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The first time Bears coach Matt Nagy faced the Rams, in December 2018, he ran 3,292 pounds worth of players onto the field, had Mitch Trubisky fake a handoff to defensive lineman Akiem Hicks and throw a two-yard touchdown pass to tackle Bradley Sowell. The Bears called the play, which featured six offensive linemen and four defensive linemen, “Santa’s Sleigh.”

The last time Nagy faced the Rams, there was no flair. Or fun. Quarterback Andy Dalton tried only two passes all Sunday night that traveled 10-plus yards in the air. One fell incomplete. The other was intercepted. The Bears lost 34-14.

What happened to the head coach that set up “Santa’s Sleigh” with a Hicks touchdown run — a William “Refrigerator” Perry tribute — the week before? The one that had Trubisky throw 54 passes against the Saints in 2019? The one that called a reverse pass that flew 49 yards in the air — before being dropped — in the wild-card playoff game in January?

The Bears didn’t run their offense in the season opener. Depending on how your mind works, they either leaned hard into an opponent-specific gameplan — or turtled against the NFL’s best defense.

Nagy took no joy in designing a conservative, short-pass game plan, but he felt it’s what the Bears had to do to neutralize Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

“I’m not into all that,” he said. “But we did it.”

Sunday, he won’t. The Bengals game should show what Nagy had in mind when he snatched back play-calling and spent the offseason designing the offense. In that sense, it will be far more telling — and predictive for the rest of the season — than Week 1.

A good showing would buy Nagy some much-needed goodwill from a fan base flummoxed by his handling of rookie quarterback Justin Fields, who figures to play in staccato bursts again this week.

A poor one would be the second step in a long slog toward January, with speculation about Nagy’s job status starting before the leaves turn.

The pressure’s on for Nagy to show progress.

The coach isn’t buying into the stakes of Sunday for his team, though, even with the rest of the division alongside the Bears at 0-1.

“I feel like it’s early right now,” he said. “But at the same point and time the week is a lot different when you come to work after a win … We want to make sure we get back to that ‘W’ side.”

To do that, the Bears’ pass chart needs to look different than the one produced by NFL NextGen Stats on Sunday. All but two of the Bears’ attempts were bunched together like toddlers playing soccer.

Allen Robinson saw the graphic on social media, and said he “wasn’t too taken aback after seeing it.” Fellow receiver Marquise Goodwin openly questioned the wisdom of throwing short toward all-world cornerback Jalen Ramsey, saying the Bears “fell right into his hands.”

That discontent will only get louder if the Bears can’t go deep — well, deeper — against the Bengals. It would be hard not to.

The Bears wanted to throw short against the Rams, who, per NextGen Stats, have allowed four touchdowns of more than 10 air yards dating to the start of 2020. The second-place team in the NFL have 10.

The Bengals take the opposite tack, playing press man defense with a single-high safety. The Bears will attack it with more down-the-field throws.

“You’re going to have to win your one-on-one matchups and create these windows for yourself,” tight end Jimmy Graham said. “Unlike last week, which was a lot of zone, a lot of guys sitting on stuff, just ready to crash down.”

Sunday will show us who the Bears are, schematically.

“You’ve got to definitely be able to stretch a defense vertically,” Nagy said. “You can’t just dink and dunk your whole way.”

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Blackhawks star Patrick Kane said Friday he has participated in the investigation into allegations that a then-assistant coach sexually assaulted two players in 2010, adding that he did not know anything happened at the time.

“Obviously very serious allegations, and everyone knows that,” Kane said at the annual NHL/NHLPA preseason player media tour. “But I will say that I didn’t know anything about it at the time and did participate with the investigation.”

Kane’s comments were his first since the allegations came to light. The Blackhawks launched the investigation led by a former federal prosecutor and pledged to release the findings.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion said he also was unaware of homophobic bullying of one of his former teammates that ensued.

“Obviously disturbing,” Kane said. “You never want to hear that type of stuff. I feel for (someone making) those type of allegations. And hopefully it didn’t affect the player too much. But I’m sure when you’re hearing that type of stuff, obviously it could affect you deep down.”

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press the Blackhawks investigation was proceeding but did not have a timeframe for when it would be completed. The team pledged to release the findings of the investigation, a decision the league supports.

“We probably would have supported the decision if it was different, if it was made for the right reasons,” Daly said. “Since these allegations arose, I think the Blackhawks as an organization have handled everything in the right way and they’ve taken the proper steps. We’ll see at the end of the day what comes of it.”

Two lawsuits were filed against the team earlier this year. The first alleges sexual assault by trainer Bradley Aldrich during the team’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, and the second was filed by a former student whom Aldrich was later convicted of assaulting in Michigan.

According to TSN, two Blackhawks players told then-skills coach Paul Vincent in May 2010 of inappropriate behavior by Aldrich. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

Vincent was called into a meeting with then-team President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey executive Al MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said he asked the team to report the allegations to Chicago police, and the request was denied.

In an email to the AP earlier this summer, Vincent said he stands by everything he said to TSN.

Bowman and former coach Joel Quenneville, who’s now with Florida, have said they would cooperate with the investigation.

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Sometimes you just have to take a big leap on a feel-good series that’s equal parts sentimental, goofy, inspiring and escapist, and the “Glee”-ful Fox drama “The Big Leap” perfectly fits that bill.

If you check your cynicism at the door and allow yourself to be swept up in the broad comedy, the crisp writing and the wonderful performances from an eminently likable cast, “The Big Leap” can become appointment viewing. Set in Detroit but filmed at the Cinespace Chicago Film Studios and the Rialto Theater in Joliet, this is a fun, breezy, dance-centric drama/comedy about a group of misfits who are stumbling their way through life and for various reasons jump at the chance to audition for a reality TV show in the hopes one big break can change everything — and yep, that’s kind of dopey, but also not beyond the realm of possibility, seeing as how there are approximately 5 million reality/competition shows these days.

“The Big Leap” (premiering Monday) is inspired by the British documentary series “Big Ballet,” in which a famed theater director and a prima ballerina worked with a troupe of amateur dancers to mount a production of “Swan Lake.” In the show-within-a-show format here, Kevin Daniels plays Wayne Fontaine, a former dancer and the host of the program; Mallory Jansen is Monica Sullivan, a tart-tonged former ballerina and choreographer, and Scott Foley is Nick Blackburn, the temperamental and jaded reality show director who is an expert at manipulating contestants to pour their hearts out — with the cameras rolling, of course.

Scott Foley plays the reality TV director who gets the contestants to pour their hearts out.Fox

The first two episodes of the show serve as an introduction to the aforementioned behind-the-scenes personalities, as well as the myriad of diverse and empathetic contestants, including:

Simone Recasner’s Gabby Lewis, a zaftig single mother who dreamed of becoming a competitive dancer in high school before life got in the way.
Raymond Cham Jr.’s Justin Reyes, Gabby’s gay best friend from high school who is an amazingly gifted break dancer but is working at a bowling alley when Gabby comes calling and persuades him to join her in tryouts for the show.

Piper Perabo’s Paula Clark, a cancer survivor and former high-level auto exec.
Ser’Darius Blain’s Reggie Sadler, a disgraced NFL player hoping to rehabilitate his image and return to football.
Jon Rudnitsky’s Mike Devries, a laid-off auto worker who is trying to make ends meet by working as a spin class instructor, a Lyft driver, an Instacart shopper, you name it, and hopes the show will serve as a vehicle for him to win back his estranged wife.
Break dancer Justin (Raymond Cham Jr.) shows a move as Julia (Teri Polo) looks on.Fox

Teri Polo’s Julia Perkins, who was a ballerina years ago, but these days is a middle-aged social media influencer and married mother of two girls who is rapidly losing followers and sponsors because she has committed the crime of … AGING! (“I’m helping an entire community of women feel less alone,” Julia tells her boss, who replies, “You’re competing with influencers who have existed for less time.”)
Anna Grace Barlow’s Britnney Lovewell (now there’s a name to grow up with!), a young and talented and beautiful dancer who’s not here to make nice.

Episode 3 is set primarily in Chicago (with Chicago standing in for Chicago, hooray), when the contestants take a bus trip to see a world-famous ballet company perform “Swan Lake.” Cue the shots of the Loop and Lake Shore Drive and the reference to Portillo’s — and we also get an innovative and uplifting choreographed sequence set in the hallway and a number of rooms in the Drake Hotel, where the whole team gets their groove going to the sounds of Passion Pit’s brilliant cover of the Smashing Pumpkins’ classic “Tonight, Tonight.” It’s the early season highlight of the show.

Mike (Jon Rudnitsky, with Piper Perabo) is supported by his buddies in his TV quest.

“The Big Leap” sets up a number of storylines, from the pending dissolution of Julia’s marriage to Mike’s bro-buddies not exactly understanding but supporting his quest to Gabby finding herself smitten with Reggie. Whenever a conflict emerges or it appears love might be in bloom, director Nick always seems to be hovering around the corner, herding the crew into place to record the moment, because if it doesn’t happen on camera, it might as well not have happened at all. In between the “Chorus Line”-type audition sequences, there are plenty of pop culture-heavy one-liners, as when one competitor says, “Name one ballet dancer” and the response comes: “Natalie Portman’s husband.”

This is a mild, mostly affectionate lampoon of reality shows and the people who make them and the people who compete in them. It’s hardly groundbreaking to see how the producers of these shows might well care about their subjects, but also intend to exploit them and manipulate events if necessary. Of course, even as Fox is poking fun at the genre, it’s also the home of “The Masked Singer” and “Masterchef Junior.” You can have your reality cake and take a bite of it too.

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MADISON, Wis. — Prosecutors won’t be allowed to argue at trial that an Antioch man who shot three people during a Wisconsin protest against police brutality believes in the Proud Boys’ violent tactics or was affiliated with the white nationalist group the night of last year’s shootings, a judge ruled Friday.

Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder’s decision marks a victory for Kyle Rittenhouse as he prepares for his trial in November. The ruling removes a line of attack for prosecutors who had hoped to show that Rittenhouse, as Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger described him in court, was a “chaos tourist” drawn to Kenosha “like a moth to a flame.”

It was among several requests that Schroeder was considering Friday, including whether jurors will see video that prosecutors say shows Rittenhouse talking about wanting to shoot people.

Rittenhouse traveled from his home in Antioch to Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020, after seeing a post on social media for militia to protect businesses. The city was in the throes of several nights of chaotic protests that began after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, during an altercation as police tried to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down.

Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, opened fire with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle on Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha, and Anthony Huber, 26, of Silver Lake, killing both. He also shot Gaige Grosskreutz, of West Allis, who survived. All three men were white, as is Rittenhouse.

His attorneys argue all three men attacked Rittenhouse and that he was acting in self-defense. The case has become a rallying point for conservatives, who funded Rittenhouse’s $2 million bail with donations. Black Lives Matter supporters have painted him as a trigger-happy racist, pointing to photos of Rittenhouse posing with Proud Boys members at a Racine Bar in January. Binger said in court Friday that Rittenhouse traveled to Miami days after the meeting at the bar to eat lunch with the Proud Boys’ national president.

Binger argued he should be allowed to argue that Rittenhouse has adopted the Proud Boys’ philosophy and was looking to perpetuate violence in Kenosha.

“Most everyone there was there because of their beliefs, one way or the other, in regards to the shooting of Jacob Blake,” Binger said. “Chaos tourists like the defendant were drawn like a moth to the flame to our community. He was drawn to this incident because of his beliefs, which align with the Proud Boys. They take pride in using violence to achieve their means.”

Rittenhouse attorney Cory Chirafisi countered that there’s no evidence Rittenhouse was affiliated with the Proud Boys the night of the shootings and there’s no evidence on his cellphone related in any way to any white nationalist groups. He also pointed out that Rittenhouse opened fire on three white men.

“There is nothing in this evidence that would support that the shootings were race-based,” Chirafisi said. “We are hoping to try this case on the facts.”

Schroeder said nothing suggests the meeting at the Racine bar was prearranged or that Rittenhouse knew who the Proud Boys members were. The judge said it’s reasonable to assume Rittenhouse was just happy to take pictures with supporters.

“I certainly would keep the door open if you can show that there is any connection between the defendant on the day in question and this organization,” Schroeder said. “But as I said before, if this this this organization embraces the defendant after the fact because he’s lionized because of his behavior, that is not something that the jury can make anything out of that would be lawful.”

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Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1

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An 0-2 start would be the Bears’ death knell. No, we can’t say that absolutely beyond the shadow of a doubt. But some things you guess at, some things you think and other things you just know down deep in your tormented soul: If the Bears fall to 0-2, it’s a “sorry, we’re all out of giardiniera”-level disaster.

In this week’s “Polling Place” — your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter — we asked how confident you are that the Bears will win their home opener Sunday against the Bengals.

“Andy Dalton knows all the Cincy plays!” @Kipkruse880 enthused.

Yeah, well, Dalton knows all the Bears’ plays, too, and everyone saw how that worked out against the Rams in Week 1. Not that Dalton was half as bad as the Bears’ defense. It’s no wonder the voting was overwhelmingly guarded or negative.

“I can’t believe y’all are worried about the Bengals, LOL,” @Bears_Fan_Pete wrote. “One loss to the Rams and everyone’s running for the hills.”

Maybe 1-1 would slow that down. On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: How confident are you that the Bears will win their home opener Sunday against the Bengals?

Upshot: The Bengals were 4-11-1 last season. The Bengals haven’t had a winning season since 2015. The Bengals are — perhaps you’ve heard of them — the Bengals. But we clearly mustn’t dismiss them, if we are to believe our distinguished voters. They have a terrific young quarterback in Joe Burrow. They’re 1-0 after beating the Vikings. Sure, they have a shot to walk out of Soldier Field with a “W.” Who doesn’t? (No Fire jokes, please.)

Poll No. 2: Which of these things would you most like to see from the offense?

Upshot: This just proves that everyone is obsessed with the Bears’ rookie quarterback. Not that it’s a bad thing. His ascension into the starting role is inevitable. Still, don’t we want to see Montgomery, who just gets better and better, go well over 1,000 yards this season? Don’t we want to see receivers running routes well beyond — what a concept — the first-down marker? Offered @KurtisArndt, “The correct answer is ‘all of the above.’ ” Fair enough.

Poll No. 3: Which of these things would you most like to see from the defense?

Upshot: An astute point made by @PrebenReal: “Pass rush is supposed to be their strength, and that’s where all the money is, so really that’s the bear (heh) minimum if they want to be not embarrassing?” By the way, wouldn’t that make a tremendous team motto? We’re not embarrassing! We’re not embarrassing! Maybe Khalil Mack can taunt Burrow with those words after dumping him for a (what’s it called again?) sack.

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — A former Arkansas sheriff’s deputy was charged Friday with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a white teenager whose death has drawn the attention of national civil rights activists.

A special prosecutor announced the felony charge against Michael Davis, a former sergeant with the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office, in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain. Davis faces between three and 10 years in prison if convicted.

Davis shot Brittain during a June 23 traffic stop outside an auto repair shop along Arkansas Highway 89 south of Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people roughly 30 miles northeast of Little Rock.

Davis told investigators he shot Brittain once in the neck during the traffic stop after the teen reached into the back of his truck and did not comply with his commands to show his hands, according to the arrest affidavit. Brittain was holding a container — which his family members have said held antifreeze — and no evidence of firearms were found in or near the truck, the affidavit said.

A passenger with Brittain said he and the teen had been working on the transmission for Brittain’s truck. The passenger told investigators he never heard Davis tell the teen to show his hands.

An attorney for Davis did not immediately return a message Friday morning.

Davis, who is white, was fired by Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley in July for not turning on his body camera until after the shooting occurred. Staley said there’s no footage from the shooting, only the aftermath.

Several members of Brittain’s family and friends shouted, “thank you Jesus,” as Phillips announced the charge. Phillips said a bond hearing for Davis would be held on Monday.

Jesse Brittain, the teen’s uncle, said he was glad to see Davis charged with something though he would have preferred a more serious charge.

“This is something,” he told reporters after the announcement. “We’re going to take this and see what else (Phillips) has got to say and hopefully this will stick. He won’t be an officer no more and he can’t kill no more kids.”

Brittain was eulogized by the Rev. Al Sharpton and two attorneys who represented George Floyd’s family. They said the teen’s death highlighted the need for interracial support for efforts to reform police practices. Brittain’s family and friends have regularly demonstrated outside the Lonoke County sheriff’s office, demanding more details on the shooting.

Floyd died in May last year when a white Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin the handcuffed Black man’s neck to the ground. His death sparked nationwide protests over policing and racial inequality.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob, who represent Floyd’s family, joined with Brittain’s family in calling the charge the “first step in the pursuit of justice for Hunter Brittain.” And Brittain’s family repeated its call for the Arkansas Legislature to require officers to wear body cameras that would be turned on as soon as their shift begins.

“Nothing will bring Hunter back, but we can honor his memory and legacy by calling for justice and change in his name,” the attorneys and family said in a statement.

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Paul Branton, 48, began painting when he was 14, hoping to design album covers someday.

Phil Cotton, 71, grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., immersed in jazz and rock thanks to his bartender-father.

Won Kim, 41, started his graffiti career because he was obsessed with lettering.

Along with street artists Max Sansing and Ruben Aguirre, they worked to turn a garage behind a fast-food joint on the South Side, Nicky’s of Beverly, into an homage to blues music, hippies and street art.

For 23 years, owner Paul Kostopanagiotou has served up Chicago-style hotdogs, burgers and veggie versions at Nicky’s. When he moved from 103rd Street to 10500 S. Western Ave. in January, Kostopanagiotou wanted to improve the vibe, starting with the “eyesore of a garage” behind the new place.

He asked the Beverly Area Arts Alliance for someone who could paint the garage. Sal Campbell, co-founder of the group, got him five artists to do the job with style. When she sent the artists to the restaurant, Kostopanagiotou already had a theme in mind: the blues.

“We always play blues music” in the restaurant, Kostopanagiotou says. “It was something that I loved. If you’re white, Black, an old grandma, middle-aged white man, you’d be grooving to it. I felt it brought people together.”

As soon as the artists got to work, people started showing up to watch. First, they’d slow down as they drove by. Then, they’d stop and ask about what was going on. Many ended up sticking around, watching and taking photos as the murals took form.

“We would be working at night, and there would be times when we would actually have to stop what we’re doing to engage and have conversations with people because they were so enthralled with what we were doing,” Branton says.

His mural faces Western Avenue. It’s a wave of blues, yellows and greens with a splash of pink. A guitarist plays in one corner, a pianist in another.

The colors roll onto the next wall, up to Cotton’s mural: a guitar that spans the length of the garage door. It’s a dedication to Lucille — legendary bluesman B.B. King’s guitar.

Cotton, who lives in Hyde Park, says he met King at the bar his father worked at in Buffalo.

His mural wraps around to the back of the garage, leading to Kim’s green-and-purple graphic design facing the alley, painted by Sansing and Aguirre.

Kim’s mural was defaced shortly after it was completed. That got him thinking. He decided he could keep the mural fresh by “rotating” it every few weeks, adding touches to highlight his lettering style as an art form.

Kim grew up on the North Side but says he found his niche on the South Side when he began painting, with graffiti his “vehicle” to bond with other artists.

“I want to show that letters can be super-artistic, that letters are an art form,” Kim says.

For three months starting in June 2020, the artists worked on the garage.

When they finished, Kostopanagiotou wasn’t ready to say goodbye. So, for another three months, the artists got to work on the inside of the restaurant, where a palette of colors that feature seemingly random objects of hippie peace signs, graffiti lettering and spacemen now covers the walls.

Kostopanagiotou says he was aiming for the artists “to create life.” He thinks they succeeded.

“Sometimes, I drive by and, turning the corner, see people are taking notice,” he says. “And they want to be a part of all this. That was the goal.”

Click on the map below for a selection of Chicago-area murals

Cheyanne M. Daniels is a staff reporter for the Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South Side and West Side.

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■ I was the first cultural historian of Chicago. When I got the job in 2002, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg gave me a two-word description: “Help everybody.” I’ve often been called upon by mayors to give perspective on historical events. I’ll also get calls from folks who want to know unusual, obscure things or verify where their great-grandfather worked or know how the street numbers changed. Every call feels like a combination of Russian roulette and the lightning round of Jeopardy!

■ In my emeritus role, I get to retain my office on the fifth floor of the Cultural Center. It’s the only city office with a player piano, which was made by a company out of Elgin called Seybold. To pick up extra money in the 1920s, African American pianists like Jelly Roll Morton made piano rolls. So when you put one on, those are Jelly Roll’s fingers pushing the keys. It’s like a ghost concert.

■ I remember fanning through my grandmother’s Reader’s Digest as a kid. There was a line drawing of a building. I asked my grandmother, “What is this?” And she said, “Oh, that’s Carson Pirie Scott. That’s where I buy my stockings.” I said, “Would you take me along next time you go?” So she did, and I was just mesmerized. I put my hands against the exterior ironwork and could feel the vibe of it. People react to a Louis Sullivan buildings like that one and the Auditorium Theatre because they were created in the spirit of a poem or a piece of music. A Sullivan building will play your emotions like a piano.

■ I have a pair of brass doorknobs with the board of education seal on them. When I was in grade school, many teachers and students died in a fire at Our Lady of the Angels in Humboldt Park. They blamed some of the casualties on the door locks. When they then came to replace the doorknobs in my school in Rogers Park, I wrote a letter to the principal to protest. I got called down to her office, and everybody thought I was in trouble, but the principal was a wonderful lady. She said, “We’re sorry you’re so upset by this, but we have to change the locks.” Then she reached into her drawer and gave me the pair of doorknobs. That started my collecting obsessiveness.

■ One of my favorite things to do is get a bag of fried shrimp from Lawrence’s Fish & Shrimp on Canal Street and eat them on the boat dock behind. I love to just sit there, enjoy my shrimp, look at the old warehouses, and imagine what it was like when the big steamships used to pull up.

■ Richard Nickel, a great photographer and historian of Louis Sullivan, was one of my mentors. I met him when I was still in my midteens, and soon he was taking me along to see buildings on the South Side that were earmarked for demolition. He would let me look at the building and just absorb the powerful intangibles and not say a word. Then we would have lunch and discuss it. I was supposed to be with him the day he was killed in the collapse of the old Stock Exchange Building, but he got there earlier than I did. I was part of the search party that dug through the rubble. They found his body in the subbasement. I will not walk on the same side of the street where that building was.

■ I’ll often ride my bike along the lakefront path from Hyde Park to downtown. My favorite music to put on my headphones is “Victory Stride” by the great African American jazz composer James P. Johnson. It packs in bursts of intense energy separated by interludes, and I delight in lucky instances when the interludes play when the lake and distant skyline aren’t visible. Then — bam! — the skyline suddenly appears in sync with the powerful flourishes.

■ If I had to throw out all my books on Chicago and keep two, they’d be Donald L. Miller’s City of the Century and Tom Dyja’s The Third Coast.

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It’s been five years since the three main founding members of Guns N’ Roses reunited, but it still took a minute to process it all as they took the stage on Thursday night at Wrigley Field.

The band’s history of interpersonal clashes, incredible displays of excess and record-breaking releases were the stuff of “behind the music” legend that caused what many thought to be irreparable fissures when they parted ways some 25 years ago. To this day, the larger-than-life personas of frontman Axl Rose, guitarist extraordinaire Slash and bassist Duff McKagan live on so strongly that people still come dressed up in red bandanas, blonde mullet wigs and black top hats to pay homage. That was very much the case on Thursday night as the rock star idolatry was in full effect at Wrigley Field for the Chicago stop of the “We’re F’N Back!” tour that has been gracing stadiums since early August (and various iterations since the group shockingly re-banded in 2016).

With their stadium show clocking in at an epic three hours, the ensemble — also featuring drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and synth player/programmist Melissa Reese — ripped through a labyrinth of hits (“Paradise City,” “November Rain,” “Mr. Brownstone”) that was a reminder of just how much Guns N’ Roses created the rock music nomenclature. Who knows what could have been if not for their prolonged breakup?

The concert hinted at this as well, particularly in a peculiar back-to-back pairing of the loaded song “Chinese Democracy” (from the infamous same-named album) and the rock gem “Slither,” from McKagan and Slash’s offshoot Velvet Revolver, both of which were birthed in the interim years. But if finally acknowledging the past in front of a live audience is their way of heading into the future of Guns N’ Roses, then we’re here for it. Especially if there are more tracks like “Absurd” coming our way; the group’s only new song (released this past August) was a highlight of the set, tapping into a heavier punk rock influence that plays to the strength of Rose’s voice and Slash’s guitar mastery.

The ’80s balladry in more downtempo numbers like “Civil War,” “Patience” and the cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (ending as a tribute to the anniversary of 9/11) were greeted with earnest approval, too, and it was in these songs where Rose felt most at home. But the singer struggled often during the night to tether himself to a comfortable vocal range, especially straining to hit notes in his top register for the arena showdowns like “You Could Be Mine” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Rose gave it his all in the marathon set and perhaps pushed himself a bit too far to deliver what he thought the audience wanted to hear.

The other main attraction of GNR is the we’re-not-worthy guitar pageantry of Slash, the show pony of this night with numerous spotlight-stealing solos stretching out the 25-song set. Not that anyone was complaining. The solo in “November Rain” may still be rock music’s trophy-holder, but the true scene-stealing moment came as Slash played homage to Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters with a down-and-dirty jam session of “Mannish Boy.” Props also go out to Duff McKagan who nailed a cover of The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” with his vocals.

Individual assets aside, what’s impressive in Guns N’ Roses 2.0 is that the group holds tight to the chemistry that made them such a magnet in their Sunset Strip heyday. In a night of few surprises (no pyro or fireworks, no stage hijinks, no guest stars), that camaraderie was perhaps the biggest surprise of all.

The night’s opener, newbies Mammoth WVH, were a perfect juxtaposition to the later classic rock onslaught, and those who got to Wrigley Field early to experience the set are likely talking as much about them post-show. There’s been a lot of buzz for the rock group since officially debuting last year, most notably for featuring Wolfgang Van Halen in the starring role, as well as for their first single, “Distance,” which came out in November shortly after the passing of his father, guitar great Eddie Van Halen.

The gripping song was one of the most memorable of the set on this night, not only an incredible tribute to the late elder guitar man and resonating with anyone that has had suffered great loss, but also stylistically emulating how much Wolfgang is keen on forging his own sound as a musician.

Sure, Wolfgang has the heritage dexterity on guitar, but Mammoth WVH’s songs are crafted to be part of the modern rock cannon with Wolfgang’s incredibly clean vocals making him a standout in the genre. Quite the musical savant — he wrote and played all parts for the debut album — Wolfgang’s touring lineup includes a great range of personnel including drummer Garrett Whitlock (formerly of Tremonti) and guitarist Frank Sidoris who is also in Slash’s solo project with singer Myles Kennedy.

Other standouts of the set included the hard hitter “Don’t Back Down” and the layered pop allure of “Ephipany” that shows a big creative range. Expect to hear a lot more from this project.

Guns N’ Roses Set List

1. “It’s So Easy”

2. “Mr. Brownstone”

3. “Chinese Democracy”

4. “Slither” (Velvet Revolver cover)

5. “Double Talkin’ Jive”

6. “Welcome To The Jungle”

7. “Better”

8. “Estranged”

9. “Live And Let Die” (Wings cover)

10. “You’re Crazy”

11. “Rocket Queen”

12. “You Could Be Mine”

13. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” (The Stooges cover)

14. “Absurd”

15. “Civil War”

16. “Mannish Boy” (Muddy Waters cover, Slash solo)

17. “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

18. “November Rain”

19. “Wichita Lineman” (Jimmy Webb)

20. “Patience”

21″. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan cover)

22. “Nightrain”

23. “Don’t Cry”

24. “The Seeker” (The Who cover)

25. “Paradise City”

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Give it up to emailer Greg, everybody. He gave me the business for picking against Purdue — and being wrong — in Weeks 1 and 2.

“Hope you bet your picks big!” he wrote.

I don’t bet. I prefer to move other people’s money around, namely yours. And preferably Greg’s.

But Purdue (+7 1/2 ) at No. 12 Notre Dame (1:30 p.m., Ch. 5, 780-AM) sure is interesting, isn’t it? The Boilermakers have been promising, beating Pac-12 doormat Oregon State 30-21 and unspeakably bad Connecticut 49-0. OK, so we’re using “promising” loosely here.

Really, though, the Boilermakers and Irish met 69 seasons in a row — and then it stopped after 2014. College football keeps trending toward the unromantic like that. It’s a shame.

It’s a big — no, huge — game for both teams. Purdue gets to show if it has a pulse we must continue to monitor as it moves into Big Ten play. And Notre Dame looks to disprove the evidence that its down-to-the-wire wins against shoddy Florida State and Toledo are revealing of a 12th-ranked pretender.

The Irish don’t have a quarterback they’re ready to count on for 60 minutes. Jack Coan is the passer, and Tyler Buchner is the runner. Irish coach Brian Kelly isn’t ready to change that dynamic.

The Boilers’ passing combo of Jack Plummer to David Bell could be a game changer. Greg is pretty sure it will be.

“My heart says 31-24 Boilers,” he wrote.

Mine, too. But my mind says 34-24, Irish. Greg can pound on me if I’m wrong again.

OTHER WEEK 3 PICKS

No. 8 Cincinnati (-3 1/2 ) at Indiana (11 a.m., ESPN): Getting frozen in place in the opener against Iowa put the Hoosiers on a slippery slope. Can their defense keep them in this game long enough for QB Michael Penix Jr. and the offense to come around? Brace for a whole lot of slug in this fest. Bearcats, 27-20.

Michigan State (+6 1/2 ) at No. 24 Miami (11 a.m., Ch. 7): Sparty looks like a throwback version of itself, with renewed vigor up front on both sides of the ball — and an influx of offensive skill — but this is a different sort of test because of the Hurricanes’ speed and the expected heat. The U, 24-21.

Nebraska (+22 1/2 ) at No. 3 Oklahoma (11 a.m., Fox-32): It’s been 50 years since the “Game of the Century” and 11 — far too long — since the last meeting in this formerly gigantic rivalry. Goodness, have these football schools taken divergent paths. Sooners in an all-out rout.

Northern Illinois (+27 1/2 ) at No. 25 Michigan (11 a.m., BTN, 560-AM): If Rocky Lombardi doesn’t get picked off three times against Wyoming, the Huskies are 2-0. If it’s seven or eight years ago, maybe the Huskies get to 3-0. If? If only. Maize and Blue by 30.

No. 1 Alabama (-15) at No. 11 Florida (2:30 p.m., Ch. 2): Tide QB Bryce Young has never experienced anything like this Swamp scene in his life. He’ll have to run around — a few times for his life — and he’ll get hit. This is more about the Tide defense, which could be one of the great ones of the Nick Saban era, and whether or not it can dominate a fast, physical foe. Take the Gators, who lose by single digits.

Northwestern (-3) at Duke (3 p.m., ACC, 720-AM): The Wildcats lost to Duke the last two times these schools met, in 2017 and 2018, but a QB named Daniel Jones had a whole lot to do with it. Neither offense scares; not in a good way, anyway. Field position? The kicking game? Turnovers? Yep, yep and yep. Blue Devils, 19-17.

No. 22 Auburn (+5 1/2 ) at No. 10 Penn State (6:30 p.m., Ch. 7): Auburn has an impressive Jimmys-and-Joes hand to play defensively and a QB who has been around forever in Bo Nix. That atmosphere, though — the word “insanity” comes to mind. Nits, 24-16.

No. 19 Arizona State (-3 1/2 ) at No. 23 BYU (9:15 p.m., ESPN): BYU has knocked off Arizona and Utah already. Why not make it 3-for-3 against the Pac-12 South? Talk about wild, Zach Wilson being gone and everything. Ah, but that potential Utah “Holy War” hangover. Do BYU players have hangovers? Sun Devils, 31-24.

My favorite favorite: Colorado (-2 1/2 ) vs. Minnesota (noon, Pac-12): Without injured Mohamed Ibrahim, their NFL-caliber running back, the Gophers are supposed to beat a team that held Texas A&M to 10 points? Buffs get well.

My favorite underdog: Kansas State (+2) vs. Nevada (1 p.m., ESPN+): Nevada has a potential NFL stud QB in Carson Strong, but this is the same K-State “D” that held Stanford to seven points. It’s a mismatch up front.

Last week: 7-3 straight-up, 6-4 vs. the spread.

Season to date: 12-8 straight-up, 12-8 vs. the spread.

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