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When the Chicago Cubs announced they were leaving their old TV home to start their own network, it was viewed by some as a prudent business decision that would create another vital revenue stream.With more revenue streams, the Cubs theoretically would be contenders for years.AdvertisementThat of course, hasn’t happened.The Cubs are in the early stages of a rebuild of undetermined length. In the middle of the first full season of Marquee Sports Network in 2021, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer came to the conclusion he could not sign his three biggest stars and executed a massive sell-off to restock the farm system, beginning the next phase of Cubs history.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Cubs exploring a streaming option for 2023 — plus updates on the Wrigley Field sportsbook and Hall of Famers’ statues ]But instead of stating the obvious, Hoyer declined to refer to the plan as a rebuild and even questioned why a reporter needed to put a label on it. Ten months later, the Cubs are well below .500 and looking to prospects such as Christopher Morel, Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson.The Cubs still refuse to concede the team is in rebuilding mode, which is their prerogative. No one has to take the word of Cubs management to know what they’re seeing with their own eyes, and no matter what it’s called it’s often unwatchable.Still, there are games to be telecast and a station to provide fans with Cubs-related news and information. For those who can’t get enough of the team, Marquee Sports Network — owned by the the Cubs and Sinclair — provides that content. It has hour-long pre- and postgame shows, documentaries and events like last Friday’s unveiling of the Fergie Jenkins statue. The network also carries Chicago Sky games and other sports.But there is plenty of airtime and not enough live sports to fill in the blanks. So the network created a Sunday morning talk show called “The Reporters,” a nod to “The Sportswriters on TV,” the classic cable talk show that aired during the 1980s and ’90s. That show featured a former PR man named Ben Bentley, who spoke Chicagoese and served as moderator, and old school sportswriters Bill Gleason, Bill Jauss and Rick Telander, who technically was young but had already developed an old sports writer’s persona.For those in sports media, the announcement of the Marquee show was welcome news. There hasn’t been a local sports debate show since the summer of 2020, when NBC Sports Chicago canceled David Kaplan’s show, “SportsTalk Live.”[ [Don’t miss] As the Chicago Cubs move past the quarter-mark of the season, many big-picture questions remain: ‘Got to let guys continue to develop’ ]But some wondered how much candor reporters could exercise on Cubs-related topics while on a station run by the Cubs and Sinclair. Would a reporter be allowed to criticize the spending of Chairman Tom Ricketts? Could anyone say manager David Ross was an issue? Would the Cubs run interference to make sure top executives weren’t ripped?One of those questions was answered Sunday. No, the network would not let a reporter criticize upper management — specifically Hoyer.Sunday’s show featured three veteran reporters — WSCR-AM 670′s David Haugh, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Maddie Lee and former sports anchor Peggy Kusinski. They were joined by WGN-AM 720 personality Bob Sirott, who was the moderator.AdvertisementSources said a segment on the Cubs’ unknown trade deadline plans was going smoothly until Haugh, a former Tribune columnist, and Kusinki, who has a weekly show on WMVP-AM-1000, discussed the rebuild.Haugh said Hoyer’s transparency was “lacking,” comparing it unfavorably to the job former President Theo Epstein did in explaining his game plan. Haugh wondered aloud if Hoyer was “tethered to reality” and asked for some clarity from the Cubs president. Kusinski agreed and called for honesty.But the taping was abruptly halted shortly thereafter for what reporters were told was a technical difficulty. They were then informed they’d have to start the segment over.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer is confident his long-term game plan is working: ‘We’re on the right track’ ]No one was too alarmed by the timing, but before they began taping again, reporters were told not to mention the “transparency” angle in the new segment. The subject was avoided and the original segment was edited out when it aired Sunday morning.Haugh and Kusinksi declined to comment. Lee could not be reached for comment.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.A Marquee spokesman did not immediately return a message.AdvertisementAs someone who has appeared in dozens of these types of panel shows, from CLTV to WBBM-Ch. 2 to Comcast Sports Net to WTTW-Ch. 11, I don’t recall ever having a show stopped and redone to remove a comment. I can confirm the Cubs complained to CSN often about my criticism of team executives made during “Chicago Tribune Live” telecasts, but the station never edited them out or asked me to stop mentioning them on the show.The Marquee Sports Network booth during a Cubs game at Wrigley Field on Aug. 16, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Kusinski formerly had a panel show on CLTV, owned by Tribune Co. — which at the time owned the Cubs — in which we both took shots at Cubs management without fear of censorship.The point of an opinion show is to voice your opinion. Some people get it. Marquee apparently does not.Marquee doesn’t have to air opinions about the Cubs that the team or station does not agree with. It’s the Cubs’ station, after all, and it’s the network’s show. But reporters at least should know their opinions might be edited out if they don’t line up with the Cubs’ messaging.And certainly viewers looking for objective analysis on the Cubs should be aware the opinions on “The Reporters” are subject to censorship.The Cubs are free to dispense their message any way they want. But if the owners want any credibility they need to let reporters speak freely on the network.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The mayor of the Southern California city of Anaheim is resigning amid a swirling political scandal over the sale of Angel Stadium to the baseball team.Mayor Harry Sidhu is quitting his post effective Tuesday, his lawyer, Paul S. Meyer, said in a statement Monday. He said the stadium negotiations were lawful and that Sidhu didn’t ask for campaign contributions linked to the deal.Advertisement“Mayor Harry Sidhu has always, as his foremost priority, acted in the best interests of the City of Anaheim, and he does so today,” Meyer said in a statement.The resignation comes a week after the Orange County city of 347,000 people said it learned Sidhu was being investigated by federal officials in relation to the stadium deal.AdvertisementSince then, Sidhu’s colleagues on the city council have called for him to resign and raised questions about whether the stadium sale can move forward. The city is expected to discuss the stadium plan at a meeting Tuesday.“No one ever wants to see their mayor resign in difficult circumstances like this but we do welcome this resignation,” city spokesman Mike Lyster said. “We will welcome some clarity as part of a larger effort to evaluate the situation we’re in and figure out the best path forward for our city.”Anaheim has been negotiating the sale of the land around the stadium to the Los Angeles Angels. The team would agree to stay in the city through 2050 and buy the stadium and its surrounding parking lots, where it would build homes, shops and restaurants.The Los Angeles Times reports that Sidhu is being investigated by federal officials for allegedly giving confidential information to the Angles at least twice during negotiations in the hope of getting a campaign donation.Sidhu has not been charged with a crime.The scandal has ballooned in Anaheim since last week when a former chamber of commerce executive was charged by federal officials of lying to a mortgage lender as part of a broader investigation. This weekend, a California Democratic Party official resigned her post after it came to light she was a cooperating witness in the probe, and authorities said they suspected she had paid bribes to public officials.

CINCINNATI — It took a moment for third baseman Patrick Wisdom to register how much of the Chicago Cubs schedule has been completed.“Man, we’re already a quarter of the way through?”AdvertisementThis postgame question prompted his realization Monday night at Great American Ball Park: How would you assess the first quarter of the season and within the context of where this organization is trying to go?“I think we’re trending in the right direction,” Wisdom said. “I love this team. I think we have a great clubhouse. It’s been a lot of fun to play with these guys, and I look forward to many more wins and many more games.”AdvertisementWisdom paused a few seconds.“I mean, that’s pretty much all I’ve got on that,” he continued. “It’s hard for me to kind of say more since I’m still a new guy here, and I’m still just trying to get my feet wet with the team as well.”[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer is confident his long-term game plan is working: ‘We’re on the right track’ ]He is not wrong, and that itself speaks magnitudes of the Cubs’ short-term and big-picture position.Wisdom is just shy of the one-year anniversary of his 2021 call-up that turned into a fourth-place finish for National League Rookie of the Year and the franchise’s rookie home run record holder. But only one of the 15 players to appear in Monday’s 7-4 win against the Cincinnati Reds has spent more big-league time on the Cubs than Wisdom.Patrick Wisdom runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Reds during the fourth inning on May 23, 2022. (Paul Vernon/AP)Expanding the scope of the Cubs roster, 10 players — including those on the injured list — are longer tenured than Wisdom, who first appeared for the organization in September 2020 in two games as a pinch hitter. One is an impending free agent (Willson Contreras), one will hit free agency after next season (Ian Happ), two have guaranteed contracts that end after 2023 (Kyle Hendricks and Jason Heyward), two will reach arbitration in the offseason for the first time (Nico Hoerner and Rowan Wick) and four are on the 60-day IL (David Bote, Alec Mills, Adbert Alzolay and Brad Wieck).In theory, the Cubs’ main offensive producers in Monday’s victory are mainstays, to varying degrees, on future teams. Wisdom homered in his fourth consecutive game, the first Cub to accomplish the feat since Anthony Rizzo in 2015. Happ’s torrid career numbers in the city he played college baseball continued with an RBI double, three-run homer and nearly another extra-base hit that was robbed at the wall. Seiya Suzuki doubled, scored two runs and walked twice.[ [Don’t miss] Willson Contreras’ hot start for the Chicago Cubs is rooted in his approach: ‘One of the most talented hitters I’ve ever been around’ ]However, the Cubs (17-24) still need clarity and answers on numerous roster spots. This is part of the rebuilding process, but not an enviable position. For a second consecutive year, the Cubs are positioning to be major trade deadline sellers. Count Happ, though, among those who have no interest in entertaining any speculation of how different this roster could again look post-trade deadline.“We’ve all seen it happen every year, something that starts way too early and it makes no sense,” Happ said of trade deadline speculation after Monday’s win.AdvertisementWhether he would be shocked to see another Cubs sell off, Happ replied: “That’s not a question I want to answer.”Rafael Ortega, right, celebrates his home run against the Diamondbacks with Ian Happ during the first inning on May 15, 2022. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)Generally, the Cubs have been competitive in the first two months with more than one-third of their games decided by one run. But they are 4-10 in those situations; only four teams have played more one-run games.In assessing his team’s first-quarter performance, manager David Ross believes he’s seen the Cubs consistently getting better every day. When stating “a lot of good progress has been made,” Ross specifically mentioned Happ, Hoerner’s performance at shortstop and Wisdom implementing offseason adjustments. He’s also pleased with the Cubs’ base-running improvement and getting more consistency from the rotation.[ [Don’t miss] How the Chicago Cubs’ aggressive base-running approach — ‘pushing the envelope’ — is paying off ]In a long season, Ross doesn’t want to judge the first 41 games without examining it within the full season. Although it was a very different roster, Ross pointed to last year’s 19-8 May as an example of what happens when a team gets written off too soon. The early 2021 performance had the Cubs trending toward buyers before an 11-game losing streak at the end of June into July cemented their seller status at the trade deadline.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Ross is staying focused on evaluating the daily process, explaining “I don’t go there too often” with big-picture timelines.“I think it’s hard to talk big picture without knowing what holes you need to fill,” Ross said Monday. “You’ve got to let guys have their season and continue to develop into being major-league players. Are they a fit on our roster, and then where those holes are to fill on a championship-caliber team.AdvertisementCubs manager David Ross walks on the field during a game against the Pirates at Wrigley Field on May 16, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)“We’re working toward that every day and every day trying to get better. The only way to know that is for those guys continue to work to get better and look up at the end of the season and see where we’re at.”Ross called it a growth season for the Cubs. He noted how the roster features a mix of guys getting their first opportunities, veterans and older inexperienced players trying to make big-league careers for themselves like Wisdom, Rafael Ortega and Frank Schwindel. None of this is reassuring to Cubs fans who expect more wins than losses after a stretch of five postseason appearances in six years on the heels of a rebuild that was supposed to ensure sustained success.A promising farm system is just that: merely potential until it yields results. The seemingly lack of cornerstone players on the Cubs’ big-league roster is concerning — it’s part of the reason they face another painful summer.“I don’t want to be repetitive, but I think it’s about trying to get better every single day,” Ross said. “What’s important for us is to stay focused on the daily grind of the season and try to continue to get better and evaluate things as they come.“I don’t think anybody’s punting — I haven’t in any way to give up on a team that I have a ton of confidence in, is going to come work hard every single day and give me their best. That’s all I can ask for as a manager.”

PARIS — A year ago, Naomi Osaka left the French Open of her own volition, never beaten on the court but determining that she needed to pull out before the second round to stand up for herself and protect her mind.On Monday, Osaka departed Roland Garros against her will — via a 7-5, 6-4 loss in the first round to 20-year-old American Amanda Anisimova, who is seeded 27th and also won their contest at the Australian Open in January — after taking a painkiller to try to deal with a troublesome left Achilles tendon. She tried to stretch the tendon by tugging on her neon yellow shoes at changeovers or by squatting to flex her lower leg between points.AdvertisementOsaka was unable to summon the serving or court coverage on which her game is based, in part because her practice time and recent match play have been limited. The four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player, who is now ranked No. 38 and was unseeded in Paris, double-faulted twice to end games and called the outcome “disappointing.”Yet she also provided a measure of the way in which her mindset might have changed since her previous appearance at the clay-court major tournament, when she decided not to speak to the media at all (drawing a $15,000 fine and threat of further punishment, which prompted her withdrawal), saying that stance was because of anxiety and depression she hadn’t previously revealed. Her openness back then helped spark a wider awareness of, and conversation about, the importance of mental health.Advertisement“I’m really happy with myself,” Osaka said Monday, “because I know the emotions that I left France (with) last year.”Naomi Osaka loses to Amanda Anisimova in the first round at the French Open on Monday. (Christophe Ena/AP)Barbora Krejcikova also was aware of the wide spectrum of emotions she went through herself at the French Open from 2021 — when she was a Grand Slam singles champion for the first time — to 2022 — when she joined Osaka in departing in the first round.Krejcikova was seeded No. 2, but she was coming off an injured right elbow that kept her off the tour since February, and her first match back began with a 4-0 lead before unraveling into a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 exit against Diane Parry, a 19-year-old from France who is ranked 97th and entered the day with a 1-5 career record in Grand Slam matches.Krejcikova said she “hit the wall” early in the second set and never recovered, becoming just the third woman in French Open history to be defeated in her opening match a year after winning the title.There weren’t any other such significant results on Day 2, when the women’s winners included No. 1 Iga Swiatek, the 2020 champion; and other past major champs Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka and Bianca Andrescu. In men’s matches, 13-time champion Rafael Nadal won in three sets and No. 13 seed Taylor Fritz won in five.Novak Djokovic opened his title defense Monday night with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 victory in less than two hours over Yoshihito Nishioka. He improved to 18-0 for his career in the first round at Roland Garros. U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu also won in the night session, beating Czech qualifier Linda Noskova 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-1.Merely conducting news conferences, before the tournament on Friday and after this loss, were a step forward for Osaka. She was comfortable addressing all sorts of topics, including her difficulties on clay and grass courts, the fact that she is leaning toward skipping Wimbledon because there won’t be ranking points offered there and the increased attention to protecting athletes’ well-being — even if the strides made over the past 12 months are not necessarily enough.“I mean, I feel like there is always more to do. You can’t progress and then just stop. You know what I’m saying? There always has to be evolution,” Osaka said. “But I feel like, as of right now, they are trying their best, and I think it’s really nice to see.”AdvertisementWhile Osaka’s best performances have come on hard courts, Anisimova’s best showing at a Slam came on the red clay of Roland Garros, where she reached the 2019 semifinals at 17. And even if the occasional rain that delayed play for hours Monday made the tennis balls heavier and restricted what Anisimova felt she could do to deliver shots where she wanted them, she was good enough to advance in straight sets against a top-flight opponent.“A lot of anticipation over the last couple of days. I was trying not to think about it too much, but going into the match, I did feel like the stress and the nerves a bit, because it is a very tough first round,” Anisimova said. “Just happy with how I was able to manage it and get through it.”

CINCINNATI — The last thing the struggling Chicago Cubs need is catcher Willson Contreras sidelined by an injury.Contreras was not in the lineup for Monday’s series-opening 7-4 victory against the Cincinnati Reds, still considered day to day while nursing a tight right hamstring. However, manager David Ross was confident Contreras won’t go on the 10-day injured list.Advertisement“We’ll give him a couple of days to rest up, but, yeah, he’s good,” Ross said. “Status quo.”That would be the best outcome after Contreras exited Saturday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning after feeling something in his hamstring when he stole second base. Teams can backdate a player on the IL up to three days, making Tuesday important for Contreras’ progress if he indeed will avoid the IL.AdvertisementWhile the Cubs want Contreras, their hottest hitter, in the lineup, there’s no reason to rush him back. Hamstring issues have bothered Contreras in the past, landing him on the IL in 2017 and 2019. This type of injury can be particularly troublesome for a catcher with the flexibility and movement needed behind the plate.The Cubs can ease Contreras back into the lineup as the designated hitter, a spot they’ve used to manage his defensive workload. It doesn’t help either party if Contreras returns too quickly and potentially worsens the ailment.[ [Don’t miss] Column: The futures of Tony La Russa and Willson Contreras could lie in past White Sox and Cubs seasons ]Even with uncertainty about when Contreras will be back in the lineup, the Cubs are moving closer to a healthy roster. Infielders Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal, outfielder Clint Frazier and left-hander Sean Newcomb are all eligible to come off the 10-day IL when ready. Hoerner (right ankle sprain) took batting practice Monday at Great American Ball Park and is expected to take grounders Tuesday.“He’s progressing well every day,” Ross said. “Hopefully in a few days. We’ll see. He’s close.”Madrigal (lower back strain) did agility work in the outfield pregame. Ross said Madrigal had a really good day Sunday and the team will continue to monitor him. Ross indicated a rehab assignment might be coming up for Madrigal.Ross did not have an update on the return of Frazier (appendectomy), who has played five games on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa. Newcomb (left ankle sprain) will begin a rehab assignment with Iowa on Tuesday.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 18Cubs designated hitter Frank Schwindel, left, and third baseman Patrick Wisdom celebrate the win on May 22, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Life on the big-league taxi squad can create unexpected free time for a player in limbo.P.J. Higgins joined the Cubs taxi squad May 9 in San Diego and spent the next eight days with the team. That meant no game action until he rejoined Triple-A Iowa on May 17 in Des Moines, appearing in four games before the Cubs called him up Sunday.AdvertisementHiggins promptly hit a three-run triple in his first at-bat.“It feels like I’ve been constantly packing my suitcase going here and there, here and there,” Higgins told the Tribune. “But, honestly, I didn’t think too much of it. Being on the taxi squad and not getting at-bats was unfortunate, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. … I don’t know if there’s any real trick to doing it. Just kind of go with the flow.”[ [Don’t miss] How sidearm reliever Scott Effross developed into a weapon for the Cubs: ‘He’s not fazed by the moment’ ]Higgins tried to maintain his typical hitting routine during his time on the taxi squad. He continued his cage work and hit on the field if he got the opportunity. He also caught bullpen sessions and worked with catching coach Craig Driver to maintain his catching form.Higgins’ preparation during his eight days away from Triple A worked: He went 7-for-11 with three doubles and seven RBIs in the four games with Iowa before getting promoted.“I just tried to prepare myself the way I did before when I wasn’t playing and just mentally get myself going,” Higgins said. “But I’ll be honest, the first couple of games, I was tired, especially catching. My legs were a little tired, so that was a bit of adjustment.”Cubs catcher P.J. Higgins hits a three-run triple in the second inning Sunday, May 22, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Returning to the majors is particularly satisfying for Higgins, whose first big-league call-up ended after nine games last June because of season-ending surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right forearm. He began a throwing program in November and was fully cleared about two weeks before spring training.Advertisement“Having that little bit of experience does help a lot to calm your nerves because you’ve been in Wrigley, you’ve been in big-league stadiums, you’ve been around the locker room, you know the travel schedule,” Higgins said. “So a little experience does a lot more than you think, even though it was a short period of time.”Barring an IL move, Higgins might not see much playing time, but he gives the Cubs insurance for catcher Yan Gomes while Contreras is unavailable. After the work Higgins put in over the offseason to come back from surgery, the 2015 12th-round pick is grateful for every opportunity.“It means a lot that they have the trust in me to bring me up and fill in for Willson while he’s out,” Higgins said. “It shows that they’ve paid attention throughout all these years.”Cubs starer Wade Miley pitches against the Diamondbacks in the first inning Sunday, May 22, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)By now, left-hander Wade Miley is no stranger to returning to a ballpark he used to call home.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The Cubs are Miley’s eighth team in 12 big-league seasons. This week’s four-game series at Great American Ball Park is his first trip to Cincinnati since the Cubs claimed him off waivers from the Reds in November.Miley stopped by the Reds weight room before Monday’s game to say hi to former teammates and staff. He bear-hugged infielder Mike Moustakas, a teammate during both of Miley’s seasons in Cincinnati (2020-21), at the top of the visitors dugout steps during Reds batting practice.Advertisement“We got really close over there, spent so much time together,” Miley told the Tribune. “The whole COVID thing, like, we were together in the hotels — you could slip out to play some golf, that’s about it — so you’d spend a lot of time with those guys and we got really close, learned a lot about each other. It was really cool.”[ [Don’t miss] Cubs President Jed Hoyer is confident his long-term game plan is working: ‘We’re on the right track’ ]Miley won’t get to face his old team this week after starting against the Diamondbacks on Sunday at Wrigley Field. But the Cubs and Reds are slated to play 15 more times after this series, giving Miley good odds of squaring off against his ex-teammates at some point this season.And when that time comes, who will have the edge between Miley and Reds hitters?The only matchup Miley has an eye on is if he faces a Reds catcher who caught him.“He literally knows what I’m about to do, but it’s more fun,” Miley said. “Like, if it’s Kyle Farmer, he’s going to give you the best bat of the night because we’re so close. He doesn’t want to get the text after it. I don’t want to get the text either. So we’re going to go after each other pretty hard.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Now Nick Foles and Frank Reich can start diagramming the “Indy Special.”The Indianapolis Colts announced Monday they signed Foles to a two-year contract that reunites the quarterback and coach who combined on a trademark play call to help the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl in the 2017 season.AdvertisementFoles adds depth behind 37-year-old Matt Ryan, the 2016 league MVP whom the Colts acquired from the Atlanta Falcons in a March trade. And the signing gives Reich a proven backup, someone he knows well and who had long been rumored to be Indianapolis bound.“I love Nick Foles,” Reich said last August when the rumors began after Carson Wentz injured his foot in training camp. “I haven’t talked to him, but I think he’s a great player, I think he’s proven that. I think he’s a great teammate. There’s nothing about Nick Foles that I don’t like. I think he’s a winner. He’s certainly a guy that fits our kind of culture, but he plays for the Chicago Bears.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] 3 Bears storylines to watch, including Justin Fields versus Mac Jones — and Lucas Patrick’s nasty edge ]Foles spent the last two seasons in Chicago but appeared in only one game in 2021. The Bears still were paying him under the four-year, $88 million contract he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. The Bears released the 10-year veteran May 1.It didn’t take long for Reich and Foles to get back together.Two weeks ago, they appeared together in Buffalo at Reich’s Call to Courage Awards breakfast. Monday’s announcement means they’ll be spending time working at the Colts complex, figuring out how best to use Foles and maybe even replicate his touchdown catch in the Super Bowl that was dubbed the “Philly Special.”“Frank was the one who recognized before the playoffs that the way that we were designing plays for me wasn’t exactly my strength,” Foles said on a November 2019 conference call, referring to the only season they were together in Philadelphia. “He was someone who observed that and he impacted me because he recognized that in me.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 65Nick Sacrinty, left, played in 11 games during the Bears’ 1947 season. (Chicago Tribune)A backup to Wentz in Philadelphia, Foles took over late in the 2017 season when Wentz injured his knee. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, outdueled Tom Brady in a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots and was the game’s MVP.He also helped the Eagles win a playoff game against the Bears at Soldier Field the next season before joining the Jaguars. Foles barely played in Jacksonville after breaking his collarbone in the season opener.He eventually landed in Chicago, where he backed up Justin Fields last season.[ [Don’t miss] 4 things we heard from Bears assistant coaches, including Justin Fields reinforcing expectations ]By adding Ryan and Foles, the Colts have solidified a position at which they didn’t even have a clear starter in mid-March. They traded Wentz to the Washington Commanders after just one season. They got Ryan for a third-round pick when it became clear the Falcons were looking for Ryan’s successor.AdvertisementNow, with two Super Bowl-playing quarterbacks, the Colts have one of the league’s most experienced quarterback depth charts.Foles has played in 68 career games (56 starts) with five franchises, including two stints with the Eagles. He has completed 1,277 passes for 14,003 yards with 82 touchdowns and 43 interceptions. He has started six postseason games with 1,633 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.The Colts released quarterback James Morgan to make room for Foles on the roster.

FORT LAUDERDALE — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins died with alcohol and ketamine in his system and had been out at a South Florida club where he drank “heavily,” records from the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office released Monday say.Haskins, 24, died April 9 after he was hit by two drivers on Interstate 595 near the Fort Lauderdale airport, first by a dump truck driver and then by the driver of a Subaru Outback, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.AdvertisementHaskins died from multiple blunt-force injuries, and his manner of death was an accident, the report says.[ RELATED: 911 calls released: NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins had run out of gas before he was struck and killed on I-595 ]The Medical Examiner’s Office report says Haskins had been training in South Florida with his teammates, and they all went to dinner. Then Haskins and a relative went to a club, possibly in Miami, where they “drank heavily” and separated after a fight.AdvertisementHaskins’ alcohol levels were at 0.20 and 0.24, the toxicology report found from two separate samples. A driver is considered to be driving under the influence in Florida if the blood-alcohol content is at 0.08 or more.NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins throws a pass in 2020 at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale. Haskins died from multiple blunt-force injuries, and his manner of death was an accident, a medical examiner’s report says. (Joe Cavaretta / South Florida Sun Sentinel)A urine sample also came back positive for ketamine and norketamine, which is found in the body after ketamine is metabolized. Ketamine is “a dissociative anesthetic,” according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, that can be used as a sedative and pain reliever and also may cause hallucinations.The report does not say how much of the drugs was detected in the sample. It notes that Haskins’ medical history was unknown, but he did not take daily medications.The Steelers’ head of security told investigators Haskins did drink alcohol “heavily sometimes” and “would never take any unknown substances” and did not use illegal drugs other than marijuana, the report says.[ RELATED: Dwayne Haskins, NFL quarterback who died in South Florida, described as ‘selfless’ by coaches, teammates ]Drivers reported seeing Haskins “waving cars down” while in the shoulder on the westbound side of the interstate, the report says, before the Interstate 95 northbound exit.He had run out of gas, pulled over to the side of the highway and got out in search of fuel about 6:15 a.m., the Medical Examiner’s report says. The 911 calls started pouring in about 6:33 a.m.One woman who saw Haskins waving cars down told investigators she saw a man wearing all black, standing on the right shoulder of the road waving at cars. By the time she pulled over, parked and went to help him, he had already been hit, the report says.The driver in the dump truck told investigators a man suddenly appeared in the center lane he was driving in, sending him into the left lane. The Subaru driver tried to swerve to avoid hitting him, nearly hitting a median wall, the report says.AdvertisementTroopers found the abandoned car on the side of the highway with a woman inside. She said she had been with Haskins since about 7 p.m. Friday up until he got out of the car to find a gas station.The report does not say what Haskins relationship to the woman who was waiting inside the car was.[ RELATED: NFL QB Dwayne Haskins killed after getting hit by truck on I-595 near Fort Lauderdale airport ]Haskin’s wife, Kalabrya, told a 911 operator that her husband told her he was “stuck on the side of the highway” and would call her back once he got gas, according to the call released by FHP in April. But he never did.“I don’t want you to panic, but I’m going to be honest with you,” the 911 operator said. “We do have an incident on the highway, but I can’t confirm if that’s your husband or not.”Both drivers stopped and no criminal charges are expected to be filed in his death. Fire rescue crews pronounced Haskins dead at the scene at 6:48 a.m.In a statement released Monday through her attorney Rick Ellsley, Haskins’ wife asked for privacy and “for the public to withhold any judgment during this period while the law enforcement authorities continue to investigate and conduct their important work.”AdvertisementSun Sentinel staff writers David Fleshler and Chris Perkins contributed to this report.

NEW YORK — New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson received a one-game suspension and undisclosed fine Monday for what Major League Baseball described as “inappropriate comments” made to Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson during Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium.“There is no dispute over what was said on the field,” Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said in a statement. “Regardless of Mr. Donaldson’s intent, the comment he directed toward Mr. Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgment, particularly when viewed in the context of their prior interactions.Advertisement“In addition, Mr. Donaldson’s remark was a contributing factor in a bench-clearing incident between the teams and warrants discipline.”Donaldson has elected to appeal.AdvertisementDonaldson was running between second and third base after Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s flyout to right ended the third inning when Anderson said Donaldson “made a disrespectful comment.”“Basically tried to call me Jackie Robinson: ‘What’s up, Jackie?’” Anderson said Saturday. “He made the comment and it was disrespectful and I don’t think it was called for. It was unnecessary.”Donaldson and Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal exchanged words before Donaldson’s fifth-inning at-bat, and the benches cleared.Donaldson admitted after the game, “I called him Jackie,” later adding: “I thought that was a joke between him and I because we have talked about it before. … He’s called himself Jackie Robinson. That’s why I thought it was funny between us.”Donaldson referred to a 2019 Sports Illustrated article that came out soon after Anderson’s bat flip against the Kansas City Royals and subsequent plunking made news.The article discussed a “have-fun barrier.”“I kind of feel like today’s Jackie Robinson,” Anderson said in the article. “That’s huge to say. But it’s cool, man, because he changed the game, and I feel like I’m getting to a point to where I need to change the game.”Anderson expanded later, telling reporters on May 1, 2019: “Just more so on the side of I’m trying to have fun — and they don’t want me to have fun. So I think it’s cool when you bring excitement to the game and you bring something different. I think I bring something different to the game, and that’s a lot of energy and a lot of excitement.”AdvertisementDonaldson added on Saturday: “My meaning of that is not any term trying to be racist by any fact of the matter. It was just off of an interview. … Just trying to defuse it, make light like, ‘Hey, we’re not trying to start any brawls or anything like that.’ Obviously he deemed that it was disrespectful and if he did, I apologize. That’s not what I was trying to do by any manner.”Sox closer Liam Hendriks on Sunday said Donaldson’s explanation was “complete bull(bleep).”Saturday’s bench-clearing incident was the second between the teams this season.On May 13 at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Sox loaded the bases with one out in the first. Gavin Sheets struck out and Yankees catcher Jose Trevino threw to third to try to get Anderson.Anderson made it safely by diving, but Donaldson, playing third, tried to nudge him off the base. The benches and dugouts briefly cleared.

The NHL said Monday that St. Louis police are investigating threats made toward Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri, who has been the subject of racist social media posts since he was involved in a collision that knocked Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington out for the rest of the series.Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press by email that the league and police looking into the situation.Advertisement“We take threats made to any of our players or other club personnel seriously,” Daly said. “We are in touch with St. Louis Police Department and they are employing enhanced security procedures both at the arena and in the hotel.”The team said Sunday night it was aware of threats against Kadri and was working with local law enforcement to investigate. Kadri collided with Binnington during Game 3 of their second-round playoff series Saturday night; Kadri said a Blues player threw a water bottle at him during a postgame interview.AdvertisementThe AP verified the existence of Twitter posts sent to the official Avalanche team account and to Kadri’s calling him “Arab scum” and referencing terrorism. Other posts, some of which have since been deleted, included death threats. One was still up hours before Game 4 in St. Louis, with Colorado leading the best-of-seven series 2-1.Avalanche center Nazem Kadri plays against the Predators during the first period in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series on May 9, 2022. (Mark Humphrey/AP)It was not clear if the social media posts were the subject of league, team or police investigation or if there were other threats made toward Kadri, who is of Lebanese descent.After Colorado’s morning skate in St. Louis, coach Jared Bednar called the threats “unnecessary.” Captain Gabriel Landeskog added that they were sad and a function of being in the public eye.“Unfortunately people think they have the freedom to say and do whatever they want,” Landeskog said. “But we always have security and this is no different.”Blues winger David Perron called it unfortunate.“We don’t want that to happen, obviously,” Perron said. “Hopefully it’s been taken care of. I’ll just leave it at that. You don’t want to see that happen to anybody for any reason.”Former NHL player Akim Aliu told The AP by text message he has been in constant communication with Kadri and added, “All we can really do is support him morally.”“Naz has been subject to so many racist attacks and threats since last night that police had to be brought in,” tweeted Aliu, who is Nigerian-Canadian. “Racist attacks like this have no place in hockey and should be investigated and reported on.”AdvertisementTalked to @43_kadri About his inadvertent collision w Binnington. Naz has been subject to so many racist attacks and threats since last night that police had to be brought in. Racist attacks like this have no place in hockey and should be investigated and reported on.— Akim Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) May 22, 2022

Aliu and Kadri are members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, which works toward eradicating systemic racism and intolerance in hockey, and help in making the sport more accessible to minorities and underprivileged youth.The NHL has several layers of security in place, including club personnel and additional services provided by the home team that are in constant communication with the league’s security department. That department activates in situations such as this one and can work with federal and local law enforcement, when necessary.The league, with input from the NHL Players’ Association established a confidential hotline to which players can report harassment, discrimination or other serious misconduct. It’s operated by a third party, with the ability to make reports by phone, email or online anonymously or with attribution.

Modern baseball is boring.That was Tim Anderson’s feeling in the spring of 2019 when the Chicago White Sox shortstop spoke to Sports Illustrated for a lengthy profile.AdvertisementAnderson told SI writer Stephanie Apstein he felt like “today’s Jackie Robinson” in crossing what he called the “have-fun barrier,” hoping to make the game interesting to today’s fans.“That’s huge to say,” he said of the Robinson reference. “But it’s cool, man, because he changed the game and I feel like I’m getting to a point where I need to change the game.”AdvertisementThe quote was a small part of a long-form article on Anderson’s emergence as a star. It came out on May 6, 2019, when the Sox still were rebuilding and the 25-year-old was beginning to make a name for himself in a season he later would win the American League batting title.Three years later, MLB is investigating an incident from Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium in which New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson called Anderson “Jackie” multiple times, precipitating a clearing of both teams’ benches and a war of words after the game.[ [Don’t miss] 3 takeaways from the Chicago White Sox-New York Yankees series, including Tim Anderson silencing the crowd and Michael Kopech’s ‘dad strength’ ]On paper, it appears to be a cut-and-dried case, with only the punishment to be determined.Donaldson surely is guilty. But of what, exactly? And what’s the penalty for instigating during a major-league game?Donaldson admitted to calling Anderson “Jackie,” explaining it was in reference to the 2019 SI interview. Donaldson’s defense was that he called Anderson “Jackie” during a previous series when he was with the Atlanta Braves, calling it an “inside joke.”Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson and White Sox baserunner Tim Anderson share words at third base in the first inning of a game at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 13, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)That series took place Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2019 — about four months after the SI article appeared. The Braves swept the Sox, who already were out of contention. There were no reported flare-ups and Donaldson signed with the Minnesota Twins after the season.Anderson didn’t speak to the media Sunday in New York and hasn’t been asked whether he recalled the “inside joke” Donaldson said they share. Anderson is expected to address the media before Tuesday’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.Donaldson also did not speak to the media Sunday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone gently suggested the remark was inappropriate, saying that mentioning Robinson’s name to Anderson “is just somewhere, in my opinion, he should not be going.” Boone said it was a “sensitive” issue and “you’ve got to read the room.”AdvertisementAfter hearing Donaldson’s explanation, Boone said: “I sit here, as a white guy, that did change the context for me. But I also understand how it can be offensive or upsetting.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: A teachable moment — and the true meaning of Jackie Robinson’s legacy to Black baseball players ]Sox closer Liam Hendriks, who admittedly dislikes Donaldson from their days as Toronto Blue Jays teammates, called the inside joke defense “utter bull(bleep),” saying you don’t joke around with someone with whom you “don’t get along at all.”Was it a “racist” comment, as Sox manager Tony La Russa alleged? Or just a poor choice of words that had no “malicious intent,” as Boone believed?That’s what MLB must determine.MLB has dealt with racial and ethnic slurs in the past. Former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott was suspended one year and fined $25,000 in 1993 for “racially and ethnically offensive language” for making anti-Black and anti-Jewish slurs.MLB’s decision on Donaldson, however, could have an effect on what is acceptable language in the game, even if it’s not an overt slur. If Donaldson gets off lightly, it would suggest MLB believed his intent was not malicious. If Donaldson is suspended, it would send the message MLB won’t tolerate language that others can interpret as racist.AdvertisementTim Anderson reacts towards the crowd while running the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Yankees relief pitcher Miguel Castro in the eighth inning on May 22, 2022. (John Minchillo / AP)Anderson was involved in a similar incident in 2019 over a remark he made during a brawl to a Kansas City Royals pitcher. Anderson received a one-game suspension from MLB for “conduct” stemming from the undisclosed remark to Mitch Keller, who received a five-game suspension for throwing at Anderson in apparent retaliation for an epic bat flip following a home run.In the 2019 SI article, Anderson admitted he called Keller a “weak-ass (bleeping N-word).” He said he did not regret calling Keller, who is white, the N-word.“That’s a word in my vocabulary,” Anderson said. “When’s the last time (then-MLB disciplinarian Joe Torre) heard that word?”Michael Hill, a former Miami Marlins executive, currently holds the job of MLB disciplinarian. Anderson received a one-game suspension and fine from MLB on April 22 for making an obscene gesture toward fans during a game in Cleveland. But he appealed and won, receiving only an undisclosed fine. Now Donaldson faces the music for allegedly disrespecting Anderson.Anderson is the face of the Sox organization and the undisputed leader of the clubhouse. He leads the AL again with a .359 average and finally is getting his due from the national media.What’s more, Anderson seems to thrive on being in the spotlight, as evidenced by his walk-off home run in last season’s Field of Dreams game and his three-run blast Sunday night after being booed all night and called “Jackie” by Yankees fans.AdvertisementModern baseball may be boring.But you can’t say the same about the White Sox.