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Tony Siragusa, the wisecracking wall of flesh known as “Goose” who anchored the middle of a record-setting Ravens defense during the team’s first Super Bowl run, died Wednesday, a team spokesman said. He was 55.The cause of death was not immediately known.AdvertisementThe New Jersey native was an undrafted free agent who began his 12-year NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts before he became a fan favorite over five seasons with the Ravens from 1997 to 2001. He was a classic nose tackle, occupying multiple blockers and clearing space for Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis as the Ravens set a record by allowing just 165 points over a 16-game season in 2000.Tony Siragusa, the wisecracking wall of flesh known as “Goose” who anchored the middle of a record-setting Ravens defense during the team’s first Super Bowl run, died Wednesday, a team spokesman said. He was 55. (Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun)But the 330-pound behemoth was known as much for his affable persona as his power on the field. He was a star of the first season of HBO’s documentary series “Hard Knocks,” wearing shirts that said “Big Daddy” across the chest and cracking jokes about how he would torture rookies. That paved the way for an acting career and a 13-year run as a pregame and sideline personality on Fox’s NFL coverage.AdvertisementMr. Siragusa came to the Ravens when the team was still struggling in its second season after moving from Cleveland. He was a full-time starter and leading voice as the Ravens defense gradually transformed into one of the most fearsome in NFL history.During the 2000 AFC championship game, he drove Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon to the ground shoulder-first, a pivotal play as the Ravens held a highflying offense to three points. Though Mr. Siragusa always maintained he had no intention of hurting Mr. Gannon, the hit went down as a prime example of the Ravens’ punishing style as they rampaged to the Super Bowl.Once on the biggest stage in sports, Mr. Siragusa luxuriated in the spotlight. A reporter asked what job he would hate to have. “I would hate to be a plumber if my sewer backed up,” he said.This story will be updated.

With runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the 11th inning of Tuesday night’s marathon on the South Side, the few thousand fans remaining began shouting unsolicited advice to Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa.Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was at the plate against Vince Velasquez, and fans called for an intentional walk to load the bases.AdvertisementDid La Russa hear the fans’ advice?“I didn’t think they liked walks,” he said with a grin before Wednesday’s game.AdvertisementLa Russa, of course, was referring to the infamous intentional walk he ordered for Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner with a 1-2 count on June 9, a move widely panned by baseball experts and fans alike.A couple of weeks later he can laugh about the uproar, which put La Russa in the national spotlight and made him a moving target for his most vocal critics.Guerrero wound up grounding to third to end the 11th, making the decision not to walk him a good one. Had it not worked out, La Russa no doubt would’ve heard it from the crowd. “Fire Tony” chants had already sounded out during the Blue Jays’ three-run eighth.[ [Don’t miss] With the White Sox rotation finally whole, it’s time for the starters to pick up the slack ]As he stated previously, La Russa doesn’t mind hearing it from opinionated Sox fans.“I’ve said it 100 times, man, I like that they’re here and they care,” La Russa said. “And if they’re displeased and it’s with me, I’d rather them be here and care than not care and not be here. In that particular (situation) I know some coaches went to the top step and yelled back, like, ‘Whaddaya say now?’ or something like that.”La Russa didn’t name the coaches, then asked aloud: “You know what the guy on deck (Alejandro Kirk) is hitting against us? Gee whiz, he’s a killer. We have a tough time getting him out.”Kirk has a .353 average (6-for-17) against the Sox this season with three home runs and a 1.362 OPS.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 17White Sox second baseman Josh Harrison, center, celebrates with teammates after driving in the winning run with a single in the 12th inning on June 21, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Getting back to the advice, how did the coaches hear the fans but not La Russa?Advertisement“I heard noise,” he replied.Informed that reporters could hear the fans from the press box located hundreds of feet from the dugout, La Russa said: “You’re paying more attention. I was just concentrating on the game. Mostly I was hoping we’d get an out. I believe in self-talk. You talk to yourself a lot, you don’t hear some people. You listen to yourself.”There is precedent for letting fans make the decisions during a game. Back on Aug. 24, 1951, St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck handed out “Yes” and “No” placards to 1,100 fans he called “grandstand managers” and let them vote on things such as whether to steal or replace the pitcher. It’s unlikely Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf would replicate that promotion so fans could tell La Russa how to manage a game.After the Sox came back to win 7-6 in 12 innings, La Russa walked from his office to his news conference. A few dozen fans waiting for him to pass so they could exit their scout seats began chanting, “Tony, Tony.”No word on whether La Russa heard the noise.

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder conducted a “shadow investigation” that sought to discredit former employees making accusations of workplace sexual harassment, hired private investigators to intimidate witnesses, and used an overseas lawsuit as a pretext to obtain phone records and emails, according to a document released by a House committee on Wednesday.The Committee on Oversight and Reform is investigating the Commanders’ workplace culture following accusations of pervasive sexual harassment by team executives of women employees. It released the memo ahead of Wednesday’s morning hearing at which NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testified remotely.AdvertisementSnyder was invited to testify but declined, citing overseas business commitments and concerns about due process. The committee chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., announced during the hearing that she plans to issue a subpoena to compel him to testify.The 29-page memo alleges Snyder tried to discredit the people accusing him and other team executives of misconduct and also tried to influence an investigation of the team by attorney Beth Wilkinson’s firm.AdvertisementSnyder’s attorneys presented the NFL with a 100-slide PowerPoint presentation including “private text messages, emails, phone logs and call transcripts, and social media posts from nearly 50 individuals who Mr. Snyder apparently believed were involved in a conspiracy to disparage him,” the committee said.In a statement, a spokesman for Snyder characterized the report and the hearing as “a politically charged show trial” and said Congress should not be investigating “an issue a football team addressed years ago.”Goodell told the committee that the team’s culture has transformed as a result of the Wilkinson probe and that “Dan Snyder has been held accountable.”The NFL fined the team $10 million last year and Snyder stepped away from its day-to-day operations after Wilkinson presented her findings to Goodell. However, the league did not release a written report of Wilkinson’s findings, a decision Goodell said was intended to protect the privacy of former employees who spoke to investigators.When announcing the discipline, the NFL said none of the people accused of sexual harassment still worked for the Washington franchise. But two separate accusations of sexual harassment by Snyder himself have since surfaced.Former employee Tiffani Johnston told the committee that Snyder groped her at a team dinner and tried to force her into his limousine, which Snyder denies. And The Washington Post reported Tuesday that a woman accused Snyder of sexually assaulting her on a team plane in 2009, resulting in a $1.6 million settlement.Johnston’s allegation prompted the NFL to hire former Securities and Exchange Commission chairwoman Mary Jo White to conduct a new investigation of Snyder and the team, and the league plans to release her findings to the public.Maloney has introduced legislation to curb the use of workplace nondisclosure agreements and to offer protections for employees whose professional images are used inappropriately. Among the accusations against the Commanders are that team employees produced a video of lewd outtakes from a photo shoot involving the cheerleading squad.AdvertisementAccording to the memo, Snyder used a defamation lawsuit against an obscure online media company based in India as a pretext to subpoena emails, phone records and text messages from former employees who spoke to The Washington Post about workplace harassment. The subpoenas were unusually broad, and many of the people targeted “had no plausible connection” to the Indian media company, the committee said.The committee also alleged that Snyder sought to blame former team president Bruce Allen for the problems with Washington’s workplace culture and that Snyder’s lawyers provided Wilkinson and the NFL with 400,000 emails from Allen’s account, highlighting specific ones they deemed “inappropriate.” Some email exchanges with Allen included homophobic and misogynistic comments by Jon Gruden, which were leaked to reporters last fall and prompted the Las Vegas Raiders to fire Gruden as their coach.Witnesses also told the committee that Snyder sent private investigators to their homes and offered them hush money. The NFL was aware of Snyder’s use of private investigators, according to documents obtained by the committee, but that did not stop the practice, witnesses said.Republicans on the committee accused Democrats of going after an NFL team to distract from more pressing issues and exceeding the scope of the committee’s mission.“A core responsibility of this committee is to conduct oversight of the executive branch, but this entire Congress, Democrats have turned a blind eye to the Biden administration,” said Kentucky GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee’s ranking member. “Instead, the Oversight committee is investigating a single private organization for workplace misconduct that occurred years ago.”

It’s nearly time for the NBA draft and the Chicago Bulls are positioned to build on last season’s playoff appearance with the No. 18 pick.The draft has been a critical building block for the Bulls, whose recent selections of Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams created a new young core. So who will join the group alongside DeMar DeRozan and company?AdvertisementExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 12An emotional Ayo Dosunmu celebrates Thursday during a watch party at Bracket Room in Chicago after the Bulls selected him with the 38th pick in the NBA draft. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)2021: Ayo Dosunmu (38th overall)2020: Patrick Williams (4th overall) and Marko Simonović (44th overall)2019: Coby White (7th overall) and Daniel Gafford (38th overall)2018: Wendell Carter Jr. (7th overall) and Chandler Hutchison (22nd overall)2017: Justin Patton (16th overall, traded with Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen) and Jordan Bell (38th overall, traded to the Golden State Warriors for cash considerations)ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 133Bulls guard Zach LaVine and forward DeMar DeRozan head to their locker room after playing the Bucks at the United Center on April 24, 2022. The Bucks won 119-95 to take a 3-1 lead in their playoff series. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)The No. 18 pick is slightly lower hanging fruit than the first ten slots in the draft, but it still is a high enough position to select an impact player — or to leverage an effective trade for immediate payoff in the 2022-23 season.Heading into the offseason, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas emphasized the Bulls are focused on keeping Zach LaVine in Chicago and making auxiliary trades to support the current All-Star core. That doesn’t mean a blockbuster trade is completely off the table, but the Bulls would be more likely to package the pick along with a bench player like Coby White to make a meaningful trade.AdvertisementThe Bulls could find depth in this year’s draft, which is steeped with enough talent to make even the lowest first-round picks remain appealing.Duke center Mark Williams (15) celebrates after his team defeated Arkansas in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament in San Francisco, March 26, 2022. (Tony Avelar/AP)Age: 20Position: CenterSchool: DukeHeight: 7-foot-2Weight: 242A powerful center who carves out a presence around the rim, Williams could be an immediate answer for the Bulls after a season desperately lacking size and strength in the paint. The biggest question is whether Williams will even fall this low — he is a hot prospect after recording the longest wingspan at the combine (7-foot-7) and breaking a Duke field goal percentage record (72.1% on over 100 attempts).E.J. Liddell answers reporters’ questions during the NBA draft combine at Wintrust Arena, May 19, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Age: 21Position: ForwardSchool: Ohio StateHeight: 6-foot-7Weight: 243 poundsA lengthy forward with perimeter shooting range, Liddell could slot in as a role player after three seasons with Ohio State. Liddell’s most important asset for the Bulls would be interior defense, where he can provide shot blocking and size to back up Nikola Vučević.The fact Liddell grew up downstate in Belleville only adds to the Bulls’ recent effort to bring in Illinois talent like Dosunmu.Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan reacts after scoring during the second half against Norfolk State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, March 17, 2022. (LM Otero/AP)Age: 19Position: ForwardSchool: BaylorHeight: 6-foot-9Weight: 230Another defense-first forward to keep an eye on is Sochan, who made an impact on the Baylor front court during his only NCAA season. Sochan’s stock has been soaring since the combine — during which he named Draymond Green and Jrue Holiday as inspirations — so he might not be available when the Bulls make their pick. But if they can snatch him up, Sochan wouldimmediately impact a defense that needs reinforcement.Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams controls the ball during the second half of a game against Gonzaga, Feb. 19, 2022, in Spokane, Wash. (Young Kwak/AP)Age: 21Position: Guard/ForwardSchool: Santa ClaraHeight: 6-foot-6Weight: 209 poundsIf the Bulls don’t look for size in their draft selection, they could target a wing player with the versatility to slot in behind LaVine. Williams would be an obvious choice — a playmaking guard who averaged 18 points per game on 39.6% 3-point shooting for Santa Clara last season. Although he’s a little undersized, Williams would help the guard rotation.Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji celebrates after beating North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament final, April 4, 2022, in New Orleans. (Brynn Anderson/AP)Age: 22Position: Guard/ForwardSchool: KansasHeight: 6-foot-6Weight: 215 poundsIf the Bulls want to add a versatile guard, look no further than a recent national champion who finished his final season with Kansas as Big 12 Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Agbaji is one of the more veteran players coming through the draft, and he consistently improved his shooting (averaging 18.8 points per game last season) and playmaking throughout his four-year career. That growth will need to continue to carve out a place in the NBA, but Agbaji’s versatility and defense on the wing could add a rotational improvement with a high ceiling for the future.

The Chicago Bears will open training camp July 26 at Halas Hall in preparation for their first season under coach Matt Eberflus. The camp schedule from the team includes 11 public practices that require a free ticket.That doesn’t include the annual Bears Family Fest at Soldier Field, scheduled for Aug. 9 with ticket information to be announced later.AdvertisementTickets for the public practices in Lake Forest will be available at ChicagoBears.com/camp starting July 7 at 10 a.m. There’s a limit of four per date and there won’t be a lottery this year. Free parking will be available at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills with shuttle buses to Halas Hall.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bears 2022 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each matchup ]“With the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols behind us, we’re looking forward to bringing back the tradition of player and fan interaction,” Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips said in a news release.AdvertisementThe Bears have three preseason games — including one at Soldier Field on Aug. 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs — before opening the 2022 slate on Sept. 11 at home against the San Francisco 49ers.Tuesday, July 26: Players reportWednesday, July 27: Practice, 10 a.m.Thursday, July 28: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Friday, July 29: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Saturday, July 30: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Monday, Aug. 1: Practice, 10 a.m.Tuesday, Aug. 2: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Wednesday, Aug. 3: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Friday, Aug. 5: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Saturday, Aug. 6: Practice, 10 a.m.Sunday, Aug. 7: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Tuesday, Aug. 9: Bears Family Fest at Soldier Field, 10:35 a.m.Wednesday, Aug. 10: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Thursday, Aug. 11: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Saturday, Aug. 13: Kansas City Chiefs at Bears, noon, Soldier FieldMonday, Aug. 15: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Tuesday, Aug. 16: Practice, 10 a.m.Thursday, Aug. 18: Bears at Seattle Seahawks, 7 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 20: Practice, 10 a.m. (open to public)Sunday, Aug. 21: Practice, 10 a.m. (camp breaks)Tuesday, Aug. 23: Practice, 1:30 p.m.Wednesday, Aug. 24: Practice, 1:30 p.m.Thursday, Aug. 25: Practice, 12:45 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 27: Bears at Cleveland Browns, 6 p.m.Monday, Aug. 29: Practice, 1:30 p.m.Tuesday, Aug. 30: Practice, 4:30 p.m.Wednesday, Aug. 31: Practice, 1:30 p.m.Thursday, Sept. 1: Practice, 12:45 p.m.

Ravens outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson has died, the team announced Wednesday. He was 26.“We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson,” the Ravens said in a statement, which did not list a cause of death. “He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality. We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon’s family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon.”AdvertisementFerguson was entering the fourth season of his career in Baltimore. A third-round draft pick in 2018, Ferguson set the Football Bowl Subdivision record for career sacks (45) at Louisiana Tech, where he earned the nickname “Sack Daddy.”Ferguson was a full participant for the first two days of the Ravens’ three-day mandatory minicamp last week before suffering what coach John Harbaugh called a sprained ankle. He was set to report to training camp in late July.AdvertisementBaltimore Police said officers arrived about 11:25 p.m. Tuesday night to a home in the 400 block of Waverly’s Ilchester Avenue, where Ferguson’s body was found. Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play.The cause of his death is still being determined.This story will be updated. Baltimore Sun reporter Matt Cohen contributed to this article.

The Chicago Bears are off for summer break until late July when training camp begins. Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions in this final mailbag until camp.AdvertisementI find it curious national media lambasts the talent level of the Bears’ WR corps while continually urging the organization to trade away draft capital to acquire another team’s disgruntled and/or underperforming wideout. Kenny Golladay is the latest example. Is there a realistic trade option at wide receiver that would actually elevate the current roster or is Ryan Poles being prudent by staying the course? — David D., Arlington HeightsWell, the Bears don’t have a lot of proven talent at the position outside of Darnell Mooney, and I don’t believe a lot of folks around the league view him as a No. 1 receiver at this point. Could he ascend into that role? No doubt. The jump he made from his rookie season to last year was impressive and with a new coaching staff, new playbook and some familiarity with quarterback Justin Fields, there’s no reason Mooney cannot make significant gains again in 2022. AdvertisementThe Bears are hopeful Byron Pringle is ready to spread his wings now that he’s out of Kansas City and in a position to get more opportunities. Equanimeous St. Brown is an interesting player but he was never consistent enough to get on the field regularly in Green Bay. Rookie Velus Jones Jr. is a player the Bears are really excited about but he has yet to play a down in the NFL. The vast majority of teams have depth with more proven experience and, in many cases, more known talent.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 30Quarterback Justin Fields works out June 16, 2022, during Bears minicamp at Halas Hall. The Bears all wore No. 41 on Thursday to honor former player Brian Piccolo on the anniversary of his death. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Do I think the Bears will trade for Golladay? No, I don’t. I haven’t heard any rumors in that regard but why would Poles want to pay big money — Golladay is due $13 million this season — for a player that has a track record of injuries, especially last season? You have to think the Bears believe they can get similar production out of one of the players already on the roster. Plus, Golladay is 28.I get repeated questions about the position and nearly all are valid. I don’t see the Bears making a blockbuster move for a game breaker at the position. Who thinks Poles wants to trade away his 2023 first-round draft pick for a player that is going to require a massive contract? Not me. I think the Bears are curious to see how the crop of receivers they have pans out. Not everyone is going to excel or meet expectations, but if one or two are solid it’s a step in the right direction. Maybe an unknown will step forward. I thought former Notre Dame wide receiver Chris Finke made some nice plays this spring. He’s undersized at 5-foot-9, 186 pounds, but maybe he can compete for a look in the slot. Finke entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2020 with the San Francisco 49ers. We’ll see what he and the others look like when training camp gets rolling.I feel the Bears are getting dumped on nationally and picked to be worse than the Jacksonville Jaguars. I believe Matt Eberflus will get them playing hard and Justin Fields can win more games than people think. Cincinnati Bengals-type season? — @dpeak1313The Bengals reached the Super Bowl last season. I do not believe the Bears are going to enjoy a similar resurgence in 2022 and ultimately be crowned NFC champions. There’s a heck of a lot of space in the middle, though, between being worse than Jacksonville and being as good as Cincinnati was in 2021. I agree Eberflus likely will get the team playing hard and that can create the kind of energy needed in the building to power through some rough spots in the schedule. The coaching staff has been really positive about Fields this spring and he has nowhere to go but up. I understand Bears fans, at least a good portion of them, are tired of hearing that this may be a season full of growing pains. From a national perspective, why would there be a different quick take on the team? They won six games last season. Statistically, Fields struggled as much as about any rookie quarterback has in the last decade. Some marquee defensive players departed and there are significant questions about an offensive line that struggled last season. The only additions to the O-line have been center Lucas Patrick, signed to a two-year, $8 million contract, and a quartet of Day 3 draft picks. If Fields takes some steps forward this season, the Bears can be competitive nearly every week and be close into the fourth quarter. Then, it’s about making plays.Are the Bears heading into a really bad season as all experts predict? — @jcadengo1Can you rattle off three or four compelling reasons why this could be a playoff season for Matt Eberflus in Year 1? Yes, it happened for Matt Nagy in 2018, but he walked through the doors of Halas Hall and talked defensive coordinator Vic Fangio into staying put. The Bears had a playoff-ready defense when Nagy was hired and that unit only got better when Khalil Mack was acquired via trade. I don’t see a Mack-type player being added to the roster before the start of this season. Advertisement[ Bears 2022 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each matchup ]The Bears are starting from scratch on offense and defense. Obviously, you need to keep a close eye on Fields and his developmental track this season. There are many other compelling storylines to keep an eye on. The roster that has gotten younger and will continue to turn over in the next 12 months. Let me ask you this: If Fields steps up and shows improvement this season while a good bunch of younger players gain experience and show promise and the final record is 7-10, is that really bad? Let’s see what happens. I think GM Ryan Poles presented a long-term plan to Chairman George McCaskey, a plan he knew would take multiple seasons to come together. Poles hasn’t said as much but as I have written before, this roster wasn’t a weekend DIY project when he took it over. I think people need to have open minds and shape their expectations accordingly.Do you think that Trestan Ebner will play a big role in the offense and if so, how does that fit in with Monty and Khalil Herbert? — @sambiinooA big role? That might be asking a bit much from a rookie sixth-round pick. Right now, he projects as a change-of-pace back when he’s fully up to speed. Injuries to players ahead of him on the depth chart could create more opportunities. When I think “big role,” I am envisioning something over one-third of the snaps on offense and that seems a bit ambitious considering the presence of David Montgomery and Herbert, who you referenced, as well as Darrynton Evans. The Bears appear to have decent depth and competition beginning in training camp. Maybe Ebner can carve out a role for himself early in the season and he is smooth catching the ball out of the backfield. I certainly think he can step in immediately as a multi-phase contributor on special teams. He will be an interesting rookie to track during camp and preseason.With spots open at linebacker, right guard and defensive tackle, and salary cap space, do the Bears make more free-agent moves before camp? — @pilcher2700Who are they going to sign? With 32 teams having 90-man rosters right now, it’s not as if there are a bunch of guys on the street that look like Week 1 starters once they have a contract and a uniform. Yes, I expect this roster to be constantly evolving and that could mean players added because of injuries or other reasons. No, I don’t envision the Bears in 2022 adding a difference maker off the street right now. Maybe they get a player or two that can fit their system during roster cuts but it’s not as if the Bears are just biding their time waiting to pounce on potential free agents. Most of the moves at this point in the calendar are for camp depth.AdvertisementExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 57Receiver Velus Jones Jr. warms up, May 24, 2022, during OTAs at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Who is your prediction for the MVPA (most valuable player added) for this roster? — @gentleindifThat is an interesting question and you can make a case for a handful of players because there are so many new faces. It certainly appears the Bears plan on starting cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker right away, and the rookies could help solidify a secondary that had issues at times last season. Linebacker Nicholas Morrow appears to be a really good fit for this scheme because of his range and athleticism. If one of the wide receivers steps up — Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown or rookie Velus Jones Jr. — that would go a long way toward helping quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears believe Lucas Patrick, the new center, can be a tone setter for the offensive line and that is certainly needed. Justin Jones and Al-Quadin Muhammad are new additions to the defensive line. Like I said, there are a lot of choices among several new faces. If I had to pick one, I’d go with Gordon. He was their highest draft pick and it looks like he could be the starting left cornerback. Brisker has a nice combination of size and athleticism and could be a really exciting young player as well.Given the hole at right guard, is the possibility of starting Braxton Jones at left tackle more about getting the best five O-linemen on the field and maybe means Larry Borom or Teven Jenkins plays guard? — @jtbcubsI see where you are going here but I don’t think you make a decision at left tackle, of all positions, because of a question you have at right guard. Left tackle is the premier position on the offensive line and you can make a case right guard is at the bottom of the list. I say this because some coaches really value an athletic player at left guard, making it more of a priority than the right guard position. [ Column: Chicago Bears gave Braxton Jones a look at left tackle — and the rookie is ready to battle for a job in camp ]Yes, the Bears need to find their five best linemen and get them on the field. They’ve yet to look at Borom or Jenkins at guard this spring, at least as far as I saw. Could that change on Day 1 of minicamp? Sure. Some I talked to when the Bears drafted Jenkins last year thought he might be best playing inside. But I don’t think you put a rookie fifth-round pick at left tackle unless you believe he’s your best option at that position, no matter what else you have going on along the line. Questions at left tackle trump questions at right guard. Maybe Jones excels when pads going on next month.AdvertisementWhich player is more likely to be starting in Week 1: Robert Quinn or Braxton Jones? — @gucasliogitoI have to say Quinn. He’s a starter for this defense until he isn’t on the roster. Jones has a lot of ground to cover before he can really be in the mix to nail down that job.What are the Bears doing with Teven Jenkins? — @joeymalabarbaJenkins got what amounted to half the snaps with the starters at right tackle this spring. It should be noted he was the first player to get a look there too. I imagine he remains in the mix to win that job with an outside chance of the team taking a peek at him inside at right guard. Jenkins is a big, physical player who should look better when pads go on in training camp. It would be premature to write him off at this point. There are a lot of moving parts on the offensive line right now and we’ll have to see how things shake out in the first couple weeks of training camp.Given Ndamukong Suh’s production last year (compared to Akiem Hicks and including health), wouldn’t Suh be a great one- or two-year plug-in veteran option on the D-line? — @basucallyThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers effectively replaced Suh by signing Hicks to a one-year deal. The 35-year-old Suh has indicated a desire to continue playing but at his age, and after winning a Super Bowl ring in Tampa, do you think he’d be interested in joining a team that is in the beginning stages of a complete rebuild? My guess is no. AdvertisementAdding Suh would not fit the profile of the players GM Ryan Poles has brought on board so far. You don’t see a lot of big-name players who are on the back side of their careers. In fact, you really don’t see any. What he has done is shop for available players in their 20s with the idea some or most of them have their best football ahead of them. It doesn’t look like a match for either party. That’s just my take.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 18Bears inside linebacker C.J. Avery (47) and other defensive players warm up during rookie minicamp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, May 6, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

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.