Chicago Sports

Bears quarterback Justin Fields provided several exhilarating moments this season. But he was never a more lethal football weapon than he was against the Dolphins on Nov. 6 at Soldier Field.

In a tantalizing performance that seemed like a breakthrough (whether it was or not), Fields almost singlehandedly foiled a defense that was ready for him — or thought it was.

Featuring a dazzling 61-yard touchdown run that sent the crowd into a frenzy and left the Dolphins’ defense looking helpless, Fields rushed 15 times for 178 yards — setting an NFL single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback and rendering the Dolphins’ strategy of a ”spy” useless.

Fields’ production in the passing game was modest. He completed 17 of 28 passes (60.7%) for 123 yards, but he threw three touchdown passes — two to tight end Cole Kmet (18 and four yards) and one to Darnell Mooney (16 yards). Including a 28-yard pass-interference penalty on a pass to newcomer Chase Claypool, Fields had 329 yards of total offense.

It was a glorious day until the end, when Fields and the Bears’ offense ultimately fell short in a 35-32 loss. It was a disappointing finish for some, but the day was an unmitigated success for others. If the Bears’ season was all about Fields establishing himself as a franchise quarterback and the team losing enough games to earn a top-five draft pick in 2023 — ”the sweet spot of bad” — this was the ultimate result.

It remains to be seen whether the Bears’ inability to finish close games is a harbinger of a difficult path to a rebuild. Of the 14 games Fields started, the Bears had possession with a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter 12 times. They were 3-9 in those games.

And the Bears still have to parlay the No. 1 overall pick into a difference-making player (or, better yet, players) who can kick-start the passing game and/or fuel an overall resurgence in 2023 that eventually leads to playoff contention.

Until then, however, the Bears have accomplished a base-level goal for 2022. They have established Fields as a quarterback they will build around, were competitive throughout the season — even against Super Bowl-contending competition — and not only secured a top-five draft pick but got a bonus with the No. 1 overall pick that gives them a better chance at finding an elite player who can fill one position and indirectly upgrade others.

Here’s a look at how they did it, the Bears’ key games that came closest to the ”sweet spot of bad”:

1. Dolphins (L, 35-32 on Nov. 6 at Soldier Field)

Fields played arguably his best game of the season, rushing for 178 yards to set an NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a regular-season game and throwing three touchdown passes as the Bears scored 32 points on offense.

But playing their first game without Roquan Smith (and second without Robert Quinn), the Bears allowed 379 yards. The Dolphins also scored on a return of a blocked punt.

Key numbers:Fields rushed 15 times for 178 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 123 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 106.7 passer rating and a season-high 95.6 QBR.

The upside:Including a 28-yard gain on a pass-interference penalty on a throw to receiver Chase Claypool — playing his first game with the Bears — Fields had 329 yards of total offense.

The downside:Fields had two possessions to tie or win the game in the final 7:50. One ended on a punt at the Bears’ 39. The other ended with back-to-back incompletions — a deep ball to Claypool that could have been pass interference and a fourth-and-10 drop by Equanimeous St. Brown.

2. Lions (L, 31-30 on Nov. 13 at Soldier Field)

With Fields in a comfort zone — two touchdown passes, a 140.0 passer rating and 74 yards rushing — the Bears led 24-10 and were about to wrap it up when linebacker Jack Sanborn intercepted a pass by Jared Goff with 11:42 left.

But a disputed penalty against cornerback Jaylon Johnson nullified the interception, Fields had a brain cramp and threw a pick-six, Cairo Santos missed an extra point and the Lions rallied for a stunning 31-30 victory.

Key numbers: Fields completed 12 of 20 passes for 167 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a 99.4 passer rating. He also rushed 13 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

The upside:Three plays after Fields threw the pick-six that tied the score at 24, he responded with a scintillating 67-yard touchdown run that gave the Bears a 30-24 lead.

The downside:The Bears had a chance to win after the Lions took a 31-30 lead with 2:21 left, but Fields was sacked on second-and-20 from the Bears’ 30 and again on fourth-and-eight from the Bears’ 32 with 1:04 to play.

3. Eagles (L, 25-20 on Dec. 18 at Soldier Field)

Facing the NFC favorite Eagles (12-1), who came in second in the NFL in total defense, first in passing defense and seventh in points allowed, the Bears trailed 17-13 early in the fourth quarter. But Fields cramped up on the drive, and Nathan Peterman came in for a critical third-and-14 from the Bears’ 24. He threw incomplete to Nsimba Webster, and the Eagles scored to take command.

Key numbers:Fields completed 14 of 21 passes for 152 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 119.5 passer rating — the first quarterback to post a 100-plus rating against the Eagles’ defense this season. He also had 15 carries for 95 yards.

The upside:The game wasn’t on the line, but Fields led a six-play, 60-yard touchdown drive in the final five minutes to pull the Bears to 25-20. The drive was capped by a 35-yard touchdown pass to Byron Pringle.

The downside:With the Bears trailing 17-13 in the third quarter, rookie receiver Velus Jones fumbled on an end-around at the Eagles’ 40. Trailing 25-20, the defense had a chance for a stop after the two-minute warning. But on third-and-six, Jalen Hurts threw a 12-yard pass to A.J. Brown to seal the Eagles’ victory.

4. Vikings (L, 29-22 on Oct. 9 at U.S. Bank Stadium)

The Bears trailed 21-3, and everyone was ready to turn out the lights. But they showed some spunk by scoring 19 unanswered points and took a 22-21 lead on Santos’ 51-yard field goal with 9:26 left. They ran out of gas, however, as the Vikings responded with a touchdown drive to win it.

Key numbers:Fields, who had completed only 50.8% of his passes in the first four games (34-for-67), completed 15 of 21 passes (71.4%) for 208 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a career-high 118.7 passer rating against the Vikings. He also rushed eight times for 47 yards.

The upside:Fields still was warming up as a lethal running threat, but he offered a glimpse of what was to come with a 52-yard touchdown run that was nullified by a questionable penalty for an illegal block by receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette with the Bears trailing 21-19 with 11:56 left.

The downside:Down 29-22, the Bears were driving for a tying or winning touchdown (with a two-point conversion), but Smith-Marsette fumbled after a 15-yard reception to the Vikings’ 39 with 1:01 left.

5. Bills (L, 35-13 on Dec. 24 at Soldier Field)

Facing the AFC-contending Bills (11-3) on a 9-degree day with a minus-12-degree wind chill, the Bears led 10-6 at halftime. It was only the second time this season the Bills had trailed at halftime. Even after the Bills scored two touchdowns in the first 7:03 of the second half, the Bears still were within a touchdown and a two-point conversion — trailing 21-13 — with one possession to tie before the Bills finished them off.

Key numbers:Fields completed 15 of 23 passes for 119 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 92.5 passer rating. But after rushing for 806 yards in his previous six games, Fields was held to 11 rushing yards on seven carries.

The upside:Jones, who had four receptions for 27 yards all season coming in, had two receptions for 52 yards, including a 44-yard pass from Fields at the end of the third quarter.

The downside:The Bears went backward on their one possession with a chance to tie in the fourth quarter. Khalil Herbert lost two yards on second-and-six. The Bears were called for too many men on the field on third-and-eight. And Fields lost a yard on third-and-13.

6. Packers (L, 28-19 on Dec. 4 at Soldier Field)

With Fields making three big plays in the first half — a 55-yard touchdown run, a 56-yard pass to St. Brown and a 49-yard pass to N’Keal Harry — the Bears led 16-10 at halftime. They were up 19-10 early in the fourth quarter but faded in all three phases down the stretch to lose.

Key numbers:Fields completed 20 of 25 passes for a season-high 254 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 75.7 passer rating. He wasn’t sacked for the only time this season. He rushed six times for 71 yards.

The upside:The Bears started five rookies on defense against Aaron Rodgers, including Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell and Elijah Hicks in the secondary, and held Rodgers to 182 passing yards and an 85.7 passer rating.

The downside:With the Bears leading 19-17 with 11:44 left, Santos had a 40-yard field-goal try blocked. Down 20-19 with 2:57 left, the Bears were at the Packers’ 43 when Fields was intercepted by Jaire Alexander on a play in which St. Brown failed to come back to the ball and at least knock it down. That was all she wrote.

7. Falcons (L, 27-24 on Nov. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

Against a 5-6 Falcons team that was tough to beat at home, the Bears had scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17-7 lead in the second quarter before former Bear Cordarrelle Patterson returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown. The Bears rallied for a 24-all tie, but the Falcons’ Younghoe Koo kicked a 53-yard field goal with 1:47 left that made the difference.

Key numbers:Fields completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards with one touchdown and one interception for an 84.0 passer rating. He rushed 18 times for 85 yards and a four-yard touchdown that gave the Bears the 17-7 lead.

The upside:After the Falcons scored on the opening drive, Jones — who had been inactive the previous two games — returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to set up a 44-yard touchdown drive that tied the score.

The downside:Needing only a field goal to tie in the final 1:47, Fields threw an interception on third-and-five from the Bears’ 30 to seal the loss. Fields suffered a separated shoulder on the first play of the drive but only missed one game.

The Bears were arguably one play from winning at least four of those games. Had they won those four games, general manager Ryan Poles would have gone into the offseason with proof his developing team could finish — but with the 13th overall pick in the draft.

Instead, he has a team that repeatedly failed to finish but has the No. 1 overall pick. And Poles was a bit sheepish about having such a dubious asset.

”I think you always [expect to win more games],” Poles said at the Bears’ season-ending news conference. ”And some of those close games that can go one way or the other, I was hoping to win those. But that wasn’t the case.

”I know this team has a long way to go. Coming in, that was an understanding that there is a long way to go. Losing, it hurts. You always expect to win more than three games. . . . Obviously the opportunities that will come with that, I hope that helps us. But you’re always expecting to win. You don’t want to be in this position.”

That said, when offers for that No. 1 pick presumably start rolling in, Poles could get over his disappointment that the Bears didn’t finish 7-10 and warm up to the opportunity the No. 1 pick presents.

His job right now is to make the most of it — and to make all those close losses this season a part of the rebuilding process and not a red flag.

Read More

Wheaton-Warrenville South’s formula of hard-nosed defense and careful, deliberate offensive possessions has been unquestionably successful during coach Mike Healy’s tenure.

That alone makes the Tigers extremely tough to beat, but add in an offensive talent like sophomore Luca Carbonaro and DuKane conference opponents are in major trouble.

Carbonaro was remarkably efficient on Friday in Wheaton, scoring 18 points on just eight shots to lead Wheaton-Warrenville South to a 56-24 win against Geneva.

“He’s special now and he has chance to be really special,” Healy said.

The victory snaps the Vikings’ 15-game winning streak, the longest in the area. Geneva was without its top player, senior Mick Lawrence, who was out sick.

“I don’t think that makes a 32-point difference,” Tigers senior Braylen Meredith said, making his point while demonstrating a solid memory and quick math skills.

Meredith did a lot of everything for Wheaton-Warrenville South (21-2, 9-0) with 14 points, five rebounds and two thunderous blocks of three-pointers that were the highlights of the game.

“Coach told us that our strength past years has been defense, so coming into this game we needed a fast start and that’s defense,” Meredith said.

Carbonaro hit two three pointers in the first three minutes of the game to contribute to the fast start. Healy and Meredith both said they would like the talented sophomore to be more assertive offensively.

“Sometimes he passes up shots and I’m telling him to shoot it,” Meredith said. “You have the green light. You’re a shooter.”

Carbonaro has started all season. It’s the first year on varsity for the 6-0 guard.

“I just kind of let the game come to me,” Carbonaro said. “If I score two points and we win, great. I just wait for my turn.”

Senior Colin Moore added eight points and Nick Brooks scored four for the Tigers.

The game took just 67 minutes. There were no free throws in the first half and seven in the second half.

Wheaton-Warrenville South’s long possessions elicited some boos from Geneva fans in the second quarter. But there isn’t a shot clock yet and more often than not the Tigers turned those careful possessions into points.

“It’s kind of like playing us,” Geneva coach Scott Hennig said. “When you get down 10 you feel like you are down 20.”

Wheaton-Warrenville South held the Vikings to seven points or fewer in all four quarters. Junior Tommy Diamond led Geneva (19-4, 7-2) with eight points and senior Tanner Dixon scored 7.

The Tigers have now won 10 consecutive games. Their only losses this season were to Fremd back in November and to Sacred Heart-Griffin, the defending Class 3A state champions. The Cyclones are one of the best teams in the state again this season. They beat Wheaton-Warrenville South by 17 points in late December.

The Tigers haven’t cracked the Super 25 yet this season, despite their impressive record. They haven’t played a ranked team and don’t have one on their remaining schedule. It’s been a down year overall for the DuKane, which has made it tough for Wheaton-Warrenville South to make a claim. However, a team that keeps winning eventually gets its due.

“We played really well tonight, and we’ve played better the last month than we did early on,” Healy said. “They’ve done a good job of having a little better focus.”

Read More

The Eagles of this year have accomplished something not seen since the great Bears of 1985.

The 2022 Eagles have sacked Daniel Jones a total of five times in their victory against the Giants on Saturday night, giving them 75 sacks overall in their combined 18 regular-season and postseason games. That ranks third all-time in the NFL.

The 1984 Bears had the most sacks ever with 82 in 18 games, and the 1985 Bears had the second-most with 80 in 19 games. Philadelphia are now among the best.

According to Michael David Smith “Philadelphia is averaging four sacks a game, which means if the Eagles play in two more games — the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl — they’re on pace to finish with 83 sacks and break the all-time record

The 1985 bears defense led the league in points allowed (198), yards allowed (4,135) and takeaways (54). Philadelphia finished second in total defense (301.5 yards per game) during the regular season.

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

Read More

Friday, January 27, 2023

CATHOLIC LEAGUE – BLUE

Brother Rice at St. Ignatius, 7:00

DePaul at Loyola, 6:30

Fenwick at Mount Carmel, 7:00

CATHOLIC LEAGUE – WHITE

Montini at Providence, 7:00

St. Laurence at Marmion, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Maine West at Maine East, 7:00

Niles North at Deerfield, 7:00

Vernon Hills at Highland Park, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Evanston, 7:00

Glenbrook South at New Trier, 7:00

Maine South at Niles West, 7:00

CHICAGO PREP

Holy Trinity at Northtown, 7:00

DU KANE

Batavia at Lake Park, 7:15

Geneva at Wheaton-Warr. South, 7:00

St. Charles East at Glenbard North, 7:00

St. Charles North at Wheaton North, 7:15

DU PAGE VALLEY

Metea Valley at Waubonsie Valley, 7:00

Naperville Central at Neuqua Valley, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Benet at Nazareth, 7:00

Carmel at Notre Dame, 7:00

Marian Catholic at Joliet Catholic, 7:00

Marist at St. Viator, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Crystal Lake Central at Burlington Central, 7:30

Dundee-Crown at Hampshire, 7:30

Huntley at Cary-Grove, 7:30

Jacobs at McHenry, 7:30

Prairie Ridge at Crystal Lake South, 7:30

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Elgin Academy at Morgan Park Academy, 6:30

Francis Parker vs. Latin, at DePaul University, 8:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Kaneland at Ottawa, 7:00

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Harvard at Johnsburg, 7:15

Woodstock at Richmond-Burton, 7:00

Woodstock North at Marengo, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

ACERO-Cruz at Horizon-McKinley, 7:00

Beacon at Intrinsic-Downtown, 6:30

British School at Lycee Francais, 6:00

Roycemore at Christian Heritage, 5:30

LITTLE TEN

Earlville at DePue, 7:00

Hinckley-Big Rock at Serena, 7:00

Indian Creek at Leland, 5:30

Newark at IMSA, 7:00

Somonauk at Hiawatha, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN – BLUE

Aurora Christian at St. Francis, 7:00

Riverside-Brookfield at Chicago Christian, 7:00

Wheaton Academy at Timothy Christian, 7:30

METRO SUBURBAN – RED

Aurora Central at McNamara, 7:30

Elmwood Park at Westmont, 7:30

NIC – 10

Boylan at Auburn, 7:15

Freeport at Hononegah, 7:15

Harlem at Guilford, 7:00

Rockford East at Jefferson, 7:15

NORTH SUBURBAN

Libertyville at Waukegan, 7:00

Mundelein at Stevenson, 7:00

Warren at Lake Zurich, 7:00

Zion-Benton at Lake Forest, 7:00

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Harvest Christian at Christian Life, 6:00

Mooseheart at Alden-Hebron, 7:30

Schaumburg Christian at South Beloit, 7:00

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grant at Grayslake Central, 7:00

Grayslake North at Wauconda, 7:00

Lakes at Round Lake, 7:00

North Chicago at Antioch, 7:00

RIVER VALLEY

Grace Christian at Illinois Lutheran, 7:30

SOUTH SUBURBAN – BLUE

Thornton Fr. South at Tinley Park, 6:30

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Bremen at Richards, 6:30

Hillcrest at Evergreen Park, 6:00

Lemont at Shepard, 6:30

Oak Forest at Argo, 7:00

SOUTHLAND

Bloom at Thornwood, 6:30

Thornridge at Crete-Monee, 6:00

Thornton at Kankakee, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet West at Plainfield Central, 6:30

Plainfield East at Joliet Central, 6:30

Romeoville at Plainfield South, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Minooka at Oswego, 6:30

Oswego East at West Aurora, 6:30

Yorkville at Plainfield North, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – BLUE

Lockport at Homewood-Flossmoor, 6:30

Sandburg at Bolingbrook, 7:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – RED

Andrew at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7:00

Lincoln-Way West at Lincoln-Way Central, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Stagg at Lincoln-Way East, 6:30

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at Elgin, 7:00

Glenbard East at West Chicago, 7:00

Glenbard South at East Aurora, 6:30

Larkin at Fenton, 7:00

South Elgin at Streamwood, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Hinsdale South at Downers Grove South, 6:00

Leyden at Addison Trail, 7:30

Morton at Willowbrook, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Downers Grove North at Oak Park-River Forest, 6:3

Proviso West at Glenbard West, 7:30

York at Hinsdale Central, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Corliss at Oak Lawn, 7:30

DeKalb vs. Sycamore, at NIU, 8:00

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Trinity (Kankakee), 6:4

Grant Park at Manteno, 7:00

IC Catholic at Hope Academy, 7:00

Jones at University High, 6:00

Lake Forest Academy at North Shore, 6:00

Lane at La Lumiere-Blue, 6:30

Leo at Agricultural Science, 7:00

Lisle at Rockford Lutheran, 8:00

MCC Prep at IslamicFoundation

Parkview Christian ast Westminster Christian, 7:30

Payton at Northside, 5:00

Peotone at Momence, 7:00

Pontiac at Coal City, 7:00

St. Francis de Sales at Providence-St. Mel, 7:00

Tilden at Washington, 5:00

Tri-Point at Armstrong-Potomac, 7:00

Wilmington at Clifton Central, 7:00

Yorkville Christian at De La Salle, 6:30

MONTVERDE (FL)

St. Rita vs. Durango (NV) / Riviera (FL), 5:00E

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS – CONSOLATION

First Round

Sullivan at Urban Prep-Englewood, 5:00

Hubbard at Mather, 5:00

South Shore at Kennedy, 5:00

Richards (Chgo) at Harlan, 5:00

Vocational at Dunbar, 5:00

DuSable at King, 5:00

Raby at Crane, 5:00

ACE Amandla at Senn, 5:00

Foreman at Ogden, 5:00

Lake View at Collins, 5:00

Legal Prep at Austin, 5:00

UC-Woodlawn at Von Steuben, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS – BLUE

First Round

Clemente at Roosevelt, 5:00

Kelvyn Park at Steinmetz, 5:00

Juarez at Intrinsic-Belmont, 5:00

EPIC at Horizon-Southwest, 5:00

TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT

at Putnam County

Midland vs. Putnam County, 5:00

Dwight vs. Roanoke-Benson, 6:30

Seneca vs. Marquette, 8:00

Read More

Major League Baseball is loaded with outstanding talent at the shortstop position. There are some really good ones in this league. On Thursday night, MLB Network released its list of the Top Ten Shortstops and the Chicago Cubs found one of their players on it.

Dansby Swanson, who was just signed this offseason is headed to town and is set to be the new starting shortstop. He earned a very big contract with lots of years and money after what was a fantastic tenure with the Atlanta Braves.

Now, Swanson is coming over to the Cubs are is going to try and help them become a good team again. He came in on MLB Networks’ list at six which is a very fair spot for him.

Trea Turner came in at number one. Like Swanson, Turner is heading to a new team, the Philadelphia Phillies. He has been elite for a long time and now is his time as the best in the league.

The Chicago Cubs now have a really good shortstop that will make an impact.

Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Corey Seager, and Francisco Lindor round out the top five. Those are some really good players that are all incredibly impactful for their teams.

After Swanson at six, Bo Bichette, Willy Adames, Tim Anderson, and Wander Franco finish out the top ten. When all of these guys are this good, it is hard to order them but this list does seem fair based on how 2022 went.

Shortstop is an incredibly important baseball position. It is the part of the infield that needs the most range in addition to having a really strong arm. Swanson’s bat took a big step in 2022 but his defense has always been outstanding.

Swanson is going to change the entire outlook of the Chicago Cubs infield. Nico Hoerner might have made this list after last season as he was so good at short in 2022 but he moved over to second base because of Swanson’s arrival.

This move is going to make the Cubs a much better team and clearly, the league’s network does too. It is going to be really nice seeing him play this position for the Cubs at Wrigley Field this summer.

Read More

Georgis Catering has been around for nearly 80 years, its business ranging from providing meals to the elderly to serving Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks on their private planes.

On Thursday night, a fire destroyed the company’s building at 6339 S. Central Ave., just blocks from Midway Airport.

“It’s gutted, it’s done,” said Becky Walowski, an employee. “Thankfully the building was empty, it happened after everyone left … The last I heard, the roof collapsed. We don’t know how it started.”

Walowski said half of Georgis’ business was serving 2,000 meals a day for the elderly in their homes or at centers across the Chicago area. The other half was providing in-flight meals on private planes.

“We’ve done presidents, we do the Bulls, we do the Blackhawks, we do the Milwaukee Bucks,” she said. “We deliver right to their planes. If Warren Buffet is flying out of Palwaukee Airport, we take care of him.”

Walowski described the business as a “mom and pop shop.” It has 35 employees and the chef has been there for 30 years.

She was unsure what the business will do now. “You don’t know what to say, you don’t know what to do.”

Read More

Chicago’s police oversight agency sought the dismissal of a Chicago police officer who lost his loaded gun during a drunken fight at a Milwaukee bar, but he was suspended instead and later left for a suburban police department.

Officer Robert Pet had traveled to Milwaukee nine days before Christmas in 2018, according to a report made public this week by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. After having dinner, going to a concert and hanging out at a bar — all while toting a loaded gun — he went to another tavern.

That’s where he pointed a bullet magazine against a man’s chest during an argument and was quickly pummeled by a group of patrons, one of whom wrestled the gun away, the report states.

Pet, who was arrested, struggled to recall the incident during interviews with investigators.

COPA called for the officer’s dismissal, saying “his dangerously poor judgment is not befitting of a sworn officer and renders him ill-suited to continue to serve in his capacity as a police officer.”

Ultimately, though, the city reached a settlement with Pet in August 2021, handing down a 180-day suspension instead.

Despite COPA’s findings, Pet was hired by the police department in northwest suburban Wauconda last September — a day before the Chicago Police Department listed him as “inactive,” according to a CPD spokeswoman and state law enforcement records.

Wauconda Police Sgt. Heather Cognac said Pet’s hiring hinged on the final determination of his disciplinary case. Cognac claimed “COPA was advised of this agreement and responded that they had no objections.”

“Officer Pet was reinstated to full duty status by [the] Chicago Police Department prior to his employment with [the] Wauconda Police Department,” Cognac said.

A COPA spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pet had been hired by the CPD in June 2017, according to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. His parents were both Chicago police officials, and his mother presented him with his late father’s star in a ceremony late that December, the department wrote on Twitter at the time.

COPA’s report raised serious questions about his fitness as an officer, warning that his behavior that night in December 2018 amounted to “a profound lapse in judgment.”

“What should not be deemed mitigating is that no one was injured,” COPA said. “Officer Pet’s actions surely put that possibility in motion.”

When Milwaukee police officers arrived at the Rogue’s Galley bar, they confronted Pet about “another altercation earlier in the night” and he initially refused to answer questions or submit to sobriety testing, according to the report.

When police obtained a warrant to draw his blood four hours later, Pet’s blood alcohol content was 0.11%, higher than the 0.08% limit to drive in Wisconsin.

During his arrest, Pet said he was a Chicago cop and “his firearm was missing,” the report states. His gun had been handed over to police after he was disarmed during the melee.

In an interview with COPA in April 2020, Pet acknowledged he had a spotty recollection of the night and couldn’t say how much liquor he had consumed. He also didn’t remember pulling out the magazine, being punched or exactly what happened to the gun.

He was charged with a misdemeanor count of operating a firearm while intoxicated, but the charge was amended to disorderly conduct, a non-criminal municipal offense, the report and court records show. He pleaded no contest and was fined $250.

COPA also sustained three disciplinary allegations, finding he had become intoxicated while off the clock, took an unnecessary verbal altercation and displayed the magazine.

“Officer Pet’s actions were criminal in nature and brought significant discredit to the Department,” the agency said in pressing unsuccessfully for his dismissal.

Read More

The Public League playoff pairings have been announced. The tournament starts up with 16 games on Feb. 1 and winds up with the championship game at UIC on Feb. 11.

The boys and girls title games will be broadcast live on CW 26, channel 26.1.

First round, Feb. 1

Amundsen at YoungTaft at BrooksPerspectives-Leadership at OrrAg. Science at CurieCatalyst-Maria at SimeonEnglewood at Lincoln ParkMorgan Park at Perspectives-MSAMarshall at North Lawndale

Corliss at KenwoodDyett at LaneLongwood at PhillipsNorthside at FarragutJones at WestinghousePayton at LindblomProsser at ClarkBogan at Hyde Park

Second round, Feb. 3Quarterfinals, Feb. 7Semifinals, Feb. 9Championship, Feb. 11

Read More

Supporters of a new plan to subsidize a proposed Arlington Heights stadium for the Chicago Bears are drawing up a play that is so far missing a quarterback in Springfield.

In fact, most of its backers are still in the huddle.

No legislation has been filed, and no sponsors have been named for the measure that would create a new class of tax incentive called a PILOT. That stands for payment in lieu of taxes.

It would allow the Bears to pay to Arlington Heights a negotiated sum for the property taxes on the 326-acre site of the old Arlington International Racecourse. The amount presumably would be less than what the team would be liable for as it pursues its stadium and other buildings that would add to the property’s value.

“As we have said publicly, property tax certainty is necessary for the Arlington Park project to move forward. We continue to do our due diligence on how that can be accomplished,” the Bears said in a statement.

In a summary of the proposal, the team said 35 other states have a similar tax incentive to attract major developments, leaving Illinois at a disadvantage. The Bears’ proposal would apply the PILOT incentive only for projects with more than a $500 million capital investment. A stadium alone in Arlington Heights is estimated to cost at least $2.5 billion.

A key issue with the Bears’ proposal is whether Arlington Heights-area schools would be involved in negotiating any payments. Any development that would add families to the area would increase school enrollment — and by extension the need for funding, now largely supplied through property taxes.

A draft of the legislation said a municipality and private developer can mutually terminate the incentive at any time, but the developer must agree to stay at the property for at least 20 years.

The Bears have enlisted consultants, one of the state’s leading business groups and a road builders’ association to promote the legislation.

The idea was floated in Springfield weeks ago, including in a meeting with high-level Democratic staffers that included at least one representative of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office. But the plan was initially met with a resounding no, a source with knowledge of the meeting told the Sun-Times.

But now, supporters of the incentive, including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, are trying to round up support — using the argument that without state support for the Bears, the team could pack up and leave.

“I think it needs to happen by the end of this session. If not, you’re going to start to have other states make their cases on why the Chicago Bears should be the St. Louis Bears,” said Todd Maisch, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “That’s just the reality of the world. And people may not like it, but everybody wants the Chicago Bears to remain the Chicago Bears. It can get a little messy. But I think we’re going to reach a positive balance.”

Maisch also fought back the characterization that it is a “Bears bailout,” which is how many view any subsidies for a team that took in $520 million in revenue in 2021, according to Forbes.

“I would reject the notion it’s a bailout. There’s competition across state and industries.Let’s recognize that there’s a competition for investments across the nation, whether it be light manufacturing, transportation or whether it be sports teams,” Maisch said.

In September, the Bears laid out the groundwork to seek some sort of public subsidy for a massive, mixed-use stadium development they are exploring on the Arlington Heights site. The team said it wouldn’t seek public funding for stadium construction, but would ask for “additional funding and assistance” for a broader, mixed-use development it called one of the largest in Illinois history.

Pritzker has said he does not support public financing of the stadium.

And in the waning days of the Illinois General Assembly’s lame duck session, legislators passed the Invest in Illinois Act, which includes the following language: “the Department [of Commerce and Economic Opportunity] shall not award economic incentives to a professional sports organization that moves its operation from one location in the State to another location in the State.”

That was in reference to discretionary funds being used for closing costs. That bill has yet to make it to the governor’s desk.

State Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, said he has reviewed the latest proposal — and has a lot of questions, including how the Board of Appeals and Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi would feel about freezing such a large assessment for 20 years.

“I wouldn’t call it a subsidy. It really is much more of paying fewer taxes. I think the plan is interesting. I think it’s new. We don’t do this in the state.

“The difficulty I have is that it requires the municipalities to negotiate on behalf of the school districts, and I’m not so sure the school district shouldn’t have more power on what happens with the tax money that should go to them that they do this in this plan,” Walker said. “I’m not sure yet. That’s a shortcoming.”

Walker also called it an “interesting proposition for the state to move companies here,” but not necessarily for companies who are just seeking to relocate to other parts of the state.

Walker said he hasn’t been asked to sponsor the bill.

“I could be considered a sponsor. Would I choose to sponsor is a whole different question. I think it’s out of the wind. They’re trying to see who would be best.”

State Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, told the Sun-Times the proposal deserves “careful review” before it’s considered. Canty is also on the Arlington Heights Village Board.

“Like any commitment of taxpayer dollars, the proposed subsidy plan for a new Chicago Bears’ stadium deserves careful review before we decide whether to proceed,” Canty said in an email to the Sun-Times.

“While I am excited at the prospect of bringing new economic development opportunities to our community, we have to clearly evaluate potential returns on our expenditure, and if it is the state’s place to get involved in this project.”

Read More

ORLANDO – DeMar DeRozan remained confident where his head was.

Unfortunately for the Bulls veteran forward, he could only speak for himself.

Where his teammates were as far as their own mental space after back-to-back embarrassing losses this week? That’s for each of them to figure out.

What DeRozan won’t allow in the locker room, however, is the outside narrative of this team to seep into their own psyche and become their reality.

“I think if you think like that, and you give into that, you become that,” DeRozan said. “We cannot become what everybody says we keep doing. I’m always a big firm believer in as long as you’ve got time, have an opportunity going forward, you’ve got a chance to change whatever needs to be changed.

“It would be different if we had a deadline of, ‘We’ve got five days to change something so big.’ No, we have opportunities. It sucks [losing] … We’re just waiting for that opportunity. Not even necessarily waiting, I think we’re fighting for it instead of trusting that it’s going to come. As long as it comes at the right time, that’s all that matters. It’s just got to come.”

But does it?

That’s where DeRozan’s blind leap of faith could come back to bite him and the Bulls this season, especially if the front office is also thinking that same way.

Multiple wins over Milwaukee, Miami, Boston and Brooklyn can’t be downplayed. But they also can’t blur some underlying issues that aren’t going away with the way this roster is currently constructed.

Coach Billy Donovan uses buzzwords and catchphrases like, “need to play desperate,” “ramping up the compete level,” “playing with physicality.”

Translation: This roster is soft.

Talented? No question. But a foxhole team that understands what it takes to win games late – let alone a playoff series when the game gets really grimy? No sir.

Back-to-back losses to Indiana and then Charlotte were equally frustrating, and also followed a blueprint that is a direct indictment of the lack of edge this Bulls team not only displays, but is easy for less talented teams to pick up on.

Go at them hard later in the game and they will break.

It’s not an every-game occurrence, but it’s enough. Donovan made no secret of that.

“Setting a standard of play where we shouldn’t be letting another team dictate what level we need to play to,” Donovan said of one of the corrections that has to be made. “I always think that’s really dangerous inside of a team, when you get to that place where you’ve gotta at least be, ‘OK, here is the level we know we’ve got to play to.’ ”

The Magic have already beaten the Bulls once this season, and of course pulled the game out late with Zach LaVine benched. Does anyone think Orlando will be at all intimidated of this Bulls team on Friday?

The real intrigue, however, is that after Bulls-Magic that leaves just five more games before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

The Sun-Times reported earlier this month that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas built last offseason around “continuity,” and wasn’t about to stray off of that, especially still believing that a healthy Lonzo Ball covers up a lot of weaknesses that have been exposed.

Roster construction is a fluid business, however. Could a third-straight loss to a team that is less talented on paper be the final straw?

Only Karnisovas can answer that, and now has less than two weeks to do so.

“How do we just turn that into every single night no matter who we’re playing against, with that element of knowing we have what it takes to compete against the best?” DeRozan said. “That’s what gives me hope.”

At this point, that might not be enough.

Read More