Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) speaks after the Republican House caucus voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) of her leadership, at the U.S. Capitol on on May 12 in Washington, DC. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

His crusade will endear him to independent and crossover voters and launch him into the top tier of presidential aspirants.

If you possess a mountain of ambition, why not aim for the highest peak?

This year the political ambition of U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger has been on vivid display. The once little-known Republican congressman of Channahon kicked off 2020 by voting to impeach then-president Donald J. Trump on the charge of “incitement of insurrection.”

Kinzinger was one of only 10 House Republicans who dared to defy Trump’s dangerous and divisive antics. That vote seriously ramped up his national profile.

Vilified and targeted by Trump and other top GOP leaders, Kinzinger persists in his high-minded crusade to protect the sanctity of truth and democracy. His opposition to all things Trump has earned him a frequent slot on the national TV shows as a voice of sanity in the Republican Party.

He is raising big money through the “Country First” Political Action Committee he set up to take on Trump’s lies and cure what he calls the “cancer” of Trumpism.

Then, the six-term lawmaker ran into a buzzsaw. His ambitions were cut short and heaped on the cutting room floor when Illinois’ Democratic map-makers eliminated his district in congressional redistricting.

Surrendering to the inevitable, Kinzinger announced he would not seek reelection next year.

Instead, he is mulling a 2022 run for statewide office — Illinois governor, or the U.S. Senate, and would “definitely” consider a presidential run, he told CNN Thursday.

He later elaborated in an interview with the Sun-Times’ Washington bureau chief, Lynn Sweet.

“I’m really kind of looking at this going, you know, obviously this is a bit of a change for me, you know, to not be running again, but I still have the fire at you know, a different kind of level,” he told Sweet. “So how best does that fit? I don’t know the answer yet. But I won’t rule anything out.”

He will “probably” decide by January, he said on CNN.

Running for a statewide office is a big mountain to climb in reliably blue Illinois. Kinzinger would enter a competitive Republican gubernatorial primary, with at least four other contestants already in play.

Much of Illinois’ GOP territory, especially downstate, is Trump Land. And even if Kinzinger snagged the nomination, he would then face billionaire Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is likely to spend north of $100 million on his reelection campaign.

In a Senate run, Kinzinger would be reaching for another sky-high pinnacle — by taking on U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. She enjoys her own national profile and was on President Joe Biden’s short list for vice-president.

Kinzinger is a U.S. Air Force pilot who served in the Middle East and is currently a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. But Duckworth is no slouch in that department. The former U.S. Army helicopter pilot lost her legs in the Iraq War when her Black Hawk was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade.

So why not just go for Mt. Everest?

Kinzinger is well-positioned for a White House run.

Along with U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, he is serving on the congressional commission investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.

That will give him a hefty share of turns in the media spotlight as a leading Republican voice against Trumpism.

Kinzinger could be Trump-hating Democrats’ favorite Republican. His crusade will endear him to independent and crossover voters and launch him into the top tier of presidential aspirants.

He would be set apart from others like Trump’s old buddy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Florida Governor and Trump sycophant Ron DeSantis.

Mountains are for climbing.

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Singer Marilia Mendonca performs in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, on Sept. 25, 2021. | AP

The plane crashed between Mendonca’s hometown Goiania and Caratinga, a small city in Minas Gerais state located north of Rio de Janeiro.

SAO PAULO — Marilia Mendonca, one of Brazil’s most popular singers and a Latin Grammy winner, died Friday in an airplane crash on her way to a concert. She was 26.

Mendonca’s press office confirmed her death in a statement, and said four other passengers on the flight also perished. Their plane crashed between Mendonca’s hometown Goiania and Caratinga, a small city in Minas Gerais state located north of Rio de Janeiro.

Minas Gerais state’s civil police also confirmed Mendonca’s death, without providing details about the cause of the accident, which occurred shortly before arrival. Photographs and videos show the plane laying just beneath a waterfall; Mendonca had posted a video this afternoon showing her walking toward the plane, guitar case in hand.

The rising star performed country music, in Brazil called sertanejo. She was known for tackling feminist issues in her songs, such as denouncing men who control their partners, and calling for female empowerment.

AP
This photo released by Minas Gerais Military Firefighters Corps shows the airplane plane that crashed that was transporting Brazilian singer Marilia Mendonca, in the southeastern Brazilian of state Minas Gerais, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021.

On Friday evening, the news triggered an outpouring of sadness on social media from all corners of Brazil, including fans, politicians, musicians and soccer players. Her Instagram account has 38 million followers.

“I refuse to believe, I just refuse,” Brazil soccer star Neymar, who is a friend of Mendonca’s, said on Twitter after the news broke. Brazil’s government also offered its condolences.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also used social media to mourn the passing “of one of the greatest artists of her generation.”

“The entire country receives the news in shock,” he said.

Her album “Em Todos os Cantos” won her the 2019 Latin Grammy for best sertanejo album. She was nominated for the same award this year for “Patroas.”

Mendonca was also famous for her romantic songs, often expressing the loss of loved ones.

“You always make me cry, you’re unique and eternal,” said fan Michelle Wisla on Twitter.

Mendonca leaves behind a son, who will turn 2 years old next month.

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Yoelqui Cespedes hits a double down the left field line during an Arizona Fall League game which contributed to his Glendale Desert Dogs victory at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday. For Sun-Times/John Antonoff

“He’s going to figure it out,” Winston-Salem manager Ryan Newman said. “He has that mindset where once it clicks, it’s going to click fast.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Maybe it’s the name.

Perhaps it’s the tools.

Or maybe it’s the things Yoelqui Cespedes does on the field that capture the imagination and make it easy to picture him as a fixture in right field for the White Sox in the not-too-distant future.

Most likely not in 2022 — Cespedes needs to see a consistent diet of power arms to polish his bat, and maybe more than a full season — but many see the 24-year-old half-brother of Yoenis Cespedes planting roots in a corner of the Guaranteed Rate Field outfield grass.

Cespedes shares that vision.

“Yes. I am working hard every day to try to get to that spot,” he told the Sun-Times through a translator at Salt River Fields before playing left field for the Glendale Desert Dogs this week.

Cespedes wants to be there next season, but with all of 72 games played between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, he needs more time. And his numbers haven’t jumped off his Baseball Reference page, leaving some to already wonder if he’ll meet the expectation that came with his tool set when he signed a $2.05 million deal as MLB’s No. 2 international prospect in January.

But maybe the 5-9, 205-pound thick package of tools deserves some slack. After defecting from Cuba while playing in the Can-Am League in New York in 2019, Cespedes missed the 2020 season because of the pandemic, then got a delayed start to 2021 because of visa issues. Strike-zone judgment became an issue when he did get going at Winston-Salem. But it’s too soon to draw conclusions, Sox assistant general manager and player development director Chris Getz said.

At Winston-Salem, Cespedes slashed .278/.355/.495 with seven homers and 17 doubles in 199 plate appearances after a slow start. He hit .298/.340/.404 with one homer and three doubles in 100 plate appearances for Birmingham.

“There was production; it’s not like there were no positives,” Getz said. “He can play center field, he has instincts on the basepaths and he’s got power. Can he expand the zone? He can. Does he need to shorten some moves and simplify some things mechanically? He does.

“But he hits rockets — you see the power. Is there going to be enough power production and enough contact on a regular basis? That’s what we’re focusing on right now and that’s what we’re optimistic about.”

Cespedes says managing the strike zone is his biggest challenge, and it is continuing in the Arizona Fall League with a .234 average, no homers, three doubles and 13 strikeouts in his first 47 at-bats. But his confidence hasn’t wavered.

“There have been highs and lows,” Cespedes said before going 1-for-3 with a double and hit by pitch and stealing third base on Monday. “If anyone starts to critique my play I’m going to ignore them and stay focused on my game. I know I can do it.”

The next day, Cespedes moved up to third in the lineup, played right field and hit two sharp singles and lined out to third base. The Sox gave him a roster spot in the Fall League to catch up on the at-bats he missed while waiting through the visa issue and to let him face some of the best arms in the minor leagues.

“It’s a great experience because there are high-quality pitchers here,” said Cespedes, MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Sox prospect behind 2021 first-round shortstop Colson Montgomery. “During the season I faced high-quality pitching, but they didn’t always execute and locate as they do here, so it is a bit of a jump.”

Marco Paddy, Sox special assistant to the general manager in charge of international scouting, was guarded about placing a timetable after Cespedes signed. But Paddy suggested the jump up the ranks could be quick, describing him as “advanced” and “close” to becoming a big-leaguer.

Cespedes’ maturity and makeup are already advanced according to Winston-Salem manager Ryan Newman and Birmingham manager Justin Jirschele. And his ability has been eye-opening.

“Talk about a kid with all the tools,” Newman said. “He’s going to be exciting and fun to watch.

“He’s very intelligent and has got a lot of direction from his brother — they’re very close. He’s very mature, and once he figures it out and makes the adjustment to how the game is played here in the States, we’re going to see him take off. Because this a guy who can run, he has the arm, he can play center field. Makes outstanding plays. And he has the pop — the numbers haven’t shown it on paper yet — but you watch this guy hit the ball, it sounds different.”

Sometimes it looks different, too. Newman recalled the time Cespedes, batting with a runner on third and the infield in during a minor-league spring-training intrasquad game, hit a ball so hard the opposing shortstop “actually jumped out of the way to save his life.”

“I had never seen that before,” Newman said. “That was a point in spring training where we all looked at each other and said, ‘Oh, OK, this is different.’ ”

Newman also liked the way Cespedes carried himself and how, while soft-spoken, wasn’t afraid to speak up when a teammate didn’t hustle.

“I love helping other players, especially since I didn’t have a mentor coming up when I was a player,” Cespedes said. “So I like to be a leader and help them play the game the right way.”

“When he first got to us at Winston-Salem,” Newman said, “you could tell he was a pro. Especially for the Latin guys, he was a real good mentor for them.”

The expectation from the Sox camp is that Cespedes can play, too. His swing-and-miss rate was high, especially when his season started, but it improved during the season. Sox manager Tony La Russa, who watched Cespedes play in Fall League games alongside vice president Ken Williams this week, bristled at suggestions Cespedes has looked overmatched at times.

“That’s BS,” said La Russa, who laid eyes on Cespedes at spring training. “He’s a real good-looking hitter.

“Whoever told you that, put an X next to his name, I’m not listening to his opinion any more.”

All he needs, Newman said, is to see more mid-to-upper 90s mph velocity and more sharp breaking pitches.

“He’s going to figure it out,” Newman said. “He has that mindset where once it clicks, it’s going to click fast.”

Jirschele calls him “soft-spoken but plays with his hair on fire. And the tools speak for themselves.”

“His approach offensively is only going to mature,” said Jirschele, a former hitting coach. “He’d be first to tell you he’s seen some stuff this year he’s never seen before.

“The sky is the limit for this kid. The tools are off the charts and he’s an electric player both offensively and defensively. And he runs the bases extremely well. You see the complete package with him.”

The latest in a rich Cuban connection to the South Side, a link that began with Minnie Minoso, continued with Jose Contreras and Alexei Ramirez and still thrives with Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert, Cespedes keeps in close touch with Robert and Dominican-born Eloy Jimenez.

“All we talk about is baseball,” Cespedes said.

And having Yoenis to talk to has been a boon. Living up to his name is not a burden to bear by any means.

“I feel zero pressure to be like my brother,” he said. “I want to create my own path, put up my own numbers, my own story and create my own career so I don’t have to live up to my brother’s.”

Have at it, Yoelqui. We’ll all be watching.

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Though he’s turning 37, the Fire should find a spot for Jonathan Bornstein next year. | AP Photos

Whoever coaches the Fire next year should find a way to keep Klopas on the staff and preserve a roster spot for Bornstein.

Interim coach Frank Klopas isn’t a candidate for the full-time gig. Because of his age, veteran defender Jonathan Bornstein probably shouldn’t be a first-choice player next year.

Regardless, whoever coaches the 2022 Fire should find a role for both.

A club legend who has served the Fire in several posts, Klopas was put in a difficult spot when he was tabbed to replace the dismissed Raphael Wicky. With the season all but over and fans getting even more impatient with the on-field product, Klopas’ authentic passion for the franchise has shown through since taking over Sept. 30.

The season finale Sunday at the Columbus Crew will be Klopas’ last game in charge, even though he’s expected to remain as an assistant next year. After the 1-0 loss to New York City FC on Oct. 27, Klopas said he hopes he has a long future with the Fire in some capacity and feels like he has a lot to offer the franchise.

“I came in to help the club, and, you know, we don’t know what the next steps are for anyone,” Klopas said. “You know, I would do anything for the club, and I’ve said that. I stepped in as an assistant coach — well, I was asked, and then I did it because I felt that, OK, if the club needs me to do this in this role, I will do it.”

Bornstein’s roots with the Fire aren’t as deep, but he has shown a similar attitude since coming to Chicago. Acquired by Nelson Rodriguez and Veljko Paunovic in July 2019, Bornstein has been a reliable presence on the Fire’s back line.

Bornstein, who turns 37 Sunday and has made 38 appearances with the U.S. national team, also has served as captain in place of Francisco Calvo and provided a good example for his teammates with his fitness and dedication.

Without a contract for next year, Bornstein wants to come back to the Fire and plans to play in 2022, even if it’s not in Chicago.

“Physically, I can still go,” Bornstein said. “And so I would love for my career to keep going. I want to play as long as I can. In the past I’ve said I want to play until I’m 40. That’s still my goal. Be the new Tom Brady of soccer. That’s my goal.”

Next year, the Fire will have plenty of goals beyond just winning more games.

The 2022 season will be the Fire’s 25th. It also will be the third under owner Joe Mansueto as the franchise keeps trying to rebuild from its decline under Andrew Hauptman. Klopas and Bornstein have built relationships with the fan base, something that figures to be even more important in a milestone year.

It’s another reason for them to be kept around.

“I love the city; I love this team,” Bornstein said. “I think this team has so much potential, and I love the fans and would love to continue with this club for time to come.”

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The various cliques leave woman out, perhaps because she’s single.

DEAR ABBY: I have been living in a 55-plus community in Florida for several years. I’m a single woman, and I moved here for the weather and to meet new friends. In this community, there are “cliques.” One does everything together and never includes anyone else. The other is a combination of full-time residents and seasonal residents.

I’m “friendly” with almost everyone in each group. I work with them on committees, in clubs, etc. However, when it comes to socializing in the evenings or at the beach or parties, I’m seldom included by either group. One person told me it was because I’m single; another told me they didn’t want me to feel out of place because it was couples. Is this friendship, or should I look for friends elsewhere? — READY, WILLING AND ABLE

DEAR READY: No, this is not “friendship.” You wrote that one of these cliques isn’t open to new members. The women in the second group may not welcome you because they feel threatened by your single status, which is why you are welcomed to “work” with them but not socialize. It’s sad really, and more of a reflection on them than on you. By all means look for friends elsewhere, possibly in groups in which there are other singles. If you do, I’m sure you will have better luck.

DEAR ABBY: My son, daughter-in-law and 1-year-old granddaughter moved across the country two years ago and have not once come to see us. They promised they would come as often as they could or, I should say, as often as she went to see her parents, which is every four months or so.

They now have a brand-new baby we haven’t seen due to COVID-19. We bought them a special iPad to FaceTime with, but it hasn’t been used, nor do they ever call us. They actually didn’t speak to us for nine months over a perceived slight.

Now they want us to come visit them. We desperately want to see our grandchildren. They know us only as the “package people” because we send gifts. Please help us figure out what to do. Our son hasn’t spoken to his dad in seven months because of this perceived wrong. We feel it will be really uncomfortable for all of us. — TO GO OR NOT TO GO

DEAR TO GO: The longer this estrangement lasts, the more embedded it will become. You need to go, see your grandchildren and mend fences, if possible. Regardless of how the visit turns out, at the least you will have seen your grandchildren. If you make the effort, it may start your family on the path of healing.

DEAR ABBY: When dining out in restaurants I often see people stack their dirty dishes at the table before or as the server removes them. This has never seemed right to me. Do I need to change my view of table manners? — BINNIE IN IOWA

DEAR BINNIE: Try to be a bit less judgmental. Although what you describe is considered a breach of etiquette, there are people who are averse to having dirty dishes in front of them once they have finished eating. In a formal dining establishment, the server should be asked to remove the empty plates.

DEAR READERS: Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour at bedtime tonight. And while you’re at it, put fresh batteries in your fire alarms and smoke detectors. — LOVE, ABBY

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “What Every Teen Should Know.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

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Travis Scott was performing at Day 1 of the Astroworld Music Festival at NRG Park on Friday night when the crowd started to surge toward the stage ultimately resulting in a mass casualty incident. | Amy Harris/Invision/AP

Officials declared a “mass casualty incident” just after 9 p.m. Friday during the festival where an estimated 50,000 people were in attendance.

HOUSTON — At least eight people died and numerous others were injured in what officials described as a surge of the crowd at the Astroworld music festival in Houston while rapper Travis Scott was performing.

Officials declared a “mass casualty incident” just after 9 p.m. Friday during the festival where an estimated 50,000 people were in attendance, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena told reporters at a news conference.

“The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries,” the fire chief said. “People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic.”

The show was called off shortly thereafter. The fire chief said “scores of individuals” were injured.

Officials transported 17 people to hospitals, including 11 who were in cardiac arrest, Pena said. It wasn’t clear whether all eight who died were among the 17 that had been transported to hospitals. Many people were also treated at the scene at NRG Park, where a field hospital had been set up. About 300 people were examined at that site throughout the day, he said.

Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Travis Scott performs at the Astroworld Music Festival. An estimated 50,000 persons were in attendance according to officials.

Astroworld is a two-day music festival that was scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday in Houston. The event was sold out, according to the Astroworld website. Saturday’s performances have been canceled.

The deaths called to mind a 1979 concert for The Who where 11 people died and about two dozen were injured as thousands of fans tried to get into Cincinnati’s riverfront coliseum.

Scott, one of music’s biggest young stars, released two new songs earlier Friday, “Mafia” and “Escape Plan.” The 29-year-old Houston native has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards. He has a 3-year-old daughter, Stormi, with Kylie Jenner, who announced in September that she’s pregnant with their second child.

Drake joined Scott on-stage at the concert — which was livestreamed by Apple Music — and posted photos to Instagram after the performance.

Event promoters had arranged for medical units to be on scene at the festival, however once the crowd surge began, those units were “quickly overwhelmed,” Pena said.

In a video posted to social media, Scott could be seen stopping the concert at one point and asking for aid for someone in the audience: “Security, somebody help real quick.”

Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite was near the front of the crowd and said it seemed the surge “happened all at once.”

“Suddenly we had several people down on the ground, experiencing some type of cardiac arrest or some type of medical episode,” Satterwhite said. “And so we immediately started doing CPR, and moving people right then, and that’s when I went and met with the promoters, and Live Nation, and they agreed to end early in the interest of public safety.”

Pena said officials did not immediately know the causes of death for the eight people who died. A medical examiner would investigate. The deceased had not been identified as of early Saturday.

Officials set up a reunification center at a hotel for family members who had not been able to reach relatives who had been in attendance at the event. Authorities were looking to connect families with festivalgoers who were transported to the hospital, “some as young as 10” years old, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner called for calm and urged people not to jump to conclusions as to what caused the surge.

“I think it’s very important that none of us speculate. Nobody has all the answers tonight,” Finner said. He added that there have been several rumors surrounding the event that authorities would look into.

“We’re going to do an investigation and find out because it’s not fair to the producers, to anybody else involved, until we determine what happened, what caused the surge,” he said. “We don’t know, but we will find out.”

The Associated Press reached out to a representative for Scott but did not immediately hear back.

Finner told reporters that Scott and the event promoters cooperated with police.

Scott founded Astroworld Festival in 2018 and it has taken place at the former site of Six Flags AstroWorld each year since, except for in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Other music events where there have been multiple fatalities in recent years include the Las Vegas massacre in 2017 when 58 people were killed at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, the so-called Ghost Ship fire in 2016 that killed 36 people in California and the 2003 Station nightclub fire that killed 100 people in Rhode Island.

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Bill Krackomberger at South Point Casino | Rob Miech/Sun-Times

Bet on it: Vegas fixture not shy about talking about the dangerous side of betting

LAS VEGAS — Bill Krackomberger got in too deep with a bookie in New Jersey. He chased sports-wagering losses. Kept losing. He owed $10,000 to the guy, who threatened to break his legs.

Krackomberger was 15 years old.

“I was scared,” he says. “He was no one to mess with.”

His father’s boss loaned the money to Bill, who’d return it in installments. Today, the 53-year-old professional bettor known as Krackman is a familiar brand.

He starred in Showtime’s 2019 four-part “Action” documentary and is a regular guest on the Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN).

A trademark derby, dark shades and KW mark the gold hexagonal logo on his KrackWins website, where his picks can be purchased. WSN.com houses his Wise Kracks podcast.

The Bronx-born Krack is sought for insight on an industry that set a record with $1 billion in monthly business in New Jersey in September and whose national monthly handle is expected to clear $5 billion, thanks to Illinois, for the first time.

He unabashedly says what many don’t want to hear.

Betting on sports can be dangerous.

“You won’t get a lot of people in this space to talk about this, either, because they might be a spokesman for a site,” says Krack. “I am, too. I don’t care. It means more to me to have safe, responsible gambling.

“I wish it were pushed even more. I push it and people freak out. ‘Oh, my God. He’s talking anti-gambling, anti-sports betting!’ I’m just talking realism. I know what I went through as a kid. I still fight demons.”

ADVANTAGE, KRACK

For 50 cents an hour, 9-year-old Krack first cut pies into slices at Pizza Villa, still run by an aunt and uncle on the Jersey Shore in Keansburg, N.J.

He’d oversee the basketball rims, milk-jug stands and dartboards on the boardwalk arcade. At night, patrons turned those games of chance into gambling mechanisms.

His father, lured to Monmouth Park and Meadowlands Racetrack by his wife’s relatives, took Bill to watch the horses when he was 10. At 11, cousin Anthony taught him blackjack, how to count cards and deal from the bottom of a deck.

“A rite of passage in the Bronx, from grade school on . . . all the knock-around guys gambled in after-hours social clubs. My dad, by the way, was a stone-cold sucker. Like everyone else, he didn’t know any better.

“I didn’t realize [horse tracks] held 25 percent. I know now. Guys just wanted action, nothing else. I grew up a sucker.”

At 15, the family moved to Keansburg. His parents couldn’t send him to college. Krack knocks twice on our table in a South Point lounge. Thank God, he says, because he’d learn invaluable street lessons.

He’d peddle cemetery plots and radio ads, wash cars in the winter.

“I’d get my hands dirty. Probably had 40 jobs.”

Frank, a professional bettor in Atlantic City, taught him advantage gambling, on slots and with sports. Says Krack, “It just took off. Man, it worked out big time.”

It’s 9 a.m. He exits VSiN’s glass-walled studio, in the South Point, where he did his weekly stint with “A Numbers Game” host Gill Alexander.

“My hour with Bill is unlike anything else you’ll hear in sports-betting media,” says Alexander, “precisely because we are unscripted, no topic off-limits.”

In eight hours, Green Bay plays a Thursday night game in Arizona.

Money has swamped the 7-0 Cardinals, inflating the line because many Packers receivers are shelved. The bookmaker also knows that, says Krack. Bet on Arizona, he says, and you’re going to pay a tax.

He mostly avoids the NFL, but he knows this game’s advantage play.

“You want to be on the bookmaker side. Think what [the public] is betting. Long term, you want to be on the other side of that.”

Green Bay wins 24-21.

BLOOD ON THE LINE

Sharp syndicate contacts, whom he met during Vegas visits, further polished Krack’s acumen. He and wife Kelly, who moved here in 2004, reside high above the fray in Turnberry Towers.

He flies to Colorado to nab a $7,500 sign-up bonus at a new sportsbook. He leaves with five figures. Most weekends, he has six figures in play.

He casually mentions having wagered, the previous night, $5,500 on Vanderbilt. Two days later, 16 1/2 -point-underdog Vandy covers in a 37-28 defeat to Missouri.

Demons appeared a while ago. Krack pumped $5,000 into a slot machine. Instead of cutting his losses at $3,000, having hit a promotional minimum to secure certain bonuses, he pressed his luck.

His internal governor, not the money, was the issue.

“With all of my skill sets, I have [occasional] problems. What shot does Joe Public have? None.”

Respecting money, and setting and adhering to limits are vital player attributes. Tapping the grocery or rent budgets to bet? Danger. The industry bears equal responsibility.

He taps his phone. A buxom blonde, wearing a skimpy top and short shorts, flips a coin to determine a game winner. It has had 100,000-plus views.

“I went after her,” he says. “[Bleep] it. Flipping . . . a . . . coin!? Irresponsible. I understand sex sells, but it isn’t cute — there’s blood on the line!”

Krack embraces being an industry watchdog.

“I love that role. I understand how it can happen. Everyone starts out a loser and most stay a loser, as far as betting goes. I’m trying to help people, too.”

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Notre Dame defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey (7) plays against Purdue during the second half of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. Notre Dame defeated Purdue 27-13. | Michael Conroy/AP

Irish sackmaster is turning heads — and turning in early

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The lights go out early at the off-campus apartment Isaiah Foskey shares with fellow Notre Dame defenders JD Bertrand and Alexander Ehrensberger.

The trio typically returns from practice around 8 p.m., then spends the next couple of hours powering through homework. That’s when their natural competitive instincts kick in.

Those sleep-tracking Oura Ring that were issued to all Notre Dame players this year? It didn’t take long for the 7-1 Irish to turn that into another way to let their inner alpha dogs eat.

“It makes you want to go to bed earlier,” said Foskey, the redshirt sophomore defensive end with a team-leading nine sacks. “We always compare: ‘How much sleep did you get? I got more sleep than you.’ ”

Bertrand, the linebacker with a team-high 71 tackles, is usually the first to retire. He’s out by 10 p.m.

Determined to get his regular eight hours of rest, Foskey is typically in bed by 10:30. That’s how he maintains his Oura.

“It tells us everything: REM sleep, deep sleep, light sleep, how fast it takes you to go to sleep, your heart rate, lowest heart rate,” Foskey said. “I check it every morning on my phone. It’s like a competition.”

Senior linebacker Bo Bauer set the unofficial team hibernation record with 12 hours of actual sleep.

“He was in bed for 14 hours,” Foskey said. “We were like, ‘How did you do that?’ I don’t think I could sleep for that long.”

Maybe not, but a well-rested Foskey has translated into a highly productive, extremely versatile weapon for Marcus Freeman’s shape-shifting defense. With Foskey in the Vyper role, a hybrid position that sees the Bay Area product rushing off either edge and sometimes dropping into pass coverage, Justin Tuck’s 19-year-old school sack record is suddenly in jeopardy.

Foskey needs 4 1/2 more sacks to tie Tuck, the former Giants star and Super Bowl champion.

“We use this word ‘freak,’ but he takes care of himself,” Irish coach Brian Kelly said of Foskey. “He eats right. He gets eight hours of sleep. He’s great to work with. He’s just got a great attitude every day.”

Foskey, who spreads 260 pounds over his sculpted 6-5 frame, has revamped his diet with the help of the team nutritionist. He devours Nature Valley granola bars on the run and has even taken to the grilled zucchini Bertrand prepares for his housemates.

An offseason workout with NFL All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald during a family trip to Los Angeles helped Foskey take his technical skills to another level. Foskey, who received his first college scholarship offer (from Kansas) as an eighth-grader, will consider entering the NFL Draft after this season.

“He is so prepared, so when he comes to practice you can throw some stuff on him and he handles it very well,” Kelly said. “Some guys wouldn’t, but he does. There’s more than just this outward appearance of an athlete. He is really locked in and a smart guy that you can put some extra things on.”

A second-half shoulder injury briefly knocked Foskey out of last week’s victory against North Carolina, but he was able to return and is expected to be close to full strength this week against Navy.

Terry Foskey, his father, served in the Navy, so the son is not about to miss out on this opportunity after the traditional series took a one-year COVID hiatus in 2020. Nor is Foskey going to cheat his body out of the rest it craves.

“Now that I have the Oura Ring, I know if you’re in bed for 10 hours, you probably get eight hours of actual sleep,” Foskey said. “Last year I always went to bed thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll get eight hours of sleep.’ But thinking about it now, I got five or six hours.”

The soft-spoken Foskey offered another of his infectious laughs before noting an added benefit of his improved sleep pattern.

“It also helps with recovery,” he said. “I feel like I recover a lot faster than I did last year. That’s why I really want to sleep all the time. I don’t really take naps now, but when I go to sleep I just go to sleep.”

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