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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 63.95.36.13 (talk) at 20:08, 22 January 2013 (→‎Women's leagues: Adding the Chicago Red Stars since they play in the highest available women's soccer league, the NWSL). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Chicago is the home of many professional sports teams and one of four U.S. cities to have teams from the five major American professional team sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer). The city was a candidate city for the 2016 Summer Olympics but lost to Rio de Janeiro. [1] Upon the USOC reaching a new revenue sharing agreement with the IOC, Chicago has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the 2024 Summer Olympics. [2] Chicago also hosted the 1959 Pan American Games. Chicago has been named as the Best Sports City by Sporting News three times in 1993, 2006, and 2010.

The United Center in Chicago is the home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.
Soldier Field in Chicago is the home of the Chicago Bears.
Wrigley Field in Chicago is the home of the Chicago Cubs.
U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago is the home of the Chicago White Sox.

Chicago teams

See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports

The following is a list of active, professional Chicago sports teams by year of establishment:

Club League Sport Venue Established Championships
Chicago Cubs MLB Baseball Wrigley Field 1870 2 World Series Wins, 1 World Series Tie, 10 National League Pennants, 1 National Association Pennant (latter two before the World Series)
Chicago White Sox MLB Baseball U.S. Cellular Field 1900 3 World Series Wins, 7 American League Pennants
Chicago Bears NFL Football Soldier Field 1919 1 Super Bowl Win, 8 League Championships
(Pre-Super Bowl Era)
Chicago Blackhawks NHL Ice hockey United Center 1926 4 Stanley Cups
Chicago Lions RFC RSL Rugby union Lions for Hope Clubhouse and Field[3] 1964 0 Championships
Chicago Bulls NBA Basketball United Center 1966 6 NBA Championships
Chicago Griffins RSL Rugby union Schiller Park 1973 0 Championships
Chicago Wolves AHL Ice hockey Allstate Arena 1994 2 Turner Cups, 2 Calder Cups
Chicago Fire MLS Soccer Toyota Park 1997 1 MLS Cup, 4 U.S. Open Cups, 1 Supporters Shield
Chicago Rush AFL Arena football Allstate Arena 2000 1 ArenaBowl: 2006
Chicago Red Stars NWSL Soccer Sports Complex at Benedictine University 2007 0
Chicago Force IWFL Women's American football North Park University 2003 1 Eastern Conference Championship: 2008
Windy City Rollers WFTDA Roller derby UIC Pavilion 2004 Regular Season Champions: 2005- Hell's Belles 2006- Manic Attackers Ivy league Cup: 2005, 2006- The Fury 2007- Double Crossers Travel Team ALL STARS 2007-2nd Easter/7th National
Chicago Bandits NPF Softball The Ballpark at Rosemont 2005 2 World Championships: 2008, 2011; 3 Regular Season Championships: 2005, 2006, 2008
Chicago Sky WNBA Basketball Allstate Arena 2006 0 WNBA Championships
Chicago Outfit Roller Derby WFTDA Roller derby Windy City Field House 2007 Shade Brigade (B-Team) 2010 Screw City Smackdown Champions
Chicago Slaughter IFL Indoor football Sears Centre 2006 1 CIFL Championship: 2009
Chicago Cardinals CIFL Indoor football Odeum Expo Center 2009 0 Championships
Chicago Bliss LFL Women's American Football Sears Centre 2009 0 Championships
Chicago Carnage MLRH Inline Hockey Salt Creek Sports Center 2010 0 Championships
Chicago Stockyarders AMNRL Rugby League 2010 0 Championships
Chicago Riot MISL Indoor soccer Odeum Expo Center 2010 0 Championships
Chicago Express ECHL Ice hockey Sears Centre 2011 0 Championships
Schaumburg Boomers Frontier Baseball Schaumburg Baseball Stadium 2011 2012 - Inaugural Season
Chicago Muscle PBL Basketball TBD 2012 2012 - Inaugural Season

Baseball

Major league

Chicago is one of four metro areas in the United States that has two Major League Baseball teams, the other three being Los Angeles, New York, and the San Francisco Bay Area, and is one of only two, along with New York, which has both teams in the central city.

The Chicago Cubs of the National League play at Wrigley Field, which is located in the north side neighborhood of Lakeview, the western part of which is commonly referred to as "Wrigleyville." The Cubs are the oldest team to play continuously in the same city since the formation of the National League in 1876.

The Chicago White Sox of the American League play at US Cellular Field, which is located in the South Side neighborhood of Armour Square. They have played in Chicago since the formation of the American League in 1900.

Minor league

The Chicago metropolitan area is home to the Kane County Cougars, a Class-A minor league baseball team that plays in suburban Geneva, Illinois as part of the Midwest League; the Gary SouthShore RailCats, members of the independent American Association, the Schaumburg Boomers, Joliet Slammers and Windy City ThunderBolts (based in Crestwood), members of the independent Frontier League; and the Lake County Fielders (based in Zion), members of the North American League. The McHenry County K-Nines (based in Woodstock) are slated to join the Frontier League in 2013.[citation needed]

Basketball

Men's leagues

The Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association is a professional basketball team. One of the team's most well-known players, Michael Jordan, led the Bulls to six NBA championships in eight seasons in the 1990s, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998. Other well-known Bulls that helped them win the championships were Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. The new generation of Bulls, "The Baby Bulls", have made it to the playoffs in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. In 2007, they swept the defending champs, the Miami Heat. In 2011, they made it to the Eastern Finals, losing to the Miami Heat. The players on the team included Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, Brian Scalabrine, Keith Bogans, Taj Gibson, Kurt Thomas, C. J. Watson, Ömer Aşık, and Joakim Noah.

Women's leagues

Chicago is home to the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association and the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League.

Football

Men's leagues

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, Jim McMahon, William "Refrigerator" Perry, 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.[4] In 1985, the Bears won Super Bowl XX 46-10 over the New England Patriots.[5] In the 2006 season, the Bears once again made it to the Super Bowl, but lost 29-17 to the Indianapolis Colts.[6] They were led by coach Lovie Smith. The Green Bay Packers and Bears rivalry dates back the 1920s, and is one of the most intense in American professional sports.[7] The NFC North, which the Bears are a part of, is sometimes referred to as the NFC Norris Division, a mimic to the NHL's old Norris Division. The Chicago Bears have rivalries with the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions,[8] similar to the Blackhawks' rivalries with the Red Wings, the North Stars, and the I-55 Rivalry with the St. Louis Blues hockey team.

The Chicago metropolitan area is also home to the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League, playing at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. The Rush was established in 2001 and has made the playoffs each year of the team's existence. The Rush won its first championship in 2006, ArenaBowl XX.[9] 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.[10][11]

Women's leagues

Chicago is home to the Chicago Force of the Independent Women's Football League, as well as the Chicago Bliss of the Lingerie Football League.

Ice hockey

The Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League is the city's professional ice hockey team, and are an Original Six team. Some well-known players include: Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, Bobby Hull, Keith Magnuson, Glenn Hall, Denis Savard, Steve Larmer, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, and Ed Belfour. The Blackhawks have one of the most exciting young teams in the NHL. They are led by young forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, veteran stars Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp star defensemen Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and goaltender Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010 on June 9.[12] The Blackhawks receive national attention for the intense rivalries with the Detroit Red Wings, also an Original Six team. Other rivalries include the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, the Nashville Predators with St. Louis being former Norris Division rivals.

The Chicago metropolitan area is also home to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League and the Chi-Town Shooters of the All American Hockey League. The Chicago Wolves have been very successful, making numerous playoff appearances and winning the Turner and Calder cups many times. Playing in suburban Bensenville 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.

Motorsports

A satellite view of Chicagoland Speedway

The area is home to the Chicagoland Speedway, which is based in Joliet.[13] The track currently hosts four NASCAR races (GEICO 400, STP 300, Dollar General 300, American Ethanol 225). The track formerly held the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300.[14]

Roller derby

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.

Rugby

Rugby League

Chicago Stockyarders rugby league team will be playing in 2010's AMNRL's War at the Shore in a 7s match against the Northern Raiders.[15]

Rugby Union

The Chicago Griffins and Chicago Lions both play in the Rugby Super League

Soccer

The Chicago Fire, a member of Major League Soccer, have won one MLS Cup and four U.S. Open Cups since 1998. The Fire played at Soldier Field until 2006, spending parts of two seasons at Cardinal Stadium in Naperville. They now play at Toyota Park, located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, near Midway Airport. The Fire have historically drawn an attendance average of over 15,000 fans per game.[16] Some notable former players are Cuauhtémoc Blanco from Mexico, Brian McBride from the USA, and Peter Nowak from Poland – a demonstration of the team's international flavor.

Softball

Chicago is home to the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch softball league.

Wrestling

The Chicago area has also played host to the WWE's WrestleMania multiple times, most recently for WrestleMania 22.[17] Five-time world champion CM Punk is a Chicago native who still lives in the city.

Former teams

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Hockey

Lacrosse

Soccer

College sports

Seven NCAA Division I schools reside in the Chicago metropolitan area. The DePaul Blue Demons, Loyola Ramblers, Chicago State Cougars, and UIC Flames are all within the city limits; all also play their main revenue sport of men's basketball in the city except for DePaul, which plays at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont.

The Northwestern Wildcats, Northern Illinois Huskies, and Valparaiso Crusaders are all programs that play in the surrounding area. Northern Illinois is a Division I Bowl Subdivision school along with Northwestern, which is the lone BCS school in the Chicago area. Although the Illinois Fighting Illini are located two and a half hours south, they have a huge following in Chicago.

The Big Ten Conference is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, though they will relocate to Rosemont in 2013.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bergen, Kathy; Washburn, Gary (May 11, 2006). "City out to prove Olympic mettle". Chicago Tribune. p. 1.
  2. ^ "IOC agrees revenue-sharing deal with USOC". Insidethegames.biz. May 24, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  3. ^ "Lions for Hope Clubhouse and Field". Chicagolions.com. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  4. ^ http://www.nflteamhistory.com/nfl_teams/chicago_bears/hall_of_famers.html
  5. ^ "Super Bowl XX Game Recap". Nfl.com. January 27, 1986. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  6. ^ "Super Bowl XLI Game Recap". Nfl.com. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  7. ^ "Bears-Packers set to resume fierce rivalry". Chicagobears.com. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  8. ^ Klonke, Chuck (November 13, 2011). "Lions, Bears rivalry runs deep". Detroitlions.com. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  9. ^ 02:35 PM. "ArenaBowl XX - Arizona Sports Fans Network". Arizonasportsfans.com. Retrieved August 7, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Chicago Bruisers Team History - 1988". ArenaFan.com. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  11. ^ "AFL Box Score: ArenaBowl II - Detroit Drive @ Chicago Bruisers (Jul 30, 1988)". ArenaFan.com. July 30, 1988. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  12. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/sports/hockey/10flyers.html?pagewanted=all
  13. ^ "Chicagoland Speedway". Chicagoland Speedway. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  14. ^ "IRL-PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 Results - Racing - ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. August 28, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  15. ^ "Loading". Americanrugbynews.com. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  16. ^ "USA Major League Soccer - Attendance - 2008". ESPN Soccernet. Soccernet.espn.go.com. November 23, 2008. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  17. ^ "WWE Corporate - WrestleMania 22 Arrives In Chicago...'BIG TIME'". Corporate.wwe.com. March 27, 2006. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  18. ^ "Big Ten to leave Park Ridge in 2013 - Morton Grove Champion". Mortongrove.suntimes.com. Retrieved August 7, 2012.

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