chicagotribune--2020-04-22--Ask Amy: Mother worries about COVID-19 exposure via son

While he is physically distancing and washing his hands a bit more than usual , I do n't feel like @ @ @ @ @ my immune-compromised situation .
If he gets the virus , he is likely to have @ @ @ @ @ .
I 'm afraid he will catch the virus and give it to my son @ @ @ @ @ to me .
I 've tried talking to him about this , but he is @ @ @ @ @ n't know what to do .

Dear Amy: I have a 3-year-old son. His father and I separated when he was a baby, but we have a good co-parenting relationship. We've never had any problems with this arrangement. My son sees his father nearly every day, and this is how we both like it.
The problem is this: I have an immune deficiency and mild asthma. Worrying about the COVID-19 pandemic, I do not want to leave my young son without a mother.
Advertisement
I'm trying to take every precaution against contracting the virus, including using lots of hand sanitizer, and cleaning anything (like groceries) that comes into my house.
My ex has a very robust immune system. He is not worried about the coronavirus. He is working and going out for groceries. He is not using hand sanitizer or cleaning frequently touched surfaces, like his car steering wheel or cellphone.
Advertisement
While he is physically distancing and washing his hands a bit more than usual, I don't feel like this is enough, given my immune-compromised situation. If he gets the virus, he is likely to have mild symptoms or be asymptomatic. I'm afraid he will catch the virus and give it to my son, who will pass it to me. I've tried talking to him about this, but he is not receptive. I don't know what to do.
What is your advice?
— Worried Mom
Dear Worried: Parents are supposed to have the capacity to forgo their immediate impulses for the sake of their children. The best way to prevent this illness is to avoid exposure. The best way for your son to have both parents in his life, long into the future - is to avoid exposure. You and your ex should connect with your son's pediatrician -- together, and immediately -- (through video conferencing) to ask for a physician's advice.
Your boy travels between parents nearly every day. One obvious idea would be for these visits to be temporarily stopped, or cut down - temporarily, for everyone's safety (including his, of course).
If your ex would agree to cut these visits to even three times a week, this would limit the number of possible exposures between households. You should also seriously discuss the reality and possibility of one parent (you or him) NOT having your son with you, perhaps for the next month, and then negotiating ways to make up the difference after the risk has passed.
The CDC suggests that children over the age of two should wear a cloth face covering when in a "community setting." When your son is delivered to you, you should wear a mask, he should put on a mask, and be taken directly to the bathroom for some healthy handwashing and to take his temperature. There are many examples online of cloth masks made for kids, and you could either purchase or make one for him at home.
If you continue visits, don't let him bring toys or books between households.
Advertisement
Dear Amy: This is a minor problem, probably, but one that many people share. Quite simply, with the COVID-19 stay-at-home directive, I am going stir-crazy!
Netflix can only take a person so far. All of my closets are clean and organized.
Any suggestions?
— Stirred-up
Dear Stirred-up: Order a bird feeder and some seed. Birds are incredibly interesting, calming, and beautiful. Add a couple of flowering houseplants, and you can bring a little of the outside, inside.
Readers will have more suggestions.
Advertisement
Dear Amy: "George Wants Pastrami on Rye!" wrote about one colleague, "Donald," who dominated the office by doing all the sandwich ordering, always excluding George.
This situation is not unusual. It is "high school mean girls and boys" all over again.
It was starting to happen at my own business when I hired a replacement for someone on maternity leave.
I approached the dominating "Donald" character very openly in full view of the staff, and let him know that sandwich ordering was a waste of his time.
I informed the entire staff that my assistant would now be responsible for sandwich ordering and orders need to be in by 11:30.
Problem solved -- almost.
Advertisement
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 >
To break up the clique, I offered to pay for lunch one day a week, as long as they went somewhere, added a walk, and didn't all go at once. This worked.
Hang in there, George. YOU are a mature human and I would hire you in a minute. (Donald's review will not look so good.)
— The Boss Sees All
Dear Boss: Well done! I'd happily work for you.
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.)
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Advertisement
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-04-22--Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Trey Burton signs a 1-year deal with the Colts

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.
Advertisement
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 .
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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).
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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 .
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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--2020-04-22--Column: Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw used her voice to empower women. She retired as a legend afte

Column: Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw used her voice to empower women. She retired as a legend after 33 seasons and 2 national titles with the Irish.

“ How are these young women looking up and seeing someone that looks like them , preparing them for the @ @ @ @ @ April 4 , 2019 , in Tampa , Fla. “ We don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ We don ’ t have enough visible women leaders .
We don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ When you look at men ’ s basketball and 99 % of the jobs go @ @ @ @ @ ’ t 100 or 99 % of the jobs in women ’ s basketball go @ @ @ @ @ ’ s because we only have 10 % women athletic directors in Division I .
@ @ @ @ @ like them .
And that ’ s the problem . ''

Secure in her status as a college basketball icon and tired of silent symbols of progress, Muffet McGraw spoke her mind. The Notre Dame women’s coach pointedly voiced her bubbling frustration during last year’s Final Four.
“How are these young women looking up and seeing someone that looks like them, preparing them for the future?” she said April 4, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. “We don’t have enough female role models. We don’t have enough visible women leaders. We don’t have enough women in power. When you look at men’s basketball and 99% of the jobs go to men, why shouldn’t 100 or 99% of the jobs in women’s basketball go to women? Maybe it’s because we only have 10% women athletic directors in Division I. People hire people who look like them. And that’s the problem."
Advertisement
Women in many fields understood McGraw’s point all too well. The monologue went viral, and her devotion to maintaining an all-female staff was met with some criticism.
But she didn’t soften her stance or backpedal, as so many do.
Advertisement
McGraw was a living embodiment of what she hoped to see — powerful women leading young women. Winning on the court is only part of McGraw’s legacy. Unapologetically promoting other women will be her greatest victory.
McGraw, 64, shocked the college basketball world Wednesday, announcing her retirement after 33 years as Fighting Irish coach.
A Hall of Famer with two national championships, nine Final Four appearances and four AP coach of the year awards, the sport will be emptier without her. McGraw won 936 games, ranking sixth among Division I coaches, with 842 coming at Notre Dame.
“I am proud of what we have accomplished and I can turn the page to the next chapter in my life with no regrets, knowing that I gave it my best every day,” McGraw said in an online news conference.
It’s no surprise that an accomplished woman will follow in her footsteps. Niele Ivey, 42, a former Notre Dame player and assistant who spent last season on the staff of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, was part of McGraw’s Final Four teams.
“Fortunately, she leaves behind an incredibly strong program with talented student athletes and coaches in the best possible condition,” athletic director Jack Swarbrick said. “Perhaps the greatest legacy is she leaves behind a successor she groomed.”
From crouching on the sideline during games in brightly colored heels to performing an impromptu Irish jig on the court after beating rival Connecticut in the 2019 Final Four, McGraw leaves the lasting image of a coach who cared about and mentored her players and elevated the women’s game. She conceded she will miss competing against UConn and coach Geno Auriemma, her foil.
“I love that rivalry; great for women’s basketball," she said. "Loved all those moments.”
Advertisement
She served as an example on how to succeed through grit and silent resolve.
She joined the first girls team at her high school in suburban Philadelphia before playing college ball at St. Joseph’s, where her team had to wait until the men’s team finished before using the court.
She was a high school coach for two seasons, followed by two seasons as an assistant at Saint Joseph’s and five as head coach at Lehigh before Notre Dame hired her in 1987.
She built her own mystique under the Golden Dome and in the shadow of a prominent football program, which was no easy feat.
McGraw’s program cultivated a loyal following. She thanked the fans for standing by the team last season despite its 13-18 finish, her worst at Notre Dame and the the program’s first losing season since 1991-92. She was emotional after a blowout loss this season, saying she needed to “fix it.”
McGraw is one of five Division I men’s or women’s basketball coaches with at least 930 wins, nine Final Fours and multiple titles. She took her teams to seven national championship games and won it all in 2001 and 2018.
Advertisement
That last title, won in Columbus, Ohio, featured one of the greatest Final Fours in the history of the women's tournament and is among her greatest memories.
“Winning that championship in Columbus and seeing all those alums. Forty women out on the stage celebrating with each other whether they graduated in 1990 or 2009 — they were all together,” she said. “Seeing those alums share in that moment that was one of my favorite memories.”
Coach Muffet McGraw celebrates after Notre Dame defeated Mississippi State in the final of the NCAA Women's Tournament on April 1, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio. (Ron Schwane/AP)
She joked Wednesday that she and her husband will consider 2018 — when the Irish beat Mississippi State on a buzzer-beater for the title — her final year.
McGraw returned, she said, because she knew it would be a down year and there was no honor in going out on top. She wanted one more season to ensure the program was headed in the right direction before stepping down.
As she was forced to pause as the nation copes with the coronavirus pandemic and sports has come to a halt, McGraw said her decision solidified.
“It was a great opportunity for me to sit back and see what’s life without basketball going to look like?” she said. “I thought it looked really good.”
Advertisement
McGraw’s legacy is etched in stone.
Chicago Tribune Sports Weekdays A daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Like legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summit, who died in 2016, McGraw understood athletics could be a route for women to become successful leaders. She developed a no-nonsense reputation, and her opinions on issues outside of sports hold weight.
McGraw sent 20 players to the WNBA during her coaching career, including Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kayle McBride, Arike Ogunbowale and Ruth Riley. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert played for McGraw at Lehigh.
“Coach McGraw is a giant in the game of women’s basketball,” Engelbert said. “I look forward to seeing the impact Muffet will continue to have as she embarks on her next chapter.”
McGraw isn’t finished making an impact. Indeed, she sounded as if she’s just getting started.
“I’m excited to promote women’s equality and speak on behalf of all women across the country,” she said. “I find I’ve turned into a real activist and I’m enjoying that.”
Advertisement
Her fans will be listening to what she has to say next.
Associated Press contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-04-22--Column: Trump’s sports advisory committee is missing 2 important voices — athletes and health expert

Column: Trump’s sports advisory committee is missing 2 important voices — athletes and health experts

But the question of whether it will be safe enough to return to ballparks in June or July is one @ @ @ @ @ now , even as many states are planning to reopen after a weekslong shutdown .
@ @ @ @ @ to have a panel to discuss the return of sports , it might be appropriate @ @ @ @ @ the advisory committee whose health could be put into jeopardy by opening too soon .

During a coronavirus news conference last week at the White House, President Donald Trump spoke for millions of fans when he said he wanted to “get our sports back.”
“I’m tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old,” he said.
Advertisement
It might have been the first time I agreed with Trump.
I’m also tired of watching old baseball, basketball and football games that we already know who won. With the exceptions of “The Last Dance” and the NFL draft, nothing on TV is really worth watching for the average sports fan.
Advertisement
Trump’s solution to this vexing problem was to announce a panel of sports leaders who will advise him on restarting sports. Among the prominent names on the committee are the commissioners of the four major sports — the NBA’s Adam Silver, the NFL’s Roger Goodell, the NHL’s Gary Bettman and MLB’s Rob Manfred.
That makes sense. You can’t restart sports without those four giving a collective thumbs-up, though Silver is probably the only one who has the respect of his sport’s fan base.
Also on the White House list are WWE founder Vince McMahon — whose wife, Linda, previously was the head of Trump’s Small Business Administration and now chairs the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action — and two NFL owners, the Patriots’ Bob Kraft and Cowboys’ Jerry Jones, who also are prominent Trump donors.
It’s not unexpected to see the advisory committee stacked with the president’s friends and enablers. That’s par for the course. But one name that later popped up caught my eye, and I still can’t decide whether to laugh or cry.
According to a report on NJ.com, Todd Ricketts, one of the four Ricketts siblings who co-own the Chicago Cubs, also was on a conference call last week with Trump and his sports advisers.
Yes, that’s the same Todd Ricketts introduced to the nation in a 2010 episode of the reality TV show “Undercover Boss,” on which he was mired in difficulty trying his hand at vending hot dogs and parking cars at Wrigley Field.
Ten years later, Todd Ricketts is serving as fundraising chairman for Trump’s reelection campaign while retaining his seat on the Cubs board with two of his siblings, Tom and Laura Ricketts.
Why does this matter if you’re a Cubs fan?
Advertisement
Maybe it doesn’t. All you really want is to see is your favorite team back on the field, and if having Todd Ricketts whispering into Trump’s ear that we need to get back to playing baseball again, that’s probably a good thing.
With no baseball, Wrigley Field currently is serving as a food packing and distribution center for the Lakeview Pantry, while the Hotel Zachary has reopened to house health care workers from Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Kudos to the Rickettses for doing the right thing while we wait for the game to return.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 23 Donated bananas await distribution as Lakeview Pantry volunteers pack food at Wrigley Field on April 16, 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
But the question of whether it will be safe enough to return to ballparks in June or July is one no one can answer right now, even as many states are planning to reopen after a weekslong shutdown. And if you are going to have a panel to discuss the return of sports, it might be appropriate to have some members on the advisory committee whose health could be put into jeopardy by opening too soon.
I’d much rather have Kris Bryant, Lucas Giolito, Zach LaVine or Jonathan Toews chiming in on the matter than Todd Ricketts, whose primary concern is getting Trump reelected.
They’re the ones whose lives could be affected if the rush to provide entertainment for bored fans supersedes the need to provide a safe environment to play in. Yet the lack of a union representative on Trump’s sports committee suggests he sees no need for any player input and that the only ones who should have a say are commissioners and team owners.
Also missing are health experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has been discussing the reopening of sports with several media outlets. Fauci told the Yes Network on Monday that one possibility of restarting baseball would be to “limit the amount of people in a stadium and make sure you seat them in a way where they are really quite separated and maybe even wearing the facial covers."
Advertisement
“I know people look at that and they say, ‘What, are you crazy?’ ” he said. "But to me, it’s better than no baseball at all.”
Fauci then added: “It’s more likely that you’re going to have more of a television baseball than a spectator baseball.”
That “empty stadium” scenario seems to be the most logical, but even that might be difficult to pull off.
Either way, Fauci’s voice — or that of any health expert — should matter much more than a Todd Ricketts or a Jerry Jones.
Maybe there is a way to restart our sports in a safe manner, and hopefully it comes soon.
But boredom from watching 14-year-old baseball games on TV isn’t a good enough reason to jump the gun.


chicagotribune--2020-04-22--Oak Brook to require face coverings, effective April 24

He also said Oak Brook ’ s requirement does not apply to people who are out walking or jogging for @ @ @ @ @ their cars or in their yards with members of their own household .

Oak Brook Village President Gopal Lalmalani wore a face covering during a recent online Village Board meeting. (Village of Oak Brook)
Oak Brook has joined a growing number of suburbs in requiring people to wear face coverings, as Village President Gopal Lalmalani issued an executive order Wednesdaywith the requirement, which takes effect Friday.
The order is in effect until further notice for anyone older than age two and able to medically tolerate a face covering, which is required to cover a person’s nose and mouth with a mask or cloth when in a public place.
Advertisement
Lalmalani said Wednesday that he would like to see residents, visitors and store workers begin wearing the face coverings in public immediately.
He also said Oak Brook’s requirement does not apply to people who are out walking or jogging for exercise, driving alone in their cars or in their yards with members of their own household.
Advertisement
“Each business that is open must either supply or require their employees to wear face coverings when dealing with the public,” he said. " Individuals out in the public must maintain social distancing guidelines and continue with frequent hand washing.”
Lalmalani, a cardiologist, said the current coronavirus virus is an unusual but powerful one, and most of those who are carriers are asymptomatic.
“Wearing my mask protects you, and your mask protects me,” he said. "As a physician, I want to continue to stress the seriousness of the situation and encourage all our residents to utilize the best public health practices for everyone’s safety.”
Skokie, Morton Grove, Wilmette, Cicero, Oak Lawn, Glenview, Highland Park, Niles, and Northbrook have enacted similar measures.


chicagotribune--2020-04-21--Today marks happy anniversaries for both the White Sox — Philip Humber’s perfect game — and the Cubs

Today marks happy anniversaries for both the White Sox — Philip Humber’s perfect game — and the Cubs — Jake Arrieta’s 2nd no-hitter

Pitching coach Chris Bosio disclosed after Arrieta ’ s second no-hitter that before the 2016 season , the Cubs collectively @ @ @ @ @ pitch-count restrictions if a starter had a no-hitter .
In the event of a high @ @ @ @ @ play catch with an outfielder between innings instead of warming up in the bullpen , @ @ @ @ @ starter .

The White Sox and Cubs rarely care to share the spotlight, but April 21 marks a special day in the recent history of both franchises.
Eight years ago, unheralded Philip Humber pitched the 21st perfect game in major-league history as the Sox blanked the Mariners 4-0 at Safeco Field in Seattle.
Advertisement
Four years later, Jake Arrieta continued the dominance he established during his 2015 National League Cy Young Award season as the Cubs humbled the Reds 16-0 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
Here’s a look back at those gems:
Advertisement
April 21, 2012: Philip Humber pitches a perfect game for the White Sox
Aside from a seven-inning, one-hit performance at Yankee Stadium nearly a year earlier, there was no inkling Philip Humber possessed dominant stuff.
Humber came to the White Sox after brief and unsuccessful stints with the Mets, Twins and Royals. He hadn’t lived up to his billing as the third pick in the 2004 draft (one pick behind Justin Verlander), and the Sox acquired him on a waiver claim before the 2011 season.
Humber pitched well enough in 2011 to earn the fifth spot in the rotation entering 2012 with the aid of a sharp slider.
That pitch was tremendously effective in his second start of the season against a largely nondescript Mariners lineup, with the exception of Ichiro Suzuki and Kyle Seager.
White Sox pitcher Philip Humber threw the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history, in a 4-0 win against the Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle. (Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images)
With the Sox leading 3-0 after three innings, most of the focus was on how long Humber could sustain perfection. He threw 5⅓ innings of one-run ball in his previous start against the Orioles but needed 115 pitches.
Against the Mariners, Humber didn’t need much defensive help. Brent Lillibridge was inserted in left field in the bottom of the eighth and singled and scored an insurance run in the ninth.
Humber didn’t throw three balls to any batter until running up a 3-0 count against Michael Saunders to open the ninth. Humber struck him out on a full-count slider.
Tensions reached a zenith with two out and a full count on pinch hitter Brendan Ryan.
Advertisement
Catcher A.J. Pierzynski called for Humber’s most effective pitch, figuring he wanted to keep the no-hitter intact even if he missed outside with his slider. Ryan tried to check his swing, but plate umpire Brian Runge ruled Ryan made an attempt.
But there was one big problem — Humber’s slider got past Pierzynski and rolled several feet away.
Luckily for Humber and Pierzynski, Ryan paused for a few seconds to protest the call before running to first. Pierzynski recovered in time to throw to Paul Konerko to complete the highlight of Humber’s career.
The scoreboard after Philip Humber threw a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on April 21, 2012. (Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images)
“I don’t know what Philip Humber is doing in this list,” Humber said after joining an elite group of pitchers.
Humber and several teammates celebrated at a bar while watching mixed martial arts.
He received numerous congratulatory text messages and calls, including one from a special Sox fan — President Barack Obama. Humber also read the Top Ten list on “Late Show with David Letterman,” but his popularity was short-lived.
Advertisement
Humber was tagged for nine runs — including three home runs — in five innings in his next start against the Red Sox and was placed on the disabled list two months later with a right flexor strain. He finished the season with a 6.44 ERA in 26 appearances, prompting the White Sox to waive him.
After brief appearances with the Astros and the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization, Humber retired after a spring training stint with the Padres in 2016.
April 21, 2016: Jake Arrieta throws his 2nd no-hitter for the Cubs
Two factors nearly prevented Jake Arrieta from seizing the moment against the Reds.
First, Kris Bryant hit two home runs to highlight a 4-for-6, six-RBI performance.
And second, Arrieta lacked the sharpness he had possessed over a 15-game stretch dating to Aug. 4, 2015, during which he went 14-0 with an 0.57 ERA. That run included a no-hitter at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 30, 2015.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon, mindful of Arrieta’s heavy workload in the second half of 2015, curtailed his ace’s pitch count in an opening-night win over the Angels in which he threw seven innings of two-hit ball.
Advertisement
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 20 David Ross is doused in the dugout by his teammates after Jake Arrieta threw a no-hitter against the Reds on Thursday, April 21, 2016, in Cincinnati. (John Minchillo / AP)
Pitching coach Chris Bosio disclosed after Arrieta’s second no-hitter that before the 2016 season, the Cubs collectively agreed there would be no pitch-count restrictions if a starter had a no-hitter. In the event of a high pitch count, relievers would play catch with an outfielder between innings instead of warming up in the bullpen, as not to distract the starter.
Even at 85 pitches and three walks through six innings, Arrieta was determined to keep the Reds hitless with plenty of movement on his pitches.
“You never want to interfere with somebody’s greatness,” Maddon said. “And that’s really special for him and the organization to have another no-hitter being thrown. As a manager, you try to stay out of the way of those moments.”
Arrieta’s pitch count would have been higher had he not picked off Eugenio Suarez in the fourth after a leadoff walk and induced Zack Cozart to ground into an inning-ending double play in the sixth.
But Arrieta’s most telling moment came in the bottom of the ninth after waiting for an extended period while the Cubs scored three times in the top of the inning.
He issued a leadoff walk to Scott Schebler, then retired the next two batters to set up a showdown with Suarez.
Advertisement
After getting ahead 0-2 on Suarez, Arrieta barely missed on a high but sharp-breaking pitch. Several thousand Cubs fans groaned after plate umpire Dana DeMuth called the pitch out of the strike zone.
Arrieta flinched briefly but induced Suarez to hit a soft fly to Jason Heyward, who squeezed the ball in right field to ignite a familiar celebration.
“I envisioned pitching like this, even when I had a 5.00 (ERA) in Baltimore,” Arrieta said of his low point three seasons earlier. “I expected to get to this point.”
Arrieta backed up his confidence by allowing one run in 12 innings in his next two starts to improve to 6-0 and help vault the Cubs toward their first World Series title since 1908.


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--ESPN analyst Todd McShay will miss the NFL draft telecast as he recovers from the coronavirus

The first round is Thursday night and McShay , who has been at ESPN since 2006 , was slated to @ @ @ @ @ s prime-time network coverage .

ESPN analyst Todd McShay said he won’t be part of the network’s broadcast of the NFL draft because he’s recovering from the coronavirus.
McShay said in a statement that he’d be back and thanked the tireless work of health care workers and first-responders, calling them “truly our nation’s heroes.”
Advertisement
Because of the pandemic, this year’s draft will be held remotely and broadcast on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.
The first round is Thursday night and McShay, who has been at ESPN since 2006, was slated to be part of ABC’s prime-time network coverage.


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--Column: Why are we isolating and in quarantine? For what, and for whom?

When I could speak again , I took her hand , apologized and whispered to her that I loved her @ @ @ @ @ .
I was too upset , and my Greek had degraded too much , to @ @ @ @ @ grandmother never turned her eyes from me , just stared , unblinking , until her @ @ @ @ @ her head so she would eat .

Every day, an email hits my inbox from the Cook County medical examiner’s office. In it are the names and cause of deaths of every county resident whose death led to an investigation.
Lately, those emails have gotten longer. Where they were once two or three pages, they’ve increased to 16, 17, 18 pages, full of names. Almost all have the same cause of death, COVID-19. The vast majority are older people, many with complicating factors like diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, cancer.
Advertisement
It can be tempting to see the deaths as sad but inevitable, merely a hastening of a demise that loomed, imminently, even before the crisis. But in those lists, I see my grandmother.
Katerina Evdoxiadis was born and lived in Oktonia, a mountainous village off the eastern coast of mainland Greece.
Advertisement
To phenomenally understate it, she worked hard, as a subsistence farmer and as the mother to four boys. In a place and a time where a man did not help his wife with housework, cooking or childcare, she shouldered the burden for six people. As a baby, my father, hung in swaddling clothes from a nearby tree, watched as she worked in the fields.
She mourned never having a daughter, and when my family moved in with her and my grandfather in the 1980s, my grandmother lavished affection on me.
She was a hard woman, generally, having earned the nickname “The Hairdresser” in her youth after she dragged into the street a woman having an affair with my grandfather and chopped off her locks in full view of the assembled villagers.
But she was my most ardent protector, my vengeful Greek goddess of a “Yia-Yia.”
I remember sitting at her kitchen table as she fed me glykes, my little brother banging on the locked door to be let in, while she called me “manaraki mou,” “my littlest lamb,” and petted my hair.
On the day we left and moved back to the U.S., my grandmother wept fiercely. She didn’t know if we’d ever be back, but return we did, fairly regularly, throughout my childhood.
Later, when I was in my 20s, she had the first of a series of strokes. I didn’t have enough money for a ticket to visit, didn’t know how serious her condition was, and by the time I made it, she was fundamentally changed.
Mostly paralyzed, she was unable to talk, walk or feed herself. My father warned me when I went into the room what to expect, but it still hit me full-force.
Advertisement
My grandmother, once muscular and thick from work in the fields, was as slight as a bird. The skin was stretched across her face, as thin as parchment.
She turned her head to look at me and I could get out no more than a choked, “Yia-Yia” before I began to sob. I cried because she looked so sick, because I hadn’t come earlier, because I was afraid of her and because I was embarrassed at my reaction.
When I could speak again, I took her hand, apologized and whispered to her that I loved her, over and over again. I was too upset, and my Greek had degraded too much, to say anything else. My grandmother never turned her eyes from me, just stared, unblinking, until her caregiver had to physically move her head so she would eat.
I told my father that I felt my grandmother had known I was there, had seen and recognized me.
“No,” he said sadly, shaking his head. “The doctor says she doesn’t understand anything anymore.”
Maybe that’s true. Or maybe a couple of synapses fired when she saw me, and a hazy image floated through her mind, one of me on her lap, eating sweets, all those years ago, in her kitchen. Maybe she had been waiting for me, to see me one last time.
Advertisement
A couple of months later, she died, and I returned to the village for her funeral.
When I kissed her unlined forehead as she lay in the casket, it was cold and hard. There was nothing left of the woman I loved but I felt gratitude that I’d seen her, gratitude that she’d gotten to see me.
She had been on the razor’s edge of death for some time, so perhaps it’s ignorant or silly to think that she held out to hear my voice again before she died. But I do.
So, to my point: Those of you who are staying at home these days, those who are social distancing, who are wearing masks and washing your hands, you’re saving lives. But you won’t ever meet the people you’ve saved.
I therefore invite you to pretend as if you’re saving Katerina Evdoxiadis, as if you’re giving her, though she may be broken and old and dying, the chance to live for just a bit longer.
You may never have caught COVID-19, or it might have been no more than a bad cold for you. But by staying home and taking precautions when you do go out, you’re giving a gift to many people like my grandmother, giving them the gift of a chance at living longer than they might otherwise.
Advertisement
You are also giving another, perhaps more powerful gift to someone who loves those people: Time.
Time for a granddaughter to save up for a plane ticket to visit, time for a sister to forgive old arguments, time for a son to mature enough to know that, despite his father’s flaws, he tried.
You’re giving a cousin, or a brother, or a friend a chance to be in the room when they die. You’re giving the possibility of a funeral where friends and family can mourn, can hug and comfort each other.
We are all fatally ill, are all born to die. What could mean more to us than another decade, another year, another day, another chance to do the right thing, to apologize, to kiss, to hug, to say “I love you”?
For many of us, whatever patience we had with isolation and boredom is in tatters. We’ve blown through our Netflix queue and run out of activities for the kids. Even the walks outside are repetitive. The impact of the changes we’ve made can be hard to visualize.
But I remember that day in Oktonia, when I saw my grandmother alive for the last time, and I know the value of the sacrifice we’re making.
Advertisement
After all, we might never do anything more beautiful, more selfless or more meaningful in our entire lives.
Georgia Garvey is the editor-in-chief of the Pioneer Press publications.


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--Woman shot in leg during Oak Park attempted armed robbery; police seeking gunman

The gunman then fled the area south on Lombard Avenue , and possibly entered an older model sedan on South @ @ @ @ @ an unknown suspect , police said .
The car was last seen traveling east on @ @ @ @ @ rate of speed , police said .

An Oak Park woman is recovering at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood after being shot during an armed robbery attempt April 21, police said.
According to police, the resident was walking north on Lombard Avenue just north of the North Boulevard viaduct when a man approached her at about 4:30 p.m.
Advertisement
The man displayed a silver-colored handgun and demanded the resident’s possessions, police said. During a brief struggle, the handgun discharged and a bullet struck the resident in the leg, police said.
The gunman then fled the area south on Lombard Avenue, and possibly entered an older model sedan on South Boulevard that was driven by an unknown suspect, police said. The car was last seen traveling east on South Boulevard at a high rate of speed, police said.
Advertisement
The gunman is described as black, in his late teens or early 20s, standing about 5-feet, 10-inches tall with a thin build, medium to dark skin and was wearing a black or blue hooded sweatshirt, light blue or grey skinny jeans and sneakers.
Police are asking residents to remain vigilant during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the best defense is to try and avoid becoming a victim. Safety tips are available at www.oak-park.us/preventcrime.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Oak Park Police Department at 708-386-3800. Crime tips may also be provided anonymously at 708-434-1636 or online at www.oak-park.us/crimetip.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--Watch live: President Trump and members of the coronavirus task force hold a press briefing

Watch live as members of the coronavirus task force provide an update on the coronavirus outbreak in a news briefing @ @ @ @ @ .
Get the latest updates here .

This website stores data such as cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalization, and analytics. By remaining on this website, you indicate your consent.


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--'Biker archaeologist’ Julian Siggers named new Field Museum CEO

In a statement released by the Field , Siggers talked about the role of museums .
“ “ Understanding science @ @ @ @ @ able to make good decisions for our planet , it makes us more welcoming to @ @ @ @ @ us , and it ’ s just fun .
Nobody should be left out from @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s the job of museums to make sure that everyone is welcomed @ @ @ @ @ he said .

The Field Museum of Natural History has named as its new president and CEO Julian Siggers, the current director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
An archaeologist by training, Siggers, 56, is a native Brit the Philadelphia Inquirer once called “handsome, charming and possessed of an impressive academic pedigree.” He has bachelors and masters degrees from University College London and a doctorate from the University of Toronto, focusing on human prehistory in the Near East.
Advertisement
He’ll take the reins in September, replacing Richard Lariviere, the Sanskrit scholar and former University of Oregon president who guided the 127-year-old Museum Campus mainstay for eight years.
“I’ve always loved the Field,” said Siggers, reached by phone Thursday afternoon after the museum announced his hiring in the morning. “Very little would have moved me from the Penn Museum, but when the Field came up I was very excited by the prospect.”
Advertisement
“I’m particularly drawn to the research at the Field, particularly with natural history,” he said. “As we find ourselves in this moment of almost existential survival, the Field is such a wonderful and trusted vehicle for sharing the findings of science.”
David Hiller, who led the museum board search committee after Lariviere announced his intention to retire last August, said the incoming chief impressed trustees with his scientific acumen, fundraising ability and track record of opening up Penn Museum, in Philadelphia, to the wider community while revamping its exhibits.
“It begins with his passion for and commitment to science and the role that science can play,” said Hiller.
Julian Siggers, appointed Field Museum CEO in April 2020, in an undated photo. (Eric Sucar / HANDOUT)
Hiller also noted that Siggers “seems to have great personal empathy and be a real good listener.” At Penn, he said, Siggers announced he was holding open office hours, and when he found that nobody came to his actual office, he moved them to the cafeteria.
“It built slowly and gradually,” Hiller said. “People got the message he really did want to talk to people.”
The Field Museum’s attendance dropped two percent in 2019 from the previous year, to 1.494 million visitors. But it remains an essential Chicago attraction, trailing only the Art Institute, with 1.666 million visitors, in museum popularity.
Lariviere will depart in August having stabilized shaky museum finances that threatened the museum’s robust scientific endeavors, overhauled its central Stanley Field Hall and embarked on a culturally sensitive reworking of its Native American galleries, among other achievements.
Siggers’ tasks will include shepherding the Native American project to completion and then likely embarking on a redo of its Egyptian presentation, the incoming CEO said.
Advertisement
But more immediately he will have to deal with the impacts of the museum’s forced closure during the coronavirus crisis, beginning in mid-March. The Field in April successfully secured a Small Business Administration loan under the Payroll Protection Program, a spokeswoman said, but the financial impacts of having no revenue are likely to outlast the several months payroll the forgivable federal loan is designed to cover.
“I think Richard Lariviere has done an amazing job in stewarding the finances at the Field,” Siggers said. "Compared to many museums it seems to be in a fairly good position.
“The future of what the public will do is an open question. But I’m very confident the depth of the Field’s expertise and talent will come through on the other side, and I’m equally confident it will thrive.”
In a statement released by the Field, Siggers talked about the role of museums. ““Understanding science and anthropology makes us better able to make good decisions for our planet, it makes us more welcoming to people who are different from us, and it’s just fun. Nobody should be left out from how amazing science is, and it’s the job of museums to make sure that everyone is welcomed in to learn," he said.
In his eight years at Penn Museum, Siggers guided renovation of three-fourths of the university museum’s public spaces, led a $100 million fundraising campaign and established its Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials.
He also implemented “new programs that welcome diverse audiences, including programs in which refugees act as docents giving more information and context about galleries focusing on the countries they’re from,” the Field noted in its hiring announcement.
Advertisement
Siggers also caught the eye of the popular press. In the 2015 interview with the Inquirer, the paper’s headline called him “Penn Museum’s biker archaeologist” and the article noted his fondness for vintage British motorbikes and tattoos, including one on his back executed with ancient tools.
“My most exciting discovery was at a site in Britain called Boxgrove, in the south of England,” he told the Inquirer. “I found a hand ax made out of flint. They’re very beautiful objects. You gradually see the top of the surface, and as you carefully brush away, you begin to see the full tool, and to think that that is half a million years old. Somebody actually made it, held it, probably used it on something.”
As for the bikes, he told the Tribune Thursday that he recently gave up his last one, a Norton Commander, partly at the request of his wife Marianne Lovink, a sculptor.
Siggers spent eight years teaching archaeology at University of Toronto while earning his Ph.D. Before taking the reins at Penn, he was vice president of programs, education, and content communication at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, a museum that he said is very similar to the Field and executed many projects with the Chicago institution in his time there.
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--Cupich names first layperson to head Catholic Charities in Chicago

“ Sally has contributed much to the Church through her service on the Archdiocese Finance Council and her work in @ @ @ @ @ said in the release .
“ With her organizational and leadership expertise , profound faith @ @ @ @ @ justice , she is the ideal person to lead Catholic Charities at this exciting and @ @ @ @

Sally Blount, professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she is a former dean. Blount was named CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago on April 23. (Archdiocese of Chicago photo / HANDOUT)
A Northwestern University professor and former dean of the university’s business school has been named the new chief executive of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, making her the first layperson to head the 103-year-old organization, according to the archdiocese.
Sally Blount, former dean of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and New York University’s Stern College of Business, has been named the first layperson to lead the archdiocese’s Catholic Charities organization. Catholic Charities of Chicago has an annual budget of $200 million and helps 700,000 people a year in Cook and Lake counties, according to a news release from the archdiocese.
Advertisement
Blount, who takes her position as chief executive officer Aug. 1, succeeds Monsignor Michael Boland, who retired in August 2019 after 30 years with Catholic Charities. The charity was founded in 1917 and is among the largest charitable organizations in the Midwest and is the largest diocesan Catholic Charities group in the country.
“Sally has contributed much to the Church through her service on the Archdiocese Finance Council and her work in priest development,” Cupich said in the release. “With her organizational and leadership expertise, profound faith and strong commitment to social justice, she is the ideal person to lead Catholic Charities at this exciting and challenging time.”
Advertisement
Information on Blount’s salary wasn’t released. Boland’s salary in 2017 was $94,000, according to tax filings.


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--Anti-violence groups hit the streets early to confront double threat of shootings and coronavirus. ‘

Anti-violence groups hit the streets early to confront double threat of shootings and coronavirus. ‘We just didn’t feel like we could afford to wait.’

The acceleration comes after a grim first quarter of 2020 .
As of mid-March , homicides were up 34 % @ @ @ @ @ year and shootings have increased by 27 % .
Though the coronavirus has slowed overall @ @ @ @ @ anti-violence groups are concerned that communities already grappling with gun violence will be hit especially @ @ @ @ @ public health fallout from the outbreak .

Police work the scene where four people were shot, including a 3-year-old girl on the 8600 block of South Damen Avenue on April 7, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Facing a two-pronged public crisis of gun violence and the coronavirus, Chicago anti-violence groups are mobilizing earlier this year to target hot spots on the South and West sides.
The workers have become familiar faces in certain corners of the city since the program’s genesis in 2018, often seen engaging with neighbors to de-escalate conflicts. Now they’ll be educating communities about the novel coronavirus too.
Advertisement
They are usually young men hailing from the neighborhoods they work in, showing up daily during the summer as on-the-ground peacekeepers in Chicago’s gang and drug feuds.
A $2.5 million funding boost this year will buoy this program, run by Chicago Creating Real Economic Destiny (CRED) and Communities Partnering for Peace (CP4P), a coalition of more than a dozen organizations. They plan to expand to more sites and start about a month ahead of schedule.
Advertisement
The acceleration comes after a grim first quarter of 2020. As of mid-March, homicides were up 34% over the same time last year and shootings have increased by 27%. Though the coronavirus has slowed overall crime in the city, anti-violence groups are concerned that communities already grappling with gun violence will be hit especially hard by the economic and public health fallout from the outbreak.
“This was not a good start to the calendar year,” said Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education and CRED founder. “So we just didn’t feel like we could afford to wait.”
The stacks of safety cards carried by a worker with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago are double-sided: on one side, COVID-19 safety tips, on the other violence prevention tips. The workers, who receive mentorship and a stipend for their time, will fan out through Austin, Garfield Park and Back of the Yards to educate others — and keep an ear out for disputes.
Teny Gross, executive director of the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, said these hot spot workers are attuned to the streets where they are assigned. They may have had past ties to violence and can intervene early in disagreements, no matter how small, because they know when to detect trouble from groups gathered outside or driving around, he said.
“Conflict is learned and peace is learned,” Gross said. “If you help young people imagine themselves as peacemakers and give them their role, they start to see themselves and believe more in that side of them.”
In total, 62 sites in 10 neighborhoods from Austin to South Shore will be assigned with workers from CRED and CP4P. The rollout, which began this week, is one aspect of the Chicago anti-violence groups’ long-term campaign of reducing gun violence by 80% by 2025. Last year, homicides dropped 13% from 2018 and shootings fell 9.7%.
In addition to the $2.5 million from private donors and foundations, the organizations landed another $7.5 million from the city on Tuesday.
Gross knows there’s always a chance a worker might stray back to the violence of the streets. But he believes it is worth the investment, and recalls one crew of young men who shrugged off outreach efforts two years ago and, gradually, warmed up to the hot spot program.
Advertisement
“It is a very, very risky program,” Gross said. “But we think if you say violence reduction, you cannot do it without engaging people who are engaged in violence.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--Column: The Bears rarely have invested high draft picks in cornerbacks. Ryan Pace must know it’s tim

Column: The Bears rarely have invested high draft picks in cornerbacks. Ryan Pace must know it’s time to get one in Round 2.

Fortunately there is a good class of cornerbacks in this draft .
Ohio State ’ s Jeff Okudah and Florida @ @ @ @ @ be drafted early , perhaps in the top 10 .
After that , the question @ @ @ @ @ the position will begin .
If it ’ s in the middle of Round 1 @ @ @ @ @ options for the Bears at No .
43 .
If it ’ s later in @ @ @ @ @ could be available .
There could be a difference in selecting the fifth cornerback of @ @ @ @ @ say , the seventh or eighth .
Including the Bears , Lions and Vikings , @ @ @ @ @ that 10 teams have the position as a primary draft need .
Another 10 can @ @ @ @ @ need .

In discussing the draft in the most general terms possible Tuesday, Ryan Pace said he views cornerbacks in a similar light to pass rushers: It’s impossible to have too many.
The Bears have spent big for pass rushers, acquiring Khalil Mack in a trade-and-extend deal that made him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player in September 2018. Then, the team splurged for Robert Quinn in free agency, signing him to a five-year, $70 million contract with the key figure being $30 million guaranteed.
Advertisement
Pace has paid for cornerbacks too, matching the offer sheet Kyle Fuller signed with the Packers, a four-year contract worth $56 million that he is halfway through. On the other side of Fuller, the Bears spent $25 million on Prince Amukamara over the last three seasons, an investment they got a reasonable return on.
But sort through options on the roster to replace Amukamara and it’s difficult to identify a front-runner. Artie Burns is a former Steelers first-round draft pick and was signed to a one-year contract for the league minimum. Burns fell out of favor in Pittsburgh so long ago, he has started only two games since Oct. 14, 2018. The Bears were happy to add Kevin Toliver as an undrafted free agent in 2018, believing he had a solid midround grade had it not been for other circumstances. He has played 310 defensive snaps in two seasons. Duke Shelley was a sixth-round pick a year ago and is undersized. Tre Roberson was an All-Star in the CFL, but it’s a leap to the NFL.
Advertisement
That brings us to Friday night’s opportunity for Pace to add to a position that has little depth behind Fuller and nickel cornerback Buster Skrine. Whether the Bears find a cornerback they deem a good fit at No. 43 remains to be seen, but those clamoring for an offensive lineman, receiver, tight end, safety or any other position can’t make a case for a greater need.
[ What will tonight’s virtual NFL draft be like? Go inside how teams will make their picks, what the Bears’ setup is — and how you can still boo Roger Goodell. ]
The Bears have invested very little draft capital in the position over the last two decades, spanning from Pace’s regime all the way back to the end of Mark Hatley’s control of personnel. In the last 20 years, the Bears have used first- or second-round picks on only three cornerbacks: Fuller (Round 1, 2014), Devin Hester (Round 2, 2006) and Charles Tillman (Round 2, 2003). Hester spent about as much time on defense as it took him to run back a kickoff for a touchdown.
In that long span there is only one third-round pick at cornerback, a name that could win a bar bet among the majority of fans. Roosevelt Williams came out of Tuskegee in Round 3 in 2002 and wasn’t around long. Two years later, the team picked Nathan Vasher in Round 4, while Trumaine McBride, Corey Graham and Zack Bowman all turned into nice Day 3 finds. Tim Jennings was a budget free-agent buy that flourished.
“We did some things in the offseason to help that,” Pace said Tuesday. “We’re excited about Toliver. We added Artie Burns. We have some young guys we’re excited about developing. When I look at corner, for me it’s really no different than pass rusher: You cannot have enough of those guys. So it’s something we’re always looking at improving.”
Fortunately there is a good class of cornerbacks in this draft. Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah and Florida’s CJ Henderson will be drafted early, perhaps in the top 10. After that, the question is when a run on the position will begin. If it’s in the middle of Round 1, that could thin out options for the Bears at No. 43. If it’s later in the round, more prospects could be available. There could be a difference in selecting the fifth cornerback of the draft or getting, say, the seventh or eighth. Including the Bears, Lions and Vikings, a case can be made that 10 teams have the position as a primary draft need. Another 10 can safely call it a secondary need.
[ 15 players who could be a fit for the Chicago Bears in the second round of the NFL draft ]
With two picks in Round 2, Pace has some flexibility and is considering potential opportunities to trade down. The Bears should have a good idea which cornerbacks could be in the mix for them. In the last 10 drafts, an average of five cornerbacks are drafted by the 43rd pick and six are selected by the 50th pick. The number could be a tick higher this year.
“We’re always mindful of how many players are going off at certain positions to predict who could be there when we get to our picks,” Pace said. “We have some of those analytics in place to predict things. That’s one thing you’re watching is, ‘OK, this position is going off the board a little more heavily than maybe we expected’ or whatnot. That’s all part of it. And just what trends are taking place in the draft. That’s the main thing.”
One general manager predicted the Bears could be making a choice between LSU’s Kristian Fulton or Auburn’s Noah Igbinoghene as the best options likely available at No. 43. A college scouting director for another team figures Fulton will be drafted earlier and believes six cornerbacks will come off the board in the top 42 picks. The short list he projected for the Bears included Igbinoghene, TCU’s Jeff Gladney and Ohio State’s Damon Arnette.
Advertisement
It all depends how the Bears view the small cloud of players available at No. 43 and how they project another cloud, with some overlap in players, a little later in the round. If the Bears can replicate the success they had with the few high picks they’ve made at the position, they can wait a couple of years before they address it again.
But it’s surprising they’ve been as consistently good on defense for so long when Fuller is the only cornerback drafted before Round 4 in the last 13 years. Pace must know it’s time for a cornerback, because while he says you can’t have too many, you can have too few. And right now, that’s the situation the Bears are in.


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--A blood drive in Vernon Hills turned away walk-ins, an example of how heightened interest in giving

A blood drive in Vernon Hills turned away walk-ins, an example of how heightened interest in giving blood helped reverse supply shortages at start of pandemic

“ This ( blood drive ) in particular is even more unique , in that there were 45 ( people @ @ @ @ @ donate , ” Zabilka said .
“ That ’ s the first time we ’ @ @ @ @ @ slate scheduled .
We had to turn away walk-ins because we had so many people @ @

Lora Zygman (right), of Buffalo Grove, donates blood during a blood drive at the Sullivan Center in Vernon Hills. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press)
Even with the coronavirus pandemic forcing residents to stay inside their homes, a recent blood drive hosted by the Vernon Hills Lions Club exceeded the group’s collection goal.
The response is encouraging given the unusual circumstances, experts in the Chicago area say, and marks one of many blood drives in recent weeks that have helped blood donation supplies rebound across the nation following a shortage last month brought on by the pandemic.
Advertisement
Gary Zabilka, a blood drive chairman with the Vernon Hills Lions Club, said the organization collected 45 pints of blood, with each donor giving one pint, during the drive April 18 at the Sullivan Center in the village.
The total pints collected was above the club’s average of 30 to 35 pints a drive, he said. All 45 pints also were collected from those who scheduled appointments before the start of the drive.
Advertisement
“This (blood drive) in particular is even more unique, in that there were 45 (people) who were pre-scheduled to donate,” Zabilka said. “That’s the first time we’ve ever had a full slate scheduled. We had to turn away walk-ins because we had so many people.”
The club’s blood drives support Vitalant, a blood collection nonprofit with a strong presence throughout the Chicago area.
To ensure proper health protocols amid the pandemic, Vitalant required anyone entering the Sullivan Center for the drive to go through temperature readings. Blood drive workers also wore masks along with their other usual personal protective equipment, Zabilka said.
“The process was pretty typical,” Zabilka said. “I’d say 90% of the people coming through the doors had masks on, as well.”
Holly Seese, a spokeswoman for Vitalant in Illinois, characterized the organization’s current blood donation supply in Illinois as stable.
Vitalant is encouraging individuals to schedule appointments for the end of May and the month of June, as the summer season historically brings a 20% dip in blood donations under normal circumstances because of vacations and other factors, she said.
According to the AABB, formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks, the supply of donated blood was significantly interrupted at the beginning of the March as the spread of COVID-19 intensified across the nation.
Seese said nearly 95% of mobile blood drives at Vitalant locations in Chicago were being canceled around that time.
Advertisement
Eduardo Nunes, vice president of quality, standards and accreditation with the AABB, said the blood supply began stabilizing by the end of March after health officials called for the postponement of elective surgeries.
Donors also began to come out and donate more understanding the need during the pandemic, he said.
“Blood, however, has a limited shelf life, so AABB continues to encourage donors to contact their blood centers and make an appointment to donate in the coming weeks or months,” Nunes said.
Vitalant field supervisor Igor Ustinovich takes a blood donation during a blood drive at the Sullivan Center in Vernon Hills. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press)
But donations for convalescent plasma still remains in need.
Blood centers have begun collecting convalescent plasma from those who have recovered from COVID-19, Nunes said. Plasma is rich in antibodies and can be transfused to critically ill patients, he said.
Vitalant also is looking to work with recovered COVID-19 patients in Illinois, according to Seese.
Advertisement
The transfusion treatment is classified as experimental by the Food and Drug Administration, according to Seese. But earlier this month, the FDA released guidance on eligibility and requirements for clinics to follow if administering the transfusion treatment.
For the Vernon Hills Lions Club, the recent blood drive happened during the pandemic but originally was scheduled for last year, according to Zabilka.
But the club felt the drive still was important to host because of the public health crisis, he said. The club typically hosts four blood drives each year.
The Vernon Hills Park District, which runs the Sullivan Center, also was more than willing to accommodate the club even though district facilities are closed to the public, he said.
“I reached out to the park district and asked them if they would be willing to open the facility and still host the blood drive, in light of the fact that they’re technically not open, but knowing this could be a good community service opportunity,” Zabilka said. “And they were more than willing to do that.”
jnorman@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-23--Hinsdale Central and South high schools work out details of virtual graduation ceremonies

“ Our goal is for it to feel as close to the real ceremony as possible the night of the @ @ @ @ @ to wear their caps and gowns and share pictures on social media ( and ) @ @ @ @ @ regalia and also of them tossing their hats at the end , ” Lyp said @

Graduating seniors this year will not receive their diplomas in front of a stadium full of relatives and friends as this Hinsdale South class did. (Jeff Krage / Pioneer Press)
Faculty and seniors at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South high schools are planning how their graduation ceremonies will proceed on the dates scheduled via technology.
Prerecorded videos with a photo of every student will be shown as a teacher or member of the staff reads their name, the principals said.
Advertisement
“We will premier it via livestream at 7 p.m. the night of each of our ceremonies and release it to the public the day after,” Hinsdale South Principal Arwen Pokorny Lyp said in an email.
“Our goal is for it to feel as close to the real ceremony as possible the night of the event. We want students to wear their caps and gowns and share pictures on social media (and) Twitter of themselves in full regalia and also of them tossing their hats at the end,” Lyp said.
Advertisement
Hinsdale South seniors will graduate May 20 and Central seniors on May 21.
“May 21 is a moment in our students lives that should not just pass by as another day,” Hinsdale Central Principal William Walsh said in an email. “It is a monumental day to celebrate with family and friends, at home, the achievements, honors and commitment to academics, athletics and service our students have worked so hard to realize.”
“The virtual graduation will be full of pomp and circumstance,” Walsh said.
School officials want to distribute a hard copy of the graduation program, caps and gowns and the yearbooks in advance with a drive-up pickup system at the schools. The details are still being worked out, Walsh said.
Teachers and students will participate in the online ceremony as they would if it were held at the school stadium with the bleachers filled with relatives and friends.
The honors orators, principals and other speakers will record their speeches in advance to be played when the ceremony is livestreamed on graduation day, Pokorny Lyp said.
Central’s commencement will be hosted by Senior Class President Nick Moawad and Student Council President Lauren Hughes.
South will name its student speakers next week.
Advertisement
Seniors chose the teachers by vote who will read the names of the Class of 2020, as their photo is shown, in lieu of their being handed their diploma.
Seniors hope to get together in person later in the summer once the coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The schools will solicit input from the graduates on what that celebration should be.