Sports

“I don’t know, honestly,” he said. “Just sleeping, good night’s sleep, right? I think just talking with the different guys, talking with the staff and talking with family also, just seeing what’s good for everyone and thinking things through. It just adds up and it’s exciting. I don’t think it was one thing that made everything change.”

After earning a silver in 2014 at Sochi as part of the U.S. four-man short track team, he’ll get at least a silver in baseball. The other Americans with summer and winter medals are Eddie Eagen (boxing in 1920, bobsled in 1932) and Lauryn Williams (track and field in 2004 and 2012, bobsled in 2014).

“We’re all still learning in this process and things change,” Nagy said. “We are not back to 2019 where things were normal. … On the front end, we have to learn what the rules are per the league of fully vaccinated versus non-vaccinated and how that works. We’re all kind of learning, but I think our guys have been great so far. I really do. They are following all the rules and they are doing what they are supposed to do and they really have not talked about it too much. But with what happened the other day they are probably all saying, ‘OK, man, this is real, this is what we have to do.’”

Griskenas, 20, arrives in Tokyo having placed seventh at the last world championships, the best-ever finish for an American woman. Laura Zeng, 21, landed 10th, but won the U.S. Olympic trials in June. The full group — five members who perform a synchronized routine — finished 10th.

“We spoke with the team, we’re really trying to take it game by game,” Wicky said. “I always take it game by game, but even with the team, our goals and stuff, we’re just saying, ‘OK, the next game, the most important was this one. Let’s take this one, try to take three points here and then see what happens.’ ”

Bears coach Mike Ditka walks the sideline in front of offensive linemen Jimbo Covert (74) and Tom Thayer (57) and quarterback Jim McMahon during the first half of a game against the Buccaneers on Oct. 25, 1987, at Soldier Field. (Charles Cherney / Chicago Tribune)

Jackson was at his best under Fangio in 2018, earning first-team All-Pro honors after recording six interceptions, forcing two fumbles and scoring three touchdowns. As a whole, the Bears defense was dominant that season, leading the NFL in takeaways (36), interceptions (27) and points allowed (17.7) while also recording an NFC-best 50 sacks. Internally, many of the players that were around that year believe having Desai at the controls can help propel the defense to those levels of production.

The Matildas were the underdogs against the United States, the top-ranked team in the world and the defending World Cup champions who came to Japan hoping for a fifth gold medal. But the Americans struggled at times during the tournament, including a 1-0 loss to Canada in the semifinals. The Canadians hadn’t defeated their North American counterparts since 2001.

“You can never explain the roller coaster you go on emotionally, but you can’t beat this,” Schwindel said. “Once (Rizzo) left I knew there was an opening spot on the roster, not necessarily worried about starting but that opening, and I’ve always hit. So just going back to that, not trying to do too much, which I did at (Triple-A) Iowa but it ended up working out anyway. And then come up here and try to get back to a good rhythm, getting some consistent at-bats these last two days and go from there.”

The always helpful Marquee Sports Network pointed this fact out with a graphic Monday on “notable Cubs players who have been traded,” listing Báez, Bryant, Rizzo, Craig Kimbrel, Greg Maddux, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Ron Santo. Sammy Sosa, who hit 545 home runs as a Cub before being dealt to the Baltimore Orioles in 2005, did not make the list for reasons we only can guess at.