Today in Chicago History: Rich Koz becomes Svengoolie, the city's iconic ghost host

Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on June 16, according to the Tribune's archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
1970: Chicago Bears halfback Brian Piccolo died after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of testicular cancer that spread to his chest. He was 26.
In May 1970 in New York, Bears running back Gale Sayers received the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. He had led the league in rushing after his devastating knee injury.
Brian Piccolo's Beverly ties, commitment to racial harmony relived on 50th anniversary of his death'You flatter me by giving me this award,' Sayers told the crowd at the ceremony. 'But I tell you here and now that I accept it for Brian Piccolo. Brian Piccolo is the man of courage who should receive this award. … I love Brian Piccolo and I'd like all of you to love him too. Tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him.'
Every year, the Bears hand out the Brian Piccolo Award. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and wide receiver Rome Odunze were the 2024 recipients.
1979: 'Son of Svengoolie' premiered with Rich Koz portraying the ghost host.
Koz, who landed a spot on 'Screaming Yellow Theater' after mailing original host Jerry G. Bishop ideas for jokes, then became Bishop's co-writer and protege, launched the new take on Svengoolie — with Bishop's blessing. The then-20-something writer, who grew up in Morton Grove and attended Northwestern University, was responsible for many of the jokes and antics (produced on a tight budget and filmed in a modest WFLD studio in Marina City) that new viewers came to love about the character — including dodging rubber chickens hurled at him by stagehands and delivering pronouncements in a really bad take on a Transylvanian accent.
The final episode aired in 1986, but was revived as 'Svengoolie' in 1994.
44 things this Chicagoan didn't know about 'The Blues Brothers'1980: 'The Blues Brothers' premiered in Chicago and was released nationwide days later. Gene Siskel in his four-star review in the Tribune lauded it as 'the best movie ever made in Chicago.'
1996: After posting a record-setting 72 regular-season victories, the Chicago Bulls won their fourth NBA title and Michael Jordan was named MVP.
2008: The Cubs were scheduled to play the Padres in the final Hall of Fame game at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New York, but the game was canceled due to bad weather.
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Chicago Tribune

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• Chicago Tribune

Column: Remembering the ‘Sammy Wars' and other tales from Sosa's long and storied Chicago Cubs career

Closure is something we all crave, whether it's the perfect ending to a favorite TV series or a resolution of a real-life relationship. The closure of the long-running Sammy Sosa saga felt like a little of both, part 'Breaking Bad' finale and part end of a nearly three-decade story I've covered off and on at the Tribune. Now that Sosa is back at Wrigley Field, the story is complete. But how it ever got to this point was somehow overlooked in the Cubs' 'Welcome back, Sammy' production, which ignored his feud with ownership over an admission that was not forthcoming. For most Cubs fans, Sosa was a star of a long-running series they had watched for years, with some episodes — the corked bat, the great home run race, the sneeze, the final walkout and the destroyed boom box mystery — more memorable than others. For reporters covering the Cubs, Sosa was almost a separate beat, and competition for scoops — on contract extensions, his true feelings about the manager or whatever — was fierce. The Sammy Wars were a daily thing between the Tribune and Sun-Times for many years, and as much as he helped enrich the Cubs, he also sold a lot of newspapers in this sports-crazed town. Sosa's mid-career trajectory from serviceable slugger to superstar was dramatic, and by baseball standards, happened almost overnight. Sosa had a combined 22.4 bWAR over his first nine seasons, from 1989-97, with one All-Star appearance in 1995. Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox snubbed him when picking the 1996 and '97 National League reserves, and Sosa begged out of the '98 game with a shoulder bruise after being selected as a reserve despite hitting 20 home runs in June. On the final weekend of the 1997 season, manager Jim Riggleman alluded to Sosa in a rant to the media about a 'me-first' culture in the Cubs clubhouse. One the final weekend of a lost season, he berated Sosa in the dugout in St. Louis, in front of teammates such as Mark Grace and Ryne Sandberg, for ignoring a sign and getting thrown out on a steal attempt. That was also the weekend that bulked-up Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire went for Roger Maris' seemingly unbreakable home run mark, hitting three off Cubs pitching to finish with 58, three shy of the record. Sosa was paying attention. A bulked-up Sosa 2.0 showed up for spring training in 1998, and the great home run race with McGwire was about to begin. From 1998-2004, Sosa posted a 37.1 WAR, setting franchise records for home runs and becoming the Sammy Sosa that was feted Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, ending his 20-year exile with the organization. It was a different Sosa than I remembered covering as a player. Still cocky enough to say he would be able to hit as many home runs onto Waveland Avenue despite the giant video board blocking his power zone but humble enough to act gracious for a chance from Chairman Tom Ricketts to return to what he called his 'home.' I spoke with Sosa a few weeks ago about his impending visit and told him he should go sit in the right-field bleachers behind Pete Crow-Armstrong, sharing time with his 'people,' the right-field bleacher bums. He laughed and ignored my unsolicited advice. Some things never change. There was no chance for spontaneity Friday anyway. The Cubs made no announcement of Sosa's return for fans, only to see the news leaked in the morning. This would be a Cubs production, directed by the Cubs for the sole purpose of promoting the Cubs. There was no time for anything that could not be scripted, from the bro hug with Ricketts to the in-game visit to the radio and TV booths to the postgame interview on Marquee Sports Network. Manager Craig Council gladly trumpeted Sosa's legendary status while reducing the steroids era to two words: 'History happens.' I thought perhaps Sosa could talk to the players, maybe give them a pregame pep talk before their game against the Seattle Mariners. 'He's not here to talk to the team,' Counsell said. 'He's here to … none of the guys that come in talk to the team.' Here to what? Why was Sosa here? 'Because we bring Hall of Famers back to Wrigley, and for the fans,' he said. 'You're not aware of that? You should probably do some work.' The Tribune regrets the error. Friday also provided closure for Ricketts, who for years demanded an apology/admission from Sosa and thought he had it in 2014 when radio co-hosts David Haugh and David Kaplan were dispatched to Miami for an interview with the former Cub star, who would 'acknowledge malfeasance.' But Sosa abruptly canceled and later told Sports Illustrated in a statement: 'When the time came, I felt like I was being swept up in a PR machine that was moving way too fast and not adhering to the spirit of our agreement, so I pulled out.' Ten years later, Sosa's people issued a semi-apology statement for making 'mistakes' by doing things to 'recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games.' He was then invited to the Cubs Convention and elected into the Cubs Hall of Fame. But at the convention he told the media he wasn't apologizing for any PED stuff but for depriving Cubs fans of his presence during the separation. The Cubs regret the error. It was a classic bat-and-switch. But Ricketts, at that point, didn't seem to care. He just wanted it over, like everyone else. 'We kind of inherited this Sammy situation from 2004, and it's always been a goal to put it behind us,' Ricketts told Tribune Cubs writer Meghan Montemurro at the convention. 'And I think that this year, the timing was right, and I think Sammy was in the right place, and it all worked out so I'm just happy.' Sosa repeated the narrative Friday, saying it was all just a matter of timing. 'I'm here now,' he said. It was nice to see Sosa back, adding some closure to our relationship, which was hot and cold, depending on whatever controversy was unfolding that day. During the height of the Sammy Wars, he was considered a Sun-Times guy, which the paper smartly used to its advantage, particularly whenever Sosa's contract was up for discussion. 'We're certainly the pro-Sammy newspaper,' former Sun-Time sports editor Bill Adee told the Chicago Reader in 2000. 'Sammy lives in my building. At the end of the night we ride up the elevator together.' Facetiously asked whether Sosa thought the paper was party to a 'corporate conspiracy' by Tribune Co. against him, Adee replied: 'Yeah, I think he does. Sure — which is to our advantage. 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New York Post

2 days ago

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Martha Stewart sparks hot dog debate over ‘diabolical' condiment

A lifestyle and culinary icon recently took a firm position on the age-old debate of whether ketchup belongs on hot dogs or not. Martha Stewart, founder of Martha Stewart Living, expressed her opinion in an Instagram reel on June 17. 'I love hot dogs with the works,' Stewart said in the video. She added, 'It has to have bacon, mustard, ketchup, relish, sauerkraut.' Her endorsement of ketchup on hot dogs polarized some of her fans — especially those in the Windy City. 'I love Martha, but ketchup on a hot dog is f—ing diabolical,' one user wrote. 'As a Chicagoan, I cannot abide the ketchup on a hot dog,' another chimed in. 'That'll get you thrown right out of that town faster than disliking deep dish pizza.' 5 Martha Stewart has weighed in on whether ketchup belongs on hot dogs or not. Getty Images 5 'It has to have bacon, mustard, ketchup, relish, sauerkraut,' Stewart said about hot dogs. Brent Hofacker – But others appreciated Stewart's vision and spoke out in favor of condiment-packed hot dogs. 'Martha knows what she's talking about,' a ketchup enthusiast wrote. 'Me too, Martha,' another said. Stewart took the pro-ketchup stance after sharing her Chicago-style hot dog recipe earlier in June, writing that 'there's really only one steadfast rule – no ketchup.' Her comment referred only to Chicago-style hot dogs, though. 5 'Martha knows what she's talking about,' a ketchup enthusiast wrote. WS Studio – Still, some of her fans thought she was in their anti-ketchup camp. 5 'There's really only one steadfast rule – no ketchup,' Stewart said, referring only to Chicago-style hot dogs. Getty Images for Netflix One admirer wrote, 'Absolutely NO ketchup – love you, Martha!' Another chimed in, 'Yes, queenie, no ketchup.' One brave commenter came out in support of ketchup on hot dogs – and was promptly shut down. 5 Fans in the Windy City were not fond of those putting ketchup on hotdogs. DAVID – 'Ketchup is a MUST,' the ketchup fan wrote. 'Not in Chitown,' an Instagram user wrote. 'Not in Chicago,' another repeated. So why is ketchup considered such a controversial addition to hot dogs? Chris Christou, owner of Poochie's Hot Dogs in Chicago, told Fox News Digital his rationale behind skipping ketchup. Christou said the tomato-based condiment's flavor is too overpowering for a Chicago-style hot dog. 'I always felt like ketchup, because of its sweetness, overpowered the rest of the condiments,' the restaurateur said. 'Especially the yellow mustard and dill pickle.' But some devil's advocates continue to support the sweet-and-sour condiment. 'Not only does it enhance the flavor, but adding ketchup offers some real health benefits.' New Jersey-based dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade told Fox News Digital she encourages incorporating ketchup into more meals. 'You need ketchup on your hot dog,' she said, sharing her insights as 'a registered dietitian and mom of three,' she added. 'Not only does it enhance the flavor, but adding ketchup offers some real health benefits.' The dietitian said ketchup contains high amounts of lycopene, which has cancer-fighting properties. '[These] benefits [are] thanks to its high content of lycopene, which is more bioavailable in ketchup versus raw tomatoes due to the cooking process involved in making ketchup.' Palinski-Wade added, 'Studies link higher dietary intake of lycopene from tomatoes and ketchup with a reduced risk of stomach and prostate cancer, thanks to lycopene's antioxidant and anticancer properties.' Fox News Digital reached out to Stewart for comment.

USA Today

3 days ago

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Fans really got Pope Leo to join in a sports chant at the Vatican

Fans really got Pope Leo to join in a sports chant at the Vatican The Pope is participating in White Sox chants. What a crazy timeline we live — Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) June 18, 2025 Pope Leo, as we found out after he was chosen to lead the papacy, is a Chicago White Sox fan and not a Cubs die-hard, which has led to a lot of jokes and costumes and such. It's also led the pope to getting a new White Sox hat, and a lot of attention on the time that he used one hand to catch a puppet thrown to him (sports pope? Sports pope!). And now, the first American pope has been shown on camera driving through Vatican City greeting people there ... and joining in on a White Sox chant. Despite the fact that the team continues to be a total mess as the South Siders rebuilds slowly, the pope hasn't dropped his fandom: Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native, stuns in a White Sox cap. — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 11, 2025 Fans on Twitter loved the pope joining in the White Sox chant "Getting a White Sox chant going with the pope has to be an incredible feeling." Getting a White Sox chant going with the pope has to be an incredible feeling — Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) June 18, 2025 "I cannot wait for the Pope to throw out the first pitch at a White Sox game." I cannot wait for the Pope to throw out the first pitch at a White Sox game. — Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) June 19, 2025 "I'll never get over the fact that not only is the pope a Chicagoan, but a Southside White Sox fan? This will never get old to me." I'll never get over the fact that not only is the pope a Chicagoan, but a Southside White Sox fan? This will never get old to me. — Courtney Finnicum (@courtney883) June 19, 2025 So cool. We need more of this.