By JERRY RILES

The New York Yankees are the Champions of the World. They defeated the Philadelphia Phillies to win the 2009 World Series for the 27th time in franchise history.

Call it money, call it high priced talent, call it the greedy, but whatever the case, the boys in pinstripes made it happen again. 7-3 was the final from the new Yankee Stadium. Alex Rodriguez collects his first.

Derek Jeter latches on to another. Johnny Damon picks up one with his second team. The Yankee magic continues in the Bronx. The goal and the mission was to win the entire thing after the Steinbrenner family invested and built a $1-billion modern day Yankee Stadium.

They acquired a smart, disciplined, and intellectual manager in Joe Girardi. They sought out and convinced C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira to sign on with a team of stars and they all made it happen.

 

Even pitcher Andy Pettitte, after all the steroid controversy, can finally smile up to the baseball gods and say thank you.

Are the Yankees deserving of the championship? Did they simply pay for the darn thing? Do you hate New York? Maybe yes to all or some, maybe no to all or some. But one thing for sure the drought is finally over in the Big Apple.

After nine years the Bronx-bombers once again bring home the World Series title and they win it in front of the hometown crowd. Even those fortunate enough to spend more than $1,000 for a seat per game during the regular season. How sweet it is.

Even former White Sox nutty guy Nick Swisher gets a ring. 29 homers during the season and most of them on the road. What a great teammate and quite an acquisition by the organization.

And son Hal the new GM of the team, was so elated after the victory, that he shouted out to daddy George Steinbrenner during the post game celebration who was watching from home, and said "Dad this one's for you."

The Boss gets his wish. Another title! A-Rod finally had the opportunity to hoist the trophy as a World Series Champion after an incredible post-season performance including six homeruns while also being binged three times.

Love 'em or hate 'em, the Yankees do it the right way. They pay, they play, they win. Hideki Matsui was named the game's MVP after killing the Phils pitching, including Game 6 hurler Pedro Martinez.

Godzilla belted in six runs in leading the Yanks to the 4-2 series victory over the defending champs. What a night in New York. Lady Liberty certainly is standing proud sitting in the Hudson River just outside the city that never sleeps.

The captain Jeter once again held the trophy in the house that HE built, and super closer Mariano Rivera was so ecstatic that he predicted that he would return to play for the squad for another 5 more years. And just think, it all started in spring training.

These guys just seem to play the game the right way, and when that happens, everyone can now see what the results are. The White Sox tasted that magic in 2005. Let's hope the Cubs can share in the experience come 2010.

The Ricketts, new owners of the organization, made a prediction after paying $850-million for the team, that there would be a World Series victory on the north side. The only question not answered was when.

Hopefully, the new family will be able to tell their fans very, very soon, "This one's for you." Congrats to the 2009 World Series Champions. The New York Yankees.

 (Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye)

 

By JERRY RILES

Here come the Hawks. Man, here come the Hawks. What a tremendous performance by Coach Joel Quenneville's bunch.

The Blackhawks skated to a 6-5 come from behind victory over the Calgary Flames over at the United Center.

The comeback, as you've heard by now, was for the record books. Trailing 5-zip in the first period, the sluggish boyz ripped off six unanswered goals in the next 45-minutes to knock off the Flames in front of a spirited UC crowd of 20,000.

Brent Seabrook scored the game winner :26 into the overtime period. OVERTIME! This was the second time in two games the Hawks needed extra time to win. Saturday it took a club record nine-round shootout against Colorado to claim that amazing 4-3 victory off an Andrew Ladd goal.

It would be the longest shootout in team history. Last night's overwhelming win would be the Hawks biggest comeback in the team's history as well.

Some hockey experts around town believe the guys on skates have a better and more exciting game than the guys on the hardwood. What do you think? Back-to-back history making performances supports their argument.

The Bulls are still trying to figure things out without their star player and second year head coach Vinny Del Negro.

Derrick Rose has yet to lace them up this early preseason due to a bad wheel. If you ask me, both the NHL and the NBA are pretty good and exciting. Could they both improve...of course?

Jonathan Toews believes if the Hawks stay the course and reach their short term goals throughout the season the bigger picture of advancing to the Stanley Cup will happen for sure.

 "To win our division or make the playoffs, even, is going to be a tough task," the captain explained.

"We have to not try to bite off more that what we can chew at any given time. If we keep everything short-term and worry about that, the long-term goals will take care of themselves."

 With Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and the rest of the boyz it should make for a fun and exciting season.

(Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye)

By JERRY RILES

Hey, Miguel Cabrera you can try to blame it on the alcohol as Jamie Foxx would say. Unfortunately, I don't think you'll get off that easy.

I don't mind having a nice cold one or two after work with co-workers and/or friends, but to hang out with the team who's chasing you in the division and possibly trying to help eliminate the Detroit Tigers from the playoffs, man that's cold.

To make matters worse, you get to the house at about 5am in the morning and began to get into it with your wife. If she's upset with you for staying out all night long and then coming home intoxicated the only thing you needed to do was man up.

"I said I was sorry for what I did," said Cabrera, who sat in front of his locker with a contrite look.

 

That's it? All this commotion as the team makes a playoff run and you can just say to them I'm sorry? I don't think skipper Jim Leyland is going to accept that kind of apology sitting down. You guys have to play 163 games this season to get into the playoffs. Talk about selfish.

Despite a 2-run blast off the end of your bat, the Tigers are going home and the Twins will face the New York Yankees in the first round of the ALDS. Talk about timing. You got caught with the three Ds. Drunk, Domestic, Defeat. What a tough week.

I must commend your wife Rosangel. She did not put up with your crap. How dare you begin yelling and fighting with her after staying out all night with a White Sox player in a Birmingham (Detroit suburb) hotel?

She had every right to scold and kick you out of the house. Now, you were the only two in the house, so I don't know if she hit and attacked you or not, but police felt they had to remove you from the residence to prevent any further confrontation.

 I don't condone hitting women. Just be a man and step away. I know in your state it must have been somewhat difficult. It's been reported that Cabrera's blood alcohol level registered a .26 later after being taken to the police station.

Wow! Must have been pounding those tequila shots pretty heavily. And just think you had a game a few hours later. The question remains, should Cabrera have been out at all, let alone until 5am on a game day? Should he have gotten into a verbal (and possibly physical) confrontation with his wife waking his 4-year old daughter? Should manager Jim Leyland have punished the superstar by benching him down the stretch and into the tie-breaking clash against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night?

I guess when you're the man and can play the game of baseball better than most players in the league you can get away with almost anything. Including getting filthy drunk and fighting with your wife instead of just going home at a decent hour and sleeping it off.

Cabrera told his teammates and the media that it wouldn't happen again. I hope for his sake  that's remembered the next time he slams a few cold ones down. Thank goodness it wasn't his wife who got slammed.

Then again, I think maybe she was the one doing the slamming that early Saturday morning.

 You go girl!

(Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye)

By JERRY RILES

 

Cubs fans said goodbye to another year of not reaching the ultimate goal. Another season of saying "wait 'til next year". The 101st time the franchise will look toward another season of trying to get that monkey off their backs.

In one of his final press conferences of the season, Cub manager Lou Piniella told reporters that injuries were the main reason the Northsiders struggled in '09. It had nothing to do with a lack of production regarding pitching or hitting.

So, I ask the question, why was hitting coach Von Joshua brought in to boost the team's offense? He replaced Gerald Perry midway through the season in hopes of lighting a fire under a group of so called sluggers who could barely hit the side of a barn.

The only real bright spot for the Cubs offensively was second baseman Ryan Theriot. At one point during the first half of the season, the little spark plug had cranked out something like four homers in a five game span.

That all slowed down after a local writer simply asked the innocent question about rather or not The-riot was under the influence. The influence of possibly engaging in performance enhancing drugs.

Of course Theriot isn't engaging, we believe, but the newspaper article appeared to have some type of effect on him. He began to struggle at the plate along with the rest of his teammates. Joshua was supposed to change the hitting style of the Cubs, not work half a season.

GM Jim Hendry fired Perry halfway into the season. The logic behind the move was that Joshua was better suited to work with the younger guys, like Theriot and others.

"Basically I told him it wasn't anything that I was upset with him," Hendry explained. "He didn't do anything wrong. But when you come from the system in the middle of year, if things don't make significant differences, in improvement, then obviously in my opinion we need to do something different."

This sounds fishy to me. Why give him the job back in June then take it away from him in October? That's basically three months of service.

Now reports indicate that Joshua will go back down to AAA and former second baseman and current Peoria Chief skipper Ryne Sandberg may replace the former White Sox hitting coach. But why unload him at the end of the '09 campaign?

Could this be the first shoe to drop because of the new ownership in the Ricketts family? Are the Ricketts preparing to elevate Ryno to the manager's post after Sweet Lou is let go?

My concern for Cubs fans is will the new owners make smart business decisions, or just happy fan moves?

"Ryne has had a Hall of Fame career here as a player," Piniella said. "I'm not the one who is going to be hiring the next manager here, but certainly he'll be in the mix."

Remember this family used to hang out in the bleachers back when number 23 was making magic back in 1984 along with his loveable teammates. Unfortunately, Steve Garvey and the San Diego Padres put an end to that. But I digress.

For Cubs fans' sake, let's just hope this is the first move in the right direction for the struggling organization. Ryno replacing Joshua would be a great PR move.

I just hope the Ricketts don't become the Mark Cuban of baseball. Showering, taking batting practice, and yucking it up with the players because you own the team now. Instead, take a page from the Steinbrenner family and build a baseball dynasty like the New York Yankees.

Don't be too surprised if you see good ole Sarge, The Deer, Bobby Keith, and Jody-Jody Davis back in the pinstripes trying to bring back the glory days.

All that will be missing is Van Halen's Cub theme song "Jump" to start off the new regime. Here's to you, Men in Blue!

(Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye)

I'm in the journalist work area here at the Bella Center and Mike has just been escorted into the Bid Cities Presentation Hall along with the other pool videographers to get into place. It's 8:05a here in Copenhagen and there is plenty of buzz in the air, as you might imagine. Chicago 2016 will present in about 45 minutes, then there's a 15 minute Q & A from the IOC members who will vote.

They then must quickly leave the area and then we will be taken to another area for a news conference with Mayor Daley and Pat Ryan. Right now we don't believe the President or Mrs. Obama will be at that one. I did get about maybe 3 hours sleep last night but today will be a LONG work day...and that's NOT a complaint, just info sharing. This work is fun..though I'll be a zombie by the time we get to O'hare tomorrow night.

Antwan Lewis, WGN Reporter

Day three in Copenhagen. It is the last night before the big vote. There are going to be a lot of anxious minds in Copenhagen tonight.

A lot of folks have asked Antwan and I if we had a chance to see any attractions. My initial reaction is to say, "no, we're running around all day covering the 2016 events." Then I thought about that statement after talking to a local resident. He was telling me about Danish life and growing up in Copenhagen.

You know, all it really comes down to is people. Not statues or monuments or any tourist attraction. It's about taking a couple minutes to chat it up with the locals and you'll learn more about a culture than you ever will on a double decker guided bus tour.

Mike D'Angelo, WGN Photographer

For anyone who doubted that Oprah is her own universe, tell him to ask me about how the Copenhagen, Denmark crowd went beserk when she got out of the car tonight at the Chicago 2016 reception.

Dude...I'm serious.

She should have currency printed with her face on it. She was very kind and gracious to me during our interview tonight (she's always like that) and just came she says to take care of biz. She got a great reception for the Danes that's for sure. And off subject here...but has anybody found out what beer I should try while over here???

Antwan Lewis, WGN Reporter

Many of you may not know this, but I'm the "healthy one" in our newsroom. No, I am. The photogs hate me when it comes time to eat while we're out in the field because it's almost always some kind of green salad...chicken or tuna.

Having said that, OMG...I slipped over here in Copenhagen. I had a danish this morning. Ok...two. I set my alarm for the wrong time and was rusing and didn't get down to eat breakfast before Mike and I had to meet our taxi at 7a. So I had to eat "somethin" and WHAT would the Danes have out for the press to eat at the neews conference?? Danish. Those crispy flaky air-filled pockets of sin and no-redemption. Lol, BUT I will now have to try to get back on the wagon and but they sure were good!

Antwan Lewis, WGN Reporter

Wednesday: The heavy hitters are starting to arrive to support Chicago: First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Friday, President Obama arrives.

There is definitely an energy in the air tonight. The hoopla for Chicago is great, but one thing I am really enjoying is the array of languages being spoken here. The world is literally convening in Copenhagen for the 2016 vote.

Everywhere we go in this city we stumble upon a group of people speaking something different everyday. You have Danish, the official language of Denmark. There's Spanish, Japanese, German, French and the most appealing to my ear, Portuguese.

It's a good thing though, for me and Antwan, that everyone seems to speak a little English because if we tried our hand at any of the above languages we'd still be trying to get out of the airport.

Mike D'Angelo, WGN Photographer

Day 1: BUSY day today but this is so exciting. Denmark has a great "old world" charm to it, but we haven't had a chance to "see it" just yet...lol

The plane ride over was very smooth and I think I finally dozed off around 1am Chicago time. But it was packed and a lively flight.

Early day tomorrow for us b/c Michelle Obama arrives and there are a couple of events we'll be chasing down. If you miss my blog be sure to catch the live reports on the air and the stuff on the web. Also...ANYBODY with the name of a Danish beer I can bring back to my recuperating best friend Tom Negovan...PLS let me know. ( But he can't drink it until after he's of his pain meds)

Til tomorrow....

Antwan Lewis, WGN News Reporter

By JERRY RILES

 

Heads or tails? It can go either way. My feelings about the 2016 Olympics here in Chicago that is. I love the Olympics, sports, winning and definitely the City of Chicago. But I also love life and love my fellow brethren, although some of my close friends and family members may differ at times. All in all, the life that God has given us is very precious and we should all cherish each and every day that we breathe the air and walk on this glorious planet we call home. Unfortunately, there are too many young African American teens and young adults on the city's South and West Sides that no longer have that chance to enjoy life anymore.

 

 

 They are no longer with us because someone felt that their lives weren't important enough. Derrion Albert became the fourth Chicago public School student to have his life snuffed out by violence this 2009 school year. Corey McClaurin, senior at Simeon High School on the city's South Side, lost his life just five days before Albert fell victim to a senseless and brutal attack. Mayor Richard Daley and the Chicago 2016 Olympic supporters are in Copenhagen this week in hopes of convincing the IOC to vote in favor of awarding the City of Chicago the bid.

I think the city winning the bin would be an incredible honor. My question is at what expense? Better yet, at whose expense? The lives of young African American teens living on the South and West Sides? I hope not. Chicago and the United States are being represented very well, and by very high profile and prominent African American supporters. The list includes, Pres. Barack Obama and his lovely wife Michelle, Oprah Winfrey, an endorsement from Michael Jordan, Gold Medalists Jackie Joyner-Kersee, sprinter Michael Johnson, triple-jumper Michael Conley Sr. just to name a few.

Too bad this prestigious group of leaders can't or are not interested in finding time to help come up with a solution to the brutal violence that is taking place in the city. They're more interested in traveling overseas to help the Mayor secure the 2016 Olympic games. Again, I love the Olympics. My love began many years ago when I was cheering on Frank Shorter to win the marathon. I rooted for Mark Spitz before there was a Michael Phelps. I ran along with Edwin Moses as he pushed toward Olympic glory in the finals of the hurdles. Yes, I screamed at the television as Florence Griffith -Joyner, Jackie, Evelyn Ashford, Carl Lewis, Kristi Yamaguchi, Bart Conner, Bruce Jenner, and the many other Americans, who represented this country in the past Olympics, brought home the Gold medals.

 I urge the Mayor to rally a group of these individuals to come back to Chicago and help rid the City of these ridiculous acts of violence that are destroying its image. If Chicago receives the bid, jobs, programs, and better education must be implemented immediately to help those living in the community. The killings of young males must cease. The numbers are astounding. Before 2006, on average, 10-15 students were fatally shot each year. That climbed to 24 fatal shootings in the 2006-07 school year, 23 deaths and 211 shootings in the 2007-08 school year and 34 deaths and 290 shootings last school year.

Just this month, the city announced a $30 million project that targets 1,200 high school pupils identified as most at risk to become victims of gun violence, giving them full-time mentors and part-time jobs to keep them off the streets. Some money also will pay for more security guards and to provide safe passage for students forced to travel through areas with active street gangs.

Kudos to leaders like Fr. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina on the City's South Side. May his hard work and dedication to the lives of these young individuals not go unnoticed. So let the Games begin. But let's not forget that life is more than just a game. (Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye)

Our first day in Copenhagen. We are a bit jet lagged and sleepy after a seven hour red eye but we hit the ground running on pure adrenaline.

This city is beautiful with old narrow streets and traffic that will make the toughest Chicago driver cringe. Antwan and I are working hard to bring you the best pictures and sound from not only the 2016 delegation but from the locals as well.

-Mike D'Angelo, WGN Photographer

 
Vending machines have come along way in the past 2,000 years. According to the National Automated Machines Association, the first "vending machine" was put into use in 215 B.C., a device to dispense holy water used in the temples of Egypt. Uh, huh. Some other fun vending machine facts:

- The vending industry is a $30 billion a year industry, employing 700,000 people who work at an estimated 13,500 companies.

- 100 million Americans will use on of 7 million vending machines each day.

- 16.3% of all vending machines are located in schools and colleges. Most vending machines are located in manufacturing settings (30.2%)

NAMA will be set up in Navy Pier over the next two days, with dozens of vendors set up to show off their latest creations. Among the machines we caught - a cotton candy machine that whips up the sugary snack in seconds. The sticky will set you back $2.

Another is a futuristic, iPhone like machine called the Digi-Touch. This one was on display by Kraft Foods, who demonstrated how the flat-screen, Samsung created front allowed customers to touch their choice. If you insert a $20 bill, you'll get paper money in return. The machine also accepts credit cards. And in between orders, the flat screen turns into a large animated advertisement for the various products inside.

Kraft's Mike Miller told us about the various challenges the creative team had when designing the machine - which houses plenty of chocolate products.

"The heat from the screen was beginning to make the chocolate soft and melt a little bit," Mike told us. " What we've done, is we actually have two fans. One at the bottom to push the air out over the screen. One at the top to suck that air out of the top, so we don't have any issues anymore with soft or slightly melted chocolate."

Other machines include the Akoona Ice Machine, a behemoth of a product that pumps out bags of fresh ice for just 75 cents. It's a big improvement from gas station ice, which, according to Akoona Reps, often comes trucked in from large factories that use chemicals during the production process. Akoona's ice is chemical free and never touches a human hand. Pull your cooler up, and with three gushes, it's full to the brim.

The NAMA convention runs through Friday, but it's only open to vendors. Check out my video above to feel what it was like to be there. Plus, you'll get to keep some change in your pocket.

 

My toughest assignment yet? Following up on metromix.com's Best Wings feature (read it here). Seriously. Who wants to travel all over the city and eat wings all day? Oh, right. I do.

After narrowing the list down to 16 finalists, metromix asked Chicagoans to vote for their favorite - in Chicago, suburbs not allowed. The result was a crowning achievement for the Fifty/50 in Wicker Park, who was named the big winner. The tri-level sports bar has commanded plenty of attention since opening on Division Street a few years ago. Their wings are plenty meaty and smothered in your choice of sauce, all made right there in house. They'll cost you $9 for 8, but they boast only the best quality ingredients.

Another spot on the list that didn't even place or show - Abeng Stuart's Wings Around The World. I love this place on 75th Street. Abeng moved it there after the rent at his 35th street location became way too costly. The result is a smaller spot, but the same signature sauces remain. He makes them all from scratch, different varieties representing countries all over the globe. There's the award-winning honey lemon pepper (U.S.A.), Parmesan garlic (Italy), mango jerk (Jamaica), and so many more.

And to conclude, I have no idea how metromix.com left these wings off their list. I have to assume they've never eaten the Little Hotties at Take Me Out, Let's Eat Chinese on 18th Street in Pilsen. Other publications have referred to these wings as "chicken crack," and while I would never make a joking point about such a devastating drug, I have to concede the point. These wings are indeed chicken crack.

Karen Lim's family owns Great Sea Chinese Restaurant in Albany Park. The same chicken wings have been captivating locals for decades. Karen decided to franchise them out and stuck with the Take Me Out concept after a fire next door caused her to close and remodel. I find the wings at Take Me Out even better than the original - they're crispier, but still come slathered in that unbelievable asian sauce. Dare I say the Little Hotties are my favorite quick snack in Chicago?

If you're looking for the hottest wings in town, I've got you covered there as well. About a year ago, Jake Melnick's Corner Tap in River North unveiled their H-O-T Wings. These wings are SO hot, they claimed, customers would have to sign a waiver before eating them. Yeah, right. Nice gimmick. I went to try them myself. Here's what happened:

 


I know you all have an opinion, where can I find your favorite wings in Chicago? Leave a comment and let me know. Here are more details on the spots featured on tonight's segment:

The Fifty/50
2047 W. Division St.
773.489.5050
www.thefifty50.com
Monday-Thursday 11am-2am; Friday 10 am-2am; Saturday 10am-3am; Sunday 10am-2am
$9 for 8 wings

Wings Around The World
510 E. 75th St.
773.483.9120
www.flavorstoinfinity.com
Monday-Tuesday 2pm-12mid; Weds 12noon-2am; Thursday-Friday 12noon-4:30am; Saturday 12noon-5am; Sunday 12noon-7pm
$6.99 for 10

Take Me Out, Let's Eat Chinese
1502 W. 18th St.
312.929.2509
www.takemeoutchinese.com
$6.39 for regular order, $11.99 for family size
11am-9:30pm daily

By JERRY RILES

Stud pitcher Carlos Zambrano and just plain stud Milton Bradley.

No question these two players are the most fiery on this disappointing Cubs team this season.
Bradley was brought in to improve the outfield play and to solidify the left-handed spot in the team's batting order. Something the Cubs were missing from a year ago after they were swept by the L.A. Dodgers in three straight playoff contests.

The argument was the Cubs went down in the first round of the playoffs because they lacked hitting from the left-side of the plate.

GM Jim Hendry went out and acquired the volatile outfielder who was known for his outburst and violent temper. Hendry felt he could manage Bradley's demeanor and that he was one of the missing pieces the Cubs needed to go deep into the playoffs if not all the way to the World series and winning it.

Heck, he had already dealt with the fiery personality of big Carlos Zambrano who the organization signed to a hefty $90-plus-million-dollar deal. This was supposed to be an easy task.

Unfortunately, for Hendry and skipper Lou Piniella, the plan back fired and neither GM nor coach could handle the explosive nature of the two.

Big Z just a week ago scolded reporters about asking him if he wanted to stay in Chicago with the Cubs or be traded somewhere else. He sharply responded, "What kind of question is that? I'm done."
Zambrano abruptly left the post game press conference.

Hendry told Bradley to go home with 15 games remaining in the regular season after the struggling right-fielder responded to reporters' questions with "What else ya got, what else ya got, what else ya got?"

Hendry said Bradley was a detriment to the team and so he suspended him for the rest of the season. My question is, didn't the Cub brass figure this out before hand? Weren't they aware of his antics in the past? Did they think he was another Zambrano, and maybe did they think "Z" was another Milton?

I said the move was a great move, ONLY, if the Cubs and Lou could handle the two. The organization from top to bottom dropped the ball.

Both players appear to be ready for a new address. It is clear Zambrano is ready to take the money and run. It's unfortunate that neither player wants to play ball for the organization in an effort to bring home a World Series title. But you can't overlook Hendry and Piniella. They certainly cannot go blameless in this debacle.

The whole team has crumbled before our eyes. And it's a sad situation.

I say good riddance to the both of them because it's obvious they're more interested in the money that the game, but shame on the other two for not handling them in a proper fashion. Lou at times seemed uninterested. Then to call Bradley out in front of his teammates, chase him down into the locker-room on the road and call him a "piece of sh%!" and to take the uniform off and go home was just wrong.

How would Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox, Joe Girardi, or even Ozzie Guillen have handled the situation?

All the Cubs can do now is just agree with their fans and say, "wait till next year." It's only 101 years and counting.

(Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye)

It's a gear head's paradise this weekend, as the 3rd annual Chicago Nationals Hot Rod Show invades the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. The event will feature over 2,000 Hot Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars and Trucks. There will be a swap meet, street challenges, and drag races at the Route 66 Raceway on Friday night. Tickets cost $17 for adults, and $6 for kids 12 and under. You can purchase them here.

On tonight's WGN News, I went to check out The Roadster Shop, a custom car design and manufacturing facility in north suburban Mundelein. Neal Gerber, along with his sons Phil and Jeremy, took a small auto-collision repair shop in Elgin and turned it into a thriving Chicagoland business. Two years ago they opened their 30,000 square foot facility that now employs 25 people. They take orders from all over the country - from rebuilds and restores, to complete constructions and detailing. The Roadster Shop does it all under one roof.

Their recent claim to fame comes with a design spearheaded by Phil Gerber, a complete retooling of a classic 1962 Corvette which won Goodguys "Street Machine of the Year" designation. Phil and the team tore the car down and modified EVERYTHING. It now features an aluminum front and grill, an exposed glass windshield, bright red leather interior, and some really cool electronic doors that open with the push of a button.

You can view the entire process of restoring the car on the Roadster's website here. It was made for a client in Wisconsin, and while the staff vows secrecy when it comes to how much customers pay for their vehicles, staff says an auto with as much modification and rarity as the '62 Corvette could sell for about $500,000. And no, they won't put it on your credit card. Or at least on my credit card.

If you'd like to check out the Roadster Shop in person, here's some information:

The Roadster Shop
 28775 N IL Route 83
Mundelein, IL
847.949.7637
www.roadstershop.com

Hillenmeyer Takes Over At Middle Linebacker

  

By JERRY RILES

The Bears and Lovie Smith should be able to survive without the services of middle linebacker Brian Urlacher after it was announced on Monday that the 10 year veteran will miss the remainder of the season because of a broken wrist.

 

While Urlacher has been a serviceable player on the defensive side of the ball, he hasn't been overwhelming in that position. He is a great physical specimen and a pretty decent athlete, but to think the Bears defense will falter because he's not in the starting lineup is kind of stretching it. I like Brian, but I think he's a tad bit overrated. The question was asked, could the Bears continue to make a run toward the Super Bowl, after it was revealed that Urlacher's season was over, or were they done? There are four individuals who can answer that question, or more importantly, must answer that question. They are GM Jerry Angelo, Head Coach Smith, Defensive Line Coach Rod Marinelli, and Quarterback Jay Cutler. There lies the answer to the million dollar question. It's not the receivers, the corners, or special teams.

 

Rick Bayless can cook. Chicago didn't need a reality show to tell us that. Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" let America in on our not-so-secret master of all things Mexican.

His resume speaks for itself. In the late 1970's, Rick hosted the PBS television series "Cooking Mexican." He would spend time after that researching the culinary arts in Mexico. To this day Mr. Bayless still frequently travels down south, sampling authentic eats from roadside vendors and the finest chefs in Mexico. He's won the James Beard Award (like a culinary Oscar). He was one of the first chefs to open a fine-dining Mexican restaurant (Topolobampo). Last August, Rick was named Top Chef Master in Bravo's star-studded cooking show.

His latest restaurant Xoco, a quick-serve Mexican street-eats spot located next door to Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, opened just this week. The spot took two years to conceive and construct, which means Rick was in no way planning on the outpouring of popularity that has come since his "Top Chef" win. The lines for Xoco have been out the door, probably due to the fact that customers can get a taste of Bayless for just $8-$13.

I brought a WGN camera into Xoco today and grabbed a few minutes of Rick's time. He told me he's pulling 16 hour shifts this week, working the line with his new staff to make sure everything goes to plan. If you want to check out Xoco for yourself, here's some information:

Xoco
449 N. Clark Street
Tuesday-Saturday, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
http://xocochicago.com
312.334.3688
The lines might look long, but most customers are waiting 20 minutes at the most
 

Our feature on Xoco from tonight WGN News is above. I'll be posting my entire talk with Rick on the blog tomorrow. For now, check out Kevin Pang and Monica Eng's trip to Xoco on The Stew.

It was 1948. Maurie Berman had returned from World War II. He was going to college, and he and his new bride Florence (Flaurie) were looking for a way to help pay for his schooling. They decided to open a small hot dog stand on Chicago's northwest side. 61 years later, Superdawg (6363 N. Milwaukee, Corner of Milwaukee & Devon) still stands, offering up its vintage drive-in flair and jumbo dawgs in a box.

A few things different about the Super-dawg. It's a tad thicker than your standard wiener. Oh, that's another thing, don't call them wieners. They don't like it. The dawg comes with all of the standard Chicago style fixings - neon/alien relish, onions, pickle spear, mustard. They do include a tomato in the box, but it's a pickled green tomato. Lip puckering good.

I know what you're thinking - I'm different, I like ketchup on my hot dog. Here's my advice. Don't ask them for ketchup on your hotdog. They won't do it. However, they'll gladly provide a side of ketchup for your fries, and as their operations manager Don Drucker told me, what a man does with ketchup in his private dining area is his own business. Personal privacy is key at Superdawg.

But back to the matter at hand. Superdawg will be opening a second drive-in location, much bigger than the first. It'll feature their car-hoppers delivering grub right to your car window. All of the Superdawg menu will be there. It'll be just like hitting the original spot, but right in the backyard of Northwest Suburbians. Here's the location:

Superdawg Drive-In 2
333 S. Milwaukee
Wheeling, IL

They're aiming for a mid-November launch. We'll be sure to keep you posted, in the meantime, check out the Chicago Tribune's writeup on Maurie, Flaurie, and their new location.