chicagotribune--2020-03-24--Brock Olivo, a former Bears assistant coach, is quarantined in Rome during Italy’s coronavirus lockd

Brock Olivo, a former Bears assistant coach, is quarantined in Rome during Italy’s coronavirus lockdown: ‘It’s as close to apocalyptic as we have ever seen’

“ They are debating today , as we speak , the government is considering passing a bill that will allow @ @ @ @ @ ticket for 4,000 Euros if you don ’ t have a legitimate written permit on @ @ @ @ @ been way too lenient and there hasn ’ t been enough enforcement and people just @ @ @ @ @ The Italians , this is a very social , gregarious society .
They want to @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s really difficult to contain a society like this .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ put the clamps on it and they are talking about keeping these restrictions in place @ @ @ @ @ .
”

“I’m alive.”
That’s how Brock Olivo, the Bears assistant special teams coach the last two seasons, answered the phone Tuesday afternoon from Rome, where he has been quarantined for two weeks.
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Olivo, who was fired the day after the 2019 season ended, traveled to Rome in early January for a few weeks before returning to Chicago. He headed back to Rome on Feb. 14 — four days before a 38-year-old man tested positive for the coronavirus in Lodi, a town in the northern province of Lombardy. Northern Italy was hit particularly hard, then the virus spread across the rest of country, making it the second-most infected in the world.
Olivo, 43, is healthy and has not required testing as the country has come to a near-standstill. According to Johns Hopkins University, 6,820 people have died from COVID-19 in Italy — more than any other nation — and the number of confirmed cases have topped 69,000, with some fearing the number of those carrying the virus could be exponentially higher.
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Olivo repeatedly called it a “surreal” existence.
“It’s as close to apocalyptic as we have ever seen,” said Olivo, who is living with his Italian girlfriend in an apartment.
Thoughtful with his words and pausing at times to deliver the right message in a 30-minute conversation, he is thankful that his family, including a 10-year-old daughter that lives permanently in Italy about 90 minutes from Rome, is healthy.
“I got back here right about the time this thing was starting to take off,” he said. “I’ve basically been here since the onset. Shortly thereafter, it started exploding up in the northern part of the country and from them on it’s been … unreal.
“Little by little the Italian government has been putting restrictions on social movement and now they are to the point where the entire country is under quarantine. The only retail that is open are pharmacies and grocery stores, but they are open with only limited hours. You can leave the house only for an emergency or to go grocery shopping, and only one person per household can go grocery shopping and it’s limited to once a week. You can walk your dog, but you have to have a written permit on you at all times, even if you’re just walking your dog.
“They are debating today, as we speak, the government is considering passing a bill that will allow authorities to slap you a ticket for 4,000 Euros if you don’t have a legitimate written permit on you. Because they have been way too lenient and there hasn’t been enough enforcement and people just take advantage of it. The Italians, this is a very social, gregarious society. They want to be outdoors and socializing, and it’s really difficult to contain a society like this. They’ve had to really ... put the clamps on it and they are talking about keeping these restrictions in place until the 31st of July.”
Olivo, who was born in St. Louis and raised in Hermann, Mo., last left his residence Sunday to go shopping for essentials.
“I am usually the sacrificial lamb that goes out,” he said. “I put on a mask, gloves and then get disinfected when I get back — I get sprayed down with disinfectant when I return. It’s crazy.”
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Olivo previously was the special teams coordinator with the Broncos and worked as an assistant for Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub. He had hoped to land another job in the NFL in January. He considered pro and college opportunities but nothing materialized and he returned to Rome to coach for the Lazio Ducks, who play in Division I, Italy’s top league for American football that features U.S. coaches and players. Former Baylor coach Art Briles coached Guelfi Firenze in Florence last season. Olivo was hired as the special teams coach and secondary coach.
Coach Brock is back... Yeah, you heard it right: Coach Brock Olivo will be on the Lazio Football sideline for the 2020... Posted by Lazio Football on Wednesday, February 19, 2020
“They have pitched the idea of me playing running back a few times,” said Olivo, who was Missouri’s all-time leading rusher before joining the NFL in 1997 as an undrafted free agent, spending time with the 49ers before four seasons with the Lions as a special teams standout.
“We had football practice up until two weeks ago when the full quarantine was enforced, and now everything is just on hold.”
None of the Ducks players or staff is ill, but Olivo knows some in Italy’s American football community have died. He has been involved in football there since 2007, when he coached the Bologna Warriors. He also coached Marines Lazio and the country’s national team and has led multiple groups of NFL coaches to Italy to conduct clinics, including one last summer with many current Bears assistants.
It’s natural to wonder if Olivo, who is fluent in Italian, regrets not returning to the U.S. shortly after the virus spread in mid- to late February.
“I am going to be honest,” he said. “No. My daughter is here, my girlfriend is here and I want to coach football and stay active in the game. My only chance this year was here. I had exhausted all my opportunities in the States and I was going to kill two birds with one stone, be closer to my daughter and stay in the game of football that I love.
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?I really do not have any regrets at all. Being over here where it exploded so quickly, you understood the path of the thing. ... I will stay here where I am close to loved ones and wait it out and see what happens.”
He stays in close contact with those he worked with in the NFL, frequently texting with Bears special teams coordinator Chris Tabor and his agent, Colorado-based Paul Sheehy.
“None of the conversations involve talking shop at all,” he said. “It’s, ‘Hey, man, how are you doing? Is everything OK? Hope you are well.’ People are reaching out with concern, and it’s nice because you realize the relationship goes beyond the white lines. Now I have reason to be concerned about their well-being.”
Italy did show slight signs of progress since Saturday, with both the number of newly documented cases and deaths decreasing on consecutive days, though Reuters reported another spike in deaths Tuesday, reversing the two-day decline.
“It’s an auspicious sign, but the fear is that people will see that progress, get lenient, go back outside and start socializing again,” Olivo said. “That’s why they don’t want to risk what they’re terming a second wave with this. After the numbers subside and after it gets to the point where there are no more new cases, at that point they are saying we can’t allow this mass exodus. So we need to quarantine for another 15 days after there are no more news cases.”
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In the meantime, Olivo is doing his best to maintain a daily routine.
“I’m the type of guy, I can’t sit still,” he said. “I’ve always been on the move and I’m used to a certain rhythm. So I am working out. ... Luckily I am in an apartment building that is seven stories so I am able to work out on the stairs. That is great.
“I am registered here with an Italian sommelier association, so I am following a sommelier course which I am studying at home. I am learning Spanish and working out. Cooking a lot and playing a lot of guitar because now people sing from the balconies back and forth. We’re doing the same thing, so I get out the guitar and play some songs. You become really creative when you are quarantined. All of your most creative sides need to blossom here otherwise you will go stir crazy.”
Brock Olivo, a former Bears assistant coach, plays the guitar on his balcony while quarantined in Italy during the coronavirus outbreak. (Brock Olivo photo)
Olivo’s repertoire includes songs from both countries.
“It runs the gamut from country to rock to Italian classics,” he said. “Been playing and singing a lot of ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ lately.”
After his workout Tuesday afternoon, Olivo took to the balcony, where he’s also enjoying cigars, something he stocked up on before the quarantine, to make some music. Spring has arrived, and temperatures have climbed into the 70s, so it makes for beautiful evenings even in the grip of the health scare.
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For those just beginning to work from home and practice strict social distancing in the U.S., Olivo offers a few suggestions.
“You can lose all concept of time,” he warned. “By keeping myself on a structure during the day, the day does go by quickly. But I learned in the beginning, if you are not on a structure, the days will linger and you will lose track of time and you’ll go nuts. That’s why I am on a strict schedule — I am starting sommelier (class) now. Football is now. I’m doing Spanish now. My workout is now.
“What you really realize in this is health is absolutely the No. 1 most important thing. The Italian government, and I am referring to it because I am here right now, what they’re saying is, ‘Look, people who have temporarily lost their jobs, those things can be recouped later on down the line. Your health cannot.’
“A lot of people have perished here and a lot more will, and you can’t say goodbye to them. You can’t go to their funeral. It is a very cold, cold way to go out and to have to let go of someone you love. So the government is saying, ‘Please respect the restrictions. Make these sacrifices right now because down the road if we have our health, we’re going to get through it.’ That has been the message.”
Olivo urges those in the United States to take the threat of the coronavirus seriously and not wait for positive tests and the death toll to climb.
“As we speak, people are carriers of the virus, they are infected, and they have no idea,” he said. “There is a little skepticism in everybody at the beginning of this thing. It’s natural and it’s normal because it’s so surreal and you can’t get your arms around it until this hits home, until it hits really close to home, which it has for me. I have been here in Italy and my, God, it’s happening around me.
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“Yes, people need to take this seriously now. They need to hunker down and they need to accept it for what it is now and then take care of the other things when the storm passes. Take this seriously or it is going to prolong the agony. Heartbreak, disappointment, anger, whatever it may be, you have to accept that right now. It’s a life-and-death situation.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--With no games and no patrons, Chicago sports bars scramble to stay afloat during the coronavirus shu

With no games and no patrons, Chicago sports bars scramble to stay afloat during the coronavirus shutdown: ‘I would imagine most restaurants have a month or so, and then they shutter forever’

“ You take like a Moe ’ s Cantina or Hubbard Inn or something like that , they do big @ @ @ @ @ Madness , right ?
They were already losing sales before we went down on the @ @ @ @ @ said Sam Toia , president of the Illinois Restaurant Association , which represents the state @ @ @ @ @ bars and restaurants and their 588,000-plus employees .
“ Sales were off 40 % to @ @ @ @ @ informed us that he was going to shut bars and restaurants down .
”

A few weeks ago, when the coronavirus still lived somewhat in the backdrop of the national consciousness, Palace Grill owner George Lemperis worried that business at his Blackhawks-themed diner near the United Center would slide a bit because of the hockey team’s fading playoff hopes.
Then, about a week and a half ago, he knew his bottom line would take a hit when the NHL and other leagues halted their seasons, just as U.S. coronavirus cases began to spike and the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
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And on March 15, Lemperis was at a friend’s birthday party when the worst-case scenario happened: Gov. J.B. Pritzker closed Illinois bars and restaurants to sit-down customers in an effort to stem the spread of the virus.
“I had to leave (the party). I was crying. I was sitting at his birthday party crying. ‘What are they doing to us?’ ” Lemperis said he wondered at the time.
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Will’s Northwoods Inn general manager Kevin Kruse feels Lemperis’ pain. Kruse had to postpone indefinitely the establishment’s Packerpalooza, an annual meet-and-greet with Packers fans and players such as Davante Adams and Jake Kumerow that was scheduled for April.
“With this virus going on, it hurts,” he said. “We would be selling a lot more stuff. People aren’t coming in and buying merchandise right now.”
Kruse and Lemperis echoed the concerns of several owners and general managers of Chicago’s more than 7,500 bars and restaurants who wonder how long they can stay afloat under a shutdown, concerns that only heightened Saturday with Pritzker’s “stay at home” order for residents through April 7.
“You take like a Moe’s Cantina or Hubbard Inn or something like that, they do big (business) during March Madness, right? They were already losing sales before we went down on the shutdown of restaurants,” said Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, which represents the state’s more than 25,000 bars and restaurants and their 588,000-plus employees. “Sales were off 40% to 70% before the governor informed us that he was going to shut bars and restaurants down.”
Toia said that unlike businesses that sell goods, the food service-hospitality industry — the state’s largest private sector employer — can’t make up for time lost waiting out the coronavirus outbreak.
“What are you going to do, eat out seven times three or four months from now to make up for the lost sales?” he said. “2020 is shot for the restaurant-hospitality industry.”
“So that’s why we’re working with the federal government on basically getting a bailout. The federal government’s got to step up and do in 2020 for the restaurant-hospitality industry what they did for the banks and auto industry in 2008.”
Owner George Lemperis with daughter Christina at the Palace Grill on July 8, 2014. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The National Restaurant Association warned of $225 billion in losses over the next three months, as well as the loss of between five million and seven million jobs, in a letter asking President Donald Trump and members of Congress for relief.
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“I would imagine most restaurants have a month or so, and then they shutter forever,” U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley said.
The Chicago Democrat is one of several House members working on a package for small-business relief.
“What the hospitality industry telling us this is … 25 times worse than 9/11 or 2008, the economic downturn,” Quigley said.
The federal Small Business Administration is offering low-interest loans of up to $2 million for businesses with fewer than 500 employees, and in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a $100 million loan-relief package.
But Quigley said more will be needed.
“We’re going to have to find a way (for restaurants) that’s — this isn’t a loan, this is direct assistance, to keep the lights on — available through some easier process than applying for a loan,” said Quigley, adding that the House Democratic caucus is trying to hammer out a package.
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Senate Republicans separately worked on a $2 trillion relief plan, which includes help for small businesses, and the rescue package has been undergoing bipartisan negotiations.
“Obviously small businesses, and restaurants in particular, are an important part of this,” said Quigley, a lifelong hockey fan who frequented the West Side’s Palace Grill and for “years and years” played at Johnny’s IceHouse across the street.
Until more federal and local aid comes through, Lemperis and other sports bar owners have had to get creative to stay afloat.
The Palace Grill, where dine-in customers are surrounded by Hawks jerseys and autographed pictures of players on the walls, had to start a food delivery service on the fly, something they had never done in 80 years.
“I’m lucky because I have people (in the neighborhood) that came out and supported me in droves,” Lemperis said.
Still, he estimates business is down 65%, even with deliveries and keeping only a skeleton staff while asking employees to temporarily work for free.
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With one exception — the mother of a young child — “there was not one person that turned me down,” Lemperis said, adding he told them: “ ‘I will make it up to you, I promise.’ I’m a man of my word and I will take care of them.”
Sports bars and restaurants have been getting by through pickup and delivery of food and packaged liquor. The state has relaxed some rules to allow more businesses with liquor licenses to make deliveries and offer carryout privileges, and many already had that ability through city licenses.
Without those sales, Will’s Northwoods Inn would be in dire straits, Kruse said.
“The business would probably have to shutter if it wasn’t for that,” he said.
Packers fans at Will's Northwoods Inn in 2016. (HANDOUT)
Kruse said his bar, a haven for Packers and Wisconsin Badgers fans, has benefited from supportive neighbors in the bar’s Lakeview neighborhood.
“They come in, they get their stuff, they’re giving us giving us words of encouragement to keep it going — ‘We’ll see you when this is over’ — just stuff like that.”
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The Globe Pub has seen a similar dynamic.
The North Center bar is a hub for fierce Premier League rivals, but soccer fans of all stripes have banded together to help the pub, general manager Megan Daly said.
“People that are getting takeout food and drinks from us are very generously tipping as well,” said Daly, who estimates business is down 82% from a year ago. “But I’ve had some other people reach out to me directly and say, ‘Hey, what can we do? Is there somewhere we can send money for the staff?’ ”
Rebecca Russell, of Surrey, England, shouts with other fans as they watch the World Cup semifinal game between Croatia and England on July 11, 2018 at The Globe Pub. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Merkle’s Bar and Grill also has relied on to-go orders, but it’s not enough to put a dent into general manager Russell Bishop’s biggest cost: rent.
“It’s bigger than everything (else) combined,” he said. “Rent is bigger than payroll. It’s about rent right now.
The Wrigleyville bar is near and dear to Iowans, and one of its founders is a University of Iowa graduate.
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“One day (16 years ago) we hung the flag and we became an Iowa bar,” Bishop said. “We get everyone from Iowa. It’s amazing how many (Iowa State) Cyclone fans we get here too. We just have an Iowa gravitational pull.”
The NCAA canceled winter and spring sports, and with the unpredictability of the virus and its spread, fall football isn’t a given. So college sports bars such as Merkle’s share the same hardships and uncertainty as their pro counterparts.
Bishop has scoured his books for place to cut corners, such as cable — because who needs a Direct TV subscription when live sports aren’t airing anyway?
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 24 A camera crew member works in an empty stadium during a match between Flamengo and Potuguesa as part of the Rio State Championship 2020, to be played behind closed doors at Maracana Stadium on March 14, 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Bruna Prado / Getty Images)
“We’re trying to work with like 60 or 70 vendors on getting a little bit of relief,” he said. “It’s funny. You would think we would have nothing to do as a bar owner when we close our bars for 14 days, but ... this is the busiest time of my life.
“I’m busier now than when we’re open and not making any money. The irony there is hilarious.”
There are no guarantees for when shelter-in-place order will lift, much less when sports will return. But all of the Chicago sports bar managers who spoke with the Tribune were optimistic that once doors reopen, fans will flock back to their watering holes to watch and debate sports.
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Kruse recalled one of the last weekend days Will’s Northwoods Inn was open to sit-down patrons.
“There (were) two guys that kind of started playing rock-paper-scissors," Kluse said. "It’s just the most simple, stupid little activity. But in about five minutes, a crowd had gathered around and they were cheering these guys on and, like, it was weird. I guess (with) no sports on TV, this will happen. I totally expected ESPN to walk in the door and start covering it.
“People just want to cheer for something and have a winner.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--Niles North High School junior dies in single-vehicle crash

Edwards said that because the school is closed due to the COVID-19 virus , the district will be sending out @ @ @ @ @ who are in need of emotional support in the wake of Williams ’ s death @ @ @ @ @ team will then reach out directly to students via phone .

Niles North High School officials last week said they are mourning the death of a student who was killed in a traffic crash March 18.
Niles North High School junior Matthew Williams was killed in the early morning single-vehicle accident in the 8900 block of Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, police said.
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In a letter addressed to the school community, Niles North Principal James Edwards called Williams “a vibrant member of our school community and was beloved by all of his teachers and peers.”
Williams, 16, was in a vehicle with two others when the crash occurred shortly before 4 a.m. Upon arrival to the scene, first responders determined Williams was fatally injured, police said.
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Police said the driver of the vehicle and another occupant were not seriously injured and remained on scene.
Skokie police said the crash is still under investigation and are asking anyone with knowledge regarding the crash to contact them.
Edwards said that because the school is closed due to the COVID-19 virus, the district will be sending out an appointment sign-up for students who are in need of emotional support in the wake of Williams’s death. Members of the crisis team will then reach out directly to students via phone.
The district we will be working with the Williams family to see how Niles North can offer them additional support, Edwards wrote
“When we lose a member of our Niles North family, it impacts our whole school community, so please keep the student and his family in your thoughts and prayers,” Edwards wrote.
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--Niles man accused of coughing in police officer’s face, yelling, ‘now you have the corona’

Niles Acting Police Cmdr .
Anthony Scipione said he could not confirm if Kuprowski had , in fact , been @ @ @ @ @ he had the virus .
Scipione added that there was no indication Kuprowski actually had @ @ @ @ @ in his arrest was not tested for the virus in connection with the incident .

Grzegorz T. Kuprowski was accused of coughing in the face of a Niles police officer and telling the officer he had coronavirus on March 14, 2020, police said. (Niles Police Department / HANDOUT)
A Niles man arrested on a DUI charge earlier this month is accused of repeatedly coughing on a Niles police officer and taunting the officer, telling him he now had coronavirus.
Grzegorz T. Kuprowski, 52, was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer among other charges in connection with the March 14 incident, Niles police said.
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According to a police report, officers were called to the 7600 block of Grennan Place shortly after midnight for a report of an occupied car parked in front of a residence for the last half hour.
Police observed two people in the car, including the driver, identified as Kuprowski, who appeared intoxicated and refused to follow an officer’s directions, the police report said. When the officer attempted to give Kuprowski a breathalyzer test, he allegedly began coughing on the officers who had responded and told them both he and his mother had the “corona bacteria,” police said.
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After he was placed under arrest and brought to the Niles Police Station, police said Kuprowski continued to say he had the coronavirus and, at one point, grabbed an officer by the shoulders while coughing directly in the officer’s face.
“He was madly shouting at me, ‘Now you have the corona! Now you have the corona!’” the officer wrote in the police report.
Niles paramedics transported Kuprowski to Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, where he refused testing, police said. While waiting to be discharged from the hospital, police said Kuprowski, who had been given a face mask as a precaution, removed the mask and began coughing in the same officer’s direction again, demanding to be taken home.
He was taken back to the police station instead, where, in addition to the aggravated battery charge, he was charged with aggravated driving under the influence without a valid license and resisting arrest, police said.
Kuprowski was being held in Cook County Jail without bond early this week, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Department.
Niles Acting Police Cmdr. Anthony Scipione said he could not confirm if Kuprowski had, in fact, been tested for coronavirus and if he had the virus. Scipione added that there was no indication Kuprowski actually had coronavirus and the officer involved in his arrest was not tested for the virus in connection with the incident.
On March 22, 21-year-old Anthony Ponzi, of Wilmette, was accused of yelling “corona” and coughing directly into the face of a Chicago police officer who was responding to a car crash in Rogers Park, police said. Ponzi was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer.
The Chicago Tribune contributed
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jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--‘Tiger King’: Big cats and big drama; this crazy show on Netflix is your next binge-watch during cor

‘Tiger King’: Big cats and big drama; this crazy show on Netflix is your next binge-watch during coronavirus quarantine

Joe Exotic once owned Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park .
He made money by charging people to come into the @ @ @ @ @ and take pictures with the big cats .
He also illegally bred the cubs , @ @ @ @ @ Carole Baskin , along with her husband and organization , work vehemently to shut down @ @ @ @ @ .
A rivalry unlike any before ensued , and ultimately , ended with Joe surrendering @ @ @ @ @ behind bars , ironically , like he had done to so many animals for years @ @ @ @

Let’s make this clear from the start: There is not a scripted series on Netflix right now that could come within a hair’s breadth of creating the drama that is Netflix’s latest docu-series “Tiger King.”
The new seven-part series is a deep dive into the life of Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as “Joe Exotic” and “Tiger King" and his life as a keeper of big cats including lions, tigers and other exotic animals. The result is a bombastic, highly-engrossing, and truth be told, addictive, show that details the absurd industry that is exotic animals.
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Directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin tell the tale of Joe Exotic and his exploits expertly and begin with the ending of Joe Exotic: a call from Oklahoma state penitentiary. He has found himself behind bars after being sentenced to 22-years in prison for allegedly orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot to kill his arch-nemesis Carole Baskin, who runs Big Cat Rescue, an organization that works to shut down big cat operations like Joe’s.
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Joe Exotic once owned Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park. He made money by charging people to come into the zoo to pet, feed and take pictures with the big cats. He also illegally bred the cubs, according to the series. Carole Baskin, along with her husband and organization, work vehemently to shut down operations like Joe’s. A rivalry unlike any before ensued, and ultimately, ended with Joe surrendering his zoo and being locked behind bars, ironically, like he had done to so many animals for years and years before.
Joseph Maldonado-Passage in “Tiger King” on Netflix. (Netflix / HANDOUT)
But it’s everything in between that makes “Tiger King” an incredibly compelling watch.
Prior to his arrest, Joe Exotic was a man that made for great television. For starters, he walked around his zoo carrying a gun dressed in a weird morph of cowboy-metro fashion. He had two husbands, until one killed himself on site at the zoo. The other husband later divorced him, as well.
We are introduced to so many incredible characters along the way of this show. From zoo staff that had limbs bitten off by cats (and returned to work days later), sleazy businessmen involved in trafficking exotic animals and other big cat people, some who appear to be running cults influencing young women to move from home to the zoo and sleep with its founder, Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, to become more “enlightened – this list goes on and on.
And just when you think “This can’t get any crazier," it does:
There’s a conspiracy that Carole Baskin killed her first husband. Joe Exotic runs for president. Then he runs for governor of Oklahoma. You’d need a 20-page powerpoint to keep up with all of the insanity and sub-plots that develop over the course of this series.
And with the drama we are seeing unfold before our eyes right now in regard to the coronavirus pandemic, the release of “Tiger King” could not have come at a better time because right now people need and welcome a glimpse into the chaos of someone else’s life.


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--‘This Is Us’ season finale, plus what else is on TV Tuesday, March 24

Tonight is the big Season 4 finale of “ This Is Us , ” and I ’ m about as @ @ @ @ @ hasn ’ t watched the show since seeing a few of the very first episodes @ @ @

Tonight is the big Season 4 finale of “This Is Us,” and I’m about as excited as a person who hasn’t watched the show since seeing a few of the very first episodes can be.
Ratings have fallen from their first-year highs, but NBC’s heartstrings plucker continues as the network’s biggest audience draw among scripted series.
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The episode (7 p.m., WMAQ-Ch. 5) includes the central Pearson family gathering for the first birthday of baby Jack, and, well, my eyes are starting to well up already.
There’s also a scene where Milo Ventimiglia’s doomed character wears only a Pittsburgh Steelers towel, apparently calling back to a moment from the first season. I hope they washed the towel.
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This show’s multigenerational, time-shifting family soap opera and unabashed targeting of the tear ducts is not for everybody (raising hand). But escaping into another clan’s joys and woes in this troubled historical moment doesn’t seem like the worst idea, either.
Additional Tuesday highlights from Tribune News Service
SERIES
The Conners
Newly unemployed and depressed, Harris (Emma Kenney) moves back into the Conner home, while Becky (Lecy Goranson) struggles to find childcare she can afford in a new episode. John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf also star with guest stars Rene Rosado and Steve Agee. 7 p.m. ABC
My Big Fat Fabulous Life
Whitney loves Paris, where Ryan challenges her to a brutal climb up the Eiffel Tower stairs in the season finale. 7 p.m. TLC
Ghost Adventures
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The new episode visits the Whaley House in San Diego. 7 p.m. Travel
The Biggest Loser
The final four contestants revisit a fitness milestone to see how much progress they’ve made. 8 p.m. USA
Bless This Mess
When Rio (Lake Bell) jokes about Mike’s (Dax Shepard) lack of follow-through on his hobbies and projects, he sets out to prove her wrong. Also, Constance (Pam Grier) struggles to end her romance with Pastor Paul (Geoffrey Owens). 7:30 p.m. ABC
FBI
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In the opener of tonight’s two-part crossover with sister series “FBI: Most Wanted,” Maggie and OA (Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki) investigate a bus carrying 26 students that inexplicably vanished. A prime suspect soon emerges, someone previously arrested by Special Agent LaCroix (guest star Julian McMahon, in his “FBI: Most Wanted” role). 8 and 9 p.m. CBS
Mixed-ish
Helping a friend who has mono sparks Rainbow’s (Arica Himmel) interest in the medical field in this new episode of the comedy prequel. 8 p.m. ABC
Empire
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While on the road Cookie, Candace and Carol (Taraji P. Henson, Vivica A. Fox and Tasha Smith) take a painful trip down memory lane. Also, Lucious (Terrence Howard) uses something special from the past to help give Yana (Kiandra Richardson) a big break. 8 p.m. Fox
black-ish
Andre (Anthony Anderson) volunteers at Jack and Diane’s (Miles Brown, Marsai Martin) school carnival. Also, Rainbow makes an appointment for Junior (Andre Johnson Jr.) to get his flu shot but Ruby (Jenifer Lewis) objects. 8:30 p.m. ABC
One Day at a Time
This reboot of a 1975 Norman Lear sitcom — now set in the Cuban-American Alvarez household in contemporary Los Angeles — finds a new home on Pop. In the fourth-season premiere Penelope (Justina Machado) has a new relationship, while her mother, Lydia (Rita Moreno), goes through a religious crisis. Todd Grinnell and India de Beaufort also star. 8:30 p.m. Pop, TV Land, Logo
Council of Dads
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Tom Everett Scott (“13 Reasons Why”) stars as a devoted father of five whose life is shaken up by an unexpected health scare. Clive Standen, J. August Richards, Michael O’Neill and Sarah Wayne Callies also star. 9 p.m. NBC
Frontline
The new episode “NRA Under Fire” documents how the National Rifle Association has aligned with President Donald Trump and now faces challenges from all sides as the 2020 presidential election looms. 9 p.m. PBS
Project Blue Book
A massive and highly sensitive naval exercise on the border of Russian waters is plagued by UFOs, USOs (unidentified submersed objects) and other phenomena in the season finale of the mystery series. Aidan Gillen, Michael Malarkey, Neal McDonough and Michael Harney star. 9:03 p.m. History
Miracle Workers
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Chauncley and Alexandra (Daniel Radcliffe, Geraldine Viswanathan) make big plans for their futures in the first installment of a two-episode story. Steve Buscemi also stars. 9:30 p.m. TBS
CORONAVIRUS
Pandemic: What You Need to Know (N) 11 a.m. ABC
Diario del coronavirus 2 p.m. Univision
Coronavirus Crisis (N) 6 p.m. Fox
Coronavirus Pandemic Coverage (N) 9 p.m. Fox News
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SPECIALS
East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story Filmmaker Ken Burns is an executive producer on this new documentary from Sarah Burns, Ken’s daughter, and her husband, David McMahon, which explores the impact of racism on public housing through the prism of East Lake Meadows, a community that opened just outside Atlanta in 1970. 7 p.m. PBS
TALK SHOWS
CBS This Morning (N) 6 a.m. CBS
Today Coronavirus. (N) 6 a.m. NBC
Good Morning America Ryan Seacrest; Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. (N) 6 a.m. ABC
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Live With Kelly and Ryan Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie (“American Idol”). (N) 8 a.m. ABC
The View Sara Haines; Katy Perry; Lionel Richie; Luke Bryan. (N) 9 a.m. ABC
Rachael Ray Hilaria Baldwin. (N) 9 a.m. Fox
The Dr. Oz Show The Coronavirus pandemic: What the government is doing to protect the most vulnerable; helping seniors access care and testing; how to disinfect a home and a car. (N) Noon Fox
The Kelly Clarkson Show Lucy Hale; Neil deGrasse Tyson; Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval (“Vanderpump Rules”). (N) 1 p.m. NBC
Dr. Phil Dr. Phil speaks with parents and teens about living and parenting under quarantine. (N) 2 p.m. CBS
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The Ellen DeGeneres Show Will Ferrell (“Downhill”); Selena Gomez (CD “Rare”); guest host Jennifer Aniston. 2 p.m. NBC
The Real (N) 2 p.m. Fox
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah 10 p.m. Comedy Central
Conan Jameela Jamil. 10 p.m. TBS, 11:30 a.m. TBS
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.); Lady Antebellum performs; filmmaker Peter Jackson. 10:35 p.m. CBS
Nightline (N) 10:35 p.m. ABC
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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Mandy Moore talks and performs; actor Dane DeHaan. (N) 11 p.m. NBC
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Elle Fanning; Dave Burd; Local Natives perform. 11:04 a.m. ABC
The Late Late Show With James Corden Actor Rob Corddry; actress Lake Bell; comic Anna Drezen. 11:37 a.m. CBS
Late Night With Seth Meyers Bernie Sanders; Julio Torres; DeRay Mckesson; Carter McLean performs. 12:03 a.m. NBC
A Little Late With Lilly Singh Karen Gillan. 1:04 a.m. NBC
MOVIES
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Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché
Jodie Foster narrates this 2018 documentary profile from filmmaker Pamela B. Green that explores the life and work of cinema’s first female filmmaker, a multifaceted late 19th century French artist who is widely credited as among the first to make a narrative fiction film. 4 and 8 p.m. TCM
DAYTIME MOVIES
Tabloid (2010) 7:10 a.m. TMC
Trumbo (2015) 8:05 a.m. Showtime
The Lookout (2007) 8:05 a.m. Starz
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The Princess Bride (1987) 8:30 a.m. AMC
Sense and Sensibility (1995) 8:40 a.m. and 7 p.m. TMC
The Cincinnati Kid (1965) 8:45 a.m. TCM
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) 9 a.m. FX
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) 9:30 a.m. Syfy
Rocky Balboa (2006) 9:45 a.m. Starz
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Mission: Impossible II (2000) 10:15 a.m. IFC
The Impossible (2012) 10:15 a.m. Showtime
The Sand Pebbles (1966) 10:45 a.m. TCM
A Few Good Men (1992) 11 a.m. Sundance
Personal Velocity (2002) 11 a.m. TMC
The Fault in Our Stars (2014) 11:30 p.m. FXX
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American Gangster (2007) 12:33 p.m. Starz
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) 12:43 p.m. Syfy
Top Gun (1986) 1 p.m. AMC
Les Misérables (2012) 1:15 p.m. HBO
Dazed and Confused (1993) 1:31 p.m. Encore
Saving Private Ryan (1998) 2 p.m. Sundance
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An Enemy of the People (1978) 2 p.m. TCM
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) 2:30 p.m. FXX
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) 3 p.m. OVA
The First Wives Club (1996) 3 p.m. POP
Speed (1994) 3:30 p.m. AMC
The Babadook (2014) 3:30 p.m. TMC
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) 3:35 p.m. Syfy
Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché (2018) 4 & 8 p.m. TCM
Something’s Gotta Give (2003) 4:50 p.m. EPIX
Slap Shot (1977) 4:54 p.m. Encore
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) 5 p.m. Freeform
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) 5:30 p.m. OVA
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The Matrix (1999) 6 p.m. AMC
The Karate Kid (1984) 6 p.m. Sundance
Beirut (2018) 6:15 p.m. Starz
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) 6:30 p.m. Syfy
Sense and Sensibility (1995) 7 p.m. TMC


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--Dog featured in Super Bowl ad dies, but ‘Scout’s legacy will live on’

Dear friends , Our beloved Golden Retriever Scout MacNeil has crossed the rainbow bridge into a place where he does not have to fight cancer anymore .
In the last couple of weeks the cancer tumors started to bleed around his heart and around his lungs .
The doctors were able to stop the bleeding for a while , but his body became anemic and weak .
Scout was fighting hard and he bravely tried his best to stay strong , but it became clear his quality of life had seriously declined .
Of course there is much sadness as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have so much to be grateful for because we knew his sweet and loving soul .
Sweet is just the beginning when describing Scout .
He was something larger than life that is hard to put into words .
Kind , loving , caring , joyful , happy , intuitive , and brave are just a few .
Nonetheless , he had an ability to reach right into your heart and make you feel loved .
He lived to love and to be loved .
Scout will live on in all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School who valiantly tried to save him .
Scout ’ s legacy will live on by the lives he touched with his enormous spirit and by bringing international attention to canine cancer and his own personal fight against hemangiosarcoma cancer .
When Scout passed away today , a little of all of us died with him .
Scout started his life in Midway , Texas playing with all of his siblings on a farm .
Today he died a hero .
He was everyone ’ s sweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain in our hearts forever.🧡

Kelly Meyerhofer, The Wisconsin State Journal

Scout, star of WeatherTech's 2019 and 2020 Super Bowl ads, is seen in an undated photo. The golden retriever died March 22, 2020. (Sean Fine / HANDOUT)
Scout, a dog beloved by many at the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine and star of several Super Bowl commercials, died Sunday. He was 7.
Scout’s death, announced by Instagram to his nearly 10,000 followers, comes about two months after the golden retriever stole the show in a 30-second Super Bowl commercial that brought worldwide attention to the veterinary school and encouraged hundreds of millions of viewers to donate money to continue the school’s animal cancer research.
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An estimate on how much money the commercial has raised was not available Monday, university officials said.
Scout’s owner, WeatherTech CEO David MacNeil, paid about $6 million for the commercial featuring Scout’s journey as a canine cancer survivor.
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Doctors diagnosed Scout last year with a heart-based tumor that left him with just weeks to live. On the recommendation of some local veterinarians, MacNeil took him to UW Veterinary Care, the school’s teaching hospital, where oncologists came up with an aggressive treatment plan that extended Scout’s life expectancy.
Scout started his life on a farm in Midland, Texas, according to his Instagram obituary. He would go on to advertise WeatherTech’s pet products as the company’s unofficial mascot and star in several company commercials.
In recent weeks, Scout’s quality of life declined. The dog’s tumors began to bleed, which doctors were able to stop, but Scout became anemic and weak.
“Scout was fighting hard and he bravely tried his best to stay strong, but it became clear his quality of life had seriously declined,” the Instagram post said. “Scout’s legacy will live on by the lives he touched with his enormous spirit and by bringing international attention to canine cancer and his own personal fight against hemangiosarcoma cancer.”
School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Mark Markel said in a statement: “He trotted through the hospital with the most joyful demeanor, greeting all with a big smile and ever-wagging tail, and I know we will all miss him terribly.”
©2020 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)
Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at www.wisconsinstatejournal.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Follow @ChiTribBusiness on Facebook and @ChiTribBiz on Twitter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Two parents of Park Ridge-Niles District 64 students test positive for COVID-19: Superintendent

“ At this juncture , we should not be surprised when presumed positive or positive test results are identified within @ @ @ @ @ said in his message to parents on Monday after the first case of coronavirus was @ @ @ @ @ this will continue to happen , and this is a major reason why schools in @ @ @ @ @ why the governor issued a ‘ stay at home ’ order through April 7 .
@

Two parents of Park Ridge elementary school students have tested positive for COVID-19, Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 announced this week.
The parents have children who attend Roosevelt Elementary School, District 64 Supt. Eric Olson said in emails in parents. They are from two different families, Olson said.
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The first parent was tested March 11 after experiencing symptoms of the illness, but just learned the results of the test on Saturday, a message to parents said.
The individual has been hospitalized, and the person’s spouse and children have been self-quarantined in their home since March 11, according to the district. None have reportedly shown symptoms of COVID-19.
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The second parent began experiencing symptoms on March 15, was tested the following day and received the results two days later, Olson’s email said. This individual has been in self quarantine since March 15 and is “recovering nicely at home,” Olson said.
“At this juncture, we should not be surprised when presumed positive or positive test results are identified within our community,” Olson said in his message to parents on Monday after the first case of coronavirus was reported. “We assume this will continue to happen, and this is a major reason why schools in Illinois are currently closed and why the governor issued a ‘stay at home’ order through April 7.”
Neither of the infected individuals are being identified by the school district due to federal privacy laws, said Olson, who also cautioned parents about “how rumors and false information can damage and hurt others.”
Schools were closed March 13 across the state in order to encourage social distancing and contain the spread of coronavirus. Several days later, Olson urged parents and students to avoid congregating on school playgrounds and properties after he had received several reports from concerned parents about group activity.
Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney said the report of COVID-19 within the District 64 community “drives home the point of why social distancing is important and why we are staying home in the first place.”
“This won’t be the last case we have in Park Ridge,” Maloney predicted Monday, prior to the report of the second parent testing positive. “That’s why it’s extremely important that people observe best practices from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the CDC and take this shelter in place order from the governor seriously.”
jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-03-25--When will Chicago theater reopen? Here is the little we do know

Some shows that had initially hoped to pause and return have now pulled the plug entirely .
Sad to say @ @ @ @ @ “ What the Constitution Means to Me ” at the Broadway Playhouse is in that @ @ @ @ @ musical , “ Once Upon a One More Time , ” slated for April , @ @ @ @ @ , at least , and maybe not at all .
In hard-hit New York , @ @ @ @ @ the spring as likely to be a season of closed doors .
You can probably @ @ @ @ @ in June ; the smart money has Broadway not returning in any kind of recognizable @ @ @ @ @ summer , but that ’ s still mostly a guess .
So is what shows @ @ @ @ @ .

Question: When will I be able to see a live show again in Chicago? Answer: Nobody has any idea.
Obviously, show business is just one component within any return to normalcy, the chronology of which mostly will depend on acts by governmental bodies. If it is not legal to gather in any meaningful number (and for good reason it’s not), then theater cannot return. We all have to listen to our city and state leaders for both policy and advice.
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For that reason, up-to-date cancellation lists don’t make a lot of sense anymore. Like other institutions starved of revenue, theaters are anxious not to nix things too far ahead, hoping for the best. But that is starting to change, albeit slowly, as producers become more realistic about the timeframe of this crisis.
One major pending issue is that theaters cannot come back as quickly as, say, a restaurant that just has to open the kitchen and wipe down the tables. Shows need rehearsing, at least a month or so out, and if you don’t have a show ready to go, you cannot open. Add in massive confusion over scrambled schedules within a complex business and a lot of self-quarantined managerial heads are on the verge of explosion, all over the kitchen.
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So let’s get real.
In essence, it’s looking like the entire spring will be a bust. For theater that operates on a traditional seasonal schedule, that probably will mean that the 2019-20 season already is over. Most likely.
Summer remains much more hopeful. For example, the pending run of “Dear Evan Hansen” is still on for the CIBC Theatre in the Loop for July 7 to Sept. 27. “Be More Chill” hopes to open at the Apollo Theater in July. As I write, at least.
Already, though, Broadway in Chicago has canceled shows that are further and further out. The national tour of “Waitress,” expected in May, is now postponed until 2021. “The Simon and Garfunkel Story,” also slated for May, is now coming in December. “My Fair Lady,” yet another May attraction, is still planning on that merry month.
But in 2021. (Just before the rescheduled Olympics).
Some shows that had initially hoped to pause and return have now pulled the plug entirely. Sad to say, the terrific staging of “What the Constitution Means to Me” at the Broadway Playhouse is in that category. The Britney Spears musical, “Once Upon a One More Time,” slated for April, is not happening in Chicago, at least, and maybe not at all. In hard-hit New York, Broadway people increasingly are viewing the spring as likely to be a season of closed doors. You can probably forget the 2020 Tony Awards in June; the smart money has Broadway not returning in any kind of recognizable way until at least early summer, but that’s still mostly a guess. So is what shows will or will not survive.
Some theaters, though, have yet to make these painful calls: At the Goodman Theatre, for example, “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” still is officially suspended rather than nixed entirely. But it will be tough to stage that show now, as it will be hard to put the upcoming “Molly Sweeney” together. The official line? “Our plan as of today is to proceed with ‘School Girls’ and ‘Molly Sweeney’ when it is safe to do so.”
Adia Alli, Katherine Lee Bourné, Ashley Crowe, Ciera Dawn and Tiffany Renee Johnson in "School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play" at the Goodman Theatre. The cast and play had been set to open before the pandemic shutdown. (Liz Lauren photo)
One show the Goodman is really hoping to maintain is its major summer musical, “The Outsiders,” which is not slated until late June. Fingers crossed.
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Most theaters are adopting a wait-and-see approach for a least the next couple of weeks (Second City has now closed “until further notice”), while trying to stay relevant and keep staffers busy from home by rolling out new content online (Steppenwolf Theatre Company, for example, is putting out a new podcast as well as archival material, including a free video featuring ensemble members telling stories at the 40th anniversary gala).
Court Theatre, Writers Theatre and Northlight Theatre all are saying that they have suspended operations, but they have not canceled most of their upcoming shows. On Navy Pier, which is shuttered, Chicago Shakespeare Theater surely will be forced to gut its spring programming, including, of course, the visit to Chicago by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with “The Taming of the Shrew.” It is still hoping to be a part of “Six the Musical” at the Broadway Playhouse this summer. But very little has been announced to date.
In terms of productions, Steppenwolf is staying optimistic. Its production of “King James” still is scheduled to begin previews on May 10. “Catch as Catch Can,” the final show of the season, still is on schedule. At this juncture, anyway. And the Drury Lane Oakbrook is still hoping to begin “Evita” on May 1.
We can hope for that fast a recovery. We also have to face reality.
But it will warm, things will improve, and Chicago theater will return.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
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cjones5@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--Ask Amy: Twentysomething struggles with work-life balance

The ideal -- for you , for your guy , and for everyone -- is to find a healthy balance @ @ @ @ @ relationships .
It is not unusual to feel like you 've `` lost '' yourself @ @ @ @ @ love .
It 's called `` falling '' for a reason .
That sensation of @ @ @ @ @ , but it is frightening , too .
And yes , obsessively feeding one relationship @ @ @ @ @ and career progress .
Remember , the primary relationship in your life will always be @ @ @ @ @ yourself .

Dear Amy: My boyfriend and I are in our early 20s. We have been in a long-distance relationship for 18 months.
He is my first major love and relationship. Now our current (yet tentative) plan is to move in together after my Ph.D. is done and his business settles. He is very supportive and I'm happy being with him. However, I'm not sure if I'm ready.
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I've lost myself as I put so much energy, time and effort to our relationship, instead of investing in myself. I became emotional and I'm not as productive or disciplined as I was. I don't know how to balance myself, as this is my first relationship. I'm not sure if a relationship is good for me or I'm ready to be in one. I want to focus and invest in myself without his influence because I'm scared of losing myself even more.
My boyfriend wants to be supportive, but we are both so clueless. Should we break up, or find a balance?
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Is there a way to be in a relationship and still be your most productive/career-driven self in your 20s?
— Unsure
Dear Unsure: Regardless of the plans you two have made, you should dial in to that feeling in your gut. Your early-20s is a time of emotional development and exploration, and in that sense, your concern about this demonstrates that you are right on track.
The ideal -- for you, for your guy, and for everyone -- is to find a healthy balance, in your life and relationships. It is not unusual to feel like you've "lost" yourself when you first fall in love. It's called "falling" for a reason. That sensation of tumbling through space is thrilling, but it is frightening, too. And yes, obsessively feeding one relationship will curtail your own personal and career progress. Remember, the primary relationship in your life will always be the one you have with yourself.
You should choose to live wherever your Ph.D. takes you, in order to build a career in your field, and no -- given how you are feeling, you should not cohabit until you are absolutely certain.
If you move to his city, renting a room in a group house (instead of cohabiting) might be a good idea for you.
Dear Amy: Why is there a stigma about living with your parents?
In many cultures around the world multi-generational households are considered the norm. No stigma exists.
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My home is in a very high rent area where people pay as much as two-thirds of their income for housing.
I decided to rent out two bedrooms. My renters each have their own area in the house, as do I. My tenants are my adult children. All expenses are split equally, as are household duties as defined in our tenant contract.
We respect each other's privacy.
The advantages of this arrangement allow for each of us to pay far less than we would living on our own. We all get to live in a well-maintained, nice home in a part of the country we love.
We take care of each other's pets when someone is away.
We live with people we know and trust.
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So far, this is working well for us.
— Lea, in Santa Cruz, CA
Dear Lea: This arrangement sounds ideal. I agree with you that the North American concept of rugged individualism may have created a stigma about adults living with their folks, but this same concept also allows you to ignore the stigma, and live as you please.
Dear Amy: Your advice to "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" was off base.
This girls' volleyball coach had insisted that she shave her arm pits and legs.
She wears a "uniform," as in, the coach wants his team to look "uniform."
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If this young woman wants to play volleyball that badly, then she should follow the coaches' rules.
Ask Amy Daily No-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Sure, there is gender discrimination in the world, but this smacks of too much micro-feedback, and to call it discrimination goes way too far.
Instead of supporting the coach and his idea of how to be proud of his team, you rule in favor of a young teenager who now learns that she can go over his head to the school administrator for stupid stuff.
— Margie
Dear Margie: In my mind, demanding that this young athlete shave her body is the essence of "micro-feedback." As I said in my response, unless male volleyball players are also asked to shave, I think this girl should be left alone.
Get the latest no-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning with our Ask Amy newsletter. Sign up here.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
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Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--NFL memo from Commissioner Roger Goodell mandates strict closure rules for all team facilities

How the rest of the offseason will unfold is anyone ’ s guess as of now .
The league ’ @ @ @ @ @ schedule last week , even amid the nation ’ s turbulence .
Free agency kicked @ @ @ @ @ has proceeded accordingly on that front .
But the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 crisis @ @ @ @ @ its member clubs to remain flexible with how they respond and operate .

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Halas Hall officially will be off limits to Bears general manager Ryan Pace, coach Matt Nagy and their entire staffs, per NFL rules.
In fact, according to a memo Commissioner Roger Goodell sent Tuesday night, the only employees who will be allowed access to any of the 32 team facilities across the country will be athletic trainers or physicians providing ongoing medical treatment to players; security personnel or independent contractors needed to “maintain the physical security of the facility and its contents;” and technology personnel needed to help teams football and business staffs successfully work remotely.
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The Bears already announced early last week that, in response to directives from the state of Illinois and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, they had closed their offices at Halas Hall, Soldier Field and their downtown location on Wacker Drive indefinitely. The league’s new orders mandate those measures remain in place until further notice.
As the widespread impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect businesses of all kinds, the NFL has adopted these latest measures to ensure a level playing field. Goodell’s memo noted that the new leaguewide restrictions were reviewed and endorsed by the NFL’s competition committee and would remain in effect until at least April 8, when updated advice from medical experts and public health authorities will be taken into account.
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The memo that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent to clubs sent this evening. pic.twitter.com/66RuwELW08 — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 25, 2020
“The challenges we face are not unique — many businesses and individuals throughout the country are experiencing and addressing similar issues,” Goodell wrote. “Please be assured that the NFL is well-positioned to meet these operational challenges as we prepare to offer our fans and the country an outstanding 2020 NFL season.”
How the rest of the offseason will unfold is anyone’s guess as of now. The league’s new year began on schedule last week, even amid the nation’s turbulence. Free agency kicked off Wednesday, and business has proceeded accordingly on that front. But the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 crisis have caused the league and its member clubs to remain flexible with how they respond and operate.
Teams also have been dealing with a shake-up to their normal predraft procedures with travel by coaches, talent evaluators and prospects prohibited at this time. It remains to be seen whether next month’s draft will still occur on schedule. That event is slated for April 23-25, though the league’s festivities in Las Vegas already have been canceled.
In addition, teams are already bracing for a significant abbreviation to their offseason programs with no guarantee that players will be allowed to convene for the usual springtime organized team activities and minicamps.


chicagotribune--2020-03-24--Illinois guard Alan Griffin, the team’s top 3-point shooter, says he’s entering the transfer portal

“ Illini nation , I first want to start off by saying thank you and welcoming me with open arms @ @ @ @ @ years , '' a post on Griffin ’ s Twitter account read .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ university , my teammates , the coaching staff , and all of the staff .
@ @ @ @ @ , I have decided to enter my name in the transfer portal .

Illinois sophomore guard Alan Griffin is entering the transfer portal, he announced Tuesday on Twitter.
His departure leaves a significant void for coach Brad Underwood. Griffin led the Illini in 3-point shooting at 41.6% and ranked fifth scoring at 8.9 points per game.
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He came off the bench in all but one of 28 games he played this season, but his playing time increased from 8.1 minutes per game as a freshman to 18.1 minutes.
“Illini nation, I first want to start off by saying thank you and welcoming me with open arms and supporting me through the years," a post on Griffin’s Twitter account read. "I also want to thank the university, my teammates, the coaching staff, and all of the staff. After careful thought and consideration, I have decided to enter my name in the transfer portal.
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"I wish all of the upcoming and current players and the coaching staff best of luck next season. Please respect my decision.”
Griffin displayed a hot hand in a few games this season. In a late-February victory at Northwestern, he hit 9 of 11 field goals, including 6 of 8 3-pointers, to score a career high 24 points.
The son of former Bulls guard and assistant coach Adrian Griffin, who is now an assistant with the Raptors, Alan Griffin was a three-star recruit out of New York.
“He adds another dimension,” Underwood said after Illinois beat Northwestern. “Alan’s becoming a really nice Big Ten basketball player. (He is) light years (better) on the defensive end.”
Like most college basketball teams, No. 21 Illinois’ season ended early after the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments were called off because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
Griffin was expected to be a key player for the 2020-21 Illini after the loss of guard Andres Feliz to graduation. Sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu, the team’s leading scorer, is weighing a decision about leaving early to enter the NBA draft.


chicagotribune--2020-03-25--Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Third-string quarterback Tyler Bray returns and former Sea

Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Third-string quarterback Tyler Bray returns and former Seahawks offensive lineman Germain Ifedi arrives on a 1-year deal

What it means : The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap .
Quinn , who will @ @ @ @ @ joins the Bears and All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack for his 10th NFL season .
@ @ @ @ @ with the Cowboys in 2019 , the second-most in his career behind the 19 he @ @ @ @ @ All-Pro .
He also had 22 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for a loss , @ @ @ @ @ passes defended .
Quinn was a Rams first-round pick in 2011 , and he spent @ @ @ @ @ the team before spending a year each with the Dolphins and Cowboys .
He has @ @ @ @ @ career .
The deal , for $ 70 million with $ 30 million guaranteed , @ @ @ @ @ , with Mack and Akiem Hicks , even more formidable .

The Chicago Bears have been quite active as they build their 2020 roster.
On March 18, general manager Ryan Pace made his biggest move of the offseason, trading a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars to acquire veteran quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
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The Tribune’s team is tracking all of the Bears’ moves — with players arriving and exiting — and providing insight into what each move means.
[ Bears draft tracker: 7-player class is complete, from a local tight end to a pair of cornerbacks and a speedy receiver ]
May 13
Former Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara is signing with the Raiders, according to NFL Network .
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What it means: Amukamara will begin his 10th NFL season in Las Vegas after the Bears released him earlier this offseason. The deal reportedly is for one year. Amukamara was a Giants first-round pick in 2011 and played five seasons with the Giants, one with the Jaguars and three with the Bears. He had three interceptions, including a pick-six, and 29 passes defended in his Bears career. The Bears cut Amukamara to clear $9 million in salary-cap space and drafted his expected replacement last month when they took Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson with the 50th pick.
May 5
Edge rusher Aaron Lynch signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars, the team announced .
What it means: Lynch played two seasons in a reserve role for the Bears, totaling five sacks, 22 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss and 17 quarterback hits. A 49ers fifth-round pick in 2014, Lynch will join the Jaguars for his seventh NFL season. He has 20 career sacks. The Bears already had secured reserve outside linebackers to play behind starters Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. They signed former Browns first-round pick Barkevious Mingo to a one-year deal and traded a future draft pick to grab Tulsa’s Trevis Gipson in the fifth round of the draft last month.
April 30
The Bears are adding veteran safety Tashaun Gipson on a one-year deal, according to Pro Football Talk.
What it means: The Bears appear to have a starting safety to play alongside Eddie Jackson. Gipson has started 104 games over eight NFL seasons, including 62 over the last four years with the Jaguars and Texans. He has 23 career interceptions, three of which came in 2019 in his lone season in Houston, and 47 career passes defended, including eight last year. He also had a pick-six in 2019.
Gipson, who will be 30 in August, signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012. He made the Pro Bowl in 2014, when he returned six interceptions for 158 yards and one touchdown.
The Texans signed Gipson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract last year, but he finished the season on injured reserve with a back injury. They cut him this week.
The Bears are signing veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to a one-year deal, an NFL source confirmed.
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What it means: Ginn, who turned 35 this month, will join the Bears for his 14th NFL season after three with the Saints. He had 30 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games last season. The 2007 Dolphins first-round pick also spent time with the 49ers, Cardinals and Panthers.
Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara knocks a ball down in the end zone as Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn is unable to make a catch in the second quarter at Soldier Field on Oct. 20, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
He had three straight seasons of at least 700 receiving yards from 2015-2017, including a career-high 10 touchdown catches in 2015 with the Panthers. He has played in 15 playoff games in his career. And he also was a punt and kick returner earlier in his career, with seven career return touchdowns.
Ginn provides the Bears with a speedy, experienced competitor to join a fairly young receivers room beyond veteran Allen Robinson.
April 29
The Bears signed wide receiver and returner Trevor Davis to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: A fifth-round draft pick by the Packers in 2016, Davis joins the Bears for his fifth NFL season. Davis, 26, played in 31 games with the Packers, totaling nine catches for 122 yards. He bounced between the Packers, Dolphins and Raiders in 2019 and had seven catches for 83 yards in nine games (four starts) with the Raiders.
He also is an experienced return man. He had a career-high 24 punt returns for 289 yards (12.0 average) and 31 kickoff returns for 707 yards (22.8) in 2017. And among his three teams in 2019, he had 22 punt returns for 145 yards (6.6) and 23 kickoff returns for 506 yards (22.0).
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April 28
The Bears signed defensive tackle John Jenkins to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: The Bears are bringing back the seven-year NFL veteran to serve as depth on the defensive line after Nick Williams left for a two-year contract with the Lions. Jenkins has played for five teams since he was drafted in the third round in 2013, including eight games for the Bears in 2017. He played in all 16 games for the Dolphins last year, making five starts, with 34 tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack.
April 22
Tight end Trey Burton signed a one-year contract with the Colts, the team announced .
What it means: It took Burton five days after the Bears cut him to latch on with a new team. He reunites with coach Frank Reich, who was the offensive coordinator with the Eagles for two seasons when Burton was there. Burton’s contract is for the veteran minimum, NFL Network reported, which will deduct from the $4 million the Bears owe him for this season.
The Bears cut Burton after an injury-plagued 2019 season in which he caught just 14 passes for 84 yards over eight games.
We have signed TE Trey Burton. — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 23, 2020
April 17
The Bears are releasing tight end Trey Burton, the team announced.
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What it means: Burton’s tenure in Chicago comes to an end two years before his four-year, $32 million contract is up.
The Bears are cutting him after he totaled 14 catches for 84 yards and no touchdowns during an injury-plagued 2019 season. It’s the latest development for Burton in a dramatic 16-month span that started when he was a late scratch for the 2018 playoff loss to the Eagles because of a groin injury. He had sports hernia surgery last offseason, battled a groin injury over eight games in 2019 and then had hip surgery in December.
The Bears signed veteran tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason, and Burton’s departure could mean they’re eyeing another in next week’s draft.
The Bears are signing former Packers offensive lineman Jason Spriggs to a one-year deal, ESPN reported.
Packers' Jason Spriggs runs a drill at training camp on July 25, 2019. (Morry Gash/AP)
What it means: The 6-foot-6, 301-pound Spriggs adds depth to the Bears at tackle after free agent tackle Cornelius Lucas left for the Redskins. Spriggs, a 2016 second-round pick, has started just nine games for the Packers in his career. He’s dealt with back and elbow injuries leading up to the 2019 season and spent the year on injured reserve. An Elkhart, Ind., native, Spriggs, who will turn 26 next month, was an All-American at Indiana in his senior season in 2015.
The Bears signed free-agent kicker Ramiz Ahmed and exclusive-rights free agents J.P. Holtz and Rashaad Coward, the team announced.
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What it means: Ahmed joins the Bears on a one-year deal as apparent competition for kicker Eddy Pineiro. He last kicked in 2018 at Nevada, where he made 15 of 20 field-goal attempts and 40 of 44 extra-point attempts. He made Nevada’s team in 2017 in a walk-on tryout and did kickoffs that season. The Bears settled on Pineiro after a wild kicking competition last year, and he was 23-for-28 on field goals and 27-for-29 on extra points in his rookie year.
Holtz and Coward return as expected. Coward is expected to compete for the starting spot at right guard with newcomer Germain Ifedi after Coward started 10 games in 2019. Holtz, one of nine tight ends on the roster, played in 14 games for the Bears in 2019 and had seven catches for 91 yards.
April 16
Defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with a one-year contract.
What it means: Veteran defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with the Bears on a one-year contract. The longtime special teams standout will be entering his ninth season with the organization after arriving via a trade during the 2012 preseason. McManis missed the final four games last season with a groin injury that didn’t require surgery. He had 11 tackles in defense last season and a forced fumble in the Week 5 loss to the Raiders in London.
McManis, a Peoria native and Northwestern product, had eight stops on special teams last season. The 32-year-old has 88 special teams tackles in the last eight seasons. He’s the third free agent in the secondary to re-sign with the Bears following safeties Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson. All three are on one-year contracts.
April 15
Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris signed his restricted free-agent tender.
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What it means: The move ensures Robertson-Harris will be back in the fold in 2020. The Bears tendered the former undrafted free agent at the second-round level, meaning he will earn $3.259 million this season. That higher tender ensured no other teams would attempt to lure him away with an offer sheet.
Had the Bears tendered Robertson-Harris at the original-round level, they would have had only right of first refusal on an offer sheet because he was undrafted coming out of UTEP. The 26-year-old had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2½ sacks in 15 games last season. Provided he remains healthy, he figures to do well for himself in free agency next March.
By signing the tender, Robertson-Harris will be eligible to participate in the team’s virtual voluntary offseason workout program.
March 25
The Bears are bringing back third-string quarterback Tyler Bray, ESPN reported.
What it means: Bray returns for a third season as the Bears’ third-string quarterback. He spent the last two years on the practice squad behind Mitch Trubisky and Chase Daniel. Bray, 28, has a long history with coach Matt Nagy, dating back to their mutual arrival in Kansas City in 2013. Bray also spent the 2016 Chiefs season with new Bears quarterback Nick Foles.
He has one career pass attempt in one career regular-season appearance, in 2017 with the Chiefs. Even with the signing, the Bears could still draft a quarterback to add to their mix.
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The Bears agreed to a one-year deal with former Seahawks offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, NFL Network reported.
What it means: The Bears are in need of competition at right guard with Rashaad Coward and depth at tackle behind Charles Leno and Bobbie Massie. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Ifedi played both guard and tackle during his four seasons with the Seahawks.
Seahawks offensive guard Germain Ifedi tries to stop Bears linebacker Khalil Mack during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 17, 2018. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Ifedi, who will turn 26 in June, was a 2016 first-round draft pick and started 60 games in Seattle, including 100% of their offensive snaps in 2019. He has been called for 12 holding and 29 false start penalties in his career, according to Pro Football Reference.
March 23
The Bears are re-signing safety DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year contract, a source told the Tribune.
What it means: Houston-Carson, a sixth-round pick in 2016, is back in the mix as a core special teams player. Houston-Carson has been one of the team’s most dependable players in that area for the last two seasons. With the addition of fellow safety Jordan Lucas, the Bears have been making sure they add depth for special teams coordinator Chris Tabor.
The Bears are bringing back veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban, news that his wife, Kate, announced on Twitter.
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What it means: Urban, 28, appeared in nine games in a reserve role last season after injuries forced some depth moves on the line beginning in October. Urban made 16 tackles and added two pass breakups. A one-year deal for Urban isn’t surprising as the Bears are going to need to add depth to the line, especially after Nick Williams departed for the NFC North rival Lions on a two-year contract. Urban will be in position to compete for a roster spot.
@AdamSchefter DE Brent Urban is re-signing with the Chicago Bears on one year deal. Per source. I’m the source. — Kate Salerno Urban (@Kate_KanSkate) March 23, 2020
The Bears agreed to terms on a one-year deal with outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Mingo, 29, looks like a replacement for Aaron Lynch. He’s a veteran that can play a backup role on defense and a core special teams player.
Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano had Mingo in Indianapolis and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was in Cleveland when the Browns used the No. 6 pick in 2013 on him. While he has never panned out as a pass rusher — five of his 10 career sacks came during his rookie season — he’s a reliable player that has missed only two games and he has developed as a versatile guy on special teams. The contract is worth $1.187 million. The Bears become Mingo’s sixth team in the last six years.
March 22
The Bears signed safety Jordan Lucas to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Lucas, 26, joins the Bears after playing two seasons each with the Dolphins and Chiefs. He has played in 49 career games but started just four, in 2018 in Kansas City, when he totaled 32 tackles, a sack, his lone career interception and two passes defended.
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Chiefs safety Jordan Lucas gestures during the first half of a game against the Chargers on Dec. 29, 2019. (Ed Zurga/AP)
Lucas, a former Dolphins sixth-round pick, was a key special teams player for the Chiefs last season, playing 63% of those plays. He provides more depth for a group of safeties that includes Deon Bush, who re-signed with the Bears on Friday and might compete for the starting spot alongside Eddie Jackson. Lucas’ contract is for $1 million.
March 21
Cornerback Artie Burns is joining the Bears on a one-year contract.
What it means: Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Saturday’s move, a one-year “prove it” deal that puts Burns in position to compete for a starting cornerback job opposite Kyle Fuller.
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns tackles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams during a game on Oct. 13, 2019. (Kyusung Gong/AP)
Burns was a first-round pick out of the University of Miami in 2016, selected No. 25 overall by the Steelers. But he never became the impact playmaker the Steelers hoped. The organization did not pick up his fifth-year option last year and Burns fell deeper into a reserve role. Over four seasons in Pittsburgh, Burns started 32 of the 58 games he played in. He recorded three interceptions as a rookie but only one more over the following three seasons.
Burns has intriguing length and speed and offers a skillset that could allow him to replace Prince Amukamara as a reliable man-to-man cover corner. But he will certainly have to earn that role whenever the Bears are cleared to get back on the practice field. Kevin Tolliver is also in the mix for that job. And the Bears signed CFL star Tre Roberson earlier this winter to compete as well.
March 20
The Bears are signing safety Deon Bush to a one-year contract, ESPN reported.
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What it means: The $1.4 million deal means Bush will return for a fifth season in Chicago. The Bears are in need of a new starter at safety alongside Eddie Jackson after Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signed with the Cowboys. It remains to be seen whether Bush will get a chance to compete for the starting spot or if the Bears have someone else in mind to fill that role, either through free agency or the draft. Bush, a 2016 fourth-round pick, has started eight games over four seasons. He played in 15 games in 2019, playing 5% of the Bears’ snaps on defense and 63% on special teams. He had eight tackles and two passes defended.
Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is headed to Dallas to play for Cowboys.
What it means: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that Clinton-Dix’s one-year deal in Dallas is worth $4 million with $2.5 million guaranteed, a similar “prove it” deal to what he signed with the Bears last March. It’s no surprise the Bears allowed Clinton-Dix’s contract to expire or that the 27-year-old safety is moving on, now joining his fourth team since 2018.
Dix was signed to play free safety, per source. That would mean that Xavier Woods would move to strong safety https://t.co/2zyAabm4Oh — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) March 20, 2020
He will reunite in Dallas with his former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Clinton-Dix had two interceptions last season for the Bears, including a 59-yard touchdown return against the Redskins in Week 3. He was solid on the back end of the defense. But the Bears also awarded Eddie Jackson a record-setting extension in January, dishing out $33 million guaranteed and keeping Jackson under contract through the end of the 2024 season. There was little chance the Bears were going to spend big to fill that second safety spot.
While the Bears were happy with Clinton-Dix’s play last season, they would ideally like to find a second starting safety who has a more complementary skill set to Jackson, a defensive back who will allow the Bears to use Jackson’s biggest strengths as a free-ranging ball-hawk more easily. General manager Ryan Pace has had success identifying safeties in the draft. He chose Jackson with a fourth-round pick in 2017 and scooped up Adrian Amos in Round 5 two years earlier. The Bears may still browse the bargain bins of free agency for help and depth at the position. But keep a close eye on next month’s draft as well.
March 19
The Bears are bringing back long snapper Patrick Scales on a one-year deal.
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What it means: Scales, 32, will return for his sixth year in Chicago. One of those years, 2017, was spent on injured reserve, but he played in all 16 games each of the last two seasons. He’ll be back with a special teams unit that also includes returning punter Pat O’Donnell and kicker Eddy Pineiro.
The Redskins are signing former Bears offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas to a two-year deal .
What it means: The Bears will be in search of a new swing tackle after Lucas leaves for the $5.3 million deal. Lucas started a game in September and then the final five of the year filling in for injured Bobby Massie. The Redskins will be his fifth team in seven NFL seasons.
March 18
The Bears have acquired Nick Foles from the Jaguars in exchange for a fourth-round pick in next month’s draft.
What it means: No one is more invested in learning what this move means than Mitch Trubisky, the incumbent starting quarterback who has received multiple votes of public confidence from general manager Ryan Pace since last season ended.
Trubisky’s inconsistency and the unraveling of the Bears offense in 2019 was well-documented and created a new sense of urgency behind closed doors at Halas Hall. So while Pace has publicly said he expects Trubisky to be the starter when next season begins, the Bears’ desire to create real competition opens the door for Foles to slide into the starting role fairly easily and soon.
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Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020
Foles’ chemistry with the offensive coaching staff — he spent time in previous stops with coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — is a major plus. And his understanding of Nagy’s offensive system gives him a chance to hit the ground running when the the Bears get the all-clear to begin practicing this spring or summer. In giving up a fourth-round pick for Foles, the Bears have only two selections in the top 150. Foles’ contract with the Jaguars, which the Bears will inherit, runs through 2022 and has a base salary of more than $15 million for this season. Before long, Pace and Nagy will have to communicate their vision for their quarterback situation. It will be interesting to see when the team schedules those first public comments.
Leonard Floyd has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rams worth $10 million.
What it means: A day after the Bears released him, Floyd found a new home in Los Angeles, reuniting with first-year Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who was Floyd’s position coach with the Bears in 2017 and 2018. The Bears exercised the fifth-year option on Floyd’s rookie deal last year but wiggled out of it Tuesday, freeing themselves from a $13.2 million commitment. Now Floyd gets a one-season “prove-it deal” in Hollywood. The Bears, for what it’s worth, are scheduled to play the Rams in Los Angeles next season.
March 17
The Redskins are signing inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported.
What it means: Pierre-Louis leaves the Bears after one season. He did a nice job filling in for most of four games after Roquan Smith was injured. He had 37 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, three passes defended and an interception and also played on special teams. His play earned him a deal worth up to $3.45 million as he joins his fifth team for his seventh year in the league.
The Bears are signing edge rusher Robert Quinn to a five-year deal and releasing Leonard Floyd, NFL Network reported .
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What it means: The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap. Quinn, who will turn 30 in May, joins the Bears and All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack for his 10th NFL season. He had 11 ½ sacks with the Cowboys in 2019, the second-most in his career behind the 19 he had in 2013 as an All-Pro. He also had 22 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and three passes defended. Quinn was a Rams first-round pick in 2011, and he spent his first seven seasons with the team before spending a year each with the Dolphins and Cowboys. He has 80 ½ sacks in his career. The deal, for $70 million with $30 million guaranteed, makes the Bears defensive front, with Mack and Akiem Hicks, even more formidable.
Floyd’s departure isn’t entirely surprising given he was owed $13.2 million in 2020. Floyd had a career-low three sacks in 2019. The Bears’ No. 9 overall draft pick in 2016 never quite lived up to the expectations for him. Bears general manager Ryan Pace has said multiple times he likes what Floyd provided in coverage and on run defense, but the Bears also noted his pass rushing production was not where they would like it to be. Floyd becomes Pace’s second first-round pick to leave, behind Kevin White.
Chase Daniel is headed to the Lions on a three-year deal, ESPN reported .
What it means: It was known the Bears likely weren’t going to bring Chase Daniel back for a third season as Mitch Trubisky’s backup, so he moves on to be the backup to Matthew Stafford.
Bears quarterback Chase Daniel sits on the bench before the first half against the Lions at Soldier Field on Nov. 10, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The Lions will be his fifth team in 11 seasons, a remarkable career for someone who has made only five starts. For the Bears, Daniel was a veteran presence to help guide Trubisky through coach Matt Nagy’s offense, and he also served as a team leader and the Bears’ representative to the NFLPA. He also started three games, throwing six touchdown passes and four interceptions. His presence is valued enough that the Lions gave him a $13.05 million deal, which contains a voidable clause.
The Lions agreed to terms with defensive lineman Nick Williams on a two-year deal.
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Bears defensive tackle Nick Williams celebrates after sacking Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins at Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: Nick Williams, 30, received his first significant pay day in the NFL after totaling six sacks last season when his playing time expanded because of injuries on the defensive line. Williams appeared in all 16 games with five starts and totaled 42 tackles. He’d made just 19 tackles with no sacks in 28 previous career games.
The Bears will hope to replace a chunk of Williams’ playing time (he was on the field for 49 percent of the snaps) with greater health. Akiem Hicks’ injury led to a lot of his playing time.
Can say thank you enough to the McCaskey family and the @ChicagoBears organization for giving me the opportunity. Thanks to my teammates and to the fans! Big Bear 97 Out ✌🏾 #OnePride 🦁 What’s good 😤 pic.twitter.com/9kVcmREelU — Nicholas Williams (@NickWilliams_98) March 17, 2020
The Lions are re-tooling their defensive front with coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn under pressure to break out of losing ways in Detroit and Williams is expected to be just one new piece along the defensive line, a familiar face the Bears will see twice a year. He reportedly will earn $10 million over the next two seasons. That’s not a bad deal for a guy that was on a minimum-salary benefit contract last year.
March 16
The Bears agreed to terms with veteran tight end Jimmy Graham on a two-year deal.
What it means: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bears will guarantee Jimmy Graham $9 million on a two-year deal that could be worth up to $16 million.
It’s a hefty price to pay for a 33-year-old veteran in the twilight of his career. But it also speaks to the Bears’ desperate need for production at tight end. Last season, six Bears tight ends combined for 46 catches, 416 yards and two touchdowns, woeful production for an offense that relies heavily on the tight end. Graham, in a 2019 season that could be characterized as ordinary at best, provided the Packers with 38 catches, 447 yards and three touchdowns.
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Bears GM Ryan Pace, of course, has familiarity with Graham from their days together with the Saints. From 2010 to 2014, Graham averaged 77 catches, 950 yards and 10 touchdowns and was selected to three Pro Bowls. That was a long time ago. And while it’s difficult to forecast how much Graham has left in his tank, he will be given every opportunity to be a major difference-maker in the Bears offense. His arrival also raises legitimate questions as to whether the Bears are ready to pull the plug on Trey Burton for 2020, even with $4 million of guaranteed money still owed.
The Raiders agreed to terms with former Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski on a three-year deal.
What it means: The Bears say goodbye to their 2016 fourth-round pick, a player who served them well when they needed him during the 2019 season.
Kwiatkoski earned himself a solid new deal when he filled in for eight starts last year while veteran Danny Trevathan was injured, totaling 76 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, three sacks, four passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. The Bears had to decide between trying to keep Kwiatkoski or Trevathan, and they went with the latter. Kwiatkoski’s deal is for $21 million with $13.5 million in guarantees, NFL Network reported.
March 13
The Bears tendered restricted free agent defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris .
Roy Robertson-Harris (95) goes after Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins for a sack in the second quarter t Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The tender is believed to be at the second-round level, making it unlikely another team will try to sign him. The Bears have the right of first refusal and would receive a second-round draft pick if they didn’t match another team’s contract offer. Robertson-Harris, who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2 ½ sacks in his third season on the field.
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March 12
The Bears signed inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year contract extension, NFL Network reported.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles the ball as Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan flips over in the third quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 5, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears bring back a key piece of their defense on and off the field. The eight-year NFL veteran, who turns 30 later this month, had 70 tackles, two for a loss, four quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble over nine games in his fourth season with the Bears. He sat out the remainder of the year with an elbow injury. He will team up with Roquan Smith for a third season. His return, on a deal that could be worth $24 million, could signal the departure of inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski to another team in free agency.
Feb. 21
The Bears released cornerback Prince Amukamara and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.
Bears wide receiver Taylor Gabriel signs autographs on Nov. 24, 2019 at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears cleared $13.5 million in salary cap space when they cut the veterans. But they now must find a starting cornerback to pair with Kyle Fuller and a speedy, deep-threat wide receiver to replace Taylor Gabriel.
Prince Amukamara, 30, started 44 games over three seasons with the Bears. He had three interceptions and a touchdown, all in 2018, along with 29 passes defended over three years. Gabriel, 29, had 96 catches for 1,041 yards over two seasons with the Bears. He was limited to nine games in 2019 as he dealt with two concussions. The Bears very likely will add to both rooms in the offseason. But cornerbacks Kevin Toliver and Tre Roberson and wide receivers Javon Wims and Riley Ridley are among the current players who could compete for playing time after the roster moves.
Feb. 20
The Bears signed veteran tight end Demetrius Harris to a one-year contract.
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Browns tight end Demetrius Harris tries for a catch in front of Steelers strong safety Terrell Edmunds (34) during the second half on Dec. 1, 2019. (Don Wright/AP)
What it means: Demetrius Harris, 28, joins the Bears to potentially fill a role as their “Y” blocking tight end. He spent his first five NFL seasons with the Chiefs in Kansas City when Bears coach Matt Nagy was a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator there. He had 57 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns with the Chiefs. The Browns released him in February after one season in which he had 15 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. The addition of Harris is likely the first of several moves to rebuild the Bears tight ends room this offseason.
Jan. 29
The Bears signed CFL cornerback Tre Roberson to a two-year contract.
Calgary's Tre Roberson celebrates an interception against Ottawa during the second half of the Grey Cup at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 25, 2018. (Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
What it means: Tre Roberson, 27, picked the Bears from nine NFL contract offers after he had an All-Star season with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 2019. The former Indiana and Illinois State quarterback, who spent time with the Vikings on their practice squad in 2016 and in training camp in 2017, had seven interceptions and two touchdowns in his second season in the CFL. The 6-foot, 190-pound Roberson provides needed depth at cornerback in a room that includes Kyle Fuller, Buster Skrine and Kevin Toliver.


chicagotribune--2020-03-25--Tevian Jones is the latest Illini basketball player to enter the transfer portal

“ I ’ ve chosen to continue my basketball career on another path , I will not be returning to @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I appreciate everything you guys , the Univ .
and Coaches have done @ @ @ @ @ guys nothing but success moving forward .
Gon na miss y ’ all .
All @ @ @

For a second straight day, an Illinois basketball player has entered the transfer portal.
Tevian Jones announced Wednesday his decision to transfer, following Alan Griffin who did the same Tuesday.
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“I’ve chosen to continue my basketball career on another path, I will not be returning to Illinois,” Jones tweeted. “I appreciate everything you guys, the Univ. and Coaches have done for me. Wish the guys nothing but success moving forward. Gonna miss y’all. All Love.”
I’ve chosen to continue my basketball career on another path, I will not be returning to Illinois. I appreciate everything you guys, the Univ. and Coaches have done for me. Wish the guys nothing but success moving forward. Gonna miss y’all. All Love 🤍 pic.twitter.com/yzrPKDiks0 — ✨T.Jones✨ (@TheReal_TJones) March 25, 2020
Jones, a 6-foot-7 sophomore guard, played in only 10 games and averaged less than a point in 5.2 minutes. He missed the first eight games because of a suspension for a violation of team academic policies.
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He missed eight games as a freshman because of violation of team rules. He averaged 3.5 points in 9.2 minutes per game that season.
Next season, also Illinois will be without Andres Feliz, who is graduating. They also could lose leading scorer Ayo Dosunmu, a sophomore who is considering entering the NBA draft.


chicagotribune--2020-03-25--Groupon CEO is out amid losses at Chicago-based deal site

The company turned down a nearly $ 6 billion acquisition offer from Google in 2010 , opting to go public @ @ @ @ @ debut on Nasdaq in November 2011 at $ 28 — a price it hasn ’ @ @ @ @

Groupon CEO Rich Williams is out, about a month after Chicago-based deals site reported a fourth-quarter performance that Williams then said “disappointed by nearly every measure." (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Groupon CEO Rich Williams is out.
The move comes about a month after the Chicago-based deals site reported a fourth-quarter performance that Williams then said “disappointed by nearly every measure."
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Williams will continue as an employee, Groupon said in a news release Wednesday. The company’s current president of North America, Aaron Cooper, will become interim CEO and help in the search to find Williams’ permanent replacement.
Chief Operating Officer Steve Krenzer is also no longer serving in his role, but will continue as an employee.
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Groupon launched more than 11 years ago with a two-for-one pizza deal at a Chicago bar. Its business model resonated with recession-scarred customers and small merchants, and it became one of the city’s great tech success stories after the dot-com boom.
The company turned down a nearly $6 billion acquisition offer from Google in 2010, opting to go public instead. It made its debut on Nasdaq in November 2011 at $28 — a price it hasn’t seen since.
The company has spent the past several years scaling back and reconfiguring the ways it reaches consumers. Last month, Williams said Groupon would halt its online merchandise sales.
Williams, who joined Groupon in 2011, moved through several positions before being named CEO in 2015.
Cooper has been with Groupon for 10 years, according to the Wednesday news release. He has held multiple senior leadership roles, including chief marketing officer.
A representative from Groupon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
amarotti@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti