Browsing: Sports

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.

CROMWELL, Conn. — Brooks Koepka, one of the first players to denounce a rival league for only 48 players, is the latest PGA Tour player to sign on with Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, The Associated Press has learned.A person briefed on Koepka’s decision told the AP said he still would be able to compete on the PGA Tour until he hits a shot on the LIV Golf circuit. The person spoke on condition of anonymity without authorization to speak on behalf of the tour.AdvertisementThe Daily Telegraph in the UK first reported Koepka’s decision.Koepka remained in the field for the Travelers Championship, though he was not at a player meeting Tuesday morning at the TPC River Highlands. The next LIV Golf event starts June 30 outside Portland, Oregon.AdvertisementKoepka was second player, behind Rory McIlroy, who speak out against a rival league in March 2020 when he told the AP, “I have a hard time believing golf should be about just 48 players.”“Money isn’t going to change my life,” Koepka said at the time.The proposed rival league was different from LIV Golf, presented as the “Premier Golf League” though still relying on Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Greg Norman and LIV Golf took the idea of 48-man fields, no cuts with a team component.LIV Golf has not announced Koepka’s signing amid speculation that a few others were soon to join. ESPN Deportes reported over the weekend that Abraham Ancer of Mexico also was signing. Ancer is No. 20 in the world with one PGA Tour victory.Koepka gives LIV Golf a big name with his four major titles — back-to-back in the U.S. Open (2017-18) and PGA Championship (2018-19), though his game has been in decline since then because of a series of injuries.His last victory was the Phoenix Open in February 2021 and he has fallen to No. 19 in the world. In the majors this year, he missed the cut at the Masters and has finished out of the top 50 in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

What channel is it on? Who are the top prospects? Where do the Chicago Bulls pick — and which players might they target?Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 NBA draft.AdvertisementThe draft begins at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Barclays Center in New York. It’s the ninth time the home of the Brooklyn Nets is host to the event.Malika Andrews speaks during an NBA game between the Warriors and the Suns on Dec. 3, 2021, in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/AP)ESPN is broadcasting the draft for the 20th straight year, with former Chicago Tribune reporter Malika Andrews hosting for the first time. College basketball analyst Jay Bilas, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski and NBA draft analysts Bobby Marks and Mike Schmitz will join Andrews on the main set.AdvertisementFor the second year in a row, ABC-7 is airing the first round. Kevin Negandhi returns as the host and will be joined by analysts Stephen A. Smith, Chiney Ogwumike and Jalen Rose. Monica McNutt is the event reporter and will conduct interviews with draftees after their selection.For those who like this sort of thing, ESPN also will air a red-carpet pregame show from 4-5 p.m., hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth with analysts Perkins and Richard Jefferson. The three will preview the draft and interview prospects, team personnel and celebrities.The Bulls have the No. 18 pick in the first round but have no second-round selection because of the 2021 sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs for DeMar DeRozan. They didn’t have a first-round pick last year, having dealt it to the Orlando Magic for Nikola Vučević. They selected Illinois and Morgan Park product Ayo Dosunmu in the second round at No. 38, and he was named to the All-Rookie second team.The Bulls’ last first-round pick was Patrick Williams at No. 4 in 2020, the first selection of the Artūras Karnišovas-Marc Eversley regime.LSU forward Tari Eason celebrates a basket during a game against Mississippi on Feb. 1, 2022, in Baton Rouge, La. (Matthew Hinton/AP)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Of 14 mock drafts listed below, six have the Bulls taking LSU forward Tari Eason. Here’s a sampling of “expert” opinions.The Athletic: Tari Eason, F, LSUBasketball News: EasonBleacher Report: E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio StateCBS Sports: Jalen Duren, C, MemphisESPN: Jalen Williams, F, Santa ClaraNBADraft.net: EasonNBC Sports: Ochai Agbaji, SG, KansasThe Ringer: LiddellSB Nation: EasonSports Illustrated: LiddellStadium: WilliamsTankathon: EasonUSA Today: AgbajiYahoo Sports: EasonWith championship trophies gleaming, B.J. Armstrong is all smiles as he tells the media that he “is the veteran on this young Bulls team”, on Sept. 1, 1999. (DAVID TROTMAN-WILKINS)Once. In 1989, they drafted Iowa guard B.J. Armstrong at that spot. He was the second of the Bulls’ three first-round picks that year — they took Stacey King of Oklahoma at No. 6 and Jeff Sanders of Georgia Southern at No. 20.Joe Dumars, whom the Detroit Pistons drafted in 1987, is the lone Hall of Famer. According to Basketball Reference, of the 20 players drafted at No. 18 to have at least 20 career win shares, Mark Jackson (1987, New York Knicks) tops the list at 91.8, followed by Dumars (86.2), David West (2003, New Orleans Hornets, 85.9), Ricky Pierce (1982, Pistons, 72.2) and Vern Fleming (1984, Indiana Pacers, 52).Other notables in the top 20 are Armstrong (10th with 45), Dave Corzine (1978, Washington Bullets, 13th with 37.3) and Quentin Richardson (2000, Los Angeles Clippers, 14th with 32.8).AdvertisementAuburn forward Jabari Smith (10) reacts after making a 3-pointer against Alabama on Feb. 1 in Auburn, Ala. (Butch Dill/AP)The consensus No. 1 is Auburn forward Jabari Smith going to the Orlando Magic (full draft order). Most mock drafts have Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey and Iowa’s Keegan Murray among the top selections.Other than Ivey, who is the son of Notre Dame women’s coach Niele Ivey, and Liddell, a two-time Mr. Basketball of Illinois winner out of Belleville West High School, draft hopefuls with area connections include:Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee (son of ex-Northwestern player and assistant Pat Baldwin)Max Christie, Michigan State (Rolling Meadows HS)Kofi Cockburn, IllinoisAJ Griffin, Duke (son of former Bulls player and assistant Adrian Griffin)Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers (son of former Bull Ron Harper)Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt (son of former Bull Scottie Pippen)Blake Wesley, Notre DameTrevion Williams, Purdue (Chicago native/Mount Carmel HS before moving to Detroit as a sophomore)NBA free agency — a big concern for the Bulls considering two-time All-Star Zach LaVine is an unrestricted free agent — begins at 5 p.m. Aug. 2.

The 50th anniversary of Title IX is a chance not only to celebrate the girls and women who compete in today’s world, but also to acknowledge that we are on a long journey.The gains are elusive if not appreciated and recognized as a foundation for what comes next. We girls, no matter where we are in life, must support and help one another to keep this going.AdvertisementI was a tomboy before it was fashionable and, fortunately, had parents who encouraged me when school offered nothing. In the pre-Title IX days, I had a scholarship to the University of Missouri from the Missouri Girls Golf Association and played intercollegiate golf, softball and basketball when the university’s contribution to uniforms was to buy us shirts and we did the rest. Bitter still? Maybe just a little.[ [Don’t miss] Illinois women who led programs through Title IX reflect on the growth — and continued challenges: ‘They need to know how it was fought for’ ]As a WNBA fan in general and a Chicago Sky fan in particular, I am so happy to see young fans at games. There’s a saying that you have to see it to be it. It matters that WNBA athletes embrace a leadership role and know that young people — boys and girls — are watching as they model success and civic responsibility. That is also the case for our local college teams. I feel so blessed to have had sports be such a big part of my life. Sports have greatly enriched my career and my life.AdvertisementYes, there is progress, but it has been difficult. There is a tendency for the change resisters to conflate issues and people, lashing out at the women they resent for what is happening. If only, they think. Their resistance to change can be ugly and personal. That was true 50 years ago and throughout my journalism career. Even if things are better now, that strain still surfaces.Fans celebrate during a parade and rally for the WNBA champion Chicago Sky at Pritzker Pavilion on Oct. 19, 2021. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)Women in sports media still have to deal with things that are amplified by the nastiness of social media trolls. Women talk about microaggressions, as if they feel that somehow they might be overreacting. Uh, no. Those slights are significant, just as they are in other arenas where diversity is playing out.We all benefit as the young women who grew up under Title IX prosper now. Title IX has always been about more than sports. We need to support women and realize that it’s still tough.As part of its coverage of Title IX’s impact, The Associated Press recently conducted a poll in partnership with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the National Women’s History Museum. The AP reported that 61% of men say the country has made a great deal or a lot of progress toward gender equality, while only 37% of women said the same.On a continuum, we have made significant progress from the early days of Title IX, and that’s good. But the gains are fragile, and there is more to do in the next 50 years.Holt was the first female sports editor at the Chicago Tribune from 1993-95. The former standards editor, she left the Tribune in January 2022.