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.
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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.
Cuypers has scored at least one goal in each of the nine games he has played this season.
The drivers for one of the state's largest distributors are on strike, and inventory at some bars has taken a hit.
The families say they went to Makeda Designs because the owner, Makeda Evans, makes gorgeous gowns as seen on TikTok.
The bill was for a minimum of $800 for one hour, and $80 for every additional six minutes over that hour. It was learned that the helicopter was grounded for at least three hours.
Chicago police said tactical officers responded to a call of a person with a gun when they found a person matching the description in the South Chicago neighborhood on Monday evening.
Mayor Brandon Johnson is marking three years in office, a term filled with a mix of wins and losses for the man in the chair on the 5th floor at City Hall.
President Trump said Americans' financial situation isn't motivating him to make a deal, "Not even a little bit," and that he is only focused on preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
A month after Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed an attempt to halt any future scheduled pay hikes for tipped workers in Chicago, the City Council advanced a compromise to instead pause those raises for two years.
The operator of the Dali, a container ship that lost power and slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024, killing six people, is facing federal charges.
Democratic National Committee officials visited Chicago on Monday as the city made its official bid to host the party's 2028 convention – a rare move after having just hosted the event in 2024.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
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.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday announced an expansion to the city's CARE Program, a specialized team that responds to mental health crises without police.
A Texas couple is filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of guiding their teenage son in using drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
More than 100 people from a cruise ship dealing with an outbreak of the rare and deadly hantavirus are set to be disembarked.
The largest U.S. health insurer said it will eliminate approval requirements for some treatments, including select outpatient surgeries and other procedures.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
U.S. prosecutors allege a man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to scam a Mexican billionaire out of $450 million.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
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.
University leaders say they want to deepen their commitment to affordability to make sure the brightest minds can join them.
Hamlet was eventually reunited with his owner after being spotted in an alley in Dayton, Ohio.
Pause Point is meant to give you time for a short breathing exercise or to set a timer to make sure you don't spend too much time scrolling.
Amazon Now is not available in Chicago yet but should be by the end of the year.
More sunshine is expected Thursday before a few scattered showers return to the forecast Friday. Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest in First Alert Weather.
The bill was for a minimum of $800 for one hour, and $80 for every additional six minutes over that hour. It was learned that the helicopter was grounded for at least three hours.
The drivers for one of the state's largest distributors are on strike, and inventory at some bars has taken a hit.
The families say they went to Makeda Designs because the owner, Makeda Evans, makes gorgeous gowns as seen on TikTok.
Chicago police said tactical officers responded to a call of a person with a gun when they found a person matching the description in the South Chicago neighborhood on Monday evening.
A CTA bus was hijacked and the driver held at knifepoint and made to drive for miles overnight, Chicago police said.
People in Lincoln Park and Lakeview have rallied against a plan to build a new industrial ComEd electrical substation in their neighborhoods, pushing local and state leaders to get involved.
Monday marks one year since Illinois enacted Karina's Law — legislation aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of people accused of domestic abuse.
Tenants at a South Shore apartment building said they've noticed their rent fluctuating by hundreds of dollars a month due to a change in how their utility billing system is set up.
A man from the Chicago suburbs lost $69,000 of his savings to a scam by a thief using an AI-generated U.S. Marshals badge to intimidate him.
Illinois lawmakers are trying to decide what should happen when artificial intelligence leads to serious destruction or even death, and two of the most influential AI companies in the world are backing opposing state bills trying to answer that question.
Cuypers has scored at least one goal in each of the nine games he has played this season.
The Cubs managed just four hits — all singles — after being held to a single hit in the series opener, a 5-2 victory for the Braves.
The White Sox had a 3-0 lead before the Royals rallied in the fourth.
AJ Dybantsa is likely going No.1 overall, leaving Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke Forward Cameron Boozer, and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson as the likely options for the Bulls at No. 4.
Nearly 80 NBA hopefuls are sweating in the South Loop at the NBA combine, with only 60 spots in next month's draft.
A Chicago-area man who ran a business helping people apply for asylum and immigrant visas was recently sentenced to nine years in prison for fraud and child pornography.
Alex Murdaugh was convicted of his killing his wife and his son at the family's home in 2021.
Chicago police on Wednesday morning were looking for two people who broke into a restaurant in Printer's Row in the South Loop.
One person was killed and two others were seriously wounded in a shooting late Friday morning in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
Police across Chicago and the northern suburbs were investigating a string of overnight smash-and-grab burglaries targeting businesses.
