Here in Chicago, we have rules - things you just don’t do. Among them: You don’t put ketchup on a hot dog. You don’t call it Cloud Gate; it’s “the Bean.” And you don’t badmouth the beloved Walter Payton. In this football town, the larger-than-life Super Bowl XX Bears are…  [more]

The Detroit Lions are good, the Green Bay Packers are great, the Chicago Bears are inconsistent and the Minnesota Vikings are incapable of holding a lead. That’s the sports news from the Upper Midwest a few weeks into football season. I don’t know this from the newspaper or the sports…  [more]

I never wanted to believe Barry Bonds, but I always wanted to believe Lance Armstrong. Armstrong was not just a sports hero. He seemed to redefine the limits of the human body. Armstrong overcame testicular cancer to win the Tour de France bicycling championship - arguably the most grueling event…  [more]

I've been shopping for a new tennis racket. I wanted a racket that would help me control my shots better; I can hit the ball hard enough but I struggle to keep it consistently in play. I've never been a believer in equipment as the key to athletic achievement: either…  [more]

I’ve always had a mild, love-hate relationship with Albert Pujols. As a parent and little league coach, I’ve been in sheer awe of his skills and jaw-dropping numbers. The fact that he and his wife do charitable work through a foundation makes him a great role model too. Yet my…  [more]