Sun-Times Chicago Sports Coverage

Sports

Bears

He's No. 1: Caleb Williams era to get started right away

The Bears tried an ill-fated apprenticeship plan with Mitch Trubisky in 2017 (behind Mike Glennon) and Justin Fields in 2021 (behind Andy Dalton). But the 2024 Bears are set up for Williams as the Week 1 starter.

By Mark Potash

Bears

Bears GM Ryan Poles corrects errors, fixes WR room with Rome Odunze pick at No. 9

2024 NFL Draft live results and updates for Round 1 on Thursday

Bears

Bears' Caleb Williams has one thing on his mind: Winning the Super Bowl

Bears

Bears draft Washington WR Rome Odunze at No. 9 to pair with QB Caleb Williams

From our columnists

Bears

Caleb Williams: Right guy, right place, right time

The Bears have been here before in their search for a quarterback — Jay Cutler, Mitch Trubisky, Justin Fields — and have found only disappointment. But Williams not only is a cut above as a prospect, the Bears are set up for him to succeed where others failed.

By Mark Potash

Bears

A chance to wipe out 75 years of Bears quarterback futility with one simple announcement

If presumed No. 1 pick Caleb Williams is as good as advertised, Chicago won’t know what to do with itself.

By Rick Morrissey

Bears

Caleb Williams sure looks to be Bears’ guy – a true talent available at just the right time

It would be beyond shocking to this city if the Bears’ future had any other path than following Williams as a trailblazer.

By Rick Telander

Renderings of the proposed new Bears stadium

Columnists

Bears have designs on the lakefront, as Mayor Johnson plays the wrong position of cheerleader-in-chief

The city is willing to put private interests ahead of public benefit and cheer on a wrongheaded effort to build a massive domed stadium — that would be perfect for Arlington Heights — on Chicago’s lakefront.

By Lee Bey

Columnists

Bears, White Sox want stadium deals, so how about a cut of the action?

In exchange for billions of dollars in public money, the public deserves an ownership stake in the franchises.

By David Roeder

Rendering of a proposed new White Sox ballpark at The 78.

Sports

Chicago stadiums, arenas and real estate make for a playground for the wealthy

We all love sports teams, but regular people don’t own the buildings or the land they frolic upon. We just pay homage to the teams — and to the power-laden who own them.

By Rick Telander

Cubs

Former Cub Don Kessinger watching with pride as grandson Grae arrives with Astros at Wrigley Field

“We’re kind of living through Grae right now,” Kessinger told the Sun-Times. “I’m more excited and nervous watching him play than I was when I broke in.”

By Steve Greenberg

White Sox

Tim Anderson on his rise and fall with the White Sox and trying to 'get back to the player I used to be'

Anderson talked smack, flipped bats and became the coolest thing about a Sox team seemingly headed for great things. Then it all went “poof.” In town with the Marlins, he discussed it on Thursday.

By Steve Greenberg

Cubs

Cubs' Adbert Alzolay out of closer role for now but vows to get it back; 'I was built for it,' he says

Asked before Sunday’s series finale against the Marlins if Alzolay is his closer, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, “I don’t think today he would be.”

By Steve Greenberg

Bulls

Bulls prove they're not worthy of your belief

The season ended the exact same way it did last season. The glaring difference this time: This season was over before the first half ended. Last year, at least they fought until the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

By Scoop Jackson

Kamilla Cardoso wears a T-shirt and ballcap that both read "National Champions" as she stands on a ladder next to a basketball net and holds a piece cut from it.

Chicago Sky and WNBA

Sky earn a B- for draft: They got big names, but they're big projects

Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese will fill seats, but their games need further development.

By Annie Costabile

A crowd of pedestrians react as they watch the Jumbotron television screen in New York's Times Square, Oct. 3, 1995, and the news that O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

Columnists

O.J. Simpson is gone, but the division his life reflected remains

The legacy Orenthal James Simpson leaves behind is painful, a study of what truly drives American culture.

By Scoop Jackson

Top sports headlines

Reaching into the art of Matt Mullady's outdoors experiences

After drafting Caleb Williams, GM 'done talking about' Bears' spotty QB history

2024 NFL Draft first-round results: Full list of top 32 selections

J.J. McCarthy, former Nazareth QB, selected by Vikings in 1st round of 2024 NFL Draft

Cubs sweep Astros at Wrigley Field while battling injury bug

Cubs top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong hits go-ahead home run vs. Astros for first major-league hit

White Sox’ Pedro Grifol knows the manager's seat is a hot one

White Sox complete 0-7 road trip with loss to Twins, fall to 3-22

High school sports

Mount Carmel QB Jack Elliott changes direction after call from Vanderbilt

By Mike Clark

Blackhawks

Blackhawks sign Alex Vlasic to six-year contract, locking in defensive cornerstone

Vlasic, the Wilmette kid, will get to stay in Chicago long-term. His $4.6 million salary-cap hit could end up being a steal for the Hawks.

By Ben Pope

Jared Verse had nine sacks each of the last two seasons to complete his climb from FCS red-shirt to possible top-10 pick.

Bears

The day-of mock draft: Our picks for the Bears at No. 9

The Sun-Times’ experts pick whom they think the team will take with the No. 9 pick in Thursday night’s draft.

By Patrick Finley, Mark Potash, and 1 more

Outdoors

Go & Show: RFC's swap meet and NADCA's decoy & sporting collectibles show

Riverside Fishing Club’s Fishing Tackle & Outdoors Swap Meet on Saturday and the continuing North American Vintage Decoy & Sporting Collectibles Show are Go & Show this week.

By Dale Bowman

Cubs

Cubs' Kyle Hendricks is approaching IL stint with mind to turn around his season

“I need to get back to being myself,” the starting pitcher told the Sun-Times, “using my full arsenal and mixing it in and out.”

By Maddie Lee

Cubs

Cubs’ Cody Bellinger to IL with fractured ribs; Pete Crow-Armstrong recalled

Bellinger left Tuesday’s game early after crashing into the outfield wall at Wrigley Field.

By Maddie Lee

White Sox

White Sox hitting coach Marcus Thames is trying to stay positive — no small task

Their struggling lineup is the biggest reason for the Sox’ atrocious start.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

White Sox

Andrew Benintendi's struggles at center of 3-21 White Sox' woes

The Sox hit two homers, but Garrett Crochet allowed five runs in the 6-3 loss to the Twins.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Angel Reese sits at a table with a background of Chicago Sky logos during a press conference.

Chicago Sky and WNBA

Sky rookie Angel Reese's star power is already being felt in Chicago

Reese’s jersey sold out on the online WNBA store within days of her being drafted by the Sky with the No. 7 overall pick.

By Annie Costabile

Media members enter the NFL Draft theater Wednesday in Detroit, where workers continue to set up for the event Thursday.

Sports Media

ESPN, NFL Network will put Bears at center stage for NFL Draft broadcasts

The traditional TV broadcasts will be heavy on the Bears, who own the first and ninth picks of the first round. They’ll be on the clock at 7 p.m.

By Jeff Agrest

Bears

Caleb Williams' evaluation a test of Bears GM Ryan Poles' intuition

Does the USC quarterback have the “it” factor that makes everyone around him better and tilts the field in his favor in crunch time? There’s no doubt Poles sees something special in Williams.

By Mark Potash

Bears

Caleb Williams will be unlike any Bears QB ever — and that's a good thing

Painting his nails helps Caleb Williams relax.

By Patrick Finley

Bears

Rome Odunze: It would be 'awesome' to land with Bears, Caleb Williams in draft

It’s unclear if Odunze, who led FCS receivers with 1,640 receiving yards last season, will be available at No. 9. He’s one of a trio of receivers — alongside Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU’s Malik Nabers — expected to be picked in the top 10.

By Patrick Finley

Bears

Caleb Williams a fan of the Bears' proposed dome

The USC quarterback, whom the Bears are expected to pick first in the NFL draft here on Thursday night, was clear that he’s prepared to play in cold temperatures in the NFL.

By Patrick Finley

Northwestern hazing scandal

Northwestern hazing scandal lawsuits are consolidated

Seven lawsuits filed by former football players will be temporarily consolidated with a lawsuit filed by former head coach Pat Fitzgerald during the pretrial process.

By Kade Heather

A rendering of a proposed domed stadium on the lakefront unveiled at Wednesday's news conference.

Bears

Bears reveal plans for $4.7 billion domed lakefront stadium development: 'This is not an easy project'

The plans, according to the team, will include additional green and open space with access to the lakefront and the Museum Campus, which Bears President Kevin Warren called “the most attractive footprint in the world.”

By Fran Spielman, Mitchell Armentrout, and 1 more

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (center), Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (left) and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (right) discuss the budget agreement Wednesday afternoon.

Bears

No love for new Bears stadium from Illinois' top Democrats

Gov. J.B. Pritzker brushed aside the latest proposal, which includes more than $2 billion in private funds but still requires taxpayer subsidies, saying it “isn’t one that I think the taxpayers are interested in getting engaged in.”

By Tina Sfondeles

Bears

2024 NFL Draft: Mock draft has 3 quarterbacks going first

Trades are likely, but unpredictable, so here’s a mock draft based on the order as it stands.

By Jason Lieser

Bears

Bears eye taxpayers for stadium-related infrastructure costs. The bill? $325 million to start, $1.5 billion overall

Two additional infrastructure phases that would “maximize the site” and bring “additional opportunities for publicly owned amenities” could bring taxpayers’ tab to $1.5 billion over about five years, according to the team.

By Mitchell Armentrout

Celebrities

Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi is 'tickled pink' to inspire a Barbie doll

Yamaguchi became the first Asian American to win an individual figure skating gold medal, at the 1992 Winter Olympics.

By Terry Tang | Associated Press

Bears

Bears plan to play at Soldier Field throughout construction of new stadium; no transitional venue needed

The final project would turn the current Soldier Field site into a park-like area, but that wouldn’t necessitate playing home games elsewhere during construction.

By Jason Lieser