Chicago Sports

Before an improbable win on Monday night, the Bears had become experts in mucking up games. The losing was ugly –even the winning was ugly. None of it was truly enjoyable. But in Foxborough, Mass., they gave fans a pretty gift box with a bow of progress pressed on top.

Focus is almost always on quarterback Justin Fields and it should be, but during Matt Eberflus’ short tenure as Bears coach, we’ve learned something about him; The man can coach a little.

There are always going to be comparisons to his predecessor, Matt Nagy, but soon that might be obsolete. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot of questions about how high Eberflus’ ceiling is as a coach, but there are two things about his approach that should be noted and appreciated.

First, Eberflus arrived as an accomplished defensive coordinator. He had been an assistant his whole career. A really good one. Usually when those types of coaches get an opportunity at the top job, they stay on their side of the ball and call plays. In most cases, this is a huge mistake. Calling plays on either side of the ball is as much art as it is science. Understanding game flow and paying close attention to what your players are doing is critical. Head coaches have so much on their plate on game day that handling play-calling often ends in disaster.

Eberflus walked into Halas Hall with a plan to be the CEO of the Bears’ sideline. He puts faith in his staff to do their jobs while he does what traditional head coaches have always done–supervise the people put in place. It’s a small thing, but it smacks of a coach that doesn’t have a heavy ego weighing him down. Eberflus seems to understand that if the team is successful, he’ll be seen as successful. That’s not a small thing.

With huge salaries being thrown around at the college and NFL level, tons of coaches and coaching candidates have been tagged with the moniker “guru.”

There are a few coaches who have lived up to that –Andy Reid and Sean McVay have proved they can handle dual responsibilities. Most cannot. Fighting the allure of everyone telling you how smart you are is a narcotic that many coaches, including Nagy, can’t shake.

The other notable thing about Eberflus is his constant assessment. One win isn’t going to fool me. The Bears have a talent deficiency that will be hard to overcome. To move in that direction means tough decisions and honesty. After the Bears’ demoralizing loss against Washington, Eberflus kept his word by taking the extra time and doing a deep dive into what’s working and what’s not. It takes humility to do that.

It was clear to anyone watching the Bears that this team needed to make changes. Plenty of coaches would hear criticism from the outside and reflexively double-down on their decisions. With 11 days in between the Washington game and meeting up with the Patriots, Eberflus was honest in his “self-scout.” You don’t get an effort like that, on the road, without a true diagnostic of what your team is and isn’t.

But then you have to put a plan into action. Even though the change at center was short-lived, after an injury to Lucas Patrick, the willingness to change is significant and worthy of celebration.

To put what Eberflus has done into context: Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell hasn’t won a road game yet. In 23 games, his team is 0-11-1 away from Detroit. Eberflus picked up his first road win in one of the toughest environments imaginable. Bill Belichick’s record against rookie or second-year quarterbacks in Foxborough entering Monday’s game was 3-42. Think about that. Eberflus and his crew stared the best coach in the world in the eye and didn’t blink.

I don’t know what the future will bring but I know that Eberflus’ lack of ego serves him well. Monday night the Bears won pretty — and it feels pretty good.

You can hear Laurence Holmes talk Chicago sports Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 670 The Score with Dan Bernstein.

Read More

Before an improbable win on Monday night, the Bears had become experts in mucking up games. The losing was ugly –even the winning was ugly. None of it was truly enjoyable. But in Foxborough, Mass., they gave fans a pretty gift box with a bow of progress pressed on top.

Focus is almost always on quarterback Justin Fields and it should be, but during Matt Eberflus’ short tenure as Bears coach, we’ve learned something about him; The man can coach a little.

There are always going to be comparisons to his predecessor, Matt Nagy, but soon that might be obsolete. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot of questions about how high Eberflus’ ceiling is as a coach, but there are two things about his approach that should be noted and appreciated.

First, Eberflus arrived as an accomplished defensive coordinator. He had been an assistant his whole career. A really good one. Usually when those types of coaches get an opportunity at the top job, they stay on their side of the ball and call plays. In most cases, this is a huge mistake. Calling plays on either side of the ball is as much art as it is science. Understanding game flow and paying close attention to what your players are doing is critical. Head coaches have so much on their plate on game day that handling play-calling often ends in disaster.

Eberflus walked into Halas Hall with a plan to be the CEO of the Bears’ sideline. He puts faith in his staff to do their jobs while he does what traditional head coaches have always done–supervise the people put in place. It’s a small thing, but it smacks of a coach that doesn’t have a heavy ego weighing him down. Eberflus seems to understand that if the team is successful, he’ll be seen as successful. That’s not a small thing.

With huge salaries being thrown around at the college and NFL level, tons of coaches and coaching candidates have been tagged with the moniker “guru.”

There are a few coaches who have lived up to that –Andy Reid and Sean McVay have proved they can handle dual responsibilities. Most cannot. Fighting the allure of everyone telling you how smart you are is a narcotic that many coaches, including Nagy, can’t shake.

The other notable thing about Eberflus is his constant assessment. One win isn’t going to fool me. The Bears have a talent deficiency that will be hard to overcome. To move in that direction means tough decisions and honesty. After the Bears’ demoralizing loss against Washington, Eberflus kept his word by taking the extra time and doing a deep dive into what’s working and what’s not. It takes humility to do that.

It was clear to anyone watching the Bears that this team needed to make changes. Plenty of coaches would hear criticism from the outside and reflexively double-down on their decisions. With 11 days in between the Washington game and meeting up with the Patriots, Eberflus was honest in his “self-scout.” You don’t get an effort like that, on the road, without a true diagnostic of what your team is and isn’t.

But then you have to put a plan into action. Even though the change at center was short-lived, after an injury to Lucas Patrick, the willingness to change is significant and worthy of celebration.

To put what Eberflus has done into context: Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell hasn’t won a road game yet. In 23 games, his team is 0-11-1 away from Detroit. Eberflus picked up his first road win in one of the toughest environments imaginable. Bill Belichick’s record against rookie or second-year quarterbacks in Foxborough entering Monday’s game was 3-42. Think about that. Eberflus and his crew stared the best coach in the world in the eye and didn’t blink.

I don’t know what the future will bring but I know that Eberflus’ lack of ego serves him well. Monday night the Bears won pretty — and it feels pretty good.

You can hear Laurence Holmes talk Chicago sports Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 670 The Score with Dan Bernstein.

Read More

Notre Dame has had an incredible history of having elite college tight ends, where does Michael Mayer fair to the tight ends before him?

Many college football programs have been known as “insert position U,” for example, recently LSU and Alabama have been known as “DB U.” Notre Dame is without a doubt “tight end U.” Bringing forward elite tight ends like Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert, Cole Kmet and now Michael Mayer.

Mayer is far and away the best tight end in college football right now, having the nickname “Baby Gronk” as a freshman, and he has lived up to that nickname so far. Mayer set Notre Dame freshman tight end records having 42 receptions and 450 yards. Then following this up with 71 catches for 840 yards and 7 touchdowns. Mayer was named a third team All-American as well. Mayer has been incredible in 2022 as well having 44 catches, 526 yards and 6 touchdowns in just 7 games!

So where does Michael Mayer rank in the ND history books for tight ends? He is currently the Irish tight end leader in receptions with 157, passing Tyler Eifert earlier this year. Tyker Eifert is currently the leader for yards with 1,840, but Mayer is now at 1,816, good for second all time! It’s going to be pretty hard to argue that Mayer is not the best tight end in Notre Dame history after this year.

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

Bulls guard, Ayo Dosunmu is proving to be a great fit as he locks down the starting role.

Ayo Dosunmu, the starting point guard of the Chicago Bulls has so far justified Coach Billy Donovan’s confidence in him.

The 22-year old Chicago native made his inclusion count as the Bulls defeated Eastern Conference Champions, Boston Celtics, 120-102, Monday night at the United Center.

He scored 22 points – 9 of which came in important fashion in the third quarter as Boston made a run out of the half. He also recorded 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal, helping the Bulls stop a two-game skid and pick up their first win since the opener at Miami.

Ayo Dosunmu is good. pic.twitter.com/zeg9c8ixdb

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 25, 2022

Not only did his speed on drives appear to catch Boston off guard on a few slashing finishes, he also made all four of his 3-point attempts, bringing his line for the season to 9-for-18 (50 percent, on 4.5 attempts per game, over two more than his 2.4 last season)

Dosunmu’s confidence remains remarkable for a player of his experience level thrust into the role he currently occupies in the absence of injured Lonzo Ball.

And as far as he keeps impressing with his ability to develop cohesion, plays and stats, his starter’s berth on the team can only but be assured for the foreseeable future.

The Bulls hosts the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Read More

Typically we don’t — or shouldn’t — heap together high school sports with pressure.

Sure, there are pressure situations for players, coaches and teams throughout a season that everyone grows from in a positive way. But this isn’t a multi-billion dollar industry as the next level of athletics has turned into.

And we are still talking about a sport where the oldest performer is 18 years old, so succumbing to pressure shouldn’t be met with any eyebrow-raising.

But Illinois high school basketball has a presence in this state and, certainly, within its own little hoops world there are a lot of eyes and attention on the sport. With the history of Illinois prep basketball so strong, along with media attention, hype and a fixation on individual player rankings, there are some heavy expectations.

So we’ll call this a preseason high school basketball pressure barometer if you will. Where does the pressure lie, fair or not, for a few of the central figures of this upcoming season?

What first-year coach at a new school faces the most pressure this season?

Jamere Dismukes takes over a program at Homewood-Flossmoor that was just overwhelmingly voted the best coaching job in the south suburbs. Obvious high expectations come with that as H-F has always been considered a school where you can win and win big.

But with a roster that probably isn’t ready to win big yet, the pressure eases for Dismukes as he begins his honeymoon period.

Leo was expected to be a state contender in Class 1A. The bulk of the team was set to return after the Lions went 25-5 and won the Chicago Catholic League Blue a year ago. Then some controversial circumstances engulfed the program and respected and successful coach Jamal Thompson, a Leo alum, abruptly resigned in early September.

Enter coach Jimalle Ridley. A longtime basketball figure in the city, both as a high school basketball assistant coach with prominent programs and on the club basketball circuit, Ridley steps in to salvage what was expected to be a big season.

However, under the circumstances, which include a player exodus and the head coach leaving two months before the season, the pressure is off.

That leads us to Conte Stamas and Brother Rice. And this is where there is some immediate and obvious pressure to win.

This Brother Rice team, led by senior star point guard and Niagara recruit Ahmad Henderson, was built to win this year. This team has grown together and blends senior talent with up-and-coming young players for added support. The Crusaders won 24 games a year ago and have realistic hopes of competing for its first sectional championship since 2005.

Stamas not being hired until late August adds a hurdle in overcoming the pressure that mounts in taking over a team built to win. Stamas missed the entire summer to implement his system and gel with players.

Fortunately, Stamas is a veteran who has been through a whole lot as a coach. He’s coached in some high-profile situations. Plus, early word is that Stamas made a very favorable first impression as both the players and their families were on board from the jump after meeting with their new coach.

A good sign is that in this world of constant player movement, no significant piece transferred out of Brother Rice.

But this will be a preseason-ranked team with big expectations and a coach who will have been on the job for three months when the season tips off.

What team will face the most pressure to win this season?

This is a tough one. When you really start to peel back the layers of what could develop this season, there are plenty of options.

How would you like to be a part of legendary coach Robert Smith’s final team at Simeon and arguably be the best team in Class 3A?

Rolling Meadows, led by senior star Cameron Christie, is loaded with size, talent and experience. An always-tough postseason road will again be challenging to navigate in March, but the Mustangs have arguably the best team in school history.

But with all the hype surrounding St. Rita’s individual talent for the past two years, along with added ammunition this offseason, it’s St. Rita’s time to shine. Yes, the dominant figures on this team are juniors, but they are the three best junior prospects in the state. That’s a first in state history.

Valuable experience has been gained. This collection of talent, which has been talked about so much in their younger years, is primed and ready. And making some St. Rita history is more than doable.

What player faces the most pressure to perform this season?

This goes back to the aforementioned earlier premise. We are talking about high school basketball players, so piling on “pressure” isn’t ideal.

But there is such enthusiastic anticipation to see Jeremy Fears, Jr., play this season — for a boatload of reasons.

He’s a consensus top 50 talent in the country. He’s headed to Michigan State. He’s a floor general who will have the ball in his hands. But the biggest reason is most of the state has only heard about him and hasn’t seen the talented point guard play since he was a promising freshman.

Fears returns to his hometown, where his father starred 20 years ago and where he will play with his hot-shot younger brother, after spending the past two years at a prep school. For the most part, he was out of sight, out of mind while at La Lumiere in Indiana. Fears didn’t even play with an Illinois club basketball program.

But this is a player who is built for the pressure. For starters, he plays under control and doesn’t have that wild basketball gene that can lead a player to try to do too much under the circumstances.

Also, Fears has played quality competition. In addition to his prep school schedule, Fears played both on Nike’s EYBL circuit and for USA Basketball in helping them to a FIBA U17 World Cup.

While this is a player who will carry a big load and be a must-see player in the state, he leads a team that now has become a state title contender. And one with a whole lot of eyes on it.

Read More

Top European teams have made contact with Chicago Fire winger Jhon Duran to discuss a potential £10million transfer.

Manchester United are reportedly ready to go head to head with fellow English soccer club, Liverpool in the race to sign Chicago Fire wonderkid Jhon Duran.

Duran has caught the attention of major European clubs after contributing eight goals and five assists in 27 appearances for Chicago in the 2022 Major League Soccer season.

The 18-year-old winger has already earned two caps for Colombia and is poised to cross the Atlantic in a transfer next year.

The teenage sensation joined Chicago Fire from Colombian side Envigado in January and is valued at around £10million, as his representatives have been in contact with Manchester United recently.

But it is unlikely that United will have a free run for the right-sided attacker, given that rivals Liverpool and Chelsea are both also on the scene. Liverpool signed Duran’s international teammate Luis Diaz in January and are tracking the Fire winger.

Meanwhile, Chelsea signed Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina over the summer, so already have a line of communication open.

Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson is well aware of the transfer interest in his young star and is not in the least bit surprised.

“I certainly hope that he’s with us next year. But you know, when you are a player of that caliber and that talent at such a young age, I would be surprised if teams, especially European teams weren’t looking or weren’t paying attention,” Hendrickson said earlier this month.

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

Ahead of a 4-game week, the Blackhawks have revealed a tentative plan for the team’s goaltenders.

The Blackhawks are without a goalie, as Petr Mrazek is on the injured reserve list due to a groin injury. This development leaves Alex Stalock and Arvid Soderblom as the team’s duo in net.

With four games on the roster this week, head coach Luke Richardson has come up with an alternate plan for the team’s goal-tenders.

Alex Stalock has become the primary option in net since Petr Mrazek went down last weekend. That trend will continue this week as Stalock is expected to start Tuesday against Florida and Thursday against Edmonton.

Arvid Soderblom has not played since the team recalled him from the Rockford IceHogs last Friday, but that might likely change this weekend as Richardson expects him to start one of the Blackhawks’ back-to-back games.

Chicago visits Buffalo on Saturday and hosts Minnesota on Sunday.

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

An 8-year-old boy was among four people killed by gunfire in Chicago Monday. Eight other people were wounded.

The boy was shot to death Monday night in a home in the Douglas neighborhood on the South Side. The boy was with other people in the residence in the 3600 block of South Rhodes Avenue about 5:50 p.m. when someone inside opened fire, then fled the scene, Chicago police said. The boy was struck in the head and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.Earlier Monday, a man was killed and three other people were wounded in a drive-by shooting in South Lawndale. The group was standing near a car in the 3200 block of West 30th Street about 1:15 a.m. when a dark sedan pulled up and someone inside began firing, police said. Rafael Zavaleta-Barradas, 36, was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. A woman, 27, was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in serious condition with gunshot wounds to the abdomen and left arm, police said. Another man, 26, was shot in the right ankle and was taken to the same hospital in fair condition, police said. A third man, 27, was grazed on the back and refused medical care at the scene, police said.Hours later, a man was killed in a shooting in front of the Greyhound bus station on the Near West Side. The gunman opened fire as the man got out of his car in front of the station in the 600 block of West Harrison Street around 11:20 a.m., Deputy Chicago Police Chief Jill Stevens said in a news conference. The man, in his 30s, was struck multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Police believe the man was an employee at the station, according to Stevens. Early Monday, a man was fatally shot in West Englewood. The man, 38, was shot in the head as he stood on a sidewalk in the 5800 block of South Justine Street about 1:30 a.m., police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.A boy was critically wounded in a shooting Monday night in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the Southwest Side. The 17-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the head about 8:30 p.m. in the 6100 block of South Artesian Avenue, police said. A nearby resident heard a loud noise and found the boy lying in an alley, police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

At least four others were wounded in citywide shootings Monday.

Over the weekend, 12 people were killed and another 45 wounded by gunfire, including at least five children 15 or younger.

Read More

Moments after the Bears shocked the Patriots 33-14, Patrick Finley, Jason Lieser and Mark Potash broke down the upset, Justin Fields and the GM Ryan Poles’ assessment of his progress.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Read More

Peyton Manning really wanted the Chicago Bears to run it up in New England

The Chicago Bears put together a dominant performance in the Week 7 win over the New England Patriots to end a three-game losing streak. Chicago dominated the entire second half en-route to the 33-14 win and it was truly a team win for the Monsters of the Midway.

With the Bears getting a touchdown in the fourth on a David Montgomery one-yard run, it essentially put the game away. Chicago the got an interception from rookie Kyler Gordon setting them up again in New England territory late. And while facing a fourth down with 29 seconds remaining from inside the five, the Bears opted to kneel the football and all but end the game.

However, Peyton Manning had a different idea.

During the Manning Cast on ESPN2, Manning was begging for the Bears to run up the score instead of just kneeling it. Check out what he had to say below:

The Manning Cast is fantastic and I recommend watching it when they are on. But this examples was another fun one from Peyton who put it plain and simple: “When you have the chance to score 40 in Foxborough, I think you try to score 40”.

Now, Peyton Manning has a history with the Patriots and Tom Brady dating back to his playing career, so that might have impacted his decision making too….

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