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Moon Alert

Avoid shopping or making important decisions after 6 p.m. Chicago time. The moon is in Virgo.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You are an initiator, especially in conversation with others. Today is no exception because you will initiate conversations with people who are different from you. You will enjoy exploring ideas with people from different backgrounds. You want to know more!

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

This is a good day to examine your relationship to the wealth of others — this includes debt that you share as well as shared property and jointly held assets. How do you come off in these relationships? How do things look? Get your facts.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

This is an interesting day because not only will you have many conversations with others, in part, this will happen because you will attract talkative people to you! Call this a yakety-yak day. “Take out the papers and the trash …”

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

The sun is lined up with Mercury, which gives you a clear mind and a strong focus. That makes this the perfect day to do routine paperwork. Knuckle down and get this stuff out of the way because you’ll make great progress!

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

You’re full of wonderful, creative ideas! Enjoy any involvement in the arts or creative projects. You especially will be effective talking to younger people. In fact, your conversations with others might inadvertently educate you in some way — you will learn more about something.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Family discussions, especially with a parent or an older relative will take place today and they will be lively! Perfect. This is an excellent day to sit down with someone else and decide how to tackle home repairs or make improvements either at home ow within the family.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Let’s face it: Today you’re talking a lot! You’ve got something to say and you intend to say it. You’re an observant sign and you often see relationships between events and situations that others miss. You intend to let others know!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Write down your money-making ideas because you’re on fire! The sun and Mercury are lined up in your House of Earnings, causing your mind to be full of ideas about finances, earnings, cash flow and anything to do with your possessions. Ka-ching!

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Oh boy! You couldn’t pick a better day to start new things or initiate new projects because you have the energy and focus to do this. Furthermore, you are motivated to reach out to others by mail or in person and do whatever is necessary to get things rolling. (Impressive.)

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

This is a great day to do research of any kind because your mind is focused and very clear. Furthermore, you are interested in behind-the-scenes information or anything that is hidden and hard to access. This is why you might come up with answers to questions and solutions to problems.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

This is the perfect day to sit down with someone and bounce your ideas off them regarding your plans for the future because their feedback will help you. What you hear might make you slightly change your goals. Even if you’re talking to yourself in your own head, think about your future plans.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Lively discussions will take place today between you and bosses, parents, teachers or VIPs. They have something to say and so do you. Fortunately, you will express yourself with such clarity and focus, they will sit up and listen. Nevertheless, be smart and listen to what they have to say, as well.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead (1984) shares your birthday. You are ambitious, confident and generous. Basically, you’re an adventurous, optimist. You are charismatic and popular with others. Many of you have a strong love for animals. This is a strong year for you because it’s a time of recognition and acknowledgement for you. You might get a raise, a promotion, kudos or awards. People will admire and respect you.

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Bears coach Matt Nagy has kept his cool during a turbulent time in his coaching tenure. | Duane Burleson/AP

Who’s to blame for the chaos regarding Matt Nagy’s job status? Will Matt Nagy survive the rest of the season? Answers to those questions and more in this episode of “As the Bears World Turns.”

The Bears’ past week has been …

Way too familiar. The chaotic episode exposed Halas Hall for all its dysfunction, but it would barely make the top five of Bears weeks/moments of ignominy. The Bears are so bad at this, they don’t even know how to play the victim, mishandling an erroneous report of Nagy’s firing so poorly that they created a firestorm, then congratulated themselves for overcoming a distraction they themselves fueled — so typical. And in the aftermath, the same question hovered over a franchise that continually tortures itself in any matter that involves public relations: Do they have any idea how bad they looked?

Who, or what, is to blame for the Bears’ week?

Team chairman George McCaskey, for not having anyone with any expertise in football or management as an ultimate authority at Halas Hall. This is why the Bears need a president of football operations — someone who not only understands football, but is expert at management and public relations. General manager Ryan Pace didn’t step in, presumably because he’s not the ultimate authority. Like so many issues at Halas Hall, it starts at the top. The very top.

Did Matt Nagy handle it well?

Nagy’s demeanor throughout the episode was exemplary. He never bristled at the barrage of pointed questions and answered each one as best he could. But that’s consistent with his approach throughout his tenure, including the awkward quarterback scenario this season.

Who is most responsible for the Bears’ exasperating season?

Matt Nagy. As admirable has he’s been as a CEO who engenders respect from his players in good times and bad, Bears fans would gladly trade him for a grumpy, argumentative, antagonistic SOB whose offense scores a ton of points. Nagy’s struggling offense makes him most culpable for another disappointing season.

Will Nagy last the rest of the season? Why or why not?

That depends. If that’s Ryan Pace’s call, it’s likely he makes the change before Week 17, when he can get near the front of the line for available assistants on other teams. If George McCaskey and team president Ted Phillips clean house — or at least the floors below them — it would not be a surprise if they waited until the end of the season.

What will the Bears’ final record be?

6-11. The Bears are missing several key players and needed a last-second field goal to beat the winless Lions. The might catch a contender at the right time and pull off an upset, but unlikely four or five of them.

If I owned the Bears over the next six weeks, my master plan would be…

To get out of the way completely and put minority owner Pat Ryan in charge of hiring a president of football operations who would have authority over every facet of the franchise. I would let Phillips handle new-stadium matters, but would insist that any and all football decisions would be made only by football people.

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Wheaton North’s Seth Kortenhoeven (4) and Ross Dansdill (33) flex towards each other after Kortenhoeven’s touchdown against St. Rita. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Quarterback Mark Forcucci and receiver Seth Kortenhoeven did most of the damage on offense for Wheaton North.

DeKALB–Wheaton North’s press box proudly proclaims that the Falcons won state championships back in 1979, 1981 and 1986.

It’s time for a new paint job.

Wheaton North dominated St. Rita 35-6 to win the Class 7A state championship on Saturday at Huskie Stadium.

“Some of the players have dads that were on those teams,” Falcons coach Joe Wardynski said. “They had our back the whole way. We’ve had those same three state titles on our press box all these years. Now we can add 2021 to it.”

Quarterback Mark Forcucci and receiver Seth Kortenhoeven did most of the damage on offense for Wheaton North. Forcucci, a three-year starter and Holy Cross recruit, was 14 of 22 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.

“We were backed up a few times early on and instead of giving up a score we forced the field goal and fortunately they didn’t convert on those,” Wardynski said. “Then offensively we started putting things together.”

The Falcons’ first score came after the two missed field goals by St. Rita. Forcucci connected with Kortenhoeven for a 38-yard touchdown pass to open the second quarter.

It was all Wheaton North from there.

Kortenhoeven finished with seven receptions for 158 yards and one touchdown. The Falcons (13-1) led 21-0 at halftime.

“I can just trust Mark to always put it on me in a good spot,” Kortenhoeven said. “So it is easy to make plays. It’s amazing.”

Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times
Wheaton North’s Mark Forcucci (5) gets ready to pass the ball against St. Rita.

St. Rita star Kaleb Brown had eight catches for 128 yards but the Mustangs were never able to pull off a big play.

“We definitely knew that [Brown] was going to be the focal point for us,” Wardynski said. “Whether he was in the backfield, the slot or the outside, we knew that’s where we needed to roll our coverage and try to take him away from making big plays.”

Big things were expected of the this season. They were ranked No. 9 in the preseason. But Wheaton North surpassed all expectations with an incredible playoff run. The Falcons won at Willowbrook in the quarterfinals and beat Brother Rice in the semifinals.

“That bend don’t break mentality is something we pride ourselves on,” Wheaton North linebacker Ross Dansdill said. “We like to call it swarming to the football, when all open bodies bust their butt to the ball. Don’t be lazy and make plays happen.”

The Falcons even overcame a late-season injury to their top running back, Brayton Maske. Junior Luke Beedle and sophomore Walker Owens stepped up to fill the hole. Beedle had 23 carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

“Maske taught me everything I know,” Beedle said. “He’s been a great leader and a great friend. He makes me better every day.”

St. Rita (11-3) lost in the Class 5A title game the last time the state playoffs were held, back in 2019. Quarterback Tommy Ulatowski (17 of 36 for 189 yards with one interception), Brown and lineman Valen Erickson were all on that team.

“I’m just so proud of all these guys for fighting through everything the last few years,” St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said. “Back to back state championship trips. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to but there is a lot to be proud of for these guys. Hats off to Wheaton North on a great football game.”

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Steve Smith, Danny O’Rourke, and Chris Carpenter, resource technicians with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, work the leading edge of a prescribed burn at Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve. | Dale Bowman

Tagging along and learning much on a prescribed burn with the Forest Preserves of Cook County; plus the bonus of going to the most remote spot in Cook Cook.

A mouse climbed down a black oak, then scurried across the ashes, 30 feet behind burning browned oak leaves in a prescribed burn at Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve.

“It knew to go up the tree to safety,” said Kristin Pink, resource ecologist for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. “These are animals that deep in their DNA, they’re living in a fire-dependent ecosystem. They know what to do. Birds will fly away. . . Predators will come back through here looking for any meals that they can find. That mouse is going to be a lot easier to spot now that the system burned.”

I tagged along at prescribed burns Tuesday at Cap Sauers and Bergman Slough, part of the 15,000 acres of the Palos Preserves. John Pellegrino was the lead burn boss. Pink, also a burn boss, led the pre-burn crew meeting.

She went over the minutia of the burn: proper sequence on radios, emergency plans, escape routes and plans for how the smoke will drift. (Tuesday the burns were designed to have smoke drift to other parts of the preserves).

Crew leaders were John Jackson and Danny O’Rourke.

Everyone wore jumpsuits or pants and shirts made of Nomex, a fire retardant material, and other protective gear. Fire is serious business, but also primal and exhilarating.

When asked why, volunteer Brian Saame said, “Because [it] is good exercise for me and the purpose is good. But I love fire.”

As to the good purpose, Pink said, “[Burns] are cultural practices that natives did for thousands of years to manage the land. The fires were not set by lightening, they were set by people in a cultural practice.”

That led to fire-dependent ecosystems where plants and animals evolve, such as a mouse knowing how to survive a burn.

“When I started to get into burn business, prescribed fire was not accepted as a land management practice,” said John McCabe, director of the department of resource management for FPCC, in a phone call. “We have come a long way, particularly at the forest preserves.”

The response of the public has changed to where McCabe said. “Especially over the last 10 years, as our program has ramped up, they recognize and support it. Some cases they are even requesting it, to have the brush cleared out. Ten-15 years ago I probably would have fallen over.”

We began at Visitation Prairie, a remnant prairie and most remote spot in Cook County.

Some crew members ignited the fire. Others cleared fire breaks with leaf blowers and rakes. Others worked flappers (poles with flappers to beat errant flames). Others used fire retardant to keep the burn where it was planned. Pellegrino went back and forth to make sure nothing went awry.

Back fires were set to make a strip to prevent the head fire from jumping into an unplanned area. The most impressive flames come when the head fire exploded across Indiangrass and bluestem, reaching heights of 8 feet.

Dale Bowman
Flames flared when they ignited Indiangrass and bluestem during a prescribed burn at Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve in the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

“It is rejuvenating for the prairie or woods as it is for my own soul,” said Benjamin Cox, executive director of the Friends of the Forest Preserves, in a phone call earlier. “It is one thing in restoration where you can start and finish in one day and see what you have done.”

“Coolest part is when you finish the burn and you have a successful burn: This team feeling, this camaraderie, that is very cool,” McCabe said. “Also easy to see what you done, it is this giant black area.”

Near the end of the first burn, Pink said, “You’ll have to come back in the spring and see the site.”

Yes.

Dale Bowman
A sign on a road leading to the prescribed burn site at Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve and Bergman Slough in the Forest Preserves of Cook County.Read More

Kofi Cockburn is looking to get Illinois going. | Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The Big Ten has lost its annual “Challenge” against the ACC only twice in the last 12 years.

The Big Ten is off to a terrible start this basketball season. Just ask Michigan, Illinois, Ohio State, Maryland … you name it. Except for Purdue, everyone who’s anyone in this league has looked less than worthy of its preseason billing.

Perhaps that makes this the perfect time for the 23rd ACC/Big Ten Challenge, with two games on Monday, six on Tuesday and six on Wednesday. Anyone else old enough to remember when the ACC won the first 10 of these shindigs from 1999 to 2008? Since then, though, the Big Ten has won it seven times — including in 2019 and 2020 — tied three times and lost only twice. This is a chance to get well as a league.

And if you don’t care about that, you can still revel in Tuesday’s ESPN doubleheader. Purdue hosts Florida State at 6:30, with Duke at Ohio State to follow. If you haven’t been paying attention, the Boilermakers and Blue Devils are the “it” teams in college basketball so far.

Who’s No. 1? It isn’t Gonzaga after Friday’s stirring 84-81 loss to Duke. The Blue Devils have a great chance to be in the top spot when the new Top 25 comes out Monday. If they aren’t, it’ll be because the Boilermakers — who’ve already beaten North Carolina and Villanova — are.

“I love what my guys did,” said Mike Krzyzewski, in his final season as Duke coach. “I love my team.”

Let’s see what he’s saying after the Ohio State game. Here’s what’s happening:

SUN 28

Titans at Patriots (noon, Ch. 2)

Two first-place teams: check. Mentor (Bill Belichick) against mentee (Mike Vrabel): check. Tom Brady playing on another channel at the same time: check. Wait, ignore that last one.

Buccaneers at Colts (noon, Fox-32)

These are two good-looking squads, but, man, don’t you miss the rivalry Brady used to have with Indy? Maybe QB Carson Wentz can yell “Omaha!” all day just for old times’ sake.

Rams at Packers (3:25 p.m., Fox-32)

Both teams have been shaky of late, especially the Rams. Frankly, we’re beginning to question whether or not QB Matthew Stafford (career playoff victories: zero) has magical superpowers after all.

Sharks at Blackhawks (6 p.m., NBCSCH)

The Hawks are 4-0 at home since kicking Jeremy Colliton to the curb. Coincidence? Yes or no, having a team with a pulse around here sure is kind of nice.

Browns at Ravens (7:20 p.m., Ch. 5, Peacock)

The last time these division rivals collided, it was 47-42 — 89 points! — in favor of the Ravens. You know what that means: Bet the under.

MON 29

Hornets at Bulls (7 p.m., NBCSCH)

Get your Big Ballers out: It’s big brother Lonzo vs. little brother LaMelo. Pops LaVar has earned this carnival bark.

CBB: Notre Dame at Illinois (8 p.m., ESPN2)

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge has swung the Big Ten’s way the past couple of years, and this is a game the Illini are supposed to win. They’ve been a bit of a hot mess so far, though.

TUE 30

CBB: Northwestern at Wake Forest (8 p.m., ESPNU)

Pete Nance and Boo Buie have carried the Wildcats to a pretty good start, but a “W” for the visitors would be a surprise. Come to think of it, has a Northwestern road “W” ever not been a surprise?

Warriors at Suns (9 p.m., TNT)

FYI: These are the top two teams in the NBA going at it. Just in case you’re, you know, into that sort of thing.

WED 1

Penguins at Oilers (9 p.m., TNT)

If you dig pucks at all, you’re watching Pens superstar Sidney Crosby and Oilers superstar Connor McDavid tonight. As if you have anything better to do on a Wednesday.

THU 2

Blackhawks at Capitals (6 p.m., NBCSCH)

Alex Ovechkin’s still got it. Heck, this whole Caps team does. Is there a Hawks defense in the house?

Bulls at Knicks (6:30 p.m., NBCSCH+, NBA)

The Knicks are pretty much just a .500 team, but they’ve been all the Bulls could handle twice already at the United Center. Anyone else smell a budding rivalry?

FRI 3

CBB: Rutgers at Illinois (6 p.m., ESPN2)

It’s the Big Ten opener for the Illini, which is great. Maybe someday the football team will also have a meaningful game on the first weekend of December.

SAT 4

MAC: Northern Illinois vs. Kent State (11 a.m., ESPN)

Get a load of the Huskies making it back to the conference title game, will you? After a winless 2020 campaign, they sure are authoring one hell of a comeback story.

CBB: Loyola at DePaul (3 p.m., FS1)

First-year coaches Drew Valentine and Tony Stubblefield are off to promising starts. All the more reason these schools should meet on the court every single year.

AAC: Cincinnati vs. Houston (3 p.m., Ch. 7)

Is Cincy really playoff worthy? Will beating Houston change anyone’s opinions about that?

SEC: Georgia vs. Alabama (3 p.m., Ch. 2)

How utterly unusual to have the Crimson Tide going into a game as clear underdogs. Refreshing, isn’t it?

Bulls at Nets (6:30 p.m., NBCSCH)

We know Brooklyn is no pretender at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, but do the Bulls legitimately belong up there, too?

Big Ten: Iowa vs. Michigan (7 p.m., Fox-32)

Letdown time for the Maize and Blue after an earth-shaking win against Ohio State? Oh, don’t get your khakis in a bunch, Wolverines fans — we’re sure it’ll work out just fine.

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There have been some issues with the Bulls playing smaller this season, but for now coach Billy Donovan was focused on worrying about fixing roster issues in-house. Then again, he also knows he has a very aggressive front office that is always evaluating.

Even before Patrick Williams went down to a wrist injury that could cost the forward the regular season, Billy Donovan knew they were rolling out a smaller roster for the 2021-22 campaign.

The Bulls coach was fine with that concept, especially because he felt like the chaotic aggressiveness in which the defense would play would offset the likelihood that rebounding would be an issue. In some instances the rebounding has been a wart, especially with the Bulls checking in on Saturday 18th overall in rebounding differential (minus-1.3 per game), but not Donovan’s major concern.

What the coach was more focused on was the number of fouls being committed by his team, and was that because of the lack of size?

“It’s hard to be really, really good defensively when you’re sending teams to the free throw line,” Donovan said on Saturday. “That’s something we’re going to have to solve. Some of it is we’re going to have to be more disciplined, some of it is because of size, guys try to reach or slap when they’re in a tough spot instead of just playing vertical and make a guy make a play.

“There’s also a balance of we’re at our best defensively when we physical and we’re scrambling, we’re more active and we’re generating turnovers. You don’t want to take away our team’s aggressiveness.”

That’s why Donovan was looking at it as all in-house fixes.

At some point this season that may change, and when the vice president of basketball operations is Arturas Karnisovas it very well could.

Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have shown patience with the roster when need be, but also shown an aggressiveness to turn weaknesses into strengths quickly. That was on full display over the summer, when the front office almost completely flipped the roster.

Donovan was asked before the game with Miami if the lack of size could lead to a fix by going outside the organization, and indicated that Karnisovas & Co. were always evaluating.

“We have not spoken about that,” Donovan said. “My guess is that Arturas, Marc, all those guys are evaluating the team every day and looking at ways that they can help our group. With Tony [Bradley] here, we’ve had times where we’ve played a little bit bigger with a back-up center, but there’s also times where matchups and who we’re going against it may be better to go a little smaller. Some of the teams we’ve played against have kind of adjusted to us and played a little bit smaller.

“I don’t know if we’ve gotten totally hurt on the backboard. I haven’t had those conversations to say, ‘Hey listen, we’re going to try and do something between now and whenever it may be.’ For me as a coach, just working with the guys we have, and those guys have been great to work with, and for the most part pretty much kept themselves ready.”

Whistle blowers

Donovan has taken a very proactive approach to getting his players to stop arguing and dwelling on deemed bad calls by the officials, and instead getting ready for the next play.

The Bulls have had some issues this season with that, and Donovan wants it to stop.

“I think in general we’ve got to be able to move to the next thing,” Donovan said. “I’ve always felt that when there’s a dead ball and free throws are being taken, if you want to walk over to an official and have a conversation that’s fine. But when the ball’s being inbounded you’ve got to move on to the next play, revisit that at another time.”

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Quinn leads the Bears with 11 sacks and three forced fumbles. | AP Photos

Quinn’s sack total is already the highest by a Bear since Mack in 2018 and ranks third in the NFL, trailing only the Browns’ Myles Garrett and the Steelers’ T.J. Watt. He has been everything critics said he couldn’t be.

If Las Vegas had given odds in the summer on who would be the Bears’ most valuable player this season, the favorite almost certainly would’ve been Khalil Mack or Allen Robinson.

Then there’d be some worthwhile candidates behind them, such as David Montgomery or Roquan Smith and maybe a dark horse like Akiem Hicks or Darnell Mooney.

And near the bottom of the list, perhaps at something along the lines of 100-to-1, would be outside linebacker Robert Quinn — fresh off a season of injuries and minimal impact as everyone ridiculed the Bears for his five-year, $70 million contract.

That fictional betting slip would be about to pay off. The Bears’ gamble on Quinn looks like smart money, too. In a season of nonstop missteps and maladies for the team, he has been their best player.

He looked like one of the worst signings of general manager Ryan Pace’s career with just two sacks in 548 snaps last season, but has rebounded with a team-high 11 sacks and is on track to make a run at matching the 19 sacks he had as an all-pro eight years ago.

“The powers above woke me up and blessed me with some talents, and then just go out there and work hard and have the right mindset,” Quinn said with a shrug. “No matter what people say, just because you’re getting older [doesn’t] mean you become less of a player. I just go out there, work hard, practice hard, and I guess it’s starting to show.”

Quinn’s sack total is already the highest by a Bear since Mack in 2018 — if he gets to 13, he’ll have the most since Richard Dent in ’85 — and ranks third in the NFL, trailing only the Browns’ Myles Garrett and the Steelers’ T.J. Watt. He is a half-sack away from matching his 2019 output for the Cowboys that earned him that contract.

The details make Quinn’s season even more impressive, though, and they illustrate the way he has been everything critics said he couldn’t be.

The big-picture impact of his underperformance last season was that it left Mack without anyone to divert opposing offenses’ attention. Mack had to go it alone and managed just nine sacks.

Now it’s the other way around, however, and Quinn is producing regardless of Mack undergoing season-ending foot surgery. He has 5.5 sacks in the four games since Mack exited.

That speaks to Quinn’s consistency, too. His gaudy total is not the result of one great game, though he did torch the Ravens for a career-high 3.5 sacks a week ago. Quinn has had at least a half-sack in all but two games. Whereas last season it was a surprise anytime he got one, now it’s perplexing when he gets shut out.

Quinn also leads the Bears with five quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles.

At 31, he looks like Gumby again as he circumvents offensive tackles, bending in a way that his torso goes nearly horizontal as he churns his feet to reach the quarterback.

“The powers above blessed me with some uncanny abilities to distort my body the way it does,” said Quinn, a three-time South Carolina state champion in high school wrestling. “Some of it is just a little wrestling and repertoire in my system. Wrestling and pass rushing are kinda a little of the same thing to me… I guess I’ve been training for it my whole life, in a sense.”

Everything has been better for Quinn this season, and that goes deeper than football. Something was truly wrong with him in 2020 — more than just injury trouble. Whatever it was, Quinn has appeared very emotional but preferred to keep that private whenever he has been asked about what he was dealing with and how he got through it.

“Honestly, just mentally and spiritually happy,” he said. “I took a lot of time this offseason and … I talked to some good friends, some pastors, and got myself mentally and spiritually right and brushed off the nonsense of last year, and I guess the weight I was holding is done and over with.

“I was in a rough place last year and I think my performance showed that.”

Now he’s showing something different, and the outlook on his future with the Bears is dramatically brighter. The conversation surrounding Quinn last season centered on how soon the Bears could escape his massive contract. He’s been worth every cent this season and looks like he’ll still be a valuable asset for a while.

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