Tag: Chicago Sun-Times

Jewell Loyd had challenging experience at Notre Dame despite dominance

An eye-opening story.

[autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] is one of the most decorated players in Notre Dame history, and she has continued collecting awards with the Seattle Storm. But it turns out that while she dominated at Notre Dame, her time there was incredibly difficult.

In a new story from Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, we learn that Loyd, a native of Lincolnwood, Illinois, wasn’t happy in part because Notre Dame wasn’t nearly as diverse as the Chicago area. It got so bad that she frequently thought about transferring only to be talked out of it by her mom, who didn’t like the idea of her sitting out a year. Keep in mind this was before the transfer portal became what it is now.

While at Notre Dame, depression and anxiety set in for the first time in her life. It wasn’t until she struck up a friendship with teammate [autotag]Natalie Achonwa[/autotag] that she really began to feel at ease. But even that wasn’t enough to stop her from declaring for the WNBA draft after only three seasons with the Irish because of how unhappy she was.

This serves as a reminder that sometimes, people you love and care about need you to reach out. You don’t know what’s going on with them necessarily, but all they might need at that moment is someone willing to listen and offer support. Maybe that’s what you should do on this Mother’s Day weekend if you encounter such a friend or family member. It’s the least anyone can do.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame receiver commit makes all-area team…as defensive back

Wait, what?

As Notre Dame continues to lose receivers to the transfer portal, the spotlight figures to shine brighter on incoming receiver [autotag]Cam Williams[/autotag]. The four-star 2024 Irish commit won’t play in the upcoming bowl game, but he’s enrolling early at the university. The obvious intent is to become assimilated to the receiving corps as quickly as possible.

Too bad not everyone sees Williams as a receiver, at least when it comes to selecting all-area teams. The Chicago Sun-Times came out with its annual all-area team, and Williams was an easy choice. But in a baffling decision, he made the team as a defensive back.

To the Sun-Times’ credit, Williams, like many high school football players, played both ways at Glenbard South in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and he indeed was a defensive back when his team didn’t have the ball. But the Irish didn’t recruit Williams, the No. 2 2024 recruit in Illinois according to 247Sports, for his defense.

It would be easy to say that those who cover high school football for the Sun-Times didn’t actually watch Williams’ games, but that seems too simplistic. More likely is that they didn’t want to leave certain other receivers off the team but still wanted to find a place for Williams. Whatever the reason, it’s unfair to be misleading about Williams like this.

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Noah Eagle to fill in on NBC play-by-play for Notre Dame-Navy

Prepare for a different sound Saturday.

There has been much criticism about the Notre Dame NBC broadcasting team of Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett. Many Irish fans would rather new blood had been brought in this season, and they were disappointed to find out nothing had changed. Well, the broadcasting team will in fact be slightly different for at least one game. Chicago Sun-Times sports media columnist Jeff Agrest has tweeted the following regarding the broadcast for the game against Navy:

Noah Eagle, the son of Ian Eagle, is one of the most talented young broadcasters in the industry. Having previously called both the NFL and college football for Fox, CBS and even Nickelodeon, NBC scooped him up for its new Big Ten Saturday night broadcasts. He also does radio radio play-by-play for the Los Angeles Clippers.

If Irish fans want to keep watching college football after Irish games during the day, this will be a nice preview of what they can expect, at least on NBC.

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Jeff Agrest: NBC’s Notre Dame broadcasts have become ‘training ground’

Has the new broadcast team won you over yet?

As Notre Dame is on the road at North Carolina this week, NBC will not be covering the game. That means the new Irish broadcast team of Jac Collinsworth and Jason Garrett will get a week off. Actually, the team will get two weeks off as the Irish have their bye week after they leave Chapel Hill. The next time we hear them will be for the Shamrock Series game against BYU in Las Vegas.

The long layoff provides an opportunity for observers to critique Collinsworth and Garrett’s performances for the loss to Marshall and the win against California. Those merely are the first two of what could be many Irish games they’ll call together. Most people seem to agree that there’s a lot of room for growth and improvement.

Among them is Chicago Sun-Times sports media columnist Jeff Agrest. In his weekly column, which mainly is available to subscribers, Agrest analyzes what he’s observed so far. He joins a chorus that has reminded people of broadcasters like the late Dick Enberg, Tom Hammond and Mike Tirico who used to call the action from South Bend. While he likes Collinsworth’s Notre Dame ties, he can’t help but wonder this:

“(Collinsworth) doesn’t carry on the tradition, which makes me wonder just what NBC thinks of Notre Dame these days. The Irish still were basking in the golden glow of their 1988 national title when they agreed to a five-year, $38 million deal with NBC. They don’t carry the same heft they used to, but Notre Dame maintains a national following. Its games are a big deal and deserve a broadcast team worthy of them.”

Here are Agrest’s current impressions of the new broadcast team:

“In both games, Collinsworth sounded knowledgeable talking about the teams. But all of his interviewing and studying couldn’t prepare him for live action. The USFL was supposed to be his training ground, not Notre Dame football in front of 2.5 million viewers for the Marshall game and 2.9 million for Cal.

Incidentally, Garrett impressed me. He brought emotion and valuable insight to the broadcast. The former Cowboys coach clearly understood his role. He got in and out with his commentary and didn’t talk over Collinsworth. It likely helped they worked together on USFL games.

Both will have to grow into their jobs on a national stage, but Collinsworth has more to do. He needs to command the broadcast and provide context for viewers. The Marshall game was a missed opportunity for him. Garrett understood, calling it one of the biggest upsets in recent college football history.”

Will the broadcasts eventually improve? We’ll find out as Collinsworth and Garrett continue to call games. If they continue to not impress, maybe they’ll be bumped down on NBC’s depth chart when the network picks up Big Ten games next year. Still, there’s a lot of season left, and they have time to change people’s minds.

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Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Michigan State commit Max Christie named Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year

Michigan State basketball commit Max Christie has been selected to the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team and named Player of the Year.

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Michigan State basketball commit Max Christie has been selected to the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team and named Player of the Year.

Christie wrapped up his high school career with his third All-Area selection by the Chicago Sun-Times. The media outlet announced their All-Area team on Thursday morning.

Here’s what Michael O’Brien of the Chicago Sun-Times had to say about Christie:

Michigan State recruit. McDonald’s All-American and Sun-Times Player of the Year. Three-time All-Area selection. Averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. All-time leading scorer in school and Mid-Suburban League history with more than 2,000 points. Led Mustangs to MSL title and 15-0 season.

Christie is ranked as the No. 1 shooting guard and No. 17 overall prospect in the 2021 class by 247Sports. As O’Brien noted, he was also recently selected as a McDonald’s All-American.

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Michigan State commit Max Christie named Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year

Michigan State basketball commit Max Christie has been selected to the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team and named Player of the Year.

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Michigan State basketball commit Max Christie has been selected to the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team and named Player of the Year.

Christie wrapped up his high school career with his third All-Area selection by the Chicago Sun-Times. The media outlet announced their All-Area team on Thursday morning.

Here’s what Michael O’Brien of the Chicago Sun-Times had to say about Christie:

Michigan State recruit. McDonald’s All-American and Sun-Times Player of the Year. Three-time All-Area selection. Averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. All-time leading scorer in school and Mid-Suburban League history with more than 2,000 points. Led Mustangs to MSL title and 15-0 season.

Christie is ranked as the No. 1 shooting guard and No. 17 overall prospect in the 2021 class by 247Sports. As O’Brien noted, he was also recently selected as a McDonald’s All-American.

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By dying, Knute Rockne helped usher in modern aviation

As we approach the 90th anniversary of Knute Rockne’s untimely death, it’s a good time to reflect on the Notre Dame icon’s legacy.

As we approach the 90th anniversary of Knute Rockne’s untimely death, it’s a good time to reflect on the Notre Dame icon’s legacy. Everyone knows what he meant to the football program and the university. However, despite being killed in a plane crash, his place in aviation is often overlooked. Jim Lefebvre, the Executive Director of the Knute Rockne Memorial Society, wrote a piece about it for the Chicago Sun-Times.

The short version is that Rockne was the first prominent American to die in this fashion, and the public immediately turned on the aviation industry out of anger. Eventually, airplanes stopped being produced with wooden wings and took on all-metal bodies, which provided enough comfort and safety for passengers that worldwide travel through the air soon became a regular thing. Also, the agency we now know as the FAA was more hands-on in regulating its industry and certifying aircraft.

While it was incredibly tragic to lose Rockne before his time, he ultimately played a role in making planes widely regarded as the safest form of travel. He should be remembered for that as much as the forward pass.

Chicago Blackhawks Anticipating Clutch Goals from Cam Morrison

It could be a while before we know if former Notre Dame forward Cam Morrison makes the Chicago Blackhawks’ roster for 2020-21.

It could be a while before we know if former Notre Dame forward Cam Morrison makes the Chicago Blackhawks’ roster for 2020-21. He’ll probably start the season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. What we do know is that he has a history of performing in the clutch. That’s what the Blackhawks are banking on according to a Chicago Sun-Times feature.

The story cites a few prominent moments in Morrison’s Notre Dame career. In 2017, he scored the tying goal (his second of the game) of the Irish’s overtime victory over UMass-Lowell that put them in the Frozen Four. The next year, he had the overtime goal in the Big Ten title game against Ohio State and later assisted on Jake Evans’ goal with six seconds left against Michigan that put the Irish in the national title game. The year after that, Morrison tormented Michigan again by scoring the game-winning goal in the Big Ten title game and also had an overtime tally against Clarkson in the NCAA tournament.

Irish coach Jeff Jackson agrees that Morrison has a knack to come up big when needed:

“Not every player has that ability to elevate in those key moments. Whatever characteristic that is, I’ve not had many players that have found a way to play their best hockey at the biggest moments. [But] he’s one of those guys that can do that.”

Jackson also assessed how Morrison needs to do to make the NHL and stay there:

“In order to become more than a role guy, he’s going to need to use that body and that reach more effectively on a consistent basis. He did that here at times, but the physical element to his game [needs] a little bit of a nasty streak at times to create more space for himself and be able to get into those dirty areas and compete for that ice.”

Best of luck to Morrison as he continues his hockey career. He’ll have the chance to prove himself. Whether he’s successful in doing that is up to him.

Are College Football Players Being Put at Disproportionate Risk?

Don’t lie to yourself. You want college football back, and you want it back badly. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be browsing this site right now.

Don’t lie to yourself. You want college football back, and you want it back badly. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be browsing this site right now. It’s OK because we on the staff want it back, too.

But Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander, who played at Northwestern, rightfully reminds us that college football players are being asked to do more than most of us right now. The result is a higher risk of them and their coaches contracting COVID-19. Some universities have recognized this to the point where they’re requiring players to sign waivers so that they won’t blame their school if they get sick.

As we see most states increase their number of cases, some more than others, it’s worth questioning whether we really should be pressuring these kids to go out and play a game that requires close physical contact for our amusement. In spite of all the countdowns that this and other sites are doing for the season, we can’t forget that college football is not a guarantee in 2020. If it gets bad enough, we’ll be right back to the sports-starved country we’ve been for the past three-and-a-half months. Then again, maybe that should be the preemptive course of action.