Chicago Sports

Four words we’ve all heard put together so many times in sports, they’ve ceased to have any impact or meaning:

“It’s a business trip.”

That’s how Northwestern’s football team is describing a visit to Ireland to play Nebraska in the College Football Classic at Dublin’s 51,700-seat Aviva Stadium. In a related and utterly unsurprising development, that’s how Nebraska’s team is describing its trip, too.

Then again, you’d better mean business when you’re coming off a demoralizing 3-9 season, as both the Wildcats and the Huskers are.

But we can talk closer to Saturday’s “Week 0” opener about the X’s and O’s, the buttonhooks and slobberknockers, the reasons why one 47-year-old coach — the Wildcats’ Pat Fitzgerald or the Huskers’ Scott Frost — will come home 1-0 while the other goes back to the drawing board. The business at hand, if you will.

In the meantime, let’s talk about something else: Northwestern’s Dublin itinerary. Truth be told, there’s plenty of pleasure built into it — more than some of the college game’s tightly wound, winning-is-everything coaches would allow — and that’s a very nice, healthy thing. These gladiators of the gridiron also happen to be students, after all, and an “overwhelming majority” of them are, according to Fitzgerald, traveling out of the country for the first time. Their minds ought to be encouraged to wander beyond the confines of a locker room and a painted field.

“This is something unique,” Fitzgerald said. “We want them to experience it and enjoy being in a foreign country, meeting new people, building relationships, experiencing a new culture and just soaking it all in.”

There are college coaches so self-obsessed, their ideal itinerary for an international game would involve a plane, a few buses, a hotel, a stadium and maybe, if time allowed, a demand for a pay raise. That’s it, that’s all, now let’s get the heck back to campus and get to work on whoever’s next.

But Northwestern’s players will have enough experiences to pack a thick, delicious Irish stew. They’ll cap Wednesday, their first full day in Dublin, by taking in a show. On Thursday, they’ll see sights on a double-decker bus and dine at the famed Guinness Storehouse. After Saturday’s game, they’ll get busy relaxing and staying awhile. Look around the city some more? By all means, do. The return flight isn’t until Monday.

“Hopefully, after we find a way to win, there will be a great celebration,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald has been sky-high on this trip since the spring, when he and wife Stacy were brought to Dublin by game organizers for a look-see. While there, Fitzgerald, whose paternal grandparents emigrated from Ireland to the U.S., connected with a cousin, got to see where his grandmother was baptized and went to church and school, and was deeply moved by the experience.

“It was a very emotional time,” he said.

Fitzgerald expects about 40 members of his Chicagoland family to be at the game, along with 10 to 15 relatives who live in Ireland. That doesn’t include the friends — some of them former Northwestern teammates — who got to Dublin ahead of the team and have been texting the coach photos of them bellied up to bars and holding luscious pints of beer.

You see, folks, there’s more to life than football — although that most definitely will not be the case on Sunday night in Dublin, which is six hours ahead of Chicago. Beginning at noon our time, Fitzgerald will be glued to a television as Loyola Academy takes on Cincinnati powerhouse St. Xavier on ESPN from Hoerster Field in Wilmette. Son Jack, a Northwestern commit, is a senior tight end for the Ramblers.

“I’ll be in my room watching that game and fired up,” Fitzgerald said.

Dublin hasn’t hosted a major college football game since 2016, when Boston College tangled with Georgia Tech. Notre Dame was supposed to face Navy at Aviva Stadium in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic made that impossible. Nebraska and Illinois were scheduled to play at Aviva in 2021, but the pandemic scuttled that, too.

So, this meeting of the Wildcats and Huskers is, in a sense, a long time coming. Win or lose, it’ll be worth it and getting down to business will be a pleasure.

“Nothing compares to this,” Fitzgerald said. “The chance to take our program, the Big Ten Conference, Nebraska on the international stage, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’re really excited about this.”

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Four words we’ve all heard put together so many times in sports, they’ve ceased to have any impact or meaning:

“It’s a business trip.”

That’s how Northwestern’s football team is describing a visit to Ireland to play Nebraska in the College Football Classic at Dublin’s 51,700-seat Aviva Stadium. In a related and utterly unsurprising development, that’s how Nebraska’s team is describing its trip, too.

Then again, you’d better mean business when you’re coming off a demoralizing 3-9 season, as both the Wildcats and the Huskers are.

But we can talk closer to Saturday’s “Week 0” opener about the X’s and O’s, the buttonhooks and slobberknockers, the reasons why one 47-year-old coach — the Wildcats’ Pat Fitzgerald or the Huskers’ Scott Frost — will come home 1-0 while the other goes back to the drawing board. The business at hand, if you will.

In the meantime, let’s talk about something else: Northwestern’s Dublin itinerary. Truth be told, there’s plenty of pleasure built into it — more than some of the college game’s tightly wound, winning-is-everything coaches would allow — and that’s a very nice, healthy thing. These gladiators of the gridiron also happen to be students, after all, and an “overwhelming majority” of them are, according to Fitzgerald, traveling out of the country for the first time. Their minds ought to be encouraged to wander beyond the confines of a locker room and a painted field.

“This is something unique,” Fitzgerald said. “We want them to experience it and enjoy being in a foreign country, meeting new people, building relationships, experiencing a new culture and just soaking it all in.”

There are college coaches so self-obsessed, their ideal itinerary for an international game would involve a plane, a few buses, a hotel, a stadium and maybe, if time allowed, a demand for a pay raise. That’s it, that’s all, now let’s get the heck back to campus and get to work on whoever’s next.

But Northwestern’s players will have enough experiences to pack a thick, delicious Irish stew. They’ll cap Wednesday, their first full day in Dublin, by taking in a show. On Thursday, they’ll see sights on a double-decker bus and dine at the famed Guinness Storehouse. After Saturday’s game, they’ll get busy relaxing and staying awhile. Look around the city some more? By all means, do. The return flight isn’t until Monday.

“Hopefully, after we find a way to win, there will be a great celebration,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald has been sky-high on this trip since the spring, when he and wife Stacy were brought to Dublin by game organizers for a look-see. While there, Fitzgerald, whose paternal grandparents emigrated from Ireland to the U.S., connected with a cousin, got to see where his grandmother was baptized and went to church and school, and was deeply moved by the experience.

“It was a very emotional time,” he said.

Fitzgerald expects about 40 members of his Chicagoland family to be at the game, along with 10 to 15 relatives who live in Ireland. That doesn’t include the friends — some of them former Northwestern teammates — who got to Dublin ahead of the team and have been texting the coach photos of them bellied up to bars and holding luscious pints of beer.

You see, folks, there’s more to life than football — although that most definitely will not be the case on Sunday night in Dublin, which is six hours ahead of Chicago. Beginning at noon our time, Fitzgerald will be glued to a television as Loyola Academy takes on Cincinnati powerhouse St. Xavier on ESPN from Hoerster Field in Wilmette. Son Jack, a Northwestern commit, is a senior tight end for the Ramblers.

“I’ll be in my room watching that game and fired up,” Fitzgerald said.

Dublin hasn’t hosted a major college football game since 2016, when Boston College tangled with Georgia Tech. Notre Dame was supposed to face Navy at Aviva Stadium in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic made that impossible. Nebraska and Illinois were scheduled to play at Aviva in 2021, but the pandemic scuttled that, too.

So, this meeting of the Wildcats and Huskers is, in a sense, a long time coming. Win or lose, it’ll be worth it and getting down to business will be a pleasure.

“Nothing compares to this,” Fitzgerald said. “The chance to take our program, the Big Ten Conference, Nebraska on the international stage, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’re really excited about this.”

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Roquan Smith is back at it in drills and 11-on-11 segments for the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears defense will need its defense to play exceptionally well for the team to be competitive this season. Their best player, linebacker Roquan Smith, can help the defense play at that level. According to multiple reports, his presence on the field during Tuesday’s practice energized the defense.

Smith made a huge tackle for loss early on in drills that excited the defense.

On the first play of Bears team drills, Roquan Smith shot the gap and stuffed a run play. The entire defensive sideline went bananas, and someone shouted, “He’s back!”

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) August 23, 2022

The momentum Smith brought would last through the practice. The defense continued to frustrate the offense. Quarterback Justin Fields had a pair of interceptions.

-On back to back plays during team, Kyler Gordon had a ‘sack’ on a blitz, grabbed an INT off a tipped ball by a WR. Offense went 3 and out this series and did sideline sprints immediately after.
-Jaylon Johnson also had an INT off a tipped ball.

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 23, 2022

Liked what I saw out of Trevis Gipson too. Flat out dominated a one-on-one rep in OL/DL drills that had the defense really excited. #Bears

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) August 23, 2022

Overall, I feel like the Bears defense had the edge Tuesday. On a day where the HITS principle was talked about a LOT by players and defensive assistants, it was certainly displayed in practice.

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 23, 2022

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is undoubtedly happy to have Smith back. He called Smith a “monster” in his press conference Tuesday.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson on Roquan Smith: “Everybody has a sense of confidence, a different sense of confidence when he’s out there … I mean, he’s a monster. But just the leadership and the IQ that he brings to the defense is definitely a big jump.”

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) August 23, 2022

The Chicago Bears offense needs more reps

Head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Tuesday the Bears plan to play the starters for most of the first half in their third and final preseason game Saturday against the Cleveland Browns. The consensus from reporters at Tuesday’s practice was that the offense needs more playing time.

From what I saw out there today, not a great day for the offense. They probably need these reps Saturday night. Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon both had INTs on deflected passes from Justin Fields. #Bears

— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) August 23, 2022

Many preseason reports from training camp and practice have been pessimistic about the offense. The offense needs to start having more good days.

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According a recent poll, more than two-thirds of residents in Arlington Heights say that the Bears should not collect taxpayer money if they decide to move from Soldier Field

A new poll released by the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity revealed that Arlington Heights voters support a new Bears stadium in their area, but oppose financing the project with taxes. According to the Chicago Sun Times, the poll shows 72% of Arlington Heights voters approved of the Bears’ plans to build a stadium in Arlington heights, compared to just 18% who opposed the proposal. The survey also revealed that 68% of voters disapproved of the project being funded by taxpayer dollars, compared to 22% who supported funding with taxes. 

Earlier this month, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said in a media press release that he is opposed to this ordinance that American for Prosperity is supporting, saying that it is not something in the town’s best interest. Head of the Illinois chapter of the advocacy group, Brian Costin, said in a public statement “Our organization supports the Chicago Bears moving to Arlington Heights. But we are against using taxpayer handouts or subsidies to lure business to the community.”

The poll also included questions about other economic strategies in Arlington Heights, and concerns about the impact of a potential NFL stadium nearby. When asked about traffic impacts from a potential stadium, 47.8% responded that they are concerned about it and 47.5% said they are not. When asked about the potential impact on public services, such as public transport, police, and fire, 37% said they are concerned about an impact and 55% said they are not.

Since the beginning of last fall, the Bears have been exploring the idea of building a new state-of-the-art stadium on the current racetrack in Arlington Park. The team announced that it had reached an approximate agreement of $197.2 million to buy the racetrack from current owner Churchill Downs. While awaiting approval for this agreement in the meantime, the Bears have hired architects, land planners, and financial consultants to draw up plans for the prospective stadium despite pushback to keep the team at Soldier Field.

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The Cubs have announced four roster moves ahead of Tuesday’s double-header against the St. Louis Cardinals

The Chicago Cubs have made a few changes to their roster today, selecting right-handed pitcher Javier Assad, and optioned right-handed pitcher Kevin Castro to Iowa. Also, right-handed pitcher Nicholas Padilla has been selected from Iowa. This means that Assad and Padilla have been removed from the active 26 player roster, but will remain on the 40 player roster. In order to make room on the 40-player roster, outfielder Jason Hayward has also been transferred to the 60-day injured list, according to Cubs HQ.

Assad has been assigned uniform number 72, and is set to make his major league debut in the first game of today’s doubleheader. Padilla is assigned uniform number 58 and is also set to make his major r league debut today.

Assad, 25, was signed out of Baja, California by the Cubs as an international free agent in July of 2015. He was named a Midwest League mid-season All-Star in 2018 and a Carolina League mid-Season All-Star in 2019.

Padilla, 25, has a 1.69 ERA with a .167 opponent batting average, and a .279 opponent OBP in seven outings. Padilla played for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 before the Cubs claimed him off waivers in the Triple-A phase of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. Over six minor league seasons, Padilla has allowed nine home runs in 991 batters faced, walked 87, and struck out 236.

Assad will likely be in line for a spot start before returning to Iowa, though if he fares better than expected he could change the Cubs’ current plans for him.

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If everything was already clicking and the Bears were headed toward the start of the season with no concerns, it’d be very prudent to hold their best players out of the upcoming preseason finale.

But with a long way to go before this team establishes that kind of confidence, it needs the work.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said he will “absolutely” play his starters Saturday night against the Browns, with many staying in for the entire first half — including quarterback Justin Fields.

Fields wasn’t alarmingly bad or convincingly good during training camp practices and the preseason games, and the Bears could use a little more certainty with less than three weeks until their season opener.

Eberflus said he’s looking for the offense to give a conclusive effort in terms of “the style of what we’re looking for, the way we finish plays, the way we run the ball,” and especially on third downs.

Fields and the first-team offense went 2 for 7 on third downs against the Chiefs and Seahawks the last two weeks. In the Seattle game, a breakdown in blocking led Fields to scramble for one yard on third-and-three, and a few plays later he threw to running back Khalil Herbert for a two-yard loss on third-and-two.

“We have to improve there from last game,” said Eberflus, who also is eager to see the starting offense run a two-minute drill after working on it extensively over the past month.

Fields’ performance will be central to how everyone feels about the offense in its final live-action work before facing the 49ers on Sept. 11. And he’s returning to the site of his disastrous starting debut last season, when the Browns sacked him nine times and held the Bears to their lowest total yardage (47) since 1981.

The same questions that were asked about him and around him going into training camp remain unanswered:

– Can the Bears’ makeshift offensive line give him enough time to get past his first read?

– Can a stripped-down wide receiver group provide him viable options beyond Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet?

– And, most of all, can Fields progress from mere flashes of brilliance to consistently drive the offense?

Fields has to rise above whatever deficiencies surround him in the offense and steer it to points. If everything else has to be perfect for him to thrive, as was the case for Mitch Trubisky in 2018, that doesn’t distinguish him from pedestrian quarterbacks.

Fields survived the harrows of playing in coach Matt Nagy’s dysfunctional offense — it’s a credit to him that he made it out of the Cleveland game intact last season and didn’t let it sink him mentally — and is now in a scheme that is customized to his strengths under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. That should clear the way for him to show what he can do.

“I felt like I had to be a certain type of quarterback rather than play my game,” Fields said of last season. “I felt like I was trying to be a little bit robotic, whereas Luke tries to follow some rules, but… you have to feel it out. You have to be a player on the field. You can’t really overthink on the field. That’s my biggest mindset change from last year to this year: Just get the job done.”

Quite simply, that’s what needs to happen Saturday.

The Bears punted on all three of Fields’ possessions against the Chiefs.

Then they got a field goal out of his one drive against the Seahawks, leaving points on the table after earning a first-and-10 at the Seattle 21-yard line.

Nearly seven months after the new staff took over at Halas Hall and gave Fields the reset he badly needed, it’stime to showsome results.

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The Cubs called up a pair of rookie pitchers to the roster for their doubleheader against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Before the first game, they selected Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa to make his major-league debut as the Cubs’ Game 1 starter and added Nicholas Padilla as the 27th man. To make room on the roster, the Cubs optioned reliever Kervin Castro to Triple-A and transferred outfielder Jason Heyward from the 10-day IL to the 60-day.

Assad held the Cardinals scoreless for four-plus innings. The 25-year-old recorded his first major-league strikeout against Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols. Assad also showed resolve with traffic on the bases. In the third inning, Assad walked back-to-back hitters, on eight straight balls, but worked out of the bases-loaded jam.

Padilla, 25, started the season in Single-A South Bend, but he quickly climbed the ladder, arriving in Triple-A in late July and posting a 1.69 ERA since then.

“Been hearing his name for a little while now,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “Somebody throwing strikes, the numbers are really good. I think it’s time to reward some of those guys. when you get an opportunity, that are performing and seeing what they can do with this level.”

Ross greeted both Tuesday morning. Assad was getting ready for his start, locked into his pregame routine. But Padilla had a little more time to take in the new environment.

Ross said when he congratulated Padilla, “he just lit up.”

Ross continued: “That authentic, ‘what is going on in my life’ when you get called to the big-leagues and how awesome those moments are [warm] your heart.”

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After lasting four batters and throwing 19 pitches in his start against the Royals Monday in Kansas City, White Sox starter Michael Kopech landed on the 15-day injured list with a left knee strain.

The Sox recalled left-hander Tanner Banks from Triple-A Charlotte.

Kopech, the Sox’ third best starting pitcher in their rotation behind Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease and American League Player of the Week Johnny Cueto, owns a 4-9 record and 3.58 ERA in 1102/3 innings in his first full season as a starter.

The Sox expect him to be ready to go when he becomes eligible to return on Sept. 7.

All four batters reached base Monday and Kopech was charged with four runs in a 6-4 loss. On June 2 in Chicago, Kopech left his start against the Rangers with soreness in his left knee.

Kopech was lined up to start against the Diamondbacks Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Davis Martin has made four starts for the Sox, shuttling back and forth from Triple-A Charlotte, and could be called up Saturday. Martin owns a 4.25 ERA and lasted five, 5 1/3, six and 5 2/3 innings in four starts, owning a 4.09 ERA as a starter.

Banks is 1-0 with a 3.16 ERA in 29 relief appearances with the White Sox this season and gives the Sox a needed arm in the bullpen. The Sox, who open a three-game series against the Orioles Tuesday night, used everyone in their bullpen Monday except for closer Liam Hendriks.

Banks has held the opposition scoreless in 14 of his last 17 appearances since June 2. He is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five games (two starts) with Charlotte in 2022.

NOTE: The Sunday postponed game against the Guardians in Cleveland has been rescheduled for Sept. 15 at 12:10 p.m. Chicago time.

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George Pickens must have jumped off the screen to Bears coaches when they watched film of the Seahawks in advance of their second preseason game.

The 6-3, 200-pound rookie receiver split right near the end of the first quarter of the Steelers’ Aug. 13 opener against the Seahawks. On third-and-13, the Seahawks gave Pickens a social distance-friendly seven yards to run off the line of scrimmage along the right flank.

Taking a shotgun snap, quarterback Mason Rudolph put his right heel on the 34 and lofted a fade pass to the back right corner of the end zone. Pickens didn’t do anything fancy, save for a stutter-step, as he sprinted past Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant. Pickens used his left arm to push Bryant away and then, in motion, cradled his two arms to catch the pass. He stomped his right foot down and tapped his left toe in bounds right before the back right pylon.

Touchdown.

The Steelers’ receiver has been so undeniably impressive this offseason that, on Friday, he became the prohibitive favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. BetOnline installed him at 6:1, ahead of everyone else in his draft class.

He could have done it at Halas Hall. New Bears general manager Ryan Poles, though, didn’t draft a receiver in Round 2.

It’s understandable that the Bears took Kyler Gordon at No. 39; cornerback was as great a position of need as receiver. Travel 10 spots down the draft, though, and the Bears are a lot easier to scrutinize. The coaching staff has been impressed with rookie Jaquan Brisker, the second of their second-round draft picks. Chosen at No. 48, Brisker has been the starting strong safety since his arrival — and will be in Week 1, provided he returns from last week’s thumb surgery as quickly as he believes he can.

Picking Brisker came with an opportunity cost, though. At a position where the Bears need even more help.

When they decided against drafting a receiver, the rest of the league exhaled. Four wideouts were taken in the six spots after the Bears drafted Brisker:

Tyquan Thornton, who caught a touchdown pass in the Patriots’ first preseason game before hurting his collarbone Friday night. He’s expected to miss the start of the season.Alec Pierce, who’s had three catches for the Colts in two preseason games.Skyy Moore, who had three catches for 23 yards against the Bears in Week 1 of the preseason.And Pickens, whose stock fell in part because of the ACL injury that limited him to Georgia’s final four games last season.

It’s not just about Pickens, though. What’s concerning is how off-trend the Bears are. Hunting big-name receivers is mandatory in the modern NFL. Unless third-round pick Velus Jones shocks the world, the Bears didn’t do that during an offseason that showed, more than any other, how valuable receivers are. Five of the top six leaders at the position in total contract value signed a new deal during a six-week span during March and April.

On draft night, six receivers were drafted in the first round for the second time in three years — and the ninth time in league history. If receivers were going to cost more in their second contract, general managers wanted to exploit the market inefficiency by getting them on rookie deals.

The Bears are left with Darnell Mooney and question marks, including injured receivers Byron Pringle and N’Keal Harry.

The contract extensions given wideouts have all but wiped out the 2023 free-agent market. While veterans are sure to be cut before March, the best 2023 free-agent receiver might be the Patriots’ Jakobi Meyers, who had 866 receiving yards last season.

The Bears, then, will have to draft their next receiver.

That’s something they should have done in Round 2.

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The Cubs called up a pair of rookie pitchers to the roster for their doubleheader against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Before the first game, they selected Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa to make his major-league debut as the Cubs’ Game 1 starter and added Nicholas Padilla as the 27th man. To make room on the roster, the Cubs optioned reliever Kervin Castro to Triple-A and transferred outfielder Jason Heyward from the 10-day IL to the 60-day.

Assad held the Cardinals scoreless for four-plus innings. The 25-year-old recorded his first major-league strikeout against Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols. Assad also showed resolve with traffic on the bases. In the third inning, Assad walked back-to-back hitters, on eight straight balls, but worked out of the bases-loaded jam.

Padilla, 25, started the season in Single-A South Bend, but he quickly climbed the ladder, arriving in Triple-A in late July and posting a 1.69 ERA since then.

“Been hearing his name for a little while now,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “Somebody throwing strikes, the numbers are really good. I think it’s time to reward some of those guys. when you get an opportunity, that are performing and seeing what they can do with this level.”

Ross greeted both Tuesday morning. Assad was getting ready for his start, locked into his pregame routine. But Padilla had a little more time to take in the new environment.

Ross said when he congratulated Padilla, “he just lit up.”

Ross continued: “That authentic, ‘what is going on in my life’ when you get called to the big-leagues and how awesome those moments are [warm] your heart.”

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