Caleb Williams, Shota Imanaga on the (very) short list of good things in Chicago sports in 2024

Look, 2024 could have been better for Chicago in the sports category.

Yep, we all knew that already.

But it wasn’t all terrible, was it? Please — don’t answer all at once.

In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on the social platform X, we asked for the best Chicago sports story of the year. The Bears drafting Caleb Williams? Something else?

“You will respect Shota Imanaga!” @saberflextrics commented, a reference to the Cubs lefty.

Some, like @chicagoanthony_, didn’t feel like calling anything “best.” He wrote, “Horrible, embarrassing year. Worst time of Chicago sports in most of our lifetimes.”

And the worst sports story of the year? It was neck-and-neck in the voting between the White Sox’ and Bears’ disastrous seasons.

“The Bears because there was so much hope,” @MySoxSummer offered.

“The Sox had the worst season in baseball history,” @jlazowski pointed out.

Last, we asked whom you’d like to see as the next coach of the Bears. Commenters @Muwarrior82x and @MrMayhem1978 went with ex-Titans coach Mike Vrabel, but most voters opted for Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: What was the best Chicago sports story of 2024?

Upshot: No one can blame Williams for the unspeakable mess surrounding him. If nothing else, the Bears know they have their QB1 going forward.

Poll No. 2: What was the worst Chicago sports story of 2024?

Upshot: Yet another way to appreciate just how awful the Sox were — their .253 winning percentage is miles behind the .307 the Bears will finish with if they end up 4-13.

Poll No. 3: Who’d be your pick for the next Bears coach?

Upshot: Whoever it is, what in the world did he do to deserve this cruel fate?