I love all my Chicago friends who are Bears+White Sox fans, but feel really badly for them. And I still root for the Sox, who should send their leaders to sports management school in Green Bay.

Just one comment from the perspective of this odd, geographically divided loyalty: the Micah Parsons trade shows why the Packers, who have no owner, are in another cosmos from the White Sox, who have... well, you know.

You were not only extremely helpful for my reporting, but also very gracious and one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever interviewed.

Thank you.

Happy New Year!!

I believe one of the best was working that night — Eric Nagourney, who I think is barely visible behind a champaign flute as we’re toasting in the picture. Why, oh why, didn’t they ask him to do a second read before engraving the date?

I hope you got one! Here’s the funny part: The only glitch that night was on the engraving of the date on the glasses. I don’t know if Steve put that in the story (I promise to read). I think they read 1-0-00