The Vikings had psychologists at Everson Griffen’s home on Wednesday to work with police on guiding him through a mental health situation, with the 12th-year player refusing to come out of his house. | Bruce Kluckhohn/AP

The Vikings sent psychologists to Griffen’s house to work with police on guiding him through another alarming mental health situation.

EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings said defensive end Everson Griffen emerged from his home without incident and was receiving care for his mental health after he called 911 fearing an intruder and spent most of Wednesday refusing to leave while law enforcement and team representatives tried to defuse the situation.

The Vikings sent psychologists to Griffen’s house to work with police on guiding him through another alarming mental health situation. The team released a statement in the afternoon, about 12 hours after Griffen’s initial 911 call, confirming they’d been notified by authorities that the situation “ended peacefully” with Griffen coming out.

The Vikings cited the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnetrista Police Department and the Orono Police Department for their “quick response and dedication” to ensuring Griffen stayed safe.

“Our focus remains on Everson’s health and safety and providing the proper resources for him and his family,” the Vikings said.

Griffen, who took a leave from the team in 2018 for mental health treatment, had posted on Instagram screenshots of middle-of-the-night text messages to his agent, Brian Murphy, that were pleas for help because he said people were trying to kill him. Griffen also posted a video depicting him with a gun that he said was purchased legally. Those posts have since been deleted.

The Vikings said they sent representatives to Griffen’s home along with the team’s mental health professionals, who were coordinating with law enforcement in Minnetrista, the Minneapolis suburb where Griffen and his family live.

The 12th-year player initially refused to come out of his house because he feared intruders. Police said they were confident Griffen was alone in the home as they worked to resolve the situation.

Speaking at the start of his usual Wednesday news conference, coach Mike Zimmer said he couldn’t offer much information. Asked if Griffen was safe, Zimmer said he didn’t know.

As for whether Griffen would play Sunday when the Vikings face the San Francisco 49ers, Zimmer said: “No, that’s really not our concern right now. It’s really about him.”

Minnetrista police, in a news release, said officers responded to a 911 call at 3 a.m. from Griffen at his residence. Griffen said on the 911 call that there were intruders in the home and that he fired a shot but no one was hurt. When police arrived, no intruder was located.

Griffen, a three-time Pro Bowl pick, missed five games in 2018 as he dealt with his mental health.

According to police at the time, Griffen had made comments about people trying to kill him. He was involved in a disturbance the day before a game at a local hotel, then later showed up shirtless at teammate Trae Waynes’ house. Griffen was taken to a hospital, but he jumped out of the ambulance at one point before police talked him back in.

Griffen was never arrested or suspected of committing any crimes, but he underwent a mental health evaluation. He then went on a team-supported leave, returning later in the season and finishing with 5 1/2 sacks in 11 games. In an interview two years later with the NFL Network, Griffen said he spent the last three months of that 2018 season living in a sober house.

Fresh off two straight wins that put the Vikings in control of a playoff spot, the mood was somber as the team practiced on Wednesday. Running back Dalvin Cook and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson both said they’d tried to reach Griffen on his phone but had not heard back from him.

“We’re just trying to make sure he’s OK,” Cook said. “That’s our brother first, and we want to make sure his family is OK and make sure he gets the proper treatment and love that he needs to get through the time that he’s going through right now.”

Said co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson, who has coached Griffen on the defensive line for seven years: “Everson is like a little brother to me. I just want him to be safe.”

Griffen rejoined the Vikings this season after playing for Dallas and Detroit in 2020. He played for Minnesota from 2010-19 after being drafted in the fourth round out of USC. The 33-year-old has five sacks in nine games this season.

Griffen and his wife, Tiffany, have three children. He posted a moving tribute to her on Instagram on Tuesday, in honor of their youngest child’s birthday, 4-year-old Sebastian.

The Vikings were focused on Griffen’s well-being, not about his absence from the lineup, but their defensive line is already depleted. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday and will not play on Sunday. Nose tackle Michael Pierce injured his elbow almost two months ago and will miss at least one more game. Defensive end Danielle Hunter is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

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Blackhawks associate coach Marc Crawford, seen here in 2019, appreciates his continued role with the team. | Victor Hilitski/Sun-Times file photo

After 30 years in coaching, Crawford — the lone retained member of Jeremy Colliton’s regime — has learned “every job in the league is a good one.”

Marc Crawford was simply relieved he still had a job.

Interim general manager Kyle Davidson was in the process of clearing out most of the Blackhawks coaching staff, feeling a change was long overdue. But he saw Crawford as part of the solution. In their Nov. 6 meeting — one of many meetings of varying tones Davidson held that day — he told him so.

Crawford, 60, has endured many meetings where the news was different, where he wasn’t seen as part of the solution. He has also experienced just how successful things can be when teams do get their solutions right, with one Stanley Cup and eight playoff appearances to his name. He has seen it all.

So as Crawford forges on with the Hawks, having adopted a larger and more public-facing role as the associate coach to interim coach Derek King, he holds tightly to the perspective he has gained.

“I’ve been around long enough to know that every job in the league is a good one,” he said Tuesday in a soft voice, far different than his booming yell on the ice. “Whether you’re an assistant just starting out or whether you’re the guys that do the media, I’ve held a lot of jobs in hockey, and they’re all good.

“There’s sometimes 5% of this game that sucks. Seeing friends go and getting fired, getting fired yourself. Sometimes the travel, sometimes the fatigue can be bad. But it’s only about 5%. Everything else is really good, and people would cut their right arm off to be in a position like any of us are in.

“And so the secret is, don’t let the 5% become more. Don’t let it become 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10%. Just keep remembering where you are and keep enjoying every day.”

Crawford’s future still isn’t particularly secure. He’s part of an interim staff, one that could change dramatically again next summer. But he insists he’s acting the same he would if he had a “five-year no-cut contract.”

He’s surrounded by people with whom he’s comfortable, too. His longtime colleague and friend Rob Cookson was just hired as assistant coach. His son, Dylan, is one of two Hawks video coaches — along with Matt Meacham — taking on significantly more duties lately. And his personality has meshed perfectly with King, despite their lack of history together.

“We are really good together because we understand that you can’t take yourself too seriously,” Crawford said. “He likes to have fun. As much as I want to be serious, I also like to have fun, too. We’ve got a nice balance.

“[Derek has] brought his own attitude to the game. It’s a unique attitude. And it’s been well-received by our players. Anytime there’s change, and I’ve been involved in a lot of change…sometimes it doesn’t really matter the message. Sometimes it’s the delivery that matters. And he’s been terrific with his delivery.”

Under Jeremy Colliton and alongside Sheldon Brookbank — two coaches he described as “hands-on” — Crawford’s purpose was to be “the veteran coach who they bounced things off of.” He took a more passive role in player interactions so as not to overwhelm them.

Under King, however, Crawford exclusively handles the defensemen and has led most practices, too. Crawford describes his current role as more “vociferous,” although the practice coordination will gradually shift over to King in time.

But both roles were alright with him. After 30 years of coaching, he’s witnessed hockey evolve as a sport, coaching evolve as a practice and players evolve in their ways of absorbing information. And he’s grateful to still be in the thick of it.

“It’s always the right thing to keep yourself focused on the 95% of the game that’s really good,” he said. “Having been through the wars, it’s hopefully an attitude that we can keep selling to everybody.”

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Travell Miller, 33, was shot multiple times on Sept. 1. | Provided

Travell Miller was taking his daughter to school when Avonta Ware opened fire on Sept. 1, prosecutors said.

A 7-year-old girl who was with her father when he was murdered by a teenage gunman begged a bystander to “help her daddy” following the West Side shooting, Cook County prosecutors said Wednesday.

Travell Miller was taking his daughter to school when Avonta Ware killed him on the morning of Sept. 1, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.

Miller, 33, shielded his daughter as Ware fired into the driver’s side window of Miller’s Kia Soul, Murphy said. The girl was not injured. She cried in the SUV’s passenger seat as a witness to the shooting rushed over, Murphy said.

There appeared to be no prior connection between 18-year-old Ware and Miller, except that both men had stopped at the same gas station at Chicago and Kedzie avenues before the fatal shooting, Murphy said.

Ware, who is no stranger to the criminal justice system, was arrested for Miller’s murder earlier this week in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Murphy said.

He was also wanted for two separate carjackings in Berwyn, Murphy said.

Cook County sheriff’s office
Avonta Ware

Before he was shot that fall morning, Miller went to fill up his SUV at the gas station, Murphy said.

Ware, surveillance cameras showed, also pulled up to a gas pump in his grandfather’s Pontiac Grand Prix, Murphy said.

The men didn’t appear to exchange words, and when Miller had finished refueling, he got back inside the SUV and continued driving toward his daughter’s school.

But less than a minute later, Ware sped away from the gas station’s parking lot and followed Miller, eventually driving into the wrong lane to catch up to him, Murphy said.

Ware stopped his car near where Miller was waiting in traffic and was seen by a several witnesses getting out of his car with a black handgun, Murphy said. He then went up to Miller’s SUV before allegedly opening fire.

Miller was struck in the chest multiple times, Murphy said.

After the shooting, Ware walked back to his car and drove away, Murphy said.

A Cook County sheriff’s officer who also witnessed the shooting identified Ware in a photo array and descriptions of Ware’s clothing and vehicle by other witnesses led police to the gas station surveillance footage, Murphy said. The surveillance footage also included a “clear video” of Ware wearing a mask inside the station, Murphy said.

When police released photographs from the surveillance footage they received multiple tips identifying Ware by his nickname, Murphy said.

Just days before on Aug. 26, a woman said she was driving in the 1200 block of North Kedzie Avenue when she honked at a silver Grand Prix that cut her off in traffic, Murphy said. The woman later identified Ware as the person who later leaned his body out of the Grand Prix and pointed a handgun at her, Murphy said. The incident was also recorded by the woman’s dash-mounted camera, Murphy said.

Ware was also identified in photo arrays as the suspect who carjacked a Berwyn man as he loaded items into his car on July 27, Murphy said. He was also identified as the suspect who carjacked a woman as she was getting groceries in the west suburb on Aug. 1, Murphy said.

As a juvenile, Ware was found delinquent in three separate robberies, Murphy said.

Ware works as a mechanic and lives with his grandfather and mother in the city, his attorney John Somerville told Judge Barbara Dawkins.

Dawkins ordered Ware held without bail Wednesday.

Ware is expected back in court Dec. 13.

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In a team meeting Wednesday, Bears chairman George McCaskey told players and coaches that the report of Matt Nagy’s pending firing was not true/ | Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

In a team meeting Wednesday, Bears chairman George McCaskey told players and coaches that the report of Matt Nagy’s pending firing was not true, two sources confirmed to the Sun-Times.

In a team meeting Wednesday, Bears chairman George McCaskey told players and coaches that the report of Matt Nagy’s pending firing was not true, two sources confirmed to the Sun-Times.

His definitive statement in the meeting came 24 hours after a one-source report from Patch.com that said the Bears told Nagy they planned to fire him on Friday, regardless of the outcome of the team’s Thanksgiving game against the 0-9-1 Lions.

The Bears did not refute the report, publicly or privately, leaving Nagy to answer questions about his future. The coach said midday Tuesday that he hadn’t even had a conversation with his bosses during the week, much less was told, as the story claimed, that he would be fired. Telling a coach he would be fired in five days — and letting him coach in between — would have been highly unusual in the NFL world.

McCaskey held a press conference in January announcing that Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace would return, but hasn’t had another public press gathering since. The Bears have never fired a coach in the middle of the season.

Jason Lieser contributed to this report.

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Brittney Mack, pictured in her role in the musical “Six,” is slated to perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. | Joan Marcus

‘I’ve got my long johns and it’s going to be epic,’ says Brittney Mack, scheduled to perform with her castmates from the hit musical ‘Six.’

NEW YORK — Growing up in Chicago, Broadway star Brittney Mack faithfully watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV after fulfilling her own parade duties. Now she’s getting ready to bundle up, hit the streets of Manhattan and be part of the big one for the first time.

Mack, who plays one of the wives of Henry VIII in the hit musical “Six,” is slated to perform a mashup of some of its songs live Thursday with her castmates and band in front of a televised audience of millions. The parade broadcast begins at 9 a.m. (with a repeat at 2 p.m.) on WMAQ-Channel 5.

“I’ve got my long johns and it’s going to be epic,” she says. “I finally get to meet Snoopy. That’s really my dream — to see the big Snoopy balloon, honestly.”

Astronaut Snoopy will hover overhead as the parade returns to its pre-pandemic form this year, with its route restored through Manhattan and high-flying helium balloons once again pulled by handlers.

This year’s parade — the 95th annual — will snap back to form after bowing to pandemic restrictions last year. It will feature 15 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 36 novelty and heritage inflatables, more than 800 clowns, 10 marching bands and nine performance groups and, of course, Santa Claus bringing up the rear.

New balloon giants joining the line-up include Ada Twist, Scientist; the pint-sized hero from “The Mandalorian,” and the Pokemon characters Pikachu and Eevee on a sled.

Mack and her castmates have learned new choreography, been over the new music and will rehearse on the street in front of the department store to get it right. With the weather looking brisk, she’s kindly ordered handwarmers and footwarmers for her fellow “Six” performers.

“I won’t be home to watch it, but I think the trade-off is pretty good,” says the actor, who has been with “Six” since its North American premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2019.

Her grandmother is taping the parade from Mississippi while her mom and the rest of her family will be cheering from Chicago. Mack may be used to performing live but this time is special.

“The adult in me that has worked so hard to get here is like, ‘You know what? You’ll be fine. You’re in it. Get it together,’ ” she says. “I think I also will feel better when I see Snoopy, so it’ll all be good.”

In addition to “Six,” Broadway will be represented by the casts of “Chicago,” “Waitress,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Wicked.” The Rockettes will be there, as will the cast of the upcoming NBC live production of “Annie.”

Maya Bowles, who will be there representing the Tony-winning “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” recalls waking up every Thanksgiving in Atlanta and making pound cake with her mother while watching the parade before gathering with her family at Grandma’s house.

“It definitely does feel so special coming back after this long, long pause,” she said. “So much has changed so quickly. I feel like, for me, it’s weird not being with them for the holiday, but I’m super-grateful to be doing what I’ll be doing.”

There will be new floats led by the cast of Peacock’s “Girls5eva” — Sara Bareilles, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell and Busy Philipps — Nelly and Jordan Fisher, while Jon Batiste will be on an alligator-themed float celebrating Louisiana’s music, food and culture.

Other celebrities on hand will include Carrie Underwood, Jimmie Allen, Kelly Rowland, Rob Thomas, Kristin Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Foreigner, Andy Grammer, Mickey Guyton, Chris Lane, Miss America Camille Schrier, Muppets from “Sesame Street” and the three past and current hosts of “Blue’s Clues”: Steve Burns, Donovan Patton and Josh Dela Cruz.

Some of the returning balloons will be “The Boss Baby,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” Chase from “Paw Patrol,” the Pillsbury Doughboy, Ronald McDonald, Red Titan from “Ryan’s World,” Papa Smurf, Sonic the Hedgehog and SpongeBob SquarePants.

The Macy’s parade has been a traditional holiday season kickoff and spectators often line up a half-dozen deep along the route to cheer about 8,000 marchers, two dozen floats, entertainers and marching bands.

Last year, the usual 2 1/2-mile route through crowded Manhattan was scrapped in favor of concentrating events to a one-block stretch of 34th Street in front of the retailer’s flagship Manhattan store. Many performances were taped and most of the parade’s performers were locally based to cut down on travel. The balloons were tethered to specialized vehicles instead of being controlled by handlers.

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A painted mural of Ahmaud Arbery is displayed on May 17, 2020, in Brunswick, Ga. | Sarah Blake Morgan/AP

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with a high near 53 degrees. Tonight will be cloudy with a low around 39 degrees and a 60% chance of precipitation. There is a slight chance of rain and snow showers tomorrow, but the day will be mostly cloudy with a high near 40 degrees.

Top story

All 3 defendants found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery

Jurors today convicted three white men charged in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was chased and fatally shot while running through their neighborhood in an attack that became part of the larger national reckoning on racial injustice.

The convictions for Greg McMichael, son Travis McMichael and neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan came after jurors deliberated for about 10 hours. The men face minimum sentences of life in prison. It is up to the judge to decide whether that comes with or without the possibility of parole.

Travis McMichael stood for the verdict, his lawyer’s arm around his shoulder. At one point, McMichael lowered his head to his chest. After the verdicts were read, as he stood to leave, he mouthed “love you” to his mother, who was in the courtroom.

Moments after the verdicts were announced, Arbery’s father, Marcus Arbery Sr., was seen crying and hugging supporters outside the courtroom.

“He didn’t do nothing,” the father said, “but run and dream.”

Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, thanked the crowd gathered outside the courthouse and said she did not think she would see this day.

“It’s been a long fight. It’s been a hard fight. But God is good,” she said. Of her son, she said, “He will now rest in peace.”

The McMichaels grabbed guns and jumped in a pickup truck to pursue the 25-year-old after seeing him running outside the Georgia port city of Brunswick in February 2020. Bryan joined the pursuit in his own pickup and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery.

The Associated Press’ Russ Bynum has more on today’s ruling here.

More news you need

Delisa Tucker, a mother, was shot to death early this morning near a memorial for her son Kevin Tinker, 14, who had been fatally shot on the same sidewalk just days before. As of this afternoon, no one was in custody and police would not say if they suspect the shootings are connected.

Workers from Amazon and other area facilities called for higher wages and better conditions, saying the warehouses are COVID-19 hotspots, with limited mask wearing in close quarters. They also said they receive little to no training while being charged with operating heavy, dangerous machinery.

Cardinal Blase Cupich and a crew of volunteers gave away more than 500 turkeys, along with winter clothes, diapers and regular food staples outside St. Moses the Black parish food pantry in Park Manor today. More than 80 volunteers helped organize the giveaway, including a group of kids from Divine Mercy Parish in Winnetka.

A bright one

Saigonese Kitchen owners invoke childhood favorite for signature dish, hometown flavors

When Chinh Pham and Son Do moved to Chicago a few years ago, the Vietnamese couple were disappointed they couldn’t find a restaurant that they felt was a proper representation of their country’s culture.

So, Pham and Do decided to bring the flavors of their hometown of Ho Chi Minh City to Chicago, opening Sochi Saigonese Kitchen in Lake View earlier this year. The menu features traditional Vietnamese food, with some elevated takes on classic dishes.

The wife-and-husband duo, who met while studying business in college, don’t have conventional culinary backgrounds. But they’re self-proclaimed foodies and spent years traveling the world to try new cuisines. Pham said she learned how to cook from her mother.

Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Wife and husband Chinh Pham and Son Do are the co-owners of Sochi Saigonese Kitchen.

When Sochi Saigonese Kitchen started to become a reality, the couple knew there was one dish in particular that they had to include: shaking beef. It’s a traditional dish from their hometown, which is still known as Saigon by locals, Pham said. It was a childhood favorite for both of them.

Growing up, Pham and Do said shaking beef was the type of meal they had when their families had money to splurge on a meal.

Pham said they tried to stay true to the traditional dish. The beef tenderloin is cut into 2-inch cubes and sits in a marinade that includes oyster sauce and pepper for at least three hours. When the steak is ready, it’s fried on high heat.

Madeline Kenney has more in her latest Dishin’ on the Dish installment here.

From the press box

Will Matt Nagy’s players rally around their embattled coach? It doesn’t matter anymore, writes Mark Potash, who also breaks down what to watch for during tomorrow’s game here.
The Sun-Times’ experts make their predictions about the Bears-Lions matchup.

The Fire announced Columbus Crew assistant Ezra Hendrickson will become the team’s new coach.
Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones is his own harshest critic.

Former Bears returner Devin Hester, who holds the NFL record with 20 returns for touchdowns, is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Your daily question ?

What are you thankful for this year?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: How will you be celebrating Thanksgiving this year?

Here’s what some of you said…

“With my dad and some family members.” — Debbie Tinnin Lynch

“Listening Musica De Navidad.” — Chegui Playita Nobap

“At my son’s house with grandkids.” — Mimi Espino

“At my sister’s house! Everyone is bringing over a dish.” — Loli Mauriz

“With an “End of the Matt Nagy Era” party.” — Vince LiFonti

“Cooking for my family.” — Stephanie Watson

“Watch Thanksgiving parade, grill steaks and relax.” — John Green

“Drunk and fighting with my family like we are supposed to.” — Kevin Hopkins

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

Sign up here to get the Afternoon Edition in your inbox every day.

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Matt Nagy is 31-27 in four seasons as Bears head coach, and the team is 3-7 heading into its game against the Lions on Thursday. | Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

There has been way too much embarrassment for the Bears lately. They need Nagy to rise above the tumult and lead them competently until his seemingly inevitable exit.

DETROIT — It has never seemed more inevitable that the Bears will fire coach Matt Nagy. They’ve given him time to turn the offense around, but their confidence has rightfully plummeted in the three dispiriting seasons since his terrific debut.

If anything, they’re late to act.

The only real uncertainty is whether Nagy will be dismissed in a matter of hours or months, depending on if the Bears prefer to move on after the game against the Lions on Thursday or let Nagy finish the season.

He will leave with memorable moments, ranging from the thrills of 2018 to the maddening missteps that at one point compelled him to infamously declare, “I’m not an idiot.” Regardless of when he exits, the low bar for the remainder of Nagy’s tenure is to avoid any additional nonsense.

He must prevent this situation from becoming even more of an embarrassment than it already is. It is a lost and wasted season either way, but for the sake of the Bears, the fans and his future job prospects, he can’t let this devolve into a total clown show during however many games he has left.

That’s pretty much what it was Sunday, when he heard Soldier Field chanting, “Fire Nagy,” and, “Nagy sucks,” as his team imploded in a 16-13 loss to the Ravens.

It was the clumsiest, ugliest scene of the Nagy era:

— The Ravens scratched former MVP Lamar Jackson and beat the Bears with a young, backup quarterback making his first career start.

— The defense got another flag for too many men on the field and had a backbreaking blown coverage in the final minute.

— Either Nagy or offensive coordinator Bill Lazor torpedoed the opening drive with a puzzling run play on third-and-five at the Ravens’ 16, and the Bears walked away with no points.

— Nagy bungled his timeouts in the second half, including one with two minutes left in which he obviously lost track of the score.

As bad as it was on the field, it was worse in the post-game press conference as he butchered his excuses. Bears fans are as eager for him to stop talking as they are for him to stop coaching.

Then the mess spilled into the next few days.

Nagy offered no defense of the failures that led to the Bears sitting 3-7, the farthest below .500 they’ve been since he started. He left his quarterback situation murky between Andy Dalton and Justin Fields, refusing to answer direct and simple questions about Fields’ health even while national media outlets reported details.

Then came the Patch.com report that the Bears had already informed him Monday he’d be fired after the Lions game. Nagy seemed genuine when he said that was incorrect, leading to a supposition that perhaps it was at least partially true: Bears chairman George McCaskey might’ve made that decision, but hadn’t told Nagy.

Nagy’s responses to a smattering of questions about being fired provided a snapshot of the day at Halas Hall. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was miffed by similar inquiries an hour earlier, and players followed by doing their best to be diplomatic.

That chaos is beyond Nagy’s control. It’s squarely on McCaskey, president Ted Phillips and general manager Ryan Pace to put out that fire, and they’ve shown no inclination to do so. If he finishes the season, Nagy likely will face more days like that if his bosses remain silent.

All he can do, as he often says, is stay locked into the games. And as tiresome as it has been to hear that repeatedly, everyone would appreciate him running the team competently as he finishes his term.

The Bears don’t have to be great, and no one’s expecting them to make a wild run for the playoffs. They just need Nagy to guide them to the end of this without everyone laughing at them.

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The Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic was cleared to play on Wednesday after being in the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. | Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

The All-Star center tested positive for the coronavirus just before the Bulls were set to head out for a five-game West Coast trip. He finally was cleared to play on Wednesday, and was looking forward to keeping things rolling for his team.

HOUSTON — The possibility crossed the mind of Nikola Vucevic, but he was also betting on the science.

The Bulls big man lost.

When Vucevic heard that Philadelphia standout Joel Embiid had tested positive for the coronavirus after battling in the paint with him in back-to-back games three weeks ago, he knew the protocols would move him into daily testing.

He didn’t know he would be missing seven games because of it.

“There have been other people throughout this whole pandemic that I’ve known that were positive and I was around them and I didn’t get it, so I just don’t think there’s any rules on how you can get it or how it works,” Vucevic said. “[Embiid] got it and obviously I was hoping I didn’t get it, but we knew it was a possibility because I was getting tested every day for it since he got it, and one of my tests showed up positive. That’s the assumption, that I got it from him, but we don’t know for sure.”

What Vucevic did know for sure was he missed a lot of key basketball moments with his Bulls teammates, and was glad to be back in the mix against the Rockets for the Wednesday showdown in Houston.

The plan was to start Vucevic, get him some minutes early on, and monitor how he feels.

He’s worked out the last few days since being cleared, so he has worked on his conditioning somewhat, and it helped that his symptoms were very mild, almost cold-like.

The Bulls did go 4-3 in his absence in a very difficult part of the schedule, and it was admittedly difficult for Vucevic to be sitting in isolation back in Chicago, especially in games in which the smaller Bulls lineup was dominated on the boards, like they were in the Monday loss to Indiana.

“You never want to miss time as a player, especially for us in this situation — this new team and we’ve started off well, and then we go on a West Coast trip, that’s a big trip for us,” Vucevic said. “You want to continue to build the chemistry, continue to improve as a team, and you want to be a part of it. And for me to miss it and stay home in Chicago, it really sucked, but it’s just part of it.

“Unfortunately, that’s the world we’re living in right now, so you have to accept it and move on. They did a great job and played really well in my absence, and hopefully I can get back to playing well soon and help the team win.”

Before testing positive for the virus, Vucevic was struggling with his shooting consistency, especially from beyond the three-point line, but he was a force on the boards, as well as playing some solid defense at the rim.

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Cardinal Blase Cupich speaks to volunteer Zandra Harris during a food and winter gear giveaway Wednesday outside St. Moses the Black Parish Food Pantry in the Park Manor neighborhood. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

More than 500 turkeys were handed out at St. Moses the Black Parish Wednesday on the South Side, Their food pantry is open every Wednesday.

Cardinal Blase Cupich took a break from handing out turkey dinners at a South Side church Wednesday to reflect on the act of giving.

“Giving thanks is something that really ennobles all of us because we remember that in fact there are blessings in life that are undeserved and that we should rejoice in that together and that should motivate us and prompt us to be generous to those in need,” Cupich said outside St. Moses the Black parish food pantry, 331 E. 71st St., in the Park Manor neighborhood.

More than 500 turkeys were given away, along with winter clothes, diapers and the regular food staples the pantry offers all comers every Wednesday.

“This means everything,” said Percy Johnson, 76, a retired ironworker who lives in South Shore.

“It’s less I have to buy. That $23 I would have spent on a turkey I can now put toward my gas bill,” he said.

“I’m a widow, so this will feed me and my dog, Mia, she’s a schnauzer mix,” he said.

The food pantry and turkey giveaway are made possible through a partnership between the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

More than 80 volunteers helped organize the turkey giveaway, including a group of kids from Divine Mercy Parish in Winnetka.

“It makes me feel good because they need food for Thanksgiving and stuff,” said Patrick Smylie, 9.

A DJ played upbeat music that people in line for turkeys tapped their feet to trying to keep warm. It also prompted a group of volunteers to start a line dance.

“People are coming together not only to be fed or be clothed but to connect with others,” Cupich said.

“The fact that people haven’t forgotten them. It’s important. Sometimes it’s very easy for people to live in the shadows and not have a spotlight on them. Today we’re making sure that nobody’s excluded at the table of life by giving them food for their table,” Cupich said.

The Rev. Matthew O’Donnell, pastor of St. Moses, said volunteers came from all over Cook and Lake counties.

“This is the best example of what it means to us to be a community,” he said.

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