No league is as good at marketing its players as the National Football League. They announced their schedule on Wednesday night and there were so many great things to be excited about. There are some great games on deck for our ChicagoBears as they try to transition to a new franchise quarterback. The Chicago […]
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The Chicago Bears have a lot of excitement surrounding them right now. They just drafted Justin Fields in an attempt to make him their new franchise quarterback. It will all start with his 2021 season, whenever that may start for him. There are good opponents on the Chicago Bears schedule for 2021. There is a certain degree of difficulty for every team they play. This is how they stack up from least difficult to most difficult:
14. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have been played relatively well by the Chicago Bears recently.
The Detroit Lions are the worst team that the Chicago Bears are going to face this season. Fortunately, since they are a division rival, they are going to play them twice! The first time is going to come in Week Four at Soldier Field. The second time is going to be the early Thanksgiving game to kick off Week 12. It is sure to be exciting as the Bears have had a decent amount of success against Detroit.
Detroit has a new quarterback. They traded Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Goff. That is a significant downgrade to a team that already wasn’t very good. They also lost a star receiver like Kenny Golladay which will hurt them big time. That team doesn’t do a lot of winning historically so the Bears should have a relatively easy time with them.
Just because they are the bottom team on this list doesn’t mean that the Bears can take them lightly. If they do, they will lose. They will also be games that should be considered “must-win” because it gets way harder from here.
St. Paul blasted three home runs off Ben Holmes (4.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 7 K), and pretty much controlled the game from the 1st inning. Iowa managed to get base runners in most innings, but were never able to get the big hit (0-for-6 with RISP).
Top Performers
P.J. Higgins: 1-2, 2 BB (.364)
Abiatal Avelino: 2-5 (.357)
Injuries, Updates, and Trends
With a single and two walks in his first three plate appearances, P.J. Higgins extended his streak of safely reaching base to 9.
Abiatal Avelino (.357/.419/.464) has been a dangerous hitter for Iowa all season. He is currently working on a 6-game hitting streak. In five of those games he reached multiple times. If the Cubs suffer any more injuries and require additional infield help, Avelino has put himself at the head of the line. Abiatal did well in a cup of coffee for SF in 2019. He possesses double digit home run power and is capable of playing all three IF positions. The 26-year old was a good under the radar Minor League free agent signing.
Levi Jordan homered for the second straight day, and drove in three runs in total to help the Smokies build a 4-3 lead heading into the late innings. Bryan Hudson, worked his way into and out of trouble in the 7th thanks to a timely double play grounder, but couldn’t wriggle off the hook in the 8th. He allowed two walks and a double to give up the lead, before being replaced by Wyatt Short, who couldn’t stop the bleeding, eventually allowing a two-run homer. In all, the Smokies pen walked seven batters in 3.2 innings of work.
Top Performers
Levi Jordan: 2-4, HR (2), R, 3 RBI (.346)
Grayson Byrd: 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB (.667)
Christian Donahue: 1-3, R, BB, HBP (.150)
Vance Vizcaino: 1-3, R, BB, SB (1) (.118)
Miguel Amaya: 1-3, 2 BB (.333)
Matt Swarmer: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K (3.68)
Injuries, Updates, and Trends
On the shorter side at 5’8″ Levi Jordan reminds me some of former Cubs org infielder Stephen Bruno. Jordan didn’t hit much at all in his first two Minor League campaigns (.242/.300/.323 career line), but he looks to have filled out his frame, and his 2 homers in 7 games this year match his total from his 121 career games prior to this year.
Miguel Amaya (.333/.481/.429) has yet to homer or have a “big game” but he’s looks powerful and patient at the plate so far. His pitch recognition looks improved and has rarely expanded outside the zone. Amaya has already reached base 13 times in 6 games (7 hits, 5 walks, 1 HBP).
Grayson Byrd and Darius Hill have joined the Tennessee bench from Myrtle Beach. Jared Young recently hit the IL, joining Brennen Davis, Alfonso Rivas, and Michael Hermosillo.
A seven-run 5th inning by Beloit broke this one open. South Bend starter Chris Kachmar appeared to be breezing along through the first four (8 K), but apparently hit a wall. Unfortunately, this game was not broadcast so I can’t say for certain.
Top Performers
Cole Roederer: 1-3, BB
Eury Ramos: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 4 K
Injuries, Updates, and Trends
D.J. Artis dropped down from Iowa to South Bend. The Cubs are currently missing shortstops Luis Vazquez and Aramis Ademan along with outfielder D.J. Wilson.
The Sun-Times’ Bears experts — Patrick Finley, Jason Lieser and Mark Potash — analyze the team’s 2021 schedule:
What will the Bears record be, and why?
FINLEY: 8-9. Quarterback Andy Dalton will provide what proves to be a false positive by playing well in the first five weeks. Four of those first five opponents — the Bengals, Browns, Raiders and Lions — finished in the bottom quarter of the NFL in defensive DVOA last year. Dalton’s hot start will yield — you guessed it — another six-game losing streak in the middle of the season. The Bears — who, amazingly, alternate road and home games from Weeks 1-18 — will again pat themselves on the back for pulling out of the skid, but it will be too late to salvage a winning season.
LIESER: 10-7. In a vacuum, that record and a wild-card berth are far from thrilling. But managing a decent season with Justin Fields either red-shirting or learning rookie lessons would be a positive. They’ll need a few teams [like the Steelers] to be worse than they’re widely projected, but there are enough winnable games for the Bears to get to the playoffs even if they can’t beat the Packers, Buccaneers or Rams. After they get past the opener in Los Angeles, there’s a soft spot where they can get out to a strong start.
POTASH: 8-9. The Bears have a tough road schedule on paper and not only are they facing tougher opponents this season [the Rams, Browns, Raiders, Buccaneers, Steelers and Seahawks in addition to their division foes], but they’re playing nine road games and possibly in front of packed houses in 2021, which they didn’t have when they went 5-3 on the road in 2021.
What’s the most interesting part of the schedule?
FINLEY: In Weeks 6-8, the Bears play three teams — the Packers, champion Buccaneers and 49ers — who are among the top eight favored to win the Super Bowl. Presuming Aaron Rodgers is still quarterbacking the Packers, the Bears will learn more about their team during that stretch than at any point during the season.
LIESER: Weeks 14-18. The Bears will see the Vikings twice, visit Green Bay and Seattle and get a gimme home game against the Giants. That’s probably going to be a very challenging stretch as they fight to stay in the playoff race.
POTASH: The opening six games — at the Rams, against the Bengals, at the Browns, against the Lions, at the Raiders and against the Packers. For a Bears team that could go in either direction after back-to-back 8-8 seasons, it’s a playable early schedule that will be a litmus test for Dalton and coach Matt Nagy. If Dalton is to keep the Fields wolves at bay, he has to produce early.
When will we first see Justin Fields?
FINLEY: The Bears will bench Dalton in the second half of the Steelers game, name Fields the starter before they leave for their bye and debut him Week 11 against the Ravens. The Dolphins waited until their bye to do the same to Tua Tagovailoa last year.
LIESER: Week 1. No matter what the Bears say or how much sense their plan makes on paper, they won’t be able to keep Fields on the bench this season. He has four months to get ready, and there’s little doubt he’s capable of outplaying Dalton by the time the season opens. If he does, the Bears would be crazy to hold him back.
POTASH: Fields figures to start at some point in 2021, but there is no ideal soft spot in the schedule for the rookie to make an elective debut. The Lions game at Soldier Field in Week 4 is too early unless Dalton really plays his way out of the job. Even after the bye, the Bears face a perennially tough Ravens defense. Circle Dec. 5 against the Cardinals at Soldier Field.
Six people were shot, one fatally, Wednesday in Chicago including a man who was shot and killed after leaving a funeral service in East Garfield Park, according to Chicago police.
A group of people had gotten into an argument in the 3000 block of West Warren Boulevard, and one of them fired into the crowd leaving the service about 12:05 p.m., Chicago police said. A 29-year-old man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. The men fled into a nearby alley and left in a car.
In non-fatal shootings, one person is in custody after a man was shot during a fight with a neighbor in Hegewisch on the Far South Side. A 53-year-old man was consuming alcohol when he got into a fight with a neighbor about 4:45 p.m. in the 13000 block of South Avenue O, and the man fired shots at him, police said. The 53-year-old was struck in the upper right leg and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. The man who fired shots had a valid conceal carry license, according to police. He was placed in custody and charges are pending.
Minutes prior, a 15-year-old boy was critically hurt in a drive-by shooting in the Englewood near an elementary school, his family said. The boy was walking home from a friend’s house about 4 p.m. when a car drove by and shot at him in an alley in the 6600 block of South May Street, police and his mother said. The teen heard four to five shots and was shot once in the lower back. The boy was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in grave condition. He was awake and talking as of 5:30 p.m.
A 46-year-old man was shot in Austin on the West Side. The man was standing outside about 3:05 p.m. in the 600 block of North Leamington Avenue, when four suspects approached him and began firing shots, police said. He was struck in the hand and self-transported to West Suburban Medical Center in good condition.
Moments prior a 20-year-old was critically wounded in a drive-by in Little Village. He was standing on a sidewalk about 2:45 p.m. in the 2400 block of South Albany Street when someone fired shots from a passing vehicle, police said. He was struck in the abdomen and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
In the day’s first reported shooting, a 28-year-old man was wounded in a drive-by in West Englewood on the South Side. The man was standing in the porch of a home about 2:40 p.m. in the 7100 block of South Honore Street, when a black Jeep drove by and someone from inside began firing shots, police said. He was shot in the body and was taken to a local hospital in good condition.
Two women were shot May 13, 2021, in the 4800 block of West Quincy Street. | Sun-Times file photo
About 12:35 a.m., the pair, 25 and 24, were standing on the sidewalk in the 4800 block of West Quincy Street, when a male they knew walked up and fired shots.
Two women were shot Thursday morning in Austin on the West Side.
About 12:35 a.m., the pair, 25 and 24, were standing on the sidewalk in the 4800 block of West Quincy Street, when a male they knew walked up and fired shots, Chicago police said. The 24-year-old, a concealed carry card owner, returned fire but did not strike the man.
The 25-year-old was struck in the right buttocks and taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition, police said. The younger woman was struck in the right leg and taken to the same hospital in good condition.
Area Four detectives are investigating the shooting.
People grab produce and wait to check out at the Nichols Farm and Orchard stall at the Andersonville Farmers Market, Wednesday, May 12, 2021. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Shoppers visiting the Andersonville Farmers Market can now bring furry friends and touch products before making their purchases. Masks, social distancing and the use of sanitizer are still required though.
Lively violin music played as dozens of shoppers strolled in the sunlight between two rows of tents, taking in the sights and smells of street food, soups, spices, sweet treats like donuts and baklava, and fresh produce.
On Wednesday, the Andersonville Farmers Market opened for its 12th season and its second year operating during the pandemic.
Kayla Taylor, an employee at First Slice Pie Cafe, said she is excited to be selling pastries now that conditions are less frightening.
“People feel safer outside and everyone can come together and talk and feel good,” Taylor said.
Joan Oberndorf, the manager of Andersonville Farmers Market, said this year the city is allowing up to 135 customers to enter the market at one time, an increase of 40% from 2020’s capacity. Also, dogs are now allowed back in the market space and shoppers will able to touch the products they plan to purchase.
She said everyone at the market is required to wear a mask and social distance, and hand sanitizer is located at booths and entrances for visitors to use. Despite the slightly loosened restrictions, Oberndorf said there is still no eating or drinking allowed inside the market.
Oberndorf said the farmers market has a total of 26 vendors, with several shops selling at the market every other week. The market will also have a weekly spotlight space for local merchants and artisans.
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-TimesKristine Subido, center black mask, and her mother Melinda Subido help a customer check out at their stall Pecking Order at the Andersonville Farmers Market, Wednesday, May 12, 2021.
Melinda Subido and her daughter Kristine, the co-owners of Pecking Order, a Filipino cuisine catering brand, said they have been selling at farmers markets for the past eight years, relying heavily on the sales from the Logan Square and Andersonville markets.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Melinda Subido said the duo have lost 80% of their annual revenue to a drop off in sales and added expenses.
Pecking Order used to serve its food hot, but due to safety guidelines, Subido said everything is now sold frozen or chilled in microwavable containers.
“Before, most of the time people [would] go around and eat,” Subido said. “It’s more fun. The sense of smell makes it more exciting.”
Jasmine Sheth, founder and chef at Tasting India, a weekly meal delivery service focusing on different Indian regional cuisines, began the business a year ago after she was laid off from work due to the pandemic.
Sheth said the brand is POC and female-owned and aims to break stereotypes by shining light on lesser known Indian cuisines. Tasting India also creates its own spice mixes, including masala chai, cardamom coffee, goda masala and East Indian masala.
“There’s so many people that order my menus every week that I don’t get to meet because of COVID-19,” Sheth said. “This is a nice opportunity to showcase the breadth of what we do beyond the weekly menus, talking about the spices and influences from India.”
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-TimesA family chooses which doughnuts to buy from Virgil Roundtree and his stall Downstate Donuts at the Andersonville Farmers Market, Wednesday, May 12, 2021.
Virgil Roundtree, founder of Downstate Donuts, which sells donuts made from potatoes and organic ingredients from local farms, said the company was essentially launched though farmers markets more than 2 years ago.
He said although business has been tough during the pandemic, the business was able to quickly pivot to an online delivery system and selling using carts.
“Events, catering, things of that nature—which were a huge driver for the business—evaporated pretty quickly,” Roundtree said. “So we had to get very intuitive in figuring out ways to reach our customers directly.”
Located on Catalpa Avenue between Clark Street and Ashland Avenue the Andersonville Farmers Market will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday until October 20. Entry from 3 to 3:30 p.m. will be reserved for visitors over age 60 or who are at increased risk for contracting COVID-19.
The farmers market still offers a hybrid shopping experience, with the option to visit the market in person, or order from vendors online for pick-up on Wednesdays. Customers can pre-order items from Thursdays at noon through Mondays at 11 p.m. using the WhatsGood app or website.
Mari Devereaux/Sun-TimesMax, an 11-year-old Jack Russel Terrier, lounges at the Andersonville Farmers Market which is once again allowing dogs to enter the space. His owner, Andersonville resident Lee Keech, said they plan to return each week to search for produce.
Elizabeth Ewing, an Andersonville resident who came to the farmers market with her four-year-old son Van III, said she shops there every year “no matter what” to support small businesses with sustainable practices.
While dodging her son’s pleas for more of his chocolate potato donut, Ewing said she feels safe going to the market because guidelines are in place.
“You get the freshest vegetables that haven’t been on trucks or gone across the world,” Ewing said. “You never know when you might really need to have options other than traditional stores for food, so it’s good to have these connections and relationships.”
Zach LaVine is finishing his fourth season with the Bulls with zero playoff games to his credit. | AP Photos
Though Bulls are still alive, guard likely will continue his seven-season streak of never getting to the postseason.
Zach LaVine wants something bigger.
The Bulls guard always has.
He has made that very clear the last few seasons, first wanting individual recognition as an All-Star, but more importantly, he has wanted to show that he can be the face of an organization that is playing meaningful basketball well past the regular season.
One box was checked.
The other, however, is close to eluding LaVine yet again. The Bulls did avoid elimination Wednesday night thanks to the Hawks beating the Wizards 120-116, but they remain on the brink. One more loss by the Bulls over the final three games or one win by the Wizards over that same time, and LaVine can kiss the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference goodbye.
That would make it seven seasons (four with the Bulls) in the NBA without a playoff appearance for LaVine.
“I’ve been making strides each and every year,’’ LaVine said. “I’m going to continue to do that. But it’s not about me. I would love to have just the opportunity to go out there and play and compete and showcase what I can do on a bigger stage. I’m going to get there. But we just have to work for it.’’
A comment from the heart, but also one that at least opened a back door on the possibility that LaVine might have to find that bigger stage elsewhere.
LaVine will be entering the final year of his contract and is due a pay raise.
The Sun-Times, as well as several other media outlets, reported at the start of the 2020-21 campaign that it was important for LaVine to be given max money moving forward. However, there are several sources who said that might not be the case any longer, as adding key role players around him could persuade LaVine to give the Bulls a slight discount.
But there’s also the other side to this, and that’s the unknown. Could executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas look to move LaVine this summer, feeling like they need to go in another direction?
Nikola Vucevic is a top-tier center in the East, so they have a versatile big to build around through the 2022-23 season, while the hope is that rookie forward Patrick Williams takes a huge jump in Year 2, especially having an offseason and full training camp to work on his game.
It would be hard for Karnisovas to find 27.5 points, 4.9 assists and five rebounds per game anywhere on the trade market, but his exact vision for this team has only been painted in vague terms with the phrase “building a winning culture.’’
LaVine is about to complete his fourth season in Chicago, and hasn’t even cracked the .500 mark. Fortunately, he’s not into the excuse game.
Sure, the Bulls have had frequent injuries in LaVine’s time, and even harder on the guard has been three coaching changes. Mix in Lauri Markkanen never reaching the potential that was expected when the rebuild was launched in 2017, and that’s led to a lot of evenings in which LaVine has been looking for help and getting very little.
That was supposed to change in late March when Karnisovas acquired Vucevic, giving LaVine his first fellow All-Star to work with, but the transition was clunky with almost no practice time, and then LaVine tested positive for the coronavirus, missing a key three-week stretch in April and into May.
A stretch that had a price.
That’s why LaVine was tired of talking about games this season they “should’ve won,’’ a better record that they “should’ve had.’’
“It’s always what we should’ve did,’’ LaVine said. “Yada, yada, yada. We put ourselves in this boat. Obviously, I’m riding along in it. So it’s upsetting and you gotta be accountable. It sucks, though. Obviously, I want to be in the playoffs and be on that stage.’’
What needs to be answered is will that stage be with the Bulls?
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