I didn't go to business school or anything, but to my amateur eye, the Bulls and Blackhawks don't seem to have the strongest of stances in their negotiations with Comcast to carry the Chicago Sports Network.
This is based on what I gleaned from CHSN's statement over the weekend, in which the nascent network said that it had made multiple offers to be distributed on Comcast, and hadn't received any offer in return. Not even a "take it or leave it," as network head Jason Coyle told Jay Zawaski.
The rule of thumb is that it's better to be on the side that can afford to send calls to voicemail, but either way, it's completely mucked up the rollout of the new network across the spectrum of ways to get the channel. On the most archaic side, the Chicago Tribune says the network's over-the-air capabilities create a complication with Comcast, which doesn't like that the sports network is already being given away for free (CHSN disputes this report). On the most forward-looking side, the rollout of an app is hung up because the uncertainty with Comcast makes it difficult to price.
This doesn't yet affect the day-to-day enjoyment -- or "enjoyment" -- of the White Sox, but for the time being, in puts them in a weird limbo state in context of the MLB landscape. Rob Manfred told Puck's The Varsity podcast that Major League Baseball, which currently owns distribution rights for six teams, would ideally have enough to bundle to some streaming company and eliminate blackouts once and for all, but the teams with lucrative RSNs probably wouldn't be on board. The White Sox would much rather be on the side of the haves than the have-nots in order to press a financial advantage, but if Comcast continues to play hardball while the Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls generate little enthusiasm about the immediate product, that opening may be hard to create.
Spare Parts
According to Evan Grant of the Dallas News, Rangers bench coach/offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker is no longer in the running for the White Sox managerial opening, so there's some evidence of the list shrinking instead of expanding.
Among all the disturbing details of this expose into one family's slow descent into the online gambling hellscape, two stand out:
- FanDuel reps texting high-activity accounts that haven't gambled in a while offering free money.
- This disclaimer:"The Athletic has a partnership with BetMGM."
I've never developed the gambling gene because I dislike losing a bet far more than I like winning one, and this makes me thankful that the thrill has eluded me.
With Chaim Bloom already on board to take over for John Mozeliak as president of baseball operations after the 2025 season, he's made his first hire by bringing aboard Cleveland director of player development Robert Cerfolio as an assistant GM. It's effectively a year behind the White Sox's timeline, but in terms of who was available when Jerry Reinsdorf settled for Chris Getz, St. Louis is worth watching as a sort-of parallel universe.
The MLBPA won one battle in their move to make Sutter Health Park in Sacramento closer to big-league caliber. Major League Baseball originally planned on an artificial surface due to the wear and tear from hosting two teams -- the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats have to be accommodated as well -- but with average midsummer highs hovering over 100 degrees, heat was a real concern.
Whether a kid or an adult, anybody attempting a new sport benefits from the most forgiving environment possible. I played on Rich's team in my first curling league, and there was nobody better for a beginner. In a booming baritone, he had a euphemism for every mistake, and bragged about your triumphs to others on your behalf. Basically, he made it fun as hell even before any competence was attained. He gave the sense that if you were curling at all, you belonged there.
I'd say that everybody should live their lives like Rich, but that's probably impossible on a chemical level. He was an extrovert's extrovert who was powered by people. He was devoid of ego and incapable of embarrassment. You can't make yourself be any of those things, much less all of them. As an introvert whose voice blends into the frequency of fluorescent lights after five feet, I wouldn't stand a chance.
But there are smaller things to emulate: Appreciate audibly. Try talking to the person who showed up alone. Don't keep track of drinks bought versus drinks received. Remember what's supposed to be fun, and help others have it.
Rich used to answer the club landline, "Albany Curling Club, where all your dreams come true...". It always brought a half-smile, and then I ended up meeting my wife there. Life is, and Rich was, funny like that.
