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By MELVIN TATE
Contributing Reporter
For many years, Riverside resident and Oak Park native Rick Morrissey has been a leading voice for Chicago sports fans, first as a reporter for the Tribune, then as a columnist for the Sun-Times.
Now his 43-year sportswriting career is coming to a close: Morrissey announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he has accepted a buyout offer from the Sun-Times. His final Sun-Times column is scheduled for March 20.
Morrissey told Landmark that the ongoing challenges the newspaper industry is facing played a role in his decision.
"I've been in the business for 43 years, and I'd been planning on walking away in a year or two," Morrissey said. "This just speeded up the process, and I'm OK with that. I've been able to do a lot of cool stuff in this job, and I hope somebody else gets the same opportunities I did."
Morrissey, a 1978 graduate of Fenwick High School, said that his older brother, who wrote for the school newspaper, The Wick, was the one who influenced him to embark on a journalism career.
"There was a Journalism 101 book lying around our house that I assumed was his," he said. "I looked at it in sixth or seventh grade and thought the idea of writing for a living was pretty cool. I ended up being the sports editor for The Wick my senior year. "
A few teachers at Ascension grade school [in Oak Park] had encouraged me to write, and that made me feel good as a kid," he added. "Also, I was terrible at math!"
Upon graduating from Northwestern University in 1982, Morrissey started his career with Star Publications (now the Daily Southtown). Next came stops at the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Journal-Gazette, the Charlotte (North Carolina) Observer, and the Rocky Mountain News of Denver.
In 1997, Morrissey returned to the Chicago area, joining the Tribune as a beat reporter for the Chicago Bears. Three years later, he became the lead writer for the Tribune's daily sports column, "In The Wake of the News."
In 2009, Morrissey left the Tribune to become a sports columnist for the Sun- Times. Moreover, in 2012, he wrote a book about former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, named Ozzie's School of Management.
Morrissey, now residing in Riverside, said he will miss the people he met and worked with over the years as well as the press-box camaraderie. He said his favorite highlight is covering the 2016 Cubs' World Series championship "because no Chicago journalists in the previous 108 years had been able to say they did it."
The fact that he wrote for both of his hometown newspapers is something he is grateful for.
"If you had told me when I was 21 that I would have this career, I would have never believed it," Morrissey said.
As for his future, Morrissey said he's not sure what comes next.
"I really don't know what I'm going to do," he said. "I do love to write, so hopefully I'll find an outlet. I just don't know what that is yet."
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 24, 2025 Contact Information: Ride Illinois Dave Simmons, executive director (630) 216-9282 dave@rideillinois.org
Illinois Bike & Walk Summit coming to Springfield
Creating Connected Livable Thriving communities: Illinois Bike & Walk Summit Fosters Learning and Lobbying Among Advocates and Practitioners
Ride Illinois and its partner organizations are pleased to announce the 2025 Illinois Bike & Walk Summit. Three hundred advocates, professionals, and public officials will gather in Springfield (May 7-8, 2025) for an important conference to help shape the future of biking and walking across the state. The conference will take place over two days in Springfield. Day One - May 7 ● A welcome from Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher ● Breakout sessions with topics including: ○ Completing the Great American Rail Trail ○ Developing Low-Stress Bike Networks ○ Bike/walk legislation at the state and federal level: 2025 and beyond ● Keynote Speaker: Tom Flood ○ A bold and visionary advocate who uses striking design and messaging to challenge car-centric culture, and a champion spokesman of safer streets for all. ○ Flood's Presentation Topic: Reframing Road Safety. This presentation will highlight his work and its importance in challenging the narrative around active transportation and road safety.
Day Two - May 8 ● Lobby Day ● Workshops focused on: ○ Advocacy training ○ Trail development ○ Best practices for the planning, design, and incorporation of complete streets into transportation projects. ○ CM and PDH credits available. Dave Simmons, executive director of Ride Illinois, emphasized the new format of lobbying and advocacy: “It’s important that elected officials hear from their constituents. Lobby Day is an opportunity for Illinois residents to voice their concerns related to biking and walking in their community.” The legislative goals of Lobby Day include advocating for bills that will increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher shared, “I am honored to greet attendees to the 2025 Illinois Bike & Walk Summit. I look forward to the summit and also look forward to making Springfield a more bike/walk friendly community.” With a strong foundation built on the educational and empowering sessions of day one, the day of lobbying will bring a buzz to Springfield with the hope of creating safer, more accessible active transportation options for all ages and backgrounds. The end goal being that active transportation becomes a viable and welcoming choice for everyone. Conference Details ● Illinois Bike & Walk Summit to convene in Springfield, May 7-8 with a focus on creating connected, livable, thriving communities. ● Highlights of the event include: ○ Keynote speaker Tom Flood ○ Inaugural lobby day ○ Breakout sessions ○ Workshops ○ Networking opportunities ● The 2025 Illinois Bike & Walk Summit will take place at the Wyndham Springfield City Center, conveniently located in the heart of Illinois’ state capital. ● Registration for the conference starts at the affordable price of $20! ● For more information and to register for this event, visit IllinoisBikeWalkSummit.org.
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