SO MUCH OF CURRENT PRO SPORTS IN CHICAGO is all about tedium.
Tweedle-dee, tweedle-glum.
Major teams, at best, chase minor postseason slots.
“Rebuild” anchors too many front-office philosophies, like some kind of budget-friendly salve intended to fool fans.
High ticket prices and rising cable TV costs are as certain as grating property taxes.
THAT'S WHY THE LOCAL HI-JINKS of three mismatched “Bs” in recent days — the Bears, the streaking Milwaukee Brewers and the Savannah Bananas — have been most welcome.
The Bears, even in the startup phase of the Ben Johnson era, once again represent hope.
The Brewers — in the midst of a five-game series at Wrigley Field — show what a small-market David can generate in winning spirit and attention to detail.
The Bananas are a true entertainment phenomenon as their two-show run at Rate Field underscored. Maybe they weren't the Beatles making their Chicago debut at the International Amphitheatre (on Labor Day weekend 1964), but they are on the same fresh entertainment boulevard.
BETWEEN THE LINES, some realities about the trio of transiting blues-breakers:
The Bears — Yes, the 38-0 win over the visiting Bills Sunday night suggested B.J. and the Bears are on course. … And yes, Caleb Williams looked very good and Tyson Bagent appeared sharper than his father at a senior arm-wrestling tournament. … But who can forget that the three editions of Matt Eberflus finished 8-2 in preseasons, capped by last year's 4-0 mark? … And how did that all work out?
The Brewers — Allegiance jumping is suddenly the current rage, uh-huh, in the NL Central's I-94 bandwagon hop. … Pat Murphy's classics-oriented suds smackers, with Christian Yelich at the fore, are embraceable. … Craig Counsell's Cubs 2.0 reflect all the zip and zing of Jed Hoyer at the trade deadline. … The MLB postseason is supposed to be random but far too frequently favors the checkbook brawny. … So both fan bases might be left to remember September.
The Bananas — They came, they clowned, they conquered. … And they are as family-friendly as a Chick-fil-A. … Phenom bosses even had the brain-spin to thrill the South Side crowd with yellow playing turns by Mark Buehrle and A.J. Pierzynski Friday night and on-field cameos featuring Ozzie Guillen and Paul Konerko Saturday. … Yankee Stadium is sold out for two nights next month, and Savannah's aggressive national TV schedule picks up at 6 p.m. Thursday on truTV.
SO PLEASING SHOWMANSHIP AND THE PURSUIT OF SUCCESS came calling in multi-colors during some midsummer sports distractions.
So what if only one of three was of actual benefit to a Chicago pro franchise?
For a handful of brief, resolute moments, the tedium was lifted.
The local blues broken have to enjoy it while they can.
STREET-BEATIN':
In a rarity, no Chicago radio station topped 5.0 in the latest batch of Nielsen Audios. WDRV-FM (97.1) and WLIT-FM (93.9) dead-heated for first, each with a 4.9. (That parity is testimony to the death rattle of terrestrial radio in Our Town.) Mitch Rosen and his straining mirth makers at WSCR-AM (670) lolled along tied for 13th (2.8); as a non-subscriber, languid ESPN-AM (1000) remained unlisted. …
Fox's Joe Davis and Greg Olsen used extra-padded kid gloves while interviewing CHI CEO Kevin Warren during the first half of the Bears-Bills game. (Vlad Putin would have a rougher time in front of Russia's Federal Assembly.) Among other things, the Duke of Delay informed that both Chicago and Arlington Heights are in Cook County and that a blindfolded fan, when unmasked in the new stadium, “will still know he's in Chicago.” (Must be a Penn and Teller thing.) …
Jim Thome — still one of the nicest men to ever play MLB — made the trek from his Southwest suburban base to Cleveland for a ceremony honoring longtime play-by-play man Tom Hamilton. Sandy Alomar Jr. was also on the dais (but no Ghoulardi or Barnaby). Hamilton was Cooperstown's 2025 Ford C. Frick winner. …
Al Jardine, who regaled Daily Herald readers a few years back with tales of playing FB behind “beanpole quarterback” Brian Wilson for the Hawthorne High (Calif.) sophomore “B” team, headlines the Des Plaines Theatre Saturday afternoon and the Arcada in St. Charles Sunday. Those will be the first Chicago-area appearances for Jardine and his Pet Sounds Band since the passing of the fabled Wilson in June. …
And Taylor Bell, on news that “The Score” will not carry DePaul men's basketball games this winter: “Maybe they'll pick up Dan Bernstein's podcast or Chicago State games to fill air time.”
Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him atjimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.