Lucas Till On Becoming MacGyver

Mac is back! MacGyver returns for its second season on CBS tonight at 8 PM ET. Lucas Till reprises his role as Angus “Mac” MacGyver in the series known for creative problem solving and edge of your seat action!

CBS Local’s Matt Weiss caught up with Till ahead of the show’s sophomore season to discuss how he became MacGyver, his preparation and his favorite MacGyver moment from the show thus far!

MW- Hey Lucas, how’s it going?

LT- Hey Matt, how are you doing?

MW- Doing great! So new season of MacGyver comes out September 29th and this is the second season on CBS with you playing the title role. Taking you back a bit, what was it about this project that made you excited to sign on before season one?

LT- Well, I had no job and wanted to change that.  I was looking around at a few things and I had never really thought about network television before. First thing was they were shooting in Portland, Oregon and I really wanted to live in Portland for an extended period of time or at least shoot a pilot up there. It turned out that they picked up the show and they never shot in Portland [laughs]. At that point it was too late and I’ve got no regrets because it’s been the best job of my life.

MW- Now the character MacGyver has been around for awhile of course, what’s it like playing a character that is not brand new, where there have been takes on the character already? Did you watch the previous series to prepare at all?

LT- I did, I think it’s important. At the time I definitely didn’t have as much experience as I do now with people coming up to me telling me how much he meant to them, the original MacGyver. I’m happy I watched, I think I got two seasons in before we started and I just kind of wanted to boil down what made him him, that I could accomplish.

The hand full of feelings that he’s humble, he’s nice – he’s an all around nice guy. He solves things without having to use guns and hopefully not violence. Although every now and then we have to use violence just because that’s what people bring and he’s got no choice but it’s sort of a last resort. So yea, I definitely did watch the original to get some inspiration.

MW- MacGyver is known for his creativity, being able to use the most innocent seeming prop to get out of a sticky situation. In your time as MacGyver, what’s been your favorite premise so far for escaping danger?

LT- It’s so funny, every time someone asks me this I have an abundance. Even after only one season I probably have 100 of them. I used Jack’s heart to keep a heart alive. It’s like a heart in a box pump that keeps hearts alive instead of transporting live organs on ice and it all ends up not being able to work and I use jack’s heart to keep the heart pumping alive so we can get it into someone else.

MW- Wow, that sounds insane! Looking ahead now, what can fans expect in season two?

LT- George and I, I feel like everyday we look at each other and go, ‘I think we’re getting better at this, I think we can make this work!’ It was kind of an impossible thing that first year. I was questioning whether or not I wanted to be actor after that first year [laughs]. It was so much trying to figure it out but once you start figuring it out it’s a lot of work, but in a fun way. We also feel like we’re accomplishing something. Everyone says they can see it in the work, how much fun we’re having while working. That’s what people have to look forward to, just more entertaining episodes. The action’s crazier and the MacGyver moments…the stakes are higher.

MW- It’s a fun watch for sure, and it’s always nice to hear when it’s fun making the show as well. One last question before I let you go and this might be a tough one, I’m going to put you on the spot a bit. Can you describe the new season in three words?

LT- That is hard to do without being trite. I’ll say – sexy, funny, awesome! [laughs]

MW- What more could you want?

LT-  Yea! Sexy, funny, awesome – that’s pretty good that’ll get the people.

MW- Without a doubt! Well thanks for the time Lucas and have a good one, take care!

LT- You too man!

MacGyver premieres for its second season on September 29th at 8 PM ET. Check your local listings for more information.

from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2fEo7X7

Keidel: Steelers-Ravens Will Help Define Season

By Jason Keidel

It’s a bit early in the NFL campaign for season-defining games. But if you’ll allow for one in September, you may find it in Baltimore on Sunday, when the Baltimore Ravens (2-1) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) for first place in the AFC North.

The Ravens and Steelers should be at their snarling best on Sunday. Adding to the natural, yearly disdain they already feel toward the other, each team lost in ugly fashion last week to an inferior club. The Ravens were surprisingly stomped by the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, while the Steelers flubbed their way to an overtime loss to the Bears in Chicago.

Pundits are pounding the Ravens for their ineptitude on offense, but they are at least averaging a robust 142.3 yards rushing per game, fourth-best in the NFL. Baltimore’s ground game features three backs — Alex Collins, Javorius Allen, and Terrance West — with at least 100 yards this season. (Washington is the only other team with three such runners.)

>>WATCH: The NFL on CBS All Access – Try It Free

You can decide if that accounts for Baltimore’s league-worst 121.3 passing yards per game, dead-last in the league. Either way, in the pass-happy era of pro football, and with Joe Flacco among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the sport, they should find more yards through the air.

Like most solid franchises, the Ravens are not pointing fingers. In fact, it’s the coaches, not the players, taking one for the team. Indeed, Baltimore’s top assistant coaches say it was their schemes, not execution, that led to their 44-7 drubbing at the hands of the Jags.

“I’ll tell you what, this is my responsibility now,” offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg told the Baltimore Sun. “I’ve got a little responsibility here, and I take that responsibility very, very seriously. What happened that last ball game, a lot of colorful verbs, right? So now where do we go? We get better every day.”

Something was indeed awry when Flacco, a Super Bowl MVP, threw for 28 yards in the first 56 minutes in London. “Everyone needs to step up, and it starts with me,” Mornhinweg concluded. “That thing last week, everyone needs to do better, period. That’s how we’re going to handle this thing.”

In a sense, September has been Flacco’s training camp. He missed the preseason because of injury. The Ravens were worried enough about Flacco’s status that they considered signing Colin Kaepernick, which quickly dissolved into political barbs and a rather ugly tweet from Kaepernick’s girlfriend, comparing Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and iconic LB Ray Lewis to two characters from Django Unchained.

>>MORE: Commentary from CBS Local Sports Voices

The Steelers, preseason favorites to at least challenge the Patriots for AFC supremacy, have been oddly awkward on offense. Their heralded “Big Three” — QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Antonio Brown and RB Le’Veon Bell — are considered the best offensive triumvirate in the sport. Yet until recently, they’ve rarely played at the same time, largely due to injuries to Big Ben or injury/suspensions from Bell.

Like for Flacco, September is summer for Bell, who also missed the preseason because he didn’t sign his franchise tag tender until the beginning of this month. Last year, Bell became the first player in NFL history to average at least 100 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving. But he has not had his expected explosion and production so far in 2017, averaging 60 yards rushing through three games.

“I have to go out there and be the special player that I can be,” Bell told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I haven’t really made the plays necessary to help my team, especially last game,” he said of the eyesore of a loss to the Bears. “I was really kicking myself for the last game.”

The offense will come around. It’s the defense that has given Steelers fans indigestion over the last few years. While they rank third in total defense (260 YPG), including just 136.7 passing yards allowed per game (No. 2 in NFL), the stats are a bit misleading when you consider they’ve played the offensively anemic Browns and Bears, and a Vikings club sans Sam Bradford.

But no matter their status or the standings, the Steelers and Ravens are the Hatfields and McCoys of the modern NFL, two tough teams from hardscrabble towns whose games always seem to be won by the team that scores last. (Fourteen of their last 19 games have been decided by four or fewer points.) And you will not find two men who represent their teams and towns better than their head coaches. Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, who were hired in 2007 and 2008, respectively, are two of the longest-tenured coaches in the NFL, perhaps the most transient of American team sports. Only Bill Belichick, Marvin Lewis, Mike McCarthy, and Sean Payton have worn their respective headsets longer.

Fitting for the two teams that have owned the AFC North for the best part of the last decade. And, as of Sunday night, one will be looking down upon the other. Until they meet again, in Pittsburgh, on December 10.

Jason writes a weekly column for CBS Local Sports. He is a native New Yorker, sans the elitist sensibilities, and believes there’s a world west of the Hudson River. A Yankees devotee and Steelers groupie, he has been scouring the forest of fertile NYC sports sections since the 1970s. He has written over 500 columns for WFAN/CBS NY, and also worked as a freelance writer for Sports Illustrated and Newsday subsidiary amNew York. He made his bones as a boxing writer, occasionally covering fights in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, but mostly inside Madison Square Garden. Follow him on Twitter @JasonKeidel.

from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2fDYuFU

IL Tollways Could Be Cashless In Two Years

Chicago (CBS) — Illinois tollways are one step closer to being cashless.

Route 390 from I-290 to Route 83 running along Thorndale Avenue opens as a cashless tollway on November 1st. Drivers will have to either use I-PASS or pay the tolls within seven days online or by mail to avoid fees and fines. Illinois Toll Highway Authority Chairman Bob Schillerstrom says the vast majority of tollway drivers are already cashless.

“The tollway right now, about 87% of our transactions are electronic,” said Schillerstrom. “

While there’s no formal date, Schillerstrom says the goal is to eliminate cash collection on all Illinois tollways in two years.

from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2xMfTlZ

Blackhawks Assign Several Players To AHL Rockford

(CBS) The Blackhawks on Friday assigned forward David Kampf, forward Laurent Dauphin and defenseman Erik Gustafsson to the AHL Rockford Icehogs, they announced.

Chicago’s training camp roster now sits at 32 players — 18 forwards, 11 defensemen and three goalies.

On Thursday, the Blackhawks had sent goalie Collin Delia to Rockford.

Chicago finishes its preseason slate by hosting Boston on Saturday night.

 

from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2fEM7Jm

Clown Popularity Fuels Visits At Haunted Houses

CHICAGO (CBS) — Tis the season to be scared as haunted houses open their doors for the fall season.

And this year, clowns are all the rage after the newly released remake of Stephen King’s It and killer clowns in the new season of American Horror Story: Cult.

Bryan Kropp is General Manager of two of the biggest, boldest and scariest haunted houses in the country, located in the Chicago area – House of Torment Chicago and 13th Floor.

He said their themes play on people’s fears, including clowns.

Iconic clown at 13th Floor Chicago haunted house (credit: Facebook)

“One of our themes at 13th Floor this year is called Dead End District: Freakshow, which features a lot of clowns, and our icon character, one of our main characters for that theme is a big, menacing clown with a giant scary hammer,” Kropp said.

“People like to be scared but in a fun, entertaining way.”

Kropp said they audition actors all summer and employ about 200 people at each location. Each attraction features detailed story sets, animatronic monsters and chilling scenarios.

Artists at work at 13th Floor Chicago working on the costuming and makeup of the actors. (Credit: Facebook)

“We have a team of really talented artists and creators who work year-round to revamp the haunted houses every year. We always do new themes, new characters and a lot of times we do draw inspiration from Pennywise, and It, and video games and other popular horror movies,” Kropp said.

He said Stephen King’s It and the popularity of Pennywise, the clown will no doubt attract more horror movie fans.

House of Torment returns to Morton Grove, located at 8240 North Austin Avenue, this year for its third season. Guests can expect two attactions with two new themes, including The Swarm featuring deadly insects and creatures, and Nightmare High: Fall Harvest a high school taken over by terror.

13th Floor Chicago in Melrose Park, located at 1940 George Street, returns for its fourth season. Those brave enough will experience two new haunts, Cursed: Purgatory and Dead End District: Freakshow.

Both haunted houses will be open to the public for shows beginning on Friday, Sept, 22 and will run on select dates through November 4, 2017.

from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2xEd6vL

West Suburban Volunteers Getting School Supplies To Harvey Victims

Chicago (CBS) — Students and their parents in the western suburbs have been hard at work over the past three weeks collecting school supplies affected by Hurricane Harvey. People sent food, water and clothes to areas ravaged by hurricanes. Stephen Howser wondered how they could get another type of crucial supplies: school supplies.

“Their homes are gone, which takes all their school supplies. The school is gone, where the supplies were. And you have Office Depot, Walmart, Target, there’s nowhere to go to buy school supplies,” said Howser. “You have over 10,000 kids in warehouses and folding chairs and that’s their school right now.”

Howser, the city of Aurora and District 204 Schools collected 120,000 supplies. Volunteers organized the items into kits. They’ll be put on city trucks and sent to Houston. After that, Howser hopes to start another drive for Puerto Rico.

from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2fyjkCM

Levine: Cubs’ Jake Arrieta Heavily Leaning Toward Skipping Sunday Start

By Bruce Levine–

CHICAGO (CBS) — With an eye on the playoffs, the Cubs and right-hander Jake Arrieta are heavily leaning toward him skipping his scheduled start Sunday in the team’s regular-season finale.

“I don’t believe so,” Arrieta said Friday. “We will clear that up today. We are probably going to do a sim game. This is the time of the year you don’t need bullpens or extended time off of the mound. This is just about October.”

The objective of everyone is to have Arrieta fully healthy when the Cubs open against the Nationals next Friday in the National League Division Series. Arrieta suffered a hamstring strain in early September, sat out several weeks and has made two starts since he returned, including an outing in which he went just three innings in a loss Tuesday night.

“That was a pretty significant injury for Jake,” manager Joe Maddon said Friday before the Cubs hosted the Reds. “After looking at this period to get him stronger, arm-wise he is fine. Everything is fine except his leg is not 100 percent. So we will wait and see.”

Arrieta will likely throw a simulated game against his own teammates in the coming days and work on strengthening his leg over the next week.

The Cubs haven’t announced their postseason rotation, but Arrieta is expected to start Game 3 or Game 4 in the NLDS, Maddon confirmed.

Arrieta labored through 67 pitches Tuesday, compensating for his right hamstring bothering him by utilizing a different approach at times. The key is for the Cubs to gain confidence in Arrieta’s hamstring while not pushing him too hard in a simulated game.

“He will have to exert himself a little bit to make sure it is well at some point,” Maddon said. “That is the tricky part of this. I do not have any solid answers for you. We will see how this all plays out. If it plays well, cool. If not, you have to make another plan.”

All five Cubs starters could potentially make the 25-man roster for the NLDS, Maddon said. That would mean right-hander John Lackey could serve as insurance in case Arrieta suffers a setback or has early trouble in a game.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2x378VT