The NFL Draft is right around the corner and the evaluations are heating up with the ChicagoBears continuing to do their homework on setting up their draft day board. Latest reports say the Bears have shown increased interest in one specific late-round draft prospect to add to their 2021 roster.
Pat and Nick make their predictions for 2021 Sox season. HRs, Gio wins, RBI leader, Rodon innings, Madrigal hits and more. How will the season end for the Sox and how far can they go? What we’ve been waiting for is finally here. Let’s Go Sox!
Possibilities produces a live Zoom version of The Dining Room, but Melody DeRogatis has post-pandemic plans for her company.
Large family gatherings may still be fraught as we sort out who’s vaccinated and who’s not. But being a fly on the wall for the generations of WASPs in A.R. Gurney’s 1981 play The Dining Room might make you take a fresh look at family dynamics. …Read More
Major League Baseball announced Friday that it will move the All-Star Game from Atlanta’s Truist Park in response to Georgia’s new voting-rights restrictions. | John Amis/AP
The decision is in response to Georgia lawmakers enacting new voting-rights restrictions.
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball moved the All-Star Game from Atlanta’s Truist Park, a response Friday to Georgia enacting a new law last month restricting voting rights.
MLB had awarded the game to Atlanta on May 29, 2019, and the game was scheduled for July 13 as part of baseball’s midsummer break that includes the Futures Game on July 11 and Home Run Derby the following night. But Commissioner Rob Manfred made the decision to move the All-Star events and the amateur draft, which had been scheduled to be held in Atlanta for the first time.
“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,” Manfred said in a statement.
“Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views. I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft.”
Isaac Pucio, who plays Jesus Christ, acts as if he is crucified during Via Crucis on the field of St. Procopius Catholic Church in Pilsen, Friday morning, April 2, 2021. The annual Via Crucis is a Good Friday tradition that reenacts the Stations of the Cross, a Catholic devotion that recounts Jesus’ passion and death. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
This year, St. Procopius has brought back Pilsen Via Crucis, a living way of the cross celebration that has been a staple in the catholic Pilsen community for 44 years.
Isaac Bucio marched in tattered, bloodstained robes with a massive wooden cross on his back for St. Procopius Catholic Church’s annual Via Crucis event Friday.
His fellow actors whipped him lightly with a rope covered in fake blood as a procession followed in prayer down Racine Avenue in Pilsen.
Via Crucis, which means Stations of the Cross in Spanish, was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Rev. Adan Sandoval was grateful the church could hold the Good Friday procession again even though the crowd was half of its usual throng of “thousands.” Those who couldn’t be there live, could watch the event virtually.
“At times we hear so much negative news that we are closing churches and that people don’t go to church anymore,” Sandoval said. “But there’s another side of the story, that some people have this hunger for God, and we need to celebrate that.”
This is the 44th year the church has held the procession — the oldest in the Midwest, according to Sandoval.
The procession usually starts at St. Procopius, 1641 S Allport St., and ends at Harrison Park, at 1824 S Wood St., where there is a reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This year, a reenactment of the Last Supper was live-streamed from the Providence of God Church, 717 W 18th St., before the march ended at a soccer field outside of St. Procopius, where large wooden crosses had been placed. At the soccer field, the actors reenacted the crucifixion, capping off this year’s Via Crucis.
Bucio, a Chicago firefighter, has played Jesus Christ on several other occasions for the church. He just got the call last week about reprising his role again for Via Crucis.
“It brings the whole community together,” Bucio said of the procession. “When this is full-blown, 18th street you can’t walk. People come out just to get a glimpse of the procession passing by.”
Barring the long-shot acquisition of disgruntled quarterbacks Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson, Bears general manager Ryan Pace was unlikely to get a sure-fire upgrade from Mitch Trubisky/Nick Foles in free agency this year.
So why Andy Dalton? The former Bengals quarterback has been a starter for nine seasons in the NFL, but he’s been below average in four seasons since last making the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2016 — ranking 18th in 2017 (86.6), 26th in 2018 (89.6), 32nd in 2019 (78.3) and 25th last season with the Cowboys (87.3).
“We feel like we’ve gotten better with Andy,” Pace said. “Obviously his experience — he’s a nine-year starter. He’s been to three Pro Bowls; a lot of leadership with Andy Dalton; decision-making; he’s won a lot of games in this league. Andy’s been a durable player — I think that’s something that’s understated.”
Pace also pointed to Dalton’s 64.9 completion percentage in 2020 with the Cowboys — his best percentage since his career-best 66.1% in 2015, when he was second in the NFL in passer rating (106.2).
But other than that, Dalton is long removed from that career year. What it seems to have come down to was Dalton’s fit for Matt Nagy’s offense.
“Andy really fits our style of offense,” Pace said. “When you go through it with our scouts and coaches, he can handle the drop-back game, he can handle the RPOs, the play-actions, the movements. Ad we just felt, as we went through those free-agent quarterbacks, he’s one of the more complete quarterbacks we evaluated in free agency. And we’re excited to have him.”
Pace confirmed that Dalton will go into the 2021 season as the Bears’ starter, regardless of whether he acquires a quarterback in the draft. And coach Matt Nagy said he will take over play-calling duties after giving them to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor in Week 10 against the Vikings last season — even though Dalton has previous experience with Lazor calling plays for him with the Bengals.
Nagy said the better fit relates to offensive scheme, but didn’t want to get into details, in part because he didn’t want to denigrate Mitch Trubisky or Foles.
“Some things will be a little bit different,” Nagy said. “There’s going to be some things that Andy likes that Mitch and Nick hated, and vice-versa. But we’re going to work together to figure out what that is. So as a personnel department — as Ryan as the GM, myself as the head coach and a coaching staff — when you through free agency and look at everybody that’s available, it was really a consensus for us to get Andy in here.”
The signing of Dalton — especially considering his recent mediocrity — is a tacit rebuke of not only the drafting of Trubisky, but the signing of Foles as a potential starter last season.
Foles struggled in nine games (seven starts) last season — an 80.8 passer rating (10 touchdowns, eight interceptions). He had a difficult circumstances — facing four top-10 defenses as the Bears’ offensive line was crumbling. But that wasn’t enough of a mitigating factor for the Bears to not look for an upgrade.
Coming off misses with Mike Glennon in free agency and Trubisky in the draft prior to Nagy’s arrival, Foles’ failure as an acquisition with Nagy in place — plus Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — is particularly dubious for Pace. But neither Pace nor Nagy was interested in discussing that in detail.
“I think every year is a little bit different and there [are] different whys behind all of it,” Nagy said. “When you look at the way things went last year, it took us a little bit with the change that we made of starting Nick [in Week 4] and then going back to Mitch. And within there, there were some things that went on.
“We feel like this is the best for us as an organization right now, and things are always fluid every year and this is where we’re at right now and we’re excited about it. Nick understands where we’re at. Andy understands where we’re at. Our coaches know — Ryan, myself, and that’s kind of where we’re at right now. There’s just a process to it.”
For the first time since Feb. 13, the Blackhawks have a player on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list.
Rookie forward Brandon Hagel was placed on the list Friday, one day after playing and scoring a goal in the Hawks’ 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes.
Placement on the COVID-19 list doesn’t necessarily mean Hagel tested positive, however. Contract tracing, unconfirmed results and rule violations can also land a player on the list.
The Hawks held practice Friday with the rest of the team present. Philipp Kurashev moved into Hagel’s spot on the second line next to David Kampf and Dominik Kubalik, while Kirby Dach was elevated to first-line center between Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat.
This is the team’s first direct brush with COVID-19 since late January through the first half of February, when Alex DeBrincat, Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin, Ryan Carpenter and Lucas Wallmark all spent time on the list. Boqvist, Carpenter and Wallmark experienced bouts of the virus with mild symptoms while DeBrincat and Beaudin never actually tested positive.
Cases have rapidly declined over the past two months around the NHL but have begun to tick up again lately. The Canucks are currently experiencing an outbreak, with eight players reportedly testing positive Friday.
“We’re still in [the pandemic], no doubt,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “[We’re] definitely moving closer hopefully to the end than the beginning at this point. Everyone can get excited about things happening. But just like everything else, you have to take it day to day.”
Barring the long-shot acquisition of disgruntled quarterbacks Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson, Bears general manager Ryan Pace was unlikely to get a sure-fire upgrade from Mitch Trubisky/Nick Foles in free agency this year.
So why Andy Dalton? The former Bengals quarterback has been a starter for nine seasons in the NFL, but he’s been below average in four seasons since last making the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2016 — ranking 18th in 2017 (86.6), 26th in 2018 (89.6), 32nd in 2019 (78.3) and 25th last season with the Cowboys (87.3).
“Obviously his experience — he’s a nine-year starter,” Pace said. “He’s been to three Pro Bowls; a lot of leadership with Andy Dalton; decision-making; he’s won a lot of games in this league. Andy’s been a durable player — I think that’s something that’s understated.”
Pace also pointed to Dalton’s 64.9 completion percentage in 2020 with the Cowboys — his best percentage since his career-best 66.1% in 2015, when he was second in the NFL in passer rating (106.2).
But other than that, Dalton is long removed from that career year. What it seems to have come down to was Dalton’s fit for Matt Nagy’s offense.
“Andy really fits our style of offense,” Pace said. “When you go through it with our scouts and coaches, he can handle the drop-back game, he can handle the RPOs, the play-actions, the movements. Ad we just felt, as we went through those free-agent quarterbacks, he’s one of the more complete quarterbacks we evaluated in free agency. And we’re excited to have him.”
Pace confirmed that Dalton will go into the 2021 season as the Bears’ starter, regardless of whether he acquires a quarterback in the draft. And coach Matt Nagy said he will take over play-calling duties after giving them to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor in Week 10 against the Vikings last season — even though Dalton has previous experience with Lazor calling plays for him with the Bengals.
Nagy said the better fit relates to offensive scheme, but didn’t want to get into details, in part because he didn’t want to denigrate Mitch Trubisky or Foles.
“Some things will be a little bit different,” Nagy said. “There’s going to be some things that Andy likes that Mitch and Nick hated, and vice-versa. But we’re going to work together to figure out what that is. So as a personnel department — as Ryan as the GM, myself as the head coach and a coaching staff — when you through free agency and look at everybody that’s available, it was really a consensus for us to get Andy in here.”
The signing of Dalton — especially considering his recent mediocrity — is a tacit rebuke of not only the drafting of Trubisky, but the signing of Foles as a potential starter last season.
Foles struggled in nine games (seven starts) last season — an 80.8 passer rating (10 touchdowns, eight interceptions). He had a difficult circumstances — facing four top-10 defenses as the Bears’ offensive line was crumbling. But that wasn’t enough of a mitigating factor for the Bears to not look for an upgrade.
Coming off misses with Mike Glennon in free agency and Trubisky in the draft prior to Nagy’s arrival, Foles’ failure as an acquisition with Nagy in place — plus Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — is particularly dubious for Pace. But neither Pace nor Nagy was interested in discussing that in detail.
“I think every year is a little bit different and there [are] different whys behind all of it,” Nagy said. “When you look at the way things went last year, it took us a little bit with the change that we made of starting Nick [in Week 4] and then going back to Mitch. And within there, there were some things that went on.
“We feel like this is the best for us as an organization right now, and things are always fluid every year and this is where we’re at right now and we’re excited about it. Nick understands where we’re at. Andy understands where we’re at. Our coaches know — Ryan, myself, and that’s kind of where we’re at right now. There’s just a process to it.”
MINNEAPOLIS — Kneeling on the neck of someone who is handcuffed and in the prone position is “top-tier, deadly” force and should not be used, the head of the Minneapolis Police Department’s homicide division testified Friday at Derek Chauvin’s murder trial.
“If your knee is on a person’s neck, that can kill him,” said Lt. Richard Zimmerman, adding that when a person is handcuffed in the prone position, “your muscles are pulling back … and if you’re laying on your chest, that’s constricting your breathing even more.”
His testimony came a day after a Minneapolis police supervisory sergeant who was on duty the night George Floyd died testified that he believes the officers who restrained Floyd could have ended it after he stopped resisting.
David Pleoger testified Thursday that officers are trained to roll people on their side to help with their breathing after they have been restrained in the prone position.
“When Mr. Floyd was no longer offering up any resistance to the officers, they could have ended the restraint,” Pleoger said.
“And that was after he was handcuffed and on the ground and no longer resistant?” prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked.
“Correct,” replied Pleoger, who’s now retired.
Chauvin, 45 and white, is accused of killing Floyd by pinning his knee on the 46-year-old Black man’s neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds, as he lay face-down in handcuffs. Floyd had been accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a neighborhood market.
His death triggered large protests around the U.S., scattered violence and widespread soul-searching over racism and police brutality. The since-fired Chauvin is charged with murder and manslaughter, and most serious charge him carries up to 40 years in prison.
On Friday, Minneapolis police Sgt. Jon Edwards, the overnight supervisor the night Floyd died, said he secured the scene at the request of Pleoger, who was still at the hospital with Floyd. Edwards said Pleoger told him the encounter had the potential to become a “critical incident,” which could mean someone died or was seriously injured.
Edwards, who was not Chauvin’s supervisor, said he didn’t have details about what happened at that time but arrived to find two of the officers involved in Floyd’s arrest — Thomas Lane and J. Kueng — still at the intersection. He had them put up crime scene tape.
He called other officers to the scene and instructed them to go door to door looking for witnesses. Edwards said he learned later that Floyd had died, after homicide investigators arrived.
Thursday’s testimony began with Floyd’s girlfriend tearfully telling the jury how they met in 2017 — at a Salvation Army shelter where he was a security guard with “this great, deep Southern voice, raspy” — and how they both struggled with an addiction to painkillers.
“Our story, it’s a classic story of how many people get addicted to opioids. We both suffered from chronic pain. Mine was in my neck and his was in his back,” 45-year-old Courteney Ross said.
She said they “tried really hard to break that addiction many times.”
Prosecutors put Ross on the stand in an effort to humanize Floyd for the jury, portray him as more than a crime statistic and explain his drug use.
The defense has argued that Chauvin did what he was trained to do when he encountered Floyd last May and that Floyd’s death was caused by drugs, his underlying health conditions and his own adrenaline. An autopsy found fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system.
Ross said she and Floyd struggled with addiction throughout their relationship — testimony that could help prosecutors blunt the argument that drugs killed Floyd. Medical experts have said that while the level of fentanyl in his system could be fatal, people who use the drug regularly can develop a tolerance.
Ross said they both had prescriptions, and when those ran out, they took the prescriptions of others and used illegal drugs.
In March 2020, Ross drove Floyd to the emergency room because he was in extreme stomach pain, and she learned he had overdosed. In the months that followed, Ross said, she and Floyd spent a lot of time together during the coronavirus quarantine, and Floyd was clean.
But she suspected he began using again about two weeks before his death because his behavior changed: She said there would be times when he would be up and bouncing around, and other times when he would be unintelligible.
Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson drove hard at Floyd’s drug use in cross-examining Ross, asking questions aimed at showing the danger of overdose and death.
Also Thursday, Seth Bravinder, a paramedic who arrived on the scene that day, said he saw no signs that Floyd was breathing or moving, and it appeared he was in cardiac arrest. A second paramedic, Derek Smith, testified that he checked for a pulse and couldn’t detect one: “In layman’s terms? I thought he was dead.”
On cross-examination, Chauvin’s lawyer pressed Smith on Floyd’s condition as he lay on the pavement. The paramedic expressed himself in blunt terms, saying Floyd was “dead” or “deceased.”
