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Look, we already know most of you hope to see the Bears start over with — at the very least — a new general manager and a new coach.

But what do you think is going to happen? Not what you want to see, but what you’re expecting to see in the days after the season finale Sunday against the Vikings? In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we asked about what’s coming for GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy.

“I voted for ‘part ways with both,’ which is clearly the correct answer with the roster, wasting of draft picks in trade-ups, excessive contracts, deferred cap hits, etc., that are as much of a problem as the coaching,” @DadsThumb commented. “However, will the Bears make the obviously correct choice?”

We also asked who should be NFL MVP — Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers or Jonathan Taylor — and whether it will be Alabama or Georgia who wins the college football title game Monday. On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: What do you predict the Bears will do with coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace?

Upshot: As @AbeBresn sees it, even keeping just Pace would be “franchise crushing.” Most respondents expect Pace to be shown the door, though, and basically all of them — about 95% of them anyway — foresee Nagy’s dismissal. If they’re right, we might as well start obsessing over the next question: Is there anyone in the organization who has any business spearheading the search for Pace’s replacement?

Poll No. 2: Four choices for NFL MVP — pick yours.

Upshot: The Bucs’ Brady has the gaudiest passing numbers. The Bengals’ Burrow is the up-and-comer. The Colts’ Taylor has had a spectacular season running the football. So why, then, is Rodgers a pretty clear favorite? It must have something to do with his league-high passer rating and even more to do with the Packers’ league-best 13-3 record. Would the Pack be any good at all without their controversial QB?

Poll No. 3: Who wins Monday, Alabama or Georgia?

Upshot: “If Georgia can get out ahead early with a lead and make Alabama’s offense somewhat one-dimensional, they’ve got a shot,” @irishchicagokid offered. But just five weeks ago in Atlanta, the Bulldogs shot out to a 10-0 lead on the Crimson Tide and, well, you’ve probably heard what happened from there. At least Tide QB Bryce Young can’t play his way into another Heisman Trophy this time.

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So, how’s it going? We’re a week into the new year. Are you managing to keep your new year’s resolutions? How’s that new diet working out? OK, OK, I’ll let you slide because, after all, my name is Bill Chuck, not Will Power.

Good luck with this week’s quiz about managers.

Email me your questions at [email protected].

1. The Buck starts here (meaning 2022). Buck Showalter is the new Mets skipper, and he -returns to the dugout ranked among the top four -active managers in games. They’re listed below. Put them in order from most games to least.

a. Buck Showalter c. Tony La Russa

b. Terry Francona d. Dusty Baker

2. What do these managers have in common? Alex Cora (Red Sox), Dave Roberts (Dodgers), Kevin Cash (Rays), Gabe Kapler (Giants), Rocco Baldelli (Twins), David Ross (Cubs) and Mark Kotsay (A’s).

a. They all played for Tony La Russa.

b. They all played for Terry Francona.

c. They all played for Dusty Baker.

d. They all played for Joe Maddon.

3. From 1950 to ’60, two managers led an American League team to the World Series. One was Casey Stengel. Who was the other?

a. Paul Richards c. Joe Gordon

b. Marty Marion d. Al Lopez

4. Which manager had the most ejections

in 2021?

a. Tony La Russa c. Dusty Baker

b. David Ross d. Brian Snitker

5. Theo Epstein was never a manager, but he is a future Hall of Fame executive. He -famously signed a free agent with whom he had -Thanksgiving dinner, along with the player’s family, while the negotiating was –taking place. Who was that player?

a. David Ortiz c. Jon Lester

b. Andre Dawson d. Curt Schilling

6. Who played for the White Sox, was a player/ coach for the Detroit Pistons and was the commissioner of the American Basketball -Association?

a. Hot Rod Hundley

b. Dave DeBusschere

c. Bill Bradley

d. Danny Ainge

7. You’ve heard of George Halas. He was the great Bears head coach, which is the equivalent of a baseball manager. When Halas was young, he played major-league baseball, going 2-for-22 for which team?

a. Cubs c. Yankees

b. White Sox d. Braves

8. Speaking of head coaches, Philip K. Wrigley decided that the abysmal Cubs of 1961 didn’t need a manager. Instead, P.K. declared they would have a “College of Coaches.” However, in 1962, the Cubs did something under their various coaches they had never done before. What was it?

a. Hit 150-plus homers c. Stole 100-plus bases

b. Lost 100-plus games d. Hit 200-plus doubles

9. One of the more controversial figures to manage in Chicago was Leo Durocher, who managed the Cubs for 6 1/2 seasons from 1966 to mid-’72. “Leo the Lip” was a big-league manager for 24 seasons. Here are four “facts” about him. Which are true, and which are false?

a. Durocher was Babe Ruth’s teammate.

b. Durocher was Ernie Banks’ manager.

c. Durocher was Willie Mays’ manager.

d. Durocher was Jackie Robinson’s manager.

ANSWERS

1. La Russa, Baker, Francona, Showalter.

2. They all played for Terry Francona.

3. Al Lopez managed the 1954 Cleveland squad and the 1959 White Sox.

4. Baker and Snitker each had one, La Russa had two and David Ross had five ejections.

5. Theo and Jed Hoyer enjoyed some turkey with Curt and Shonda Schilling and family.

6. Dave DeBusschere pitched a shutout on

Aug. 13, 1963, for the Sox against Cleveland. It was his last MLB win.

7. Halas played for the 1919 Yankees.

8. The Cubs lost 103 games in 1962, their first year losing more than 100 games. But they still finished 18 games ahead of the Mets.

9. They are all true. Leo also “acted” on “The Donna Reed Show,” “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Mister Ed.”

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Few people know more about the Fire’s past success than C.J. Brown. One of three players who had a role in all six trophies the club has won, Brown was hired as an assistant coach in December to work under Ezra Hendrickson.

But reminders of former glories don’t guarantee future success. And Brown knows that.

”I think trying to include some of the history of the club back into the club is an excellent idea, but doing that doesn’t mean you’re going to win games,” Brown told the Chicago Sun-Times. ”It’s great for fans. It’s great for the history. You hope that drives and puts the new players that come in to want to be a part of what the success has been at the club. But that doesn’t necessarily win games when you bring back the history.”

Brown, a Fire assistant in 2014 under Frank Yallop who has made stops as a deputy with numerous other teams, spent last season as the coach of the National Independent Soccer Association’s Chicago House.

Seeing what has happened since the Fire last won a playoff game in 2009 has stung Brown. He hopes they can move closer to reversing the failures of the last decade and creating some positive new history.

”You feel like you put so much into trying to build something, and to see it maybe not go as well as you think it would once you left, that does hurt,” Brown said. ”I don’t think it’s a lack of trying; they were trying, and a lot of the times it didn’t work. They weren’t getting it right.

”There’s many reasons that some people know and feel why it didn’t go right or wrong, but I think with the new organization we have now [and] with the people in charge, I feel like they’re trying to do it the right way.

”What we need to do is try to live up to what they’re building from the office and outside of the field. They’re doing all the right things.”

While the Fire have invested in the business side under owner Joe Mansueto, their on-field success hasn’t arrived yet. In the two full seasons since Mansueto bought out Andrew Hauptman and installed sporting director Georg Heitz to build the team, the Fire have averaged exactly one point per game and are rebuilding once again.

Brown is optimistic the soccer side of the business will hold up its end of the bargain, and it would mean a lot to him to be part of that turnaround. Brown wanted the Fire to do well even when he was elsewhere, and now he can play a role in changing their fortunes.

”I love Chicago,” he said. ”I love everything about the idea of soccer here and trying to help the Fire become one of those teams that people fear and that are competing for championships and in the playoffs. It would be awesome to be part of the staff that helps this club get back to that.”

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LAS VEGAS — Support for the Cardinals snowballed against the Rams, whose coronavirus issues would sideline several coaches and key players that Monday night, Dec. 13.

Sterling young quarterback Kyler Murray and the 10-2 Cardinals, just three-point favorites at home against such a short-handed opponent?

The dreaded L-word buzzed on social media. Lock of the week? Of the month? That fodder alone should have sounded alarms, pausing prospective bettors. The Rams won 30-23.

Flash to last weekend and a poetic reversal. This time, the Cardinals had the virus issues when they traveled to Dallas.

“The [virus]-depleted Cardinals were supposed to be too thin to handle the Cowboys’ offense,” professional bettor Bill Krackomberger says, “and the line moved.”

The Westgate SuperBook opened, on Dec. 21, with a look-ahead (week in advance) line of Dallas -2 1/2 . Five days later, Cowboys cash moved that to 3.

However, when Arizona’s health issues surfaced Dec. 27, most books moved to Cowboys -5 1/2 . They’d close Dallas -6 1/2 . Arizona won 25-22.

“That right there is betting the NFL, in a nutshell,” says Jeff Stoneback, BetMGM’s director of trading, of the two contrarian Arizona outcomes. “Often, it just doesn’t make any sense. That’s why the books do so well on the NFL.”

As the season progressed, Matt Youmans, the Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) senior writer/broadcaster, wisely wagered on fewer NFL games early in the week.

“You think you are grabbing a good number on Tuesday, there’s bad COVID news two days later and you have four points to the worst of it by Friday. You feel like an idiot, like Clark Griswold, when you make that mistake.”

UNIQUE CHALLENGES

Sports betting never has been a vacation. Those who claim otherwise deserve to appear, maybe slipping on a banana peel, in one of those Chevy Chase flicks.

In the brave new world of wagering on games during a pandemic, the Cardinals, having experienced the polar extremes within the span of 20 days, are the era’s poster boys.

With seemingly every perceived edge, they lose at home to the Rams. With so many factors supposedly against them, they win in Dallas.

“Absolutely correct!” Krackomberger says. “The [new] world has definitely presented unique challenges for professional gamblers.”

The pre-pandemic sports world was tough enough to navigate. Postponements and cancellations, and shifting protocols and quarantine measures, can all derail the most-proven prognostication methods.

Tuesday night, on Twitter, an NHL handicapper wrote, “This will be the last time I bet on or against a team coming off a COVID pause.” Two NFL games were recently delayed to a Tuesday.

Loyola and Northern Illinois began this past week having had stretches of hoop games canceled or postponed. After three shelvings in a row, DePaul lost by four as a two-point underdog and, as a one-point favorite, lost to Providence 70-53.

Wednesday, ace San Jose Mercury-News college scribe Jon Wilner wrote, “At some point, schools should just announce when they are playing.”

Every season, I update notebooks of college hoops information daily. A month ago, though, I put them away. Too much uncertainty. I started those ledgers, from scratch, Jan. 1, and might seek some action next week.

Youmans ventured to San Diego for a bowl game that would be canceled a few hours before kickoff. Usually by now, he has made 100 college hoops bets. That’s been halved.

“It’s tougher to develop a rhythm as a handicapper when so many teams are not playing,” Youmans says. “I’m not whining about it. I just hope we can get back to a normal basketball schedule without so many interruptions.”

NO WARNING

Tom Barton, the Long Island handicapper who is a regular on the nationally syndicated SportsGarten sports-betting radio network, also hopes for a return to normalcy.

He has long profited on college hoops in the northeast corridor, specifically the Ivy League, but it has had many games shelved recently.

“My prime conference,” Barton says, “so it’s been hard.”

He had circled Cornell, one of the country’s highest-scoring squads, at Syracuse on Dec. 18. It got postponed. On Dec. 29, Georgia Tech canceled its game against the Orange, and Cornell slipped into that vacancy.

As a 15-point underdog, the Big Red covered in an 80-68 loss to Syracuse.

“I loved Cornell against Syracuse,” Barton says. “Thankfully, the line didn’t move much. But I could have gotten burned on that game if it had been a full cancel.”

His overall volume is down as the virus has required treading lightly in so many sports-betting arenas. The NFL, to Barton and many others, has been treacherous.

“A minefield,” he says. “So many times you want to get those best early numbers, but this season that has become a disaster with later-in-the-week [virus] issues.”

Barton has had success in the NHL and NBA, the latter because he has been ultra-selective in picking spots and situations. Up until the new year, he had played only 10 NBA games, going 10-0.

He notes that teams in those two leagues have rebounded slowly as they regroup with returning players.

“With regular injuries, we have at least had some idea beforehand,” Barton says. “But COVID has had no warning at all and has affected some premier players. Regarding when I bet, it has changed my style.”

For Youmans, and likely many others, the simple aim these days is to avoid any style comparison to Clark Griswold.

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MAKING HIS WAY through the Golden State Warriors locker room following a preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Zaza Pachulia heard the familiar sound of a ball bouncing on the organization’s practice floor.

Pachulia assumed one of the Warriors’ young players was getting some extra shots in. What the longtime NBA big man and Warriors consultant saw next surprised him.

He found Klay Thompson, dressed in a full uniform, shooting by himself. The 31-year-old has been away from the game for over two years while rehabbing a pair of career-altering injuries. He tore the ACL in his left knee in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals and his right Achilles in November 2020.

“That’s a day when he already had a workout,” Pachulia said. “He already got his rehab, workout, whatever he’s doing and he did it. So he was getting extra shots up. It was telling, that moment; [you] understood how much this guy cares, how much this guy misses playing basketball.”

Pachulia, dressed in a full suit, ended up rebounding for his close friend that night on the practice floor. Like so many others in the organization, he has tried to provide any emotional support he can, while also preparing Thompson for his basketball return.

As he neared the end of his two-year rehab, Klay Thompson would warm up in a full uniform ahead of Warriors games. Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE via Getty Images

A month later, Thompson, dressed in a No. 77 Jackie Moon jersey — the number is a nod to his perceived snub from the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, and the headband and jersey to the character Will Ferrell portrayed in the 2008 comedy “Semi-Pro” — has just finished the type of personal workout that has become part of his routine throughout the arduous rehab cycle.

As much as he has tried to push away the frustration from not being voted to the 75th anniversary team, the snub bothers him because of what he has accomplished as one of the game’s best shooters, and because of the titles he helped his team win.

After the rest of his teammates complete a workout inside the Warriors’ main practice gym, Thompson, flanked by Pachulia, takes the 14 steps from the locker room through the tunnel and walks onto the floor at Chase Center.

Thompson enjoys the privacy the floor provides. It’s empty, it’s quiet and it’s out of the spotlight that he actively tries to stay away from. He loves the game, but not always the extra attention that comes with being one of the greatest shooters of all time.

When asked why his personality resonates with so many people, Thompson puts his head down and pauses before saying anything.

3dBaxter Holmes

10dKevin Pelton

1 Related

“Maybe it’s just — it’s just the real me,” he tells ESPN. “I’m just not putting on a front. It’s just the real me. Whether I’m behind the helm, on the court, I’m just going to be myself. I don’t care what people say. I’m just going to be myself.”

It’s why Warriors teammates, coaches, support staff and the Bay Area in general have fallen in love with the sharpshooting guard from Washington State over the last decade.

But it’s what Pachulia says next that helps explain why the organization is so ecstatic about adding the former five-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion back into the fold of a team that has vaulted itself right back into the championship conversation.

“And he loves winning,” Pachulia adds. “I’ll tell you that.”

After more than two years away from the game, and with a chip on his shoulder from being left off the NBA75 list, Thompson says he is “hungrier” than ever to get back to his winning ways and join a team that is primed to return to the postseason after a two-season absence.

“I know myself. I know how good I am. I know the things I’ve done. … It’s like — how many times do I have to do something that no one else has ever done before and get respect? Do I have to go score 50 in a quarter now? Like, what the hell? It’s whatever though, man. It’s over with. I’m going to use it as fuel.”

WHEN THOMPSON TORE his right Achilles, his friends knew they had to do something to help take his mind off the severity of the situation. Knowing that the mental aspect of rehab can be just as taxing, the Splash Brother’s teammates rallied behind him in different ways.

Pachulia, for one, wanted Thompson to find some kind of outlet for himself outside of basketball.

“That’s the exact conversation we had,” Pachulia said. “What hobbies can you find? … I want him to come back, I want him to — commit [to rehab]. You have to commit. It’s hard to commit if you’re not enjoying your life and yourself. So obviously basketball is taken away, so what’s next? How can we help Klay? He said, ‘Let’s try a boat. Let’s do it.'”

Thompson — who has long discussed his love of the water, having spent plenty of time in the Bahamas, where his father Mychal is from — purchased a boat in Southern California during the early part of the pandemic and drove it back to his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“I just always loved swimming,” Thompson explained. “Visiting family in the Bahamas growing up, I’ve really enjoyed snorkeling and seeing all the sea life, and I think I took that trait into adulthood. I just really love the sense of adventure and exploration and seeing new things that are right in your backyard that you probably weren’t able to see before if you didn’t have a boat or access to the ocean. And it just opened up a whole new world for me.”

The boat, which Thompson still drives to games and practices, has provided an opportunity for him to clear his mind and invest in a new hobby.

“I think everybody needs an outlet of some sort,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “For Steph and Andre [Iguodala], it’s the golf course. … So I think the fact that Klay has found so much joy in taking his boat out on the Bay, it’s a perfect way to balance his life out, give him the sunshine that he needs after being in the gym all day.”

Friday, Jan. 7
Bucks at Nets, 7:30 p.m.
Hawks at Lakers, 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 12
Mavs at Knicks, 7:30 p.m.
Nets at Bulls, 10 p.m.

All times Eastern

Thompson even extended an invitation to his teammate, 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, to join him over the summer on his boat. The 20-year-old center, who had his rookie season cut short because of a meniscus injury, has been rehabbing alongside Thompson. They’ve developed a friendship based on hours together in the gym and the locker room.

“Basically, he said, ‘Always be the captain of your ship,'” Wiseman said of their time on the boat together. “So I looked at it as always be in control of your life and don’t let nobody be in control of your life. Always be that type of person where you want to be a leader. Don’t be afraid to be a leader. It’s a lot of people that’s afraid to be that, but I’m not afraid to be a leader. So I’m just asking questions and learning ways like how I could become a better player vocally, and just stuff like that in terms of a basketball terminology.”

The pair’s paths continued to cross as they went down for several rehab assignments with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, California. Thompson used the moment to advocate for the signing of Quinndary Weatherspoon, who caught his eye during practices. Weatherspoon, who is now signed to a two-way deal with the Warriors, said Thompson’s advice was simple.

“Guard them like you guard me and everything else will take care of itself,” Weatherspoon said. “He’s just telling me to keep playing within myself and everything will work out.”

Wiseman noted that Thompson was “very inspirational to me,” and tried to keep the young center’s spirits up as the pair went through the arduous rehab process together.

“During the summer when I was still on my crutches and stuff and I had my brace, I was like really down mentally,” Wiseman admitted. “But at the same time I’m a really strong person, but it’s just hard watching the games and you can’t play. So I was kind of down mentally, but he encouraged me to keep going. … We just kept each other uplifted throughout this offseason and we’re doing it every day.”

Klay Thompson stayed on the Warriors bench long after the team beat the Portland Trail Blazers, while fans and teammates offered their support. Jeff Chiu/AP Photo

Even with a healthy outlet and the support of his teammates, Thompson couldn’t hide his frustration after a Nov. 26 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Sitting in street clothes, he sat on the bench for over 30 minutes after the game, much of that time spent with a towel over his head. Teammates and coaches, including Kerr, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, came out to check on him as fans chanted “Thompson! Thompson!” to try and lift up his spirits.

“Two-plus years is a long time,” Curry said later. “I think going into this particular season and him getting closer than he’s ever been to getting back on the floor — kind of predicted this would be the hardest part of his journey because he’s got the basketball back in his hands every day, feeling like himself. He’s playing pickup, he’s around our practices and he’s back with us in those types of situations, but he’s still not on the court. … And it shows how much this game matters to him.

AS THE REST of the world wonders exactly what kind of player Thompson will be when he returns, he is hell-bent on showing that he can be the same player he was before the injuries.

While the Warriors have gone out of their way to make sure Thompson feels comfortable as he returns, they also have the added bonus of a 29-9 record heading into Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, one game behind the Phoenix Suns for first place in the Western Conference. Kerr has already said Thompson will start, although it remains to be seen how many minutes he will play early in his return.

“I’m excited to get out there and prove to people who I am,” Thompson says. “I know they forgot because I’ve been out for two years, but I’ve never been hungrier seeing that stuff. Never been hungrier. And the best way at revenge is to win. Seriously.”

That’s exactly what Curry and the rest of the Warriors are banking on — and that’s the message one Splash Brother had for the other.

“It’s out of his control,” Curry said. “He’s quickly turned it to the fuel-to-the-fire type of situation. But it’s also, for him, having been away from the game for that long, he’s like, ‘People forgot how good I am.’ So that’s his mission — remind people.”

Thompson struggles to put into words what it will be like when he finally returns.

Curry, however, does not.

“It’s like when you go to a Broadway play or you go see ‘Hamilton’ and all the cast comes out at the end,” Curry said. “Like the whole stage is doing the bows and curtsies and all that, and the whole audience is going nuts because they really appreciate the show that they got to see. … And then it will hopefully be an energy like during his 37-point quarter where every time he shoots, it will be like a game winner.”

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KEY MATCHUP

A week after an impressive performance against the Packers’ Devante Adams, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson was preparing for an equally tough matchup with Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson on Monday Night Football in Week 15 when he was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list one day before the game.

“I missed it a lot, considering the preparation I put in that week — watching film, practicing, seeing certain things,” Johnson said. “Just having that taken away from me at the last minute was pretty hurtful, considering that I wanted that matchup and that was something I was looking forward to.”

Jefferson, an All-Pro as a rookie last season, has been even better this season — 103 receptions for 1,509 yards and nine touchdowns this season. With Johnson and the Bears entire secondary on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Jefferson was held to four receptions for 47 yards, though he scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass in the Vikings’ 17-9 victory at Soldier Field.

Johnson has built on his impressive rookie season as well in 2021, earning the role of shadowing the opponent’s top receiver. But while Jefferson is a challenge, it’s not a defining one to him.

“I don’t look at it as a measuring stick,” he said. “I feel like we’re all good players, so just really being able to do my job, I’m not measuring myself against anybody but myself.”

TRENDING

The Bears have won two consecutive games since losing to the Vikings — scoring 25 or more point in back-to-back games for the first time this season in victories over the Seahawks in Seattle (25-24) with Nick Foles at quarterback and the Giants at Soldier Field (29-3) with Andy Dalton.

The Vikings have lost consecutive games since beating the Bears to fall out of playoff-berth contention — allowing 30 or more points against the Rams at home (30-23) and the Packers at Lambeau Field (37-10).

PLAYER TO WATCH

Bears linebacker Caleb Johnson, an undrafted rookie out of Houston Baptist, has emerged as a solid special-teams player, with seven tackles — tied for second on the team.

“He’s gotten better every week,” special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said. “The thing I really like about him: You’re always hearing about that rookie wall — you never saw that. You saw a guy — ‘Hey, what can I do to get better this week?’ He’s still doing that. I’m gald he’s on our team.”

X-FACTOR

Neither team has anything to play for in the 17th game of a long season. The Bears have had a dreadful season with multiple quarterback changes and an imminent coaching change, but are determined to finish strong.

It will be interesting to see how the Vikings respond after being eliminated from playoff contention. Kirk Cousins & Co. could let it all hang out and put on a show — or pack it in and look toward the offseason.

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It has been almost a month since the Chicago Blackhawks last won a hockey game. A COVID-19 and Christmas pause has been a part of that as well but they are in a major slump right now. They already had bleak playoff chances, to begin with, but now it is even worse. At this point, the main focus should be seeing what they have in certain players.

One of those players is Alex DeBrincat. He has been the exact opposite of in a slump so far this season. In fact, he is one of the best goal scorers in the National Hockey League. He has 21 goals in 34 games. That is a pace for 50 on the dot which is a milestone that only some of the best in the league reach.

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