Sports in Chicago

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Sports in Chicago include many professional sports teams. Chicago is one of eleven U.S. cities to have teams from the five major American professional team sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and soccer). Chicago has been named as the "Best Sports City" by Sporting News three times: 1993, 2006, and 2010.

Contents

Chicago was a candidate city for the 2016 Summer Olympics but lost to Rio de Janeiro. [1] Chicago also hosted the 1959 Pan American Games, as well as the 2006 Gay Games. Chicago hosted the inaugural 1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games as well as its second games in 1970. Chicago also was the host of the 2017 Warrior Games.

Major league teams

The following is a list of active, professional major-league Chicago sports teams, ranked by attendance:

ClubLeagueSportVenueAttendanceFoundedChampionshipsLast Championship
Chicago Bears NFL Football Soldier Field 61,14219191 Super Bowl, 8 prior Championships1985
Chicago Cubs MLB Baseball Wrigley Field 41,64918703 World Series, 6 prior championships2016
Chicago White Sox MLB Baseball Guaranteed Rate Field 40,62519003 World Series, 1 prior championship2005
Chicago Blackhawks NHL Ice hockey United Center 21,65319266 Stanley Cups 2015
Chicago Bulls NBA Basketball United Center 20,77619666 NBA Championships 1998
Chicago Fire FC MLS Soccer Soldier Field 14,80619971 MLS Cup, 1 Supporters Shield, 4 U.S. Open Cup 2006
Chicago Sky WNBA Basketball Wintrust Arena 6,35820061 WNBA Championship 2021
Chicago Red Stars NWSL Soccer SeatGeek Stadium 5,4512006NoneN/A
Chicago Hounds MLR Rugby SeatGeek Stadium 4,4432022NoneN/A

    Soccer (MLS, NWSL)

    Section 8 during the match between Chicago Fire FC and Vancouver at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois Chicago Fire v. Vancouver Whitecaps FC March 2015 044.jpg
    Section 8 during the match between Chicago Fire FC and Vancouver at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois
    Kit of the Chicago Sting, who played in the NASL from 1975 to 1984 1984-86StingIndoorHome.jpg
    Kit of the Chicago Sting, who played in the NASL from 1975 to 1984

    Soccer in Chicago can be traced back to Chicago Sparta. Founded in 1917 by immigrant Czechs, Sparta competed in several leagues during its existence. [2] The club's achievements include: winning the National Soccer League of Chicago; winning 9 titles in Chicago's International League, of which the team was a member 1926–1936; and winning the National Challenge Cup twice. [3] [4] In the 1950s, the Chicago Falcons operated. They won the National Challenge Cup in 1953. [5]

    Chicago was once the home of the Chicago Sting who competed in the major professional North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1975 to 1984. They spread their home games at Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, and Comiskey Park. The Sting won the Soccer Bowl twice: 1981 and 1984. They were the only club other than the New York Cosmos to win multiple titles in the NASL [6] One of the club's notable players was German forward Arno Steffenhagen.

    Chicago Fire FC, a member of Major League Soccer (MLS), have won one MLS Cup and four U.S. Open Cups since they entered the league in 1998. The Fire won their sole MLS Cup in 1998, their inaugural season, led by head coach Bob Bradley, who later went on to coach the U.S. national soccer team. [7] The Fire played from 2006 to 2019 at SeatGeek Stadium (originally Toyota Park), a soccer-specific stadium located in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview near Midway Airport. The club currently plays at Soldier Field after finalizing an agreement with the Chicago Park District in September 2019. [8] Some notable former players include Cuauhtémoc Blanco from Mexico, Brian McBride from the U.S., Peter Nowak from Poland, and Bastian Schweinsteiger from Germany – a demonstration of the team's international flavor. The club is named after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

    Chicago is also home to the Chicago Red Stars, currently playing in the National Women's Soccer League. The Red Stars began their second stint at the venue now known as SeatGeek Stadium in 2016, having played there previously as a member of the now-defunct Women's Professional Soccer.

    Baseball (MLB)

    Chicago is one of three metro areas in the United States that has two Major League Baseball teams, the others being Los Angeles and New York City. Of these, only Chicago and New York City have both teams in the city limits. Chicago is the only city that has had more than one MLB team every year since the founding of the American League in 1901 (New York City hosted one team between 1958 and 1962, and Los Angeles has only done so since 1961). The Chicago Cubs are members of the National League, while the Chicago White Sox are members of the American League.

    Wrigley Field has been the home to the Cubs since 1916. Wrigley Field 2018 - 42195054760.jpg
    Wrigley Field has been the home to the Cubs since 1916.

    The Cubs play in Wrigley Field in the North side neighborhood of Wrigleyville. [9] The Cubs are the oldest Major League Baseball team to have never changed their city, one of nine out of the sixteen teams to predate expansion that have not changed cities. They have played in Chicago since 1871, and continuously so since 1874 due to the Great Chicago Fire. The White Sox play in Guaranteed Rate Field in the South Side neighborhood of Armour Square. They have played in Chicago since the formation of the American League in 1901.

    Guaranteed Rate Field has been the home of the Chicago White Sox since 1991. Chicago, Illinois, U.S. (2023) - 062.jpg
    Guaranteed Rate Field has been the home of the Chicago White Sox since 1991.

    The Cubs' rivalry with the St. Louis Cardinals is one of the most bitter in North American professional sports. The Cubs are the oldest team to play continuously in the same city since the formation of the National League in 1876. [10] They have played more games, have more wins and scored more runs than any other team in Major League baseball since 1876. [11] They have won three World Series titles and are fourth among National League teams with 17 pennants. In 2016, the Cubs broke the two longest droughts in professional sports: They won their sport's title for the first time since 1908, a drought of 108 years, and participated in a World Series for the first time since 1945, a drought of 71 years.

    The White Sox have played on the South Side continuously since 1901, with all three of their home fields throughout the years being within mere blocks of one another. They have won three World Series titles (1906, 1917, 2005) and six American League pennants, including the first in 1901. The Sox are fifth in the American League in all-time wins, and sixth in pennants.

    Basketball (NBA, WNBA)

    The United Center is the home of the NBA's Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks United Center 1.jpg
    The United Center is the home of the NBA's Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks

    The Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association is a professional basketball team. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the Bulls to six NBA championships in two "threepeats" from 1991 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1998. [12] [13] The new generation of Bulls, known as "The Baby Bulls", emerged in 2005. [14] In 2007, they swept the defending champs, the Miami Heat. In 2011, led by league MVP Derrick Rose, the Bulls made it to the Eastern Finals, losing to the Miami Heat.

    Chicago is home to the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Chicago Sky won the 2021 WNBA Finals beating the Phoenix Mercury 3-1.

    American football (NFL)

    Soldier Field is the home of the Bears (NFL) and Chicago Fire FC (MLS). Soldier Field S.jpg
    Soldier Field is the home of the Bears (NFL) and Chicago Fire FC (MLS).

    The Chicago Bears of the National Football League play at Soldier Field. The Bears' history includes many NFL personalities, including owner George Halas, players Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, and coach Mike Ditka. The Bears are one of the original teams of the NFL, founded by Halas in 1919 in Decatur, Illinois. They currently have the most players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with 26. [15] In 1985, the Bears won Super Bowl XX 46–10 over the New England Patriots. [16] In the 2006 season, the Bears once again made it to the Super Bowl, but lost 29–17 to the Indianapolis Colts. [17] They were led by coach Lovie Smith.

    The Bears' rivalry with the Green Bay Packers dates back the 1920s, and is one of the most intense in American professional sports. [18] The Bears have other regional and divisional rivalries with the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions. [19]

    The Bears play their home games at Soldier Field, named after "The men and women of the armed forces". It is located next to the shores of Lake Michigan, on Lake Shore Drive. Soldier Field was an aging stadium and was in dire need of renovation by the end of the 20th century. In 2003, the stadium re-opened after an extensive renovation, which increased the number of luxury boxes and dramatically improved the game day experience for Bears fans. However, because of this renovation, the stadium lost its National Historic Landmark designation on February 17, 2006.

    Ice hockey (NHL)

    The Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League is the city's professional ice hockey team, and are an Original Six team. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 1934, 1938, 1961, 2010, 2013, [20] and again in 2015. [21] The Blackhawks receive national attention for the intense rivalries with the Detroit Red Wings, also an Original Six team. [22] Other rivalries include the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues (former Norris Division rivals), and the Nashville Predators. Some well-known players include: Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, Bobby Hull, Keith Magnuson, Glenn Hall, Denis Savard, Steve Larmer, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Ed Belfour, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marián Hossa, Corey Crawford, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith.

    Major league professional championships

    Minor league teams

    The following is a list of active minor league, semi-pro, and amateur Chicago sports teams, ranked by year of establishment:

    ClubLeagueSportVenueEstablishedChampionships
    Chicago Wolves AHL Ice hockey Allstate Arena 19945
    Chicago Steel USHL Ice Hockey Fox Valley Ice Arena 20002
    Windy City Rollers WFTDA Roller derby Credit Union 1 Arena 20040
    Chicago Swans USAFL Australian rules football Waveland Field20080
    Chicago Union UFA Ultimate De La Salle Institute Stadium20130
    Windy City Bulls NBA G League Basketball Now Arena 20160
    Chicago Fire FC II MLS Next Pro Soccer SeatGeek Stadium 20210

    Independent league baseball

    ClubLeagueVenueLocationEstablishedChampionships
    Joliet Slammers Frontier League Duly Health and Care Field Joliet, Illinois 20102 (2011, 2018)
    Schaumburg Boomers Frontier League Wintrust Field Schaumburg, Illinois 20114 (2013, 2014, 2017, 2021)
    Windy City ThunderBolts Frontier League Ozinga Field Crestwood, Illinois 19952 (2007, 2008)
    Gary SouthShore RailCats American Association U.S. Steel Yard Gary, Indiana 20013 (2005, 2007, 2013)
    Chicago Dogs American Association Impact Field Rosemont, Illinois 2018None
    Kane County Cougars American Association Northwestern Medicine Field Geneva, Illinois 1991None [lower-alpha 1]
    1. ↑ The Cougars joined the American Association in 2021. They won two titles in the affiliated Midwest League in 2001 and 2014.

    Hockey

    The Chicago metropolitan area is also home to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. The Chicago Wolves have been successful, making numerous playoff appearances and winning the Turner and Calder cups many times.[ citation needed ] Playing in suburban Geneva are the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, a Tier One Junior Hockey league, the only tier one junior league in the United States.[ citation needed ]

    Arena football

    The Chicago metropolitan area was also home to the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League, who played at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. The Rush won its first championship in 2006, ArenaBowl XX. [23] Chicago was also home to the Chicago Bruisers from 1987 to 1989, an original team in the AFL's inaugural season in 1987. The Bruisers hosted ArenaBowl II. [24] [25]

    The Chicago Rush had been a member of the Arena Football League since 2001, and won ArenaBowl XX, playing in suburban Rosemont, although they now played in Rockford, as of 2013. The team has been defunct since 2013.

    The Arena Football League front office was based in Chicago.

    Rugby

    The Chicago Hounds of Major League Rugby began play in 2023 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. [26] [27]

    The Chicago Griffins and Chicago Lions both play in the Midwest Rugby Premiership.

    Chicago Stockyarders rugby league team played in 2010's AMNRL's War at the Shore in a 7s match against the Northern Raiders. [28]

    In international rugby union, Soldier Field was the site of the first-ever victory by Ireland over New Zealand, with the Irish defeating the All Blacks 40–29 on November 5, 2016. [29]

    Other sports

    Chicago is home to the Chicago Blitz of the X League.

    The Chicago area has also played host to the WWE's WrestleMania multiple times, most recently for WrestleMania 22. [30] Five-time world champion CM Punk is a Chicago native who still lives in the city. Chicago has also hosted major professional wrestling matches, including WrestleMania 22, and several other pay-per-view events, such as Money in the Bank in 2011, Extreme Rules in 2012, and WWE Payback in 2013. [31] [32] [33] The northwest suburb of Hoffman Estates hosted All In in 2018, the first U.S. wrestling event not sponsored by WWE or the now-defunct WCW in 25 years to have sold more than 10,000 tickets. This event was the springboard for the creation of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) several months later. AEW would run two historically significant shows in the Chicago area in 2021. The first, The First Dance, was held at the United Center on August 20. During this show, CM Punk debuted for AEW, marking his first appearance as an active wrestler since his acrimonious departure from WWE in 2014. [34] Then, during Labor Day weekend on September 5, the All Out pay-per-view saw AEW visit the same Hoffman Estates venue that had hosted All In. During this event, Punk wrestled his first match since his WWE departure, defeating Darby Allin. [35] At the time, All Out was the most-purchased AEW PPV, and according to veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer was the most-bought non-WWE professional wrestling PPV in history. [36]

    Starting just off Navy Pier is the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, a 333-mile (289 nmi; 536 km) offshore yacht race held each July. It is the oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world. 2015 marks the 107th running of the "Mac". [37]

    Chicago is home to two all-female roller derby leagues; Chicago Outfit Roller Derby and Windy City Rollers of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. [38] As of November 2013, Windy City is ranked 8th worldwide out of over 175 WFTDA members, [39] hosted the WFTDA Championship in 2010, [40] and play their home games at UIC Pavilion. [41] The Chicago area is also home to the Chicago Red Hots, an amateur roller derby club affiliated with USA Roller Sports under the US Olympic Committee, [42] who play at the Cicero Stadium. The Red Hots participated in the 2013 National Championship where they placed 4th in the nation. [43]

    The city is also home to the Chicago Patriots Gaelic Football Club.

    College sports

    Seven NCAA Division I athletic programs reside in the Chicago metropolitan area. The DePaul Blue Demons, Loyola Ramblers, Chicago State Cougars, and UIC Flames, none of which sponsor football, are all within the city limits. All play their main revenue sport of men's basketball in the city; only DePaul does not play on its campus, instead using Wintrust Arena at the McCormick Place convention center on the Near South Side.

    The Northwestern Wildcats, Northern Illinois Huskies, and Valparaiso Beacons are all programs that play in the surrounding area. Northern Illinois is a Division I Bowl Subdivision school along with Northwestern, which is the only Power Four school in the Chicago area. Although the Illinois Fighting Illini are located two hours south in Champaign, they have the largest fan following in Chicago. The football program of Notre Dame, which is located in South Bend, Indiana, which is an hour and a half to the east, also has a huge following in the Chicago Area, especially in its southwest suburbs.

    The Big Ten Conference is headquartered in Rosemont after relocating from another suburb, Park Ridge, in 2013. [44]

    Olympic bids

    After a months' long process that saw the elimination of several American and international cities, Chicago was selected on April 14, 2007, to represent the United States internationally in the bidding for the 2016 Summer Olympics. [45] The International Olympic Committee eventually shortlisted four of the seven applicant cities, where Chicago remained, before Rio de Janeiro was elected as the host in 2009. [46] Following Chicago's loss in the race for the 2016 Olympics, the USOC bid for the 2024 Olympics with Los Angeles which result in a deal where Los Angeles secured the right to host the 2028 Summer Olympics. Chicago had previously hosted the 1959 Pan American Games. Chicago was selected to host the 1904 Summer Olympics, but they were transferred to St. Louis to coincide with the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. [47]

    Motorsports

    A view of Chicagoland Speedway Chicagolandspeedway.jpg
    A view of Chicagoland Speedway

    The area is home to the Chicagoland Speedway, which is based in Joliet. [48] As of 2019, the track hosted one race per NASCAR National Series, the (Camping World 400, Camping World 300, Camping World 225), and the Dawn 150 for the ARCA Menards Series The track formerly held the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300. [49] However, in 2020, NASCAR announced Chicagoland will not be on the 2021 season calendar, thanks in part to the track laying off workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was leaked during May that the track may be transformed into an industrial park, but nothing is official. [50]

    The Route 66 Raceway is also located in Joliet. The track hosts drag racing events.

    Rivalries

    Detroit

    Due to geographical proximity and a long history, Chicago and Detroit have developed a rivalry throughout the big 4 sports and even at the collegiate level.

    Milwaukee/Wisconsin

    Chicago has also developed a rivalry with Milwaukee due to their metropolitan areas bordering each other. While the Packers currently play in Green Bay, they spent several decades playing regular season games in Milwaukee and have a large fanbase there.

    Minnesota

    Chicago and Minnesota have also developed a rivalry, though it is much newer compared to Detroit and Milwaukee.

    St. Louis

    Chicago and St. Louis have a rivalry that is primarily in baseball, though this has spread to other sports such as hockey and soccer.

    New York City

    Chicago and New York City have a rivalry.

    Former teams

    See also

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    46. ↑ Smith, Aaron (October 2, 2009). "Chicago loses Olympic bid to Rio". CNN . Retrieved September 25, 2013.
    47. ↑ "St. Louis 1904 Summer Olympics". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
    48. ↑ "Chicagoland Speedway". Chicagoland Speedway. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
    49. ↑ "IRL-PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 Results - Racing - ESPN". ESPN. August 28, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
    50. ↑ "NASCAR Report on Instagram: "NEWS: NASCAR is planning to turn part of the Chicagoland Speedway into an industrial park. This move will not affect the track itself, as it will remain intact with the proposed deal. Even though the final plat encompasses about half of the track, warehouses planned for the site would not interfere. --- "I have attached the staff report which was presented to the Joliet Plan Commission at their meeting on April 16. The staff report provides some background. At the request of the applicant, the Plan Commission voted to table the subdivision request to their meeting on July 16. Under the proposal, 82.3 acres which is presently an accessory parking area would be sold to Hillwood Investment Properties for future warehouse development. Chicagoland Speedway LLC would own the remaining balance of racetrack property." --- 📸: NASCAR 📃: Kickin the Tires | Adam Stern --- #MonsterCupNews #NASCAR #Cars #RaceCar #Racing #NASCARReport"".
    51. ↑ "Chicago Bandits Disbanded | Journal & Topics Media Group". August 3, 2021.

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