The 2021 NFL season is well underway, with teams fighting for wins across the US. Following a summer following the trades and transfers, football fans can now get back to what they love – watching matches in person at the stadium or live on television. Many took advantage of the relaxation of rules regarding online gambling in several states, making their predictions at NFL betting sites on which teams will make the playoffs, win their conferences and go on to make history by lifting the Super Bowl. 

The leading sportsbooks took a record number of wagers on this NFL season and continue to offer odds on the winners and losers. Bettors can gamble on the outright champions or any match from the season. Each fixture has dozens of markets attached, including moneyline, spreads, handicaps, totals and more. There’s a bet designed to suit every type of football fanatic and help spice up the play in any match.

Making a prediction on the NFL is easier than ever but making a correct prediction is as difficult as it has ever been. A competitive campaign awaits, and a strong case could be made for up to five teams going all the way to lift the trophy. Which team will join the illustrious club of Super Bowl winners in February?

That remains to be seen, but traders at the most popular bookies believe they know and aren’t about to keep it a secret. They’ve made their feelings clear, inviting followers to agree or disagree, putting their stake money on the table and backing their call.

Bucs and Bills to battle it out

If traders prove to be correct with their predictions, we could have a two-horse race for the Super Bowl this season between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills. Both dominate the outright market and have sat in pole position since bookmakers across the world first opened their book on the season betting. Any other result than a win for the Bucks or the Bills would rate as a huge upset. That’s not to say it couldn’t happen, of course.

Traders aren’t always right on the money with their picks, and one of the main reasons why football and the NFL is such a global phenomenon is because it’s exciting, dramatic and difficult to predict. The history books are littered with upsets and surprise results, favourites beaten in the final match and underdogs baring their teeth. Will we see another shock?

It’s possible, but it is easy to see why bookies have stuck with the Bucks and Bills. On paper, they are the two most talented squads in the competition, boasting the best players, top coaches and loyal support. There are many hours of competitive football ahead of us, but it’s difficult to build a strong case against the oddsmakers here, and they appear to have covered themselves by selecting two quality sides.

Tampa Bay and Buffalo share the same betting odds at present, which means that although the sportsbooks are confident one of these teams will be Super Bowl 2022 champions, they aren’t yet sure which one. That indecision will catch the attention of value hunters, sports bettors that love to seize on any gaps in the market and grab the value.

Solid starts for both teams

At present, the Buffalo Bills are looking every inch a contender for the crown. They top the AFC East after five games played with four wins and a defeat, scoring 172 points and conceding 64. That effort is matched by fellow favourites Tampa, who also have four wins and one loss, racing into pole position in the NFC South, scoring 167 points but conceding 122 points. The latter is an alarming poor defensive record and is something Bucks fans, and the coaching staff will be determined to see improve. 

If the winner of next year’s Super Bowl doesn’t come from Tampa or Buffalo, which region will provide us with a champion in the height of winter? The betting can’t see past their two picks but have been forced to admit the Kansas City Chiefs can’t be written off. Chiefs have suffered a mixed bag of results, winning two and losing three of their first five but pundits predict better times are coming.

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Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara addresses a group of union protesters and their supporters outside City Hall as they rally against a requirement that police, like all other city employees, get the COVID-19 vaccine. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers and a high near 53 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low around 44. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 56.

Top story

FOP president warns Council members who fail to repeal vaccine mandate: ‘We are coming for every one of your damn seats’

Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara on Monday likened Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate to the midnight destruction of Meigs Field and warned City Council members who refuse to take a stand against it that “we are coming for every one of your damned seats” in 2023.

Two vaccine-related ordinances were introduced at Monday’s Council meeting. Both were shunted off to the Rules Committee, the burial ground for legislation opposed by the mayor. Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) tried to suspend the rules to reverse that action but was voted down 30-to-20.

That didn’t stop Chicago police officers from showing up in force outside City Hall. Nor did it stop Catanzara from demanding a show of hands from Council members who support repealing the vaccine mandate and threatening those who oppose that repeal.

“We’re taking a report card and anybody who does not raise their hand — you will be challenged in 2023. We are coming for every one of your damn seats because this is not the way a government is supposed to run. It is not a queen on that throne. … It is not, ‘Take it or leave it,'” Catanzara said during the public comment section that preceded Monday’s meeting.

“Shame on every one of you. When she challenged your aldermanic prerogative, you all lost your mind. How dare [she] challenge your aldermanic prerogative. You are literally handing it to her on a platter. Culpable deniability is not going to be an excuse here.”

Fran Spielman’s got more in her full story here.

More news you need

Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez will be paid a $340,000 annual salary under a five-year contract set for final approval by the Board of Education. The position’s salary has increased 31% since December, when then-CEO Janice Jackson made $260,000 per year.

Another victim of serial killer John Wayne Gacy was identified today by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Francis Wayne Alexander, identified as victim No. 5, was killed by Gacy sometime between early 1976 and early 1977, authorities said.

Nearly 20,000 people were without power today as storms whipped up strong winds and dumped more than two inches of rain in Chicago, which has seen a relatively dry season so far. Some suburbs reported three or more inches of rain.

A police dog hailed as a hero for taking a bullet from a Chicago murder suspect last week has been released from a hospital. The dog, Riggs, is expected to make a full recovery.

House or hip hop? ‘It’s Different In Chicago,’ scheduled for a Black Harvest Film Festival premiere, details how local music continues to be locked in an ongoing rivalry for respect at home and abroad. Read Evan F. Moore’s preview ahead of the doc’s November release.

A bright one

‘Books shouldn’t be a luxury’ — reading program brings free books to South and West sides

On a sweltering October Saturday in Boxville, 6-year-old Josiah Wilcher sits on his grandmother’s lap, flipping through a book.

Pointing to each word, Josiah reads, “School Picture Day.” It’s one of his favorites.

As some two dozen other children rush about laughing, eating and doing arts and crafts, Josiah hops off his grandma’s lap to slip the book into a basket near two wicker chairs.

Soon, Briana McLean and Grammy-award winning artist Chance the Rapper will be in those chairs, reading to the crowd gathered for Chance & Bri’s Books & Breakfast.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Chance the Rapper and educator Briana McLean read “The Boy with the Big, Big Feelings” at Chance & Bri’s Books & Breakfast event at Boxville one day before world mental health day.

McLean and Chance started Books & Breakfast in late July. McLean, a former kindergarten teacher at Marquette Elementary School, created the program after she “became very aware very quickly (that) what was happening inside of my classroom and the culturally responsive teaching that I was doing was not happening outside of the walls of my classroom.”

She created a non-profit — Boundless Early Education — that would focus on three things: digital resources filled with things like lesson plans; early learning literacy resources; and Books & Breakfast.

“It’s very, very good to get the kids excited about reading,” said Josiah’s grandmother, Vickie Long. “Joe … now reads like a storyteller. It excites me! He doesn’t just read to read, he leads you to the page, and he really picked up reading very well.”

Read Cheyanne M. Daniels’ full story here.

From the press box

Bears coach Matt Nagy said today that he’s tested positive for COVID-19.
Former Bears running back Matt Forte on yesterday’s 38-3 loss to the Buccaneers: “So unprepared and out-coached, it was embarrassing.”
After that dreadful performance against Tampa Bay, Jason Lieser wonders how much longer Nagy and Ryan Pace can last in their current roles.

Ahead of the high school football state playoffs, Michael O’Brien previews the Class 7A and Class 8A brackets.
The Blackhawks hit a new low last night.

Your daily question ?

What do you think is Chicago’s defining music style? Why?

Send us an email at [email protected] and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

On Friday, we asked you: Have you ever reconnected with an old friend or long-lost loved one? How did it happen? Here’s what some of you said…

“My old girlfriend from my Air Force days back in ’92 and she’s now my wife. Found her on Facebook five years ago.” — Enoral Sacul

“Didn’t see him for 30-something years. Ended up together for nine years until he died.” — Sandy Tyszkiewicz

“Old classmates and teachers from high school. Old friends from summer camps I went to growing up. All were found on Facebook.” — Steve Price

“Yes, through FB. Each connection has been wonderful.” — Barbara Silverman

“Yes only to be disappointed again I will let my past stay there now.” — Karen Johnson

Thanks for reading the Chicago Sun-Times Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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The bid to establish the Amazon Labor Union in New York City is the second attempt in the past year to form a union at Amazon, the nation’s largest online retailer. | David Becker/Getty file

Organizers delivered more than 2,000 signed union-support cards to the NLRB’s Brooklyn office after launching the effort in April.

NEW YORK — The National Labor Relations Board said there was enough interest to form a union at an Amazon distribution center in New York, after union organizers on Monday delivered hundreds of signatures to the agency — a key step in authorizing a vote that could establish the first union at the nation’s largest online retailer.

It would be the second unionizing attempt in the past year at Amazon. Workers in Alabama resoundingly defeated an effort earlier this year, but organizers there are asking federal officials for a do-over.

Organizers delivered more than 2,000 signed union-support cards to the NLRB’s Brooklyn office after launching the effort in April. The specific number of signatures was not immediately available.

“This is a small victory,” said Christian Smalls, a former employee of the retail giant who now leads the fledgling Amazon Labor Union, adding, “We know the fight has just started.”

An Amazon spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Monday’s development puts the company on notice that the NLRB has determined that union organizers have met the minimum threshold for Amazon to formally acknowledge and to respond to the union-organizing petition. That means the company must post notice on its premises that the union is seeking to become the bargaining representative for thousands of Amazon workers on Staten Island.

The company could have several avenues to challenge the effort, including contesting the number of employees that union organizers used to calculate the minimum signatures they needed.

“This was the easy part. Convincing at least 50% of the workers to vote yes is the hard part,” Smalls said afterward.

NLRB staff members started counting the cards soon after they were delivered, and union organizers were confident that they had met the minimum necessary. They had planned a rally outside the Staten Island distribution center Monday evening.

If organizers in New York succeed, it could launch other union drives across the company’s vast empire, which includes more than 100 fulfillment centers and nearly 1 million employees across the United States.

Smalls says he was fired last year after organizing a walkout to protest working conditions, although the company said he repeatedly violated company policies.

The NLRB must now verify the submitted signatures to confirm if organizers collected the requisite number of signatures — at least 30% from the roughly 5,500 employees who the union says work at four adjoining Amazon facilities — to authorize a union vote.

An Amazon spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company could challenge the effort by contesting how the number of employees union organizers used to calculate the minimum number of signatures they required.

Amazon employees have complained about long work hours, insufficient breaks and safety, with Smalls and others likening working conditions to modern-day sweatshops. The employee turnover rate has also been a cause of concern.

The union efforts on Staten Island come as Amazon is on a hiring binge. It announced in September it wants to hire 125,000 delivery and warehouse workers and is paying new recruits an average of $18 an hour in a tight job market. That’s in addition to the 150,000 seasonal workers it plans to bring on this season.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union had led the effort to form a union at the Alabama facility that was defeated in April.

A hearing officer for the NLRB found in August that Amazon potentially interfered with the Alabama election. And the RWDSU is now waiting for a decision from an NLRB regional director to see whether the hearing officer’s guidance will be sanctioned. But even with a second election, labor experts say a union victory is a long shot.

The New York City organizing drive is taking place without the support of a national union.

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Chicago suburbs have so much to offer. About 41 miles northwest of Chicago, Woodstock is one of the city’s outermost suburbs. Whether you’re local to the area or traveling for apple picking, Christmas tree shopping, or hiking in one of the nature preserves or conservation areas, you’ll work up an appetite. Therefore, we’ve rounded up some of the best restaurants in Woodstock for you to check out.

117 E Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098

The Double Yolk Cafe is located in the Woodstock Square Historic District, a Victorian town square with unique shops, galleries, and eateries. You might also recognize the square as the filming location for “Groundhog Day.” 

Your brunch and lunch cravings will be satisfied with the cafe’s robust menu. Order cafe favorites like the Potato Pancakes, served with sour cream and applesauce, or the Smoked Salmon Sandwich, served on a toasted onion bagel with red onion, tomato, capers, and cream cheese with a side of fruit.

101 N Johnson St, Woodstock, IL 60098

Enjoy classic American pub fare and some seasonal specialties from the Public House of Woodstock. Stick with classics like the PHW Burger or Tomato Basil Pizza, or try featured items like the Deconstructed Chicken Wellington. 

For dog parents, the restaurant also has a special Canine Cuisine Menu for your fur babies. Paws on the Patio takes place every Thursday and a portion of proceeds benefits their partner organizations like True Blue Dogs.

The food and drinks aren’t all you get when you visit this eatery. Public House is located in the Old McHenry County Courthouse, one of the big attractions in the Woodstock Square Historic District.

125 E Calhoun St, Woodstock, IL 60098

Light it up at BBQ King Smokehouse, a cozy smoke shack with national award-winning ribs and competitive roots. Meats are slow-smoked daily for 4-16 hours for a melt-in-your-mouth experience in every juicy bite. 

Choose from ribs, brisket, chicken, pork, and sausage, and enjoy delicious sides like fries, cornbread, BBQ baked beans, mac n’ cheese, fried potato salad, and coleslaw. Round it out with daily beer specials and Southern-style cocktails to complete your meal.

1390 S Eastwood Dr, Woodstock, IL 60098

Mixteca brings to Woodstock fresh and authentic Mexican fare, from tacos and tortas to fajitas and burritos. Enjoy classic flavors and meats like asada, pastor, pollo, chorizo, carnitas, and barbacoa. 

Start with quesadillas, tamales, sopes, or huaraches. Sink your teeth into a mix of crunchy and savory with different nacho options to share! Don’t forget to pair your meal with an authentic horchata or freshly squeezed margarita.

110 S Johnson St, Woodstock, IL 60098

Expressly Leslie specializes in Middle Eastern-style vegetarian and vegan dishes. Salads are prepared fresh daily and pair well on a plate or in a pita. 

There are over a dozen salads to choose from, like the Moroccan Beets Salad, which has cooked beets coated with lemon juice, cilantro, red onion, and Moroccan seasoning.

All the plates can be filling, but don’t skip out on the soup! The restaurant offers two daily soups (Red Lentil and Veggie Chili), a Soup of the Day, and a Daily Special made with seasonal local produce.

236 Main St, Woodstock, IL 60098

When you’re looking for a quick and easy lunch, nothing’s better than a sandwich. Cesaroni’s features coffee from Two Brothers Coffee Roasters, fresh veggies from Klein’s Farm & Garden Market, Turano baguettes, and the finest meats and cheeses from Boar’s Head.

Choose from six sandwiches, like the Momma Ces (tavern ham, lacey swiss cheese, honey mustard mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion), with 6- or 9-inch options. Cesaroni’s also has paninis and salads.

110 Irving Ave, Woodstock, IL 60098 

Your Sister’s Tomato started as a food truck and opened a brick-and-mortar in December 2019. The pizzeria specializes in Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas, using fresh homemade dough and hand-crushed San Marzano tomato sauce. 

Chow down on pizza classics like buffalo chicken, pepperoni, and Margherita. Sandwiches, salads, and desserts are also on the menu.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFDGuUgjfrE/

218 N Throop St, Woodstock, IL 60098

Chop Suey Hut is a family-owned and operated restaurant that has served the Woodstock community for 50 years. It has been awarded as One of the Best Chinese Restaurants in McHenry County by Northwest Herald readers in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2021.

Enjoy classic chow mein varieties, fried rice, and more, or try the specials like Drunken Spaghetti, a Thai fusion dish with spicy noodles and fresh vegetables. Furthermore, they have an arcade area where you can enjoy tropical cocktails while you play, which certainly sets them apart from most other Chinese restaurants!

Featured Image Credit: Cesaroni’s Cafe and Deli

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For those of us who love all things nostalgia and royalty, one of the hottest events this holiday season is coming to the Chicagoland area — the Princess Diana Exhibition will debut this December, and tickets are now on sale! Princess Diana is the star of this stunning photography and art exhibition that guarantees to wow. Featuring bespoke art installations and larger-than-life images, it’ll definitely beat looking at your Princess Diana commemorative plates.

Image Credit: Princess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access/Anwar Hussein

An intimate look into Princess Diana’s life

The latest exhibition to hit Chicago tells the story of the world’s most loved Princess through an intimate new lens. Princess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access, will make its Chicago debut this December at Oakbrook Center, 2000 Oakbrook Center during its U.S. tour. For the first time, world famous Royal Photographers, Anwar Hussein and his two sons Zak and Samir, will share collections of their original images and the intimate, never-before-told stories behind them. 

The Husseins collectively spent four decades working side by side with the iconic Princess and her family and will reveal what they witnessed first-hand, both in public and private moments. Tickets to the Chicago exhibit are officially on sale, and visitors can join the waitlist by clicking here to ensure they are one of the first to see this highly anticipated exhibition.  

NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA – JUNE 15: Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a cream satin dress by Gina Fratini with the Queen Mary Tiara, attends a banquet at Hotel Nova Scotian on June 15, 1983 in Nova Scotia, Canada. (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images) Not for archival use.

Princess Diana was one of the most photographed people of her time. The Exhibition, brought to Chicago through leading entertainment discovery platform, Fever, is a breathtaking visual experience that will bring guests closer to her than ever before, pairing vivid stories told by the Husseins with larger than life images and murals. Bespoke art installations from renowned multimedia artist, Pauline Loctin, have been developed exclusively for Accredited Access and are inspired by some of Diana’s most famous moments.  

Upon entering the exhibition, guests will be taken through an elaborate experience that features eight different themed sections: The Photography Dark Room, Growing, Glam, Hats & Tiaras, Art Installations, Working Royals, Humanitarian and Unguarded. Each section will feature photography, art, artifacts, and first-hand accounts as told through the lenses of Anwar, Zak and Samir. These curations celebrate the life of Princess Diana in a comprehensive and deeply personal way.  

Brought to life by Fever, the leading entertainment discovery platform, the exhibition highlights the touching stories behind each photo taken by the longest-standing, most famous Royal photographer and his sons for the first time in a COVID-safe, family-friendly immersive experience. 

Tickets are available exclusively through Fever. Attendees must adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines. Hand sanitizer stations will be available to visitors on-site. To learn more or get on the waitlist, please click here. 

About Anwar Hussein

From Kings of Rock and Roll to the Royal Family, Tanzania-born Anwar Hussein blazed a storied career with his photojournalist work beginning in his teens. He cut his teeth covering the refugees fleeing civil uprising in the Belgian Congo (later Zaire) for the United Nations. 

When Anwar and his camera arrived in England, his reputation for captivating naturalistic portraits of music legends that included Rod Stewart, Elton John, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, The Who, Bob Marley, The Bee Gees, and The Sex Pistols quickly established him as one of the most sought-after photographers of the 1960s. Hollywood called, and Anwar added to his portfolio photoshoots from films like The 24 Hours of Mans, Papillon, Tommy, the Bond movies, as well as stars like Steve McQueen. 

With his unique style and embracing his less restrictive style of reportage, Anwar was named Official Royal Photographer, capturing some of the Royal Family’s most iconic images and historic moments. A new dynasty is born as Anwar’s two sons, Zak and Samir, carry on the family tradition of entrancing the world with their eye for legacy and photographing the next generation of Royals and celebrities.

Featured Image Credit: Image Credit: Princess Diana Exhibition: Accredited Access/Anwar Hussein

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Just in time for the holiday shopping season in the era of shipping delays and back-ordered everything, the One of a Kind Holiday Show and Sale Chicago® announces the official return of its iconic holiday shopping event to be held at theMart, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, from Thursday, December 2 through Sunday, December 5.

Celebrating its 20th iteration, the One of a Kind Holiday Show will bring together 400 talented artists, artisans, and makers from across North America to offer the best in everything from fine art to handmade goods, gourmet cafes, bar areas, and live entertainment and activities for all to enjoy. Shoppers should plan to save the date as tickets to the holiday show will soon become available online for $10 a day or $15 for a 2-day pass at oneofakindshowchicago.com. A portion of all ticket sales will benefit the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Image Credit: One of a Kind Holiday Show

“What an honor it is to bring the show to life safely again, just in time to celebrate 20 years of tradition,” said Lisa Simonian, VP of Marketing, Consumer Shows at theMart. “We are so proud to have become a favorite annual memory for so many attendees over the years. We can’t wait to reunite our incredibly talented independent artists and makers with our devoted and supportive attendees.”

A truly unique experience, shoppers will have the opportunity to browse goods spanning a variety of media including fine art, ceramics, mixed media, fashion, furniture, fiber art, jewelry, gourmet goods, pet products, photography, accessories, bath and body, children’s products, holiday and home goods. Exhibiting artists will be on-site throughout the run of the show to engage with attendees, sharing their inspirations and behind-the-scenes insights along the way. The show will also feature the fan-favorite “Emerging Artists Market,” highlighting several new up-and-coming makers. In addition to this section, the holiday show will welcome 50 new faces to create unmatched variety at the event.

Image Credit: One of a Kind Holiday Show

One of a Kind Show organizers will have measures and protocols in place to meet all city, state and CDC Covid guidelines, as well as to help provide a comfortable experience at the show. Daily attendance will be managed and Covid screening will be required for all show participants. For guests, proof of Covid vaccination or negative Covid test within 72 hours will be required to attend the show.

The One of a Kind Holiday Show will open on the 7th floor of theMart, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza from Thursday, December 2 thru Sunday, December 5. Show hours are as follows:

Thursday, December 2: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday, December 3: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 4: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, December 5: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For tickets or more information, visit www.oneofakindshowchicago.com. For the latest press releases, facts, photos and videos, visit the online pressroom. For news and real-time updates, follow the One of a Kind Show on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

theMART (formerly The Merchandise Mart), located in the center of the sought-after River North submarket, is interwoven into the fabric of Chicago as an innovator in business, technology, culture, art, media and more. It is one of the world’s leading commercial buildings, wholesale design centers and the preeminent international business location in Chicago.

Encompassing 4.2 million gross square feet, theMART spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day and nearly 10 million people annually. Offering continuous innovation and creativity from leading manufacturers and design forward showrooms, theMART serves as the home to Chicago’s most creative and technologically innovative companies.

Featured Image Credit: The One of a Kind Holiday Show

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Bears coach Matt Nagy exhorts his team Sunday against the Buccaneers. The Bears lost 38-3 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. | Jason Behnken/AP Photos

The cherished culture that has been Nagy’s anchor might be a detriment at this point. It has devolved into psycho-babble that Bears fans aren’t buying — because it’s not paying off in enough points or wins.

The Bears met as a team at their hotel Saturday night prior to Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers — as they do before every game. But this time, coach Matt Nagy, ever-conscious of having his finger on the pulse of his team, went a little deeper, with a “real conversation” with his players.

“I just thought it was a good opportunity to speak from the heart a little bit — from where I’m at as the head coach and from where we’re at as a team, and where we want to go.

“I think that’s very important to do that — to have those every once in a while. You can’t have those every week. But sometimes you’ve got to have some that are real conversations that mean a lot and that’s what we did.”

Nagy couldn’t have felt better about how it went. The heart-to-heart conversation reaffirmed his belief in his players, further cemented a trust in them and strengthened the bond between players and coach that Nagy believes is a huge key to building a winning team.

Then the Bears went out and laid the biggest egg in Nagy’s four seasons as head coach. Faulty in every phase from the start the Bears fell behind the Buccaneers 21-0 in the first quarter and 35-3 at halftime in a startling blowout loss.

It was yet another reminder of an NFL truth that continues to chip away at Nagy’s credibility as the Bears’ head coach. No matter how much your players love playing for you, they still have to make plays for you to win football games.

But from the start that didn’t happen. Rookie running back Khalil Herbert missed a blitz pick-up that led to a sack/fumble. Buccaneers rookie Jaelon Darden burned them for a 43-yard punt return. Cole Kmet dropped a third-and-eight pass to force another punt. And that was just in the first six minutes of the game. It would get much worse.”

And in the aftermath of the blowout loss, when Nagy was asked about the challenge of keeping his players on board, he again went right back to that unshakable bond he has with them.

“The last couple of days with our team, we’ve become really close,” Nagy said. “For us to become as close a we have the last 24-48 hours, I just trust and believe in them. And they’ve done it before. Our guys have rebounded before and I just know from our discussion in [the locker room] and where we’re at right now as fighters and people and teammates.”

That kind of thing sounded a lot more convincing three years ago than it did Sunday. It was impressive when the Bears were 12-4. It might have provided hope when the Bears were 8-8. But it’s ringing hollow today with the Bears 3-4 with embarrassing losses to the Browns and Buccaneers and an offense that is supposed to revive Nagy’s reputation as an offensive builder but instead seems to be dragging him into the coaching abyss.

The cherished culture, togetherness and belief that heretofore has been Nagy’s anchor might actually be a detriment at this point. It’s devolved into psycho-babble that Bears fans aren’t buying — because it’s not paying off in enough points or victories.

“I absolutely get that,” Nagy said Monday. “I understand completely and we all understand because just as everybody wants to win and score points and hold teams to less points, we all want that, too.

“It comes down to us doing it. We have to perform and put points on the board so we can win games — that’s our No. 1 focus right now is being able to understand, ‘Yeah, we can talk about an identity and trying to do certain thing and run certain plays … We need to score a lot more points so we can win.”

Therein lies the biggest challenge of Matt Nagy’s coaching career. It’s one thing to get his players to believe in him. Now he has to get them to play for him.

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The bid to establish the Amazon Labor Union in New York City is the second attempt in the past year to form a union at Amazon, the nation’s largest online retailer. | David Becker/Getty file

If organizers in New York succeed, it could launch other union drives across the company’s vast empire.

NEW YORK — Union organizers at an Amazon distribution center in New York formally asked federal labor officials on Monday to authorize a vote that could establish the first union at the nation’s largest online retailer.

It would be the second unionizing attempt in the past year at Amazon. Workers in Alabama resoundingly defeated an effort earlier this year, but organizers there are asking federal officials for a do-over.

If organizers in New York succeed, it could launch other union drives across the company’s vast empire, which includes more than 100 fulfillment centers and nearly 1 million employees across the United States.

Organizers delivered more than 2,000 signed union-support cards to the Brooklyn office of the National Labor Relations Board after launching the effort in April.

“This is a small victory,” said Christian Smalls, a former employee of the retail giant who now leads the fledgling Amazon Labor Union. “We know the fight has just started.”

NLRB staff members started counting the cards soon after they were delivered.

Smalls says he was fired last year after organizing a walkout to protest working conditions, although the company said he repeatedly violated company policies.

The NLRB must now verify the submitted signatures to confirm if organizers collected the requisite number of signatures — at least 30% from the roughly 7,000 employees who work at four adjoining Amazon facilities — to authorize a union vote.

Amazon employees have complained about long work hours, insufficient breaks and safety, with Smalls and others likening working conditions to modern-day sweatshops. The employee turnover rate has also been a cause of concern.

A request for comment was sent to an Amazon spokesperson.

The union efforts on Staten Island come as Amazon is on a hiring binge. It announced in September it wants to hire 125,000 delivery and warehouse workers and is paying new recruits an average of $18 an hour in a tight job market. That’s in addition to the 150,000 seasonal workers it plans to bring on this season.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union had led the effort to form a union at the Alabama facility that was defeated in April.

A hearing officer for the NLRB found in August that Amazon potentially interfered with the Alabama election. And the RWDSU is now waiting for a decision from an NLRB regional director to see whether the hearing officer’s guidance will be sanctioned. But even with a second election, labor experts say a union victory is a long shot.

The New York City organizing drive is taking place without the support of a national union.

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The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Like the children served by day care centers, many of the children who live in DCFS-contracted group homes and residential placements are under age 12 and cannot be vaccinated yet.

Kudos to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his executive order, signed on Friday, requiring COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing for staff at state-run day care facilities for children.

In a statement, Pritzker correctly noted that many of the children served by day care centers are not eligible for the vaccine. Even if emergency authorization for children comes soon, it will be some time before significant numbers of children will be fully vaccinated.

This executive order follows Pritzker’s laudable executive order in August requiring vaccinations or regular testing for state employees who work in state-run congregate care facilities such as prisons and veterans’ homes, and mandating masks for all long-term care facilities, public and private, such as nursing homes.

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Unfortunately, none of these executive orders applies to group homes and residential placements for abused and neglected children in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. That’s because, while these placements are licensed by DCFS, they are operated by private agencies, not the state, and are not considered long-term care facilities.

The omission of congregate placements for DCFS’s children is troubling. Like the children served by day care centers, many of the children who live in DCFS-contracted congregate placements are under age 12 and cannot be vaccinated yet. They are also some of the state’s most vulnerable children, many of whom have special medical needs. Perhaps most disturbing, the omission sends the message that foster children are a lower priority for protection from COVID-19 than others who receive care in congregate settings, including prisoners.

Let’s fix this loophole forthwith and require that staff at congregate placements for DCFS’ children be vaccinated.

Charles P. Golbert, Cook County public guardian

GOP has shown us exactly who they are … again

Last Wednesday, Senate Republicans blocked debate on The Freedom to Vote Act, a bill which would protect Americans’ voting rights, being the third time they have done so. When all 50 Senate Democrats voted to advance the bill, a Senate GOP filibuster prevented the bill from even being debated.

Democrats say the bill is necessary to counteract the new voting restrictions being enacted by GOP-controlled state legislatures, all of which make it harder for millions of Americans to vote and thereby to participate in our American democracy. Sen. Mitch McConnell said the Republicans were doing what was necessary to stop the Democrats’ “radical agenda.”

Republicans think that protecting our right to vote, our most basic right as American citizens, is a “radical agenda.” The GOP has shown us exactly who they are … again. Let’s not forget this the next time we vote.

Bob Chimis, Elmwood Park

Some of us depend on mask mandates

I took Metra to Fox Lake last week and was dismayed to see a fellow passenger not wearing a mask. I am a senior and have underlying health issues. This is a violation of federal regulations, but when I questioned the conductor, he stated Metra doesn’t enforce the federal regulation despite there being a sign in the car that states:

“Mask required by Federal Regulation. Masks must be worn regardless of vaccination status. Let’s all do our part to keep each other safe, MyMetra.”

Why isn’t wearing masks enforced by Metra? Airlines do, theaters do, restaurants do, most businesses do — why doesn’t Metra? Why is Metra permitted to shirk its corporate responsibility?

Daniel FitzSimmons, Northbrook

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