A construction crane collapsed in Edgewater Beach Oct. 6, 2021. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Trains were initially stopped at the Bryn Mawr station about 3:30 p.m. because of an “obstruction,” the CTA said in an alert.

Purple and Red Line service was disrupted Wednesday afternoon in Edgewater Beach on the North Side after a large construction crane collapse.

The crane toppled over in the 1100 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue, knocking down power lines and prompting the partial evacuation of a nearby building, according to Chicago fire officials.

It was not immediately clear if anyone had been injured.

Chicago Fire Department
A construction crane collapsed in Edgewater Beach Oct. 6, 2021.

Red and Purple Line trains were running but not stopping at the Bryn Mawr station, the CTA said in an alert.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abreu drove in 117 runs in 2021.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As responses go, Fields’ reaction feels strangely appropriate.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Starting Sunday.

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

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A lifeguard stand at North Avenue Beach. | Scott Olson/Getty

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 cloudy with a high near 72 degrees. Tonight, there will be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a low around 64 and a 60% chance of precipitation. Showers and thunderstorms are possible tomorrow, with a high near 72 and an 80% chance of precipitation — rainfall amounts are between a quarter and half of an inch are possible.

Top story

Park District supervisor arrested; accused of sexual relationship with underage lifeguard

An adult male supervisor in the Chicago Park District’s Beaches and Pools Division has abruptly resigned after being arrested and accused of carrying on a romantic relationship with an underage female lifeguard, the Sun-Times has learned.

The recent arrest of the supervisor at Humboldt Park is the most explosive development yet in the burgeoning investigation of sexual harassment and abuse among lifeguards at Chicago’s pools and beaches that has implicated parks Supt. Mike Kelly in an alleged cover-up.

Park district spokeswoman Michele Lemons confirmed the latest developments only after being confronted by the Sun-Times.

“The Chicago Park District is pleased to learn the Chicago Police Department has made an arrest in an alleged case of misconduct of a former employee accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an underage former seasonal employee,” Lemons wrote in an email to the Sun-Times.

The ongoing investigation and subsequent arrest underscore the park district’s commitment to “providing its employees with a safe work environment” and its “zero tolerance for professional misconduct, harassment or abuse,” Lemons said. She said 40 employees have been disciplined so far.

Fran Spielman and Lauren FitzPatrick have more on the latest development in the Park District scandal here.

More news you need

A Villa Park man was arrested Monday after robbing a bank with fireworks duct-taped around his waist and texting his wife a photo of him holding cash, the FBI said. After ditching his car and walking home, he stepped outside for a smoke and was promptly arrested FBI agents, who’d been watching his place for hours.

A second person has been charged with chasing down and fatally shooting a 14-year-old girl in Back of the Yards over the summer. The 26-year-old man was arrested Monday on the West Side and charged with murder in the June 2 slaying of Savanah Quintero, police said.

Chicago Public Schools students who are exposed to COVID-19 at school will face a less stringent quarantine procedure moving forward, officials announced yesterday. The change is an effort to ease the early disruptions caused by thousands of children being sent home every week.

A Chicago-area woman convicted of assisting her boyfriend in her mother’s murder and stuffing the body in a suitcase in Bali in 2014 is being released early from a 10-year sentence, the Associated Press reported today. Heather Mack was 18 when she was arrested a day after the body of her mother was discovered in the trunk of a taxi parked near the St. Regis Bali Resort.

A former Northwestern University professor accused of brutally stabbing his boyfriend to death denied he committed the 2017 murder yesterday. Wyndham Lathem said the deadly attack on Trenton Cornell-Duranleau was solely carried out by another man — Andrew Warren — during a meth-fueled threesome gone awry.

City Council members got some welcomed news yesterday: Chicago’s chronic shortage of those black, 96-gallon garbage bins provided by the city will finally be addressed. The city’s new Streets and Sanitation Commissioner said the department is getting almost $1 million to provide more carts to homes and businesses.

A bright one

Young artists’ work to be featured at Steppenwolf Theater’s Loft

Most of Alyah Khalil’s oil paintings take her a month or even longer to complete.

But in July, after hearing about the Loft Teen Art Project at Steppenwolf Theater and after a week of six-hour-long days of painting, Khalil’s piece was complete.

“I’ve always wanted my art up in a gallery of some sort, whether that’s the Art Institute or… something as small as a school art show,” said Khalil, 17, of Irving Park. “Just seeing my art up is really encouraging and inspires me a lot to continue creating.”

A senior at Senn High School in Edgewater, Khalil was the youngest artist of the five individuals and two groups selected as finalists for the Loft Teen Arts Project. More than 150 young artists in the Chicago area applied, said Rae Taylor, manager of education partnerships at Steppenwolf.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Alyha Khalil, 17, holds up her work that will be displayed at The Loft, located at Steppenwolf’s Arts and Education Center, yesterday.

Each finalist received between $1,500 and $2,500 to produce a piece inspired by the theme “The Future I See: Creating for Community.”

The result: four paintings, two of which use mixed media; two photography projects; and a textile made by twin sisters as they sent the fabric back and forth from their colleges — Duke University and Northwestern University.

The seven finalist pieces will be displayed for a year in the Loft, which encompasses the entire fourth floor of the theater’s new Arts and Education Center.

Clare Proctor has more on the theater’s program here.

From the press box

The Bears officially named Justin Fields their starting quarterback going forward, ending any speculation about Andy Dalton taking back the job.
The Sky take on the Sun in Game 4 of their WNBA playoff series tonight (7 p.m. CT). Annie Costabile looks at the series’ X-factor: Azura Stevens, whose versatility has been critical for the Sky.

Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer today laid out his plans for the offseason with reporters.
Bulls forward Patrick Williams hopes he’ll be ready for the regular season.
When the White Sox start their playoff run tomorrow, Steve Greenberg will be remembering that the team went all-in to get to this moment.

Your daily question ?

What did you do during the more than five hours Facebook and its apps (Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.) were down on Monday?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday we asked you: In honor of World Teachers’ Day today, think of a teacher who had a positive impact on your life — what would you tell them if you could talk to them today? Here’s what some of you said…

“If I could talk to my first-grade teacher, Ms. Fields (Farren Elementary), I would thank her for ‘seeing’ me. I wish I could tell her in person. I don’t even know what was her first name. But I loved her and I believe she loved me.” — Camilla Rhyne

“I would thank Mr. James Stedt. He was a special education teacher I had at Homewood Flossmoor High School. He was not only a great teacher but he was a great father figure who understand working with students with disabilities and being patient with them.” — Steve Price

“Mollie Landfear, thank you so much for all your care, guidance and encouragement. It has been 30 years since I was in your class, but you left a beautiful handprint on my heart and also so many other Larkin High School students.” — Renee Jorgensen Sweeney

“I already have just recently thanked him — turns out he is a published author. Back in the day, I was in a very dark place and he reached out, without judgment, trying to help. He did not ask many questions but just allowed me to sit in on his classes, in times of need. I did not accept his help at that time and my darkness stayed with me for a very long time, and at times, still here. But I never forgot about his kind gesture. It seems even the smallest and quietest gestures can make a difference.” — Kevin Fitz

“Thanks, Mr. Gonring for making me feel like what I had to contribute was important.” — Amy Jo

“I transferred schools in the fourth grade because of boundary changes. I was the only one of my friends affected. I was a shy child. My fourth-grade teacher helped me overcome this shyness by making me the emcee of the holiday assembly. This boosted my confidence and to this date, I have no issues speaking in front of large crowds. I am forever grateful.” — Rhonda Rowe-Skolnik

“Ms. Martin, my kindergarten teacher at Lorraine Hansberry/Daniel Webster Elementary School on the West Side of Chicago. She inspired me to begin writing. I would tell her, ‘thank you.’ I was writing full stories in kindergarten, and I still love the power of my pen. Not only that, my son and I have an editing business. My love for writing fell on his heart. Thank you, again, Ms. Martin.” — Tayatta S. Cummings

“Loretta Brunious, thank you for everything! Thank you for caring and thank you for your sacrifice of time, self and even your resources. I have never forgotten your kindness and will always be grateful to you. Because of you, I’ve been able to continue to progress even when life wasn’t so good. It has been 40+ years, and I’ve never forgotten how you let us know we were worth it. We were your ‘girls’ and after all these years, we still are.” — Gail Rice

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

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

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

It took longer than anyone thought it should’ve.

It came only after mountains of public pressure.

It was the most obvious decision.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lonzo Ball’s passing repertoire runs deep.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Better believe it’s contagious.

Ball had five assists and Alex Caruso had 10.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m excited for that.”

LaVine’s not alone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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