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The Fire’s 2-2 tie with the New England Revolution was witnessed by 8,102 fans. The team sold seats in the stadium’s 100 and 200 levels and on the east side’s 300 level.

If anybody needed a reminder of what Saturday night’s game meant to the Fire, all they needed to do was look up at the 400 level on the west side of Soldier Field and see WELCOME HOME spelled out in giant red-and-white letters.

For the first time since moving back to the lakefront and 13 months later than expected, the Fire opened their doors to fans. The Fire’s 2-2 tie with the New England Revolution was witnessed by a crowd of 8,102. The team sold seats in the stadium’s 100 and 200 levels and on the east side’s 300 level.

“We’re [very] eager, we’re excited,” Fire fan Priscilla Rocha said before the game. “It’s a little different than what we normally do. We normally get to tailgate with a bigger group, but it’s exciting.”

As Rocha alluded to, the event wasn’t quite a typical game.

Fans were socially distanced and had specific entry times and gates to access the stadium. They had designated concession stands and restrooms in their respective seating zones. In a nod to the times, Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady presented the match ball.

But in some ways, the night was comfortably normal.

Fans behind the south goal banged on drums and gave the match a familiar soundtrack. The Fire goals from Robert Beric and Luka Stojanovic were greeted with cheers while fans waved flags. When the Revolution scored their goals and Beric missed a potential go-ahead chance in the 85th minute, the supporters groaned.

Though it wasn’t quite the same as the planned 2020 gala event when the Fire were supposed to host Atlanta United in their return to Soldier Field, it was a chance for fans to see their team again. And for Phil Spina and his son, Jeremy, it was finally an opportunity to benefit from the season tickets they bought for the first time last year.

“We were going to come to the first game, and it was of course cancelled,” Phil said outside Soldier Field before the match. “We waited a year to use our season tickets. We’re ready to see some soccer. I’m just excited to be able to see a match in person.”

That excitement was likely shared by the league and the Fire’s business side, which relentlessly hyped the move to Soldier Field before last season. No, the Fire can’t judge whether their marketing efforts are having the intended effect just yet, but they began to make up for some of the lost time in 2020.

“[Owner Joe Mansueto] and his staff are very, very, very mindful of recapturing the momentum they had going into ‘20 and being able to show the entire league and the -soccer community both in Chicago [and] that part of the country but around North America that the Chicago Fire can be really, really relevant in one of America’s most important cities,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said last week. “I believe that they will be able to do that.”

NOTES: Mauricio Pineda, who started every game last year, was on the game-day roster but didn’t play. After playing just 200 minutes last year because of injury, Johan Kappelhof paired in central defense with captain Francisco Calvo.

• The Ring of Fire was on display after being absent last year. The names were displayed on the facing between the 100 and 200s levels -behind the north and south goals.

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The Hawks learned from Thursday’s loss and responded with a 4-0 win over the Wings on Saturday, pulling within two points of a playoff spot with a game in hand.

For the first time in seemingly weeks, everything went right for the Blackhawks.

Malcolm Subban was terrific in a spot start, saving all 29 shots he faced Saturday. The Hawks’ 30th-ranked penalty kill suddenly became flawless, going 6-for-6.

The Hawks moved the puck swiftly in transition, creatively in the

offensive zone and capitalized on the resulting opportunities.

The result was a 4-0 win over the Red Wings that, combined with the Predators’ 3-1 loss in Carolina, pulled the Hawks within two points of a playoff spot with one game in hand and 11 to play.

“It was obviously an important win for us,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “We scored on our chances at really important times. The goal at the end of the first [period] was huge for us mentally.”

In Thursday’s 4-1 loss, the Wings stymied the Hawks with a defensive system that clogged up the Hawks’ shooting lanes with not one but two shot-blockers. Defenseman Connor Murphy broke down the system in-depth Saturday morning.

“It wasn’t just their top forward that was blocking it,” Murphy described. “They had a D-man or a low centerman that would stay in the slot. Instead of picking up one of our guys [or] boxing out in front, he would try to front that shot, too.”

The Hawks adjusted smartly.

They frequently took shots immediately after receiving the puck (before the Wings were able to set up the double-block), exploited the extra space on the sides of the offensive zone and used low-to-high puck movement to move defenders out of position.

“Our main goal for tonight was get the puck behind their ‘D,’ ” said Vinnie Hinostroza, who tallied three assists. “When we do that, and then we switch sides behind the net or find the slot or point guy, it’s huge.”

The play leading to Alex DeBrincat’s second-period rebound goal, which extended the lead to 2-0, provided two great examples.

First, Murphy — whose lane was clogged by up to four Wings — made a pass to Riley Stillman, who had a clearer lane and forced goalie Jonathan Bernier to make a save.

Seconds later, Kirby Dach and DeBrincat both made great plays: Dach protected the puck and lured Jakub Vrana out of the slot before feeding a wide-open Murphy at the point, while DeBrincat circled the net to pull Wings center Dylan Larkin out of the slot, too. Murphy had no one in his shooting lane, Brandon Hagel perfectly screened Bernier and DeBrincat ultimately scored.

Wyatt Kalynuk and Pius Suter added third-period goals to seal the comfortable victory.

The end result was 64% of the Hawks’ shot attempts (29 of 42) ending up on-goal, compared to only 41% (25 of 61) on Thursday.

Subban undeterred by layoff

Subban knew for the last 10 days he would be starting this game.

Despite not having played since March 28, that knowledge allowed the Hawks’ backup goalie to focus all of his mental effort toward Saturday.

“It helps to get ready for the game and [I was] just doing everything you can to get to it,” he said. “Obviously it’s not easy when you’re playing once every few weeks but I’m just trying to give my team a chance to win every time I’m in there.”

Subban robbed Darren Helm with a cross-crease glove save late in the second period en route to his second shutout of the season.

“You can’t really overstate what a great teammate he is,” Colliton said. “Multiple times this year he’s stepped to the plate and done a great job. You just love to see him be rewarded.”

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Daniel Theis was inserted in the starting lineup for Thad Young on Friday, and as long as Donovan sees production, especially from Young with the second unit, he’s willing to stay the course with this group.

There’s a method behind the madness of the latest lineup reshuffle.

And make no mistake about it, if this lineup doesn’t work over the next few games, Bulls coach Billy Donovan isn’t afraid to go back to the lab and put another new-look out there.

Even with Zach LaVine in the league’s health and safety protocol after testing positive for the coronavirus, Donovan wanted a change with his bigs on Friday, opting to start Daniel Theis and move Thad Young to the bench.

He further explained why on Saturday, and made it very clear that it was more about what Young brought to that second unit than some kind of demotion for the veteran.

“Some of our guys that are obviously still here, that were here as part of the team before the trade, those guys I think are comfortable with Thad,’’ Donovan said, referring to the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Coby White and Denzel Valentine. “And I think it allows him to be really productive. Certainly there has to be some times where [Young] and Theis or he and ‘Vuch’ [Nikola Vucevic] are going to have to play together, but it was really to try and open up some things for Thad because I think he’s played so well for us this year, and he’s been such a catalyst and facilitator for us offensively.’’

The other side of the move was also to add some defense to the starting lineup, especially in the rim protection department, which is Theis’ specialty.

Where it will get interesting is when LaVine does return, will Donovan flip the starting lineup script yet again? He’s set on giving this frontcourt lineup a look with LaVine, but don’t bet against him again making a change.

“I think with Zach being out it made sense to do that,’’ Donovan said. “I’m not opposed to doing it when Zach does come back just to see what it looks like, but I think all of those big guys are going to have to play with each other and learn how to play with each other.’’

The Theis dilemma

The Bulls acquired Theis from the Celtics knowing the free agent-to-be was in a walk year, but Donovan made it very clear that they have longer hopes for the forward/center.

While he hasn’t had specific conversations with executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas about pursuing Theis, he knew enough about the situation to comment on it.

“We didn’t get into maybe that depth of conversation, but I would say in our conversations, there’s no question that myself and Arturas and [general manager] Marc [Eversley] really like him as a player,’’ Donovan said. “So I would think that our hope would be a long-term possibility. But with free agency coming up and guys having the opportunity to make their own decisions, I understand that. But he’s someone we really like a lot and feel like could be somebody that could be really good for us going forward.’’

LaVine update

Donovan has remained in contact with LaVine, while the All-Star was quarantining, and offered up an optimistic report on where the guard was mentally.

“He actually is doing well and obviously he’s disappointed,’’ Donovan said. “I’ve checked on him more because I think it’s always hard for a player when you get alienated from the team like this and then there’s no interaction at all and you’re not traveling and you’re not with us in the locker room and you’re not with us in the facility. It’s hard. You’re just by yourself, and that can be hard.’’

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Tariq Khan caught and released a rare and endangered lake sturgeon at Montrose Harbor.

At 1:10 this afternoon, Tariq Khan was fishing the south side of Montrose Harbor across from the restrooms when he caught and released a sturgeon.

That’s right, a lake sturgeon 40 inches long with a girth of 21 inches and weighing 17.5 pounds.

“Actually [bottom] fishing for whitefish or lake trout or browns,” he said.

The sturgeon came on nightcrawlers.

Khan had caught a sturgeon before while ice fishing in Wisconsin.

“That is why I knew it was a rare fish and I needed to release it,” he said. “While taking out the hook, we kept putting water on it all the time. It had sharp spikes, not a bad one for me.”

Lake sturgeon are endangered in Illinois.

The sturgeon was not a complete shock. Khan said some of his group have talked about sturgeon.

“Oh, yeah, believe me, I am very thrilled,” Khan said. “It is a catch of a lifetime. You talk about it. We knew they existed in here.”

As do some other elusive and rarely caught fish.

“Next one is a muskie on the line,” Khan said. “My buddy did see a muskie on the Horseshoe. He said the head was the size of a football. I definitely believe him.”

Khan has had brushes with greatness in fishing. He was part of the group in December when Saro Kevorkian caught the Illinois record burbot.

Khan caught and released a 19-inch or longer yellow bass at Heidecke Lake, not realizing that it would have easily been an Illinois record.

“I catch and release most of the time, unless they are gut hooked,” he said.

As he did with the sturgeon.

“He swam off perfect,” Khan said. “I held him in the water for a while. We were watering it with cold water from a bucket all the time.”

It’s the kind of moment that gives a pause.

“Lake Michigan is something else,” Khan said. “You never know what you catch.”

Click here for the list of endangered and threatened species in Illinois.

Provided

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Entering the game Saturday against the Braves, the Cubs had the lowest team batting average in the majors and the only one below .200. There were three teams — the Dodgers, Red Sox and Reds — with batting averages higher than the Cubs’ .267 on-base percentage.

The question after Saturday is whether they are beginning to put that behind them. It’s not a secret the Cubs have struggled to win because they have struggled to hit.

A little more than two weeks into the season, manager David Ross isn’t looking to make excuses for his offense, but he would like to point out that hitting these days is tougher than it was a few years ago.

”There are a lot of things in our game right now that are in favor of defense and pitching, for sure,” Ross said.

For instance, teams are shifting on defense about 33% of the time so far this season. That’s nearly three times as often as five years ago, when Ross last played. Batters increasingly are watching hard-hit balls fly into a glove instead of landing on the grass. And on the mound, pitchers are throwing with greater spin rate, which also is making things trickier for hitters. Strikeouts have outnumbered hits across the majors this season.

The major-league batting average is down 10 points from 2020 and 20 points from 2016, and the Cubs are at the bottom of the rankings in nearly every offensive metric. Two areas of particular concern are their struggles against fastballs in the zone and getting pitches to hit.

”That’s been one of the things on the radar the most,” Ross said. ”We see some of the least amount of strikes in the game.”

Only the White Sox, Blue Jays and Pirates have seen fewer pitches in the strike zone this season. But when the Cubs are getting strikes, they’re not putting them in play. Entering play Saturday, they had the fourth-lowest contact rate against pitches in the zone this season and had the worst strikeout rate in baseball (32.2%).

Happ in the leadoff spot

If the offense is going to find its footing for good, one key might be at the top of the order.

Ian Happ has started almost every game as the Cubs’ leadoff hitter this season. Though he has hit only .163 through 14 games, he consistently has found ways to get on base, and Ross sees signs of hope in that.

”With a guy like Ian, who does have a great idea of the strike zone, sometimes the results aren’t going to show up when the swing might be there, but he’s still getting on base,” Ross said. ”He feels like he’s in a really good place. His at-bats are quiet because he’s not hitting home runs right now because he’s trying to get on base for the guys behind him. I’ve been happy with Ian’s process, and his approach has been great.”

In the series opener Friday, Happ reached base three times on two walks and a single. He was 1-for-5 on Saturday.

Roster moves

The Cubs activated relievers Dan Winkler and Brandon Workman from the COVID-19 restricted list and sent relievers Pedro Strop and Justin Steele to their alternate site in South Bend, Indiana.

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Simeon is at the top of the Public League football world and Kenwood desperately wants to be there. Both teams are extremely young this season and only a handful of seniors played when the squads matched up on Saturday at Gately.

But it was a senior that made the crucial play. Wolverines senior Kaliub Hopkins grabbed an interception with 51 seconds left to seal a 23-18 win for No. 23 Simeon.

“I read the quarterback,” Hopkins said. “I saw him look and I put my trust in it, ran over there and got over the top.”

Kenwood (1-2, 1-2 Illini Red Bird) was driving with a chance to win the game. The Broncos led most of the way, until sophomore Andre Crews ripped off a 40-yard touchdown run with 8:55 to play.

Crews finished with 11 carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Simeon, which sat out last week, was definitely rusty. The Wolverines had six fumbles in the game.

“We had two days of practice and 12 days off,” Simeon coach Dante Culbreath said. “It says a lot about these guys. It says a lot about the program to pull this out. We are so young. Starting two freshmen and sophomore on the offensive line. The whole defense is sophomores and juniors. We have a quarterback that’s never played quarterback in his life. Our running back is just a sophomore.”

Simeon quarterback Korey Flowers was 3-for-13 with two interceptions but had a knack for coming up with big plays right when the Wolverines (3-0, 3-0) needed them. He connected with senior George Gumbs on a 52-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

“These young kids work hard everyday,” Gumbs said. “I love them. We were down but they didn’t get their heads down and kept the same energy. They are ready and eager to learn. I just want to give my knowledge to them so they will lock it down when I’m gone.”

Kenwood had multiple college-bound players transfer in the fall. Broncos coach Sinque Turner, a Simeon graduate, thinks hanging with and leading the Wolverines for most of the game will make a significant impact on his talented young group.

“The brand of Simeon will strike fear in a lot of Public League team’s hearts,” Turner said. “Now our guys gained confidence. They battled and that is good momentum going into the fall. The element of the unknown is gone now, we don’t have to worry about the Simeon legend is or whatever. This is good momentum.”

Junior running back Lavor Lindsey had 15 carries for 56 yards for the Broncos. Quarterback Lou Henson, a junior, was 9-for-15 for 106 yards with one interception and one touchdown. He also ran for two scores.

Kenwood’s highly-regarded junior wide receiver/defensive back Jalil Martin had two receptions for 19 yards and two interceptions. Sophomore receiver Logan Lester had 4 catches for 66 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown.

Chicago Public Schools didn’t allow contact days for football teams over the summer or fall and the teams aren’t allowed in their weight rooms. It’s clear the pandemic has severely impacted Public League football.

But there is a startling amount of talented young players on both Kenwood and Simeon. The handful of games they will manage to play this spring should help give them a footing next fall.

“It’s been so unfortunate,” Culbreath said. “It’s emotional for me because of what is going on with the pandemic. I’ve never played kids this young in my life and kids that just haven’t had the practice time. But it is something to build on. I’m proud of them.”

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The latest Big Red Bus podcast episode focuses on the Chicago Bulls struggles as the guys interview K.C. Johnson.

The post Big Red Bus Chicago Bulls Podcast Episode 61 — K.C. Johnson joins the show first appeared on CHI CITY SPORTS l Chicago Sports Blog – News – Forum – Fans – Rumors.Read More