Big Hurt Buys Heaven | Rat-Eating Cats | Paging Ted Lasso | McRib

Let's start Friday off right! Vote for Southpaw! The green, furry White Sox mascot (who replaced Ribbie and Roobarb) has been nominated for the Mascot Hall of Fame!

Thank me later, soccer fans. I've already put out a Twitter alert paging, Ted Lasso! The Chicago Fire has a head coaching opening. Heck, after going 12-25-14 record under canned coach Rafael Wicky, the Fire might even settle for Coach Beard.

Yes, they're fictional soccer coaches on an Emmy-winning TV show, but maybe a guy who spits quality clichés and has a heart of gold is exactly what the Fire needs right now.

They couldn't do any worse.

Patch's Jeff Arnold agrees with me: Paging Ted Lasso: The Chicago Fire Need Some Sort Of Spark

Summer-ish. High: 82 Low: 67.

• If the "Big Hurt" buys it, will people come? White Sox Hall of Famer Frank Thomas purchased himself a controlling interest in the company that owns the "Field of Dreams" cornfield ball diamond movie location in Iowa. Thomas' company, This Is Heaven, plans to create a "unique baseball destination." (Patch)

• Is Goose Island brewery run by union busters? Disgruntled former employees say the Chicago brewer targeted union organizers when dolling out layoffs during the coronavirus crisis. Goose Island officials said the layoffs were "entirely based on the new operating realities facing our industry." (Eater)
• The Illinois State Police are finally taking expressway shootings seriously. So far this year, there have been 185 expressway shootings — 100 more than during the same time period in 2020. A 157-percent increase in trooper patrols during peak shooting hours — evenings and overnight — starts today. (FOX32)
• Don't worry, Sox fans. Tim Anderson won't be suspended for the playoffs. The All-Star shortstop has appealed a pending three-game suspension for touching an umpire during last week's bench-clearing fracas in Detroit. Anderson probably won't face a league-mandated benching until next year. (Patch)
• We want cats! That's what aldermen in some rodent-infested wards want the city animial control department to send their way. The city is “slowly looking into” a rat-abatement effort involving feral cat colonies. (Block Club)

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For A Good Time, Click:

• Chicago Pride Fest starts today in Northalsted.
• It's Emo Night at Subterranean.
• Free Show: Chris Forman at Green Mill.
• Experience Story Jam at Old Town School of Folk Music.
• Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues at United Center

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Chicago Shorts:

• Chicago firefighters saved puppies from a house fire. (Twitter)
• Intrepid columnist Neil Steinberg goes to a sex shop. (Sun-Times)
• Watch video of West Loop shootout that left five people wounded. (ABC7)
• Reporter Lorraine Swanson knows where ghosts haunt Chicago. (Patch)
• McRib is back, and celebrating its 40th anniversary! (Yahoo)

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• Evanston Made Fall Studio Tour (October 2)
• Sunday Service - Elie Wiesel: A Messenger to Humanity (October 3)
• Life In Progress: 8 Week Goal Setting + Accountability Program (October 3)
• Lighthouse Academies Interview On The Spot Hiring Day! (October 6)
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