Chicago Sports

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs became the first team in 23 years to stop a losing streak of 10 or more game while ending an opponent’s winning streak of at least 10 games, beating the Braves 1-0 Friday to halt Atlanta’s majors-best 14-game run.

Rookie Christopher Morel hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, helping the Cubs stop a 10-game slide, the longest losing streak in the majors this season, and Chicago’s longest since 12 straight losses from last Aug. 5-16.

The Braves are the first team to have a 14-plus-game win streak snapped by a 1-0 loss since 2013 — when Atlanta also saw a 14-game win streak halted by a 1-0 loss to the Marlins.

Morel drove in the game’s only run against reliever A.J. Minter after striking out in his first three at-bats, then getting some advice from catcher Willson Contreras.

“It helped me concentrate on what I needed to do, what to focus on with that tough lefty,” Morel, who has 15 RBIs since making his major league debut on May 17, said. “Willson talked to me and told me, ”Don’t look for stuff low around the plate. Look high.'”

A pair of double-digit streaks had not ended in the same game since Philadelphia beat Houston on Sept. 15, 1999, ending the Phillies’ skid at 11 and the Astros’ winning streak at 12.

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Chicago had not won 1-0 since May 28 last year against Cincinnati. The Braves lost 1-0 for the second time this year following a defeat at Milwaukee on May 16.

Minter (2-1) walked pinch-hitter Jonathan Villar leading off the eighth. He advanced on Andrelton Simmons‘ sacrifice, stole third without a throw on Minter’s 2-1 pitch in the dirt to Morel and scored on Morel’s 277-foot fly to center with a steady wind blowing in at Wrigley Field.

Villar slid home headfirst as Michael Harris II‘s throw was slightly up the first-base line.

With Chicago wearing unusual dark blue jerseys and pants with light blue letters, Chris Martin (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for his first with for the Cubs.

Atlanta loaded the bases against David Robertson in the ninth on two walks and a hit batter before Orlando Arcia grounded out. Robertson got his eighth save in 10 chances, completing a two-hitter on a day both teams combined for just five hits.

It was Atlanta’s first defeat since May 31 at Arizona. The Braves’ 14-game win streak was the longest by any team this season, and tied the 1935 Cardinals for the third longest by a defending World Series champion.

“The first loss in June is good when you’re in the middle of the month,” said Matt Olson, who struck one of fourth deep flies that may have been held by wind.

“Our game is to get the ball in the air and we kind of got beat back here today,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.

Keegan Thompson, coming off poor outings at Baltimore and the New York Yankees, struck out a career-high nine while allowing two hits and two walks in six-plus scoreless innings — his longest big league outing.

“I think there was a conscious effort for us today to throw more fastballs,” Thompson said. “I haven’t had a lot of damage done so far off the fastball this year and I had kind of gotten away from the four-seam fastball the last two outings.”

Mychal Givens struck out Arcia with two on to end the seventh.

Charlie Morton struck out nine, walked none and allowed three hits.

Contreras narrowly missed a homer on a drive off the left-center wall with two in the sixth. Left fielder Adam Duvall played the ball perfectly and held him to a single.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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If you’re feeling a bit disoriented these days, it’s probably due to the news of a recent escape from the maximum security prison that is Halas Hall. Truth brazenly sawed through a steel-barred window, fashioned a rope out of bed sheets and made its way into the sunlight.

Quarterback Justin Fields told reporters that the Bears’ offense isn’t nearly where it needs to be.

Whoa, what?

“I’m not ready for the season to start,” he said. “I’m the type of guy that would like to know I’m prepared. So, right now, I’m just being honest. We’re not ready to play a game right now. And when that time comes, we will be ready. So, right now, no — not ready to play a game.”

That phrase — “being honest.” I think I need to sit down for a moment.

The Bears haven’t told the truth about anything in what feels like 30 years. And before you accuse me of picking on them, which I’m about to, I’d like you to know that they’re not alone. Many pro and college teams consider dishonesty to be the best policy, always. Injuries are hidden, dustups between players are denied and on-field mistakes are covered up. Lying is as a part of life as blinking is.

It’s not just sports, either. You don’t need to be a cultural anthropologist to know that lies have become truths to millions of Americans. Mallets have replaced spin doctors. Dim people seem to enjoy being hit over the head with falsehoods.

But the Bears … man. After listening to former general manager Ryan Pace for seven years, former head coach Matt Nagy for four, and team chairman George McCaskey and president Ted Phillips for longer than any human being should have to, I know a thing or 1,000 about deception and distortion. Some people can sluff it off. I get offended like it’s the first time I’ve been lied to.

When Fields tells us that the Bears’ offense has a long way to go, it sounds benign. Of course the offense has a long way to go. It’s June. The season starts in September. The Bears have a new head coach, Matt Eberflus, a new coaching staff and a new offense. There should be growing pains. But in the context of recent Bears history, Fields’ statement is stunning.

Day after day, Nagy would stand in front of the media and extol Mitch Trubisky’s quarterbacking skills, which were invisible to the naked eye of most humans. He’d gush about Trubisky’s leadership skills, his huddle “presence” and his work ethic. Nobody practiced better than Mitch, according to his coach. Early on in Nagy’s rah-rah tenure, you couldn’t help but think that the player he complimented so hard during the week was going to turn into Tom Brady on Sunday. When Trubisky didn’t, Nagy’s praise of his quarterback’s practice performances became a running joke in Chicago.

I’ll give Nagy this: He never wavered in his public support of Trubisky. I’m sure he asked himself what was in it for him if he were honest about the quarterback. Answer: The respect of just about everyone with an interest in the Bears. But he obviously saw the truth as a downside: If he were publicly honest about Trubisky’s weaknesses, the kid might not play well.

But he already wasn’t playing well! Do you see what these people do to me?

The saving grace with Pace was that he chose to talk with the media once or twice a year. He was a cheerleader who sat on his megaphone. But when he did talk, he was no different than Nagy in his public assessment of Trubisky and the Bears. The sky was always blue, even as the rain fell. The offense was great. The defense was great. And every one of his draft picks was great, even the ones the team had cut.

After that era of disinformation – and feel free to throw in Lovie Smith’s see-no-evil head coaching regime – you can understand why Fields’ minicamp comments were so jarring and so refreshing. We’re all human, even elite athletes. Everybody screws up in life. If a coach calls out a player for being less than perfect, it shouldn’t be a shocker. It’s an insult to the intelligence of everyone involved, especially the fan base, when the obvious is painted over.

There has been a lot of paint over a lot of years.

“They’re pretty much throwing the whole playbook at us — which is good right now, but, of course, there are going to be mistakes,” Fields said. “But we’d rather have the mistakes come right now than later in the fall or [training] camp.”

Mistakes? I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never heard the word uttered by a Bears employee.

I just had a bad thought. What if Fields is lying? What if the Bears’ offense is actually great and he wants the 49ers to be unprepared come the regular-season opener Sept. 11? What if he’s saying the opposite of what he believes? What if the truth is a lie?!

I’m going to lie down now.

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Chicago White Sox infielder Danny Mendick has played as well as anyone could hope for at shortstop, during the absence of Tim Anderson.  Since filling in for Anderson, Mendick’s triple slash line is .316/.361/.491 in 61 plate appearances.  It is worth noting that 61 at bats is a small sample size.  Nonetheless, the numbers show he has earned more playing time even upon Anderson’s return.  On the season, Mendick is batting .288/.337/.475, and 14 RBI with an .812 OPS.

White Sox offense is heating up

Thankfully, manager Tony La Russa has begun to use a more consistent lineup, where Mendick is usually hitting 9th, and producing.  Mendick is swinging a hot bat and helping the team score runs.  Granted, it helps that the White Sox offense has come to life in the past week, producing 60 runs in their last 8 games played. Facing a bad team like the Detroit Tigers and sweeping them with ease is exactly the momentum this team needs.  Especially as it heads to face the Astros in Houston this weekend.  Mendick should get more playing time for the foreseeable future over players like Josh Harrison and Leury Garcia.

Roster moves looming for the White Sox

When Anderson returns to action, it will most likely come down to either Mendick or Harrison.  As for Garcia, its unlikely he goes anywhere.  As long as he is used as a utility player and not an everyday starter, Garcia has some value.  It will either be the White Sox sending down Mendick to AAA or DFA’ing Harrison once Anderson finishes his rehab stint in Charlotte.  To compare with Mendick’s numbers this season, Harrison is hitting .198/.269/.298, with a measly 6 RBI in 121 plate appearances.  On the other hand, Harrison has been hitting better in recent games. Harrison has improved his average from .167 to .198 since the start of June.

The 2 strike approach

Part of the reason Mendick has been successful at the plate, is thanks to his approach in two strike counts.  This is something both Mendick and Andrew Vaughn have been working on.  The results have been productive and has contributed to an explosion of offense for the White Sox.  “I believe, two strikes, hitting the ball on the ground is like the best way to go,” Mendick said to The Athletic. “Because there’s so many more hits on the ground than there are in the air, especially in the big leagues.  The concept is if they’re throwing high fastballs, you’re gonna get on top of it, it will be a line drive.”

The White Sox do have one of the highest ground ball rates in the majors, which does not necessarily mean it is the best approach to take.  With that being said, this approach that Mendick and Vaughn are using is working for both of them and producing runs.  Time will tell if Mendick will replace Harrison at second.  At the very least, he has shown he belongs on the major league roster.

Make sure to check out our WHITE SOX forum for the latest on the team.

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NEW YORK — The 16 cities of the first World Cup spread across three nations were revealed, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino made a bold statement summing up the goal of the 2026 tournament, to be played largely in the United States.

“By 2026, soccer — or futbol — will be the No. 1 sport in this part of the world,” he proclaimed.

Roughly four years before soccer’s showcase comes to the U.S., Mexico and Canada, there already were winners and losers Thursday: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and Kansas City were among the cities picked after missing out on hosting the 1994 tournament.

Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville and Orlando missed the cut.

Eleven U.S. stadiums were taken, all from the NFL. Arlington, Texas; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Inglewood and Santa Clara, California, were holdover areas from the 1994 tournament that boosted soccer’s American prominence.

Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, which hosted the 1970 and ’86 finals, will become the first stadium in three World Cups, selected along with Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron and Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA.

Toronto’s BMO Field and Vancouver, British Columbia’s BC Place were picked for Canada’s first time hosting, while Edmonton, Alberta’s Commonwealth Stadium was dropped.

Following the withdrawal of outmoded FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, Baltimore’s omission means this will be a rare World Cup with no matches in the vicinity of a host’s capital.

“You can’t imagine a World Cup coming to the U.S., the capital city not taking a major role,” said Colin Smith, FIFA’s chief competitions and events officer.

Infantino promised a fan fest on Washington’s National Mall, and locations across the three nations are in play for training sites.

“The story is always who doesn’t get chosen,” U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone said.

Infantino’s goal of reaching the top of U.S. sports appears to be quite a reach. The NFL averaged 17.1 million viewers for television and digital during its 2021 season, while the 2018 World Cup averaged 5.04 million on U.S. English- and Spanish-language TV.

“You are leading the world in many areas,” Infantino said about North America, “the objective must be that you will be leading the world, as well, in the world’s No. 1 sport.”

“I know it was giggles and laughs,” North and Central American and Caribbean Confederation President Victor Montagliani said. “He wasn’t joking.”

Infantino defended FIFA’s financial demands on bidding cities and states, which included sales tax exemptions. He said World Cup revenue supports FIFA’s 211 members and 75% could not sustain operations without the money.

“This is something which is definitely a fair compromise, taking into the account the interest of sport and the interests of the host countries,” he said.

The 1994 tournament set records with a 3.59 million total attendance and average of 68,991. The capacities of the U.S. stadiums for 2026 are all 60,000 and higher.

“I think this part of the world doesn’t realize what will happen here in 2026,” Infantino said. “These three countries will be upside down. The world will be invading Canada, Mexico and the United States.”

The bid plan selected in 2018 envisioned 60 games in the U.S. for the first 48-nation Cup, including all from the quarterfinals on, and 10 each in Mexico and Canada.

Specific sites for each round will be announced later, and Infantino said worldwide television times will be a factor for the final, which makes the Eastern and Central times zones more likely. FIFA has gradually moved back the kickoff time of the final from 3:30 p.m. EDT to 10 a.m. EDT for this year’s tournament, which is 10 p.m. in Beijing.

The U.S. selections included none of the nine stadiums used in 1994. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and Orlando’s Camping World Stadium were the only ones remaining in contention, and they were among the sites dropped in negotiations with stadiums and cities that continued until right before the announcement.

New stadiums were selected in five areas used in 1994. AT&T Stadium in Texas instead of Dallas’ Cotton Bowl, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood for the Rose Bowl and Levi’s Stadium for Stanford Stadium.

Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, replaced torn-down sites that were adjacent, Giants Stadium and Foxboro Stadium.

Three U.S. venues have retractable roofs and SoFi has a fixed roof. All of the U.S. stadiums but Miami and Kansas City opened in 2002 or later.

Venues have a broader array of pricey seats than in 1994 — the bid book listed a total of 3,757 luxury suites and 76,317 club seats, even before the opening of SoFi, which hosted this year’s Super Bowl.

Eight of the 11 U.S. stadiums have artificial turf and promised to install temporary grass. Dietmar Exler, chief operating officer of AMB Sports & Entertainment, whose NFL Falcons and Major League Soccer team play at Mercedes-Benz, said growing lamps will be used.

“We will study very carefully with FIFA how we can handle and make sure we have the best natural turf available,” he said. “That’s one of the high priority areas for us to focus on.”

Some venues, notably SoFi, cannot currently fit a 68-x-105 meter (75x-115 yard) field and would need renovations to remove seats near sidelines. FIFA made similar demands ahead of 1994 but backed off and allowed some narrower surfaces.

“We have to move out some of the pinch points,” Smith said. “It doesn’t have any material aspect on capacity.”

The Detroit area, where the old Pontiac Silverdome hosted games, was cut in 2018 and Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium was the capital area’s contender after FedEx dropped out in April. Washington’s RFK Stadium was used in 1994.

Chicago, which hosted the 1994 opener at Solider Field, refused to bid, citing FIFA’s demands.

In contrast to the 1992 site announcement during a news conference, the 2026 announcement was made during a show broadcast from Fox’s studio in Manhattan.

“It’s grown so much in my lifetime,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said, “and I’m hoping that it can even take that next step.”

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Getting a college baseball scholarship is harder than ever.

The increasing popularity of the transfer portal and the extra year of eligibility granted because of the pandemic led to longer college careers and fewer roster spots for incoming freshmen in baseball, just like other sports.

And the recruiting timeline has accelerated, making it harder for some players to be seen early enough to impress college coaches.

“Most of college recruiting used to come in the summer between junior and senior year,” Kenny Fullman said. “Now a lot of people are getting offers before they even play a high school baseball game.”

Out of that reality was born White Sox ACE, a travel baseball program launched in 2007 to help players from underserved communities prepare for college baseball and life.

Earlier this month, 16 college-bound members of the program were honored at Guaranteed Rate Field. They’re among around 150 players from 12 to 17 years old who are being mentored on and off the field by people like Fullman, the ACE program manager, and Robert Fletcher, its college recruiting coordinator.

Both have extensive college contacts from their time coaching in the Public League, Fullman at Harlan and Fletcher at Simeon.

It has paid off in the form of more than 230 college scholarships earned by ACE graduates from junior college to Power Five programs.

One of the latter is Oklahoma, which just won the Gainesville Regional with ACE grad Kendall Pettis, a redshirt sophomore outfielder from Brother Rice, earning tourney MVP honors.

Two more ACE players are joining the Sooners next season: Mount Carmel’s Brandon Rogers and Sacred Heart-Griffin’s RJ Jimerson, who grew up on the South Side before moving to Springfield as a high school freshman.

“[Oklahoma assistant] Clay Overcash used to be a scout with the White Sox,” Fullman said. “He sees a lot of talent [in Chicago] and he’s comfortable recruiting them.”

And Rogers, a two-sport standout who also played football for the Caravan, is comfortable with heading to Norman.

“Throughout my life I wanted to play football and baseball,” Rogers said. “It was the right choice for me and for my family.”

Five more ACE players are headed to Division I schools next season: Thornwood’s Kyree Alexander (Western Illinois) and Horacio Cabrales (Mississippi Valley State), Fenwick’s Drew Horne (Florida A&M), Brooks’ Ryan Little (Florida A&M), and Homewood-Flossmoor’s Shai Robinson (Illinois State).

Little had a chance to play in front of his future college coach on an ACE trip, one of the many benefits he’s received from being in the program.

“ACE has really taught me the professional side of baseball,” Little said. “A lot of the coaches have been where I want to go and done what I want to do. … They’re going to put you in front of the people you need to be in front of.”

Rogers appreciates ACEs “family culture” and its focus on the person as well as the player.

“They do a fantastic job of encouraging us to keep playing as long as we can, gaining knowledge to make us successful in life and on the field,” Rogers said.

Over the program’s 15-year history, Fullman and the program’s other coaches have tried to stay current. One thing that’s changed is a heightened focus on strength and conditioning.

It’s all led to more opportunities for kids to play baseball and get an education.

“I can’t remember when we’ve had this many kids [from Chicago] playing college baseball,” Fullman said. “That’s a good thing.”

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Coaches can change lives. Lonnie Hampton did it countless times over the years and Dante Culbreath is just one example.

Culbreath, Simeon’s football coach, reflected on Hampton after the latter’s death last month.

Hampton coached football and baseball as an assistant at Simeon, was part of the successful Jackie Robinson West youth baseball program and coached basketball at John Ferrin Elementary School over a long career.

“Me personally, had I not met coach Hampton, I have no idea where I’d be right now.” Culbreath said.

Their paths crossed when Culbreath was in elementary school.

“I was just a big 11-year-old,” Culreath said. “Looked like I was 14.”

He was playing basketball at an open gym.

“I was talking about how I was the best fifth grader in the world,” Culbreath said. “[Hampton] couldn’t believe I was in fifth grade. He called me over and wanted to know all about me.”

As he did with so many other South Side kids, Hampton helped Culbreath understand where his talent could lead him.

“It was the fact that he knew I had potential in me and he knew how to get it out of me,” Culbreath said.

Hampton worked with two Simeon legends in football coach Al Scott and Leroy Franklin, the winningest baseball coach in Public League history.

“He was a real legend in this town,” Culbreath said.

Services have been held.

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Will the Chicago Bulls trade Coby White before or during the 2022 NBA draft? The rumors are swirling.

After a 46-36 season that resulted in a first round playoff exit, the Chicago Bulls are expected to be aggressive yet again this off-season. Shelling out big-time money to Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso panned out well. With Zach LaVine’s pending free agency and his large contract waiting, the time is now for Chicago to go all-in.

Coby White could be packaged with picks

Currently slated at pick #18 in the upcoming draft, the Bulls don’t have anyone that stands out to them. With this in mind, they are looking to trade the pick in hopes of filling roster needs. This may come at the price of packaging a player with the pick. A name that has come up is point guard Coby White. Only 22-years old, White had a very productive 2021-2022 season including a career-best 38.5% shooting percentage from deep. He was a key bench piece last season and can get hot very quick.

White will be a restricted free agent after this upcoming season and will earn around $7.4 million in 2022-2023.

Selected 7th overall by the Bulls in 2019, White is a solid contributor on the offensive end. Furthermore, his defense improved last season. His name has been swirling in trade rumors since the trade deadline. With Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, and a rising star in Ayo Dosunmu, there is logjam for PG duties. However, without a viable reason, Chicago should not be so quick to ship White away. He played well alongside Dosunmu and those two can be an excellent duo on the second team.

These are merely rumors but they can transition into more. With the draft a week away, we’ll see what type of approach AK utilizes.

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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Velus Jones  wants to impress the Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears fans wanting a wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft waited until the third round for that position to be taken. Former Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones wants to be the player the Bears desperately need him to be.

Jones, wearing a cream-colored hoodie and sitting next to the 1969 George Halas Courage Award, addressed the media following the Bears’ final mandatory minicamp.

Jones said he’s going to be that receiver they need. “I definitely know I’m not going to let them down. I’m definitely going to be that player they drafted,” Jones said. “That guy who’s good with yards after the catch, the guy that makes plays out of nothing. So I’m definitely going to bring that to the table,” he said.

Jones likes to envision himself being successful before taking action. “I like to manifest a lot. Before I go to sleep, looking over plays,” Jones said. “I like to picture myself running a route, or catching a touchdown. So, I’m big on manifesting. So you know, I can picture a lot of great things this season, even on certain plays or certain routes, thrown by [Fields].”

Chicago Bears teammates have confidence in Velus Jones

Darnell Mooney praised Jones earlier in the week, saying he brings a lot of speed when he gets the football. Jones is appreciative of Mooney’s support, he said.  “It means a lot. It shows me that my teammates believe in me, they have faith in me. They know I got their backs,” Jones said.

Jones has been getting to know quarterback Justin Fields on the field and off, Jones said. Their relationship off the field makes things easier during practice, he said. Fields and the offense are depending on Jones to have their backs, he said. Fields and Jones will work together in Atlanta this summer, Jones said.

Jones has been moving around to different positions on the field during OTA’s and getting a lot of balls thrown his way, he said. “That’s just boosting my confidence level up in this offense and as I continue to work on that, that’s a good feeling.”

Velus Jones and the Chicago Bears are bringing their “track shoes” to camp

Head coach Matt Ebferlus said in Thursday’s press conference he told the players to be fit before training camp. The team got the Eberflus cliche “get your track shoes on” quote before Bears players head to break. Eberflus wants the team fit, slimmed down, and ready to be speedy for camp. The message isn’t a problem for Jones.

“I like to run anyways,” Jones said. Whether it’s at a park or in the neighborhood, he said. “[Eberflus] told us you don’t get in shape during camp, you get in shape before camp. So I know we’re going to come in and we’re going to hit the ground running. So I’m going to make sure my body’s in shape, make sure my endurance and everything is built up. So I’m really excited.”

Jones wanted #11

Jones meant no disrespect to recently departed Allen Robinson when Jones chose number 12 as his jersey number. He wanted 11, but it was already taken by Mooney, so he went with another option presented to him. Jones doesn’t want to be compared to Robinson, he said. “I’m not Robinson, I’m Velus Jones Jr. and you know, that’s all that matters. Like yeah, I’ll take number 12.”

Jones and the Chicago Bears wide receivers have a lot to prove

Jones’s press conference was one of the most confident performances by a rookie for the Bears this offseason. It’s refreshing to hear a young (even if he’s a 25-year-old rookie) Bears player who is excited to be with the team. The wide receiver room he’s entering is bare, with no elite talent at the position. PFF recently ranked the Bears’ wide receiver unit as the worst in the league.

Jones currently sees a better future for the Bears, let’s hope he can manifest it.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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Braxton Jones has been working on using his arms

Chicago Bears rookie offensive tackle Braxton Jones has had a big week. Reports from veterans mandatory minicamp have him starting at the left tackle position. Jones spoke to the media following Thursday’s practice. One of the skills Jones has been working on is something his teammate will have a disadvantage at.

The biggest transition to the NFL from college has been learning how to throw his hands, Jones said. “In college, you know, I was really reserved with my hands and I didn’t use my long arms to my advantage,” he said. “So I’d say that was one of the big things and still to this day, I mean, I’ve still got to work on them. They’re a big thing for me and they’re going to help me be very, you know, good in this league,” Jones said.

Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan has helped Jones work on his hand technique, Jones said. “He’s been a big influence on that. Just throwin’ them babies, letting them go,” Jones said. “They’re long, just letting them go. You know, and he’s just harping on me, and I love it because it is a big thing I notice when I punch em, get em off their spot. It’s huge. It helps me recover, do anything, just using those hands.”

Jones has a size advantage over Teven Jenkins

Bears’ second-year tackle Teven Jenkins has been working with the second team since last weeks OTA’s. A lot of questions have been circulating as to why he’s not with the first team at tackle or guard. One thing we know for certain is Jones has longer arms than Jenkins. Arm size was one of the disadvantages Jenkins had that was noticed by scouts before he was drafted.

Jenkin’s arm size measures at 33 1/2″, whereas Jones measures 35 3/8″. What that will mean in July is anyones guess. But it is interesting Jones spent a good chunk of his press conference talking up a stregnth he had while being a part of the first team, while Jenkins is getting reps with the second team while having inferior size with his arms legnth.

Jones himself acknowledged that all of the offensive linemen are still fighting for a starting spot for the regular season. “I think everybody’s competing. Maybe rotating or whatever you want to call it. It’s all competition. Everybody’s competing for a job at the end of the day. I’m competing for a job,” Jones said.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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Matt Eberflus gathered up his team after the final mandatory minicamp practice Thursday and delivered the annual first rite of NFL summer: a list of what he expected his players to do — and not do– before the first practice of training camp 40 days later.

The Bears’ first-year head coach told his players to stay out of trouble and stay in shape.

“Get your track shoes on,” he said.

The first time Eberflus made the track-shoes declaration, in January, he was sitting at the podium inside Halas Hall being introduced as the Bears’ new hire. At the time, it sounded like a challenge: We need to be faster.

Almost five months later, though, it’s clear that the phrase is a way of life. In his last team meeting of his first offseason in charge, Eberflus emphasized that players better be ready when training camp begins.

It’s not just that Eberflus wants his players to be quicker — though, of course, he does–as much as he wants his players to know that there’s a standard he will measure them against. His ability to dispassionately grade his players’ speed, effort and even body fat content is so ingrained in Eberflus that it’s become his identity as a head coach before the Bears have even played a game.

Eberflus’ devotion to his H.I.T.S. principle — which emphasizes Hustle, Intensity, Takeaways and Smarts — gives him and his staff something to measure in mandatory minicamp practices, training camps and, eventually, games.

“We categorize every single thing with effort and the intensity piece …” he said Thursday. “We standardize effort. We standardize intensity. We standardize taking the ball away and protecting the ball. And we standardize how we’re smart in situations. So, those are all measured.

“So, when we look at the tape we don’t walk by mistakes. We look at it and say, ‘OK, that’s not the right effort we’re talking about.’ Or that is the right effort we’re talking about. ‘Man, that is the standard.’ That makes a mindful eye for the coaches. The coaches gotta pay attention to that. I am the ultimate guy that has got to pay attention to that.”

The Bears even grade how fast players run between drills.

“It’s quicker, it’s faster,” he said of practice. “We’re running, but it’s not there yet. We have to get better.”

That was the theme of the three-day mandatory minicamp, which ended Thursday: It’s not there yet. Quarterback Justin Fields said almost the same thing about the Bears’ offense.

“I would say that our whole football team needs to get better, right? We’re in OTA, first year,” Eberflus said. “So we’re going in to training camp, this is a building block. We built the foundation of what we want to be about, how we operate.”

Eberflus said he was proud of growing the team’s culture, which he admitted can be an overused trope.

“Culture’s really one action at a time, how you treat each other and how you go about your business, right?” he said. “So we’ve established that right now. That’s a day-to-day process. So now the next step is to get our systems down, and we’re in the process of that.”

Key to culture, he said, is the ability to be honest with each other. Coaches meticulously grading their players is just that.

“You have to have that as a team,” he said. “Because you have to be close that way, because you’re going to have adversity and you gotta be honest with each other, and look at it and say and step forward to the next step and keep taking the next step.”

That next step, more than anything, will be what the head coach himself is measured against between now and the season opener on Sept. 11. He’s already planned every practice, meeting and workout between now and the end of the season. He’s talked with his coaches about how much his players will appear in preseason games, though he’s yet to come to a decision.

Asked what he knows now about being in charge that he didn’t know back in January, Eberflus paused for a minute before settling on, among other things, planning. He’d never been a head coach, at any level, until January; his friends who had told him that he should be prepared to become the scheduling coach and the public-relations coach, too. Some of that, he said, proved true.

Planning came naturally. Eberflus has already picked out three books he wants to read during his summer break, which will last about a month.

In between tee times and family time, he’ll mentally prepare himself for the upcoming season.

“Setting your mind up for what is going to happen,” he said. “There’s going to be adversities for the season –and then, how you’re going to respond to that as a head football coach and as a football team. So, get your mind prepared for that.”

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