Chicago Sports

The Blackhawks’ on-ice performance Wednesday was only slightly better than their chairman’s off-ice debacle hours earlier.

The Hawks enter the All-Star break having lost seven of their last eight games after falling to the Wild for the third time in a two-week span, this time in a 5-0 rout.

“[The] biggest concern for me is, when we get back from this break, we have to get to work — like real work,” interim coach Derek King said. “And that’s on me. Maybe I’ve been a little too positive, a little too soft with these guys. But I have to figure that out.”

After a relatively even, spirited first period that ended without a goal, the Hawks slipped back into Monday’s sleepiness in the second period, and the Wild took advantage.

After Frederick Gaudreau ripped a rocket of a shot on the power play to break the ice, Mats Zuccarello took over, scoring once and later setting up Kirill Kaprizov on a pretty transition play to bury the Hawks with a 3-0 second-intermission deficit.

Minnesota tacked on two more goals in the third period once most of the announced crowd of 16,373 had gone home, even chasing Marc-Andre Fleury eight minutes early after he’d saved 25 of 30 shots.

“We turned over the puck and it ended up in the back of our net a couple of times,” Alex DeBrincat said. “Once they got up 2-0, [we] got deflated on the bench. So we’ve got to be more mentally tough and not give them those chances.”

“I don’t know what it is with our second periods,” King added. “We stopped playing the way we were in the first, and [Minnesota is] a good hockey team. It’s the same story, right? When we’re struggling or fighting it, it’s the same conversations we have.”

The Hawks thus enter the break 16-23-7, marking their fewest points (39) through 46 games in a season since 2005-06.

“We should be the most desperate team possible right now,” Seth Jones said. “No matter how many minutes you play, it should be desperation to the max. Because as the weeks go on here, you can do the math yourself. It’s not looking good as we go.”

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Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz shut down questions about fallout surrounding the Kyle Beach lawsuit that has embroiled the organization for much of the past year.

During a town hall with fans on Wednesday, one reporter asked the assembled panel, which included Wirtz and Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz, about how Chicago intended to avoid any power imbalances between players and coaches in the future, like the one Beach endured in 2010. Rocky Wirtz was heated in his replies, and later apologized, through a team statement, for his response.

Beach, a former first-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2008, filed a lawsuit in May 2021 against Chicago alleging prolonged sexual assault by the team’s former video coach, Brad Aldrich, in 2010. An independent investigation by the law firm Jenner & Block concluded that “nothing was done” by senior leaders to prevent the harassment Beach faced, and longtime general manager Stan Bowman and vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac both resigned and others were fired because of what Jenner & Block unearthed.

The Blackhawks ultimately resolved their lawsuit with Beach in December via a confidential settlement.

In his heated exchange during Wednesday’s panel, Rocky Wirtz made it clear he isn’t willing to revisit the past.

“I think the report speaks for itself,” Wirtz said. “The people that were involved are no longer here. We’re not looking back at 2010; we’re looking forward. And we’re not going to talk about 2010.”

When pressed again to discuss the Blackhawks’ plans to protect players in the future, Wirtz doubled down further.

“What we’re going to do today is our business. I don’t think it’s any of your business,” Wirtz said. “Because I don’t think it’s your business. You don’t work for the company. If someone in the company asked that question, we’ll answer it, and I think you should get on to the next subject. We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach. We’re not going to talk about anything that happened.

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“We’re moving on. You want to keep asking the same question? What more do I have to say? You want to hear the same answer? What’s your next question?”

Another reporter followed up and questioned why the Blackhawks pledged transparency in the process of hiring a new general manager but refused to answer a question about the Beach lawsuit.

“I answered [that question],” Wirtz said. “I told you to get off the subject. We’re not going to talk about the report [on Beach]. We read it. We’re moving on. I think you’re out of line. I don’t like your questions. Why don’t you ask about something else? Why don’t you ask about the GM search? Or something else? Why do you bring up old business?”

Wirtz didn’t speak again during the remainder of the panel, which wrapped up shortly after his second outburst. The Blackhawks hosted the Minnesota Wild later Wednesday, and during the game, the team issued a statement of apology from Wirtz.

“Tonight, at the Chicago Blackhawks town hall, my response to two questions crossed the line,” the statement read. “I want to apologize to the fans and to those reporters, and I regret that my response overshadowed the great work this organization is doing to move forward. We have the right leaders and right processes in place to create a safe environment for our employees and players.”

The Blackhawks are deep in the process of hiring a general manager to replace Bowman. Earlier in the evening, Danny Wirtz touched on how that was unfolding so far.

“There is no right answer in terms of timing on these things,” he said of hiring Bowman’s successor. “We don’t do this every day. I think we’ve afforded ourselves a little bit of time to get this right. And no matter what was going to happen, we were going to hire a general manager not for the 2021-22 season but for the long term. We have a lot of conversations around structure … and we’re going to have clear accountability with our general manager. I’m really excited what the new leader will bring in and build around them.

“We want our organization to be productive and get the job done.”

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Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz shut down questions about fallout surrounding the Kyle Beach lawsuit that has embroiled the organization for much of the past year.

During a town hall with fans on Wednesday, one reporter asked the assembled panel, which included Wirtz and Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz, about how Chicago intended to avoid any power imbalances between players and coaches in the future, like the one Beach endured in 2010. Rocky Wirtz was heated in his replies, and later apologized, through a team statement, for his response.

Beach, a former first-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2008, filed a lawsuit in May 2021 against Chicago alleging prolonged sexual assault by the team’s former video coach, Brad Aldrich, in 2010. An independent investigation by the law firm Jenner & Block concluded that “nothing was done” by senior leaders to prevent the harassment Beach faced, and longtime general manager Stan Bowman and vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac both resigned and others were fired because of what Jenner & Block unearthed.

The Blackhawks ultimately resolved their lawsuit with Beach in December via a confidential settlement.

In his heated exchange during Wednesday’s panel, Rocky Wirtz made it clear he isn’t willing to revisit the past.

“I think the report speaks for itself,” Wirtz said. “The people that were involved are no longer here. We’re not looking back at 2010; we’re looking forward. And we’re not going to talk about 2010.”

When pressed again to discuss the Blackhawks’ plans to protect players in the future, Wirtz doubled down further.

“What we’re going to do today is our business. I don’t think it’s any of your business,” Wirtz said. “Because I don’t think it’s your business. You don’t work for the company. If someone in the company asked that question, we’ll answer it, and I think you should get on to the next subject. We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach. We’re not going to talk about anything that happened.

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“We’re moving on. You want to keep asking the same question? What more do I have to say? You want to hear the same answer? What’s your next question?”

Another reporter followed up and questioned why the Blackhawks pledged transparency in the process of hiring a new general manager but refused to answer a question about the Beach lawsuit.

“I answered [that question],” Wirtz said. “I told you to get off the subject. We’re not going to talk about the report [on Beach]. We read it. We’re moving on. I think you’re out of line. I don’t like your questions. Why don’t you ask about something else? Why don’t you ask about the GM search? Or something else? Why do you bring up old business?”

Wirtz didn’t speak again during the remainder of the panel, which wrapped up shortly after his second outburst. The Blackhawks hosted the Minnesota Wild later Wednesday, and during the game, the team issued a statement of apology from Wirtz.

“Tonight, at the Chicago Blackhawks town hall, my response to two questions crossed the line,” the statement read. “I want to apologize to the fans and to those reporters, and I regret that my response overshadowed the great work this organization is doing to move forward. We have the right leaders and right processes in place to create a safe environment for our employees and players.”

The Blackhawks are deep in the process of hiring a general manager to replace Bowman. Earlier in the evening, Danny Wirtz touched on how that was unfolding so far.

“There is no right answer in terms of timing on these things,” he said of hiring Bowman’s successor. “We don’t do this every day. I think we’ve afforded ourselves a little bit of time to get this right. And no matter what was going to happen, we were going to hire a general manager not for the 2021-22 season but for the long term. We have a lot of conversations around structure … and we’re going to have clear accountability with our general manager. I’m really excited what the new leader will bring in and build around them.

“We want our organization to be productive and get the job done.”

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Pat Foley’s departure from the Blackhawks’ broadcast booth after this season will be entirely voluntary, Hawks business president Jaime Faulkner insisted Wednesday.

Although the Hawks’ so-called “townhall meeting” was completely overshadowed by chairman Rocky Wirtz’s outburst regarding the sexual assault scandal, Faulkner and CEO Danny Wirtz did nonetheless provide a few other updates of note — headlined by clarification about Foley’s situation, which had spawned plenty of conspiracy rumors among fans.

“Let me be clear, the Blackhawks have not fired Pat Foley,” Faulkner said. “We absolutely love Pat Foley.”

Foley told the Hawks over breakfast last summer that he “didn’t know” if he wanted to keep “doing this” and couldn’t commit to a contract extension beyond the 2021-22 season, Faulkner said.

Once the Hawks moved forward with searching for a replacement, Foley also requested a “reduced slate of games” to broadcast, Faulkner said, to reduce the grind and fatigue of his travel. COVID-19 postponements have further disrupted that schedule, as have health issues with usual color commentator Eddie Olczyk, who moderated Wednesday’s meeting.

The Hawks have auditioned a large cast of fill-in broadcasters for Foley and Olczyk this year and are now close to naming Foley’s permanent replacement, Faulkner said.

But Foley will remain involved in the organization, and Faulkner is “begging him” to call a few games even next season and beyond.

GM will have full power

The Hawks’ recent announcements about their general manager search had implied they weren’t planning to hire a hockey operations president above the GM, as many had anticipated.

Danny Wirtz confirmed that Wednesday, explaining that he wanted exactly one person fully in charge of — and thus fully accountable for the successes and failures of — the hockey operations department.

“I will be empowering our next general manager to lead all of this with the complete autonomy and authority to make decisions,” he said. “They’ll also be accountable for those decisions, as well as the results we expect.”

“I’ve seen in other organizations, both in hockey and other businesses, [that] when things are spread across a lot of people, it’s very hard to understand how to move forward. We’re going to have clear accountability with our general manager. But that’s not to say it all sits right there in terms of work, and I’m really excited we’ll bring in and build around them the kind of capabilities that we think are the types of differentiators in sports.”

Season ticket changes

With attendance and season-ticket memberships both declining, Faulkner disclosed Wednesday several policy changes for Hawks season-ticket packages next season.

Season-ticket holders will no longer be required to pay for tickets to preseason games, as well — they’ll be given an option whether or not they want to do so — and will be guaranteed to receive all giveaway items, such as bobbleheads, instead of having to enter the United Center doors before stock run out.

Partial season-ticket holders will be allowed to swap games if conflicts arise, too, and long-tenured season-ticket holders will be given “more benefits” to “reward [them] for that loyalty.”

Fleury starts again

Marc-Andre Fleury made his 13th start in the last 14 games when the Hawks hosted the Wild for a late 8:30 game at the United Center, their last event before the All-Star break.

Interim coach Derek King said the schedule — primarily the lack of back-to-backs — has worked out in a such a way that Fleury hasn’t been overworked.

“He’s getting time to rest in between [games],” King said.

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Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz shut down questions about fallout surrounding the Kyle Beach lawsuit that has embroiled the organization for much of the past year.

During a town hall with fans on Wednesday, one reporter asked the assembled panel, which included Wirtz and Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz, about how Chicago intended to avoid any power imbalances between players and coaches in the future, like the one Beach endured in 2010.

Beach, a former first-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2008, filed a lawsuit in May 2021 against Chicago alleging prolonged sexual assault by the team’s former video coach, Brad Aldrich, in 2010. An independent investigation by the law firm Jenner & Block concluded that “nothing was done” by senior leaders to prevent the harassment Beach faced, and Chicago fired general manager Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and others because of what Jenner & Block unearthed.

The Blackhawks ultimately resolved their lawsuit with Beach in December via a confidential settlement.

In his heated exchange during Wednesday’s panel, Rocky Wirtz made it clear he isn’t willing to revisit the past.

“I think the report speaks for itself,” Wirtz said. “The people that were involved are no longer here. We’re not looking back at 2010; we’re looking forward. And we’re not going to talk about 2010.”

When pressed again to discuss the Blackhawks’ plans to protect players in the future, Wirtz doubled down further.

“What we’re going to do today is our business. I don’t think it’s any of your business,” Wirtz said. “Because I don’t think it’s your business. You don’t work for the company. If someone in the company asked that question, we’ll answer it, and I think you should get on to the next subject. We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach. We’re not going to talk about anything that happened.

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“We’re moving on. You want to keep asking the same question? What more do I have to say? You want to hear the same answer? What’s your next question?”

Another reporter followed up and questioned why the Blackhawks pledged transparency in the process of hiring a new general manager but refused to answer a question about the Beach lawsuit.

“I answered [that question],” Wirtz said. “I told you to get off the subject. We’re not going to talk about the report [on Beach]. We read it. We’re moving on. I think you’re out of line. I don’t like your questions. Why don’t you ask about something else? Why don’t you ask about the GM search? Or something else? Why do you bring up old business?”

Wirtz didn’t speak again during the remainder of the panel, which wrapped up shortly after his second outburst.

The Blackhawks are deep in the process of hiring a general manager to replace Bowman. Earlier in the evening, Danny Wirtz touched on how that was unfolding so far.

“There is no right answer in terms of timing on these things,” he said of hiring Bowman’s successor. “We don’t do this every day. I think we’ve afforded ourselves a little bit of time to get this right. And no matter what was going to happen, we were going to hire a general manager not for the 2021-22 season but for the long term. We have a lot of conversations around structure … and we’re going to have clear accountability with our general manager. I’m really excited what the new leader will bring in and build around them.

“We want our organization to be productive and get the job done.”

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Rocky Wirtz dropped a nuclear bomb on the concept of accountability Wednesday.

And just like that, he decimated any semblance of goodwill, forgiveness and positive change the Blackhawks might’ve built up in the months since Kyle Beach’s sexual assault allegations arose.

Asked by a reporter about the Hawks’ work to ensure another assault will never occur — part of a heavily scripted, so-called “townhall meeting” — the Hawks chairman delivered arguably the most unprofessional and shameful outburst ever heard within the walls of the United Center.

“We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach,” Wirtz said with fury. “We’re not going to talk about anything that happened. We’re moving on.

“What we’re going to do today is our business. I don’t think it’s any of your business. You don’t work for the company. If somebody in the company asks that question, we’ll answer it.”

Asked the same question again minutes later, Wirtz’s anger was joined by a tone-deaf undercurrent of exasperation.

“I told you to get off the subject,” he said. “I’m not going to bring up the [Jenner & Block report]. I know you’re talking about what the report was talking about, and I told you we’re moving on. It’s out of line to ask this line of questions. Why don’t you ask about something else? Why don’t you ask about the [general manager] search? Why do you bring up old business?”

His refusal to address the subject was disappointing yet unsurprising. His utter ignorance of the subject’s relevance, however, was deplorable.

Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz — his son — and business president Jaime Faulkner had previously spent the meeting’s first 25 minutes emphasizing the organization’s new commitment to doing things “the right way.”

Although their comments were rarely substantive, they at least demonstrated an awareness of the correct way to move forward. And behind the scenes, they have been making necessary, if small, progress toward reintegrating the Hawks into the community and bringing welcomed new perspectives into the organization.

But their well-intentioned work doesn’t matter in the slightest when the man at the top of the pyramid acts the way he did Wednesday.

Danny Wirtz, at one point during the meltdown, even tried to interject and address what the Hawks are “doing today,” only to be cut off by a point of Rocky’s finger so harsh it could’ve drilled a hole in the wall.

The Jenner & Block report, when released in October, absolved Rocky Wirtz of responsibility in covering up former video coach Brad Aldrich’s assault of Beach during the 2010 playoffs simply because no evidence surfaced that Wirtz had been informed.

Whether or not he was informed may never be conclusively known. That seems almost irrelevant now, though.

What the report did conclusively establish is that the assault happened and the Hawks’ leadership culture at the time enabled it. What the hockey world has conclusively demanded is that the Hawks never allow another assault to happen, and especially never cover it up were it to happen again.

And what Rocky Wirtz conclusively proved Wednesday is that he, and by association the organization he runs, cannot be trusted to ensure those things.

If that’s what Rocky Wirtz says when given weeks to reflect and prepare — the meeting was actually his first public appearance in years, meant to usher in a new era of the team’s brass being more present and involved with fans, partners and media in front of the curtain — what would he say if Kyle Beach had gotten into his office in May 2010? What would he say if another sexual assault victim spoke to him now?

It sounds like he would’ve said, “we’re not going to talk about [it].” After all, that’s what he said Wednesday.

And that sounds remarkably similar to the attitude that failed Beach in 2010 and made the Hawks the embarrassment of the NHL in 2021.

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Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz shut down questions about fallout surrounding the Kyle Beach lawsuit that has embroiled the organization for much of the last year.

During a town hall with fans on Wednesday, one reporter asked the assembled panel, which include Wirtz and Blackhawks’ CEO Danny Wirtz, about how Chicago intended to avoid any power imbalances between players and coaches in the future, like the one Beach endured in 2010.

Beach, a former first-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2008, filed a lawsuit in May 2021 against Chicago alleging prolonged sexual assault by the team’s former video coach, Brad Aldrich, back in 2010. An independent investigation by the law firm Jenner & Block concluded that “nothing was done” by senior leaders to prevent the harassment Beach faced, and Chicago fired general manager Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and others because of what Jenner & Block unearthed.

The Blackhawks ultimately resolved their lawsuit with Beach in December via a confidential settlement.

In his heated exchange during Wednesday’s panel, Wirtz made it clear he’s not willing to revisit the past.

“I think the report speaks for itself,” Wirtz said. “The people that were involved are no longer here. We’re not looking back at 2010, we’re looking forward. And we’re not going to talk about 2010.”

When pressed again to discuss the Blackhawks’ plans to protect players in the future, Wirtz doubled-down further.

“What we’re going to do today is our business. I don’t think it’s any of your business,” Wirtz said. “Because I don’t think it’s your business. You don’t work for the company. If someone in the company asked that question, we’ll answer it and I think you should get on to the next subject. We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach. We’re not going to talk about anything that happened.

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“We’re moving on. You want to keep asking the same question? What more do I have to say? You want to hear the same answer? What’s your next question?”

Another reporter followed up and questioned why the Blackhawks pledged transparency in the process of hiring a new general manager but refused to answer a question about recovering from the Beach lawsuit.

“I answered (that question),” Wirtz said. “I told you to get off the subject. We’re not going to talk about the report (on Beach). We read it. We’re moving on. I think you’re out of line. I don’t like your questions. Why don’t you ask about something else? Why don’t you ask about the GM search? Or something else? Why do you bring up old business?”

Wirtz didn’t speak again during the remainder of the panel, which wrapped up shortly after his second outburst.

The Blackhawks are deep in the process of hiring a general manager to replace Bowman. Earlier in the night, Danny Wirtz touched on how that was unfolding so far.

“There is no right answer in terms of timing on these things,” Wirtz said of hiring Bowman’s successor. “We don’t do this every day. I think we’ve afforded ourselves a little bit of time to get this right. And no matter what was going to happen, we were going to hire a general manager not for the 2021-22 season, but for the long term. We have a lot of conversations around structure … and we’re going to have clear accountability with our general manager. I’m really excited that the new leader will bring in and build around them.

“We want our organization to be productive and get the job done.”

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MOBILE, Ala. — Ohio State edge rusher Tyreke Smith checks in with his former teammate on text or Instagram. He wants to let Justin Fields, the Bears’ quarterback, know that he’s watching.

“Anytime I hit him up, it’s to say, ‘Hey, man, keep doing it,'” he said. “People only see what he does on the field, but inside and out, he’s a really great person. Has a great personality, a great passion for the game.

“He treats everyone with the same respect he demands.”

Smith stood inside the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center shortly after sunrise Wednesday, not far from the most popular players in this year’s Senior Bowl: quarterbacks. Pitt’s Kenny Pickett and Liberty’s Malik Willis are expected to be drafted in the middle of the first round. It’s far from a vintage draft for quarterbacks — Fields would be the best among them, by far — but every franchise without a passer will consider investing in one.

The Bears suspect they already have their quarterback. Now they want to see Fields develop in his second year, surrounded by a new Bears brain trust of general manager Ryan Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

“It gets me excited in terms of, I want to give him everything he needs to be successful, and we’ll see where we’re at,” Poles told the Sun-Times earlier this week. “Potential’ is used a lot, but he has talent.”

Poles said his former team, the Chiefs, evaluated Fields and concluded he’d be an NFL starter.

“He’s gone through adversity, now,” he said. “He’s gone through some hard times. He’s taken some vicious hits. He’s had to get up off the ground and keep fighting. To me that toughness he built from this past year is critical in his growth.

“We’re going to put him in position to succeed, we’re going to do what he does well and hopefully he skyrockets and becomes a very good player.”

It should comfort the Bears that he wasn’t the only rookie to struggle. The quarterbacks picked first and second overall in 2021 were among the few to finish with a worse passer rating than Fields. The Bears’ rookie ranked 28th with a 73.2 passer rating; the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence, chosen first, was 29th at 71.9 and the Jets’ Zach Wilson, picked second, was 31st at 69.7.

Unlike Fields, Wilson began the season as the starter. Both missed time with injuries. A knee problem forced Wilson to sit out four starts. Fields missed five because of separate injuries to his ribs and ankle and, before the season finale, a coronavirus diagnosis.

Wednesday, Jets coach Robert Saleh, the coach of the Senior Bowl National team, detailed Wilson’s season. He sounded like he was talking about Fields.

“He had that first half of the season, things weren’t going really well for him,” he said. “Then he missed four games and really got to see the offense run through [veteran quarterbacks] …. When he came back in, being able to reset and create more consistency in the way he played, he was able to get better every single week. Nothing that he did was fake.”

Wilson has “tremendous arm talent and the “toughness that we look for,” Saleh said.

“For him it’s just a matter of feeling the pocket and understanding how to play within the pocket,” he said. “All the off-schedule stuff is going to happen. That’s what he’s great at.

“I feel like he took a really good step toward the end of the year. Now it’s just a matter of attacking this offseason and doing whatever he can to get ready for OTAs and training camp.”

The same can be said for Fields.

“He’s just one of those guys you want to have in your corner,” Smith, his former Ohio State teammate, said. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders. You never have to worry about him being a knucklehead. He’s just one of those guys. He just has that ‘it’ factor.”

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A grandmother known for her gospel singing was killed when she was caught in the crossfire between a security guard and a gunman just down the street from Chicago police headquarters on the South Side.

Bobbye Johnson, 55, was walking on the sidewalk in the 200 block of East 35th Street around 4 p.m. Tuesday when she was hit in the chest by one of the dozen or so shots that were fired, according to police.

The guard was hit in the thigh but kept firing as the gunman ran away, at one point grabbing another gun from a concealed carry holder, according to a police report. One of the guard’s shots hit Johnson, the report says.

“She loved God, loved church, loved her grandkids,” one of Johnson’s children said in a statement. “She was so sweet to everyone, even if you did anything wrong she would always have the best to say.”

Johnson produced some of her own music and posted it on YouTube, her family said.

Bobbye JohnsonProvided by family

Police reported no arrests but said detectives were talking to the guard, who was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center after the shooting. The gunman, a man in his 40s or 50s known only by his nickname “Renegade,” remained at large.

The guard — who has a record of felony convictions for domestic battery and armed robbery — had gotten into an argument with the other man Monday outside Wood’s Food & Liquor on the block, according to police.

The man returned Tuesday and another argument broke out, police said. The man pulled out a gun and fired at the guard, according to police. The guard drew his own gun and fired back, then continued firing from the gun he took from the concealed carry holder.

Two ShotSpotter alerts brought officers to the scene, where as many as 14 rounds had been fired and shell casings could be seen near the store’s entrance. A weapon was recovered, police said.

Cook County court records show the guard has been arrested at least 10 times, including for illegal gun possession, battery, domestic battery and armed robbery. Most the cases were dropped, but he pleaded guilty to domestic battery in 2015 and armed robbery without a firearm in 2010.

He was given 100 days in Cook County Jail on the first case, and six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on the other. The Sun-Times isn’t naming him because he hasn’t been charged in the shootout.

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Anthony “Champ” Kelly, the Bears executive who interviewed for the general manager position with both the Bears and Raiders, was named the Raiders’ assistant GM on Wednesday. He’ll work under Dave Ziegler, whom the Raiders hired this week.

Kelly had been the Bears’ assistant player personnel director since 2017 after spending two years as the team’s pro scouting director under Ryan Pace. Kelly came to the Bears from the Broncos, where he worked from 2007-14.

Kelly was well-liked among Bears players; when he interviewed for the team’s GM job on Jan. 13, many Tweeted support on social media. Kelly interviewed for the Raiders’ job exacly a week later.

New Bears GM Ryan Poles hired a deputy four days after he landed the job: Ian Cunningham, the Eagles’ co-player personnel director. He began work with the Bears on Saturday.

The Raiders hired Ziegler and new head coach Josh McDaniels, both from the Patriots, this week.

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