble bookstore opened in the heart of downtown Chicago on Wednesday, while separately, a building that used to house an old Barnes & Noble store in the Gold Coast was being demolished.
The Original Rainbow Cone celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday with a special event at its Beverly location.
Madonna leads all artists with 11 nominations at this year's MTV VMAs, and a full sweep would tie her with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift for the most VMA wins in history.
Hayden Panettiere, who starred in "Remember the Titans" as a child actor and rose to fame in the series "Heroes," has died at the age of 36. The coroner's office says she was found in cardiac arrest.
Buddy Guy was honored with the Chicago Music Legend Award at the Obama Presidential Center's Chicago Culture Ball this weekend.
Bal Khabra is the author of the four-part series "Off the Ice," a college hockey romance collection that is wrapping up at just the right time.
Crews need about a week and a half to tear down the festival site before the city can begin its own inspection — and past cleanup costs have topped $1 million.
Enrollment is currently open and spots are already filling up for the classes at Fire Station 24.
One person was killed and another was wounded in a shooting Sunday night at a hotel in northwest suburban Wheeling.
A laptop caught fire at 30,000 feet and burned some passengers on an American Airlines flight from Atlanta.
A woman accused of killing her boyfriend in 2022 has agreed to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges ahead of her trial for first-degree murder.
Bodycam videos shows the arrest of a superior court judge in Northwest Indiana for drunk driving last weekend.
Prosecutors offered a plea deal to Keshia Golden, charged with killing her boyfriend in 2022, which she said was self-defense.
Grayson, 32, was found guilty last October of second-degree murder for the shooting of Sonya Massey and was serving a 20-year sentence.
One person was killed and another was wounded in a shooting Sunday night at a hotel in northwest suburban Wheeling.
Almost two weeks since power was knocked out in Northwest Indiana, nearly 10,000 homes and businesses were still in the dark on Monday afternoon.
Bodycam videos shows the arrest of a superior court judge in Northwest Indiana for drunk driving last weekend.
The program was launched by the utility company last year, with some saying it makes it easier to address problem poles.
She was counting down the days to the first day of 5th grade until her school district told her she didn't have a spot there. Now, a federal judge has ordered the district to put the 10-year-old girl with autism back in her neighborhood school.
Who you gonna call if someone locks you out of your own charity? That's the question members of a Ghostbusters-themed nonprofit say they're asking.
Residents of Ogleby Towers on Wednesday morning spoke out about the system that constantly changes their rent, which they say makes it hard to budget.
CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, Harley Johnson, gave CBS News Chicago an exclusive look inside the new park in South Chicago.
The WNBA has been the subject of recent debates on whether transgender women should be allowed to participate in the league.
Senior defensive back Mark Johnson signed up to be on the national bone marrow registry, and when he got the call, he came through.
The Sky were eliminated from the playoff race with the loss and a win by Washington on Sunday night.
Cubs blew out the Seattle Mariners 19-2 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
It was Peters' third walk-off hit of the season.
One person was killed and another was wounded in a shooting Sunday night at a hotel in northwest suburban Wheeling.
At least four people were killed, and 17 more were injured, in weekend shootings across Chicago as of Sunday, according to police.
Chicago police this weekend issued a warning about a string of armed robberies in the city's Bronzeville community.
Illinois State Police and the FBI announced this weekend that they may have a new lead, though not a suspect, in the 1992 murder of college student Tammy Zywicki.
Chicago police were investigating early Sunday after a man was slashed to death the night before in Washington Park.
