We Did It!
Thanks for helping us raise over $12,500 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America! Spirit Week has been a blast and concludes with Diehard Day on today’s shows. Tune in!
👋 Good morning!
The two most exciting words in sports: Game Seven.
Have plans on Sunday night? Cancel ‘em — The Finals are on, and I have no idea what to expect anymore.
Indiana’s arguably impressed me more throughout the series, just as a scrappy underdog. And Pascal Siakam deserves all the praise in the world if the Pacers pull off the series upset.
But was their 17-point righteous pummeling of the Thunder last night just the product of a team emptying the tank with their backs against the wall at home? It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen something like that.
All I’m asking for is a close game.
⚾️ Summertime Sweepstakes ⚾️
Rate & CHGO are giving away a pair of tickets to the Rate Club for Cubs-Sox at Rate Field on July 26th.
All you have to do to enter? Download the Rate app and enter at:
No purchase necessary—just good vibes & great seats!
A Look Ahead to Draft Night
After re-acquiring the top-10 protected rights to their own first-round pick from the Spurs in the trade that sent Zach LaVine to the Kings, the Bulls will select 12th in the first round of the NBA Draft next Wednesday.
As a little primer to keep us informed and prepared, I asked Will Gottlieb for a bit of help in identifying a couple of prospects who could be on the board when the Bulls are on the clock:
COULD FALL TO 12: KHAMAN MALUACH, C, DUKE. The idea of Maluach is more interesting than what he actually is at this point, but if he were to fall to No. 12, the Bulls would have a real option for center of the future.
The behemoth big from Duke with a 9'9" standing reach would be a terrorizing rim protector and lob threat for years to come.
SHOULD BE THERE: COLLIN MURRAY-BOYLES, F/C, SOUTH CAROLINA. Murray-Boyles is a divisive prospect because he’s a 6'6" big, left-hand only offensive player without a jump shot.
However, Murray-Boyles is the best defensive player in the draft this side of Cooper Flagg, and would immediately provide some stability to a defensively limited core of Coby White, Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis.
If he hits, he could be a Draymond Green-Julius Randle fusion. If he misses, he’ll at least be a plus defender to complement the back line.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS: THOMAS SORBER, C, GEORGETOWN. Despite a season-ending foot surgery in February, Sorber’s stock has risen since the NBA Draft Combine due to his defensive numbers breaking analytics models.
Sorber is a high-floor, low-ceiling pick because of his offensive limitations — he’s neither a shooter nor a lob catcher — but his passing feel and defensive versatility make him an interesting option as a potential long-term center.
Thanks Will!
It’s just tough to get too excited about any direction the Bulls’ executives eventually decide to go at this point. After all, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley’s first-round track record since joining the Bulls’ front office is comprised of Patrick Williams, Dalen Terry, and Matas Buzelis.
Williams hasn’t lived up to his fourth-overall draft slot in five seasons in the league, and Dalen Terry has solidified himself as a deep reserve option off the bench, occasionally capable of providing a spark. Thank goodness for Buzelis.
⚾️ FRIDAY 1:20 ⚾️
Join Cody Delmendo and CHGO Cubs Diehards at Murphy’s Bleachers at 10 a.m. this morning before heading into Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs open a three-game weekend set against the Seattle Mariners!
SO CLOSE: Home runs from Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, and Ian Happ weren’t enough to overcome Jameson Taillon’s rough outing yesterday, in which the Cubs’ starter allowed five runs in four innings.
Once trailing 8-3, the Cubs scored two in the seventh and two in the eighth to pull within one. However, despite Happ reaching first to start the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs went out without much of a whimper with a Seiya Suzuki double play hammering in the final nail in the club’s coffin.
Crow-Armstrong’s homer, which came in the first inning of Thursday’s affair, made him the fastest player to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases for the Cubs in a single season.
AND YET, SO FAR: A doubleheader sweep pushed the White Sox’s losing streak to eight games. Kudos to Will Venable’s ballclub, which has shown plenty of heart despite the season’s hardships. The Sox trailed 6-1 through six innings in yesterday’s second game before a Mike Tauchman RBI single in the seventh set up Andrew Benintendi’s game-tying grand slam.
On the bright side? Top prospect Noah Schultz made his Triple-A debut on Thursday with the Charlotte Knights, striking out five. Not to bury the lede, but Schultz also allowed five runs in 5.1 innings pitched.
This one hits hard. Lorna was my nextdoor neighbor when I was growing up. She was the PD at WGN Radio, responsible for pairing Kathy & Judy, helped launch KFAN, etc. Just this week on @CHGO_Bears, my dad told the story about Lorna taking me to the Wrigley booth to hang out with
— #Adam Hoge (#@AdamHoge)
4:28 PM • Jun 19, 2025
📺 CHGO Bears
12:00 on YouTube
⚾️ Cubs vs. Mariners
1:20 on Marquee
📺 CHGO Blackhawks
2:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bulls
4:00 on YouTube
⚾️ White Sox @ Blue Jays
6:07 on CHSN
