Chicago Sports

The Sun-Times’ experts predict the Bears’ 2022 record:

Rick Morrissey: 5-12

If you’ve paid any attention to social media and Bears’ fans hopes for the season, you know that lots of people are picking seven, eight or nine victories. This is based on something, though I’m not sure what. They’ve embraced the idea of a rebuild but still think there’s going to be success in 2022? It doesn’t work that way.

Rick Telander: 6-11

I still find it amusing that coach Lovie Smith got fired in 2012 after going 10-6.That was when the Bears claimed it was all about the playoffs. Playoffs?What playoffs? Big chuckle.

Patrick Finley: 6-11

Seven teams had six or fewer wins last season: the Jets, Texans, Jaguars, Giants, Lions, Panthers — and Bears. Of that group, only the Texans are spending less than the Bears on active players this year.

Laurence Holmes: 6-11

Head coach Matt Eberflus deserves credit for raising the competency floor of this franchise. He seems to be an organized, sensible football coach. Whether that will be enough to overcome a clear talent deficiency this season remains to be seen. Strangely enough, the consensus over/under win total for the Bears 5.5. Therefore I’m staking ground as an optimist.

Jason Lieser: 5-12

That’s how it looks on paper. A few things must happen for them to exceed expectations: Justin Fields catapults into the top 10 at his position, their pass defense turns it around from last season and several opponents turn out to be worse than everyone thought. Otherwise, this is the start of a rebuild, and that’s usuallyrough.

Mark Potash: 6-11

A defense that should be in the middle of the pack or better in Eberflus’ first season will keep the Bears in a lot of games with this schedule. With presumed offensive growth under Luke Getsy, the Bears are more likely to win eight or nine games than three or four.

Read More

The Cubs held the Reds scoreless through six innings, and they still lost 4-3 Thursday.

Cubs reliever Rowan Wick entered the eighth inning with two outs and runners on first and third. He immediately worked ahead in the count against Jake Fraley with two quick strikes. But four of the next five pitches he threw were out of the zone, and Fraley fouled off the one over the plate. Wick walked Fraley to load the bases.

Then, Wick walked Spencer Steer in five pitches, pushing the tying run across the plate.

Wick went on a month-long streak of 11 scoreless outings from mid-July to mid-August. But since Aug. 16, he’s allowed seven earned runs in 7 2/3 innings.

In the bottom half of the eighth inning, Seiya Suzuki delivered the go-ahead run, lining a homer into the first row of the left-field bleachers to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning. He’s been on a hot streak. Entering Thursday, Suzuki was hitting .343 with a .929 OPS in his last 19 games.

His heroics, however, didn’t give the Cubs the lead for long. Reliever Mark Leiter Jr. took the mound in the ninth inning. He issued a leadoff walk to Senzel, a game-tying RBI triple to Alejo Lopez and a go-ahead RBI single to Jonathan India.

Hoerner gets offense started

The Cubs had yet to record a hit against Reds starter Luis Cesa when Nico Hoerner led off the fifth inning. He hit a line drive to the center-field wall, just glancing off the end of Friedl’s glove.

Hoerner flew around the bases, sliding head first into third base with his tongue out. PJ Higgins, the Cubs’ next batter, drove Hoerner in with a sacrifice fly to center.

Hoerner also hit a double seventh inning, going 2-for-4 on the day.

Injury update

The Cubs announced the results of Willson Contreras’ MRI Wednesday were consistent with his sprained ankle diagnosis.

“We wanted to make sure we’re not doing anything that was going to cause any further harm and making sure there’s no real problem in there,” manager David Ross said. “So, all good news. He was excited. We were excited. Making sure he’s healthy and just getting all the way back where the ankle feels strong enough that he can go out and compete without thinking about it.”

Contreras, who the Cubs put on the 10-day IL this week, will continue to rest his ankle, but he was already moving around more freely Thursday than he was a week ago. He played catch with lefty Justin Steele (low back strain) before the game.

Cubs right-hander Keegan Thompson is scheduled to throw a bullpen on Friday.

Read More

No. 1 Mount Carmel at No. 20 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. Friday

Preseason top-ranked Mount Carmel (2-0) has been as dominant as advertised behind a defense that has allowed only three points — on a 51-yard field goal by St. Rita’s Conor Talty — in two games and an offense well-stocked with playmakers. Some difference makers include quarterback Blainey Dowling, who threw for 318 yards and five TDs in Week 1; running back Darrion Dupree; and FBS recruits Asher Tomaszewski (Kansas State) and Danny Novickas (Ohio) on defense. Notre Dame (2-0), coming off a big rivalry win over St. Patrick, is sparked by the Ricciardi twins, quarterback Vincenzo and running back Francesco.

No. 2 Loyola at No. 13 St. Rita, 7:30 p.m. Friday

Like Mount Carmel, Loyola (2-0) hasn’t really been tested yet. The Ramblers offense is runningsmoothly behindquarterback Jake Stearney, a Colgate recruit, and a deep, talented receiving corps. Brooks Bahr, a 6-6 Michigan recruit who’s among the nation’s top linemen, leads the defense. St. Rita (1-1), in coach Todd Kuska’sfinal season, is playing its third straight CCL/ESCC Blue opponent. After a rough opening loss to Mount Carmel, the Mustangs rebounded to down Brother Rice last week. Junior back Ethan Middleton, who has a Penn State offer, runs behind a big, talented line.

No. 7 Batavia at Wheaton North, 7 p.m. Friday

After cruising past Phillips in its opener, Batavia (1-1) fell behind 31-0 en route to an eventual 31-16 loss to No. 3 Lincoln-Way East. Now it’s on to DuKane Conference play, where the Bulldogs will try to bounce back behind linebackers Tyler Jansey (Wisconsin) and Jack Sadowsky (Iowa State). Quarterback Ryan Boe (326 yards) and receiver Charlie Whelpley have been an effective combo. Defending Class 7A champ Wheaton North (2-0) lost a lot to graduation, but has allowed just seven points this season behind a defense led by linebacker Ross Dansdill (Holy Cross).

No. 11 Marist at No. 19 Nazareth, 7 p.m. Friday

Marist (1-1) bounced back from a 33-31 opening loss to Glenbard West by rolling past Richards in Week 2. The RedHawks have three FCS recruits: defensive lineman Jamel Howard (Wisconsin), defensive back John Nestor (Iowa) and receiver Ryan Sims (Miami, Ohio). Nazareth (1-1) already has a shutout win over Kankakee in a Week 1 matchup of Class 5A powers. The Roadrunners have a number of two-way standouts, including Justin Taylor (Wisconsin), William Beargie (Princeton) and Zach Hayes.

Kenwood at Taft, 7:30 p.m. Friday

The Public League revamped its scheduling this fall for the top tier of teams, aiming to get them better games in the regular season to prepare for the IHSA playoffs. This crossover is a product of that effort. Kenwood (1-1) has as much top-shelf talent as any team in the state north of East St. Louis, but is working to eliminate mistakes. Among those to watch: defensive backs Kahlil Tate (Iowa) and Kiwaun Davis (Western Michigan), edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot, linebacker K’VionThunderbird and running back Davonte Johnson. Taft (0-2), whose two losses have been by a total of six points, is led by two-way lineman Grzegorz Krupa.

Read More

Roquan Smith and the re-buillt Bears’ defense are going into the season opener against the 49ers Sunday with supreme confidence. Asked to pick a player who will surprise people this season, Smith couldn’t pick one.

“Honestly, I think all 11 are going to surprise everyone,” Smith said, “with how we’re going to run to the ball and hit anything that moves.”

That sets the stage for an immediate challenge against the 49ers at Soldier Field. In particular, the Bears will be tested by one unknown factor in 49ers first-year starting quarterback Trey Lance and one well-known weapon in do-it-all wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

Lance sat behind Jimmy Garoppolo for all but two games as a rookie last season, including the 49ers’ 33-22 victory over the Bears at Soldier Field in Week 8. But Samuel was a star in that game. The 6-0, 215-pound Samuel — a second-round pick from South Carolina in 2019 –caught six passes for 171 yards.

It was an early glimpse of Samuel’s versatility that would earn him a three-year, $71.6 million contract ($58.1 million guaranteed). Samuel burned the Bears with a 50-yard catch downfield in the final seconds of the first half that set up a field goal. In the second half, he took a screen pass in the backfield and raced through the Bears’ defense for an 83-yard play that set up a touchdown.

“Amazing player,” Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams said. “He does it all. It’ll be a tough challenge. He’s good with the ball in his hands, whether he’s catching a pass or they’re handing it off to him.

“He’s great getting on an edge. Some people — maybe the casual fan — would go, ‘He’s just a perimeter player.’ But they run him up the middle also. He breaks tackles. It’s going to be an extremely tough challenge for us.”

Though Samuel is an elusive player, Williams said aggressiveness and physicality are part of the plan to limit his production.

“With our defense, we’re getting seven-plus [players] to the football,” Williams said. “We’re swarming to the ball, making sure we’re gap sound. We have to make sure our eyes are in the right place. You’ll see all this eye candy going all over the place — you have to make sure you’re looking at what you’re supposed to look at and not get distracted by all the things going in different directions. We have to to tackle. Football is a physical game. We have to hit.”

Smith added an even more practical point — the key to stopping Samuel is to not let him get started. In Samuel’s top four games last season, he averaged 168.8 receiving yards and 21.1 yards per catch. In his bottom four games, he averaged 25 receiving yards and 13.5 yards per catch.

“It’s going to start with stopping the run,” Smith said. “When you’re stopping the run, you can make a team one-dimensional –that’s going to obviously open things up for a lot more things and put us in a lot better position.”

Lance, on the other hand, is a bigger x-factor. He started two games last season — with a 58.4 passer rating against the Cardinals in Week 5; and a 116.0 rating against the Texans in Week 17.

The one threat between the two games was Lance’s running ability — 16 rushes for 89 yards against the Cardinals; and eight rushes for 31 yards against the Texans.

“You have to project how they’re going to use [him],” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “We have an idea of what the offense looks like, but how they’re going to use him, no one really knows. You’re going to use your rules and have your calls and make sure you’re sound [in] what you’re doing.”

Read More

Manager Tony La Russa hopes to be back with the White Sox next week, according to a report by the New York Post.

La Russa “is going to be OK” after undergoing extensive medical tests, the Post reported, quoting friends of the Sox skipper.

There has been no official update from the White Sox.

As the Sox head to Oakland for a four-game series, a team spokesman said La Russa is still going through testing as prescribed by his personal doctors. La Russa, who managed the A’s from 1986-95, would like to attend former A’s ace Dave Stewart’s jersey retirement Sunday, but he needs clearance from his doctors to travel from Phoenix. The A’s set up the Stewart event for when La Russa and the Sox are in town.

In La Russa’s absence, with Miguel Cairo taking over as acting manager, veteran players have “really taken the charge as far as what we need to accomplish as a team, as far as being supportive to our staff,” pitcher Michael Kopech said.

Read More

The Chicago Bulls could use some help with the roster. We look at some free agents still available

Although the team didn’t make a big splash in 2022 NBA Free Agency, the Chicago Bulls did add some solid veteran depth. Goran Dragić and Andre Drummond were the most notable additions to the roster, but they do not cover the Bulls’ two glaring deficiencies; shooting and rim protection.

Ahead of training camp, here are some free agents the Bulls should consider signing.

Carmelo Anthony

It’s eight years later than most Bulls fan would’ve loved to have him (although technically he was a Bull for 10 days in 2019 before being waived), but there’s no time like the present for adding the future hall-of-fame forward to a roster in need of some shooting from behind the arc. Carmelo Anthony is years removed from his days as an All-Star-level player, but his shot-making ability from deep is something the Bulls are sorely lacking.

Anthony appeared in 69 games with the Lakers last season, scoring 13.3 points per game on 44.1% shooting and 37.5% from distance. It rarely hurts to have more veteran experience in the locker room, and given Anthony’s willingness to come off the bench in past seasons, there’s no reason why the Chicago Bulls should not consider picking up the phone.

Hassan Whiteside

The idea of signing Hassan Whiteside may seem redundant for the Bulls, given the Drummond signing and Tony Bradley also being on the roster, as none of them have an outside shot. However, Whiteside is still a decent defender, rebounder and shot blocker, while also remaining relatively efficient in a backup role. While he doesn’t fix the outside shooting issue, he brings more to the table than Bradley, who hopefully will not finish the season in a Chicago Bulls uniform.

Wayne Ellington

Wayne Ellington isn’t among the flashiest of names available on the market currently, but the career-38.9% three-point shooter may be worth looking into. He would essentially take over the role Matt Thomas held last season – a reserve that won’t play every game, but should (in theory) provide a reliable outside shot-making ability for a Bulls team that may need it. 

Ellington would likely provide more consistent shooting when on the floor, which would be an upgrade over Thomas, who at times last season produced next to nothing to warrant continued playing time.

Kostas Antetokounmpo

The 24-year-old forward doesn’t bring much value to the franchise – but his brother sure would. The Bulls have been linked to Kostas Antetokounmpo, coincidence or not, since Giannis Antetokounmpo talked about the possibility of playing in Chicago late last month. Let the Greek Freak sweepstakes begin!

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

Tony La Russa has been absent from the White Sox since August 31 but he could soon return

According to a report by John Heyman in the New York Post, White Sox manager Tony La Russa could return to the team at some point next week.

Tony La Russa “is going to be OK,” say friends following an extensive medical checkup, and word is he’s hoping to be back managing the White Sox as early as next week after stepping away from the team with an unspecified health issue.

La Russa is hoping to attend Dave Stewart’s No. 34 retirement ceremony in Oakland on Sunday before rejoining the White Sox.

La Russa has missed the last nine games for the Sox after undergoing medical testing on August 30.

These tests showed some potential issues with La Russa’s heart, and it was recommended that he undergo further testing. La Russ was ruled out indefinitely by the White Sox, and bench coach Miguel Cairo has filled in since this point.

However, these new reports today suggest that La Russa’s tests were positive and the 77-year-old manager is okay to make his return soon.

The White Sox have gone 6-3 during La Russa’s absence, and many people within the team are excited to see him make his return. The Sox are only two behind the Guardians for first place in the Central Division and are tied with the Twins for second place. While many have been happy with the job Cairo has done so far, the team is excited to get their experienced manager back before this crucial stretch run.

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

The top 5 sports teams in the city of Chicago

Chicago was ranked as the 3rd largest city in the United States in 2018, with a population of over 2 million people. Besides its size and population, Chicago is famous because it sets the standard of excellence for modern cities. 

So, what about sports? Well, the city of the Chicago Bears is packed with sports lovers and some of the best sporting teams in America. Sports fans in Chicago aren’t only crazy about sports and their favorite teams; they love to win and are super competitive. That is why the online gaming market is growing more in the city as fans seek out sites that offer great MBL, NHL, NBA, and NFL odds.

Let’s take a closer look at the sports scene in Chicago. We will rank Chicago’s top 5 sports teams based on their history, fan following, and championship successes.

Chicago Blackhawks

The atmosphere in the United Center during a Chicago Blackhawk game is rife with excitement and passion. Thousands of fans gather to cheer and chant the team’s goal song. It is an experience any ice hockey fan should experience at least once in their lifetime.

The Blackhawks is Chicago’s beloved ice hockey team and is ranked as the country’s most famous ice hockey team (over 2.7 million fans). The team was founded in 1926 and was initially owned by Fredrick McLaughlin.

The Blackhawks has also enjoyed national triumphs as they have won the most prestigious ice hockey cup in America (the Stanley Cup) 6 times, the latest being in 2015. 

Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears fans congregate at the Soldier Field stadium for a thrilling sporting experience. The Bears, alongside their fans, have a long-standing rivalry with some NFL teams, especially the Green Bay Packers, so when these two teams battle on the field, the fans’ and players’ tension reaches a fever pitch. Though their stadium is said to be the smallest NFL arena, the 2021 season saw it fill up with excited fans. 

The Chicago Bears became a professional football team in 1920 and were formerly known as The Staleys. The team has won just one Super Bowl title (1985) and the NFL Championship 8 times.

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls had a glorious era when they were an NBA dynasty. They had arguably the greatest player in the game’s history (Michael Jordan). The Chicago Bulls are also the favorite team known worldwide for the iconic three-peat twice, a feat which hasn’t been replicated since then. 

The home court arena is always full of fans in awe of their talented players and entertaining games. This basketball franchise has its fans to thank for its popularity even post-Jordan because of their passion and sports enthusiasm.

Over 8 million fans support this team; last year, they had the highest attendance average of any team in the NBA (20,881). The team was founded in 1966 and has won the NBA title 6 times since then. They play at the United Center.

Chicago White Sox

Major League Baseball (MLB) has iconic teams, but not many of these teams are more iconic than the two baseball teams in Chicago, one of which is the Chicago White Sox. Like all the teams on our list, the White Socks have a proud history. They were formerly called the Chicago White Stockings when founded in 1900 before rebranding to White Sox in 1904.

This iconic team plays at Guaranteed Rate Field. The fan experience before and after games is fantastic as the fans cheer on the team, enjoy barbecue, and light fireworks. This team has won 3 World Series titles, with the latest coming in 2005.

Chicago Cubs

It’s always a funfair before every Chicago Cubs home game. Regarding its history, none of the teams on our list has a richer and older history than the Cubs. Founded in 1870, it was once owned by Albert Spalding(owner of Spalding) and afterwards sold. The team was later renamed the Cubs in 1907.

The Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley Field, which is historic because it is the second oldest arena in baseball. One of the charms of this ballpark is that it still has some original features even to date. The Cubs have won baseball’s most prominent title(the World Series) two times, including the latest title in 2016. 

Final Thoughts

Aside from these top 5 teams, other teams in Chicago are getting a lot of fan following and success, including the soccer teams like the Chicago Fire and Chicago Red Stars, the WNBA team, the Chicago Sky, the Cardinals, and others. Without a doubt, Chicago is a fantastic city for sports fans.

Read More

Did you know that of the Bears’ 17 games last season, 10 were called by a TV network’s No. 1 or 2 crew?

It’s crazy but true. The 6-11 Bears played in five exclusive windows, including three in a four-week span. They played for CBS’ top crew twice, its second crew once and Fox’ second crew twice.

We’re sorry, America.

The networks caught on, though. Fox’ No. 7 crew called two of the Bears’ last three games, and CBS’ sixth crew called the other.

You’re welcome, America.

This season figures to fall in line with those latter games. The Bears are scheduled for only three exclusive windows and none after Week 7. The other 13 games with a start time kick off at noon.

Starting in Week 5, their Sunday games could be flexed into a late-afternoon window or “Sunday Night Football,” but that seems unlikely.

Here’s my annual and largely futile attempt to predict which crews will call each Bears game. Week 1 was announced, and we know the national crews. The rest are based on intuition and preference.

Week 1: vs. 49ers, noon, Fox-32: No. 2 crew of Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver.

Week 2: at Packers, 7:20 p.m., Ch. 5: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark.

Week 3: vs. Texans, noon, Ch. 2: CBS usually treats the Bears well. The network had four games last season and used its first or second crew in three of them. But with the QB-fueled Bengals, Bills, Chargers and Chiefs on its schedule, expect to see the No. 5 crew of Andrew Catalon and James Lofton.

Week 4: at Giants, noon, Fox-32: The top crew of Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi figures to get Commanders-Cowboys. Bears-Giants looks like the best of a weak supporting slate. We’ll see Davis and Johnston again.

Week 5: at Vikings, noon, Fox-32: With the Buccaneers and a rare Patriots appearance in the early window, Fox sends its No. 4 crew of Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake to Minneapolis.

Week 6: vs. Commanders, 7:15 p.m., Prime Video: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung.

Week 7: at Patriots, 7:15 p.m., ESPN: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters.

Week 8: at Cowboys, noon, Fox-32: Sometimes the Bears get a bump because of their opponent, such as the game last season against the Bucs that aired in CBS’ late window. The Cowboys are one of those teams. Davis and Johnston return one more time.

Week 9: vs. Dolphins, noon, Ch. 2: Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will be at Rams-Bucs in the late window. If the No. 2 crew of Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn get Bills-Jets, the great Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins will be here.

Week 10: vs. Lions, noon, Fox-32: This game figures to get Fox’ smallest audience of the week. That lines up with the No. 5 crew of Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin (no offense, gang).

Week 11: at Falcons, noon, Fox-32: The Broncos, Rams and Ravens top Fox’ schedule. This game might bottom it. Prepare for the No. 6 crew of Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale, and have a radio ready.

Week 12: at Jets, noon, Fox-32: It’s Thanksgiving Week, and NFL fans will be thankful for not having to watch the Bears again on Thanksgiving Day. Fox has Rams-Chiefs, Tom Brady and Russell Wilson, so we’re looking at Albert and Vilma.

Week 13: vs. Packers, noon, Fox-32: Packers-Bears in December. That has Pat Summerall and John Madden written all over it – in my dreams. But Fox can’t keep its top crew away from the Bears all season. Aaron Rodgers will draw Burkhardt and former Bear Olsen to town.

Week 14: Bye

Week 15: vs. Eagles, noon, Fox-32: Three of five selected games will move to NFL Network on Saturday. Eagles-Bears is not among them. Fox’ reduced inventory gives the Bears a bump and gives us Bears preseason voice Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink.

Week 16: vs. Bills, noon, Ch. 2: This game is Saturday on Christmas Eve. Nantz and Romo figure to be at Broncos-Rams on Sunday, and Eagle and Davis at Bengals-Patriots on Saturday. That gives us Harlan and Green.

Week 17: at Lions, noon, Fox-32: Fox doesn’t have many prime matchups to celebrate New Year’s Day. Bears-Lions isn’t even the worst. We’ll see Kugler and Sanchez.

Week 18: vs. Vikings, TBD: Two games of consequence will move to ESPN/ABC on Saturday, and Vikings-Bears probably won’t be one of them. In a fitting finish, Myers and Smith call a forgettable finale.

Read More

The NFL season hasn’t started yet, but football wagering is already underway.

Caesars Sportsbook offered up a few insights they’ve seen in early action.

The Bears have been in the betting mix — sort of. They (150/1) and the Texans (300/1) are the only team that have not received a wager of at least $1,000 to win the Super Bowl. Actually, the Bears lead the $1,000 bet category to finish with the league’s worst record.

So far, no one has bet more than $1,000 on Aaron Rodgers to win league MVP. Every other NFC North starter — including Justin Fields — has received at least on wager.

The Bills have gotten the most bets to finish the season 17-0 and have gotten the most action to win the Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers (275/1) received the fourth-most money to finish with the NFL’s worst record, only behind the Seahawks (+650), Bears (+600) and Browns (50/1).

Read More