Sports

After blunder, Bears owe it to Kyle Long to develop long-term plan for him

It's difficult to decide how to view Kyle Long because it's difficult to tell what the Bears' long-term plan is for the guy. Maybe he's half-ruined or half-great, a misplaced right guard, a novice right tackle or a future left tackle, a loyal company man who has put team over self or just another...

No Bears named to Pro Bowl

Two running backs part of Tuesday tryouts for Bears

Jets give deal to ex-Bears receiver who held sign looking for NFL job

Does Martellus Bennett have trade value?

Joakim Noah frustrated he can't help Bulls during trying times

Joakim Noah offered a clearer picture on the length of his absence after the team said his sprained left shoulder would be re-evaluated in two weeks. "They told me two to four weeks," Noah said. "The MRI showed a slight tear, so just letting it heal and hopefully I can get back soon." Noah said...

NBA stars support campaign to end gun violence in new series of videos

Stephen Curry heard about a shooting involving a 3-year-old girl over the summer. "My daughter Riley is that age," he said. That begins a self-proclaimed public service announcement that debuts on Christmas and features four NBA stars lending their voices to the campaign to end gun violence. Carmelo...

With Joakim Noah out at least two weeks, how will Bulls respond?

Twenty minutes after practice ended Tuesday, Bulls vice president John Paxson finished his talk with Jimmy Butler with a fist bump. Like Butler and coach Fred Hoiberg, Paxson views Butler saying Hoiberg needs to "coach harder" as an opportunity for team growth. It's an opportunity the Bulls failed...

Swedish Blackhawks find a bit of home for holidays at local restaurant

As owner of Tre Kronor, a cozy Swedish bistro in Albany Park, Larry Anderson doesn't always have time to listen or watch Blackhawks games as he tends to his bustling business. But there is always one game a year that Anderson tunes in for with palpable anxiety. For Anderson, that night of constant...

Blackhawks' Yule log video: 24 minutes of cheerful strangeness

The Chicago Blackhawks got into the holiday spirit with a unique Yule log video on the team's website featuring some unexpected performances. It was shot during the Blackhawks' company holiday party at Navy Pier last week. The video starts in a wood-paneled room complete with a crackling fire and...

Blackhawks gather 'round the Yule log

The Blackhawks' Yule log video: Sit back, relax and enjoy.

Offseason moves increase pressure on 2016 Cubs to live up to the hype

The morning after Cubs President Theo Epstein warned of the importance of staying "humbled and hungry as an organization," a national newspaper referred to the team in a headline as "the next great dynasty." Later that day, a Las Vegas oddsmaker installed the Cubs as co-favorites with the Giants...

Cubs release new acquisition Brendan Ryan

The Cubs have released veteran infielder Brendan Ryan, who was acquired along with pitcher Adam Warren from the Yankees in the recent Starlin Castro deal. The 33-year-old Ryan was the player to be named later in the trade. In two other moves, the Cubs claimed left-handed reliever Edgar Olmos off...

A Castro offers hope for a U.S.-Cuba future in baseball

As Antonio Castro charismatically worked the crowd like a trained politician, wearing Under Armour sunglasses and a Nike T-shirt, he would have blended in any corporate-fueled baseball stadium in America. Except this was in Cuba, and some of the hands Castro shook were extended by men who defected...

White Sox claim outfielder Jerry Sands

The White Sox added another outfielder on Wednesday, claiming Jerry Sands off waivers fron the Indians. The 29-year-old Sands hit .236 with four home runs and 19 RBI in 50 games last year. He's a career .238 hitter over parts of four seasons with the Dodgers, Rays and Indians. A corner outfielder...

Todd Frazier type of player who leaves positive impressions everywhere

Glen Gardner has watched Todd Frazier's rise from a Little League World Series champion to a two-time Reds All-Star to the White Sox's new great hope at third base. The longtime Rutgers assistant coach, who recruited New Jersey native Frazier and his older brothers, fondly tells the story of a...

White Sox agree to 3-year, $8 million extension with Nate Jones

Just five months removed from his rehabilitation from elbow surgery, right-hander Nate Jones received what he called “an early Christmas present” this week. The White Sox announced Friday a three-year, $8 million extension for Jones, a hard-throwing reliever who has pitched just 19 major-league...

Braggin' Rights game could show if Illinois has turned things around

For Illinois coach John Groce and his staff, this season has been the most mentally taxing. And he thought last season was tough when the Illini dealt with the season-ending injury to Tracy Abrams as well as mid-season interruptions when leading scorer Rayvonte Rice and Aaron Cosby were out with...

DePaul upsets No. 20 George Washington, 82-61

Billy Garrett Jr. scored 20 points and Eli Cain added 16 to lead DePaul to an 82-61 upset of No. 20 George Washington on Tuesday night. Aaron Simpson added 15 points for the Blue Demons (6-6), who broke a four-game losing streak and scored their first home victory over a ranked opponent in eight...

DePaul 82, No. 20 George Washington 61

Photos from DePaul's men's basketball game against No. 20 George Washington on Tuesday at Allstate Arena. 

Hoops recruiting: Notre Dame's Ammar Becar adds perimeter game to his playbook

Coaches from Division I colleges have told Ammar Becar they want to see how he looks on the perimeter. A thick 6-foot-6 forward with about as solid of a frame as any player in the area, Becar is being asked to show how well he can move laterally on the perimeter and how well he can handle the ball....

Football: Glenbard West LB Ross Andreasik commits to Dartmouth

Christmas arrived early in the form of a letter for Ross Andreasik. The Glenbard West senior linebacker orally committed to Dartmouth via Twitter on Wednesday. A Tribune All-State second team selection, the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder had 69 tackles and a team-high six interceptions for the undefeated...

Mike Helfgot's blog: Previewing the Jack Tosh and Hinsdale Central holiday tournaments

Jack Tosh Holiday Tournament Dates: Dec. 26, 28-31 Tournament website: 2014 champion: Lake Forest. Favorite: Riverside-Brookfield. In the rankings: No. 5 Riverside-Brookfield, No. 20 Oswego. Players to watch: Daniko Jackson, Riverside-Brookfield; Lorenzo Edwards, Lake Forest; Barret Benson, Hinsdale...

Drones banned from World Cup skiing after one nearly falls on racer

The international ski federation is banning camera drones from its World Cup races after one of the flying objects crashed and nearly hit Austrian skier Marcel Hirscher during a slalom in Italy. FIS will prohibit drones "as long as I am responsible ... because they are a bad thing for safety,"...

Olympic leaders adopt new rules on gambling and match-fixing

Olympic leaders have taken another step to combat the cheating and corruption that have become a grave concern in international sport. The International Olympic Committee on Thursday published a new code that addresses such activities as gambling and match-fixing. "We must do everything we can...

Michael Bradley named U.S. men's soccer player of the year

American national team captain Michael Bradley has won the U.S. Soccer Federation's Male Player of the Year award. Bradley, who took over as captain from Clint Dempsey last summer ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, received 43 percent of votes in balloting announced Tuesday. Fabian Johnson was second...

Chicago to host Copa America semifinal

The semifinals of next year's Centennial Copa America will be played in Houston on June 21 and at Chicago the following day. Quarterfinals will be at Seattle on June 16 and at East Rutherford, New Jersey, the next day, then end with two games June 18, at Foxborough, Massachusetts, and at Santa...