Asking for a friend, how old is too old to put your body on the line in a good, old-fashioned Turkey Bowl?

What’s the cutoff?

Is it when you need to break out the heating pad before dinner? Or is it when you need to pre-ibuprofen?

It doesn’t help that I’m usually good for about four or five interceptions because I still haven’t figured out how to look off a linebacker.

Maybe I can retire gracefully before tomorrow morning and go out with some dignity intact.

– Patrick Norton

Before we feast on football and delicious food (unless you’re Greg Braggs Jr, who’s willing to die on the “Thanksgiving Day food stinks” hill, further discrediting his opinions on various subjects), I thought I’d ask our writers what we should be thankful for this year.

Adam Jahns: This Thanksgiving, the Bears should be thankful for ... Ben Johnson. Do I even need to explain? OK, fine.

The Bears are 8-3 and on top of the NFC North. Caleb Williams is getting better in his second season. The offense leads the league in explosive plays. And the run game is churning out yards and touchdowns behind an improved offensive line. Ben Johnson has been everything the Bears hoped he'd be and probably more.

Jay Zawaski: This Thanksgiving, Blackhawks fans should be thankful to be disappointed after losses. It’s been too long since regular-season games have had much meaning for Hawks fans, and that has finally changed.

The ramp-up period of the rebuild has begun, and despite three straight losses, the Hawks are clearly a team on the rise this season. Young players are not only playing, but playing well — some even thriving. Connor Bedard is among the league’s leading scorers, and Spencer Knight has been one of the league’s top goaltenders.

Will Gottlieb: This Thanksgiving, Bulls fans should be thankful for some freshness. Sure, the Bulls are still in the Play-In range and will likely end up there after all is said and done. But this season certainly has a different feel than the last two 39-43 campaigns.

Josh Giddey has taken strides as a scorer and driver, which makes his box score production seem like it’s here to stay. Coby White has come back from the calf injury that held him out for the first 11 games of the season and hasn’t missed a beat. Matas Buzelis has shown flashes, but the full breakout has yet to occur.

It’s hard to tell Bulls fans to be thankful for another season in the middle, but at least this one is built around some young cornerstone pieces that will hopefully lead to a more legitimately competitive future.

Sweet Relief: The Cubs officially announced the signing of right-handed reliever Phil Maton on Tuesday.

Maton, 32, was a superbly reliable option for the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers last season, sporting a 2.79 ERA over 61.1 innings. His strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate (11.89) and home runs-per-nine-innings rate (0.44) were both the second-best of his nine-year career.

His deal is reportedly worth $14.5 million over two years with a club option for 2028. Incentives for games pitched could bump his total contract value to $15 million.

There’s No Place Like Hoffman Estates For The Holidays: The Bulls sent 2025 first-round pick Noa Essengue to the G-League’s Windy City Bulls on Tuesday morning. Essengue made his season debut on Saturday, playing four minutes. He did not score.

I’m thankful for all of you who subscribe to, open, read and click on this newsletter every morning.

Each review and comment, positive or negative, leaves a smile on my face, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed every conversation I’ve been able to have with anybody who’s responded.

I’d dreamt of covering the Bears and covering Chicago sports since about first grade, when I’d write a mock sports page on a piece of cursive practice paper with my good pal Billy. He’ll be on the receiving end of one of my Turkey Bowl picks.

Getting this gig back the same week that the Bears drafted Caleb Williams first overall put me on cloud nine.

But I quickly realized that for all of the perks of working in sports, it’s the opportunity to entertain you all that makes this the best job in the world.

Thank you all, and enjoy a safe and healthy Thanksgiving.

🐻 Hoge & Jahns
12:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Bears
1:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Cubs
2:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO White Sox
4:30 on YouTube

🏒 Blackhawks vs. Wild
7:30 on Hulu/ESPN+

📺 CHGO Blackhawks
Postgame on YouTube

Something on your mind? Rate this issue and leave a comment, question or topic to discuss!

– P.N.