Chicago Sports

Anyone who follows the Chicago Bears knows that this offseason, the team has a couple of clear areas they need to improve.

General manager Ryan Poles is a former offensive lineman himself, and after watching the way Justin Fields took a beating last season, he has to know his number one priority this spring. It’s without a doubt the offensive line.

Sure, defensive line and wide receiver are an issue, among other positions. But, this offensive line has to be completely overhauled, and that begins in free agency.

Last year, the Bears signed veteran tackle Riley Reiff to a team-friendly deal worth $3 million for one year. Now, Reiff enters free agency once again.

Should the Chicago Bears re-sign offensive tackle Riley Reiff?

The 34-year-old Reiff played in nine meaningful games a year ago for the Bears; meaning, games he played more than 10 snaps in total.

He did fine on occasion, but was nothing more than mediocre on most days. Reiff was okay in pass protection, earning a grade of 67.0 from Pro Football Focus in that area. When it came to run blocking, though, he was less than stellar, earning a grade of just 59.1.

Chicago has one offensive tackle locked-in as a starter for 2023, and it should come as no surprise that it’s second-year pro Braxton Jones. To be frank, the Bears are lucky that Jones worked out so well. As a fifth-round pick, Jones was more of a dart throw by Poles than anything.

Now, with Teven Jenkins likely sticking at guard, the Bears will have a ton of work to do at tackle. But, that cannot include re-signing Reiff. If the Bears were to bring him back on a very team-friendly deal, meaning more of a minimum contract, then he could be a solid depth piece or even just a camp body.

But, overall, the Bears have to get younger up front. Reiff is getting up there in age and the Bears cannot afford to count on him as more than just a reserve going forward, should he actually be re-signed.

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Justin Fields wants separation

The Chicago Bears have plenty of options in the upcoming draft. Quarterback Justin Fields has his own opinion on what the team should do with their number one overall pick. The Bears earned the number one pick after a disastrous season where decencies on offense and defense were seen all over the field. The third-year quarterback has keyed on what he thinks would help the offense the most.

Fields was a guest on Pardon My Take Wednesday. They played a game, “you be the GM,” where Fields was the general manager. He was asked who he’d take in the NFL draft if the Bears had three first-round picks from the “Big Cat Deal.” If, of course, Fields didn’t want to trade himself. Fields named his first option.

“I’m going with my man Jaxon Smith-Njigba. You know I’ve seen him in action. I’ve seen how he can separate himself like that,” Fields said, snapping his fingers to illustrate how quickly the Ohio State wide receiver can get separation.

“And his body control is just crazy. He didn’t get to play this past year; he didn’t get to show what he can do, so I’m hoping he falls somehow. But we do have some help that we need in the trenches. A lot of people are talking about us taking Jalen Carter or Will Anderson Jr., so we’ll see what happens. I’m guessing we’ll get one of those guys and maybe some guys in free agency.

Fields wants a teammate

Justin Fields made several interesting comments there. One, he wants a wide receiver who can separate. That’s an issue his receivers corps had during the 2022 season. And he thinks that is more of a problem for the offense than the pass blocking. You’ll notice Fields wanted Smith-Njigba over another former teammate Paris Johnson Jr.

Justin Fields also said Poles would disregard his wishes for the draft help. That’s normal in the NFL. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been frustrated his entire career for not getting wide receiver help in the first round.

But Fields’ request is something general manager Ryan Poles should listen to. Previous college teammate tandems have done well on offense in recent years. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr. come to mind.

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The Chicago Bears move back in Todd McShay’s latest 2023 NFL mock draft on ESPN

We are still two months away from the 2023 NFL draft and all the talk will continue to surround the Chicago Bears.

The Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the draft but aren’t expected to keep it. Instead, many expect the Bears to trade the No. 1 pick hoping to land more assets in the draft to build the franchise in a key year for a rebuild.

On Wednesday, ESPN analyst Todd McShay released his updated 2023 mock draft and he’s echoing those thoughts of the Bears trading back. McShay has the Indianapolis Colts moving up from No. 4 overall to No. 1 and taking a quarterback. Here is what McShay wrote on the situation including the haul the Bears get back:

Indianapolis has entered each of the past five seasons with a different starting quarterback, opting for veteran options via free agency and trades. But it was No. 27 in Total QBR last season (36.8), and the offense was at the bottom of the NFL in points per game (15.8). GM Chris Ballard will be eager to jump the line to land the top quarterback on the Colts’ board, whomever that ends up being. And the Bears should be listening to offers. They have their quarterback in Justin Fields and can still land a standout defensive player in a trade-back — while also picking up additional draft capital. Matt Miller actually projected the Colts to move up to No. 1 in his mock last week, too. It just makes sense.

The return could come down to just how desperate the QB-needy teams get and how much they fall in love with a specific passer. But I’d expect the Bears to receive something in the ballpark of the No. 4 pick, a second-rounder (No. 35), a fifth-rounder and maybe even an additional Round 1 selection in 2024.

It’s an ideal situation for the Chicago Bears to trade back and Indianapolis feels like a legit candidate. But the haul from McShay feels a little underwhelming.

Chicago gets No. 35 overall as a second round pick plus a fifth-rounder. McShay mentions they could get an addition first rounder. The perfect scenario for Ryan Poles is getting another first rounder next year as it would be a valuable pick to have for next year.

The Chicago Bears would get back the No. 4 pick and they take Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The defensive tackle would fill a big need for the Bears on the defensive line as Will Anderson went No. 3 to Arizona.

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Nearly 30 guest conductors from around the world, including some of the field’s biggest names like James Conlon, Susanna M?lkki, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Michael Tilson Thomas, will join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2023-24.

This panorama of podium talent along with an array of top soloists, including trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, violinist Gil Shaham and pianist Yuja Wang, will be among the highlights of the upcoming season, which the orchestra announced Wednesday.

The larger-than-usual number of guest conductors in 2023-24 is necessitated by what will soon be an open music-director position. Riccardo Muti, who has typically led 10 weeks of subscription and special concerts, is stepping down in June 2023 after 13 years in the post.

But even though he will no longer carry the title of Zell Music Director, Muti will still have a large presence in 2023-24. In addition to leading tours in the United States and Europe, he will take the Orchestra Hall podium for the CSO’s first three programs in September for seven concerts.

Among the focal points of his fall appearances will be Sept. 28-30 concerts featuring the world premiere of Philip Glass’ “The Triumph of the Octagon.” In February 2022, Muti and the CSO performed the Symphony No. 11 by the famed 86-year-old composer, known for scores for such films as “The Hours” (2002).

Continuing its long history of presenting new music, the CSO will perform the premieres of four commissioned works in 2023-24. In addition to the new Glass creation will be: Nov. 9-11, Chrisopher Theofanidis, “Indigo Heaven;” March 21-24, Lowell Liebermann, Flute Concerto No. 2, and May 30-31 and June 1, Jessie Montgomery, Percussion Concerto.

Montgomery will return in 2023-24 for her third and final year as the orchestra’s Mead Composer-in-Residence; and the initial two-year tenure of the CSO’s artist-in-residence, Hilary Hahn, has been extended an extra year through June 2024. The two recently won significant related honors, with Musical America naming them 2023 composer and artist of the year, respectively.

In addition to the four world premieres, the CSO will present the Chicago debut of “The Elements,” a five-moment work commissioned by famed violinist Joshua Bell, who will serve as soloist for the June 13-15 performances. In an unusual arrangement, each of the piece’s five movements was written by a different well-known composer — Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, Edgar Meyer, Jessie Montgomery and Kevin Puts.

Also announced Wednesday was the line-up for Symphony Center Presents, which operates under the auspices of the CSO. Among its attention-grabbing offerings in 2023-24 are two visiting orchestras, starting Nov. 28 with Daniel Barenboim scheduled to lead the Staatskapelle Berlin. The conductor, who turned 80 in November, is well known to Chicago audiences, having served as music director of the CSO in 1991-2006.

In addition, Simon Rattle, a celebrated conductor whose last Chicago podium appearance was in 2009, will lead the Bavarian Radio Symphony in a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 on April 28.

For more information on the CSO’s 2023-24 season, visit cso.org.

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The 2023 NFL offseason is going to be a monumental period for the Chicago Bears, who have plenty of holes to fill but a lot of capital to do so.

One area that must be strengthened is at wide receiver. Last year, new general manager Ryan Poles took a laid-back approach to addressing certain needs, wide receiver included.

Poles didn’t make any splash moves, but instead signed guys like Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis and Byron Pringle to short-term deals. This was more of a punt on 2022 than anything, but now going into the 2023 offseason, Poles has decisions to make on whether any of those guys are worth bringing back.

Already making a decision on St. Brown, Poles now must turn his attention to Pettis, Pringle and last year’s trade acquisition, N’Keal Harry. For now, let’s focus on Pringle.

Should the Chicago Bears re-sign wide receiver Byron Pringle?

Pringle originally signed a one-year deal worth $4.1 million last offseason. It’s pretty incredible to believe he got paid that kind of money to cut his 2021 totals by about 75 percent. Sure, injury had something to do with it as well. But, even when healthy, Pringle was rarely used last year.

In total, Pringle caught 10 passes on 16 targets for just 135 yards. He did snag two touchdowns. But, compare that to a 42-catch, 568-yard season a year ago, and that’s far from what the Bears expected out of their free agent signing.

The 29-year-old Pringle could definitely find a home elsewhere on a contender looking for one more veteran to fill out their roster. However, with the way the Bears’ depth chart looks right now, it’s tough to believe they could bring him back.

Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool are the top two, for right now. Then there’s St. Brown and last year’s rookie Venus Jones Jr. Chicago will likely go out and get themselves a true number one receiver whether it be in the draft or by way of a veteran.

To think Pringle would come back as the sixth wide receiver just doesn’t make sense. The Bears could get younger and find a much more higher ceiling elsewhere.

It was a short-lived experiment, but most would agree that Pringle is one and done in Chicago after 2022.

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The Chicago Bears are likely to be trading away Justin Fields according to rumors coming out of the post-Senior Bowl week according to Jason LaCanfora.

The rumors surrounding quarterback Justin Fields being traded just don’t seem to be dying down.  Warren Sapp initially brought it up, a recent mock draft had the Bears trading Fields and the smoke seems to build.

The latest comes from Jason La Canfora, the former CBS Sports analyst who has covered the NFL for years. La Canfora tweeted this on Wednesday, hearing that NFL general managers believe Fields will actually be dealt.

Should we believe La Canfora? There have been numerous reports of his that haven’t been true over the years and all signs are pointing to the Bears keeping Fields.

Justin Fields has struggled at times in two seasons in Chicago, leading the Bears’ passing offense to the 30th and 32nd best passing offense in the NFL. But it’s not all his fault.  The offensive line wasn’t good at times and he doesn’t have many weapons to throw to in the offense.

Plus, he’s had two head coaches and two offensive coordinators in two seasons so far.

This could be a pure smoke screen on the part of the Bears to drive up the value on the number one overall pick in a trade-down scenario.  That’s the most realistic option here.

The Bears also need to do a lot to build up the team around Justin Fields and only have three short years to do it in or they’re faced with giving him a large contract extension.  The scenario that is similar to Justin Fields is Kyler Murray with the Arizona Cardinals.  Murray isn’t good enough for the money he’s making and with the money tied up in him it’s going to be hard for the Cardinals to improve their team enough to carry Murray to the playoffs.

Add to it you likely only have the first overall pick once, or at least that’s what you want to have happen if GM is doing his job well.

One thing is for sure it’s going to be an interesting next two months until the NFL Draft kicks off in late April.

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One of the offseason’s biggest questions for the Chicago Bears is whether or not the team will decide to re-sign running back David Montgomery.

Originally a third-round pick back in the 2019 NFL Draft, Montgomery quickly became a fan favorite and now enters free agency for the first time as a pro.

Montgomery, who will turn 26 in June, is set for a decent contract this spring. He’s right in the thick of his prime and, according to your typical NFL running back, should have a couple more serviceable years left in him.

To this point, the Bears have been able to do a lot in terms of running the football as a team, but Montgomery is an integral part of their three-headed monster. Along with Justin Fields and Khalil Herbert, Montgomery has proven a big part of this offense.

Should the Chicago Bears re-sign running back David Montgomery?

In four seasons, Montgomery has totaled 4,849 yards from scrimmage (3,609 rushing and 1,240 receiving) and 30 touchdowns. He’s been the guy every Bears fan can honestly say has never quit. No matter what down, what distance and what the score says, Montgomery is the one guy who continues to put his head down and move those feet.

It’s his work ethic and overall humble demeanor that has made him so likable since coming to Chicago out of Iowa State. The Bears’ back field would be tough to imagine without him, but at the same time, fans said the same thing about Jordan Howard at one point.

The fact of the matter is, running backs are replaceable. It’s the sad reality of today’s NFL. A perfect example of this is seeing 2022 seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco take over the starting job for former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire in Kansas City.

Edwards-Helaire was healthy for the Super Bowl, but did not play. Instead, it was Pacheco’s job, and he played well.

Montgomery’s market value sits right around $7.2 million, according to Spotrac. At that number, the Bears might be pushing it, and that’s not to say Montgomery isn’t worthy of that amount of money.

Quite frankly, Herbert proved he could handle the load. Fields will continue to be a threat on the ground. The Bears could just as well spend that money on a starting lineman, on either side of the ball, and replace Montgomery with a later-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

If he were to be open to a discount in order to stay in Chicago, then Montgomery would be well-worth keeping around. But, at his projected market value, the Bears might not get a deal done.

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MONTREAL — Everyone around the Blackhawks knew this season would feature plenty of losses. That’s what any rebuild entails, especially the drastic type to which the Hawks committed last summer.

So the barometer for satisfaction has shifted more toward effort than results.

Coach Luke Richardson has had a firsthand view of it all. Before the Blackhawks’ 4-0 loss Tuesday to the Canadiens — a team he formerly coached that is undergoing its own rebuild, albeit of a different style — he discussed both topics.

”[We have been] very transparent . . . [about] exactly what we’re doing, and that’s the first big step,” Richardson said. ”Certain big markets are afraid to admit that. They don’t want player pushback or lost revenue. We realize we have to do it the right way.

”When I came in for the job, they told me that about five times. I said: ‘I heard you. I’m still coming. I’m good. Are you trying to scare me away from the job?’ And they said: ‘No, we just want to make sure you know.’

”I said: ‘Well, I’m [still] going to try and win every night.’ And our team feels like that, and it shows in our play. I like that. That’s the first step of what we needed to do: build that trust in our culture and get that implemented this year. Does it mean we win every night? No. But we’re getting closer and getting better as a team.”

It’s a good thing Richardson discussed that before the game than after it because the effort the Hawks showed made them look like a group that has given up on a pointless season

It was most likely an anomaly. All teams have off-nights; they’re simply more noticeable from teams such as the Hawks, who have so little skill to fall back upon.

It can’t be allowed to become a pattern, however.

”Right now, it’s hard to accept because I haven’t seen it that much this year,” Richardson said after the game. ”I’ve been impressed [this season] with the guys’ attention to detail. Some nights, other teams just overpower us with depth, but we push usually right to the end.

”Tonight, when they’re not connected early and it doesn’t seem like it’s coming and it gets more frustrating on the bench and on the ice, it’s hard to reel it in. You can try to move guys around on their lines, just to get something sparked up . . . but it just seemed like nothing was going to go our way.”

Defenseman Connor Murphy summed it up more succinctly.

”It’s not that we got off the game plan,” he said. ”We didn’t get to the game plan.”

Rookie goalie Jaxson Stauber (27 saves) kept the Hawks alive into the third period but eventually succumbed to a wave of three goals in six minutes and suffered his first career loss.

Offensively, the Hawks mustered only 22 shots on goal. They had 10 scoring chances in five-on-five play, one off their season low.

They took a physical beating, too. Defenseman Jarred Tinordi, making only his second appearance after missing 20 games recovering from facial surgery, slipped when dumping in a puck in the first period and departed after logging four shifts. He won’t play Wednesday against the Maple Leafs because of a lower-body injury, Richardson said.

Forward MacKenzie Entwistle’s availability Wednesday is also in question after he left in the third period. Forward Jason Dickinson, meanwhile, left briefly with a wrist injury but later returned and ”should be OK,” Richardson said.

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The animated cartoon movie character Betty Boop, made famous in a hugely popular series of film shorts in the 1930s, is getting new life. Specifically her own Broadway musical.

“BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical” will receive its pre-Broadway world premiere during a six-week engagement, Nov. 19-Dec. 23, at Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe).

The show, directed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (“Kinky Boots,” “La Cage Aux Folles”) features a book by Tony-winner Bob Martin (“The Drowsy Chaperone”), with music by Grammy Award winning composer David Foster and Tony-nominated lyricist Susan Birkenhead (“Working,” “Jelly’s Last Jam”).

In a 2018 interview with Ravinia magazine, Foster described the need for a very original story to bring Betty Boop to the stage. “There never was a story because [Betty Boop] is a two-minute-at-a-time cartoon,” he said, adding with a chuckle: “I knew I wanted to make a step toward Broadway and musicals, and honestly Betty Boop was the first person to ask me.”

With her Roaring ’20s-style hairdo, signature red lips, flirty personality, provocative attire, and her signature “boop-oop-a-doop” catchphrase, Betty Boop (voiced by Mae Questel at Hollywood’s Fleischer Studios) was the star of more than 100 cartoons. She was considered too sexy for the big screen by the late 1930s, and her film shorts career came to an end.

Flash-forward several decades and a Betty Boop pop culture resurgence took hold. The colorful cartoon character is featured on everything from T-shirts and purses to cell phone cases and socks. She made a cameo appearance in the 1988 film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” In 2017, MAC cosmetics released a Betty Boop Red lipstick. In 2020, the Betty Boop “character” attended the Woman’s Day Celebrates 17th Annual Red Dress Awards in New York City. And a giant inflatable Betty Boop balloon has made an appearance or two in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for the stage musical now at BroadwayInChicago.com. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date. The musical also will be part of the Broadway in Chicago subscription series on sale this spring.

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DeKalb joined the DuPage Valley Conference (and entered the Sun-Times’ coverage area) four years ago.

The Barbs have owned the DVC, winning conference the first three years. That streak officially came to an end on Tuesday in Naperville.

Neuqua Valley, which already had won a share of the conference title, beat the Barbs 76-70 to win it outright. DeKalb is very young this season and had been out of the running for the conference crown for a while.

“They have run this conference since they joined,” Wildcats senior Nick Lendino said. “So I know they wanted to do everything they could to take it away from us, even though they couldn’t win it. So we had to put in that one extra degree of hard work to pull off the championship.”

The game was played at a high level and a blistering pace.

“I hate this,” Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton joked. “I like those 43-41 games. When we are making all those shots it means we aren’t going to play defense.”

Lendino scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. Junior Luke Kinkade led the Wildcats (24-7, 8-2) with 23 points and six rebounds.

“At the beginning of the season everyone counted us out and now we won the conference,” Kinkade said. “Everyone is confused, wondering where Neuqua came from. It’s cool.”

Neuqua Valley beat Bolingbrook on Feb. 7 and that opened plenty of eyes. The Wildcats hit a rough patch in mid-January, losing three of four games.

“We couldn’t make a shot,” Sutton said. “That has really turned around. But it can always turn around again.”

Neuqua Valley’s confidence is soaring. The Wildcats shot 7-for-16 from three-point range and had eight players score in the game. The offense was fast, decisive and successful.

“It’s our attitude now,” Kinkade said. “Mentally during the bad stretch we were in our heads and now we know if we miss it isn’t a big deal. We’ll just keep shooting and start making the threes.”

Neuqua Valley is the No. 5 seed in the Class 4A Bolingbrook sectional. The Wildcats haven’t cracked the Super 25 at any point this season, but are playing like a ranked team now.

“We can do some damage in the playoffs,” Kinkade said. “We are a team that everyone looks at us and thinks they can beat us. But we can beat a lot of teams in that regional and people will see that as the first and second rounds go by.”

The Barbs (21-10, 4-6) are one of the area’s best young teams, talented enough to play for a sectional title next month. Sophomore guard Sean Reynolds showcased an impressive overall game and finished with 31 points and five rebounds. Freshman Davon Grant had 11 points and eight rebounds junior Eric Rosenow added 11 points.

DeKalb is the one of two No. 1 seeds in the Class 4A Rockford Jefferson Sectional, which is broken into two sub-sectionals.

“That was a very tough game,” Sutton said. “Their offense is incredible.”

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