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Winners, wearing masks, accepted awards in real time in front of small audiences made up of medical and health care workers.

NEW YORK — Carrie Underwood brought the Academy of Country Music Awards to church. Maren Morris won two honors, including song of the year. Miranda Lambert performed three times and held on to her record as the most decorated winner in ACM history. And Mickey Guyton, the first Black woman to host the awards show, gave a powerful, top-notch vocal performance.

Though female country stars didn’t compete for the night’s top prize — Luke Bryan was named entertainer of the year — they owned Sunday’s ACM Awards.

Underwood’s performance stood out the most. She was joined by gospel legend CeCe Winans and the dynamic duo blended their voices like angels onstage. Underwood performed songs from her recent gospel hymns album “My Savior,” kicking off the set with “Amazing Grace” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Then Winans joined in, matching her strong vocal performance.

Lambert performed three times, first alongside rock-pop singer Elle King for a fun, energetic performance of their new duet “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).” Lambert, who founded pet shelter nonprofit MuttNation, also performed alongside album of the year winner Chris Stapleton for “Maggie’s Song,” a tribute to Stapleton’s dog who died 2019. Her final performance was with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall.

The performances that aired Sunday were pre-taped at various locations in Nashville, Tennessee, including the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. Winners, wearing masks, accepted awards in real time in front of small audiences made up of medical and health care workers.

Bryan was set to perform Sunday but backed out of the show because he recently tested positive for the coronavirus.

“I’m so sorry I could not be there,” he said from Los Angeles. “And to all my fans out there and country radio, we miss touring. We’ve missed being on the road with everybody that makes me an entertainer. My bus drivers, my band, my crew, what a challenging year. But to all the fans and everybody we’ll be back out on the road doing what we love.”

Morris spoke about the taxing year without live music when she won female artist of the year.

“Really just happy to be in a category with women that were not able to tour this year, but brought so much heat to the game to country music this year. You’ve inspired me so much to no end, and even in a year where no one’s gotten to play shows, I have heard some of the best music out of all of you this past year. So thank you so much for inspiring me,” she said.

Collaborating onstage was the theme of the awards show, and Morris and hubby Ryan Hurd sang together, ending with a kiss. A teary-eyed Morris won song of the year for her Grammy-nominated hit “The Bones,” which topped the country music charts for months last year.

Morris lost single of the year, where all of the nominated songs were performed by female artists. Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s platinum duet, “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” won the prize.

“We wrote this song about my story and I guess it resonated with everybody,” Pearce said onstage, also thanking busbee, who produced the song and died in late 2019. “This is the last song that my producer worked on.”

Another tender moment came when Blanco Brown presented Old Dominion with group of the year. It marked Brown’s first public appearance after suffering significant injuries in a head-on vehicle collision last year.

But the entire three-hour show didn’t go smoothly. The Grammy-winning duo Dan + Shay performed their latest hit, “Glad You Exist,” but the pre-taped moment aired out of sync.

“Apparently there was an audio/video sync issue on the television broadcast,” the duo tweeted. “We’re bummed about it, but it happens, especially when performances are happening in multiple locations.”

Another mishap occurred when Martina McBride announced the winner of single of the year. McBride correctly announced “I Hope You’re Happy Now” though “I Hope” by Gabby Barrett appeared on the TV screen.

Pearce and Brice’s “I Hope You’re Happy Now” also won musical event of the year, while Barrett was named new female artist of the year. Rhett won male artist of the year and Jimmie Allen was named new male artist of the year.

Those acts performed Sunday, as did Alan Jackson, Lady A, Blake Shelton, Ashley McBryde, Brothers Osborne and Guyton, who gave an all-star performance of “Hold On” during the show, which she hosted with Keith Urban. She recently had her first child and became the first Black solo woman nominated for a Grammy in the country category this year.

Little Big Town also performed — but as a threesome. The Grammy winners sang “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” without band member Phillip Sweet since he recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Sweet and Bryan weren’t the only country stars missing from the show. Morgan Wallen, whose latest album and singles have found major success on both the country and pop charts, was declared ineligible by the ACMs after he was caught on camera using a racial slur earlier this year.

A list of winners in the top categories at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards:

Entertainer of the Year — Luke Bryan.

Female artist of the year — Maren Morris.

Male artist of the year — Thomas Rhett.

Album of the year — “Starting Over,” Chris Stapleton.

Song of the Year — “The Bones,” Maren Morris, Laura Veltz, Jimmy Robbins.

Single of the Year — “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce and Lee Brice.

Duo of the year — Dan + Shay

Group of the year — Old Dominion.

New female artist of the year — Gabby Barrett.

New male artist of the year — Jimmie Allen.

Musical event of the year — “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” Carly Pearce and Lee Brice.

Video of the year — “Worldwide Beautiful,” Kane Brown.

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The release is set for Dec. 22. According to reports, the cast will feature some newcomers including Hugh Dancy, Dominic West, Nathalie Baye and Laura Haddock.

Fans of “Downton Abbey” have plenty to look forward to this year.

On Monday, Focus Features tweeted out the news: “Downtown Abbey 2” will arrive in theaters this Christmas, with TV series creator Julian Fellowes writing the screenplay and the principal original cast including Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter and the rest, in tow.

According to a report in Variety, filming began last week for the second feature film spin-off of the hugely popular television series. The film is set for a Dec. 22 release, and the cast will feature some newcomers including Hugh Dancy, Dominic West, Nathalie Baye and Laura Haddock.

In February, Bonneville, who stars as Robert Crawley, the Lord Grantham, teased the movie sequel would hopefully help lift spirits amid the misery and hardship of the pandemic. “If everybody who is offered a vaccine takes a vaccine, we can make a movie,” he said on the BBC radio program “The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.” “We would love to do it, we are desperate to do it, and I think it’s the sort of pleasurable release of a movie like the first one was, that audiences would enjoy after all of this mess we have been through,” he said.

The PBS Masterpiece series ended in 2015 after six seasons and 69 Emmy Award nominations (including 15 wins).

The first “Downton Abbey” feature film was released in 2019, earning more than $200 million at the box office. The plot centered on a visit from the British royal family to the abbey. The storyline for the second film has not yet been revealed.

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How has Patrick Marleau played against the Chicago Blackhawks? by Vincent Parise

The Chicago Bears have no clear plan as to what they plan to do with their number 20 overall selection in the upcoming NFL draft. What should be the basis of their game plan?

Go for a top-tier quarterback. If unable to trade up, take an offensive lineman.

What do I mean by a top-tier quarterback? I’m talking primarily about Justin Fields. Yes, the Ohio State product should be the target for the Bears if they are trying to trade up. Go big or go home.

“It’ll be Mac Jones,” said ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “I believe that in the end, they will pick Mac Jones at three, that’ll be the pick, and they will keep Jimmy Garoppolo this year.”

Subsequently, if the NFL draft order ends up going — Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones… the Bears should try to swoop in at the Atlanta Falcons’ number 4 position in the draft to take Justin Fields. Or, if Fields is unavailable, try their luck on Wilson.

Justin Fields out here launching missiles at OSU 2nd pro day ? @justnfields

(via @OhioStateFB) pic.twitter.com/qE2xeEzW35

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) April 14, 2021

What about Trey Lance? What if Mac Jones falls?

The problem for the Bears with these two quarterbacks is they do not possess the developmental system as an organization to build a project quarterback into a top-tier NFL quarterback. Just take the latest sample, Mitchell Trubisky, to see that clearly, the Bears were unable to make him into an efficient NFL quarterback.

“That’s why the Atlanta Falcons would be the ideal spot for Trey Lance,” said Mel Kiper on QB Film Room on ESPN plus. Kiper explained that because Lance needs development as a quarterback, particularly as a commander on the field and with his decision-making, sitting behind Matt Ryan would be ideal.

The same goes for Mac Jones. Jones’s inabilities come with his athleticism and some decision-making errors. For the 49ers, they have Jimmy Garrapolo, a quarterback who like Matt Ryan has been to the Super Bowl and has plenty of experience.

Now, the Bears are staring at a possible repeat in history when they look at Mac Jones and Trey Lance in this draft. Two guys who need time and development to become great quarterbacks — neither of the two with which the Bears have to work.

Who should they take at the offensive line?

Let’s talk about the current state of the offensive line before we get into the prospects. The Bears, last season, allowed 36 sacks (16th in the NFL) and a 6.2 percent sack rate (15th in the NFL). In 2019, the Bears allowed 45 sacks (20th in the NFL) and a 7.3 percent sack rate (21st in the NFL).

Luckily for the Bears, last season, undrafted free agents Alex Bars and Sam Mustipher stepped up at the right guard and center positions, respectively. The problem this year around is filling the left tackle and interior line for the next season.

For the first round, the Bears should go after Christian Darrisaw of Virginia Tech. The 6-foot-5 and 322-pound tackle is notably one of the most gifted offensive linemen in the draft.

“He has the initial quickness and smooth agility to get to any and all blocks in the run game,” said NFL analyst Lance Zierlein in Darrisaw’s scouting report.

His ability to run-block, as well as pass-protect, a bonus for the Bears considering the Bears alarmingly was ranked 25th in line-adjusted rushing yards and 29th in stuffed percentage. The Bears could use some help with rushing the ball as well as protecting the passer.

Christian Darrisaw: Highest-graded power five pass-blocker in the NFL Draft (94.5) pic.twitter.com/hg8iJgijNa

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) April 13, 2021

If Darrisaw is unavailable, the Bears should try Alijah Vera-Tucker out of USC. Vera-Tucker is 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds. He is not as athletically gifted as Darrisaw, but he has an excellent IQ.

According to Zierlien in his scouting report, “(He) displays his recovery talent when he’s cross-faced.” His praise of Vera-Tucker as having a high IQ is an attractive quality for an interior lineman.

Okay, but the Bears still need a quarterback? Who should they take?

Kellen Mond and Kyle Trask are the best quarterback options for the Bears if they go offensive line in the first round of the draft.

According to NFL analyst Cynthia Frelund, “His (Mond) pain points mostly overlap with areas that happen to be strengths of Matt Nagy’s playbook, areas where the coach has a strong track record of teaching and inducing improvement.”

Mond may be the best option for the Bears at this stage in the draft, also because he could fall as far as the third round of the draft, leaving the Bears another space to select an offensive line or safety in the second round.

Kyle Trask is the other option for the Bears to take in the second round of the draft, and to be honest, he’s not a bad one, statistically. Trask last season threw for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns (most in NCAA), and eight interceptions. He also recorded the sixth-best passer rating in the NCAA.

Trask was written off profoundly after the Florida Gators lost their last three games of the season. Admittedly, Trask was underwhelming in each of them. In the Cotton Bowl, he threw his first touchdown-less game of the season and recorded three interceptions.

Next: Chicago Bears NFL Draft 2021: 5 underrated first-round targets

Without going into great detail, Trask is undoubtedly a project, but he provides great value for a second-round draft pick. He is a worthwhile selection for a former Heisman Trophy candidate.

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Chicago Bears: 3 trades to take advantage of Justin Fields skepticism by Ryan Heckman

The Chicago Blackhawks have an incredibly important game tonight against the Nashville Predators. Some would call it a must-win in terms of their playoff chances. That is a big story in the NHL but the biggest story is coming over in Las Vegas, Nevada. Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks is going to play in his 1768th career NHL game against the Vegas Golden Knights. That total will pass the legendary Gordie Howe for the most in the history of the league.

Anytime you pass Gordie in any category, you know that you are special. Marleau tied the record on Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild. In his career, he has played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins as well but everybody knows that he is a legendary San Jose Shark.

In his incredible career, he has 566 goals and 630 assists for 1196 points. At 41 years old, he surely isn’t the player he was many years ago but he has had a very nice career. His Hall of Fame case is going to be debated for a few years now when he is done but that is a topic for a different day.

Some Chicago fans might be wondering how he has played against their team throughout his career. In 23 years and just shy of 1800 games, you know that he is going to have played against them a bunch. 21 years of that has been with San Jose, a Western Conference foe, so you know that he has had plenty of chances.

Marleau has scored at least one goal against every team in the National Hockey League. Against the Hawks, he had 24 goals and 24 assists for 48 points in 76 games. 14 of his goals came at even strength and the other ten were on the power play. Five of those goals stood as game-winners for his team.

Patrick Marleau was not much of a penalty guy in his career. The Lady Byng ballot has seen his name on it more than once. Somehow, he has 41 career penalty minutes against the Hawks. That is the second-most against any opponent. The only team he has more against are the Anaheim Ducks who he has played 47 more times in his career and he only has five more against them. It is one of the more strange statistics linked to the Hawks and Marleau.

Marleau’s stats don’t stop against the Hawks in the regular season either. He only ever played against them in the playoffs one time. It was the 2010 Western Conference Finals. The Hawks won the series in a sweep and went on to win the Stanley Cup. In the four-game series, Marleau had five goals and one assist for six points. It was a very good series for him on a personal note but the Hawks sent him and his team home.

One of the most fascinating stats about his career is that he has appeared in at least one game with 37 percent of every player to ever play in the NHL. Of the 8100 players to play in the history of this league, Marleau has skated on the same surface in the same game as 3009 of them. That is a lot of different teammates and opponents over that span of time.

Hot: Did the Seattle Kraken influence the Blackhawks trade deadline?

Regardless of being on another team, Marleau is the type of player that deserves every fanbase’s respect. He was nothing but class and an elite talent during his entire NHL career. Congrats to him on breaking Gordie Howe’s record. Mr. Hockey is smiling down knowing that his record is being broken by someone as graceful as Patrick Marleau.

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Revisiting an old favorite by Sam Mangwana’s 80s band Tiers Monde Cooperation

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I’m a fan of avant-garde Ugandan labels Nyege Nyege Tapes and Hakuna Kalala.…Read More

Multidisciplinary artist Andrew CS moved to Chicago from Rockford, Illinois, in the mid-2010s to study interaction design at Columbia College, and then began booking intimate Sunday DIY shows—but long before either of those things happened, he’d developed an interest in field recordings by playing indie video games. “The first mode of creation that I got into was game development—specifically indie game development,” Andrew told Darwin Grosse in a 2019 interview for the podcast Art + Music + Technology.…Read More

Chicago Bears NFL Draft 2021: 5 underrated first-round targets by Ryan Heckman

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Chicago Bears (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Once upon a time, the Chicago Bears saw a division rival take advantage of a draft day fall that we all remember too well.

Back in the 2005 NFL Draft, the football world was continuously shocked as pick by pick, Aaron Rodgers slipped. For whatever reason, Rodgers fell all the way to number 24 overall.

We know how regretful a few other teams must feel, looking back on it now. Rodgers is now a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback and has spent years tormenting Bears fans.

As we approach the 2021 NFL Draft, fans could end up seeing a similar situation with a highly-touted quarterback.

Could the Chicago Bears really end up with Justin Fields?

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was once looked at as the clear-cut number two quarterback in this draft, next to Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. Now, many believe that the New York Jets will go with BYU standout Zach Wilson at no. 2 overall.

But, it doesn’t stop there. After the San Francisco 49ers traded all the way up to the no. 3 overall pick, some believe they will go for Alabama’s Mac Jones. That would leave Fields, along with North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, as the remaining top quarterbacks.

In recent weeks, Fields’ game has been picked apart by several outlets. Some are questioning whether his game will translate based on some very small intricacies in his game.

Now, we have folks asking the question: how far will Fields fall?

Because of Todd McShay nitpicking three of Fields’ games (out of his entire collegiate career), he may fall quite a bit.

But, the fact is, Fields is an incredible talent. Pro Football Focus has Fields as the top-rated passer from a clean pocket (95.4 rating) and charted him with the highest completion percentage on throws past the sticks last season at 68.4 percent.

He has the size at 6-foot-3. He has the arm. He has not only the mobility, but the superb speed. Fields has played extremely well on the big stage. Therefore, if the Bears have a chance to trade for him, they better do it. The following three scenarios are possibilities based on just how far Fields could fall.

Next: Trade Number 1

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