Friday, November 13, 2026
EDGE is live. Chicago fans can now access and explore the beta.
Home Blog Page 3249

Ed Olczyk’s Name Hits Coaching Rumor Mill Again

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-

Every so often Ed Olczyk’s name is tossed around in coaching rumors and it is happening again. The latest would be for a position in Buffalo, as mentioned on Hockey Night In Canada a couple weeks ago. Elliote Friedman of Sportsnet in Canada mentioned it in his latest “30 Thoughts” column, along with some other spots.

Olczyk has mentioned that he would like to coach again as recently as 2014 when he told the Chicago Sun-Times, ‘‘There is still an emptiness,’’ he says. ‘‘There are very few people who know my desires and my feelings of where I am and where I want to get to, but there’s certainly an aspiration there. So if it would present itself, that’s where I would want to go. It might not happen. Who knows? What I wanted to do back in ’03 is where I’d like to go if I got the opportunity.’’

If you’re unaware, Olczyk coached the Pittsburgh Penguins back in the early 2000s. His first team in 2003-2004, burdened with financial restraints, finished last in the NHL with a 23-47-8-4 record. They were 12-5-3-0 in the last 20 games and Olczyk felt his team learned a lot from him.

Olczyk returned in 2005-2006 after a lockout the previous season. This time around, expectations were high with Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux. Poorly allocated money to other players led to a bad start and his eventual firing.

No one knows what kind of coach Olczyk may have become as a coach but he is now considered one of the best analysts in hockey. He has even said himself that “At the end of the day, I’m a coach by trade who happens to have a microphone.”

Friedman tossed out the opening in Rockford as a possible landing spot for Olczyk. This may not be crazy because it would give him the opportunity to stay with the organization he dearly loves.

It sure sounds like Edzo has some unfinished business in his mind and would consider coaching again if he felt it was the right fit.

Monster Trade Proposed Between Cubs And White Sox

By
Sports Mockery
-

With the Chicago baseball season now in full swing, the main surprise appears to be the lack-luster start for the defending world champion Cubs. Currently sitting at 18-19, fourth in the NL Central, fans are starting to wonder what needs to be done to get the team back on track.

Scot Gregor, from The Daily Herald, appears to have his answer. In a recent article Gregor broke down a huge trade proposal between the two Chicago clubs that would send the media into a frenzy.

Brace yourself.

“The Chicago White Sox send starting pitcher Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs for the man without a position, Kyle Schwarber. Straight-up deal.”

We warned you to brace yourself.

Before flying off the handle cursing every God you can think of, read Gregor’s reasoning.

“Quintana is an established high-end starter, and even though he has struggled a bit early (2-5, 4.38 ERA), you can mark down the 28-year-old lefty for a fifth straight season with 200 or more innings pitched and an ERA well south of 4.00.

Equally enticing, Quintana is under club control through the 2020 season at a total cost of only $36 million.

He is a valuable trade chip, and Sox general manager Rick Hahn already has turned down several offers he believed were substandard for a player of Quintana’s quality.”

Seems to make sense. Quintana finds himself in a very similar situation that the White Sox had with Chris Sale last season. He’s a big trade asset that could and should be moved, it’s all about maximizing his value for Hahn.

So… what would the White Sox get in return? Schwarber, of course.

“As for Schwarber, a wildly popular player for the defending World Series champions, would the Cubs even consider trading him?

At the beginning of the season, I’d say the answer was a resounding no.

Six weeks in, you’d have to assume Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has adjusted the answer to a definite maybe.

Epstein has to realize the rotation needs help. Through Sunday’s play, Cubs starters had the 20th-highest ERA (4.47) in the major leagues.”

Arguably one of the most popular players on the Cubs with unlimited potential, how could you trade him before he even plays a full MLB season? That’s worth thinking about. If Schwarber develops into the next Barry Bonds, Epstein will never hear the end of it… especially if he’s doing it on the South Side.

Gregor seems to think this is a very fair trade, and makes a lot of sense for both clubs.

“Quintana instantly helps bring that number down, and he also gives the Cubs insurance in the event Jake Arrieta and/or John Lackey move on at the end of the current season.

As for Schwarber, he fills a hole at DH the White Sox were unable to plug with Adam Dunn, Adam LaRoche and, yes, Cody Asche, who was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte on Sunday after batting .105 with 1 home run, 4 RBI and 21 strikeouts in 57 at-bats.”

Most Cubs fans are going to immediately push this deal off the table because of the unlimited potential attached to Schwarber’s image. I mean, how many other guys had a baseball put in a glass case after crushing it onto an outfield sign almost 500 feet away?

In a down season this year, Schwarber is batting a modest .179 with almost as many strikeouts as walks. Moving him would definitely indicate some panic on the North Side. For the White Sox, it appears to simply be a matter of time for Quintana.

Coming off a World Series championship, with a core of young talent, it’s hard to imagine the Cubs pushing the panic button a mere 40ish games into the season.

Then again, if it makes sense Mr. Epstein would likely know better than any of us. What do you think?

 [poll id=”62″]

Here’s Why The Cubs Should Keep Kyle Schwarber As Their Leadoff Hitter

By
Gus
-

No other player has been under more scrutiny during the Cubs rough start than Kyle Schwarber. The 2016 World Series hero was poised to take Chicago by storm going into the 2017 season and had every single Cubs fan foaming at the mouth with the thought they’d finally get to see him play a full season with the club and continue to murder baseballs like we’ve become so accustomed to.

What gave Cubs fans an even bigger baseball boner was the fact that Joe Maddon announced mid-February that the burly left fielder would be hitting leadoff for one of the most dangerous offenses in Major League baseball.

And Cubs fans lost their shit.

Going against all conventional wisdom, Maddon would put a 235-pound former high school linebacker at the top of his lineup but despite his lack of speed and “looking” like most leadoff hitters, Schwarber’s high OBP paired with the fact he has the potential to hit a bomb in every at-bat was too much for Maddon to pass up.

Maddon’s theory was simple regarding the move to the leadoff spot for Schwarber and centered around the idea of Schwarber protecting the hitters behind him because Maddon sees him as one of the team’s better hitters.

“There’s pause involved there, because if you don’t want to pitch to him, then the guys coming up behind are really pretty interesting. It’s formidable, so it’s uncomfortable from the other side.”

While the theory of using Schwarber as a leadoff to get more at-bats and protect the sluggers behind him is a great idea on paper, the theory is falling apart in practice.

With the Cubs sitting at 18-19 as of today, the media is losing their mind trying to analyze every single aspect of the Cubs playing below .500 baseball. At the forefront of the issues is whether or not Kyle Schwarber should stay in the one-hole moving forward in the 2017 season.

I’ll lay out the basic arguments for both sides and eventually give my insight as to what should happen with Schwarber.

Jordan Howard Still Has One Big Regret About His 2016 Season

By
Erik Lambert
-
jordan howard

Jordan Howard already strikes as a young man who is never satisfied with being good. He’ll settle for nothing less than being great. That is the best explanation for his rise to stardom with the Chicago Bears. It’s how he overcame his first college football program being disbanded. It’s how he went from being a fifth round pick in the draft to the starting running back and went to the Pro Bowl his first year.

All the while he never seemed to lose that humble attitude. Perhaps it’s because he was forced to grow up faster than most youth. This due to the tragic fact he lost his father to Pulmonary Fibrosis. Since then he’s championed charity drives to help combat the disease while also seeking to take care of his mother.

Rushing for 1,313 yards in his first season is a great way to start. Many already think Howard is the next big star in this city, and Chicago Magazine agrees.

Jordan Howard admits one big regret about 2016

Their annual prestigious of up-and-coming power players in the city was released. It featured loads of influential names with valued jobs. It included playwright Ike Holter, music producer Peter Cottontale, and Cook County commissioner Bridget Gainer. Only one athlete made the list, and that was Howard. They feel his pull around town is only going to get stronger.

During their interview with him they talked about his goals with the team and off the field. However, just as things were wrapping up they talked about how good he’d done as a rookie in 2016. The running back couldn’t let that pass without offering one gripe about how it all played out.

“Looking back at the three games before he earned the starting running back role last year (a year in which he wound up being selected for the Pro Bowl), Howard says, “I feel like if I would’ve been playing a little bit earlier on in the season, I might have made a bigger impact in some of those games.” He’ll get his chance in 2017.”

Competitive drive unceasing

No doubt Howard is still a bit salty over not being the starter from the beginning last year. Hindsight is 20/20 of course. It’s easy to say that now, but at the time it looked like Jeremy Langford was well-position to take over for Matt Forte as the next man up. Then again it became apparent who the most productive runner was in the preseason. Howard had 173 yards and a touchdown. Langford had 79 yards and a touchdown.

It took three weeks for the coaches to wise up. By that time the Bears were 0-3 and lost any sort of momentum they had from a strong finish in the preseason. Maybe if Howard had played from the start they could’ve gotten one or even two of those games and things would’ve been different. Or maybe it would’ve just robbed the Bears of getting their chance to land Mitch Trubisky in draft.

Either way it’s welcome to hear that Jordan Howard is no less competitive now than he’s been since he arrived last year.

 

Cubs No. 1 Prospect Eloy Jimenez Returns From Injury And Hits A Mammoth Home Run

By
Aldo Soto
-

So, it’s been kind of weird for the Chicago Cubs this past week, as we’ve seen more positive results from prospects than anything else. Ian Happ hit his first MLB home run on Saturday and on Monday night more good news arrived. Cubs No. 1 prospect Eloy Jimenez was assigned to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans over the weekend, returning from a bone bruise on his right shoulder and in his third game the 20-year-old hammered a no-doubt home run.

Since joining Myrtle Beach a few days ago, Jimenez has recorded a hit in each of his three games, going 5-for-11, with three RBIs, and his long home run on Monday. It’s not just great Jimenez is back, he hasn’t missed a beat from 2016, when he was named Chicago Cubs Minor League Player of the Year.

His first home run in 2017, was a beauty.

Jimenez is ranked as the 10th best prospect on MLB.com. He’s still only 20-years-old, so expect him to possibly stay at Myrtle Beach for the entire season. Although, the way Jimenez has started, he could easily prove he’s ready for Double-A. More rockets off his bat and he may very well be on the move up again.

Amazingly The National Buzz At Bears Minicamp Isn’t About Trubisky

By
Erik Lambert
-
chicago bears training camp battle

Rookie Chicago Bears minicamp have concluded. For the first time in what feels like years, people noticed a rather large contingent of national media outlets represents at the event. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. For the first time in 35 years, the Bears used a top five draft pick to grab a quarterback. Not only that but they created a whole bunch of controversy by trading up from #3 to #2 overall to do it.

Mitch Trubisky will face the same pressures of being a top pick many other quarterbacks have. Some handled it, some didn’t. Whether he does will be told by time. Nonetheless people wanted to get their first looks at him in a Bears uniform. To see him throw, take snaps under center and just sort of command the field. Early reports are he responded well.

He was not, however, the most impressive person on display during those practices. As it so happens it was the man Trubisky was often throwing to in tight end Adam Shaheen. The buzz around him has really picked up of late, not just locally but nation-wide.

The Adam Shaheen Bears minicamp hype is real

Peter King of the MMQB is one of the latest to mention the name. In recent article, the veteran reporter mentioned that while Trubisky may be the more important long-term name to watch, the one who could catch people by surprise in 2017 is the Bears’ second round pick.

“I think one of the most interesting storylines of the summer camp season is going to be at Bears camp—and not necessarily how quickly Mitchell Trubisky can start a game. (I expect Mike Glennon to get a fair shot at keeping the quarterback job for the year.) But it’s the Division II tight end, Adam Shaheen. He’s 6-6 and 277 pounds, and the book on him coming out of Ashland (Ohio) College was that he’s nimble.”

 

Indeed the young man know as “Baby Gronk” caught a lot of people by surprise when his name was called last month. He’d only just recently broken out onto upper draft boards in the media. He was a phantom name people knew about but hadn’t seen much of. Then he performed at the scouting combine. What they saw was a man who weighed 278 lbs running like he could be a wide receiver.

Throw in the that 6’6″ frame and yeah, it’s easy to understand why GM Ryan Pace felt so comfortable taking him in the second round. This despite the fact he made his name at Ashland University, a Divisional II program. Then again something like that hasn’t stopped many players from having great NFL careers. It comes down to whether he puts in the work and effort to be the best.

He went from basketball player to a second round pick in a span of three years. So that is something to take note of moving forward.

MLB Insider Names White Sox Favorites To Sign Cuban OF Prospect Luis Robert

By
Sean Sears
-

Luis Robert is the top International prospect in baseball, and the White Sox are absolutely drooling at the idea of adding the talented 19-year-old to their roster. To add a player with Robert’s level of talent alongside Tim Anderson and No. 1 prospect Yoan Moncada would accelerate the rebuilding process and easily make the White Sox one of the better teams in the American league by next season.

Rich Hahn and the White Sox have been the rumored favorites to sign Robert for what feels like forever, with even MLB.com listed the South-Siders as the clear leaders to land the services of the young Cuban outfielder. However, other teams like St. Louis, San Diego, Cincinnati, Houston, and even Oakland have had their name attached to phenom. The White Sox’ roster including current Cubans Jose Abreu and Moncada, who was a teammate with Robert on the Cuban national team, giving them a serious upper hand against their competition.

While all those teams are still in the hunt, reportedly both the Cardinals and Padres are expected to make a massive push, the White Sox seem to be the team to watch according to FanRag Sports Jon Heyman. The MLB insider spent some time on 670 the Score’s Mully & Hanley show, saying that Robert’s will command ‘over $20 million’ and the White Sox are ready with a blank check.

While $20+ million is a lot of quiche to offer a kid who’s never played pro ball before, but when he is being referred to as the ‘best player on the planet’ people tend to see money as an afterthought. According to Scout.com, one American League scout truly believes Robert is the best player on this planet, better than anyone in the MLB and even in the same realm as Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani – a dude who can throw 100 mph and also hit 22 home runs in 2016.

“Ohtani is the best international player out there and he’s a different animal because he would be the ace of a staff and he can hit,” a National League international scouting director said. “But Robert is up there. He’s a five-tool guy that can be in the big leagues soon. He has to be No. 2 behind Ohtani. He’s that good.”

The White Sox are expected to shed at least $27 million next season with the likely departure of Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera, and you might as well toss in closer David Robertson and Jose Quintana into that mix as well. So that gives the White Sox nearly $82 million in cap space to dedicate to Robert. Now, they can’t just offer him $82 million, with International spending limits and such, but that is a massive cushion the White Sox have to use to their advantage.

The White Sox are looking like a team that will have money to spend, with a roster that would cater well to Luis Robert that should be infused with more elite talent over the next few seasons, Rick Hahn and the White Sox are starting to look like a future powerhouse club in the American League.

Jordan Howard May Hate The New Sports Illustrated Top RB Rankings

By
Erik Lambert
-
jordan howard

A Jordan Howard ranking among other top running backs is certainly something that could start a fight. Many Chicago Bears fans are already set to declare him one of the best in the business. Not sure one should go that far after just one season. Admittedly it was a really good season in 2016 but it takes time to build up credibility in the eyes of experts.

Still, even a humble young man like Howard has an ego. It’s almost impossible to succeed in the realm of sports without one. Players have to go into games with the steadfast belief they’re the absolute best at what they do. Often ways to help spur that on is by getting material from outside sources that help fuel the fire. Namely instants of disrespect.

So it will be interesting to see how Howard would respond to this recent breakdown of the top 10 running backs in the NFL by a collection of Sports Illustrated experts. Needless to say he’s not topping the list, but his actual placement might be a source of debate.

Jordan Howard ranking is all about perspective

Averaging out the rankings of every analyst on the panel, Howard ended up at seventh on the list. Two men had him ninth and another 11th overall. The one man who helped raise his profile was Andy Benoit, who rated him fifth. Why? He explained in detail what makes Howard so underrated and so special.

“I think he is the best all-around zone runner in the NFL. So inside zone where you’re following your double teams between the tackles and outside zone where your linemen are working in unison to get to the sideline and seal the defense back inside and your job as the runner is to turn that corner. I think when you combine those two skill sets and their different styles of running, I think Jordan Howard is the best all-around pure zone runner in football.”

In truth seventh overall after just one season in the NFL isn’t half bad. One can bet Walter Payton didn’t rank that high after his first season. Howard needed time and a few fortunate breaks to get on the field, but was brilliant when he finally did. His vision, acceleration and power stood out almost immediately. Even in the preseason. For many who understood, it was just a matter of time before he got his chance.

Over 1,300 yards later he went to the Pro Bowl. The first fifth round pick to accomplish that feat for Chicago in the Super Bowl era outside of special teams.

Most believe he is the focal point of the Bears offense moving forward. Rightfully so given the restructuring the team has done at quarterback. He will be the stabilizing force in the backfield. Somebody to lean on when things aren’t clicking. No doubt he has the added motivation of showing Sports Illustrated and everybody else that ranking seventh in the NFL isn’t the career peak he had in mind. Not after what he’s been through.

10 Reasons The Chicago Bears Will Overachieve In 2017

By
Erik Lambert
-
bears 2017 offense

Jordan Howard

Despite only starting 13 games and not being in true NFL shape last year, Jordan Howard was the second-leading rusher in all of football. That certainly bodes well for the 2017 Chicago Bears. Generally teams that feature a strong running game are able to keep games close. Even though they went 3-13 last season, six of their losses were by less than a touchdown. A big reason for that was Howard helping to sustain drives and control the clock. The trick this year will be capitalizing on that by scoring more touchdowns.

Opposing QBs Won’t Like Hearing This About Leonard Floyd

By
Erik Lambert
-
leonard floyd quarterback

The Leonard Floyd quarterback hunt didn’t begin right away in 2016, but once it got started the results were so intriguing. Many thought the Chicago Bears were nuts to trade up for him in the draft. That is until he delivered 6.5 sacks in five games between October 20th and December 4th. It was a tantalizing trailer of what he was capable of. That of course being the franchise pass rusher their rebuilding defense needs.

Not bad considering he was seldom used as a primary QB hunter at Georgia. A fitting sign that the front office and coaches knew what they were doing. If there was one gripe for people to make about him, it was his overall physique. Floyd arrived in Chicago at around 230 lbs. That’s fine for a traditional linebacker, but for a 6’6″ edge rusher in the NFL? Way too light.

Some were nervous about that, wondering if he’d ever be able to put and keep on the necessary pounds without losing his trademark speed and athleticism. Seems his emergence from the offseason back at Halas Hall has provided an answer.

The new Leonard Floyd looks oh so dangerous

Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times caught up with new outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley to discuss Floyd going into his second year. One of the biggest nuggets of info dropped was how the young defender had arrived in excellent shape, and heavier too.

“But to truly excel in Year 2, the Bears need Floyd to be prepared physically. It’s an ongoing process, but he reported to the offseason program in impressive shape.

“His body now when you see him is just so much different than when he came in here,” Staley said. “He was like 225 [pounds] when he came in here — and now he’s almost twice that. He’s almost 250. just a lot stronger player. He’s a lot more equipped to handle the rigors of the NFL.”

So a high bar is set for Floyd in 2017 – one arguably higher than everyone else.”

As stated earlier Floyd is already fast, agile and quick off the snap. One thing missing from his arsenal was strength. By this account he’s added 20-25 lbs, most of it muscle. That has to be a frightening visual for quarterbacks who know they’ll be seeing him in 2017. Remember, this is a guy who had 6.5 sacks in five games without the additional power.

Second City Sack machine?

With it? Oh doctor. Quite simply the prospect for a second-year breakout just took a significant step forward. Music to the ears of Bears fans who know that the defense will be expected to carry the load for this team. At least until Mitch Trubisky is ready to assume the mantle.

Even better is the fact teams won’t be able to devote too much attention to Floyd on the edges. Not with Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Jaye Howard and Pernell McPhee to also contend with. If he stays healthy he can be the first double digit sack producer the team has drafted since Mark Anderson way back in 2006.

Only with an infinitely higher ceiling.

1...3,2483,2493,250...3,362Page 3,249 of 3,362

Subscribe to our Newsletter

✶ An Unfiltered Voice For Chicago Sports Fans ✶

Chicago Sports News

About Us

© Sports Mockery, Inc. 2026