According to ESPN Senior Writer Todd McShay, the 2020 NFL Draft features only one “Tier 1 prospect.” McShay grades Ohio State defensive end Chase Young as a 95 on the strength of his “special” ability to create pressure off the edge. McShay also cites Young’s “outstanding” ability to close the distance between himself and opposing quarterbacks. McShay describes his Tier 1 prospects as “elite players” who earn a grade of 95 or higher. Per McShay, the 2019 NFL Draft carried...

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot displayed her many talents in a lighthearted public service announcement aimed at encouraging Chicagoans to "stay home and save lives." Lightfoot's caption reads: "I don’t have much time to myself these days, but I felt I needed to make sure everyone knows how I feel about this Stay at Home Order. Which one motivates you the most to stay at home? #StayHomeSaveLives" At one point in the video, Lightfoot quips, "What's more important, saving lives or getting a pedicure?" Lightfoot,...

On Monday afternoon, California Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted the prison sentences of 21 state prison inmates over fears surrounding the transmission of coronavirus COVID-19. Fourteen of the 21 sentences commuted by Newsom involve murder or a related crime. Two of those sentences resulted from the death of one or more children. Let that sink in. While Gov. Newsom’s leadership amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has been commendable--California was one of the first states to recognize the...

Like the rest of his classmates, Connor Byrne saw his first year at Oak Park River Forest High School cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, rather than rue the missed instruction, Byrne is using his time to work on his chosen craft: making music. From a young age, Byrne gravitated toward art. His mother Deirdre recalls his skill at Guitar Hero at the age of 5 while his older brother Emmett remembers how 2012 Maroon 5 hit “Payphone” captivated his younger brother. Still, it wasn’t...

On March 20, Northeastern Illinois University notified students via email that the commencement ceremonies scheduled for May 4 were canceled due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.  The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted academic establishments across the country, forcing schools to switch to online instruction for the remainder of the semester. As of March 30, students received an additional update regarding NEIU’s May commencement ceremony. According to the update provided by...

NXT newcomer Austin Theory made his main roster debut on the March 30 edition of Monday Night Raw, replacing United States Champion Andrade, who is reportedly out with a rib injury. Theory teamed with Angel Garza and Seth Rollins to take on The Street Profits and Kevin Owens. As the match accelerated, Ford ran the ropes to perform an over-the-top-rope plancha. Rather than catch Ford, Theory--who was positioned as the buffer between Ford and the padded floor--ducked out of harm's way as Ford went...

From Hulk Hogan’s groundshaking body slam to Seth Rollins’ infamous Money in the Bank cash-in, iconic moments and legendary contests helped morph Wrestlemania into the must-see, nostalgia-driven spectacle it is today. Compiling a subjective listing of the greatest matches in Wrestlemania history was quite a trying task. A number of great contests failed to crack the top 15, which is more a testament to the depth and magnitude of Wrestlemania than an indictment on the omitted performances. Hopefully,...

As oil prices plummet to levels unseen since the late 20th century, commuting students at Northeastern Illinois University rejoice. But like other campuses across the globe, NEIU remains shuttered “for the duration” of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic as the virus continues its deadly course. Eventually, the pandemic--and subsequently, low oil prices--must end. The price of crude oil began to fall in early March when Russia and Saudi Arabia severed negotiations aimed at hammering out a common...

Since the Senate passed the $2 trillion relief bill on Wednesday, immigrants and U.S.-born children with undocumented parents are struggling to survive the economic downfall from COVID-19 without financial relief and medical benefits. The largest stimulus package in history only applies to low-income and middle class families, excluding immigrants without a social security card. Undocumented immigrants are ineligible  to receive medical testing, unemployment insurance, loans for small businesses...

Society has entered the era of the quarantine as those living through the COVID-19 pandemic are living through an unfortunate-yet-historic moment in world history. Many are left to determine how to occupy their time since state and local governments began issuing “stay at home” orders, leaving bars, concert venues, restaurants and all outside forms of entertainment and leisure indefinitely shut down. As some slip into depressive states due to the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the growing...

The new decade saw the deaths of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and up-and-coming rapper Pop Smoke before a fatal pandemic claimed the lives of over 20,000 and counting, subsequently reshaping social and economic standards. However, while the coronavirus COVID-19 continues to warrant international isolation, sanitization and widespread quarantine, such drastic measures have crippled the NEIU student body’s morale. In response to the global pandemic, impacted countries adopted a “stay-at-home”...

Entering the 2020 NFL offseason, the Chicago Bears desperately needed help at the quarterback position. With the winds of regression dancing around incumbent starter Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears appeared primed to land a premier free-agent quarterback, with the NFL rumor mill attaching everyone from Tom Brady to Andy Dalton to Chicago. However, rather than select from an uncharacteristically deep free-agent pool, Bears’ general manager Ryan Pace elected to pursue the trade route, acquiring quarterback...

Due to the unprecedented campus closure as a result of the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, NEIU activated its Student Emergency Fund (SEF) for those affected by lost wages and the added costs of remote learning.  NEIU established its SEF in 2018 to financially aid students incapable of meeting NEIU expenses due to unexpected complications.  Some expenses that may be covered by the SEF include rent aid due to lost wages, computer or software costs because of the transition to online classes and...

Bears general manager Ryan Pace is recognized for his ability to identify late-round talent.  To date, Pace discovered Jordan Howard, Eddie Jackson, Tarik Cohen, Nick Kwiatkowski, Adrian Amos and Bilal Nichols in the fourth round or later. However, like his predecessor Jerry Angelo, Pace experiences difficulty identifying elite first-round talent. The NEIU Independent lists the Chicago Bears' five biggest draft busts of the last decade   Honorable mention: Mitch Trubisky Current Bears’...

A March 27 memo written by Senior Vice President and Chief of Operations of the PGA Tour Tyler Dennis outlines a PGA Tour decision allowing golfers ranked No. 1-150 to take a cash advance of up to $100,000 in response to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, Golf Digest announced Saturday morning. “Players can take up to 50% of their projected” season-long earnings up to the six-figure limit, wrote Daniel Rapaport, a longtime industry watchdog.  The player ranked 150th at the end of last...

When Drew McIntyre deposited Roman Reigns over the top rope to win the 2020 Royal Rumble, it was a crowning achievement for the once-embattled superstar. Previously anointed by WWE CEO Vince McMahon as a “future World Champion,” McIntyre’s long and arduous journey featured trials and tribulations capable of demoralizing lesser men.  So when McIntyre inevitably secures his first World Championship under the WWE banner, the “Scottish Psychopath” deserves the grand stage synonymous with...

German newspaper Bild reports that Rammstein lead singer Till Lindemann is in intensive care after undergoing testing for coronavirus COVID-19. Lindemann is being treated at a hospital in Berlin. Till performed with his eponymous side project Lindemann in Moscow on March 15. Upon returning to his home country of Germany, Lindemann suffered from an elevated fever prior to hospitalization.  He later tested negative for COVID-19, according to Rammstein's Facebook page. Initial reports suggested...

WWE superstar Roman Reigns will not compete at Wrestlemania 36, according to Ryan Satin Pro Wrestling Sheet. Reigns was scheduled to contest Goldberg for the Universal Championship. The four-time WWE  champion reportedly balked at the prospect of competing at Wrestlemania in consideration of his recurring battle with leukemia. Many cancer survivors remain immunocompromised, making the risk of Reigns performing for a pre-taped event hosted in front of zero fans too great amid growing concerns...