The Worm, The Fridge, His Airness, Sweetness, Ditka, Shoeless Joe, Da
Bears, Da Bulls. Let’s face it. Love it or hate it, Chicago is hands
down the best sports city in America. You won’t find teams popping up
like Starbucks here in Chicago. This isn’t a city of McFranchises.
Teams in Chi-town practically drip tradition. The Bears have been
around since 1920, and this year Wrigley will host the Cubs for its
90th year.
Everybody knows, you just can’t be the best sports city in America
without a curse. And Chicago has the king of curses. The curse of the
Billy Goat has haunted Cubs players and fans alike for decades. The
last time the Cubs won a World Series was 1908. Let that sink in for a
moment. There have been 17 Presidents since the last time the Cubs
have worn that championship jewelry. Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The
Beatles, and Nirvana have come and gone. Two World Wars have been
fought, communism has toppled, and Michael Jackson has changed noses,
twice, since the Cubs last won the big game. Cue 2003: With the Cubs
only 1 game away from the World Series, the newest goat in town, Steve
Bartman, snags a foul ball away from Moises Alou and with it, snags any
hopes for a World Series appearance. Being a Cubs fan is a lot like
making a New Years resolution. Every year you think big. For the
first few weeks, maybe even a month, everything is going according to
plan. But in the back of your mind, you know it’s never going to work
out. And, sure enough, when you least expect it, it all falls apart.
It’s funny though because no matter how many years in a row the Cubs
play games with our hearts, we always come back. And that’s what being
a Chicago fan is all about.
However, the Cubs Curse might
not even be the best in the city. The Black Sox curse is the best
curse no one is talking about. However, that’s just because all the
whining from the East Coast (read: Boston) has overshadowed it. The
curse has haunted the city since Shoeless Joe and Co., and the last
time they won a title was 1917. C’mon, the White Sox have actually
thrown a World Series since the last time they won one! Say it ain’t
so.
But, Chicago fans take their curses in stride. The best
thing about the Red Sox winning the World Series is maybe they’ll
finally shut up about that Bambino guy. The Cubs averaged over
39,000 people at each game while over 24,000 saw the White Sox each
night. Yeah, LA might have a higher attendance for Dodger games, but
does it really count when half the fans don’t show up till the fourth
inning? Chicago is a city of real people. Chicago is a city of real
fans. You won’t find Denzel, Jack, or Spike sitting front row at a
Cubs game. That’s not what Chicago sports are all about. In Chicago,
sports aren’t viewed as an opportunity to up social standing or make
the cover of a magazine. Sports are a way of life, no, they are life.
From the hundreds of fans tailgating before Bears games to the diehard
soccer fans suffering through pouring spring nights, Chicago fans are
as real as they get.
With every great sports city comes a
great sports dynasty, well, Chicago has two. Never have two teams
changed the landscape of professional sports like Da Bears and Da
Bulls. The Bears under the czar of Chicago, Mike Ditka, took the
football world by storm in the 80’s. Constantly innovating, including
introducing the “46” defense, Ditka and his team shuffled all the way
to the Super Bowl in 1985. Led by quarterback Jim McMahon and Walter
Payton the team won the world title and produced the always
entertaining “Super Bowl Shuffle.” William “The Fridge” Perry’s
touchdown in Super Bowl XX endeared him to the hearts of the obese fan
worldwide. Payton will go down in history as one of the best running
backs ever to lace up a pair of cleats and.
The Bulls won 6
titles during the 1990’s, which, coincidentally, is only 15 points
below the average Philly fans IQ. With the most electrifying man ever
to play the game, the Bulls established themselves as the greatest
dynasty in the history of sports. His Airness, Michael Jordan, defied
the rules of gravity, and parity. His Bulls were the face of the sport
for an entire decade, and his empire reigns supreme even today. The
sky-walking, tongue wagging, trash talking, king of all things
basketball that is Jordan shined brighter than any Chicago skyline ever
could. Yankee stadium is called the House that Ruth Built, well,
Chicago is the city Jordan made. Think about it. Without sports and
MJ, Chicago would still be known for its wind and pizza. How many
other cities in the country can say that a sporting team completely
transformed the image of their city?
Plus we got the MLS. Yes
New York, America has a soccer league. If you weren’t so busy driving
cabs and finding people to whack, maybe you’d notice. The Chicago Fire
draws over 17,000 people each game, and the city is constructing a $70
million new stadium.
Now, you might ask about the Blackhawks, and I have a very simple
answer for you. As long as there is no NHL season, there is no
Blackhawks. So let’s move on…
After a brief lull, the Bulls are finally back on track. Fans no
longer go to the games just to gawk at the Jordan statue/Mecca outside
of the United Center. Ben Gordon (it rhymes with Jordan) has been
leading the Baby Bulls back to contention. And with the Great White
Hope Kirk Heinrich running the point, the Bulls are finally back in the
playoff hunt. A dynasty in the making? Stay tuned.
Speaking of newborn dynasties, don’t forget about the Fighting Illini.
No sports city is complete without a dominant college program, and the
basketball team at Illinois is just that. The magical run through the
regular season and beyond took the city by storm. A sea of orange
flooded the Final Four, as Coach of the Year Bruce Weber led this team
deep into the postseason. The triple threats of Dee, Deron, and Luther
had opponent’s heads spinning all season long. I hope you didn’t blink
while they were on the court during the championship game. Only a
performance of epic proportions (think Sean May’s appetite) by the Tar
Heels kept the Illini from cutting down the nets in St. Louis. The
emergence of this team has vaulted Chicago to the throne of sports
cities here in this great country.
After all Chicago
fans have been through over the years, it’s a good thing there a
virtual city of bars across from Wrigley Field. Coincidence? I think
not. If your looking for a cold beer, hot wings, and some great sports
head over to this stretch of town. Wrigleyville is located right
across from Wrigley Field and hosts the best sports bars in the
country. A trip to Chicago isn’t complete without a trip to one, or
all, of the sports bars in town. The Cubby Bar, is a monstrous
building which quenches the thirst of the Cubs bleacher bums. Although
the atmosphere might be different whether the Cubs win or lose, one
thing is for sure: cold beer. What sports city is complete without an
ESPN Zone? Chicago’s features a 14 foot tall TV. If you’re looking to
get buzzed up after a Cubs win, or blacked out after another playoff
loss, head over to Murphey’s Bleachers. It features an outdoor patio
and a little known upstairs bar (a perfect place to hide when those New
Yorkers come into town). After Murphey’s, head over to Hi-Tops. The
two-story bar has almost 70 TV’s spread out throughout the bar, and you
can bet MTV will be on exactly 0 of them. Hi-Tops has an upbeat mix of
everyone from college aged kids to 40-something businessmen. You
practically expect to see Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, and the rest of
the Old School frat at the bar. The diverse mix of young and old makes
this one of the best sports bars in the city.
Chicago has
everything that the best sports city should have: curses, dynasties,
larger than life players, and a bar scene that would satisfy even
Darryl Strawberry. The city has the best fans in the country. They
have suffered through decades of disappointment through the Cubs, Sox,
and Bears, yet are still the most loyal, supportive fans around. I
mean they even draw over 17,000 people for soccer games! No other city
in America can boast the sheer variety that Chicago has. From soccer
to basketball, baseball to football Chicago offers a little something
for every sports fan. So if you got a car, take a cue from the Blues
Brothers, “It's a 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas,
half a pack of cigarettes; it's dark and we're wearing sun glasses. Hit
it!”