Five of the biggest sports clubs in Chicago today
Living in Chicago comes with quite a few benefits. Not only you are in a position to work and live in one of the fastest developing and most economically important cities in the United States, but here you are exposed to all the benefits of modern day life – from a large international airport (probably the largest in the world) to reliable house cleaning service in Chicago which provides you with sanitized and comfortable environment without wasting time and much more. Additionally, Chicago boasts some of the largest and best major-league sports clubs in the country – that should account to something too. Let’s have a look at some of the best known among them.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears is an NFL team competing in the North Division. The team was established in 1917 and at the current moment the Bears is one of the just two teams that have been playing in the National Football League since its establishment. The team’s headquarters are the Halas Halls. Their long-standing rivalry with the Green Bay Packers has been well documented. The Bears hold 9 League Championship cups, 18 division championships and 1 Super Bowl championships. If you want to check out what the atmosphere is when Da Bears are playing home, just get a ticket for the next match taking place on Soldier Field, their home-stadium.
Chicago White Sox
Like anywhere in the US, baseball is big in Chicago. There is no way it would be otherwise, bearing in mind that The White Sox have their home here. The Chicago White Sox have been in the major league since 1901, and since then they have been dominating the sport throughout the country, and in the world for that matter. Some of the most famous White Sox players of all time include:
- Frank Thomas
- Shoeless Joe Jackson
- Paul Konerko
- Nellie Fox
- Minnie Minoso
- Carlton Fisk
- Eddie Collins
- Luis Aparicio
- Mark Buehrle
- Harold Baines
Notice something? All those names are of legends of the baseball industry. That is how the White Sox roll. They have a long-standing rivalry with the other Chicago baseball club – the Chicago Cubs, as well as with the Detroit Tigers, the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians.
Chicago Bulls
There is little doubt that all major league sports clubs that are based in Chicago enjoy a nation-wide popularity, but when we are talking about the love of fans from all around the world, no one can argue that the Chicago Bulls are the best of the best. Naturally, this is more or less due to the individual popularity and celebrity status of Bulls’ probably most iconic player – Michael Jordan. One of the most iconic seasons in the recent history of the Chicago Bulls was namely when Air Jordan was on the team. It was in the 1995-96 games when they won as many 72 games – a NBA record that remained unbroken until the last season when the Golden State Warriors bested it with 73 wins. As for the 1996 team, most of the basketball experts that you can talk to are going to tell you that they used to be the best team in the history of the sport. Today the Bulls are the third most valuable major-league basketball franchise in the country according to Forbes Magazine. Their value is estimated at 2.3 billion USD, and have an operating income of 65.7 million USD. Impressive, isn’t it. There is more. They have managed to best their rivals in more games than any other basketball team in the league. Their rivals are the Detroit Pistons, the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat and of course the New York Knicks.
Chicago Fire Soccer Club
Soccer might not be as popular in the US as it is in Europe, for example, but Chicago enjoys the presence of one of the best loved soccer teams in North America – the Chicago Fire. The name of the club comes from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Men in Red is the nick-name of the Fire. They play at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, a stadium with an estimated capacity of 20 000. Chicago Fire was founded relatively soon – in 1997, but since then it has managed to built a solid, noteworthy and very supportive fan base. Supporters of the club as well as ultras are traditionally occupying the Harlem End of Toyota Park, or as it is also referred to – Sector 8. It is a standing area just behind the northern goal. Even though Toyota Park is not the biggest stadium in Chicago, nor is soccer the most popular sport in the city, the atmosphere at the home matches of the Chicago Fire is unforgettable – you should definitely check it out if you have the opportunity. Even if you have not loved the sport up until now, it is going to make you rethink your position.
Chicago Blackhawks
Hockey is yet another sport that is very well regarded by fans in Chicago. The Blackhawks is the biggest and most popular hockey team in the city. They have been founded nearly a century ago in 1926. Currently they are playing at the rink in United Center, but before that their home grounds were the Chicago Stadium. If you go to a match of the Blackhawks, especially in Chicago, you are more than likely to hear the traditional Fight Song chanted by the fans – Here Come the Hawks! Over the years the Chicago Blackhawks have won numerous national championships such as 6 Stanley Cups, 4 Conference Championships, 2 President Trophies and as many as 15 Division Championships, the last one in the 2012-2013 season. Last season alone 896 240 people attended home matches of the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center, which makes up for some 21 859 attendance per game, which marks an increase in comparison with ten years ago, when the average attendance was in the range of 13-14 000 people.