What’s New

The Bears named Justin Fields their starting quarterback on Wednesday. | Nam Y. Huh, AP Photos

“I’m trying to win this weekend,” Fields said Wednesday. “Of course there’s some reason to celebrate, but I’m not just going to be complacent with where I’m at.”

After Bears coach Matt Nagy met with Justin Fields to tell him he’d be the permanent starter Tuesday afternoon, the rookie quarterback drove home from Halas Hall to fill in his parents, who are staying with him.

They wanted to go to dinner to celebrate. Fields didn’t.

Fields’ parents eventually decided to go out, anyway. The quarterback stayed home alone with his French bulldog, Uno, and watched Raiders film.

“I’m trying to win this weekend,” Fields said Wednesday. “Of course there’s some reason to celebrate, but I’m not just going to be complacent with where I’m at.”

As responses go, Fields’ reaction feels strangely appropriate.

When the rest of Chicago found out Wednesday that Fields will start the rest of the season, they reacted the same way Fields’ parents did — by celebrating. Rather than get enveloped by the hype, though, Fields chose to focus on the work.

Yes, Fields said Wednesday, it was his goal to become the full-time starter this season. He was surprised — “But not crazy surprised,” he said — when Nagy told him that he would be the starter against the Raiders and beyond. Veteran Andy Dalton, who suffered a bone bruise in his left knee Week 2, will be the backup Sunday.

“Definitely a little bit of surprise,” Fields said. “I feel like he was pretty straightforward with me and Andy. And I think my teammates believe in me. So [I’m] just grateful for the opportunity and just trying to get ready to work.”

In announcing that, in his words, “it’s Justin’s time,” Nagy admitted that it won’t always be easy. But the Bears have confidence in Fields’ development Monday through Saturday, and his ability to show that growth on Sundays.

Nagy pointed to Fields’ growth between his first start — the Bears gained 47 yards in a 42 plays in a debacle against the Browns — and his second, in which Fields went 11-for-17 for 209 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in a win Sunday against the Lions.

Fields being forced to play without injured running back David Montgomery will ratchet up the degree of difficulty. But Nagy is intrigued enough to find out what his rookie can do, both against the Raiders and the rest of the league.

“I think the biggest thing for us is to understand that it’s not going to be perfect,” Nagy said. “Justin knows that, right? We all understand. There’s going to be some times where things happen, but we’ve got to continue to stay positive.”

Fields’ fellow quarterbacks should help. Nagy repeated how difficult it was for him to break the news to Dalton. The veteran was disappointed by the decision — and Nagy didn’t blame him — but didn’t pass that along to the rookie. When Fields was driving home to meet his parents, Dalton called him.

“He just told me it was a great opportunity for me and that’d he be here for it all, for everything I needed, and he just didn’t want it to be awkward,” Fields said. “He didn’t want our relationship to change because of the situation. So I told him that was very comforting to hear from him …

“Our relationship has just grown over the past few months. And it’s going to continue to grow each and every day. [Third-stringer] Nick [Foles] and Andy, they’ve both been great to me. They’ve taught me a lot. And, of course, I’m going to be leaning on those guys for the rest of the season to just learn as much as I can from them.”

Now, though, he’ll be able to put those pointers into action.

Starting Sunday.

“You just have to understand that there’s going to be mistakes made,” Fields said. “You just have to learn from those mistakes and try not to make those mistakes twice.”

Read More

The White Sox’ Jose Abreu is questionable for Thursday’s Game 1 of the ALDS. | AP

Jose Abreu dealing with non-Covid related flu-like symptoms.

HOUSTON — White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu did not travel with the team to Houston on Tuesday for the ALDS, but is expected to arrive in Houston Wednesday night after battling flu-like symptoms in recent days.

In a statement, the Sox said Abreu “is feeling better, and his symptoms are improving. Multiple tests have confirmed that his illness is not Covid-related. A decision on his availability for Game 1 of the ALDS will be made tomorrow.”

“To know that he’s on his way is a big boost for the team,” Game 1 starter Lance Lynn said Wednesday.

Abreu led the team in games played and has a reputation for playing hurt.

“He’s not going to want to sit out,” shortstop Tim Anderson said.

Abreu sat out the season finale against the Tigers Sunday because he wasn’t feeling well. The Sox will work out in Houston Wednesday afternoon in preparation for Game 1 of the ALDS Thursday at Minute Maid Park. Game time is 3:07 p.m.

“Sunday when he didn’t play, he didn’t feel well,” manager Tony La Russa said. “He got to the workout yesterday and he had a tough night with fever. And now we’re all brimming with happiness and excitement because he fever broke and he passed the test.”

Abreu his 30th home run on Friday, joining Frank Thomas (eight) and Paul Konerko (five) as the only players in Sox history with five career seasons with 30 homers and 100 RBI.

Abreu drove in 117 runs in 2021.

“We’ll see what his strength level is [Thursday],” La Russa said.

“We’ve had several discussions in the clubhouse about stubborn he’s going to be. Hand on the baseball Bible. I feel for certain if he’s not in there tomorrow he’ll be in there Friday.”

Read More

It was only one preseason game, but what a game it was, as the new-look Bulls had a very Lakers “Showtime” feel, and Ball was a big reason why.

Lonzo Ball’s passing repertoire runs deep.

The alley-oop, the no-look, the skip pass to an open teammate deep in the corner, pocket pass, the jump-pass … the point guard has it all. And really has since back in days as a standout at Chino Hills High School in California.

So when Ball talks about putting “a show on for [the fans] every time,” like he mentioned after Tuesday night’s blowout win over Cleveland in the preseason opener for the Bulls, it’s OK to start thinking, “Would ‘Showtime’ really play in the Midwest?”

If what Ball and his teammates did to the Cavaliers is any indication? That’s a big hell yes.

Bulls basketball has not only been a bad product since the 2017 rebuild attempt, but it’s been an energy drain, far too often painful to watch.

A sin for any team with a two-time Slam Dunk Champion like Zach LaVine on it.

And while LaVine was capable of getting 40 points on any given night, it was 40 points he mostly had to earn on his own. Impressive, but not always effortless.

It was just one preseason game, but LaVine looked effortless on his way to 25 points in 24 minutes, and Ball was a big reason why.

“I think it’s huge,” Donovan said of Ball’s presence in the backcourt alongside LaVine. “I also think it’s something Zach is getting comfortable with because I think Zach has been so used to having the ball in his hands and generating sometimes a lot of shots for himself. But now he’s in a position where shots are being generated for him.”

Better believe it’s contagious.

Ball had five assists and Alex Caruso had 10.

The common denominator? They both have a Lakers background where the fabled “Showtime” style of basketball was born and raised.

They both also seem determined to prove that “Showtime” travels. Palm trees and movie stars replaced by snow drifts and parkas.

“When you’ve got a point guard of that magnitude with that IQ that’s as unselfish as [Ball] is, he makes the game easier and it makes it fun … and it becomes contagious,” veteran DeMar DeRozan said. “You saw the way we moved the ball. It’s been like that all through training camp, and we expect it to keep getting better.

“What’s even better about it is [Ball] has the greatest, most humbling demeanor toward him too.”

That explains why he was so laid back after the lesson in basketball he and the Bulls taught the Cavs.

“Just from the first two weeks that we’ve been together, I’ve kind of seen this coming,” Ball said of what was displayed. “I just know that we have a lot of talent. There’s only one basketball out there and we understand that and it’s all about getting the best shot. I think everybody gets that one through 15.”

So what does that mean big picture for this current Bulls roster?

Well, for Coby White it means when he is healthy enough to return he can put his starting dreams in a backpack and tuck them away nicely, because the front office has now seen the difference between being born to play point guard and being taught to play point guard.

For LaVine it means a chance to continue scoring at a high clip, but doing so with less effort with a guy like Ball to facilitate and put LaVine into better scoring positions. Less energy used on offense, more saved for defense. A win-win.

“We’re playing free basketball right now, getting up and down the floor,” LaVine said. “But for me to play off the ball, get cuts, get easy shots, get easy spot-ups, it’s something I haven’t had for awhile.

“I’m excited for that.”

LaVine’s not alone.

Read More

Nagy backed off his original plan to keep Fields on the bench all season. He’ll start Sunday at the Raiders. | AP Photos

Fields has been building the counterargument to Nagy’s plan of sitting him until 2022, and the case was so overwhelming that Nagy is making him the permanent starter in Week 5.

It took longer than anyone thought it should’ve.

It came only after mountains of public pressure.

It was the most obvious decision.

But finally, Bears coach Matt Nagy saw what everyone else has been seeing for months and made the move to Justin Fields as his permanent starting quarterback. From the day Fields reported to Halas Hall as the No. 11 overall pick, he has been building his counterargument to Nagy’s plan of keeping him on the bench until 2022.

In five months, Fields has gone from being assigned the onerous homework of reciting play calls into an iPhone and sending the audio in to be graded to knocking Andy Dalton out of his job. He’ll start against the Raiders on Sunday — and ideally for the next 15 years.

The case against the original plan began piling up almost immediately upon Fields’ arrival, though Nagy downplayed it at every turn by acknowledging his progress but adamantly rejecting the idea of a true quarterback competition.

Turns out there was a competition after all: Fields versus a plan that was prematurely cemented before the Bears had a chance to see how good he could be. He chiseled away it for months, then took a jackhammer to it when Dalton’s knee injury opened up the starting job.

The numbers haven’t been overwhelming, but his skills have been. Fields runs like no quarterback the Bears have ever had. He sends passes whistling 60 yards with precision. He’s clinical and confident as he processes the most complicated position in sports.

There’s no way Nagy could’ve credibly clung to Dalton as his starter once he saw that.

“When he got here… we weren’t sure how it was gonna be,” Nagy said. “But this whole, entire time, we’ve seen incremental growth.

“This isn’t something that just happened right away. He’s grown to this point. He’s earned it. He’s worked hard. And now he has this opportunity.”

Nagy is correct that Fields didn’t emerge as NFL-ready overnight, but he could’ve gotten there quicker had he been fast-tracked for the starting job from the onset. Nagy has reiterated Fields has been ahead of scheduled, but said Wednesday, “It doesn’t surprise me,” that he developed this far, this fast.

Fields expected it. Nagy’s new plan is the same as Fields’ original one. When asked Wednesday if he anticipated becoming the starter at some point this season rather than waiting for 2022, Fields didn’t eschewed the typical pre-packaged, one-day-at-a-time response.

“Yeah,” he said as surely as if he was stating a scientific fact. “That was my goal before the season started, so yeah.”

Read More

The Windy City just got one step closer to becoming the WINdy City. After weeks of controversy surrounding the Chicago Bears starting quarterback situation, head coach Matt Nagy has finally given up on his obsession with starting Andy Dalton under center. Dalton missed the last two weeks with a knee injury. Rookie QB Justin Fields […] Chicago Bears News: Justin Fields is finally QB1 moving forward – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

Bears coach Matt Nagy (left) talks with quarterback Justin Fields during a game against the Lions on Sunday. | Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The rookie will start against the Raiders on Sunday — and beyond.

I don’t pretend to understand how the Bears think, in the way I don’t pretend to understand how a cantaloupe thinks.

So I can’t tell you how coach Matt Nagy went from telling us a few days ago that Andy Dalton is the team’s starting quarterback to telling us Wednesday that, no, strike that, Justin Fields is the starting quarterback, now and forever, amen.

It’s beside the point. Nagy made his announcement, saying it was his decision alone to make the switch to the rookie. Perhaps it came to him in a dream. We’ll leave it to the historians to eventually sift through the strangeness of the past few months, along with all the rubble from the other bizarre situations the Bears have gotten themselves into over the years.

What matters is that we’ve got Fields from now on, for better or worse, in sickness and in health. Now we’ll get to see how he progresses, how good he can be. We’ll get to see if offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s assumption of the play-calling duties positively affects Fields’ development. We’ll get to see if a substandard offensive line is going to get Fields killed.

It’s your job now, kid. Congratulations and good luck against the Raiders on Sunday. Also, you’ll be without injured running back David Montgomery for at least a month, so get your arm and legs warmed up. You’re pretty much the offense now.

What can Bears fans expect from Fields on Sunday and beyond? Lots of the quarterback on the move, whether by design or out of his own concern for life and limb. And, likely, lots of ups and downs. It should be fun and painful and, one way or another, enlightening.

Fields as QB1 is what loads of Bears fans have pined for, ridiculously so, beyond a point that most rational adults are willing to go. Most of us save our ardor for a true love, usually a spouse or significant other, not a professional football player.

I’m going to miss the daily grinding of teeth from the people who believe that Nagy is evil incarnate and that Fields is the answer to any question in life. These are people who, if you asked them to put their feeling about the head coach in one sentence, would say, “Twenty years, with no possibility of parole.”

Listening to Fields fans rant about the injustice of Dalton’s very existence has been quite an experience. I’ve never been in a rage room, never seen someone take a sledgehammer to a TV, but I imagine this is what it would look and sound like.

Those folks did get some good news Sunday, when Nagy revealed he had handed the play-calling duties to Lazor. But Nagy lost points when he pushed hard in a postgame press conference the collegial effort of putting together the game plan. His taking credit for the Bears’ offensive success against the Lions sounded like former Bulls coach Jim Boylen going on one of his credit-taking missions. Do I have to tell anyone that’s not a good thing?

Here was the standard Bears fan tweet Sunday, when Fields was playing well against the winless Lions: “The kid is dropping dimes!!! And, somehow, Nagy still wants Dalton!!!”

It’s possible, and I say this with a helmet on my head in anticipation of incoming missiles, that the Bears still have a better chance to win right now with a healthy Dalton in a game than with Fields. Dalton has seen a lot in 144 career starts. Fields has seen little in two starts.

But I get it. With one eye on the future, you’re more interested in Fields’ continued progress. For the longest time (four whole weeks!), Nagy was staring at the now. He wanted to win games because his job is to win games. He knows if he doesn’t, the Bears will fire him. His thought process might have been as simple as that.

So why the change in his thinking? It’s possible he had a revelation after watching tape of Fields’ performance against Detroit. He saw a strong, accurate arm. We all did. Maybe someone above him “suggested” the move, though Nagy denied that at a press gathering Wednesday. Maybe Nagy simply got sick of listening to the public clamoring for Fields.

One thing that social media has magnified is the idea that some people, lots of people even, don’t like to entertain the possibility that they are wrong. So they won’t let go of their opinion no matter what’s playing out in front of their eyes. Custer will bounce back! I’m sure of it!

I think Fields’ supporters eventually will be right that he’s a very good quarterback. But it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right at the moment.

No need to fret. If it turns out they’re momentarily wrong about Fields, Nagy will still be around to blame.

Read More

“I think I’ve said repeatedly that we do have financial flexibility,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer said. “We have money to spend this winter, but I think it’s really important that we do that in an intelligent way.” | Jon Durr/Getty Images

“We have money to spend this winter, but I think it’s really important that we do that in an intelligent way,” president Jed Hoyer said on Wednesday.

The Cubs had plenty of time to evaluate their situation this season following a year that saw them trade three of the franchise’s biggest stars. Now that those evaluations are done and it’s now time for president Jed Hoyer to get to work on getting his club turned in the right direction.

The Cubs will be looking to do something they haven’t done since 2018: spend money. And with a $41 million payroll going into the 2022 season, they have the resources to improve what became, at the end, a roster void of major league talent.

“As we build this, I think it’s really important to make one good decision after another,” Hoyer said on Wednesday. “And I do think that’s how I think about the offseason. We’re trying to try and build a roster that can compete. We’re also trying to do it without … we’re not looking to win the offseason, which I think can be a real negative. Both in terms of the season next year, but also in terms of the future.

“I think I’ve said repeatedly that we do have financial flexibility. We have money to spend this winter, but I think it’s really important that we do that in an intelligent way.”

The Cubs have a lengthy checklist as the team continues to flip it’s roster and return to being competitive, relative to other contending teams in the National League. Making it no surprise that starting pitching is No. 1 on Hoyer’s list.

Simply put, the team’s starting rotation was just not good enough. The Cubs’ rotation had a 5.27 ERA last season, which ranked 27th in MLB and getting a start over five innings was a rarity, putting added pressure on the bullpen.

“If you sort of look at the whole season, there’s no question that we have to acquire more pitching, better pitching this winter,” Hoyer said. “I think that’ll be the No. 1 priority, because that said simply was that was the downfall of this season. Our rotation was short and we weren’t effective enough in terms of run prevention.”

Catcher Willson Contreras had a front row seat to the Cubs’ pitching deficiencies and sees arms as an area he’d also like to see improvement next season.

“I’ll be honest, I think we need some pitching stuff,” he said. “We have power guys, we need some more command guys.”

Hoyer expects the Cubs to be active as he looks to put his stamp on the roster going into 2022. But when that activity will actually begin is still to be determined. Much like the last two offseasons, this winter isn’t expected to move quickly in the early going, especially with the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) set to expire on Dec. 1.

It’s hard to imagine much getting done without a new CBA and teams and pending free agents are likely going to wait to see how things unfold and new rules that are in place before making any decisions.

Based on current tension between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association on a variety of issues, it could be after the New Year before things start to pick up.

“I think pro scouting and all the other guys in the office [research and development] analytics, we’re obviously looking carefully at both the free agent market and the trade market,” Hoyer said. “I think it’s our job to get ahead of that to make sure we’re as prepared as possible from an evaluation standpoint, as prepared as possible from a strategic standpoint. We will spend this whole month preparing and then we’ll be ready to go when the offseason starts.”

Read More

Families stand outside the Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts waiting to be reunited with their children, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021 in Mansfield, Texas, following a shooting at the Timberview High School in Arlington. | AP

Timothy George Simpkins was taken into custody without incident and charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault with a gun, the Arlington Police Department tweeted.

ARLINGTON, Texas — An 18-year-old student opened fire during a fight at his Dallas-area high school on Wednesday, injuring four people and then fleeing before being taken into custody hours later, authorities said.

Timothy George Simpkins was taken into custody without incident and charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault with a gun, the Arlington Police Department tweeted.

One person was in critical condition, another was in good condition and a third person was treated for minor abrasions and was scheduled to be released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon, police said. A fourth person was hurt but did not require treatment at a hospital. Police said earlier that three of the four injured were students.

The shooting at Timberview High School, which is in Arlington but belongs to the school district in neighboring Mansfield, stemmed from a fight that broke out in a classroom, Arlington Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye said at news conference before Simpkins’ arrest.

“This is not a random act of violence,” he said. “This is not somebody attacking our school.”

Timberview serves about 1,900 students in the ninth through 12th grades. The sprawling complex opened in 2004.

AP
This undated photo provided by the Arlington Police Department in Arlington, Texas shows Timothy George Simpkins.

After news of the shooting spread, parents gathered at the Mansfield Independent School District Center for the Performing Arts about 5 miles from the high school to be reunified with their kids, who were bused over. Among them was Justin Rockhold, whose ninth-grade son had texted him to let him know he was OK.

Rockhold said he has served in the military and he drew on that experience to instruct his son, telling him to keep his head down and be still to stay safe. When asked whether he had thought a could happen at the school, he said his military training is also a reminder of life’s dangerous realities.

“Obviously in America — in the world we live in today — it’s always something. … It’s in the back of your mind,” Rockhold said, adding that he was praying for the injured. “I’m just blessed today that my kid’s safe.”

The shooting happened just days after a shooting at a Houston charter school that injured an administrator. Texas’ deadliest school shooting occurred in May of 2018 when a then-17-year-old armed with a shotgun and a pistol opened fire at Santa Fe High School near Houston, killing 10 people, most of whom were students.

___

Bleed reported from Little Rock, Arkansas.

Read More

An off-duty officer was fired upon Oct. 6, 2021, in Chatham. | Sun-Times file photo

The officer was in his car in the 8300 block of South Lafayette Avenue when someone in a silver four-door sedan began firing at him.

Shots were fired at an off-duty Chicago police officer as he sat in a car in Chatham Wednesday morning.

The 31-year-old officer was in the 8300 block of South Lafayette Avenue when someone in a silver four-door sedan began firing shots at him around 10:20 a.m., Chicago police said.

The gunfire damaged the rear passenger window of the car but the officer was not struck, police said.

No one was in custody.

Read More

In this image from WFAA-TV video, law enforcement arrives at Timberview High School on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. Authorities say a student opened fire inside the Dallas-area high school during a fight. | AP

The shooting happened at Timberview High School in Arlington, which is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

ARLINGTON, Texas — An 18-year-old student who opened fire during a fight at his Dallas-area high school and injured four people on Wednesday has been taken into custody, authorities said.

Timothy George Simpkins fled from Timberview High School in Arlington after the Wednesday morning shooting and drove off in a silver Dodge Charger, police said.

The Arlington Police Department tweeted hours after the shooting that Simpkins had been taken into custody without incident and charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault with a gun.

AP
This undated photo provided by the Arlington Police Department in Arlington, Texas shows Timothy George Simpkins. Police are searching for Simpkins, who is the suspected shooter at a Dallas-area high school, leaving four people injured before fleeing, authorities said Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.

The shooting stemmed from a fight that broke out in a classroom, Arlington Assistant Police Chief Kevin Kolbye said at a news conference. Two people were shot and two others had unspecified injuries, he said. At least three of the injured are students, and three of the four injured were taken to hospitals for treatment, he said.

“This is not a random act of violence,” he said. “This is not somebody attacking our school.”

Timberview serves about 1,900 students in ninth through 12th grades. The sprawling complex opened in 2004.

Bleed reported from Little Rock, Arkansas.

Read More