Visiting Professor of Practice, The University of Iowa School of Journalism & Mass Communication. Previously: 23-year writer, reporter, storyteller at ESPN.
Chicago
Joined April 2009
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Excited to share this one with you all. My profile of the entertaining Pete Crow Armstrong and the fight within himself to achieve greatness. chicagomag.com/chicago-magaz…
Wayne Drehs retweeted
Travel softball has become big business. But who's holding national organizations accountable for what happens under their watch?
My latest column questions a growing accountability problem and why protecting young athletes should come before profit.
si.com/onsi/softball/youth/a…
Wayne Drehs retweeted
And then I've got a second column on the Jeffery Simmons trade. Teams trading two first-round picks for established veterans in the modern era are batting about 25%. Why haven't those trades lived up to expectations? And can Simmons be the exception?
espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/5031…
Inquiring minds …
In writing a story about Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright asked me to find out something about him.
“He’s always gotta take a shit for some reason."
Yes, this is a thing in the Bears O-line room.
My feature story on Jackson, the heartbeat of the Bears.
allchgo.com/bears/from-mean-…
I learned something about myself today with this Bears trade. I’d be an awful GM. Every season my team would finish .500. I don’t have the stomach for high risk high reward. I only see worst case scenarios.
This is far too sensible of a take for Twitter.
After diving into Jeffery Simmons’ film and weighing the cost, here’s my unfiltered take on the Bears trade.
THE GOOD: Simmons is an absolute GAME WRECKER.
He can line up anywhere along the defensive line, rarely misses time, dominates against the run, and is a legitimate interior pass-rushing threat. He’s the type of player offenses have to game-plan around.
Since 2025 (among DTs):
◾️15 sacks (1st)
◾️23 TFL (1st)
◾️85 pressures (1st)
◾️28 pressures after double teams (1st)
◾️9.5 third-down sacks (1st)
◾️8 forced fumbles over the last 5 seasons (1st)
THE BAD: The price tag.
When I first heard the news, I figured a first-rounder and a mid-round pick. TWO firsts and a fourth? That’s a MASSIVE investment.
Look at the Bears’ five most recent first-round picks:
Dillon Thieneman
Colston Loveland
Caleb Williams
Rome Odunze
Darnell Wright
Not to mention Luther Burden III (2nd round) and Malik Muhammad (4th round).
That’s a LOT of young, affordable talent you’re potentially giving up. And yes, I understand the hope is that those first-rounders end up being late picks.
MY TAKE:
I love the player. I love the aggression. I’m just not in love with the price.
This trade makes the Bears significantly more dangerous RIGHT NOW, but it comes at the expense of future draft capital and flexibility.
You’re going all-in on winning, and that changes expectations. This team doesn’t just need to be competitive anymore. It needs to WIN, and win BIG.
Two firsts and a fourth would’ve been a little too rich for my blood. But I’m also not getting paid millions to make these decisions.
I respect the swing, and I genuinely hope I’m wrong about the cost because Simmons is a hell of a football player.
Bear Down! #DaBears #Bears #ChicagoBears
Meanwhile, a very different tone in Decorah ...
Before the campaign signs, political debates, and television ads, Rob Sand was a kid riding bikes and skateboarding through Decorah, Iowa. Childhood friends and hometown residents share stories of the boy behind the gubernatorial candidate.
dailyiowan.com/2026/10/27/a-…
Sometimes a "no comment" says it all. Good reporting here.
While Zach Lahn rounds out his “Iowa First” campaign, Belle Plaine and Sioux City, Iowa, community members are unable to share about him beyond his campaign messaging.
dailyiowan.com/2026/10/27/no…
I love that Tom and Laura Ricketts’ donations basically cancel each other out.
We looked up where every U.S. major sports team owner donated for the midterms so you don't have to!
Here's a list of the top 25 donors. You can read more in stories broken down by sport/league at this link: frontofficesports.com/tag/20…
Wayne Drehs retweeted
Student Journalism is in FULL SWING here at Xtream Arena with DITV, KRUI, and Big Ten Plus
I’ll be on the call for @BigTenPlus alongside Karch Smith and Morgan Burhans. Join us with tipoff scheduled for 6:30pm CST!
What a world we live in when global conflict is at its highest point since World War II, gas is more than $4 a gallon, government corruption is rampant and we're sitting here talking about Cheesecake Factory. Not a game. Not a game. Cheesecake Factory.
Wayne Drehs retweeted
Last month, Kirk Herbstreit said he doesn't follow politics or pick sides.
Which was nonsense. Just last week, Herbstreit quietly headlined a fundraising dinner for Alabama's second-biggest PAC.
The next day, it sent $155,000 to Tommy Tuberville.
foiaball.com/p/kirk-herbstre…
If the Brewers winning their first World Series tilts the sports universe in a way that the Packers are terrible for a couple decades I’m here for it.
Wayne Drehs retweeted
Caddix responded Caleb Williams’ $11K NFL fine, saying the Bears QB bought the cleats himself and has no endorsement deal with the brand. The brand will also cover the fine.
📸: Getty via: Linkedin
Save this tweet for 11/7 @HawkeyeFootball
While I find it impossible to root for Milwaukee, I have many friends and students who love the Brewers and I would be thrilled for them if they win. But I can't cheer for them.
Wayne Drehs retweeted
Iowa running back Kamari Moulton has every reason to be negative, as he lost both his mother and grandmother during COVID. Moulton, however, didn’t let that hardship control him, as he always tries to brighten everyone’s day.
dailyiowan.com/2026/10/22/io…
They say journalism is dying and yet this is the turnout for today’s Iowa High School Press Association fall conference at @uiowa and @UIOWA_SJMC.
