Chicago Sports

Residents living near Douglass Park in Little Village and Lawndale are bracing for a noisy weekend from Riot Fest — a weekend they expect to be filled with parking headaches.

“Last week, we started to see the trucks entering with so many things,” said Irais Flores, a nearby resident who is also part of a Little Village community center. “It gives you anxiety and stress because you say, let’s see how it goes getting parking.”

She was among a group of community leaders who gathered Tuesday at Douglass Park as part of a last-ditch effort to get Riot Fest, a three-day music festival, to leave their neighborhood park. They plan to present a letter, signed by more than 30 organizations and local leaders, to the Chicago Park District on Wednesday, demanding that Douglass Park no longer be used to host large, for-profit festivals.

As residents spoke about their concerns, crews from Riot Fest placed black mesh fabric along a fence installed for the festival, scheduled to start Friday. A large stage could be seen from California Avenue. Most of the southern part of the park, from California Avenue to Albany Avenue and from Ogden Avenue to 19th Street, was fenced off Tuesday morning,

A playground and a field along Albany Avenue remained outside of the festival’s perimeter Tuesday as a few people jogged in the area and others played soccer.

The push to end large festivals at Douglass Park gained momentum this summer as residents have questioned if a neighborhood park should be used for such large private events. Edith Tovar, who lives in the area, said there are also questions about how the festivals impact the environment.

“We do see this as a form of environmental racism,” Tovar said, pointing out Riot Fest is the third large music festival that has resulted in Douglass Park being fenced off for portions of the summer.

In August, Riot Fest issued a statement following a contentious meeting between a contractor and community members, stating that it wanted to “remain a positive asset to the community.”

“We have been in Douglass Park since 2015, and we consider it our home,” the statement read, adding that the festival was going to take feedback from residents and implement suggestions when possible.

Elvia Rodriguez Ochoa, from the organization Friends of the Park, said the city should instead find a permanent venue to host the large music festivals. The coronavirus pandemic showed how public parks are important for residents’ physical and mental health, she said.

“These kinds of concerts are actually detrimental to the health of these communities in which they land in,” Rodriguez Ochoa said.

Denise Ferguson, a local resident, described Douglass Park as a “slice of heaven in Lawndale” that is surrounded by health institutions. She said it’s one of the reasons she and others have pushed for years for Riot Fest and other music festivals to leave the Park.

“This lack of regard for the health of Black and Latinx people living near the quiet zone corridor is a direct violation of the city of Chicago’s own public health ‘Healthy Chicago’ mandates,” she said, referring to the city’s five-year plan to improve health equity.

The group plans to attend Wednesday’s public hearing for the Chicago Park District’s Board of Commissioners as they continue to push to get rid of Riot Fest. They also plan to host their own festival Saturday, dubbed “The People’s Music Fest,” taking place near Cermak Road and Marshall Boulevard.

“Douglass Park is a valued and important resource to our communities that should not be fenced off for a quarter of the summer for for-profit mega concerns,” Tovar said.

Elvia Malag?n’s reporting on social justice and income inequality is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.

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Longtime NFL coach Mike Martz shredded Bears quarterback Justin Fields and 49ers quarterback Trey Lance after their season opener, which the Bears won 19-10.

Martz, who was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2010 and ’11 after running the champion Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf offense, was especially harsh on Lance, but hit Fields sharply as well.

“I’m just shocked — shocked — at the Bears,” he said on a video released Tuesday by The 33rd Team. “I mean, they took this quarterback and they spent a lot to get him, and ‘less than remarkable,’ would be the kindest thing you could say about him.”

Fields completed 8 of 17 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for an 85.7 rating. The Bears were scoreless at halftime, but rallied from a 10-0 deficit in the third quarter with 19 unanswered points.

Martz couldn’t envision them continuing to win.

“They’re a really good coaching staff at the Bears — they’re very disciplined — but they’re just not very good,” he said. “They just don’t have a lot of talent there. The offensive line is not very good. They did some good things on defense, but their talent base for that football team is not very good.

“Fields is gonna have to shoulder it, and he did a good job of that, particularly in the second half. But ultimately when you look at them compared to Detroit… it just seems like Detroit has made a huge leap and the Bears are still gonna kinda muddle around.”

The Lions, who went 3-13-1 last season, fell to the Eagles 38-35 on Sunday. Martz also was their offensive coordinator in 2006 and ’07.

Last month, Martz said the Bears had less offensive talent than any team since the winless 2008 Lions.

At points, it was unclear in the video or The 33rd Team’s published quotes whether Martz was ripping Fields or Lance, including comments that one of them was “completely awful” and said their team was “without hope.”

The website labeled those quotes as pertaining to Fields, but in the video he immediately followed by saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go to Jimmy [Garoppolo] by the fourth week, because they’re not going any place where they are now.”

The company’s media relations representative did not immediately reply to a message seeking clarity.

Martz went on to completely dismiss Lance, who was the No. 3 overall pick last year and was making his third career start. He also did not cut either quarterback a break given the downpour that left standing water all over the field.

“I’ve never seen anything about this kid that was encouraging at all,” he said of Lance. “He looked like a fullback stumbling around trying to run the ball… I don’t know what he is.

“I’ve never liked him. I still don’t like him. I’d like to know what he does so well because he’s not a great passer, doesn’t have good skills, takes him a long time to set himself and throw the football, misses easy throws and he’s not a particularly good runner. Other than that, he’s a hell of a player.”

Lance completed 13 of 28 passes for 164 yards with an interception for a 50.3 rating and ran 13 times for 54 yards.

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Few festivals in America do it like Riot Fest. The totally homegrown, eternally independent event was started in Chicago in 2005 and continues to be put together by the fans, for the fans. It’s the only place you can show up, get married at an onsite wedding chapel if you’re so inclined, take a victory lap on a Ferris Wheel, and check out the best of punk, hip-hop, rock, metal and GWAR before the sun goes down.

This year is no different with a smorgasbord of talent from The Original Misfits to Coolio — not to mention all the twilight after shows. Put together a schedule based on our top 10 picks below — or just grab a can of the Riot Fest Sucks Pale Ale when you get to Douglass Park to figure out the day-by-day. For the third year in a row, the fest partners with Goose Island for the specialty brew with a peel-off label that shows the day’s full schedule right there in your hands. Genius.

L.S. Dunes

Riot Fest has given us a lot of gifts over the years (that John Stamos butter sculpture, GWAR’s return every year, the most outrageous Twitter account to get us through the other 11 months). But willing the cosmos to form a supergroup mere weeks before the kickoff – now that is some serious superpower. Announced Aug. 26 and officially debuting at Riot, L.S. Dunes features guitarist Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance, the can’t-miss headliner on this night), guitarist Travis Stever (Coheed and Cambria), vocalist Anthony Green (Circa Survive), bassist Tim Payne (Thursday) and drummer Tucker Rule (Thursday/Yellowcard) … aka the perfect fit. (1 p.m. Friday, Rise Stage)

Foxy Shazam

Stay put after L.S. Dunes for these seriously underrated throwback glam rockers on the same stage. One listen to tracks like the gloriously over-the-top “Oh Lord” will have you wondering how this band never made it bigger (also not helped by an unfortunate six-year hiatus from 2014-2020). They fit right into the rock revivalism movement like contemporaries The Darkness with a platter of British Invasion homage, Motown harmonies, rock operatics a la Queen and Meat Loaf and a singer who’s simply Freddie Mercury reincarnated. To see them live is nothing short of an experience. (2 p.m. Friday, Rise Stage)

Bob Vylan

One silver lining of the chaotic past few years: Bad times can make really great punk music. Just ask Bob Vylan. Apart from the fact that the grimy U.K. duo (born in 2017) has maybe one of the best band names ever, their amplified diatribes like “We Live Here” are some of the greatest new tracks of the past decade. Tackling racism, police brutality, class warfare and more ills of society through in-your-face lyrics and electro-fueled punk fury, they carry on the torch of Rage, Fever 333 and The Clash. (4:15 p.m. Friday, Rebel Stage)

FEAR

Saturday is a battle of East Coast vs. West Coast – hardcore, that is. Two of the greatest examples of each (FEAR from L.A. and Madball from NYC) appear on this day. Thankfully they don’t take the stage at the same time so you can catch them both and live to tell the tale — if you can make it out unscathed from the pits. FEAR’s set will be one of Riot’s very special full-album plays as the band rips through every track of their classic 1982 debut “The Record” in honor of its 40th anniversary (around the same time bassist Flea was in the group), and rightfully so as it’s an album that shaped a whole music scene. (2:50 p.m. Saturday, Riot Stage)

Gogol Bordello

The eclectic gypsy punk rockers return in 2022 after a showdown performance last year. They are one of the late additions to the lineup after some snafus and personal matters that derailed appearances from Placebo and Bauhaus, yet Gogol’s set comes at an opportune time. The eight-piece act’s new album “Solidaritine” drops the day before on Sept. 16, and they just returned from performing a top-secret show for the Ukraine military as the country remains embroiled in the invasion by Russia. Singer Eugene Hutz was born in Kyiv and has been coordinating a number of benefit shows and awareness about the conflict, and will likely use this platform to further that message. (7:25 p.m. Saturday, Roots Stage)

The Original Misfits

The horror punk band’s biggest shock comes as the OG members continue their sporadic reunion (first seen at Riot Fest 2016) and play their incredible debut “Walk Among Us” in full this weekend. Striking a deal with Danzig and Doyle to do this may have cost fest organizers even more than dealing with the devil himself. But the crowd will be truly grateful for that sacrifice watching the founders along with fellow classic member Jerry Only as well as Dave Lombardo and Acey Slade tear through “Mommy Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight?” and “Night of the Living Dead” for the album’s 40th anniversary. (8:30 p.m. Saturday, Riot Stage)

The Linda Lindas

They’re not even out of high school yet, but The Linda Lindas have a career only few can ever achieve. After opening for Bikini Kill, being commissioned for soundtrack work by Amy Poehler and signing with Epitaph in a span of two years, the four-piece punk rockers wowed at Pitchfork Music Festival this summer and come to Riot Fest this weekend. Having written their first song as a response to a racist comment made by a classmate as COVID broke out, they’re now hailed by Pollstar as “bringing punk rock to a new generation” — but trust they’re delighting the elder punks too. (1 p.m. Sunday, Roots Stage)

Coolio

Riot Fest organizers have been known to throw a good curve ball every now and then — but Coolio? That’s one few saw coming when the rapper was added to the lineup July 19. Most known for his wild 1995 hit “Gangsta’s Paradise” (which has found renewed attention in recent times in movie and TV spots), Coolio last made headlines for running as a vice president candidate in 2020 alongside presidential hopeful and former porn star Cherie DeVille. Here’s to hoping Riot marks his return to music instead. (4 p.m. Sunday, Rise Stage)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

There was a time when a strong wave of New York indie rock dominated the music industry, led by bands like The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The latter was an arty approach to garage rock led by the formidable Karen O, who became as much of a cultural icon as her predecessor Debbie Harry while tracks like “Gold Lion,” “Heads Will Roll” and “Maps” defined the era. And then they went away in 2014. The three-piece has since re-emerged and this month will release “Cool It Down,” their first new album in nine years that shows they still got that X factor. (7:10 p.m. Sunday, Roots Stage)

Nine Inch Nails

In 2019, NIN was named by fans as the No. 1 act to ever play Riot Fest in a poll sanctioned by the event, with many praising the industrial act’s 2017 set. Frontman Trent Reznor has written some of the most ferociously danceable songs of our era (“Terrible Lie,” “March of the Pigs,” “The Perfect Drug”) and has drawn in some of the most proficient musicians to grease the machine. NIN shows are known for their high production value, and the appearance this weekend will be worth the wait after the act had to postpone last year’s slated set due to COVID. Though they aren’t listed as offering a full album play, NIN’s landmark EP “Broken” turns 30 a few days later, just sayin’. (8:15 p.m. Sunday, Riot Stage)

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My first full season covering the Bears was in 2003, during Lovie Smith’s first year as head coach. Those practices in Bourbonnais were brutal. The heat and humidity were oppressive. Players were wilting with soft-tissue injuries. Smith was determined to get his team into better cardiovascular shape. That was one takeaway from that summer. The other was an emphasis on takeaways.

During these practices, Bears defenders wouldn’t just try to return interceptions or fumbles for touchdowns. Every single ball — every dropped pass or overthrow that landed inbounds — Bears defenders were expected to pick it up and run the opposite way. At the time, it felt superfluous, but there was a method to Smith’s madness. A culture was created in which the defense could do more than just keep the other team from scoring.

Confusing “turnovers” for “takeaways” would land you in the doghouse with coaches and players real quick. In their mind, the insult was that a “turnover” meant the defense wasn’t responsible for forcing a mistake and were just benefactors of offensive incompetence.

While the Bears were trying to put together an offense, Smith put it on his defense to buy time and win games. He had created an expectation of accountability and discipline. The players bought into it with fervor. Their hard work drew results and that has a tendency to build upon itself.

Watching a Matt Eberflus coached team reminds me of those early days of Smith’s tenure.

That means the football you consume might be boring for a while. It may also be the easiest path for the Bears to win until Ryan Poles improves the overall talent of the roster.

By halftime Sunday of the Bears’ 19-10 victory over the 49ers, fans at Soldier Field were already launching full-throated boos. Quarterback Justin Fields and the Bears’ offense sputtered. You can hardly blame the 61,500 who braved a monsoon to see “The Beloved” for being upset. Sitting in ugly weather, watching ugly football, is not an ideal way to spend a Sunday. The way the offense looked was the sum of all fears of every Bears fan. It feltlike Fields was still struggling and little progress had been made under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

By the end of the third quarter, fans were wading in the water and dancing along with Robert Quinn because their team was in a three-point game with a quarter left.

This game stayed competitive because Eberblus’ Bears stayed disciplined. The 49ers were as sloppy as the conditions. On each of the Bears’ scoring drives, San Francisco had a penalty that extended the drive. Twice those penalties came on third down.

Fields and the offense made them pay for it. After drawing three flags in the first half, the Bears went the entire second half without being penalized. That’s significant and starting to look like a bit of a trend. In the preseason, the Bears were penalized only 13 total times in three games. It’s hard to judge most things inpreseason, but a lack of discipline plagued the final two years of the Matt Nagy era.

Eberflus has raised the competency floor of this team.

I know that’s not a sexy sentence, but discipline and competency win football games.

Smith’s teams won ugly and no one complained. And no one will complain if Eberflus wins that way for a while. It might be boring, but who cares? As Ozzie Guillen said: “Fun is winning and winning is fun!”

The disciplined, boring Bears are 1-0 and fans couldn’t be more entertained.

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Two wide receivers open on the same play in the fourth quarter of a close game? This must be the dawn of a new era at Halas Hall.

Justin Fields’ 18-yard touchdown pass to Equanimeous St. Brown that gave the Bears the lead with 12:45 to play in a 19-10 victory over the 49ers on Sunday at Soldier Field was an embarrassment of riches to Bears fans who have suffered through a generation of disappointing, frustrating and often discombobulatedoffenses.

Byron Pringle was so wide open crossing over the middle on the third-and-two play that fans in the stands and reporters in the press box were pointing it out in real time. But as they were doing that, Fields was pulling the trigger to hit an open St. Brown in the end zone.

In Green Bay, that’s called Sunday. But in Chicago, it’s a revelation — a play that works even better than designed. The euphoria was reminiscent of Matt Nagy’s coaching debut in 2018, when Mitch Trubisky drove the Bears 86 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown against the Packers at Lambeau Field — a moment that seemed to signal an offensive renaissance.

But that was on the first drive of the game. The Bears scored just three field goals after that initial burst, lost 24-23, and the Nagy era became one big, teeth-pulling struggle on offense.

This time, the brightest moments came at the end instead of the beginning. The Bears outscored the 49ers 19-3 in the second half Sunday. In Nagy’s debut, they were outscored 24-6 by the Packers in the second half.

It’s too early to celebrate the dawn of a new era, but even skeptics have to admit that Eberflus’ season-opening upset was notable for two things: there was no fluke factor, and there were minimal red flags.

The Bears made adjustments on offense and defense that worked. They were disciplined — only three penalties and none on offense. They handled inclement conditions. The Bears were efficient on both sides of the ball.

Almost every facet the Bears controlled that contributed to the victory is repeatable. They got some breaks, but made the most of them. And while they can’t count on an opponent imploding with penalties like the 49ers did, the Bears’ imperfect performance — there was very little that was above average — left room for growth.

Let the record show that Bears fans were feeling pretty good after Nagy’s debut and a little giddy after Marc Trestman’s debut in 2013 — a 24-21 victory over the Bengals on Jay Cutler’s fourth-quarter touchdown pass. This is still a rebuilding year until further notice.

But even fate seems to be moving its huge hands for Eberflus’ Bears. In that 2018 opener, Kyle Fuller dropped a sure interception in the fourth quarter that would have all but clinched the game against the Packers. This time, 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson — a Nagy-era Bear — dropped a pick in the third quarter with the 49ers leading 10-0, and the Bears scored a touchdown two plays later.

And Mother Nature smiled on them for a change. The Bears have had some of their worst moments in bad weather at Soldier Field — the 33-6 loss to the Packers in the wind and slop on Halloween in 1994; a blowout loss to the Patriots in the snow in 2010; losing Cutler and a showdown with the Texans in the rain and mud in 2012. This time, a fourth-quarter deluge that turned Soldier Field into a quagmire in the final five minutes couldn’t have been better timed.

Is it possible that somebody up there likes the Bears? There’s no better time and place to find out than in prime time, at Lambeau Field and against Aaron Rodgers.

2. The Packers are coming off a dreadful performance in a 23-7 loss to the Vikings in their opener. For what it’s worth, Rodgers is 8-0 with 22 touchdown passes and no interceptions (a 120.0 passer rating) following a loss in the past three seasons, so …

3. After an impressive debut marked by discipline and effective adjustments on both sides of the ball, Eberflus’ star rose even more Monday night when Broncos first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett had a game-management meltdown in his debut against the Seahawks.

With the Broncos trailing 17-16 with 4:02 to play and Russell Wilson at quarterback, Hackett used none of his three timeouts as the Broncos ended up running the clock down for a 64-yard field goal attempt with 20 seconds left instead of giving Wilson a chance to convert a fourth-and-5.

It’s only Week 1, and Eberflus figures to have his own challenging moments — it literally happens to the best of them. But while Eberflus’ success still is most dependent on getting the quarterback right, Hackett’s failure in a moment of extreme decision was a reminder of how difficult and valuable game management is, and highlighted Eberflus’ encouraging early handle on that critical part of the job.

4. That said … the last time the Bears won their season opener at Soldier Field was Trestman’s debut in 2013 — the 24-21 victory over the Bengals. The Bears’ renewed focus and discipline was being heralded then, too.

The Bears, in fact, had the sixth-fewest penalties in the NFL that season, including just one false start in the first nine games. But they had seven false starts in the last seven games — a sign of fatigue or diminishing focus — and it was all downhill under Trestman in 2014.

5. Never underestimate the mediocrity of the NFL.

6. The Bears looked like a well-coached team on multiple fronts against the 49ers. Their defense held the 49ers to 4.0 yards per play in the second half (38 plays, 152 yards), after allowing 6.2 in the first (29-179).

“We changed things up on the back end, tried to give them a little different thing to look at and try to have more vision on the quarterback,”linebacker Nick Morrow said. “You could tell they were chasing certain things that we were doing. So we had to get out of it and gives ourselves a little more of a chance on some of the perimeter runs.”

7. Red Flag Dept.: The Bears averaged just 2.7 yards per carry (37-99) against the 49ers. David Montgomery gained 26 yards on 17 carries. His 1.5-yard average was the lowest of his career (46 games).

8. Trivial-but-not-trivial: The Bears converted a third-and-6 play for the first time since the 2020 season when Justin Fields, avoiding a sack, flipped the ball to David Montgomery for a 16-yard gain in the first quarter. The Bears were 0-for-15 on third-and-6 last season.

Overall, the Bears converted 5-of-14 third-down plays (35.7%), but their average distance was 7.1 yards. First down was the culprit — the Bears averaged 2.9 yards on 22 first-down plays (31st in the league in Week 1).

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack had three sacks, four quarterback hits, a forced fumble and six tackles in a 24-19 victory over the Raiders. The 31-year-old Mack had six sacks in seven games with the Bears last season before missing the final 10 games with a foot injury.

The Chargers’ defense under former Bears linebackers coach Brandon Staley already suits him.

“The coverage guys were doing an excellent job. It has been a while since I got coverage sacks,” Mack told reporters after the game.

10. Bear-ometer: 8-9 –at Packers (L); vs. Texans (W); at NY Giants (L); at Vikings (L); vs. Commanders (W); at Patriots (L); at Cowboys (L); vs. Dolphins (L); vs. Lions (W); at Falcons (W); at NY Jets (W); vs. Packers (L); vs. Eagles (L); vs. Bills (L); at Lions (W); vs. Vikings (W).

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Some things will change for the Chicago Bears

The future of the Chicago Bears’ ownership and leadership has been a question mark hanging over the team since this summer. A report came out in August that the Bears’ principal owner Virginia McCaskey’s health condition was more serious. A couple of weeks later, news broke that the team’s CEO/President, Ted Phillips, would be stepping down near the end of the NFL season.

A changing of the guard is in the works for the Bears. It had to come after decades of the two working in the Bears organization. But even though some names change, the foundation may remain the same. The Bears have been in the same family since George Halas bought the Bears for $100 in 1920.

Per a report by Eben Novy-Williams and Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, the Chicago Bears are coming up with a scheme to keep the team in the family.

The Bears, whose owners declined to comment for this story, have a plan to keep the team in the family when Virginia McCaskey dies, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Specifics of that plan weren’t provided, but would require re-consolidating control of at least 30% of the team, which is now worth $5 billion, into a single wing of the McCaskey family. It could also involve the sale of some equity.

Bears ownership appears to have cleared the first two hurdles of NFL succession planning—minimize tax impact and create a framework for the heirs. The final, and often most complex, step is successfully executing that plan when the time comes.

It’s worth reading the entire article to understand the family’s nuances with tax and estate law–and the NFL.

The Chicago Bears’ family history offers nostalgia but does it win?

If you read many Bears fans’ comments on social media, it would appear that most of the fanbase is inclined toward new ownership. The Bears might have had early success under Halas, but they’ve won one Super Bowl under Virginia’s ownership since 1983.

Reports on George McCaskey, the chairman of the Chicago Bears, are typically skeptical of his handling of the team’s affairs. (To get a hint of what that might mean, Roquan Smith publicly addressed him “McCaskey family” in his letter demanding a trade. Smith was hoping he could get more money from McCaskey than what general manager Ryan Poles was willing to offer.) The self-proclaimed “not a football evaluator” is currently the second in charge of the Bears. Former Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall considered the joint ran like a small business.

If the team stays in the family, more of these types of dynamics will be in the works.

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Some things will change for the Chicago Bears

The future of the Chicago Bears’ ownership and leadership has been a question mark hanging over the team since this summer. A report came out in August that the Bears’ principal owner Virginia McCaskey’s health condition was more serious. A couple of weeks later, news broke that the team’s CEO/President, Ted Phillips, would be stepping down near the end of the NFL season.

A changing of the guard is in the works for the Bears. It had to come after decades of the two working in the Bears organization. But even though some names change, the foundation may remain the same. The Bears have been in the same family since George Halas bought the Bears for $100 in 1920.

Per a report by Eben Novy-Williams and Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, the Chicago Bears are coming up with a scheme to keep the team in the family.

The Bears, whose owners declined to comment for this story, have a plan to keep the team in the family when Virginia McCaskey dies, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Specifics of that plan weren’t provided, but would require re-consolidating control of at least 30% of the team, which is now worth $5 billion, into a single wing of the McCaskey family. It could also involve the sale of some equity.

Bears ownership appears to have cleared the first two hurdles of NFL succession planning—minimize tax impact and create a framework for the heirs. The final, and often most complex, step is successfully executing that plan when the time comes.

It’s worth reading the entire article to understand the family’s nuances with tax and estate law–and the NFL.

The Chicago Bears’ family history offers nostalgia but does it win?

If you read many Bears fans’ comments on social media, it would appear that most of the fanbase is inclined toward new ownership. The Bears might have had early success under Halas, but they’ve won one Super Bowl under Virginia’s ownership since 1983.

Reports on George McCaskey, the chairman of the Chicago Bears, are typically skeptical of his handling of the team’s affairs. (To get a hint of what that might mean, Roquan Smith publicly addressed him “McCaskey family” in his letter demanding a trade. Smith was hoping he could get more money from McCaskey than what general manager Ryan Poles was willing to offer.) The self-proclaimed “not a football evaluator” is currently the second in charge of the Bears. Former Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall considered the joint ran like a small business.

If the team stays in the family, more of these types of dynamics will be in the works.

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

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Former second-round pick Teven Jenkins had an outstanding outing in his Week 1 start, according to Pro Football Focus

The Bears pulled off an amazing upset against the highly favored San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.  The Bears showed grit on an incredibly rainy afternoon at Soldier Field. The performance of several players has been widely praised, in particular Teven Jenkins in limited snaps,

In an unusual move, Teven Jenkins and Lucas Patrick took turns manning the right guard position on Sunday.  Lucas Patrick was injured early in training camp and needs to be worked into the lineup after missing the whole pre-season. Many thought Jenkins was being benched after missing a block, but this seemed to be the plan the whole way.

One of the most significant developments from training camp was Teven Jenkins’s place on this team.  There was even speculation at one point, that the Bears were looking to trade the Oklahoma State product.  Thankfully none of this came to fruition, and Jenkins has found himself a new home at Right Guard.  Now that may be paying off as PFF graded out his performance this week as the best Bears offensive lineman, and overall the 9th best of all NFL offensive guards.

I can’t help but think the grades for Jenkins performance against San Francisco will earn him more playing time. It has widely been known that Teven Jenkins, based on his draft status, is the most talented lineman on the Bears roster. Upon review of game tape, as well as the PFF grades, it would benefit this staff to let Teven man the right guard position full-time.

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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

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“Dreamgirls” is purportedly the story of a Supremes-like girl group: Prodigiously talented teenagers rise to stardom at the hands of a ruthless Svengali, singing a jukebox worth of irresistible pop and R&B as they go along.

Paramount Theatre Aurora’s production of the 1981 musical by Henry Krieger (music) and Tom Eyen (book and lyrics), is memorable for its depiction of the calculated way the music industry takes a trio of naive teenagers and turns them into stars without much control over their careers.

There’s indeed a jukebox worth of showstoppers here, but director Christopher D. Betts’ ensemble seems too sparse in number making most of the all-hands-on-deck-chorus numbers less than spectacular. Even the largest chorus numbers seem overwhelmed by razzle-dazzle projections by projection designer Mike Tutaj onJeffrey D. Kmiec’s set.

For example, the dance ensemble that helps usher in a Las Vegas-style set at the top of the second act is essentially reduced to a trio for most of the song. That’s hardly enough for a showstopping ensemble no matter how energetic the dancers deliver Amy Hall Garner’s choreography.

The plot that is sandwiched around the score begins as we meet Effie Melody White (Naima Alakham, who alternates in the role for select performances with Breyannah Tillman), Deena Jones (Taylor Marie Daniel) and Lorrell Robinson (Maria Lyttle) — three giggly, easily awed teens competing at a local talent show.

The talent show acts lay the groundwork for what to expect from Krieger’s score. There’s smooth-as-silk rhythm and blues from the lanky Tiny Joe Dixon (Evan Tyrone Martin); James Brown/Little Richard-inspired bombast and theatrics from Jimmy “Thunder” Early (an energetic Juwon Tyrel Perry, stepping in for Ben Toomer at Sunday night’s performance); and the Stepp Sisters (Daryn Alexus, Shantel Cribbs, Aalon Smith and Shelbi Voss), another girl group with airtight harmonies much like the Dreamettes.

Backstage oiling palms and sizing up the talent, is car salesman/aspiring music producer Curtis Taylor Jr. (Lorenzo Rush Jr.). He spies in the Dreamettes something he can work with, and sells them as back-up singers to Jimmy . The fly in the ointment is Effie, who unapologetically, regally points out that they do not do back-up. The other girls pressure her as well, but Effie doesn’t change her mind until Taylor tells her how attractive he finds her. Their romance progresses as the newly named Dreams go on tour with Jimmy.

Spoilers alert!

If you haven’t already seen the 2006 Oscar-winning movie starring Jennifer Hudson, or the 41-year-old stage musical, know that Taylor’s machinations orchestrating the Dreams’ rise to stardom ultimately leave Effie behind in a betrayal that’s both personal and professional.

When Alakham’s Effie hears from Taylor that her voice is too “special” to cross over into the pop charts and that she’s being replaced as lead by the more wispy-voiced Deena, you can see the emotional gut punch — and you can hear it in her seat-shaking performance of “And I’m Telling You.”

In the movie, Effie’s downfall includes addiction and homelessness. But here , Effie simply vanishes for a few scenes and then shows up again, looking fabulous and acting contrite. Eyen’s book feels abruptly incomplete as far as filling in Effie’s journey.

Deena’s ascent to icon status is similarly perfunctory, outlandish photo shoots and headlining gigs playing out in swaths of taffeta, with Daniel going all-out disco for the club version of “One Night Only,” a song Effie had originally instilled with melancholy.

Beyond Alakham’s “One Night Only,” the choral highlight comes in the first act, with the smooth-criminal stylings of “Steppin’ to the Dark Side.” Led by Rush leading an army of sharp-suited promoters bearing briefcases filled with cash, it references the “pay-to-play” radio scandals of the 1960s with stylish ruthlessness. Tellingly, it follows a memorable scene that has Taylor fuming about the millions made by Elvis on the music of Moms Mabley and Big Mama Thornton. It also follows “Cadillac Car,” Jimmy’s raunchy, sharply satirical number about consumerism. It’s been released by a trio that sounds like they’re recording easy listening music for a mega-church elevator.

As scores go, Krieger wrote a fitting tribute to the artists whose work is referenced here. But the book has problems. The happy reunion at the end is not earned. Ditto Effie’s sudden, dubious redemption. Moreover, Paramount’s production lacks polish. The result is a less than reverie-worthy “Dreamgirls.”

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Rankings of any kind are supposed to start debates. They’re subjective, but they can lead to arguments.

But for St. Rita coach Roshawn Russell, the last thing he needs is a rankings debate or squabble.

All eyes will be on Russell’s program this season as his star-studded cast includes the state’s top two prospects in the junior class: James Brown and Morez Johnson.

These two coveted high-major targets have been the top two prospects in the Class of 2024 since they walked into St. Rita just over 24 months ago.

Fortunately, up to this point, there doesn’t appear to be any potential of tearing apart this team due to the fact its best players are vying to be the No. 1 ranked prospect in the state.

“The cool thing has been watching their relationship evolve,” Russell said. “They’ve come a long way and become close, so that is always going to help with this type of thing.”

And this “type of thing” is today’s infatuation in our culture with rankings and the fact individual players and those around them seem to be starving for social media and recruiting attention. Russell just hasn’t seen it with them. But he is fully aware of the potential distractions, namely from outside the program.

“It’s so different now with social media out there,” Russell said. “We know everyone will try to pit them against each other. We’ve seen that.”

Following a busy summer with various experiences with Meanstreets on the EYBL basketball circuit and USA Basketball, the two have separated themselves from everyone else in the class in Illinois. Now it’s about who’s No. 1 going forward.

Johnson shuts down the talk immediately when asked.

“I don’t think either one of us worry about the rankings,” Johnson said. “We are just focused on winning, playing together. No one is worried about rankings.”

Nationally, they are both top 50 prospects; Brown is No. 31 in 247Sports’ composite rankings while Johnson checks in at No. 42.

Brown is the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top-ranked prospect in Illinois.

“I don’t pay attention to the rankings,” says Brown. “I know I’m not worried about who has me ranked where. Being ranked No. 1 or No. 2 is cool, but I’m not concerned with that. We want to make St. Rita as successful as we possibly can. That’s really all I’m concerned about. Getting caught up in rankings? That’s not really important to me.”

Russell is adamant that his two high-profile players can not only flourish together but take advantage of a unique opportunity.

“We have told them that they can both benefit from each other,” Russell has pointed out to them. “They are the same caliber player going through the same stuff together. Don’t view it as a competition. Compete against each other, make each other better every day and win together at a high level. Our communication to them has been to lean on each other.”

By the sounds of it, the two stars have bought in and are feeding off each other.

Johnson says they battle and “go at it in every practice in a real competitive way,” while Brown calls their relationship “great” and the competitive nature between the two an added plus.

“Morez is like a brother to me,” Brown said. “We’ve gone through a lot together already at St. Rita. I know he is going to give me everything he has in practice each day. That’s what helps us get better and develop.

“We are two high-level players who bring out the best in each other. We make each other uncomfortable. He knows my moves, and I know his moves. We put each other in a position where we have to adapt and adjust when we play against each other.”

Johnson and Brown are in different positions when it comes to their recruitments, with Johnson ending his early while Brown remains a red-hot commodity.

Johnson’s recruitment ended last November when as a sophomore he committed to Brad Underwood and Illinois. The Fighting Illini, who are still in the race for Brown, are getting a tough, high-motor forward in Johnson who brings athleticism and an improving skill set.

Brown has an endless list of high-major options from across the country. He’s in no hurry to make a decision, though trimming a lengthy and ever-growing list may be a necessity.

“I am in no rush,” Brown said. “We are starting to prioritize certain schools and plan to cut my list down just before the season or at the start of the season. I want to take some official and unofficial visits to help narrow the list. We were talking about cutting the list down near my birthday which is Nov. 16. Then we can focus on the season then and then re-evaluate college after my junior year.”

There is so much still to learn about each of these ballyhooed prospects, simply because they are still young in terms of being prospects. How much better will they get? Are they winners and big-game players? Are they terrific teammates? Will they rip your heart out as the best athletes in any sport do when they step on the court?

Those are tangibles that go beyond their talents, and they’re ones that are still in the process of being developed and proven.

For big names and reputations and all the offers and hype they’ve received, the Brown-Johnson tandem has played very little high-stakes basketball in high school; they played an abbreviated varsity season as freshmen during Covid and one full high school season a year ago as sophomores that ended in a sectional loss to Kenwood.

Their time is now, however, with the St. Rita hype train set to take off in November.

“We’re ready for a big year — both Morez and I and the program at St. Rita,” Brown said.

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