Bulls need to reverse trend of slow starts — but injuries and a tough schedule won’t help
Sports Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | | |
| | | | | Good morning, Chicago. When former United States men’s national soccer team coach Gregg Berhalter took over the Chicago Fire, he met with the team to lay out his plans. Fire defender Andrew Gutman figured it was the same old rhetoric any new coach would lay out to his new team. That was, until he arrived at training camp. “Then we got there, and it was the hardest training camp of my life,” Gutman said. “It was full go for three weeks before we were building up our minutes. Right from the beginning, he set the tone. If you’re going to play on this team, you’re going to have to work your butt off. It was something the club needed.” Berhalter had a similar message while recruiting new players to the Fire. His culture change has paid immediate dividends, as the Fire clinched their first MLS Cup playoff berth since 2017. They will host the Eastern Conference wild-card game against Orlando City at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. The winner will face the top-seeded Philadelphia Union in a best-of-three first-round series starting at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Stay connected with us all day: Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest news in your inbox. And you can follow us on social media: X, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Threads. Not a Tribune subscriber? Here's our latest offer. | | | | It’s not the end of the season that has kept the Chicago Bulls out of the playoffs the last three years. It’s the start. | | | | | As Caleb Williams nears the midpoint of his second season, the Tribune’s Brad Biggs breaks down the QB’s progress in the weekly Chicago Bears mailbag. | | | | | Artyom Levshunov has been dressed as one of seven defensemen for the Chicago Blackhawks as of late. He said the different lineup is good for him and the team. | | | | | Who will fill the openings on Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable’s staff? What’s next for Luis Robert Jr.? Is Grant Taylor part of the rotation plans? | | | | | Michael Jordan has made his debut as a special contributor to NBC Sports’ return to NBA broadcasting. | | | | | The Toronto Blue Jays are back in the World Series for the first time since 1993 and the Los Angeles Dodgers will try to to become the first repeat winner in a quarter century. | | | |
