In a sense this week ends the Winter season for sports in the greater Chicago area. Specifically, the college basketball season is long gone and the four truly professional Winter sports teams, Bulls in basketball, and hockey’s Blackhawks, Steel, and Wolves, were completed no later than April 21. Competitive in many ways, however, not a resounding success by any means.
The final piece of the Winter sports is the National Football League Draft over three days, Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27. Our locals, the Chicago Bears, have a mere four picks in the seven rounds, likely, fewest ever, however, that includes the No. 1 selection and the No. 9 selection. Rumor has it the Bears may pick USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25. The show will be televised on ESPN-TV. Ultimately how the Bears, and every other team, did in the draft likely will not be known for certain how to rate their 2024 drafts for three or four years. The Bears rate Williams in the can’t-miss category, however, one never knows for certain until the results are officially final following three or four years on the proving grounds. Speculation, testing, and trials offer the Bulls rate close, however, success demands improvement from the team with challenges. The Bulls finished ninth best in the National Basketball Association and lost in the play-in round prior to the eight-team playoffs. Did we hear, “Wait ‘til next year.” Improvement takes having the right combination of talented players, understanding and capable management, and a certain amount of good fortune. In the Bears’ case, converting the draft into reality is the best path to the playoffs and success. The drama continues.