Dinghy

Thursday’s frontpage of the Chicago Tribune sports’ section, story above the fold: “Win-win situation? If pass rusher [Robert] Quinn wants out of town, potential trade could be win for all parties.” With picture, the story takes up three-quarters of the page and up to a third of page two. The White Sox and Cubs played Wednesday, but the Trib didn’t bother with a box score for either, even though the Cubs started at 5 PM in Cincinnati. Maybe if a Bears’ player threw out the first pitch for a 7:10 PM Sox game, there’d be a picture, but don’t hold your breath for a story or box score. Friday’s frontpage of the Trib’s sports’ section, bottom corner of page one: “TE Cole Kmet ready to grow[.] In 3rd season, he’s working on chemistry with QB [Justin] Fields.” The story jumps to page two, where it takes up three-quarters of the space. Cubs have a day game in Cincinnati, so there’s a story and box score but no story on the Sox game. Today’s front page, bottom: “[Khalil] Mack’s departure gives [Travis] Gipson chance to excel in new defense.” Story jumps to page two, where it and a second Bears’ piece takes up three-quarters of the space. Remember, we’re talking broadsheets here, not tabloid pages. Also keep in mind it’s May. Thank goodness the Cubs and Sox got coverage despite both having off-days, ahead of the two Crosstown games this weekend. The Cubs stink as expected, and the Sox aren’t too far off, which anywhere else would qualify as big news. But the question, the mystery, is, why so much coverage devoted to a football team mired in its own, seemingly never-ending, mediocrity? Is the sports’ editor from out of town? There’s a difference between what goes on at Soldier Field and Lambeau Field. The Tribune has jettisoned spring-sports’ coverage for high school and regular-season college games. Northwestern teams are doing really well; there could be Trib writers and editors who are NU alums; some postseason attention is, finally, being paid to the Wildcats. So, too, the Sky, but just a fraction of what the Sun-Times does. I keep thinking of the adage, It’s not the size of the boat but the motion of the ocean. Most every day outside of Sunday, the Trib gives all of six pages to sports, which includes way too many photos (e.g., Quinn, Kmet, Gipson) and box scores from the day before. We’re not talking any kind of boat here but a dinghy adrift in the big, cruel seas.