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When Katrina Adams recently spoke on stage at a TEDxBoston event, the topic was generally about her tennis career that began on Chicago’s West Side.But the theme was about learning how to succeed as “the only one” — something Adams experienced at various points in her journey from Whitney Young High School to Northwestern to the WTA Tour to leading the United States Tennis Association.AdvertisementAfter winning the Illinois High School Association state singles titles in 1983 and 1984, she was the first Black player to win an NCAA doubles national championship in 1987 at Northwestern. After a playing career on the WTA Tour that included 20 doubles titles, she became the first Black woman and former pro player to be elected USTA president.[ [Don’t miss] Title IX turns 50: Meet 50 women in Illinois who have impacted sports on — and off — the field of play ]Adams literally wrote a book on the topic last year: “Own the Arena: Getting Ahead, Making a Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One.”Advertisement“There are a lot of times I (was) the first of a lot of things,” Adams told the Boston crowd. “But in that process I wanted to make sure I’m not the last or the only one, that I opened the door and that I led the way and that I represented myself well so that others would have that opportunity to come behind me.Tennis champions Venus Williams, left, and Serena Williams, right, pose with Katrina Adams, incoming chairman of the USTA, during a renovation gala at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, Nov. 7, 2014, in Washington. (Alex Brandon / AP)“I had to work twice as hard to make sure I did things right, that I did things well so that I could represent. And that’s hard. That’s not easy to do when you’re the only one because you know that you’re not just there for yourself or your family or your company or organization, whoever it is, but also for a culture and a whole race of people.”She apparently was born for such a role.Adams’ mother, Yvonne, who along with her father was a teacher and principal in Chicago Public Schools, used to tell Adams she came out of the womb a leader.Adams always had an air of confidence about her. She was instinctive, nosy and able to duplicate almost anything she watched, especially as an athlete.[ [Don’t miss] Commentary: 50 years later, Title IX gains are fragile. And there’s much more work to do in the next 50 years. ]“(My mom) used to tease me. She used to say, ‘You’ve been here before,’” Adams told the Tribune in May. “Like, ‘How do you just naturally know certain things?’”Those traits helped as Adams became a standout tennis player, starting when she was 6 years old and begged to play with her older brothers at a summer program near her Garfield Park home. They also served her as she embarked on a post-playing career that has been perhaps even more impactful than her time on the court, even if it wasn’t part of her original plan.Whitney Young High School tennis player Katrina Adams on her way to winning the Illinois state tennis championship against Glenbrook South’s Beth Sierks on Oct. 29, 1983. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)“When you’re playing, you’re hoping to win Grand Slams, you’re hoping to become a multimillionaire and perhaps never having to work again,” Adams said. “That didn’t happen for me.”AdvertisementWhile Adams was still playing, she became involved with the WTA players association board, giving her a glimpse into the “political” side of the sport. She later rose the ranks in tennis leadership before serving two terms as USTA president, an unpaid position, from 2015-18.“Katrina had great social skills and she always liked the politics part of it,” her former doubles partner Zina Garrison told the Tribune in 2015. “What she has done is not surprising to any of us who knew her as a player.”During her tenure as president, Adams said she was proud of the projects she helped complete: the transformation of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, the opening of the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., and the unveiling of the Althea Gibson statue at the national tennis center that celebrates the first Black woman to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals singles titles.“For me, it’s been about making a difference and giving back to a sport that has given me so much,” Adams told the Tribune. “When I started at the tender age of 6, (I had) no idea what the sport was, what it could offer and where it would take me. But the opportunities continue to be endless for me and I’m very grateful, and it’s my obligation to make sure I give back to the next generation.”[ [Sign up now] Get the latest Chicago sports news in your inbox each morning ]After her second term as USTA president expired, Adams has remained busy as the executive director of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program, where she has been for 16 years. She is a vice president of the International Tennis Federation, with which she is the chairman of the Billie Jean King Cup Committee and the Gender Equality in Tennis Committee.She is also a co-host on CBS Sports’ all-women sports analysis show “We Need to Talk” and on the advisory board of Athletes Unlimited, a network of women’s professional sports leagues in volleyball, softball, basketball and lacrosse.AdvertisementHer book, which came out in 2021, talks about her time with the USTA and the U.S. Open.“It wasn’t my idea. It was other people pushing me to write the book,” Adams said. “I’m glad they did because it’s important to be able to share my story and (encourage) others to believe in themselves and know that they can be successful if they push themselves and understand that they do need to own their voice and courage and identity to get anywhere in life.”Adams shared those ideas in her TEDxBoston speech, noting her career started with owning her choice to play tennis and knowing it was what she wanted to do even when she was the only Black player at a tournament.As she considered what’s next in her busy career, Adams hopes more opportunities arise to share her ideas and leadership.“When I hear the younger ladies who may come up and say they admire me or they appreciate me, I’m kind of in awe initially because I’m like, ‘Wow, you recognize me or you recognize what I do or what I’ve done,’” she said. “It makes me feel really good because it makes me realize that things I’ve done and continued to do serve a purpose, and they serve a purpose for the betterment of the next generation.”

A brilliant outing by Chicago White Sox starter Dylan Cease went to waste Tuesday when the bullpen coughed up a late lead, but the Sox rallied three times for a 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.After being no-hit by Cease through five innings and shut out through six, the Blue Jays came back to take the lead with a three-run eighth, only to watch the Sox tie it in the ninth on Luis Robert’s two-out, two-run single off Jordan Romano.AdvertisementFrom there the game became a pingpong match with spikes.Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s RBI double off Kendall Graveman in the 10th was matched by Danny Mednick’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the inning.AdvertisementRaimel Tapia drove in a run off Vince Velasquez in the 11th before Robert’s sacrifice fly off Matt Gage tied it in the bottom of the inning.Velasquez held the Jays scoreless in the 12th, and Josh Harrison’s two-out RBI single off Gage won it, setting off fireworks.The game lasted 4 hours, 23 minutes.“We kept battling until we got a win,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “It’s a very special win.”At the end of the night, the Sox were at .500 again, 3½ games behind the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians, who moved into a first-place tie. The Sox and Blue Jays will play again Wednesday afternoon in the series finale, with Lucas Giolito starting for the Sox.Cease left with a 2-0 lead after six innings, dominating from the outset. He struck out the first five batters and the final two he faced, tying a career high with 11 strikeouts, all coming on sliders. He didn’t allow a hit until Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s infield single leading off the sixth, and he walked two.But the bullpen failed to get Cease his win, as La Russa went with Jimmy Lambert and Davis Martin in high-leverage situations. Alejandro Kirk’s solo home run off Lambert in the seventh sliced the Jays deficit in half before Martin gave up the lead in the eighth. After a walk and infield hit put two men on, the runners were bunted over for pinch hitter Cavan Biggio, who lofted a pop-up behind second base. Shortstop Tim Anderson was in position for the catch but couldn’t turn around in time to find the ball, which dropped for a hit to tie the game at 2-2.AdvertisementBo Bichette followed with a grounder to short and reached when Biggio beat Anderson’s throw to second as Gurriel came around with the go-ahead run. After another walk to Guerrero, Martin was lifted for Jose Ruiz, who walked Kirk to force home another run.The Sox staged a two-out rally in the ninth, ignited by Anderson’s walk and Andrew Vaughn’s double. Robert’s opposite-field single brought home the tying runs as the remnants of the crowd of 20,529 went wild.José Abreu followed with a single, but Bradley Zimmer’s diving catch of AJ Pollock’s liner sent the game into extra innings.And that’s when things got wild, overshadowing Cease’s outing.

LAS VEGAS — Courtney Vandersloot scored 25 points and the Chicago Sky completed the biggest comeback in WNBA history, rallying from 28 down to beat the Las Vegas Aces 104-95 on Tuesday night.The previous record was a 25-point rally most recently done in 2013 by the Sky.AdvertisementLas Vegas shot 63% from the field in the first quarter and scored 41 points to set a franchise record for points in a quarter. But the Sky outscored the Aces 59-25 after falling behind by 28 to enter the fourth quarter with a lead.The Sky went on an 18-0 run in the third quarter to take their first lead at 67-66 since it was 4-2.AdvertisementCandace Parker added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Azurá Stevens and Emma Meesseman also scored 17 points apiece for the Sky (11-5).Sky forward Candace Parker, center, battles for the ball with Aces forward Dearica Hamby (5) and guard Chelsea Gray, right, during the first half Tuesday, June 21, 2022, in Las Vegas. (John Locher/AP)The win means the teams split their head-to-head meetings, so home court for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game will come down to the second tiebreaker. That’s point differential in the cup games, and the Aces have a huge lead over the Sky with two games to play.Jackie Young scored 23 points and Kelsey Plum had 22 points and eight assists for Las Vegas (13-3).Young sank a 3-pointer to cap the Aces’ 23-0 run for a 25-4 lead, and Aisha Sheppard beat the first-quarter buzzer with another 3-pointer. Las Vegas led 62-51 at the break behind Dearica Hamby’s 15 points. Chelsea Gray was the only Las Vegas starter not in double figures by halftime, and she had six assists.

PITTSBURGH — The Chicago Cubs seemed prepared to let rookie Caleb Kilian work through his struggles in the majors.Before Kilian got roughed up in Monday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager David Ross touted the value of the right-hander working with the big-league staff. But less than 24 hours after Kilian’s command problems prevented him from finishing the third inning, he will be working out those kinks elsewhere.AdvertisementThe Cubs optioned Kilian to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday and recalled right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. The reasoning behind the move is twofold: The Cubs hope Kilian can reset at Triple A and they need a fresh long reliever after taxing their two multi-inning bullpen arms because of his short start Monday.“The 13-pitcher (limit), you’re going to see some of that,” Ross said Tuesday. “Caleb has got a few things we need him to work on and come back and be a better version of himself. We’ve seen some flashes but just get him back on track a little bit.”AdvertisementIt’s too soon to say who will take Kilian’s turn in the rotation Sunday in St. Louis. With no day off until Monday, the Cubs can’t skip his spot. Right-hander Alec Mills would be an easy choice to slot in after he went 4⅓ innings and threw 74 pitches in relief of Kilian on Monday.In two starts after being recalled June 15, Kilian surrendered 12 runs (10 earned) on eight hits with 10 walks and three strikeouts in 6⅓ innings.[ [Don’t miss] Why the Cubs chose to option right-hander Adrian Sampson to Triple A after a stellar outing ]“Adversity is important in finding out what you’re made of when things don’t go your way,” Ross said. “The guy’s had a lot of success for a really long time, and he’s done nothing but be great in our organization so far. You come up here and just have a little bit of adversity and not quite yourself, let’s identify what we can do better and get back to who you’ve been when you’re having success.“I have high confidence he will be back this year pitching big innings for us and an important piece for us.”Kilian’s recent performance hasn’t resembled what the Cubs saw in his big-league debut June 4. A lack of fastball command and not throwing strikes in general was problematic the past week. He threw 61.4% of his pitches for strikes in his debut; over Kilian’s last two starts, that strike rate dipped to 51.3%.When a pitcher starts dwelling on throwing strikes or his command, he slows down or becomes very deliberate with his delivery, pitching coach Tommy Hottovy explained. Kilian’s athleticism and big frame require some rhythm to his delivery.“The minute you back off that, then the release point really starts shifting,” Hottovy said.Cubs starter Caleb Kilian pitches during the first inning against the Pirates on Monday, June 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)Kilian said Monday after his start that he was given leg drills to incorporate between starts. It’s similar to what the Cubs previously worked on with right-hander Keegan Thompson.AdvertisementThe goal is for that movement to transfer into Kilian’s starts and help him stay athletic on the mound. The Cubs want the feeling to become second nature. It’s less about a mechanical cue and more about maintaining his natural rhythm.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“Guys get to experience the big leagues for the first time and get to be in the whole environment — it can be overwhelming at times, I’m not going to lie,” Hottovy told the Tribune on Tuesday. “We try our best to keep everything simple, but he’s also a very cerebral, smart, internal pitcher. And when you think about a lot of different things, it can affect the way your body moves and the tension you create.”Hottovy expects the experience and exposure to be a valuable learning tool for Kilian.“We’re not changing anything, not earth-shattering stuff, so just go back there (to Iowa), go be yourself and get in a rhythm and he’s going to be back,” Hottovy said. “If you look at guys’ careers, a lot of guys come up, make a few starts and go back down.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: Cubs are once again fair game for late-night talk show jokes — just like the 1990s ]For a pitcher who worked through the minors without notable control issues — 16 walks in 43 innings over 10 starts at Iowa this year — Kilian’s 12 walks in 11⅓ innings during his three starts with the Cubs have been impossible to ignore.Hottovy believes Kilian was trying to do too much, appearing to try to throw his pitches too good and locate them too well instead of trusting his stuff in the zone.Advertisement“Then the next thing you know, when you go need to throw a strike, you’ve been trying to be too fine, and it’s hard to kind of flip that back in your brain,” Hottovy said. “So just trying to do a little too much. That’s not uncommon for young guys when they first come up. We all did it. “But I think he knows exactly what he needs to do to be successful. I expect to see him go out and have some dominant performance in Triple A real soon.”

It takes a lot to satisfy a pitcher like Lance Lynn, and Monday night’s performance was not going to cut it.“I gave up five runs in five innings,” Lynn told reporters after the game, “It’s still horse(bleep), so …”AdvertisementIf you think Lynn was being too hard on himself after only two starts following 2½ months of rehab from knee surgery, perhaps Lucas Giolito can allay your concerns about the Chicago White Sox rotation.Or maybe not.Advertisement“I can only speak for myself, but I have not been doing my job,” Giolito said before Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Guaranteed Rate Field. “Luckily the guys around me in the rotation have really been doing a nice job and picking it up a level like they have.“It’s important for me to clean these things up and get back on track and help this team win ballgames.”Both pitchers know they need to be better for the Sox to return to their 2021 form, and now is as good a time as any to show it.[ [Don’t miss] Good news — and then more bad news — for White Sox: Tim Anderson off the IL, but Yoán Moncada goes on it ]These are trying times for the Sox, who’ve been waiting all season to go on an extended run. The return of Lynn means the rotation is as healthy as it has been, so no excuses allowed.Lynn, Giolito, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech and Johnny Cueto can be as dominant as any rotation in baseball, but the longer it takes before they’re all in sync, the harder it will be for the Sox to climb out of their hole.Sox starters were a combined 17-24 entering Cease’s start Tuesday and ranked 18th in the majors with a 4.07 ERA. Last year Sox starters were a combined 61-40 and finished fourth in the majors — and tops in the American League — with a 3.57 ERA.The departure of Carlos Rodón in free agency, Lynn’s end-of-spring-training knee injury and the struggles of since-released veteran Dallas Keuchel all affected the rotation early this season. But we’ve seen all of the starters at their peak, which gives Sox fans hope the best is yet to come.It all starts with Lynn, whom Giolito called the leader of the pack.Advertisement“Having Lance back is huge,” he said. “And the way Johnny has been pitching is just fantastic. What an amazing addition for us. Dylan and Michael are doing their thing. We can continue to motivate each other every single time out.White Sox starter Lucas Giolito tosses the ball up between pitches against the Red Sox on May 25, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“Watching one of our guys go out and do their thing, it gives me the motivation to keep working hard and to clean up these things I need to clean up so I can do my job too.”Giolito, who starts Wednesday afternoon’s series finale against the Blue Jays, is 4-3 with a 4.78 ERA, his highest since 2018, the year before his turnaround.Right-handed batters have a 1.059 OPS against him after Giolito limited them to a .690 OPS last year. He was pitching well through the first two months, but an 8.71 ERA over his last four starts since May 31 is alarming.Giolito said Tuesday some mechanical fixes were in order with pitching coach Ethan Katz after last week’s start in Houston, where he allowed eight runs in five innings in a 13-3 loss.[ [Don’t miss] Andrew Vaughn’s 4-hit night includes 1 of 3 White Sox homers in an 8-7 win vs. the Blue Jays ]“The advantage is that Ethan and he have a great relationship, and Ethan can make a trip (to the mound) and he’s always better after a trip,” manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday. “But most of the time, if a hitter struggles or a pitcher’s not exactly where he wants to be, there’s something wrong mechanically. That’s why the coach tweaks and they get back on it. But as long as he’s healthy and he’s got the heart and he’s got the smarts …”AdvertisementLynn has had moments of dominance in his two starts but not nearly enough for someone of his talent. He has given up eight runs (six earned) on 14 hits over 9⅓ innings after three subpar outings in the minors.He wasn’t helped much Monday when a 3-2 cutter to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the sixth inning was called a ball in spite of being down the middle of the plate. Instead of getting the strikeout, Lynn was left with two on and no outs. He bit his glove in frustration, then allowed a two-run double to Teoscar Hernández, ending his night after five-plus innings and 99 pitches.White Sox manager Tony La Russa (22) takes out starter Lance Lynn during the sixth inning Monday, June 20, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)“You’re looking at the fifth start I’ve made since I’ve had surgery,” Lynn said. “We don’t know what the next start is going to feel like after getting close to 100 pitches. That’s just the way it works right now until I get some starts under me and know what I’m working with.”Unfortunately the Sox can’t afford to wait for Lynn to ease himself back into form. They need him to take the ball into the seventh or eighth inning and help save a bullpen under stress with closer Liam Hendriks on the injured list.The important thing is both Giolito and Lynn know they’re better than they’ve pitched so far, and they understand the Sox need them to step up to get this team where it needs to be.

OMAHA, Neb. — Nathan Dettmer pitched three-hit ball over seven shutout innings, and Texas A&M capitalized on Notre Dame’s mistakes to beat the Irish 5-1 in a College World Series elimination game Tuesday.The fifth-seeded Aggies (44-19) will play Oklahoma in the Bracket 1 final. They need to beat the Sooners on Wednesday and again Thursday to reach the CWS finals this weekend.AdvertisementThe Irish (41-17) ended the season with their most wins since 2006 and their first Omaha appearance since 2002.Dettmer (6-3) was working on three days’ rest after giving up seven runs and getting pulled in the second inning of Texas A&M’s 13-8 loss to Oklahoma on Friday.AdvertisementHe bounced back with his best performance of the season. He got Notre Dame batters to swing over the top of his sinker, mixing in a changeup and breaking ball.The Irish reached base on an error and a hit batter but didn’t get their first hit until David LaManna singled with one out in the fourth.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Dettmer, who struck out six and walked none, had his longest outing since he went seven innings against Vanderbilt on April 28. He threw 99 pitches, 68 for strikes.The Aggies converted two walks, a balk, two singles and a throwing error into three runs in the third, the first two off Irish starter Liam Simon (2-1).Trevor Werner homered leading off the fifth against Jack Findlay, and Dylan Rock later had an RBI single, ending his 0-for-14 spell and making it 5-0.Findlay, the Irish’s star freshman left-hander, had allowed only one earned run over his 14⅓ innings in the NCAA Tournament before giving up the two in the fifth.Brad Rudis took over for Dettmer starting the eighth, and Brooks Coetzee drove Rudis’ second pitch more than 400 feet over the left-field fence for his 12th homer.After Rudis walked the next batter, the Aggies brought in lefty Joseph Menefee, who allowed one hit in two innings for his second save.AdvertisementThe game was the ninth of the CWS, and all were decided by four or more runs. That was a first in the event’s 75-year history.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Former Purdue basketball star Caleb Swanigan has died at 25.The Allen County Coroner’s office confirmed Tuesday that Swanigan died Monday of natural causes at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana.AdvertisementA private doctor will be handling his death certificate, according to Rebecca Maze, a senior investigator at the coroner’s office.The Purdue men’s basketball account tweeted Tuesday: “Devastated. Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends. The world lost a gentle soul last night. Love you Biggie.”Advertisement💔 Devastated. Our thoughts and prayers to Caleb Swanigan’s family and friends. The world lost a gentle soul last night. Love you Biggie. pic.twitter.com/spU2hQtJdi— Purdue Mens Basketball (@BoilerBall) June 21, 2022

The 6-foot-9 center was from Fort Wayne and attended Homestead High School before playing for the Boilermakers from 2015 to 2017. He averaged more than 14 points and 10 rebounds for Purdue.Swanigan was selected as The Associated Press player of the year in the Big Ten in 2017, when he averaged more than 18 points. He was a unanimous pick for both Big Ten Player of the Year and the AP All-Big Ten team.Swanigan was a first-round draft pick in 2017 by the Portland Trail Blazers. He also played for the Sacramento Kings.

WASHINGTON — A phone call between jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner and her wife is being rescheduled after an earlier attempt to connect on the couple’s anniversary failed because of an “unfortunate mistake,” Biden administration officials said Tuesday.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the State Department was working to arrange a new call but did not say when that would be. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the call could not be completed because of a “logistical error” that officials have worked quickly to fix so that a new call can take place.AdvertisementGriner was to have spoken with her wife Cherelle on Saturday, the couple’s fourth anniversary, for the first time since her arrest in Russia in mid-February. The call was to have been routed through the American embassy in Russia, which was to have patched the conversation through.Cherelle Griner told The Associated Press on Monday that no call ever came. She said she later learned that her wife had tried 11 times to call her through the embassy by dialing a number that she had been given, but that no one picked up because that particular desk was unstaffed on Saturday.AdvertisementPrice said Tuesday that the problem was compounded by staffing limitations at the embassy, including technicians that are located in a third country because of Russian government restrictions placed on the embassy and its operations.A senior State Department official, speaking earlier on Tuesday said the call was supposed to have gone through the Marine Guard station at the embassy, which is staffed around the clock. but the call was apparently re-routed through a remote location that was unstaffed on Saturday.“This was an unfortunate mistake,” Jean-Pierre said Tuesday, adding that, “the Department of State is working to rectify this as quickly as possible.”Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time WNBA All-Star who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained at a Russian airport on Feb. 17 after authorities there said a search of her bag revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.The State Department in May designated her as wrongfully detained, moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator. Russian state-run news agency Tass reported last week that her detention had been extended until July 2.Jean-Pierre said she had no information about whether President Joe Biden would meet with Cherelle Griner, but said: “The State Department has been in regular touch with Mrs. Griner. She’s also spoken with Secretary (Antony) Blinken. Any American who is held abroad is a priority for this president.”Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.

NFL star Deshaun Watson has reached confidential settlements in 20 of the 24 sexual misconduct lawsuits filed against him.The announcement came Tuesday from Tony Buzbee, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs.Advertisement“Today I announce that all cases against Deshaun Watson, with the exception of four, have settled. We are working through the paperwork related to those settlements,” Buzbee said in a statement. “Once we have done so, those particular cases will be dismissed. The terms and amounts of the settlements are confidential.“We won’t comment further on the settlements or those cases.”AdvertisementWatson has been accused of sexual misconduct by 24 women working as massage therapists while he was the quarterback of the Houston Texans. The women said the NFL star sexually assaulted, harassed or touched them during private massage sessions.A recent New York Times investigation found that Watson had booked appointments with “at least 66 different women in just the 17 months from fall 2019 through spring 2021.”The damning article, written by Jenny Vrentas, also found that the Texans “provided the venue Watson used for some of the appointments.” A Texans representative also provided the team’s star player a nondisclosure agreement that he gave to some of the women, per The Times.Browns QB Deshaun Watson has settled all but four of the lawsuits filed against him. (Ron Schwane/AP)Despite the allegations against him, the Cleveland Browns signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in March after acquiring the three-time Pro Bowler in a trade with the Texans. It’s the largest guaranteed contract in league history.The Browns, desperate for a franchise quarterback, sent the Texans three first-round picks and a third-round pick to complete the trade.Watson has denied the allegations.“I never assaulted anyone,” he said following practice during mandatory minicamp with the Browns last week. “I never harassed anyone or I never disrespected anyone. I never forced anyone to do anything.”Watson, who was not indicted on criminal complaints by a pair of grand juries in Texas, could still be punished by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The league’s investigation is ongoing and a decision is expected before training camp, the AP reported last week.Advertisement“Today’s development has no impact on the collectively bargained disciplinary process,” Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s communications boss, said in a statement to the Daily News.Ashley Solis, the first woman who publicly identified herself as a plaintiff in the case, is not one of the 20 women to reach a settlement, Buzbee said.“Her case has not settled and thus her story and that of the other three brave women will continue,” Buzbee said, calling Solis a “hero,” via ESPN. “I look forward to trying these cases in due course.”Solis went public with her accusations against Watson during a press conference on April 6, 2021.“I come forward now so that Deshaun Watson does not assault another woman… I am seeking justice not just on behalf of myself but for all survivors… This is about having my voice heard,” Solis said.With News Wire Services

When Stephen Colbert watched Chicago Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel pitch in relief during an 18-4 loss to the New York Yankees a few weeks ago, the late-night talk show host was amused by his eephus pitch.“I’m no baseball player,” Colbert said on “The Late Show.” “And neither apparently is Frank Schwindel.”AdvertisementInstead of laughing along and enjoying the national shout-out, the usually easy-going Schwindel took umbrage last week when asked about Colbert’s remark.“I didn’t appreciate that one,” Schwindel said. “I’d like to see him do it.”AdvertisementThat’s something we both can agree on. I’d also like to see Colbert pitch for the Cubs. He couldn’t do much worse than the current bunch, and we already have tired of watching Schwindel pitch at the end of lopsided games.Colbert made his one and only appearance at Wrigley Field in September 2016, when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch disguised as a hot dog vendor named Donny Franks. It became a hilarious segment of Colbert’s show a few weeks later.While listening to Colbert talk in the Cubs dugout that afternoon about the many neighborhoods he lived in during his Northwestern and Second City days, you could tell he really enjoyed being on the field. He professed a love for Wrigley Field and recalled going to games to watch some bad Cubs teams in the 1990s.Inviting Colbert back to Wrigley for a pitch-off with Schwindel would seem like a no-brainer for the Cubs marketing department and its trusty sidekick, the Marquee Sports Network. A Colbert-Schwindel matchup not only would give fans something to look forward to during this lost season, it might help them cope with the Cubs’ plight.We could all use a few laughs these days.The current Cubs probably are too young to realize the team once was a staple of late-night talk show jokes. It only made sense based on the organization’s long history of sucking. During a season-opening 14-game losing streak in 1997, manager Jim Riggleman addressed some of the shots Jay Leno and David Letterman took at the Cubs on their late-night talk shows.“No one likes to be the brunt of jokes, the Jay Leno stuff,” Riggleman said. “I haven’t seen it, but I heard about it. But this is the situation we put ourselves in.”Of course, the abuse was merited, even if it was not appreciated.Advertisement“I’ve never had time for sarcasm,” Riggleman said. “It’s a cheap laugh. It’s very easy for people to use sarcasm. A lot of people use it … it’s their shtick. There will always be a market for it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”Years later, manager Joe Maddon used sarcasm to great effect with his “Try Not to Suck” slogan in 2016. But not everyone can laugh at themselves the way Maddon did.Talk show hosts changed over the years, and so did the Cubs, who finally ended their championship drought under Maddon in 2016. The Cubs might have thought late-night jokes at their expense were history after the historic World Series win, especially after Anthony Rizzo, David Ross and Dexter Fowler portrayed male strippers on “Saturday Night Live.” Instead of being the punchline, a trio of Cubs gladly twerked on late-night TV for laughs.But now the Cubs have returned to their roots, making them fodder for comedians and talk-show hosts everywhere. And with injuries to Marcus Stroman and Wade Miley, two veteran starters brought in to try to make a rebuilding team respectable, it can only get worse.Ross, the former SNL twerker and “Dancing With the Stars” alum, finds himself in charge of a team rapidly slipping into oblivion. After Monday’s 12-1 loss at Pittsburgh, the Cubs’ June ERA stood at 6.79, more than a run higher than the second worst team — the Washington Nationals at 5.42.Matt Swarmer was scheduled to pitch Tuesday night for a club that has allowed double-digit runs in four of its last nine games, losing by scores of 18-4, 12-5, 19-5 and 12-1. Without a slaughter rule to stop the bleeding, the Cubs are forced to go all nine innings.AdvertisementChicago Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel pitches during the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres, June 15, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)Without even looking up the worst month of pitching in Cubs history, the one that sticks in my mind was June 1999, a standard of futility that defied belief. Under fun-loving pitching coach Marty DeMerritt, the Cubs staff compiled a 6.58 ERA that month, serving up 43 home runs in 27 games.The loss of Kerry Wood to elbow surgery before the season hurt, but the Cubs still had veteran starters with decent track records in Steve Trachsel, Kevin Tapani, Jon Lieber and Terry Mulholland, and a young stud named Kyle Farnsworth. All of them collapsed at the same time, taking a contending team down with them. The ’99 Cubs began the month seven games over .500 and one game out of first place in the National League Central, but ended it at .500, 6½ games back on their way to a 95-loss season.DeMerritt was a pro wrestling fan who believed he could get more out of his pitchers by talking them up as one of the league’s best staffs. The joke was on him.“I came in with my spit and vinegar, saying we were going to do this and do that, because I felt that at the time,” DeMerritt said after being fired along with Riggleman and other coaches. “But as things unraveled, certain things didn’t happen. I guess it’s easier to fire a few than numerous.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.As Greg Maddux once said, one of the keys to succeeding in the game was knowing which coaches not to listen to. DeMerritt was one of those.Of course, 1999 was during the Steroids Era when hitters ruled. The major-league batting average was .271 with a .434 slugging percentage. Hitters struck out only 16.4% of the time.AdvertisementBaseball is now dominated by pitchers. Entering Tuesday, the league average was .241 with a .392 slugging percentage and a 22% strikeout rate. That makes watching Cubs pitchers struggle a much more onerous task than in ‘99.True to form, the Cubs on Monday sent Adrian Sampson, who tossed 4⅔ scoreless innings Sunday against the Atlanta Braves, down to Triple-A Iowa. The move was made to reduce the staff to the mandated 13 pitchers, and Sampson was deemed expendable for the moment. Ross told reporters in Pittsburgh it was an “extremely difficult” conversation because the decision was not “performance-based.”When you have baseball’s worst staff in June and send down the one guy who has pitched well, something definitely is out of whack.It’s another reason why late-night talk show hosts aren’t laughing with the Cubs, they’re laughing at them.Just like the old days.