It can’t be the players. Notre Dame attracts the best. So is it the coaching? Irish should be among nation’s top 10 teams every season.

Wonder if 5-foot-6 guard Dana Evans (Gary West, Louisville) still figures in Chicago Sky’s future. They’re 13-26, have lost 8 of last 10, and WNBA playoff hopes fading. Evans has been productive, starting 12 games and averaging 7.2 ppg. while shooting .958 from the line.

Had enough, Cub fans? Missed 2023 postseason by a hiccup. Were mediocre this season in a 2-team division, bullpen was sketchy, offense struggled at — of all places — Wrigley Field, and didn’t seem to care. There’s talent but something’s missing, again.

Thank you, Griffith’s Phil Mason — fifth head coach since legendary Russ Radtke in 2011. You’ve brought fight and attitude back to Panther football with 1st winning season since 2018. My alma mater currently 5-0 with 3 shutouts and 44.4 to 9.0 point differential.

NBC Sports Chicago will always be more entertaining, more colorful, outspoken, informative and hard-hitting, than Marquee Network and its mix of pablum-fed“celebrities” can ever be. Bulls, Hawks & White Sox fans deserved better than this.

The career of baseball great Pete Rose featured a NWI angle: Rose starred from 1963 to 1986 with Cincinnati Reds, and managed the team from 1984 to 1989. Hammond Morton grad Darrel Chaney was Reds’ shortstop from 1969 to 1975 and member of ‘75 World Series champs.

Too bad you don’t do local sports

I hear The Times has a new managing editor. A few suggestions regarding your subpar local sports coverage: (1) Add some full-time writers who know the area. (2) Hire a columnist not afraid to speak his/her mind. (3) Soften deadlines so game results are current. You’re welcome.

And then present ownership became so tight with a buck, upper management squeaked when it walked.

And they certainly have.

Letters to the editor can be scathing on occasion, but the only feedback The Times wants is your subscription. Been that way for years, unfortunately.

Atlanta WR Darnell Mooney never looked this good with the Bears.

True. You or I could’ve caught that one in our younger days.

Watching unbeaten No. 23 Indiana at Northwestern on the Lakefront and noticed 2 Hoosier players from NWI — both redshirt juniors — Merrillville’s JoJo Johnson (DB) and Valparaiso’s Cooper Jones (OL).

Purdue’s defense is downright offensive, having allowed 177 points in 5 games. That’s 35.4 per.

As Bears throttled terrible Carolina team, I recalled once-promising career of DT Kawann Short (EC Central, Purdue) with 32.5 career sacks in 99 games (2013-20) for Panthers — Super Bowl runners-up in 2015 — who went 68-59-1 in Short’s tenure before wheels came off franchise.

Can you get me a bottle of “the other windshield solvent” and I’ll pay you later.

God bless those who live in Florida or have family and friends there. Our daughter now calls Orlando home and just filled her first sand bag the other day. Prayers for all.

Hammond’s Carey Pinkowski, far right and pictured with fellow track legends Rudy Chapa and Tim Keough, were No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 high school 2-milers in the nation, respectively, in 1975. Pinkowski is now executive race director of Chicago Marathon.

Hammond’s Carey Pinkowski has breathed life into 46th Chicago Marathon as executive race director. Sunday’s race features more than 50,000 runners from 50 states and 100 countries, and had economic impact to the city of nearly $550 million in 2023.