The Chicago Bears signed a purchase agreement for Arlington International Racecourse in September 2021, a move that takes the team a step closer toward securing property for a new stadium and leaving their longtime home at Soldier Field.
Will the Chicago Bears leave Soldier Field for Arlington Heights? Here’s what to know.
January 26, 2023 By Leave a Comment
After winter revamp of swing in ‘the lab,’ Paul DeJong eyes decisive spring with Cardinals
January 26, 2023 By Leave a Comment
As he pulled his hands back, lifted his left foot up, and readied to whip his bat forward, the sensation Paul DeJong felt this past season was not a swing he could trust.
2023 Super Bowl: Why this is the most wide open race in NFL history ahead of conference championship games
January 26, 2023 By Leave a Comment
You couldn’t ask for much more parity entering one of the greatest football times of year, conference championship weekend. Unfortunately it’s come at the expense of the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, whose high-ankle sprain has opened the door for the most wide open Super Bowl race we’ve ever seen at this point in the year.
‘Lightning’ Larry Warner returns to Saluki Football to coach running backs
January 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Larry Warner, one of SIU’s all-time great tailbacks, is returning to coach the team’s running backs room, head coach Nick Hill announced Friday.
Known by his nickname, “Lighting Larry,” the 5-foot-6 Warner electrified Saluki fans for two seasons, including a 2008 campaign in which he rushed for 1,265 yards and was named First-Team Associated Press All-American.
Warner returned a school-record three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2008 and was the fourth-fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 rushing yards, accomplishing the feat in just 130 carries.
“He was the first person I called when a spot opened up on my staff,” said Hill, who played with Warner on SIU’s 2007 team that went 12-2 and advanced to the Final Four of the postseason playoffs. “He is a close friend, and he shares the same core values and passion for our program. You’re not going to find anybody that has more energy than Larry.”
Warner began his coaching career at Carbondale High School in 2009, before joining Dale Lennon’s staff at SIU as a graduate assistant in 2011. He later joined Hill at CHS, before the two became full-time assistants for Lennon from 2014-15.
After leaving Southern, Warner coached at Central Arkansas (RBs, 2016-17), South Alabama (RBs, 2018-20) Arkansas-Pine Bluff (RBs, 2020-21) and Texas Southern (RBs/Special Teams, 2022). Warner has mentored numerous All-Conference running backs throughout his career, including All-American Tra Minter at South Alabama.
Prior to coming to Southern Illinois as a player, Warner was a NJCAA All-American at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2006, and led his team with 1,237 yards.
A 2009 graduate of Southern Illinois with a degree in recreation, Warner and his wife Dominique have two daughters, Penny and Alivia.
In addition to hiring Warner, Hill announced several staff changes. He said Nate Griffin, who has mentored an all-star cast of running backs since 2016, will replace retired tight ends coach Pat Poore. Recently hired Zach Grant moves to the wide receivers room, where he replaces Mark Watson, who accepted a position at Kent State earlier this month.
2023 NFL playoffs: Ranking eight remaining QBs in divisional round with Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow up top
January 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Nothing steers NFL teams quite like quarterbacks. It’s possible, not probable, to win in spite of them. It’s preferable, not easy, to land the best of them. They are, more than anyone else, the ones who shape the football landscape, week in and week out.
Bold predictions for NFL divisional playoffs: Travis Kelce goes berserk, Bills expose Bengals’ O-line woes
January 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment
We’re now a week into the NFL playoffs, and the field of teams remaining in the mix for the Super Bowl is down to eight. By the end of this weekend we’ll have narrowed it further, with just two teams in the AFC and two in the NFC vying for the represent their respective conferences on the biggest stage in football.
Illinois’ 4-game winning streak comes to an end with an 80-65 loss to Indiana
January 20, 2023 By Leave a Comment
CHAMPAIGN — Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a season-high 35 points, and Indiana earned its first regular-season win over Illinois since 2019 with an 80-65 victory Thursday night.
Jeff Passan’s 2022-23 MLB free agency takeaways
January 18, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Spring training starts in less than a month. Every major free agent is signed. Almost all of the second- and third-tier ones have jobs, too. It’s almost like Major League Baseball free agency doesn’t need to bleed into the beginning of a new season.
Top prospects Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn headline Cardinals’ 22 invites to spring
January 18, 2023 By Leave a Comment
What the Cardinals have made obvious with their comments about their prized prospects they want to see, the organization made official Tuesday by announcing their non-roster invitees.
2023 NFL divisional playoff picks: Cowboys upset 49ers, Giants shock Eagles, Bengals stun Bills
January 18, 2023 By Leave a Comment
I’d like to start things off today by apologizing to the NFL. When they decided to change the name of “Wild Card Weekend” to “Super Wild Card Weekend,” I thought it was going to be the biggest marketing failure since Crystal Clear Pepsi, but I was wrong, because the football we got over the weekend was Super Wild.
