LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brionna Jones scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, DiJonai Carrington added 19 points and Alyssa Thomas recorded her third triple-double of the season Sunday night to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Los Angeles Sparks 79-67.
Thomas finished with 12 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and has a WNBA-leading three triple-doubles this season and her 11 career in the regular season are the most in league history.
DeWanna Bonner scored 14 points and Marina Mabrey added 10 for Connecticut (25-10), which had lost back-to-back games for the second time this season.
Mabrey hit a 3-pointer with 6:26 to play that gave Connecticut its first lead since 22-20 early in the second quarter and Carrington followed with an alley-oop layup to cap a 10-3 spurt that made it 69-66 about 30 seconds later and the Sun led the rest of the way.
Neither team scored until Rickea Jackson made 1 of 2 free throws to make it a two-point game with 3:36 remaining but the Sparks went scoreless from there, shooting 0 for 5 from the field and committing seven turnovers over the final 6 1/2 minutes.
Los Angeles (7-28), which has lost four in a row and 11 of its last 12, became the first WNBA team eliminated from playoff contention after a 92-78 loss to the Chicago Sky on Friday night.
Jackson led the Sparks with 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Odyssey Sims and Dearica Hamby added 10 points apiece.
Connecticut has won 13 consecutive games against the Sparks, dating to an 80-76 home loss on Aug. 28, 2020.
The Sun scored their first 14 points in the paint before Mabrey hit a 3-pointer to make it 17-11 before Jackson capped a 7-0 spurt to give the Sparks a 20-19 lead early in the second quarter.
Jackson scored 11 points and Hamby added 10 in the first half before Kia Nurse hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Los Angeles a 45-39 lead at the intermission.
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Arms raised high. Banners denouncing the war in Gaza. Crowds united in song and wrapped in keffiyehs, the black-and-white checkered scarves that have become a badge of Palestinian identity.
It could have been any other pro-Palestinian rally erupting over the Israel-Hamas war if it weren’t for the fact that these thousands of protesters were actually soccer fans at a league match in Santiago, the capital of Chile.
Club Palestino supporters watch a local league match against Santiago Wanderers at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
A Club Palestino fan wears a keffiyeh during a local league soccer match against Santiago Wanderers at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
Club Palestino soccer team fans watch their team’s game with Santiago Wanderers at a local league match at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
Although the players darting across the field had names like José and Antonio and grew up in a Spanish-speaking South American nation, their fervor for the Palestinian cause and red, white, black and green-colored jerseys underscored how Chile’s storied soccer club serves as an entry point for the world’s largest Palestinian community outside the Middle East to connect with an ancestral home thousands of miles away.
“It’s more than just a club, it takes you into the history of the Palestinians,” said Bryan Carrasco, captain of Chile’s legendary Club Deportivo Palestino.
“We’re united in the face of the war,” said Diego Khamis, director of the country’s Palestinian community. “It’s daily suffering.”
Club Palestino soccer team fans celebrate their second goal against Santiago Wanderers at a local league match at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
A Club Palestino player wears socks with an outline of territory Palestinians claim as theirs during a local league soccer match against Santiago Wanderers at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
In a sport where authorities penalize athletes for flaunting political positions, particularly on such explosive issues as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Club Palestino is an unabashed exception that wears its pro-Palestinian politics on its sleeve — and on its torso, stadium seats and anywhere else it can find.
The club’s brazen gestures have caused offense before. Chile’s Football Federation fined the club in 2014 after the number “1” on the back of their shirts was shaped as a map of Palestine before Israel’s creation in 1948.
But players’ fierce pride in their Palestinian identity has otherwise caused little controversy in this country of 19 million, home to 500,000 ethnic Palestinians.
“It’s our roots and it feels like home,” said Jaime Barakat, a Palestino fan and shawarma vendor.
Club Palestino soccer team fans watch their team play Santiago Wanderers at a local league match at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
The country’s small Jewish population of 16,000 is unsettled. “Boric, who frequently speaks of peace, has imported the Middle East conflict to Chile,” the Jewish Community of Chile said in a statement.
Chile’s Palestinians say the Mideast conflict was imported decades before Boric, spurring waves of displacement that forged the surprising history of Arab immigration to this Pacific coast nation from the late 1800s as the Ottoman Empire crumbled and the Zionist movement took root.
In 1920, the League of Nations approved the British Mandate of Palestine, unleashing tensions over Britain’s Balfour Declaration that promised historic Palestine as a homeland for the Jewish people. More Palestinians crossed the Atlantic and braved treks across the Andes by mule to reach far-flung Chile. That same year, Club Palestino was created by a group of Palestinian soccer enthusiasts who gathered one winter day in Chile’s southern city of Osorno.
“My father told me they came here because there were more possibilities,” said 90-year-old Juan Sabaj Dhimes in Patronato, a historically Palestinian neighborhood in the capital, with its coffee shops and hookah bars splashed in the colors of the Palestinian national flag and plastered with Palestino club crests.
A Club Palestino fan waves a Palestinian flag during a local league soccer match against Santiago Wanderers at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
Chile’s Palestinian community exploded after the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation — in which more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were pushed from their homes in what Arabs call the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” and dispersed all over the world.
Chile was then an upwardly mobile nation among poorer neighbors seeking to attract migrants to populate the country. Palestinian descendants say the arid land, coastal desert and fresh figs and olives conjured an earlier generation’s nostalgia for historic Palestine.
“The climate is one of the things that most captivated the Palestinians who arrived,” said Mauricio Abu-Ghosh, former president of Chile’s Palestinian Federation.
The scrappy soccer club went professional in 1947, becoming the pride of the community. Rocketing to Chile’s top division and clinching five official titles, its appeal soon stretched to the Middle East, where the descendants of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan still congregate in camps and cafes to catch Palestino matches broadcast by satellite network Al Jazeera.
Club Palestino’s Nicolas Linares plays in a local league soccer match against Santiago Wanderers at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
Despite of being a small soccer club, with an average of only about 2,000 spectators per game, Deportivo Palestino — winner of five official titles and a regular fixture in continental tournaments — is the third most followed Chilean club on Instagram, with more than 741,000 followers, only behind eternal rivals Universidad de Chile (791,000) and Colo-Colo (2.3 million).
“They tell us about the violence suffered by their people,” said 20-year-old Chilean fan Luis Torres at Palestino’s home stadium in Santiago. “It makes me angry, sad, so we’re here to bring a bit of joy.”
Club Palestino soccer team fans celebrate their second goal against Santiago Wanderers at a local league match at La Cisterna stadium in Santiago, Chile, Friday, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Basualdo)
Palestinians streaming out of church in Patronato on a recent Sunday said they had prayed for the safety of their families in Gaza. “We all have cousins, siblings, grandparents who still live there,” said Khamis.
The war has wrenched Palestino, forcing the club’s training school in Gaza to shut down and disrupting programs it supports across the occupied West Bank.
But within Chile it has breathed new life into players and fans. Before kickoff, the team now rushes the pitch clad in keffiyehs, brandishing anti-war banners and taking a knee.
In May the team abandoned one little pre-match ritual of emerging on the field holding hands with child mascots. Instead, players extended their arms to the side, grasping at empty space.
It was a subtle gesture — a tribute to the “invisible children” killed in Gaza, the team later explained — that could have been lost entirely on ordinary soccer fans.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chennedy Carter scored seven of her 28 points in the first couple minutes Sunday and the Chicago Sky never trailed in their 92-77 win over the Dallas Wings.
Chicago (13-22) has a one-game lead game lead over the Atlanta Dream for the eighth and final playoff spot with five games remaining in the Sky’s regular season.
Carter, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, made 10-of-17 from the field, hit her only 3-point attempt, went 7 of 9 from the free-throw line and finished with six assists. The 5-foot-9 guard returned Friday from a four-game absence due to illness and helped the Sky beat the Los Angeles Sparks 92-78 to snap their seven-game losing streak.
Dallas (9-26) has lost four games in a row following a three-game winning streak.
Isabelle Harrison made her first start of the season and finished with a season-high 21 points and nine rebounds for the Sky and Kamilla Cardoso added 11 rebounds to go with 10 points. Dana Evans scored 11, including three 3-pointers, and Michaela Onyenwere added 10 points for the Sky.
Carter scored 11 points in the first quarter, and Chicago used a 13-1 run midway through the period to blow the game open. Carter’s free throw just before the buzzer gave the Sky a 33-19 lead going into the second period.
Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings with 23 points and Natasha Howard scored 17. Satou Sabally finished with 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Ogunbowale scored 16 points and combined with Satou Sabally for 28 of Dallas’ 35 first-half points.
Record-setting rookie Angel Reese did not play for Chicago after suffering a season-ending wrist injury in the Sky’s win over Los Angeles last time out. The 6-foot-3 forward set WNBA single-season records for total rebounds (446) and offensive rebounds (172) and her 26 doubles-doubles this season — including a league-record 15 in a row — are the second most in WNBA history.
Three years ago, when Team Canada appeared at the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the athletes were dressed in sleek white jeans. They may have looked good, but for some Paralympians on the team, they were a challenge.
For Alison Levine, for example. The para athlete, who competes in the sport of boccia, couldn’t wear jeans because in a wheelchair, they dug into her skin. They lacked an elastic waistband, and were difficult to take on and off.
“There was no way I was getting those on,” says Levine, who had to go find something else herself that would work, and not look too different. “You don’t want to look different because of your disability,” Levine says. “You don’t want it to be, ‘Team Canada plus you guys.’”
Things are different this year. At the Paralympics opening ceremony in Paris, Levine and teammates wore bright red jackets with features like magnetic closures that make it easier for everyone, disabled or not. And there was an option of a seated carpenter pant that was designed with Levine in mind — even called the “Alison pant.”
Levine sees the design process, in which apparel company Lululemon started interviewing her and others for guidance three years ago, as a meaningful advance not only in Olympics attire but in the broader area of what’s known as adaptive or inclusive fashion, in which fashion labels are starting — albeit slowly — to respond to the needs of disabled people, and recognize that they’re an important economic force.
“Listen, people want to look good,” says Levine, 34, who has a degenerative neuromuscular disorder. “It doesn’t matter if you’re disabled or not. A lot of the time when you’re disabled, you have to sacrifice your looks for what works for you, or for comfort. But the disability movement is getting bolder and stronger and saying that we’re not going to accept these things anymore.”
Levine recognizes that she and her Canadian teammates are among the luckier ones, and that most athletes don’t have the luxury of a major apparel company designing their kits and reaching out for guidance. Lululemon, which has a four-Games deal with Team Canada, designed all outfits for Olympians and Paralympians outside the field of play: for opening and closing ceremonies, village wear, medal ceremonies, media appearances and travel.
Audrey Reilly, creative director for Team Canada at Lululemon, says she was shocked to find out that Levine mostly wore medical scrubs, for ease and comfort, when training or competing. That led to new designs for both sitting and standing athletes. “All the athletes want to look the same,” says Reilly. “They want to feel the same.”
The garment she called the “Alison pant” has pockets at the shins, so an athlete in a wheelchair can easily access them. Levine says it was “insane” to hear that a garment was named after her, but mostly she was happy that she could wear what others were wearing: “You feel like you’re really part of the team.”
Alison Brown, a podcaster who has been covering Olympics for years, says this Olympic cycle is the first where she has seen signs of adaptive fashion taking hold. She was struck by both the Lululemon kit reveal in the spring and the Nike reveal for Team USA, in which there were models in wheelchairs or with prosthetics.
“It’s so simple, yet so impactful,” says Brown – who also points out that most teams don’t have the resources or the institutional setup, like Team USA and Team Canada, where Olympians and Paralympians are part of the same structure.
To Mindy Scheier, who’s been advocating for better clothing options for the disabled for more than a decade, it’s no surprise that 2024 is the year the issue became visible at the Olympics – not to mention in Paris, a world capital of fashion.
“The paradigm has shifted, and brands are really starting to see this as a business opportunity,” Scheier says. “The momentum has absolutely trickled down to the Olympics and Paralympics, because there has been such a breakthrough in the industry.”
Scheier began her advocacy work a decade ago when her 8-year-old son, born with muscular dystrophy, wanted to wear jeans to school rather than sweatpants. She couldn’t find any options. A fashion designer herself, Scheier formed a foundation and consulting agency and works with design labels and retailers to embrace adaptive fashion.
Ten years ago she had no partners; she now has many, from a high-end label like Tommy Hilfiger, which has its own adaptive line, Tommy Adaptive, to Target, Victoria’s Secret and others. Scheier’s foundation, Runway of Dreams, will be mounting a show this month at New York Fashion Week featuring some 60 models with varying disabilities.
“This is a vocal population, and it wants to be considered a consumer,” says Scheier.
Jessica Long counts herself a fashion fan. A long-dominant para swimmer for Team USA, Long, 32, is now competing in her sixth Paralympics — she began winning gold medals at age 12. As a double amputee, one of the hardest things for her growing up, she says, was finding shoes that would work for her prosthetics.
“There’s not many things in my life that make me feel very disabled, but shoe shopping, and clothes shopping in general, has always been the hardest,” she says.
It got easier as she grew older and more confident. But she says finding shoes is still the biggest challenge: “What people might not think about is that shoes can completely throw off my walking … if they’re too heavy.”
She’s grateful that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and sponsor Ralph Lauren, which designed opening and closing ceremony wear, surveyed the para athletes a year ago, asking what works best.
“I’ve seen so much improvement in the mobility for us,” Long said in an interview ahead of the Paralympics. “It’s those little pieces that mean the most, I think, to the para athletes. I think it’s going to be really exciting when we all dress up.”
PARIS (AP) — The final act of the Paralympics in Paris will be a giant dance party.
That’s a promise from Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies for this year’s Olympics and Paralympics.
Jolly says 24 DJs will perform thumping techno and dance music at the Stade de France on Sunday as the curtain falls on the 2024 Paralympics.
“We want to turn the Stade de France into the biggest dance floor to celebrate the end of the Paralympics,” Jolly told The Associated Press in an interview.
Much like during the Paralympic opening ceremony, which featured artists with disabilities and dancers using crutches or wheelchairs, the dance floor will be open for all.
“There will be choreographic sequences that will showcase the body,” Jolly said.
The closing ceremony marks the end of Paris’ Olympic and Paralympic journey. For Jolly, a 42-year-old theater director, it’s the final chapter of a busy summer.
Jolly directed the July 26 opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on the Seine River, which was widely praised but also met some criticism.
Some viewers thought a scene featuring French singer Philippe Katrine disguised as Bacchus, the deity of wine and celebration in the ancient Roman mythology, was a depiction of “The Last Supper,” a famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci that represents Jesus Christ’s last meal with his apostles. Critics considered that a mockery of the Catholic Church. Paris 2024 organizers said they were “sorry” if people took offense.
Though Jolly said his intention was not to mock religion, he and his family faced harassment on social media, including death threats and attacks based on his sexual orientation and wrongly assumed Israeli roots, prompting French authorities to open a hate speech investigation.
“I’ve been doing shows for 20 years, and I’ve had critics on all my theatrical productions,” Jolly said. “Criticism can please, it can hurt. That’s the job. But the attacks, the threats, the insults … that’s a different matter.”
Jolly, who received support from French political leaders including President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, said the controversy did not lead to any changes to the ceremonies that followed.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “Nothing was changed, and nothing should have been changed.”
He noted that all scenes were approved months in advance by the French government, the city of Paris and the International Olympic Committee.
A native of Rouen, Jolly moved to Paris to prepare for the Games, dedicating two and a half years to creating the ceremonies. Much of the preparation for the previous ceremonies took place at night or in remote locations, in an effort to maintain a degree of secrecy.
Preparations for Sunday’s closing ceremony are no different. With the Stade de France hosting Paralympic athletics competitions during the day, many of the rehearsals take place at night.
“I fully dedicated myself to the job,” Jolly said. “I did not celebrate anything yet, I did not party, I did not even had time to rewatch the ceremonies on TV.”
Jolly said he’s considering writing a book about his Olympic experience before returning to his roots in theater.
“I don’t think I’ll ever have an audience like that (of the Olympic opening ceremony) again in my life,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter. There are also important things that can happen in a 50-seat theater.”
Mike Krzyzewski still has memories of Chicago’s Polish Broadway, the stretch of Milwaukee Avenue near Wicker Park that was once a hub for Polish restaurants and businesses. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach grew up in the area and despite his long career at Duke University, the memories of Chicago cling to him.
“You know, every once in a while, some friends or my family will send me a care package of Polish sausage, one of the sandwich meats — I don’t know if they still make a Krakowska — and I just put it on white bread and eat it,” the 77-year-old hoops legend says. “My family would say, ‘You’ve got to put something on it, tomatoes, lettuce?’ I said, ‘No, no, no — it’s a good sandwich with good meat and good bread.’ Chicago food’s terrific.”
Krzyzewski will be in town later this month for a charity event through the V Foundation, raising money for cancer research. The event, called Chicago Epicurean, leverages the city’s prominence as one of the best places to eat in the country. The foundation is named after one of Krzyzewski’s friends and rivals, Jim Valvano, the former head men’s basketball coach at North Carolina State University. Valvano died in 1993 from metastatic adenocarcinoma. Krzyzewski says Valvano recruited him to be part of the foundation more than three decades ago and that’s why he sits on the V Foundation’s board.
Chicago Epicurean kicks off on Thursday, September 19, at the Aviary with an invite-only event hosted by chef Grant Achatz of three-Michelin-starred Alinea. Krzyzewski says he looks forward to meeting Achatz, as he’s been reading more about the chef’s recovery from Stage 4 cancer, a disease that forced surgeons to remove a part of the chef’s tongue. Achatz says it’s important to increase early cancer detection and to raise awareness among patients, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies while empowering people to be their best advocates in a comfortable and confident environment.
“As a survivor of a lesser prevalent cancer type that is on the rise — especially in people under 30 — I feel it is my responsibility to raise awareness,” Achatz texts, adding: “I am happy to support the V Foundation in its efforts to combat this disease and bring a better quality of life to millions of people each year.”
The public-facing events include a cooking demonstration and lunch with Top Chef alum Fabio Viviani and the auction and gala on Friday, September 20, hosted by Coach K at City Hall in Fulton Market.
There are parallels between the intensity of restaurants and sports, the sometimes fiery Krzyzewski says. That was also noticed in The Bear, a TV series filmed in Chicago that cast Coach K unknowingly into a role the past two seasons. Coincidentally his middle daughter, Lindy, is nicknamed “Bear.” While Krzyzewski didn’t appear in the show, his book, Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life becomes a source of inspiration and support for Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney Adamu. Krzyzewski and Edebiri share the same talent agency, CAA, and the coach has sent an autographed book to the actress.
“The passion and the intensity that’s shown up in that show is remarkable and that’s why they’ve won so many awards,” Krzyzewski says. “They’re seeking excellence, and they know in order to seek excellence you need everybody on the team seeking it and working as one. There’s a lot of pressure in those kitchens.”
He adds that the culinary world is “very innovative too. You’re not just making a hamburger or hot dog — they’re producing a hell of a lot more than that,” Krzyzewski says. “Although the Chicago hot dogs and hamburgers are pretty good, too.” (Krzyzewski confesses he loves pizza, but isn’t enamored with Chicago deep-dish.)
Krzyzewski says they didn’t dine out much at restaurants growing up, but enjoyed homemade pierogi and sauerkraut. The family was fond of the White Eagle, the event venue that’s famous among the city’s Polish community on the Northwest Side in Niles. Though Krzyzewski’s father, William, was an elevator operator, he would eventually dive into the world of hospitality. He ran a spot that mostly served quick breakfasts and lunches to factory workers near California and Cermak in Little Village: “He wasn’t doing through anything innovative,” Krzyzewski says. “It was really a hard business.”
His father would go on to run a tavern called Cross’ Tap near Damen and 21st Place on the Lower West Side. William Krzyzewski went by the name of “Cross” — his son says during the time of World War II, his family was impacted by ethnic discrimination.
A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Krzyzewski says he learned to enjoy different types of foods while depending on Army rations for sustenance. That comes in handy being away from Chicago in the realm of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“My experience of being an Army officer and then traveling all over the United States and coaching is that you get spoiled by different foods from different cultures,” Krzyzewski says. “I’m also a big Las Vegas guy, and they have some of the amazing restaurants in the world, so I’ve adapted really well.”
While Krzyzewski says he isn’t interested in owning a restaurant, he says he does enjoy seeing friends, family, and former players post photos of their meals on social media.
“I like when people do that, and it also shows that you’re having a good time with friends, and so you would want friends to have a good time with family and friends, so they’re sharing that experience with them,” Krzyzewski says.
The sun is setting earlier and Chicago is prepping for football and fire pit season as fall approaches. Before we wave goodbye to summer festivals, let’s check out Eater Chicago’s 11 most anticipated restaurant openings for the fall.
But to do that, let’s look at the summer openings. From last season’s list, three restaurants were delayed to the fall. That’s not a bad conversation rate when there are a variety of reasons that can impact an opening date. For the fall, there are a pair of Beard winners with upcoming projects, a former Chicago Bear is about to open his second sports bar, a Top Chef winner is debuting a Fulton Market Roman spot for premier people-watching and a new tavern-style pizza spot in West Town.
A rendering of Cantina Rosa.Cantina Rosa
Address: 5230 S. Harper Avenue, Hyde Park
Key Players: Erick Williams, Jesus Garcia, Paul McGee
The fourth establishment from James Beard Award winner Erick Williams is a cocktail bar around the corner from Virtue in Hyde Park. Virtue GM Jesus Garcia is leading the project with a small bar bites menu inspired by Garcia’s native Mexico. As Williams and Garcia’s expertise is in restaurants, they’ve brought on noted barman Paul McGee to help with drinks and the flow of the space. They’re hopeful for a fall open.
Address: 2109 W. Chicago Avenue, West Town
Key Players: Land & Sea Dept., Beverage Director Megan Farnham, Land & Sea Culinary Director Dan Snowden
This West Town pizzeria’s progress provides a case study of how Chicago’s tavern-style pizza has soared into America’s mainstream. Land & Sea Dept. has converted its Chicago Avenue location of Parson’s Chicken & Fish into a pizzeria utilizing the patio of the existing space. This pizzeria didn’t debut in Chicago; the first location opened in 2022 in Nashville and has earned some national attention. Look for natural wines, micro beers, salads, and more. They’re targeting a fall opening.
Ema Glenview
Ema is expanding to the suburbs.Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
The North Shore is getting the second location of chef CJ Jacobson’s Ema, and it’s primed to give the suburbs a fun lunch and dinner option. Jacobson, a California native, has educated himself on cuisine from Israel, Iran, and other Middle Eastern countries. He feels those cuisines haven’t been as Americanized as food from China or Italy, and he feels Ema brings that type of perspective while leaning into Lettuce’s mantra of ensuring every customer is happy. For example: a kebob is made of brisket and is served with a hoisin barbecue sauce. Expect more salad options and a cute space with a skylight. The opening date is Tuesday, September 10.
Rosebud is going Mexican in Downtown Chicago.Rosebud
Tavern on Green was a popular spot for downtown happy hours, but shortly after the pandemic Rosebud on Randolph took over the space, but its life was cut short. Now, Rosebud chef Mauricio Gomez, who started at the company in 1991, will helm a Mexican restaurant inside the space at the corner of Randolph and Michigan. Look for a fall opening.
Gavroche’s facade on Wells Street.Gavroche
Address: 1529 N. Wells Street, Old Town
Key Players: Jason Chan, chef Mitchell Acuna
Wondering where industry vet Jason Chan has been? Chan, whose resume includes Juno, Kitana, Butter, and Urban Union, has been busy with what he’s calling a boutique restaurant, a 32-seater in Old Town, taking over a space that has seen spots like BomboBar and Wild Taco fizzle. Gavroche is a French restaurant that will serve both classic and modern fare. Chan and chef Mitchell Acuna — he worked at Boka, and North Pond — will offer an 18-item menu and Chan is particularly excited about serving sturgeon roe rarely found at restaurants from Polanco Caviar. They’re looking at an October opening and Chan jokes this would be a place where James Bond would take his wife for dinner.
Address: 51 W. Hubbard Street, River North
Key Players: Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, beverage director and partner Kevin Beary, chef and partner Bob Broskey
As River North recovers from the closure of Hub 51, Lettuce Entertain You is ready to introduce Chicagoans to a new bar — formerly called the Dip Inn. Inspired by an Italian restaurant, Gus’ Good Food, which stood at the same address from 1906 to 1966, the new spot, Gus’ Sip and Dip will feature a cocktail list of about 30 drinks from Kevin Beary (Three Dots and a Dash). Chef Bob Broskey’s menu will feature bar classics including dipped and traditional sandwiches. Late fall is the hope, but don’t be surprised at an early winter opening.
Joe FlammBarry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
Address: 1045 W. Fulton Market, Fulton Market
Key Players: Joe Flamm, Day Off Group
Chicago native Joe Flamm has zeroed in on Roman cuisine to star at his Fulton Market restaurant. It’s called il Carciofo and customers can look forward to Roman-style pizzas, noodles from a pasta lab, and decadent gelato and sorbet. Look for a fall opening
Chef Amar MansuriaIndgo
Address: 2101 S. Morgan Street, Pilsen
Key Players: Amar Mansuria, DJ Charlie Glitch
Construction is underway in Pilsen on this restaurant which will include several facets of Mexican and Indian cuisine. Amar Mansuria ran Cafe Indigo along 18th Street, and now he’s looking to expand with a bar, all-day cafe, and more. Mansuria wants to debut the space in phases starting this fall.
LOULOU
Jason Hammel wearing his James Beard medallion.Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
Key players: Jason Hammel, Amalea Tshilds, Siren Betty Design
Address: 3057 W. Logan Boulevard, Logan Square
At the end of August, Lula Cafe celebrated its 25th birthday with an avalanche of special dinners. Beyond the anniversary, the Logan Square icon has had an eventful summer as the restaurant won a James Beard Award in June. The fall will give Jason Hammel and company more time to apply the finishing touches at Loulou, located just a few blocks from Lula. Loulou isn’t a traditional restaurant. Hammel sees it more as a collaborative studio that will welcome artists, writers, and chefs, to host unique events that go beyond the boundaries of a typical eatery. In many ways, Loulou will channel the energy that Lula displayed when it opened in September 1999 harnessing a DIY spirit in a neighborhood that wasn’t known for its restaurants. Times have changed.
Soul & Smoke Evanston
Soul & Smoke’s ribs.Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
Address: 1601 Payne Street, Evanston
Key Players: D’Andre Carter, Heather Bublick
Soul & Smoke, owned by the husband-and-wife duo of D’Andre Carter and Heather Bublick, continues the journey toward upgrading the original location into a full-service restaurant. Soul & Smoke sells some of the city’s best barbecue brisket and ribs, and also has locations off the Chicago River in Avondale and West Loop at the Accenture Tower (they also serve fans on the 300 level at Soldier Field). The three locations somewhat limit Carter and Bublick, who have fine dining backgrounds. The improvements to the Evanston location will allow for an expanded menu, allowing specials a regular place on the menu, and cocktails. The opening has been pushed back, but the couple is hopeful for fall.
Former Bear Israel Idonije speaks a Soldier Field food preview.Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
Address: 1736 S. Michigan Avenue, South Loop
Key Players: Israel Idonije, chef Stephen Gillanders
Former Chicago Bear Israel Idonije has keyed on opening businesses in the South Loop. He’s already opened Signature, a sports bar with food from S.K.Y. chef Stephen Gillanders. The two are working on a second project, taking over the former Kroll’s South Loop. Named after A.E. Staley, the founder of the Bears, Staley’s will serve wings, chips and dips, sandwiches, and pizza. It will be open during Chicago Bear gamedays through September, starting on Sunday, September 8. The space won’t fully launch until October.
Lately, there’s been a rising tide of anger from so-called Chicago pizza purists who object to the term “tavern-style pizza.” The objections have coincided with the increased national popularity of the thin-crust pizza which is cut into squares and triangles. Even Pizza Hut has a Bizarro version.
Through these civic shenanigans, a 74-year-old Rogers Park pizzeria is trying to adapt to the times. Candlelite, founded in 1950, has established itself as one of the city’s most beloved spots for thin-crust pies. Instantly recognizable along Western Avenue for its neon sign, it’s become a pillar of the Loyola University community and is Sister Jean-approved. They’ve been selling frozen pizzas via Gold Belly and briefly opened a stall inside the Time Out Chicago Market food hall.
After looking at a few spots, the esteemed pizzeria is ready to open a second location this month, treading on rival DePaul University’s turf in Lincoln Park. Candlelite is partnering with the iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury Street, taking over the comedy club’s food and drink service. Candlelite owner Pat Fowler says the theater’s co-owner, Larry Weiner, is a loyal customer in Rogers Park and floated the idea.
“It’s like having two businesses in one building — two iconic Chicago businesses,” Fowler says.
The bar will seat about 80 and be friendly to sports fans with games shown on TVs. A separate dining room — which will feel more like the original Candlelite — will seat an additional 100. They’ll also serve on two patios with 50- and 100-seat capacities. They’ve already redone the kitchens, bringing in conveyor-style pizza ovens, similar to the ones they have on Western.
Pizzas will be available during shows with servers bringing them to tables. The tables are smaller than traditional dining room tables, so Fowler and staff had to find the appropriate pizza stands to hold full-size pies while allowing room for drinks.
“What’s cool for us, from that standpoint, is iO is a destination, right?” Fowler says. “You know, people want to go to a show, and they’re willing to come from far away or nearby. So we’re able to draw from that.”
Candlelite has changed hands several times over seven decades, and Fowler — a former pizza delivery man who started in 2008 — purchased the business in 2012.
The original restaurant’s full menu — with burgers, sandwiches, and options for kids — will be available, and Fowler says they’re working on their beverage selections, hoping to potentially work with Off Color Brewing whose taproom is across the street. They’ll have some fun cocktails as Fowler reminds us that Candlelite’s famous neon sign features a martini. Speaking of the sign, crews in October will install a replica of the original outside the new restaurant. They’ve turned the sign into a logo, using it for their line of frozen pizzas.
In Rogers Park, Candelite has become a community icon and part of the Loyola Rambler community. Fowler wants to enjoy a tight relationship with the Lincoln Park area, even if that means cavorting with Loyola’s rivals at DePaul.
“I’ll either need Sister Jean’s permission or I’ll have to ask for forgiveness,” Fowler says with a laugh. “But we love supporting local so DePaul will definitely be something we want to incorporate openly with Sister Jean’s permission.”
Candlelite Lincoln Park, 1501 N. Kingsbury, planned for a mid-September opening.
This Labor Day, Van and Rachel are bringing you a brand-new segment called the Van LaTEN! This time, they count down the top 10 Black beauties of the ’90s.
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Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay start the episode with updates on Donald Trump’s indictment (05:22) and the release of a letter from Mark Zuckerberg detailing the censorship pushed by the Biden administration (12:26). Then, they talk about Lil Duval’s tweet and the pandering (or lack thereof) toward Black men in politics (23:41). Finally, they recap the recent Keith Lee drama (36:52), Tyrese’s latest comments on the Black community (49:51), and the strange pattern in white influencers’ social media pasts (1:01:08).
Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Producer: Ashleigh Smith
Shortly after the Chicago Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team’s culinary staff began brainstorming how to incorporate the star college quarterback’s “Bear Claw” hand gesture.
Levy Executive Chef Ryan Craig invented the Campfire Milkshake for Sox fans.
These self-serve kiosks use AI and are new for 2024.
These grab-and-go items can be purchased in the self-serve kiosk.
Levy Executive Chef Ryan Craig who already created a viral stadium hit earlier this year with the Chicago White Sox, perhaps providing the South Siders with the highlight of their woeful season with his invention, the Campfire Milkshake, and his team recognized that Williams had provided them with an opportunity. During a media food preview on Wednesday, August 28 at Solider Field, the Levy team unfurled a trio of Bear Claw items. There was a giant pretzel with beer cheese dip and cinnamon-cream cheese icing on the claw (available at the United Club South Market and in the suites); a collaboration with Do-Rite Donuts with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, toffee piece, orange and blue M&Ms, and whipped cream (United Club Bistro, Miller Lite Midway; and suite ticketholders can order a giant cookie with orange and blue icing from Sugar Bliss, a bakery located inside the Palmer House Hilton.
Craig and his staff are trying to match the fan enthusiasm with high expectations as Williams has the potential to give the Bears the perennial All-Pro quarterback the franchise has lacked. Sports food is more fun when the team is actually competitive. Not that Chicago fans know about that.
This doughnut-cookie hybrid is also shaped like a bear claw.
It’s also an opportunity for Levy, which earlier in the year outbid incumbent Delaware North to take over food operations at Soldier Field. The Chicago company already provides services to Guaranteed Rate Field, Wrigley Field, and the United Center. Levy took over this summer right after the Rolling Stone concert on June 30, and there’s been a transition period as Levy rebrands all of Soldier Field’s concession stands. The process will continue over the next 10 days. The goal was to complete the transformation by the September 8 home opener versus the Tenessee Titans. New names include “Burnham Bar,” “606 Sausage Co.,” and “Shoreline BBQ.” Connie’s Pizza remains at the stadium, but the name’s been changed on the facade to Pizza Soldato (Sections 119, 132, 152, 231, 322, 351, 435, and 443).
Shoreline (Section 134) is where fans will find a hot dog inspired by rookie wide received Rome Odunze, the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft. The Odunze Dog is a jalapeño-cheddar dog surrounded by Italian beef and topped with spicy giardiniera, cheddar crumbles, and secret sauce. It’s a salty take on an Italian beef combo.
The smash burgers are created by Boka chef Chris Pandel.
Levy’s presence provides an opportunity for one of Chicago’s most decorated restaurant groups. For the first time, food from James Beard Award-winning Boka Restaurant Group will be available inside a stadium. (Stephanie Izard’s taco stand inside the United Center is an independent venture unaffiliated with Boka, her regular restaurant partner). They’ll serve hand-breaded chicken fingers from GG’s Chicken Shop, with all the fancy dipping sauces. GG’s (Sections 125 and 150) is a fast-causal spot with food from Boka Executive Chef Lee Wolen, a noted Cleveland Browns fan. Next door, at the new Burger Bar (Section 126), they’ll also serve smash burgers created by Boka Group chef Chris Pandel (Swift & Sons, Cira). In October 2022, Levy acquired a minority stake in Boka which opened the door to collaborations. They’ve already collaborated on food at the Art Institute of Chicago. Will Boka also feed Blackhawk and Bulls fans at the United Center and Chicago’s North and South side baseball fans? The company’s lips are sealed… for now.
Rookie wideout Rome Odunze has his own dog, a tribute to Chicago’s Italian beef combo.
The Honey Bear is named for the team’s old cheerleading squad.
For years, AI and analytics have promised to revolutionize the way professional sports teams are assembled. Fans are now seeing the impact on the stadium food experience. New for 2024 is more than 60 self-checkout kiosks with AI-powered cameras that recognize cans of beer, slices of pizza, boxes of popcorn, and other concession items. Made by a company called Mashgin, these kiosks are installed for faster checkout with a claim that they can increase sales.
While Craig didn’t create a sequel to the Campfire Shake for the Bears — he says he needed to let the White Sox have that and that winter might be too cold for ice cream — there are two notable new beverages. Former Bears special teams star Patrick Mannelly has collaborated with suburban Mundelein’s Tighthead Brewery on a beer, Longsnapper IPA. There’s also a new cocktail with a nod to forgotten history. The Bears are one of a handful of teams without cheerleaders, disbanding the squad, called the Honey Bears, after the 1985 season. For 2024, the team has unveiled a drink with lemonade, simple syrup, and honey called Honey Bear. Add vodka for an upgrade. Levy’s senior director of operations for Soldier Field, Kara Jacobs, suggested the name as she was reminded of when the Honey Bears made visit when she was part of a pom pom team growing up in suburban Libertyville
Pizza Soldato is just Connie’s Pizza in disguise.
Levy has been busy rebranding all of Soldier FIeld’s signage.
LA PLATA, Argentina (AP) — Agustin Creevy is set to end a 19-year international career after Argentina plays Australia in the Rugby Championship in his La Plata hometown this weekend.
Creevy informed the Pumas of his plans this week, and the 39-year-old hooker was included in the reserves for Saturday’s test.
Since his test debut in 2005 against Japan on the wing, Creevy has set Argentina records for the most tests (109), the most as captain (51) and the most appearances in the Rugby World Cup (22). He led the team to the 2015 World Cup semifinals.
“I am leaving after having given it my all,” he told ESPN. “I have played to the utmost, and it is time to step aside because it is best for the team, and, like I always say, the team comes first.
“I have many mixed feelings. Of sadness, of joy and, above all, of immense pride for having worn this shirt for a long time. All the decisions and actions I made, everything I went through was to wear the Los Pumas shirt that I love so much.”
The Wallabies later announced a starting lineup with yet another skipper. Harry Wilson will lead the side against Argentina — Australia’s eighth captain in 15 tests and the fourth under Joe Schmidt in five matches this season.
It allows Schmidt to start his most damaging props, Taniela Tupou and Angus Bell, with Ala’alatoa providing leadership from the bench.
No. 8 Wilson has played 15 tests and faces a difficult leadership assignment against a Pumas team that upset the All Blacks in Wellington in the first round of the tournament.
Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi said Creevy’s decision didn’t play any part in giving him a sendoff in his hometown.
“This is the national team, the best players play. What we consider to be the best 23 for each match,” Contepomi said. “It is a blessing for him to have been able to make the decision to retire and not to be retired by rugby. We support him in his decision. He will bear his emotions inside. This day was going to come at some point, it was not going to last forever.”
Creevy wasn’t expected to play test rugby again after his fourth World Cup last November in France, where the Pumas reached another semifinal. But an injury to Julian Montoya prompted Contepomi to recall Creevy for the tests in New Zealand. He came off the bench and scored the go-ahead try against the All Blacks in a stunning 38-30 win in Wellington three weeks ago.
Montoya, who succeeded Creevy as the starting hooker and captain, praised his former mentor.
“I debuted when he was captain. We have been together for 11 years, competing for a position,” Montoya said. “We have a very nice relationship and I thanked him for how he sponsored me in my beginnings. I couldn’t have chosen anyone better for that and I am grateful.”
The Pumas made three changes after losing the second match to the All Blacks 42-10 in Auckland two weeks ago.
Joel Sclavi replaced tighthead Lucio Sordoni, who has gone to France to complete his transfer to Racing 92, Franco Molina was back in the second row and bumped Marcos Kremer to his natural position on the flank, and Santiago Cordero was on the wing for the injured Matias Moroni.
On a bench split 6-2, forwards Guido Petti and Santiago Grondona could make their first test appearances this year.
___
Argentina: Juan Cruz Mallia, Santiago Cordero, Lucio Cinti, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras, Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou; Juan Martin Gonzalez, Marcos Kremer, Pablo Matera, Pedro Rubiolo, Franco Molina, Joel Sclavi, Julian Montoya (captain), Thomas Gallo. Reserves: Agustin Creevy, Mayco Vivas, Eduardo Bello, Guido Petti, Tomas Lavanini, Santiago Grondona, Lautaro Bazan Velez, Tomas Albornoz.
Australia: Tom Wright, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hamish Stewart, Marika Koroibete, Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (captain), Carlo Tizzano, Rob Valetini, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell. Reserves: Josh Nasser, Isaac Kailea, Allan Alaalatoa, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Max Jorgensen
With all the excitement over joining the Big Ten this season, it’s important for the third-ranked Oregon Ducks to be ready for their non-conference opponents, too.
“You can’t come out sleepwalking. I think that happens from year to year, people just come out sleepwalking and if you fall into that you just dig yourself in a hole,” new Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel said. “So, it’s all about starting fast, dominating the middle eight, and then finishing strong.”
The Ducks open the season Saturday against Idaho as one of the newest members of the Big Ten. There are lofty expectations for Oregon with Gabriel under center.
The sixth-year senior joins the Ducks after two seasons at Oklahoma. Last year, he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He also ran for 12 touchdowns, second most nationally among QBs.
Idaho also has a new quarterback in Jack Layne — an Oregon native — after last year’s starter Gevani McCoy transferred to Oregon State. Layne, a redshirt sophomore, started in one game last season, throwing for 275 yards and six touchdowns.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning said it doesn’t matter the opponent, the Ducks’ focus is always on improving in all facets of the game.
“We know that we want to set the bar for us: What’s our bar? What’s our standard? What do we want it to look like? And being self-aware enough that you can go attack the things that you have to improve,” Lanning said. “And regardless of who you’re playing, when you’re playing, we always talk about our biggest opponent is Oregon, right? We have to go play or do the best to be the best version of Oregon that we can be.”
According to a statement from a league spokesperson: “As the one distribution partner that declined to expand along with us, Comcast Xfinity viewers in many areas will not have access to live broadcasts of the highly anticipated inaugural B1G season games for Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.”
Comcast said in a statement that it is sensitive to the impact on Xfinity customers and hopes for a fair agreement with Fox and the Big Ten Network.
Starting center
Lanning wasn’t going to reveal Oregon’s starting center against Idaho. Among those in contention for the job during fall camp were Iapani Laloulu and Charlie Pickard.
The Ducks need to replace Jackson Powers-Johnson, last season’s Rimington Trophy winner who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round of the NFL draft.
Laloulu started for the Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl while Pickard is a former walk-on whose dad went to Oregon.
“We’ll send out the group that we think has done the best in fall camp to start the game. But I think for us to think long-term we have to be able to prepare and have multiple guys play at multiple positions,” Lanning said.
A look back
Oregon finished last season 12-2, with a loss to rival Washington in the final Pac-12 championship game before capping the season with a 45-6 drubbing of Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon’s offense averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game, second nationally in both categories.
Idaho, which plays in the Big Sky, went 9-4 last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs before losing to Albany, 30-22.
In addition to losing McCoy to the Beavers, wide receivers Hayden Hatten and Jermaine Jackson both went to the NFL. Six other starters for the Vandals went to the transfer portal.
Less than eight months after playing for the national championship, Washington makes its debut under new coach Jedd Fisch with a completely remodeled program. Most of the stars from last year’s team have moved on either to the NFL or new schools. Fisch took control after Kalen DeBoer moved to Alabama and will unveil his overhauled roster against Weber State, highlighted by new quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jonah Coleman, and a defense under the command of Steve Belichick. Weber State returns nine starters from last year’s team that went 6-5 and the Wildcats begin the season ranked No. 22 in the FCS.
KEY MATCHUP
Washington returns only one full-time starter from last season’s team so the opener against the Wildcats will be a test of how well the remade roster can come together. Fisch said effort and fundamentals are the two of the things he’s most interested in seeing. There are also the concerns of complacency and making sure Washington isn’t looking past Weber State. It was only three years ago that Washington opened its season by losing to Montana at home.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Weber State: DE Brayden Wilson has been the most honored player in the preseason for the Wildcats. Wilson was named a preseason all-Big Sky and preseason All-American by some outlets. He led the Big Sky last season with 16 1/2 tackles for loss, including 7 1/2 sacks. He could be a test for Washington’s new offensive line.
Washington: Rogers and fellow QB Demond Williams Jr. Fisch made it clear that Rogers’ experience playing at Mississippi State in the SEC was a factor in naming him the starting QB. But Williams is a promising freshman who pushed Rogers in training camp and seems likely to get some amount of playing time this season.
FACTS & FIGURES
Washington’s first game as a member of the Big Ten. Weber State’s first game against a team from the Big Ten. … The Wildcats were picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky preseason poll. … The Huskies won’t leave Seattle for their first four games. After this week, Washington hosts Eastern Michigan, plays Washington State at Lumen Field and opens conference play at home against Northwestern. … CB Elijah Jackson is the only full-time starter to return from last season for Washington – and he might not even start the opener.
Texas Tech opens coach Joey McGuire’s third season with its first game against Abilene Christian since 1949. That is an FCS program only about 170 miles from Lubbock. The Red Raiders lost in double overtime at Wyoming to start last season, and will try to avoid dropping consecutive season openers for the first time in 25 years. Former Texas Tech defensive coordinator Keith Patterson is going into his third season as ACU’s head coach with a 12-10 record.
KEY MATCHUP
Red Raiders running back Tahj Brooks ran for 1,538 yards last season, with eight 100-yard games. He also had at least 95 yards in three other games. Abilene Christian gave up 210 yards rushing per game last season. Brooks is 1,167 yards shy of Byron Hanspard’s career school record of 4,219 yards rushing from 1994-96.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Abilene Christian: Maverick McIvor is going into his third season as the Wildcats starting quarterback. He spent three seasons at Texas Tech before that, but never played in a game for the Red Raiders. McIvor threw for 1,972 yards last year with 17 TDs and five interceptions.
Texas Tech: Junior quarterback Behren Morton started eight games for the Red Raiders last season, and of those seven games that he finished they won six of them. Morton took over for injured Tyler Shough, then played through his own shoulder issues. Morton was a full-go in preseason practice after T ech held him out of the last part of spring drills after he was declared the starter.
FACTS & FIGURES
The Red Raiders added three offensive linemen through the transfer portal that arrived with a combined 81 career starts. … Texas Tech is entering its 100th season of football. The seventh game in its program history was a 10-7 win at Abilene Christian on Nov. 11, 1925. … Texas Tech’s Drae McCray led the Big 12 last season averaging 27.6 yards on kickoff returns. He had three returns of at least 50 yards, including a 100-yard touchdown.
The Oregon Ducks are looking for a comfortable win before the big games arrive in their inaugural Big Ten season that is filled with hopes of a deep playoff run. Quarterback Bo Nix is now in the NFL, replaced by Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel. Idaho is picked to finish third in the Big Sky after a 9-4 season that included a run to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.
KEY MATCHUP
Facing an Oregon offense that last season averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game, Idaho’s defense will be tested. The Vandals ranked 14th nationally among FCS teams in yards allowed (306.8). All four of Idaho’s starting defensive lineman return from last season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Idaho: QB Idaho Jack Layne takes over after last year’s starter Gevani McCoy transferred to Oregon State. Layne, a redshirt sophomore, started in one game last season, throwing for 275 yards and six touchdowns.
Oregon: Gabriel. All eyes will be on the sixth-year senior and Heisman Trophy hopeful. Last year, he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He also ran for 12 touchdowns, second most nationally among QBs.
FACTS & FIGURES
The Ducks’ preseason ranking is their highest since 2014. … Idaho starts the season with four of its first five games on the road. After the Ducks, the Vandals visit Wyoming. … Oregon has won 19 straight home openers and 32 straight against nonconference foes in Eugene. … Idaho kick returner Abraham Williams, a Weber State transfer, has five 100-yard return touchdowns in his career, one short of the NCAA record. … Oregon was one of just three teams in the nation last season to rank in the top 10 for both scoring offense (44.2 points per game) and scoring defense (16.5 points per game). … The last time the two teams met was in 2004. Oregon won 48-10 at home.
Two teams with high expectations meet for the first time. Coach Jimmy Rogers hopes to lead South Dakota State to a third straight Championship Subdivision title and his Jackrabbits haven’t lost a game in nearly two years. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is entering his 20th season with the Cowboys. They return all but one starter from a team that won 10 games last season. The Cowboys are expected to contend for a Big 12 title and a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. The Cowboys are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball while the Jackrabbits return just three starters on offense and five starters on defense.
KEY MATCHUP
Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon vs. South Dakota State linebacker Adam Bock. Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns last season and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. Bock, an FCS All-American with 344 career tackles, anchors a stingy defense that limited opponents to 88.1 yards rushing per game in 2022 and 89.6 yards in 2023.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Oklahoma State: WR Brennan Presley, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, caught 101 passes for 991 yards and six touchdowns last season. Look for QB Alan Bowman to target Presley and fellow wideout Rashod Owens (63 receptions, 895 yards, five scores) early and often if the Jackrabbits bottle up Gordon.
South Dakota State: QB Mark Gronowski threw for 3,058 yards and accounted for 37 total touchdowns to win the Walter Payton Award as the top FCS player. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior is 37-3 as a starter and led FCS quarterbacks in passing efficiency (179.67).
FACTS & FIGURES
FCS No. 1 South Dakota State has won 29 straight games and two national titles since losing to Iowa by four points in the 2022 season opener. … The Jackrabbits averaged 37 points and 450 yards per game last season. … South Dakota State’s defense limited opponents to 9.3 points and 257 total yards per game last season. … The Cowboys return seven offensive linemen with a combined 200 career starts, including preseason All-Big 12 picks Dalton Cooper (49 career starts) and Joe Michalski (23 career starts).
MONZA, Italy (AP) — Lando Norris claimed he’s not feeling the pressure — no more than normal at least.
Norris secured a dominant victory at the Dutch Grand Prix last time out to continue to chip away at Max Verstappen’s lead at the top of the Formula One standings.
The McLaren driver moved to within 70 points of Verstappen with nine races remaining and much of the focus will be on how the title fight could develop at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
“I don’t think of (the expectation) at all,” Norris said on Thursday. “There’s always pressure. I still get so nervous before qualifying, before the races I still get just as excited and just as nervous.
“I barely eat anything on Sundays, I struggle to drink anything on Sundays, just because I’m nervous and because of the pressure,” the 24-year-old Briton added. “But I think it’s how how you turn that into a positive thing, how do you not let it affect you in a bad way, how can you actually use it in a good way to help you focus on the correct things and so on.”
It was clear last weekend at Zandvoort that Norris’ team had the fastest car following McLaren’s latest upgrades. That points to what could be an increasingly competitive title fight with Verstappen in the last nine races of the season after the Dutch driver was far ahead of the rest in 2022 and 2023.
McLaren also cut the gap to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship to 30 points as the team chases its first title since 1998.
It was only a second ever win for Norris. The other victory was in Miami in May, and he has finished second four times since then.
Verstappen had never been beaten on his home track but Norris has been quick to temper enthusiasm about a reignited title race.
“Monza’s a very different track. It gives the team a good amount of confidence and always a little bit of a boost, but it doesn’t change your feeling,” Norris said. “We know we’ve been performing well the whole year since Miami, we’ve been doing a very good job and this was a weekend where everything just went perfectly.
“We’re pushing hard every weekend, of course our goal is to catch in both, especially from a constructors’ side it looks a lot more doable than the drivers’ side. But I’m doing my best, the team’s doing their best and that’s all we can hope for.”
Verstappen said last weekend that “something has been going on lately with the car” and that Red Bull needs to figure out how to combat twin problems of a lack of pace and higher-than-expected tire wear.
The three-time defending champion is now without a victory in five races, his longest winless run since 2020. But Verstappen appeared unfazed by his narrowing lead.
“Listen, I just do the best I can,” he said at Monza. “If I win it or not, it’s not going to change my life. Would I like to win it? Yes, of course.
“But it’s not in my hands with the performance of the car because I just try to do the best I can, try to give feedback, try to make it faster. If that’s going to be enough to the end of the year, I don’t know.”
The Rebels are coming off their first 11-win season and aiming high again, this time for the newly expanded College Football Playoff. They’re enjoying the program’s highest preseason ranking since 1970. Furman is coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and won the 2023 Southern Conference championship. The Paladins return only seven starters, though.
KEY MATCHUP
An Ole Miss defense that stocked up in the transfer portal against an offense that lost its starting quarterback, top running back and the four offensive linemen who played the most snaps. The Ole Miss transfer group includes former Texas A&M defensive lineman Walter Nolan, ex-Florida defensive end Princely Umanmielen, former Alabama cornerback Trey Amos and Arkansas transfer linebacker Chris Paul Jr.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Furman: All-SoCon bandit Luke Clark had 53 tackles last season and led the team with six sacks. He’s picked to repeat for all-conference honors.
Ole Miss: RBs Ulysses Bentley IV and Henry Parrish Jr. will get their chances to shine with star Quinshon Judkins now at Ohio State. Bentley ran for 540 yards last season while Parrish returns for his second stint at Ole Miss after leading the Miami Hurricanes in rushing each of the past two seasons. Miami of Ohio transfer Rashad Amos was a 1,000-yard rusher last season.
FACTS & FIGURES
An Ole Miss win would mark No. 300 on the field at Vaught-Hemingway, not counting victories that were later vacated by the NCAA. … The Rebels are 21-2 at home since 2021, with two 7-0 seasons. … Furman finished last season ranked in the top seven in the FCS polls, its highest final ranking since 2005. … A Furman defense that ranked 11th in the FCS allowing just 18.2 points per game returns only four of its top 15 tacklers. … Furman won the only previous meeting 7-2 on Nov. 14, 1924, in Greenville, South Carolina.
MANZANEDA, Spain (AP) — Pablo Castrillo picked up an emotional stage win in the Spanish Vuelta on Thursday, the day his team’s founder died.
Castrillo gave Kern Pharma the victory in the 12th stage a few hours after the team said its founder and former president, Manolo Azcona, died at the age of 71.
“How happy Manolo would be,” the team said in a statement. “This one is for you.”
It was the first Grand Tour stage victory — and first professional triumph — for the 23-year-old Castrillo.
“It really is a very special day,” he said. “I can’t believe I’ve won in my first Vuelta (stage). I dedicate this win to my team, to my family and above to all to a very special person, Manolo Azcona. I thought about him the whole stage, to win as a tribute.”
There were no changes in the general classification after the 137.5-kilometer (85-mile) route that ended with a long climb into the city of Manzaneda in northwest Spain.
Ben O’Connor kept the leader’s red jersey. The Australian remained more than three minutes ahead of three-time Vuelta champion Primoz Roglic and Enric Mas.
Friday’s 13th stage will be a 176-kilometer (109-mile) route through the summits of Galicia.
“Tomorrow is an extremely hard finish,” O’Connor said. “It will be one of the most important days since the start of this race.”
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