Brandon Wimbush’s time at Notre Dame is reportedly nearing an end. The backup quarterback will seek a graduate transfer after the season, Stadium’s Brett McMurphy reported Monday night. Wimbush started the first three games in 2018 before the Irish switched to Ian Book. Wimbush made another start...
Alabama has suspended starting left guard Deonte Brown and two other players from the Orange Bowl for violating unspecified team rules. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said in a statement that Brown, tight end Kedrick James and offensive lineman Elliot Baker didn't make the trip to Miami on Monday....
Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is sticking around through the 2021 season after signing a three-year contract extension. Carroll said he was first approached about an extension last week and finished the deal on Monday. The contract will take him through his 70th birthday in September 2021....
As the sun rose on Christmas 2017, Ryan Pace had plenty to think about. The previous afternoon, he had driven out of Soldier Field with his satisfaction appropriately tempered. Yes, Pace’s team had won that afternoon, rolling to a 20-3 victory in the snow. But that was only the Bears’ 14th win...
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and two other players failed NCAA tests for performance enhancing drugs and might not play in the Cotton Bowl against No. 3 Notre Dame. Swinney said at a news conference Monday at AT&T Stadium that the NCAA informed Clemson trace...
Because the Bears are still contending for a first-round playoff bye and the Vikings are not yet assured of a wild-card berth, the NFL has pushed the start of their regular-season finale Sunday from noon to 3:25 p.m. It’s one of six games “flexed” for the coming weekend because of playoff implications,...
Contrary to the popular complaint, the NBA isn't allergic to parity. Look at how bunched-up the league is this season. The standings resemble a traffic jam. In the Western Conference, just eight games separate the first-place Denver Nuggets (yes, the Nuggets) and the 14th-place New Orleans Pelicans....
Connor Murphy would do anything for his family. Well, almost anything. He draws the line at wearing rental skates. When the Blackhawks defenseman’s parents, brother and sister are in Chicago this week for the holidays, the plan is to spend a lot of time laughing, eating, opening presents and —...
Bears coach Matt Nagy said he is “cautiously optimistic” offensive lineman Kyle Long could see playing time this week as the Bears prepare for their Week 17 matchup against the Vikings in Minnesota. Long was designated to return from injured reserve last week after recovering from a right foot...
Kyle Schwarber has carried the nickname “Schwarbabe” because of his resemblance to Babe Ruth, but now he might have to hand it over to his lovely intended. The Cubs slugger proposed to high school sweetheart Paige Hartman on Sunday, and each announced the engagement on social media on Christmas...
If you’re playing fantasy football in Week 17, then you probably realize the game changes significantly in the final week of the NFL season. Some teams are jockeying for playoff positions while others will trot out backups — at the expense of your otherwise reliable starter. Here’s a recommendation...
LeBron James apologized "for sure, if I offended anyone" after posting a controversial lyric about "Jewish money" on his Instagram account, which has more than 45 million followers. "We been getting that Jewish Money, Everything is kosher," James wrote on an IG story Saturday afternoon, quoting...
It was championship weekend in fantasy football, and these were the guys who made a lot of owners happy … or unhappy. STUDS Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers at Jets Of course, Rodgers has his best game of the season during championship week in many leagues. That would just figure because his underwhelming...
After years of staging games in London, the NFL would love a test of that market's readiness to host a team full-time. Meanwhile, the Raiders remain unsure where they will play in 2019. Say . . . could the NFL and its black-sheep franchise kill two birds with one stone here? Well, according to...
Eastern Illinois might as well change its team color to purple next season. Head coach Adam Cushing’s football staff will have a serious Northwestern flavor. The former NU offensive line coach put it like this: “All the coaches joining us believe in the same things we did at Northwestern: We’re...
Until Zach LaVine returns from injury, Ryan Arcidiacono remains a starter in the Bulls backcourt alongside Kris Dunn. “I hate that kid,” Dunn said. Come again? “I hate that kid,” Dunn repeated. Then you realize Dunn is smiling. And you realize Dunn is talking about Arcidiacono the former Villanova...
The best way to understand the NFL playoff field is to realize the Pittsburgh Steelers are not currently part of it. Sunday evening, the Steelers pushed the Saints to the brink in New Orleans, and would have either won or forced overtime if not for an ill-fated fake punt and a last-minute fumble....
The Blackhawks apparently decided to go on their holiday break one day too soon. Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Panthers wasn’t a terrible effort, but it wasn’t at all on par with the superb games they put together over the last two weeks. Here are three takeaways from Sunday night’s game. 1. It was...
Club Dub nearly became Club Flub on Sunday. Good thing the Bears — NFC North champs, now 11-4 and headed into their final regular-season game still contending for a first-round playoff bye — already secured their playoff berth and don’t have to impress some committee. The big thing to celebrate...
Welcome to the weekly Bear Download podcast. Listen below or subscribe and listen on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play Rich and birthday boy Dan are in the Levi's Stadium press box to recap the Bears' 14-9 victory over the 49ers. They assess the playoff picture following most of the Week...
Each week we ask readers to give us their three-word reviews of the Bears game on Twitter. Here are some of our favorites from their Week 4 win over the Buccaneers at Soldier Field. Bears clinch No. 3 playoff seed with tougher than expected 14-9 victory over the 49ers » 3 keys revisited after the...
10 thoughts after the Bears defeated the 49ers 14-9 Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium, winning for the eighth time in the last nine games. 1. Eleven snaps in the red zone. All in the second quarter. That’s where the Bears stood tall and turned away the 49ers on Sunday afternoon, proving that the...
The NFL and the NFL Players Association have requested a report from the independent administrator of their drug-testing program into the questions raised by Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid about the number of times he has been tested this season. The league and union have no reason to suspect...
Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson said it will be a little easier to move on from his big late-game mistake Sunday because the Bears still beat the 49ers 14-9 at Levi’s Stadium. But he knew he put the Bears defense in a bad spot when he fumbled after a 10-yard, first-down catch with 1 minute,...
Nowhere in the NFL’s 89-page rule book does it state the Bears defense must intercept a pass during a game. But at some point this championship season, it became law. So there was an unmistakable sense of inevitability Sunday as the Bears protected a five-point lead midway through the fourth quarter...
With disco lights bouncing off the walls and music blaring, running back Tarik Cohen stood in front of the wide-open double doors to Club Dub. Playing the role of a bouncer, Cohen said admission was $100 and then referred to assistant coaches and teammates filing past him as VIPs. The party was...
When Bears rookie wide receiver Anthony Miller saw Mitch Trubisky take the hit, his immediate reaction was to swoop in to defend the Bears quarterback. It was late in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 14-9 victory over the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, and Trubisky slid to complete a 7-yard run for what...
The groove started Sunday afternoon with a 9-yard completion. Nothing fancy. Nothing extraordinary. Just Mitch Trubisky slinging a pass to his right to Allen Robinson and setting the Bears up with second-and-short. It was early in the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium, the Bears were behind 9-7 and...
Photos from the Blackhawks' loss to the Panthers Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, at the United Center.
Jim Boylen is a positive person. But his theme leading up to Sunday’s tipoff centered on negativity. Over and over he challenged his players with the fact that the Bulls were 0-7 following victories this season. Make that 1-7. Riding a hot Lauri Markkanen and an efficient Kris Dunn for the second...
The Bears won their 11th game Sunday afternoon, downing the 49ers 14-9 behind another stingy effort from the defense. It wasn’t the team’s prettiest win this season. But it kept the Bears alive in their quest to earn a first-round bye for the NFC playoffs. That would require a victory over the...
Jabari Parker returned to active status after missing the last three games because of a stomach illness but didn’t play for the fifth straight game Sunday against the Cavaliers. Two of the games Parker missed were by coach’s decision, and one came when Parker didn’t feel he had regained enough...
Photos from the Bulls' victory over the Cavaliers Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, in Cleveland.
The Bears stopped the 49ers on a late attempt at a scoring drive to hold on for a 14-9 victory Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium. The Bears’ second turnover of the game gave the 49ers one last attempt to take the lead. Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson fumbled on a 10-yard, first-down catch at...
Kirk Cousins threw a 44-yard Hail Mary to Kyle Rudolph as time expired in the first half to put the Vikings ahead and they beat the Lions 27-9 in Detroit on Sunday, moving a step closer to playing in the postseason. The Vikings could have clinched a spot in the playoffs with a win and losses by...
Frank de Boer, who appeared in two World Cups for the Netherlands during an illustrious playing career and went on to capture four straight league titles as Ajax coach, is taking over at Atlanta United. The Major League Soccer champions announced the coaching hire Sunday, with plans for a formal...
Two LSU football players were involved in the fatal shooting of a man Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with police saying it appears they acted in self-defense during an incident that allegedly stemmed from the sale of an electronic device. Police believe that Kobe Johnson, 18, attempted...
Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford was at the United Center on Sunday during the team’s morning skate, but there was no information on whether he’s working out yet or how close he is to returning from a concussion suffered last week. Crawford, who struck the back of his head on a goal post against...
At the center of the best defenses in Bears history have been some of the best middle linebackers to play the game. With two games remaining, the Bears are on pace to set their best defensive marks in a long time in some key statistics. They have 26 interceptions, their most since 31 in 1990, and...
Todd Blackledge was part of the broadcast team when Ian Book took over as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback Sept. 22 at Wake Forest. The ESPN college football analyst was also on the call when freshman Trevor Lawrence became Clemson’s starting quarterback the following week against Syracuse. The...
The Bears travel to San Francisco this weekend, looking to avoid a letdown after clinching the NFC North and earning the organization’s first playoff berth in eight years. As kickoff approaches, here’s the inside skinny on three notable storylines. What’s next? Last Friday, Khalil Mack once again...
John Calipari was explaining how his team put up too many 3-pointers Saturday when someone interrupted him. Actually, he interrupted himself. “The stats,” Calipari said, referring to the printed-out box score. “I can’t read it. Could you guys read it?” He finally asked: “Did we win?” Kentucky did...
Leave it to a Red Sox scribe to rain on Mariano Rivera’s historic quest. Bill Ballou, of the Worcester, Mass., Telegram, spent about 1,500 words Saturday arguing that the Yankees legend shouldn’t receive a bid into the Hall. We checked the calendar. April Fools’ is months away. “...The Save — the...
For just a moment, Bears fan, remove the mental block you have on the 2017 season and rewind 365 days from when the Bears clinched the NFC North title Sunday against the Packers. Dec. 16, 2017. Ford Field. Mitch Trubisky threw three interceptions and the Bears retreated from Detroit after a 20-10...
The Cubs’ official 2018 postseason T-shirts were marked down from $40 to $10 at a local sporting-goods store Saturday morning. But even procrastinating shoppers were bypassing them for the Bears goodies, and for good reason. The “October Ready” postseason slogan, printed in large letters across...
Fans greeted Jeremiah Tilmon with a mix of cheers and boos during Missouri’s pregame introductions Saturday night. The same happened to Javon Pickett. Both players had committed to Illinois but opted to look elsewhere after former coach John Groce was fired. But the loudest boos from Illini fans...
New Jersey's athletic association said Saturday that a referee who told a high school wrestler to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit, which drew ire from an Olympian, the state's governor and many others, won't be assigned to any matches until the incident is reviewed. Michael Cherenson, spokesman for...
Lamarr Kimble made a deep 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to give St. Joseph’s a 45-42 victory over Loyola on Saturday night. Kimble, a third-year captain who has battled injury problems the last two seasons, had the lane open yet pulled up for the winning shot that hit nothing but net. Following...
DePaul looked poised to add to its best start since 2002-03, up by 12 points against Boston College. The Eagles were struggling while playing their first true road game. Boston College made the big plays when it mattered most, though, and escaped Wintrust Arena with a 65-62 win Saturday afternoon....
Eugene German hit four 3-pointers and scored 21 points as Northern Illinois coasted to a 100-59 win over Chicago State on Saturday. Levi Bradley added 16 points, Zaire Mateen 15 and Dante Thorpe 14 for the Huskies (7-5) who made 14 of 28 from 3-point range and shot 56 percent overall. NIU is second...
Shaquille Harrison called it “hilarious.” Justin Holiday opted for “normal.” Whatever the description, it’s clear Jim Boylen has made tougher defense a priority merely by the defensive stance he assumes on the sideline multiple times during games. “That’s what he does,” Holiday said. “It might’ve...
The Blackhawks are getting more comfortable dipping into the prospect pool at Rockford. A little more than a week after they brought up Dylan Sikura and Carl Dahlstrom, the Hawks on Saturday promoted Swedish forward Jacob Nilsson from the IceHogs and sent Luke Johnson back to Rockford. Nilsson,...
The BMW Championship has rotated out of the Chicago area every other year for nearly a decade. That is about to change. Sources told the Tribune that Olympia Fields Country Club in the south suburbs will be awarded a FedEx Cup playoff event on the 2020 PGA Tour schedule. The tournament may or may...
Jonathan Toews hasn't changed. The relentless drive to succeed is still there, as is an intensity few athletes possess. This is a problem because the Blackhawks — Toews’ Blackhawks — have changed. A quick look at the standings from this season and last tell you that. It doesn’t mean the Hawks won't...
An Olympic champion wrestler has reached out to a New Jersey high school wrestler who had his dreadlocks cut off minutes before his match after a referee told him to lose the hairstyle or forfeit his bout. Jordan Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion, posted and spoke...