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Sports

Eddie Olczyk unlikely to return as the Chicago Blackhawks TV analyst — and the team was ‘blindsided’ by the news

In a potentially seismic event in the Chicago sports market, the Blackhawks and TV analyst Eddie Olczyk appear to be parting ways.Olczyk likely won’t return as a color commentator for Hawks games on NBC Sports Chicago, the Tribune confirmed. The Athletic first reported the expected split Monday.AdvertisementAccording to The Athletic, “negotiations stalled” before the Hawks could officially renew Olczyk’s contract, which expired June 30.Olczyk could not be reached for comment.AdvertisementA Hawks source said the team believed it had given the former Hawks forward an “above-market offer” on a multiyear contract extension that “significantly” increased his salary per game.Team officials thought they had reached a verbal agreement weeks ago and were awaiting Olczyk’s signature, the source said, and they were “blindsided” by Monday’s development.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Under his old contract, Olczyk was paid for a full 82-game schedule, though each year he would bow out of local games on occasion to work for TNT and other national hockey broadcasts as well as to handicap horse racing for NBC.The new wrinkle was the Hawks wanted to switch to a per-game rate, though they sweetened the offer for each game. According to the team source, “Eddie still would have been one of the highest-paid broadcasters across the league.”The Hawks hadn’t been calling possible replacements for Olczyk, the source said, but exploring fill-ins for those occasions when he would be assigned to national broadcasts.Olczyk has been the Hawks color commentator since the 2006-07 season, when he was paired with Dan Kelly.But it was the combination of Olczyk and Pat Foley, who joined him in 2008, that became synonymous with Hawks broadcasts.Foley stepped away from his play-by-play duties after last season’s farewell tour. Despite speculation that he was pushed out, both Foley and the Hawks said his exit was amicable.AdvertisementChris Vosters was named Foley’s successor and will need a new partner if Olczyk doesn’t return next season.

Sports

North Carolina woman voluntarily dismisses civil complaint against Chicago Bears and Mario Edwards Jr.; lawyer says she plans to refile it at a later date

The North Carolina woman who sued the Chicago Bears and defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. last year voluntarily dismissed her complaint earlier this month, according to Mecklenburg County court records.On Oct. 14, Joann Blakney filed a civil complaint that accused Edwards of assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress and the Bears of negligent supervision and defamation relating to an altercation at a Charlotte, N.C., hotel on Oct. 17, 2020.AdvertisementThe Bears filed a motion to dismiss their case, but Blakney withdrew her complaint before the team’s motion was to be heard in court this month. A Bears source said the team did not attempt to reach a settlement with Blakney. Edwards also did not attempt to settle, according to his agent, Peter Schaffer.Blakney also dismissed complaints against Bears vice president of security John Tarpey and Stanford Hotels Corporation employees Paul Horner and Jeffrey A. Burton, court records show.AdvertisementCriminal charges against both Edwards and Blakney from the October 2020 incident are still pending, according to the Mecklenburg County district attorney’s office.Blakney’s attorney, Arcangela Mazzariello, said in an email she plans to refile the civil complaint after dealing with her client’s criminal charge of misdemeanor simple assault. Mazzariello said the criminal case is on the court docket this week.Edwards faces a criminal charge of misdemeanor assault on a female, but the summons has not been served because he has not returned to North Carolina.The incident happened the night before the Bears played the Carolina Panthers in October 2020.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bears take Mario Edwards Jr.’s assault charge ‘very seriously,’ Matt Nagy says. The team was informed of incident the night it happened. ]According to the suit, Blakney said she engaged in consensual oral sex with Edwards but he became violent when she rejected his request to have intercourse. Schaffer said last year that Edwards engaged in consensual sexual activity with Blakney and left when she became angry over a disagreement about the extent of their relationship.Blakney alleged in the complaint that shortly after the incident Bears employees asked if she wanted or needed money, brought Edwards to her despite her wishes and falsely said publicly she was a prostitute.A police report obtained by the Tribune listed Edwards and a 28-year-old woman as victims and said officers were responding to a report of “a female hitting a male with her hand and scratching his forehead.” The report stated that Blakney went to the hospital for her injuries, which were listed as “bruises/scratches.” She said in the suit the injuries included a concussion and trauma to her vision and abdomen.The NFL completed an investigation of the incident last summer and concluded “there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that there was a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.”AdvertisementEdwards is in the second year of a three-year, $11.66 million contract with the Bears.

Sports

‘This thing’s a rock star’ J.T. Compher brings the Lord Stanley Cup to Northbrook

J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School (GBN) graduate, brought the Stanley Cup to Northbrook on July 15.The Colorado Avalanche recently clinched the 2022 NHL championship and Stanley Cup. Compher is a center for the Colorado Avalanche.AdvertisementCompher shared the Stanley Cup at a Friday Northbrook Park District event at the Northbrook Sports Center on the same rink where Compher experienced ice hockey as a Northbrook Bluehawks youth player.“To be in Northbrook for today is super special to me,” Compher said. “I grew up here, I played all sports here, played hockey in this rink for a long time, just super excited to see everyone that’s helped me get to this point.AdvertisementHolding the Stanley Cup is J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate, pictured with the Glenbrook North High School hockey team. Image from the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)“There’s been people that played large roles, small roles, all important though, to make sure I was able to, first, live my dream as a professional hockey player and now as a Stanley Cup champion.“This is why it feels as good as it does because of the support that I get from people in this town,” Compher said. “That’s what makes it so special, is how many people helped me get here.”Compher made an afternoon visit with the Stanley Cup to the Landmark Inn Bar and Grille in downtown Northbrook, surprising diners.Earlier, Compher brought the cup to a Northbrook fire station, then to the 11:15 a.m. sports center where a large turnout awaited.There, Northbrook Village President Kathryn L. Ciesla presented Compher with a village proclamation featuring a red and white ribbon gold seal, proclaiming July 15, 2022 as J.T. Compher Day.Northbrook Village President Kathryn L. Ciesla takes a Stanley Cup photo with J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate and member of the 2022 championship team, the Colorado Avalanche. Image from the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)Also present were Compher’s parents Bob and Valerie Compher plus siblings Morgan Compher, 25, and Jesse Compher, 23, who won an Olympic silver medal with the 2022 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey team at last winter’s Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.J.T. Compher’s girlfriend Sydney Badger of Las Vegas, Nevada also attended.“This is the best part of living in a town like Northbrook where it’s just wholesome, it’s excellent,” Ciesla said.Advertisement“A kid, a family, right? … of great athletes, comes back and shares their happiness with us, it’s perfect,” Ciesla said with a smile.“It’s wonderful, like this is exactly what the town needs and I think especially after recent events in Highland Park, I think it’s really nice to remember but move forward in a positive way,” Ciesla said, referring to the recent mass shooting at the July 4 parade in downtown Highland Park. “I think kids need it, parents need it.”At the sports center podium, J.T. Compher called for a moment of silence for Highland Park.The GBN ice hockey team was present along with Northbrook Bluehawks youth athletes.Center, Ryan Sandler, 16, of Northbrook, a rising junior at Glenbrook North High School and on the GBN hockey team, is seen through the Stanley Cup and on right is J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate and member of the Colorado Avalanche.  Images from the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)“What he’s doing is amazing,” said hockey player Ryan Sandler, 16, of Northbrook, a rising junior at GBN.“Seeing a Northbrook kid like us doing something on a stage this big is great.”AdvertisementEli Firsel, 12, of Northbrook, a rising seventh-grader and Northbrook Bluehawks player, said, “I think that it shows people that you can keep chasing your dream.”J.T. Compher said the Stanley Cup arrived about 8:30 a.m. on Friday at the family’s west Northbrook residence. Compher took the Stanley Cup upstairs to his childhood bedroom during the visit.His mother Valerie made chocolate chip pancakes, serving the hot cakes with syrup and butter in the top bowl of the Stanley Cup.“My mom’s made those (chocolate chip pancakes) since we were kids,” J.T. Compher said.The taste of chocolate chip pancakes from the Stanley Cup, “was really good,” Jesse Compher said.“It’s nice to have everyone back home.”AdvertisementLeft, J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate, shares a moment with sister U.S. Olympian women’s hockey silver medalist Jesse Compher, 23, a 2017 Glenbrook North High School graduate. Images from the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)While at home that morning, “She (Jesse) put the (silver Olympic) medal around the Stanley Cup and we were talking (about) how many siblings have an Olympic hockey medal and the Stanley Cup.“We don’t think there’s that many so it’s special and I’m super proud of her,” J.T. Compher added.Valerie Compher said about chocolate chip pancakes, “It’s the all time family favorite so having to share that in the Stanley Cup, I mean, how could that be bad?“We all took a fork and we all took bites out of it.”Bob Compher said, “It’s one of our go-to meals before hockey tournaments,” adding the approximate 10 chocolate chip pancakes that Friday with “no whipped cream, just syrup straight” are, “part of the tradition.”Photo opportunity donations at the sports center benefited Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook (of Glenview).Advertisement“It’s just awesome to have an event like this with the Stanley Cup in our backyard,” said Amy O’Leary, Youth Services executive director.J.T. Compher joined the Buffalo Sabres via the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft and was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2015. His name will be engraved with the Colorado Avalanche on the bottom rim of the Stanley Cup.“Sixty years they said it’ll be on there,” J.T. Compher said.J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate, kisses the Stanley Cup. Image from the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)“I still have to pinch myself sometimes.“It comes in waves, excitement and then it sometimes feels weird to even be by it (Stanley Cup).“It’s just crazy right now,” Compher added.Advertisement“To see how excited people get, kids, grown adults, everyone, their eyes light up and they say how shiny it is,” Compher also said about the Stanley Cup.“This thing’s a rock star.”Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.Here are a few more photos from Friday:With the Compher family of Northbrook. From left, Sydney Badger of Las Vegas, Nevada, Morgan Compher, 25, Bob Compher, J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate and member of the 2022 NHL championship team, the Colorado Avalanche, Valerie Compher and U.S. Olympian women’s hockey silver medalist Jesse Compher, 23, a 2017 Glenbrook North High School graduate. Imagefrom the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)During a moment of silence for the July 4, 2022 victims of the Highland Park mass shooting is J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate. Image from the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)People wait to have photos taken with the Stanley Cup and J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate and member of the 2022 championship team, the Colorado Avalanche. Image from the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate, carries in the Stanley Cup in a surprise entrance for fans before stepping onto the ice for a presentation. The Stanley Cup will soon have Compher’s name engraved on the trophy due to the 2022 championship win of the Colorado Avalanche. Image from the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)J.T. Compher, 27, a 2013 Glenbrook North High School graduate, points to the spot on the Stanley Cup which will have Compher’s name on it as part of the 2022 championship team, the Colorado Avalanche. Compher’s name will be on the cup for 60 years, Compher said. Imagefrom the J.T. Compher Stanley Cup appearance at the Northbrook Sports Center on July 15, 2022. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Sports

9/11 families call on Trump to cancel Saudi-backed golf event

Relatives of people killed on Sept. 11, 2001, are urging former President Donald Trump to cancel a Saudi-backed golf tournament set to be held this month at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.In a letter dated Sunday, members of the group 9/11 Justice asked to meet with Trump and urged him not to host the event, set for July 29-31, noting that Trump has blamed Saudi Arabia for the attack.Advertisement“We simply cannot understand how you could agree to accept money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s golf league to host their tournament at your golf course, and to do so in the shadows of ground zero in New Jersey, which lost over 700 residents during the attacks,” they wrote in the letter.“It is incomprehensible to us that a former president of the United States would cast our loved ones aside for personal financial gain,” they wrote to Trump, who is expected to run for president again in 2024. “We hope you will reconsider your business relationship with the Saudi golf league and will agree to meet with us.”AdvertisementIn the letter, the group noted that Trump told Fox News in February 2016: “Who blew up the World Trade Center? It wasn’t the Iraqis. It was Saudi. Take a look at Saudi Arabia.” He went on to say: “The people came, most of the people came from Saudi Arabia. They didn’t come from Iraq.”On Sunday night, Brett Eagleson, the president of 9/11 Justice, said he emailed the letter to a Trump aide in the afternoon and had not received a response.Eagleson, who was 15 when his father died on Sept. 11, said the stakes here were clear. It is “allowing the Saudis to literally get away with murder if this golf tournament is allowed to proceed,” he said in an interview.“It just sends a message that with the right amount of money, you can make people forget about anything,” he said, adding, “If anyone knows the extent of the Saudi role in 9/11, it’s Trump.”Messages left at Trump’s club in Bedminster, and with a spokesman for Trump, were also not immediately answered.The Saudi-sponsored golf league is part of a campaign by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to refresh the kingdom’s image in the eyes of the world.The man who defeated Trump in 2020, President Joe Biden, has recently faced criticism for his own connection to Saudi Arabia. Last week during a Middle East trip, Biden fist-bumped Crown Prince Mohammed, who was judged responsible by the CIA for the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Biden said he confronted Crown Prince Mohammed about the killing during a closed-door meeting with him; Saudi officials contradicted his account.Advertisementc.2022 The New York Times Company