chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is headed to the Cowboys, but Deon Bush

Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is headed to the Cowboys, but Deon Bush returns for a fifth season

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 .
He will reunite in Dallas with his former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy .
Clinton-Dix had two interceptions last season for the Bears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

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--2020-03-20--Is Nick Foles an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky? A look at the Bears quarterbacks by the numbers.

4-2 : Foles ’ record in postseason games .
The Eagles lost in his first appearance after the 2013 season @ @ @ @ @ on their way to the Super Bowl championship after the 2017 season .
Foles threw @ @ @ @ @ touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to help lift the Eagles over the Patriots 41-33 @ @ @ @ @ MVP .
He went 1-1 in the 2018 postseason .

The Chicago Bears traded a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars for Nick Foles on Wednesday.
Foles joins Mitch Trubisky in the Bears quarterbacks room. While we wait to hear from general manager Ryan Pace about which player he expects to be the 2020 starter, here’s a look at the quarterbacks by the numbers.
Advertisement
88: Pick the Eagles used to select Foles in the 2012 draft.
The third-round pick passed for 10,011 yards, 67 touchdowns and 33 interceptions over three seasons at Arizona (2009-11) after transferring from Michigan State. The Wildcats went to two bowl games during his time there.
Advertisement
2: Pick the Bears used to select Trubisky.
He passed for 3,748 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions in his lone season as a starter at North Carolina. The Tar Heels went 8-5 that year and lost in the Sun Bowl to Stanford.
48: Games Foles has started over eight NFL seasons.
The most he started in a season was 11 in 2015 with the Rams, going 4-7. He started 10 with the Eagles in 2013, when he threw for a career-high 2,891 yards and 27 touchdowns with just two interceptions and went 8-2. He hasn’t started more than five regular-season games in a year since 2015.
Quarterback Nick Foles holds up the Lombardi Trophy after the Eagles defeated the Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP/Getty Images)
41: Games Trubisky has started over three NFL seasons.
He missed three games over the last two seasons with shoulder injuries. He didn’t play the first four games of his rookie season as the Bears started the year with Mike Glennon at quarterback. Trubisky’s best season was 2018, when he went 11-3.
31: Age of Foles, whose birthday was in January.
25: Age of Trubisky, who will turn 26 in August.
Advertisement
4-2: Foles’ record in postseason games.
The Eagles lost in his first appearance after the 2013 season. They won all three on their way to the Super Bowl championship after the 2017 season. Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to help lift the Eagles over the Patriots 41-33 and win Super Bowl LII MVP honors. He went 1-1 in the 2018 postseason.
0-1: Trubisky’s record in postseason games.
The only Bears playoff appearance in Trubisky’s tenure — in the last nine years, in fact — came against the Foles-led Eagles after the 2018 season. The Eagles won 16-15 after Bears kicker Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field-goal attempt off the goal post and crossbar in the final seconds. Foles’ 2-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate on fourth down with 56 seconds to play put the Eagles ahead.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 19 The Bears introduce Mitch Trubisky after drafting him with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL draft during a news conference at Halas Hall on April 28, 2017. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)
88.2: Foles’ career passer rating, including 84.6 in four starts with the Jaguars in 2019.
His rating during a five-start stint with the Eagles in 2018 was 96.0. His career best was 119.2 in 2013 with the Eagles. His rating in the playoffs is 98.8.
Advertisement
85.8: Trubisky’s career passer rating, including 83.0 in 15 starts in 2019.
His career-best rating was 95.4 in 14 starts in 2018.
0: Jaguars wins in four games Foles started in 2019.
To be fair, he left one of those games in the first quarter with a broken collarbone. The other three came after he returned from injury. In the last, he was benched at halftime as the Jaguars returned to playing rookie Gardner Minshew.
8: Bears wins in games Trubisky started in 2019, though backup Chase Daniel played most of one after Trubisky suffered a left shoulder injury in the first quarter.
0.8: Touchdown passes per game for Foles in 2019. The Jaguars averaged 17.5 points in games he started.
Advertisement
1.1: Touchdown passes per game for Trubisky in 2019. The Bears averaged 17.3 points in games he started.
61.9%: Foles’ career completion percentage.
He also has a 4.2% touchdown percentage and 2.1% interception percentage. He has averaged 7.0 yards per attempt and 205.2 yards per game in his career.
63.4%: Trubisky’s career completion percentage.
He also has a 3.8% touchdown percentage and 2.3% interception percentage. He has averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and 208.6 yards per game in his career.
390: Career rushing yards in 58 games for Foles, with an average of 3.0 yards per carry.
Advertisement
He hasn’t rushed for more than 23 yards in a season since 2014. He has five rushing touchdowns.
862: Career rushing yards in 41 games for Trubisky, with an average of 5.5 yards per attempt.
He totaled a career-low 193 yards in 2019 after rushing for 421 in 2018. He has seven rushing touchdowns.


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Woman rescues 6-month-old daughter from SUV as gunman attempts to carjack her in River North, police

Woman rescues 6-month-old daughter from SUV as gunman attempts to carjack her in River North, police say

He yanked her property from her and ran toward her SUV parked on the street .
Her 6-month-old daughter was @ @ @ @ @ said .

A woman pulled her 6-month-old daughter out of an SUV that a gunman tried to carjack Thursday afternoon in the River North neighborhood.
About 2:30 p.m., the 22-year-old woman was in the 800 block of North State Street when a male pointed a gun at her and demanded her belongings, according to Chicago police.
Advertisement
He yanked her property from her and ran toward her SUV parked on the street. Her 6-month-old daughter was in the backseat, police said.
As the male got inside the SUV, the 22-year-old opened the rear door and scooped up her daughter, police said.
Advertisement
A 60-year-old man witnessing the carjacking tried to walk over and intervene, but the gunman also pointed his firearm at him, police said.
The gunman then left the SUV, which still had the 22-year-old’s items inside, and fled westbound on West Chestnut Street in a dark sedan, police said.
No one was injured, and Area Central detectives were investigating the attempted carjacking.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-21--7 wounded in citywide shootings Friday evening into Saturday morning

One man , 33 , was wounded multiple times in his body and taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai @ @ @ @ @ , 21 , was shot in the left leg and taken in serious-but-stable condition to @ @ @ @ @ said .
Officers were unable to interview witnesses .

At least seven people have been shot and wounded in Chicago overnight from Friday to Saturday, authorities said.
The most recent shooting unfolded Saturday morning in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side, according to Chicago police.
Advertisement
Two men were reportedly standing in a front yard about 2:20 a.m. in the 3700 block of West Grand Avenue when gunfire, possibly from a passing vehicle, struck them, police said.
One man, 33, was wounded multiple times in his body and taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital. The other man, 21, was shot in the left leg and taken in serious-but-stable condition to the same hospital, police said. Officers were unable to interview witnesses.
Advertisement
Another shooting Saturday struck the Little Village neighborhood and left a 26-year-old man in critical condition. About 1 a.m., he was shot in the head while on the curb next to a vehicle in the 3000 block of South Trumbull Avenue, police said.
The 26-year-old was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, and police have been unable to interview witnesses, they said.
About 10 minutes earlier, a double shooting occurred in the Princeton Park neighborhood on the South Side. About 2 a.m., two men were walking in the 200 block of West 93rd Street when they heard gunfire and found out they were shot, according to police.
A 27-year-old man was struck in the back and taken to University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition, and a 29-year-old man self-transported to the same hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound in his ankle, police said.
Late Friday, a woman was shot in the neck at an unknown place and dropped off at Mount Sinai Hospital on the West Side. The 25-year-old was unable to provide information on the shooting to officers after her sister drove her to the hospital, police said.
The evening’s first shooting happened in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood on the Southeast Side.
About 7 p.m., a 21-year-old man was walking south on the sidewalk in the 9600 block of South Chappel Street when gunfire rang out and struck him in the lower left abdomen, police said.
The 21-year-old, who said he did not see the shooter, was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said.
Advertisement
No one was in custody for any of the shootings. Last weekend, three people were shot and wounded from 5 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Saturday, according to Tribune records.
This Friday was the last evening the city had before a statewide stay-at-home order will go into effect, ordering residents to stay home barring essential needs. Chicago police officers assigned to the patrol division will have their days off canceled this weekend as the force prepares to navigate the new directive while stemming crimes, the Tribune has reported. Additional officers will be sent out to retail corridors and other main streets.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Column: Coronavirus closures are pushing even more of us to shop online. It’s a habit likely to stic

Column: Coronavirus closures are pushing even more of us to shop online. It’s a habit likely to stick.

There will always be some merchandise that you have to see in person , that you have to touch .
@ @ @ @ @ will remain .
Some people won ’ t by clothes unless they can try them @ @

Are people going to just stop buying stuff?
In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, it has been made clear by Gov. J.B. Pritzker that grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open because we always need to get milk, eggs and medication.
Advertisement
But what about the other stuff?
I could use a new pair of pants. So, I stopped at Macy’s the other day. I couldn’t find what I wanted, but that doesn’t matter. They closed their stores in the wake of the crisis the next day.
Advertisement
I also need some new shoes, but many shoe stores are closed, too.
I’m probably going to need more paper and ink, especially now that two of us are working from home.
The answer, of course, is to buy online. And it got me thinking.
Obviously, the younger generation has been doing their shopping online for years. All of us parents of older teens and young adults know our kids buy 90% of what they need online.
But what about us older folks that still like to shop locally? What about us Neanderthals who have been trying to support the local mom and pops all these years?
If I really need those shoes, what choice do I have but to buy them online now? If this crisis goes on for weeks, months, what choices will I have but to shop more and more online?
And since I firmly believe that most people are like me, or at least I’m like most people, I have to figure that more and more people will turn to shopping online.
The question is, where will that leave local retailers?
Advertisement
For sure when we come out of this coronavirus crisis, we will be changed as a people. And I am quite certain that one of the changes will be the death of small, local retail.
Let’s face it, retail has been on the slide for years already. This could be the event that pushes the industry beyond the point of no return.
There will always be some merchandise that you have to see in person, that you have to touch. Brick-and-mortar stores for those items will remain. Some people won’t by clothes unless they can try them on.
A new fishing rod or a new set of golf clubs seem to need that human touch? Isn’t it necessary to try them out before purchasing, to handle the item and make a few casts or swings of the club?
I think so. It seems to me that we will always need a physical place for that type of purchase.
But when I couldn’t find the exact style of sunglasses I wanted, I bought them online.
Advertisement
A local retailer stopped carrying my favorite aftershave years ago, but I can buy all I need online from the manufacturer.
I need new sailing gloves and don’t feel like driving to the nearest brick-and-mortar marina and be limited to their selection. But there are tons of gloves online.
I know I should fret about coronavirus and not worry about shopping for non-essentials.
But I still want to live as normally as possible. I can’t go to church, can’t sit in a Starbucks and drink coffee, can’t even stop at a local watering hole and hobnob with my best friends over a beer.
I guess that’s why I have an overwhelming desire to buy some shoes. And I know if I go online for them, I might never go to another store again.
Randy Blaser is a freelance columnist.


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Tom Brady officially signs with the Buccaneers on a 2-year deal: ‘I’m starting a new football journe

Tom Brady officially signs with the Buccaneers on a 2-year deal: ‘I’m starting a new football journey’

Excited , humble and hungry ... if there is one thing I have learned about football , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ did last year or the year before that ... you earn the trust and respect @ @ @ @ @ commitment every single day .
I ’ m starting a new football journey and thankful @ @ @ @ @ giving me an opportunity to do what I love to do .
I look forward @ @ @ @ @ teammates and coaches and proving to them that they can believe and trust in me @ @ @ @ @ that well done is better than well said , so I ’ m not gon @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m just gon na get to work !
# Year1 p.s .
Jack @ @ @ @ @

TAMPA, Fla. — Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, saying he is embarking on a “new football journey.”
The 42-year-old quarterback who spent the first 20 years of his career with the New England Patriots announced his decision Friday in an Instagram post and thanked the Bucs for the opportunity.
Advertisement
The deal is worth $30 million per season.
“Excited, humble and hungry ... If there is one thing I have learned about football, it’s that nobody cares what you did last year or the year before that,” Brady wrote.
Advertisement
The signing comes three days after Brady announced on social media that he would not return to New England, ending his historic run with the Patriots.
He joins an offense that led the NFL in passing yards last season, featuring a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, and a young, developing running back in Ronald Jones.
What the Bucs didn’t have in 2019, when they went 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the 12th straight season was a quarterback who protected the football.
Brady, who turns 43 in August, will be counted on to change that.
The three-time league MVP is coming off what generally is regarded as the worst non-injury season of his career, throwing for 4,057 yards and 24 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions in his final season with the Patriots.
Still, New England won 12 games before a sputtering offense was held to 13 points in a first-round playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Jameis Winston, meanwhile, was a turnover machine with Tampa Bay, leading the league with 5,109 passing yards while also becoming the first “30-30” player in NFL history with 33 TD passes and 30 interceptions.
Opponents returned a league-record seven interceptions for touchdowns last season. Winston also lost five fumbles, with opponents converting his combined 35 turnovers into 112 points.
Advertisement
“It’s not a talent issue, it’s a performance issue ... turning the ball over,” Arians said after the season, summing up why the Bucs, who scored a franchise-best 458 points in 2019, were unable to end their long playoff drought.


chicagotribune--2020-03-16--Ask Anna: A woman’s outlook on masturbation sleeves

The cons are cost ( the higher-end ones will set you back a benjamin and change ) .
And cleaning @ @ @ @ @ most common detriment .
As one person put it , “ You just came and @ @ @ @ @ is have a smoke and instead you got ta go flush out your fake plastic @ @ @ @ @ fit can be a struggle , as well ( e.g .
too tight or too @ @ @ @ @ too short ) .
And then there is the potential embarrassment of someone finding out @ @ @ @ @ , as one person responded , “ f -- k them , you are an @ @ @ @ @ ’ t need no vagina .
”

“Ask Anna” is a sex column. Because of the nature of the topic, some columns contain language some readers may find graphic.
If I used a masturbation sleeve or pocket pussy, would it feel better than my hand? — Anon.
Advertisement
Dear Anon.,
I admire your ingenuity in asking someone without a penis how a toy made for a penis might feel. Way to think outside my box! If you’d like to return the favor, I’d love to know what kind of bra you think would fit me best.
Advertisement
Anatomy problems aside, I do happen to know a few people with penises, so I took an informal survey on social media as to how such people felt about these kinds of masturbation aids. The results were mixed! For those who don’t know/don’t want to Google it, masturbation sleeves (aka Fleshlights, pocket pussies, eggs, strokers, etc.) are a kind of sex toy that one inserts one’s penis into that mimics the feel of a vagina/anus/mouth, depending on what kind you get. Some vibrate. Some require lube or powder. Some are large, and some are small. Some you can take on a train, and some you should keep out of the rain! Etc., etc.
The general pros of such devices are: variety/novelty (i.e. it’s not your hand!). They feel good (Doye. Though user experience does vary). They have interesting textures (cyberskin, originally designed by NASA engineers, can feel quite similar to real skin). And, as one guy told me, for any people who struggle with delayed ejaculation, such toys can work as training devices. “It doesn’t make my nether regions as insensitive as manual,” he said.
The cons are cost (the higher-end ones will set you back a benjamin and change). And cleaning them was listed as the most common detriment. As one person put it, “You just came and all you want to do is have a smoke and instead you gotta go flush out your fake plastic vag.” Finding the right fit can be a struggle, as well (e.g. too tight or too loose, too long or too short). And then there is the potential embarrassment of someone finding out you use them, which, as one person responded, “f--k them, you are an empowered sexual male who don’t need no vagina.”
Also on the not-a-fan side, folks described using such masturbation aids (one even tried an auto-fellatio apparatus!) as not really similar to sex with a human woman. Go figure. One dude described it as “vaguely like having sex with a robot, but not in an “Ex Machina” sexy kind of way.”
In terms of the weirdest criticism, there was this: “You can’t pass it off as a flashlight.” No, sir, you generally can’t pass any sex toy off as a flashlight. Though with the prettier glass ones, you might be able to convince your mother-in-law that it’s a highly conceptual work of modern art.
If you want far more in-depth analysis, do as a modern masturabor does and read reviews of toys online. They’re not as good as lady pens or Haribo gummy bears, but they are definitely still entertaining. Good luck, and thank you for the weird results that are sure to pop up on my Amazon page now.


chicagotribune--2020-02-25--A restaurant crawl tries to get people back in Chinatown

“ It ’ s all love .
I think it ’ s all love .
I think being part of @ @ @ @ @ the Latinx community , the Central American community , we have had a lot of @ @ @ @ @ over the past four years .
So when we see it being done to another @ @ @ @ @ also been oppressed .
For me , that ’ s where it ’ s all @ @ @ @ @ all oppressed people in the world , '' Corcoles said .

Organizer Carlos Matias drinks bubble tea from Joy Yee on Feb. 24, 2020, in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood. Matias and a friend created a Facebook event to try to encourage visitors to Chinatown, where sales have slumped due to public concerns amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
For more than 20 years, Carlos Matias has been visiting Chicago’s Chinatown, and considers himself a friend to many of the restaurant owners in the Near South Side neighborhood.
So when Matias, 30, heard that Chinatown restaurants and shops were experiencing a sales slump due to public health concerns associated with the novel coronavirus outbreak, he wanted to help.
Advertisement
Matias, of Chicago’s Hermosa neighborhood, and friend Jose Corcoles, 29, of Pilsen, last week went on Facebook to rally people to dine out in Chinatown Monday and shared the message with their social media followers.
The posting wound up being shared more than 1,000 times on Facebook.
Advertisement
On Monday evening, more than 100 people came out for a food crawl that involved eating and drinking at different stores and restaurants around Chinatown.
“We are South Side neighborhood kids who love Chinatown,” Matias said.
People gather in Chinatown Square to show support for local businesses that may be suffering from fear of the global coronavirus outbreak on Feb. 24, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
The event was the latest in a series of campaigns — some of them grassroots — aimed at supporting Chinatown business owners.
Over the past month, the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce and the American Chinese Restaurant Institute have launched marketing campaigns to attract more visitors to the neighborhood. Mayor Lori Lightfoot attended the Chinatown Lunar New Year parade in early February to reassure the public that Chinatown was safe to visit.
But some business owners say all those efforts haven’t helped, and seats remains empty at restaurants as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb worldwide. The Federal Reserve last month called the threat of the virus “a new risk to the global growth outlook,” and the World Health Organization on Monday said it’s unclear whether the virus can be slowed down.
Meat hangs in the BBQ King House restaurant, Feb. 24, 2020, in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Those concerns are playing out in real-time in the nation’s Asian-American business areas.
At BBQ King House in Chicago’s Chinatown, a few diners were eating dinner Monday night before the food crawl attendees started to come in to buy appetizers and other items. Owner Sam Ma said it offered some relief as he has had to cut hours for part- and full-time workers, some of whom have been at his restaurant for more than a decade.
Advertisement
"Today is still slow. It’s still very slow,” Ma said Monday night.
Even as public health officials have stressed the risk of the virus remains low to those living in Chicago, people still aren’t coming out, Ma said.
Corcoles said the purpose of the event was to help out a community in need.
“It’s all love. I think it’s all love. I think being part of the Latino community, or the Latinx community, the Central American community, we have had a lot of fear-mongering pointed at our direction over the past four years. So when we see it being done to another group of people who have also been oppressed. For me, that’s where it’s all rooted: In solidarity with all oppressed people in the world," Corcoles said.
On Facebook, Matias said some users posted negative comments that claimed the Asian community didn’t patronize other minority food establishments the same way Latinos or black residents do. Others asked the organizers why they weren’t visiting black-owned restaurants since it’s Black History Month.
Advertisement
“With all the racism and the xenophobia going around in the world it’s sad, but it’s important to get people to go down (to Chinatown),” Matias said.
Carlos Matias gets bubble tea from Joy Yee Monday evening. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Emma Yu, executive director of the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, said in the past week sales have improved at some businesses, but it doesn’t help that the city tends to have fewer tourists in January and February.
Tony Hu, owner of the Lao Sze Chuan chain, said his restaurants continue to be challenged by the downturn. Hu, who is involved with the American Chinese Restaurant Institute, a national food industry association based in Chicago, said he created a marketing campaign to bring more people to Chinatown.
Advertisement
As part of the campaign, the institute gathers every two weeks at a different restaurant in Chinatown, and diners are encouraged to take a photo with one of the group’s banners and post it on their social media accounts, Hu said.
“It’s a very difficult situation in Chinatown. Most visitors come to Chinatown for authentic food, but now they aren’t coming,” Hu said.
Hu said he is worried the lack of visitors might mean shortening work hours for staff, many of whom have families and rely on tips.
Matias said he and his friends stayed out until 1 a.m. Tuesday going to different businesses. By bringing dozens of people out to Chinatown, Matias said he hopes it helped businesses.
“This event is to make sure the back and the front of the house (staff) is getting paid, and they don’t lay off anyone. .... We want to make this about support,” Matias said.
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Advertisement
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-03-21--Watch live: Gov. J. B. Pritzker and health officials discuss Illinois coronavirus cases

Watch live as Illinois Gov .
J .
B. Pritzker and health officials discuss coronavirus cases 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--2020-03-21--Need a pick-me-up during the coronavirus shutdown? Here are the best — and worst — Chicago athletes

Need a pick-me-up during the coronavirus shutdown? Here are the best — and worst — Chicago athletes and broadcasters on Cameo.

The wonderfully grumpy Dick Butkus ( $ 251 ) is a natural performer .
He made me laugh out loud @ @ @ @ @ I heard from some of your college friends that they ’ re a little concerned @ @ @ @ @ photographs .
… I understand your pleasure of having a photo of me and you @ @ @ @ @ .
But Jesus , get over it .
Start putting up some pictures of your @ @ @ @ @ any !
And especially your fiancee , for Chrissakes .
”

Unsettling times like these call for the nation to come together like never before.
Advertisement
And unprecedented times like these require sports media entities to show creativity like never before.
ESPN radio debated: What athlete, past or present, would you choose if you needed to go to the store to snag the last roll of toilet paper?
Advertisement
DITKA!!
My editor asked: If you needed some cheer, which Chicago athlete or broadcaster on Cameo would be worth your dime?
Cameo is the West Loop-based company that connects celebrities and, um, “celebrities” with fans. For between $5 and $2,500, you can enlist one of 25,000 athletes/celebrities to record a personalized greeting that lasts from about 10 seconds to four minutes.
A Jan. 14 Chicago magazine story called Cameo “the Most American Startup Ever.”
Celebs set their adjustable fees and keep 75%. Sarah Jessica Parker’s asking price surged from $300 to $2,500. And even at that whopper, she’s currently unavailable.
Rod Blagojevich is charging $100. I’d only pay to see him make a video back in his prison cell.
College basketball analyst Seth Davis waived his fee after the coronavirus hit, offering to boost downtrodden hoops junkies. He got more than 500 requests and knocked out 175.
There are intriguing offers and great bargains out there for Chicago athletes and broadcasters.
Advertisement
Need advice on a pick-me-up?
Read on.
Bears
The wonderfully grumpy Dick Butkus ($251) is a natural performer. He made me laugh out loud with this message: “I heard from some of your college friends that they’re a little concerned about your habit of displaying photographs. … I understand your pleasure of having a photo of me and you — when you were 4. But Jesus, get over it. Start putting up some pictures of your friends — if you have any! And especially your fiancee, for Chrissakes.”
How does that performance compare with other legendary linebackers?
A pep talk from Lance Briggs will set you back his uniform number ($55). A sample: “I would much rather have some of your pizza than have anything to do with one of Cody Parkey’s missed field goals.”
Mike Singletary charges $200 but is extremely expressive with lots of hand motions: “Go, Bears. Go, Bears. Not Packers. Boo!!”
Advertisement
If you want more of Brian Urlacher than highway billboards, he’ll make you a short message for $540.
Matt Forte commands $350.
Devin Hester ($120) closes out with: “Bear down, baby.”
Dave Wannstedt ($50) seems to enjoy doing Cameos as much as his WSCR-AM 670 hits. A recent message lasted more than 2½ minutes and included: “I really believe: If you use Mitch Trubisky correctly, he will do some things to give you a chance to definitely get into the playoffs. And once you get in, who knows what happens?”
WGN-TV’s Jarrett Payton will fire you up for a mere $20. Knowing him, he’d do it for free.
A recent message included a tour of framed Walter Payton photos in his home and the message: “Happy 40th birthday, man. Another amazing year on this amazing Earth. It gives you another opportunity to keep impacting kids.”
Advertisement
Blackhawks
There are not many choices, but Bryan Bickell ($50) did one from Mexico while wearing his Team Canada fishing jersey: “I’m pretty sure Canada is taking gold in the Pan-Am fishing games. … Shoutout for making this happen. Keep truckin’. Enjoy. Go, Hawks.”
He also concluded one birthday greeting with a technological question: “Oh, I’m supposed to stop it?”
Yes, the red button. Not as much fun as the red light.
Radio analyst Troy Murray ($40) is available and joked of a fan coming to a game on her birthday: “Happy 20 hat tricks … have a lot of fun. I’m going to warn everyone that you’re coming because I know you’re a lot of trouble.”
Legends Jeremy Roenick and Denis Savard both command $200. Savard recently wished someone a happy 60th with: “Hockey players, you know, don’t really age.”
Roenick looks like a bouncer and sounds like a comedian: “Happy 33rd birthday. You’re getting old, big man. You have a long way to go to catch up to me. I just turned 50. Holy smokes. I don’t feel it. I might look it.”
Advertisement
Roenick masters the art of personalization with messages sweet and salty: “Stay calm because you’ve got a baby girl coming. In a couple weeks! Life changes, man. She will have you wrapped around her finger. You’re going to be one of those suck dads. … She will run your business like crazy, which is exactly how you want.”
Bulls
Ryan Arcidiacano looks like the kid who snowblows your driveway and charges about the same ($25): “I understand you wear No. 15 because of me. … Thank you so much … I saw you hit that 3 at the buzzer to win the game. Take care, have a good one and, yup, have a good one.”
I’m not sure Ben Gordon has a good grasp of the Cameo concept. He charges $700 but says in reference to a good Jim Calhoun anecdote: “Gotta pay for the story.” There’s another one of him, shirtless, doing pushups. It’s easily the best of the bunch.
Wendell Carter Jr. charges $200, Daniel Gafford $20. Denzel Valentine asks for $90, and one of his videos lasted as long as a free-throw routine.
Eddy Curry is a solid play at $35: “I heard you might be having a tough time. … Take it from the king of the tough times! I’ve been through a lot and I can tell you the tough times don’t define you. It’s the bounce-back.”
Advertisement
Tyrus Thomas, who was fined $10,000 for saying his only motivation to win the slam-dunk contest was “free money,” charges $35.
Will Perdue ($50) is available, and Stacey King ($50) lasts four-plus minutes and will attempt an Australian accent: “I understand you’re in from Australia so: ‘G’day mate.’ ”
Shockingly, the affable and loquacious Chuck Swirsky is nowhere to be found.
Cubs
You’ll pay a premium ($200) for Kyle Schwarber, but you get a radio-quality voice. And besides, the closest you can get to Anthony Rizzo is Dodgers reporter Alanna Rizzo ($20) and a TikTok rapper named Rizzy ($5).
Side note: Kris Bryant is not on Cameo, but there’s a New York City radio host named Cubby Bryant ($15). What the …?
Andre Dawson ($60), always in Cubs gear, can attest to this greeting: “You know if this birthday sucks, there’s always next year.”
Advertisement
Radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes is a strong value at $50, with messages averaging nearly three minutes. His advice to a broadcasting hopeful: “You can learn only so much in a classroom or by listening to others. ... You’ll have to do hundreds of games before you really feel like you can develop your own style. … Go, Cubs. Stay healthy. And peace on Earth.”
Fergie Jenkins operates at the pace of 1960s games, banging out messages between 11 and 19 seconds. But he announced on Twitter that for the next week he’s donating his Cameo income (from a $60 fee) to out-of-luck Sloan Park employees.
Jon Lieber ($25), the king of getaway day, knocked one out last year from Yankee Stadium: “I just wanted to say: You dominate me every year in the Iowa poker tournament. I’m telling you, buddy, you’re going down next year.”
Another of Lieber’s: “You need to go set up that IRA account and stop being so freakin’ lazy.”
Aramis Ramirez charges just $15, and you get what you pay for.
Advertisement
If you know a young pitcher who is hobbled and looking for inspiration, former Cubs reliever Pedro Strop ($25) is your guy.
Call on ESPN’s Jesse Rogers ($15) to announce your softball lineup or fantasy team.
Not sure if Rafael Palmeiro ($75) charges extra for a finger wag.
David Kaplan pumps up his Instagram followers for free, but if you want a personalized message (“Listen here, Sparkles … I know you’re all-in on life”), it will set you back $50. Call on the Kapman if you want to burn your favorite (or most despised) Cardinals fan.
White Sox
Paul Konerko goes deep for his $100 fee, stretching past 1 minute, 40 seconds and offering advice for youth baseball and hockey players: “I think kids your age should be playing more than one sport. … Work hard. There is no substitute.”
At $60, Joe Crede sells solid Midwestern reliability, if not relatability.
Advertisement
Jermaine Dye ($75) looks terrific and records videos from idyllic locations, with palm trees. The 2005 World Series MVP salutes one admirer with: “You’re the real MVP of the family.”
Adam Engel ($20) is a bargain for a current player and recorded a recent message with: “Hope this quarantine goes well for you and your family. … Good health and happiness and enjoy this time off. Go Sox.”
There’s no Steve Stone or Jason Benetti, but Chuck Garfien ($20) offers Lucas Giolito-like value.
A subdued Ozzie Guillen ($50) tried to cheer someone up by saying: “Matt, unfortunately this virus is killing everyone. … Mentally, it’s tough for everyone. … It’s a long summer, and you will see the White Sox play a lot. Love you, buddy.”
(I want to buy a Guillen Cameo to send to Jay Mariotti.)
Says Geoff Blum ($30): “Just like I was the hero in Game 3 of the 2005 World Series, he is the hero you need in this tournament. … Vote for Matt.”
Advertisement
Bobby Jenks ($30), who won exactly three games in 2006, ’07, ’08 and ’09, is the model of consistency. His three posted videos all last 12 seconds.
Michael Kopech is not on Cameo, but wife/actress Vanessa Morgan charges $125. She’s listed as temporarily unavailable. (Honeymoon?)
Ron Kittle ($42) used his booming voice to say: “Your boys … wanted me to wish you Mazel Tov on your 47th birthday.”
What a mensch.
If you want to splurge, Bo Jackson ($400) stays on brand: “Take care of your mother and sister and don’t even think about breaking a bat over your knees. Always climb the wall for those you care about.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-21--Family of Chicago man killed at Barrington Hills rental home party seeking answers on shooting

“ I was so proud of that , ” he said .
“ A lot of guys would go back @ @ @ @ @ know , and they ’ ll gravitate to the streets .
And he was trying @ @ @ @ @ .
He made a few mistakes , but he was trying to change his life @ @ @

Sean Patton Jr., 28, was shot and killed March 7, 2020 at a party held at a rental home in the 300 block of Old Sutton Road in Barrington Hills. - Original Credit: Family of Seah Patton Jr. (Family of Sean Patton Jr. / HANDOUT)
When Litita Herrod’s daughter woke her up in the early morning hours of March 7, she said she just knew something bad had happened.
“Just don’t let it be one of my children,” she recalled thinking at the time.
Advertisement
But soon she learned her worst fear had come true. Her son, Sean Patton Jr., 28, had been shot and killed hours earlier at what authorities called a “large party” held at a big, ranch-style rental home in Barrington Hills.
According to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, Patton’s death was determined to be a homicide due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Advertisement
Mourners said their final goodbyes Friday at the funeral service for Patton.
The investigation into Patton’s death is ongoing, according to authorities.
Barrington Hills Police Department spokesman William Walsh said Wednesday no arrests have been made. He said investigators are following leads but have not publicly identified any suspects.
Walsh also said that multiple people were shot during the incident. He said authorities are working to identify the others who were shot.
Herrod and Patton’s father, Sean Patton Sr., said they haven’t been told much by police about the investigation’s current status. But they said they want to hear from the people who were with their son at the party.
“I would like to have some type of answers,” Herrod said. “There’s so much stuff on social media. ... I don’t know what happened.”
Advertisement
This isn’t Patton and Herrod’s first time experiencing the loss of a child. Their son Arthur McGraw died in 2017, also from a shooting. Herrod said she wouldn’t wish the pain of losing a child on anyone.
“It’s like pouring salt on the wound,” Patton Sr. said. “It’s like opening up a cut. Like, ‘Is this happening again?’ It’s unbelievable.”
Herrod said she’s having trouble understanding what happened at the party because her son was a loving person.
"Everybody loved Sean,” she said.
Advertisement
When Herrod heard her son was even going to a party that night, she was surprised. She said he was often working or taking care of his 10-year-old son, who she said is struggling with the news of the fatal shooting.
Sean Patton Jr. spent a lot of time with his son, according to his parents, helping him with his homework and taking him to trampoline parks, indoor skydiving and places with with bumper cars.
“When I tell you he was an excellent dad, Sean was an excellent dad,” Herrod said.
Patton was a good kid growing up, too, his parents said. According to Herrod, the only incident they had to deal with was a food fight in high school.
“That was my baby,” Litita Herrod said. “Sean was a good person.”
Shortly after high school, though, Patton Sr. said his son got “a little loose” and gravitated toward the streets and a bad crowd, one made up of people he didn’t fit in with.
Advertisement
According to court records and information from the Illinois Department of Corrections, Patton had been in prison three times in the last decade following convictions on drugs and weapons charges. He completed his last prison stint — on drug charges — in May 2019.
But recently, Patton was trying to right himself, his dad said.
“I was so proud of that,” he said. “A lot of guys would go back to what they think they know, and they’ll gravitate to the streets. And he was trying to change his life around. He made a few mistakes, but he was trying to change his life around.”
Following his release, Patton started working at Freedman Seating Company, a national engineering and manufacturing company that makes seats for various forms of transportation and has a location on the West Side of Chicago.
Vladimir Vivas trained Patton when he first began, and he said Patton was always easy to work with and eager to learn. He said he could tell from the beginning Patton was ambitious.
Just a month ago, Patton received a promotion, according to Vivas.
Advertisement
“He always wanted more,” Vivas said. “He always wanted to move on, move up in the company.”
Vivas and another coworker, Keith Brent, worked with Patton on the day of the party. They said he kept talking about how excited he was to go.
“When we heard about that on Monday ... it just blew my mind,” Brent said of the fatal shooting.
Vivas, Brent and some of Patton’s other coworkers collected money to give the family for funeral expenses, they said.
A GoFundMe crowd funding page had also been set up to help Patton’s family pay for funeral expenses. Herrod said her daughters set up the page, which she didn’t want at first.
Advertisement
“I was like, ‘That’s my baby, I got this. I’ll do whatever I can. I got this,’” she said. “But they said, ‘Mama it’s OK to put it up.’”
Herrod said she’s heard a lot of rumors on social media, but she just wants to know what actually happened to her son and why he was taken from her.
“I don’t know," she said, then paused. "I just don’t know.”
kedquist@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @kaitlinedquist


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Ryan Pace addresses cornerback need by signing Artie Burns


chicagotribune--2020-03-20--‘Teenage Dick’ at Theater Wit: The show goes on, with a review of the video-streamed play. Kudos!

One of Lew ’ s central quests here was to showcase actors with disabilities ( Balcom , the smart director @ @ @ @ @ ) and note how William Shakespeare , in the manufacture of his most famous villain @ @ @ @ @ waters of history a stereotype of persons with disabilities , implying that a body deviating @ @ @ @ @ melancholia at best or diabolism at worst .
“ Teenage Dick ” ( which I @ @ @ @ @ at the Eugene O ’ Neill Center not so long but very long ago ) @ @ @ @ @ some of the narrative in the famous history but also to critique its ableist assumptions @ @ @ @ @ is far from easy , especially since some of the crucial physical intimacy in the @ @ @ @ @ the directives to not get too close , but much of this show works .

On Wednesday night, I entered Theater Wit from the street. I was handed a ticket. I was invited to peruse the program. I was walked past — past, sadly — the bar. And like the VIP that I am surely am in my own head, I even got a special little tour of the lobby leading to Sotirios Livaditis’ black-box set. Heck, I was even led to my seat. Most personably, too.
Alas for us all, and for the teetering mass of global humanity, I really was standing inside my kitchen. Circumstances did not permit for the living, breathing, soul-sharing liveness of the theater.
Advertisement
But it was something. And opening night of director Brian Balcom’s new Theater Wit production of Mike Lew’s “Teenage Dick” took place as scheduled. Brava.
This was the procedure. You made your reservation (at the same price as the previously anticipated live ticket) and five minutes before curtain, a unique Vimeo code arrived. At that moment, you were asked to watch a welcoming video — featuring the show’s artistic director, Jeremy Wechsler, long a technology geek and practicer of the fine art of the loquacious pre-show speech — that contained all the stuff above. Then you put in your code and watched the show. All the technology worked perfectly.
Advertisement
Crucially, and thankfully, the actors were not in the building. The show was recorded just once before a live audience on Monday night. I was invited, but declined to come in person as I was self-isolating after a trip to New York. I experienced it like the audience, cold.
In the few dozen people visible on camera, I recognized a couple of staffers, a pair of critics, and an enthusiastic publicist ready to lead the standing ovation. The audience was small but filled about half of the seats. The product was not quite a single-camera-from-the-back kind of thing (there was more than one camera position and some light post-editing), but this was not filmed in the complex way some live performances are presented. The idea here was to replicate the live experience for a new, and let’s hope temporary, reality. You could pause the action and go to the bathroom, but Wechsler had disabled the rewind and fast-forwarding functions, being as those conveniences are not available in the theater.
(Just to replicate the verisimilitude, and since “Teenage Dick” is a riff on “Richard III” taking place in a high school, I asked one of my unusually available teenage sons if he would like to join me for the night at the theater. As is now typical, he declined.)
Smartly directed by Balcom, “Teenage Dick” is a fun piece by a lively young writer and performed with matching exuberance at Theater Wit, where the show stars MacGregor Arney as the Machiavellian teen, and a supporting cast featuring Liz Cloud, Ty Fanning, Courtney Rikki Green, Kathleen Niemann and Tamara Rozofsky.
One of Lew’s central quests here was to showcase actors with disabilities (Balcom, the smart director, also uses a wheelchair) and note how William Shakespeare, in the manufacture of his most famous villain, had cast upon the waters of history a stereotype of persons with disabilities, implying that a body deviating from so-called normalcy must cultivate melancholia at best or diabolism at worst. “Teenage Dick” (which I first saw in workshop form at the Eugene O’Neill Center not so long but very long ago) tries not only to replicate some of the narrative in the famous history but also to critique its ableist assumptions. Doing both at once is far from easy, especially since some of the crucial physical intimacy in the script had been modified given the directives to not get too close, but much of this show works.
I found the piece overwrought in parts, which is the first danger of watching filmed live theater, where performers are scaling their performances further back than the cameras reside. As more theaters move to this format, it is something to correct. That said, I likely would have made the same comment had I been there live: Lew’s imagination and language is potent and ebullient and “Richard III” is not a subtle template. “Teenage Dick” tries to walk a difficult line between moralistic satire and intense truth-telling: My view is that the massively talented Lew will write his best work when he focuses on the second of those impulses. Still, underplaying the characters works best.
All that said, at least some of us got to go to the theater on Wednesday night, and had the chance to see the considerable talents of Arney, the disabled actor in the central role. Everyone here, though, was stepping up in ways inconceivable just a few weeks ago.
Afterward, we all logged on to gotomeeting.com for a post-show discussion. (My presence did not replicate reality, since I hate those things, but these are not normal times.) As I lurked, looking at about 30 warm, if nervous, faces in little boxes on my computer, gratitude to Wechsler, Balcom and everyone involved became the dominant emotion. God, these times.
Advertisement
Just before we all went back to our couches, it was pointed out, tellingly, that for many disabled people, the experience of being denied access to public performances and shut off at home was hardly new. Actually, it was very familiar.
Heads were nodding; empathy was on the rise.
“Teenage Dick” runs through April 19 by video stream from Theater Wit; running time 1 hour, 35 minutes; tickets $28; www.theaterwit.org
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Advertisement


chicagotribune--2020-03-22--Burglars smash through glass door of Lincoln Park liquor store before escaping with merchandise, cas

Burglars smash through glass door of Lincoln Park liquor store before escaping with merchandise, cash

They stole several bottles of liquors , cigarettes and cigars as well as cash from the register before driving away @ @ @ @ @ in a dark sedan , police said .

A group of burglars broke into a liquor store early Sunday in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on the North Side.
Shortly after midnight, four to five unknown people in dark clothing smashed the front door of a liquor store in the 2300 block of North Clark Street, according to Chicago police.
Advertisement
They stole several bottles of liquors, cigarettes and cigars as well as cash from the register before driving away north on Clark, possibly in a dark sedan, police said.
No one is in custody.
Advertisement
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-22--First homicide occurs in Bridgeport shooting after Chicago stay-at-home order takes place

Fiona Ma stood with her mother at the doorway of their house on South Benson Street as officers walked in @ @ @ @ @ the yellow tape .
The 20-year-old peeked outside , taking in a rare breath of @ @ @ @ @ of being cooped up inside .
Dozens of feet away , the officers ’ flashlights @ @ @ @ @ casings in front of a blue sedan parked on the west side of Benson .

At least two people were wounded, one of them fatally, within Chicago since a statewide shelter-in-place order was enacted.
In the first shooting, a man was killed on a street in the Bridgeport neighborhood on the South Side, and two people were in custody.
Advertisement
About 12:50 a.m., police officers responded to a gunfire alert via ShotSpotter technology and found a 38-year-old outside unresponsive in the 3100 block of South Benson Street, according to Chicago police.
The man had gunshot wounds in his head, torso, hand and leg. He was taken to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead, police said.
Advertisement
Officers have not found witnesses to the shooting, but two people seen speeding from the scene in a vehicle were taken into questioning, police said.
Fiona Ma stood with her mother at the doorway of their house on South Benson Street as officers walked in front of them and under the yellow tape. The 20-year-old peeked outside, taking in a rare breath of fresh air after a week of being cooped up inside. Dozens of feet away, the officers’ flashlights revealed an array of shell casings in front of a blue sedan parked on the west side of Benson.
Ma said she heard at least six rapid gunshots before rushing to the window and seeing her neighbor running to the aid of a person outside. It dawned on her that someone was hurt.
“I feel bad,” Ma said. “It just doesn’t happen all that much in this neighborhood. ... But it happens all the time in Chicago, so it’s not that surprising to me.”
Her mother, Allison Ma, 46, said by the time she looked outside, police squad cars were already swarming the street. “It was really fast. Really fast. ... I’ve never seen that before.”
The shooting is the 9th District’s sixth homicide of the year, according to police data. Last year, one homicide was reported.
Chicago police investigate a shooting Sunday, March 21, 2020, in the 1300 block of West Hastings Street. (Alice Yin/Chicago Tribune)
Sunday morning also saw a shooting in the ABLA Homes public housing complex on the Near West Side.
About 4 a.m., a 30-year-old was shot multiple times in the chest and leg in the 1300 block of West Hastings Street. Patrol officers heard shots fired and found him in the courtyard, police said.
Advertisement
The 30-year-old was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, police said. Officers are reviewing closed circuit security camera footage in the area.
Shell casings were scattered on the sidewalk between a parking lot and the rowhouses on the south side of Hastings. A white van was parked near stationed squad cars inside the scene. On the north end, officers shined flashlights at the rocks and bushes against the black fence.
In other firearm-related incidents, a 25-year-old accidentally shot himself while fleeing officers during a traffic stop, police said.
He was a passenger in a vehicle that officers pulled over about 1:10 a.m. in the first block of South Homan Avenue. The 25-year-old got out and began running to the 3400 block of West Monroe Street while stuffing a handgun in his pocket, police said.
The gun went off and a bullet grazed his groin. The 25-year-old self-transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, and police said he could be facing charges.
Starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, a statewide stay-at-home order went into effect, urging residents to stay home barring essential needs. Chicago police officers assigned to the patrol division had their days off canceled this weekend as the force prepared to navigate the new directive while stemming crimes, the Tribune has reported.
Advertisement
The most recent burst of gun violence before the shelter-in-place order was enacted happened about 2:20 a.m. Saturday, nearly 24 hours before the Bridgeport homicide.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-21--Ask Amy: Some people put Amy in a corner

Dear Devasted : The first thing you should do is to NOT get married .
Your fiancee 's behavior and @ @ @ @ @ essence of dysfunction .
If you are correct and she is stepping out on you @ @ @ @ @ problem .
Your declaration that you feel like you `` have to record everything ... @ @ @ @ @ '' is chilling .
Her counter-accusation that you hit her is potentially very dangerous for @ @

Dear Readers: In my (almost) 17 years of writing the Ask Amy column, I have been seriously, thoroughly, and publicly pranked two times.
I assume I might have been fooled with other "faux" problems, but the following two questions created viral gotcha moments that, while embarrassing for me, were highly entertaining for the scores of readers who immediately recognized the spoofing. I reacted to both columns by owning my gullibility and doing my very best to laugh along with my readers.
Advertisement
I rerun these two questions (and my original answers) today, with the reminder that -- even in this very serious world we inhabit -- it's important not to take yourself too seriously.
At the end of this column, I'll reveal the original sources of these problematic plotlines.
Advertisement
I'll be back with original Ask Amy Q and A next week.
Dear Amy: I have a serious problem with my future wife. She has not been faithful to me. I recently overheard her talking to her friend about how she was unfaithful to me. When I confronted her, all that she said was that she couldn't talk right now. I feel like I have to record everything in my own house just to learn the truth.
To make things even more stressful is the fact that she recently told a couple of people that I hit her, but it's not true. I did not hit her. I'm not sure why she has been acting like this lately. She did just find out that her mother has breast cancer, and that might be playing a role in her behavior.
We still always find time to make love, so I don't know why she would go out seeking it from someone else. I just can't believe she would do this to me. I love her so much, she is my everything, and I don't know that I could go on without her. She is tearing me apart.
What should I do?
— Devastated
Dear Devasted: The first thing you should do is to NOT get married. Your fiancee's behavior and your response are the very essence of dysfunction. If you are correct and she is stepping out on you, this is a huge problem. Your declaration that you feel like you "have to record everything ... just to learn the truth" is chilling. Her counter-accusation that you hit her is potentially very dangerous for you.
Because of an escalation in behavior I sense in both of you -- and the seemingly toxic connection between you two -- it would be wisest for you to separate. Seek the support of close friends, family, and a professional counselor to help you deal with this loss and change.
Advertisement
July 2015
Dear Amy: I recently ran into a famous local sports figure at my gym.
I didn't want to bother him, but much to my surprise he approached me. Turns out he knew me from my profession. He asked if I wanted to go out for coffee, and we exchanged numbers. A few days later we had coffee, and I thought it was pretty cool that he considered us friends.
Then everything changed. He told me he was interested in taking out a woman we ran into. She is my ex-girlfriend and we've remained good friends. He asked me a couple of times if I wouldn't mind if he asked her out. I reluctantly said no. I made plans with him, and then after talking to my ex I found out that he ditched our plans to go out with her.
The next day he called me and asked if I could help him move some furniture. I barely know the guy, next thing he will be asking me to drive him to the airport. Two friends of mine warned me not to trust this guy. What's the deal -- am I being too rash, or should I dump the guy as a friend?
— Feeling Foolish
Advertisement
Dear Foolish: The good news here is that you won't have to dump the guy as a friend because he is not a friend. He's an opportunist who just keeps asking you for stuff.
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 >
I suspect that when you turn down his generous offer to let you move furniture for him, you'll likely never hear from him again.
January 2016
Dear Readers: The first question (from "Devastated,") is from the cult movie "The Room," which is widely beloved and possibly the worst movie ever made.
The question from "Feeling Foolish" is based on a famous "Seinfeld" plotline co-starring Mets star Keith Hernandez.
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.)
Advertisement
Copyright 2019 by Amy Dickinson
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency


chicagotribune--2020-03-21--Men’s world hockey championships in Switzerland are canceled because of coronavirus

“ The coronavirus is a global problem and requires major efforts by government to combat its spread , ” he @ @ @ @ @ must do all it can to support this fight .
We have to set sport @ @ @ @ @

Health concerns and travel bans closing international borders stemming from the new coronavirus pandemic left the International Ice Hockey Federation with no choice but to cancel the men’s world hockey championships.
The decision to cancel the 16-team tournament to be held in Switzerland in May was formally announced Saturday, and essentially wipes out the IIHF’s entire spring calendar of world championship of events.
Advertisement
The governing body previously canceled the women’s world hockey championships set to be held in Canada and the men’s Under-18 championship to be played in Michigan next month.
“This is a harsh reality to face for the international ice hockey family, but one that we must accept,” IIHF President René Fasel said in released statement.
Advertisement
“The coronavirus is a global problem and requires major efforts by government to combat its spread,” he added. “The IIHF must do all it can to support this fight. We have to set sport aside for now.”
Due to the pandemic's global scale, the council ruled there was no possibility of relocating the championship to another country.
The two-week tournament was set to start May 8 with games to be played in Zurich and Lausanne.
World championship general secretary Gian Gilli referred to the decision as a “huge disappointment” but one that must be accepted.
“It is an exceptional situation for all concerned and it is now a question of resolving all the outstanding issues,” Gilli said.
The IIHF was already bracing for a cancellation after Fasel on Tuesday told The Associated Press it was “a question of when,” following an executive committee conference call.
Before making the decision official, Fasel said the IIHF had to first consult with its host and marketing partners and insurance carrier to determine what contractual obligations had to be met.
Fasel cited numerous challenges facing officials, ranging from health directives in place limiting attendance to travel bans making it difficult for nations to send their teams. Another issue was players lacking practice time, with most of the world’s pro hockey leagues having either indefinitely suspended or canceled their seasons.
Advertisement
Rosters are made up of mostly professional players, including NHLers, whose teams have either missed the playoffs or been eliminated in the early rounds.
On Monday, the NHL announced it will wait 45 days before it can provide guidance on when teams can potential reopen practice.
“It’s really scary,” Fasel told The AP on Tuesday by phone from his native Switzerland. “Europe is just collapsed. It’s really a strange feeling. Our neighbors yesterday, the federal counsel decided to close all the restaurants and everything. It’s like war.”
With championship host sites already determined through 2025, the IIHF has yet to determine whether it will consider altering its schedule and allow Switzerland to host next year’s championship.
Belarus and Latvia were selected to co-host the tournament next year.
The IIHF council also voted to postpone its annual congress set to take place in Zurich, Switzerland in May.