The Chicago Cubs
(773) 404-CUBS (2827)
Wrigley Field
1060 West Addison Street
Chicago, IL 60613
www.cubs.com/

The Chicago Cubs have been associated with the same city for a longer amount of time that any other team in the major league, according to the Official Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball. They were founded in 1870, and despite their uniforms, ballpark and official documents being destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, they nevertheless rallied and continued on with the game. In 1976 the Chicago Cubs celebrated their one hundred-year anniversary as a MLB team.

Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ home field on Chicago’s North Side, is one of the oldest stadiums in the Major League. Built in 1914 the Friendly Confines is the 2nd oldest ballpark in baseball behind Boston’s Fenway Park (1912). Wrigley Field added lights in 1988 and the first night game took place August 8 against Philadelphia, but was rained out after 31/2 innings. The first official night game occurred August 9 vs. New York, when the Cubs defeated the Mets 6-4.

The Chicago White Sox
(312) 674-1000
Comiskey Park
333 West 35th Street
Chicago, IL 60616
whitesox.mlb.com

The White Sox team was formed in 1900 as a franchise of the American league, under the ownership of Charles Comiskey. The Sox were originally called The White Stockings. They shortened the name to White Sox in 1902. The 1919 World Series resulted in the most famous scandal in baseball history. Eight players from the Chicago White Sox (later nicknamed the Black Sox) were accused of throwing the series against the Cincinnati Reds. Details of the scandal and the extent to which each man was involved have always been unclear. It was, however, front-page news across the country and, despite being acquitted of criminal charges, the players were banned from professional baseball for life.

More recently, the team, helmed by Manager Ozzie Guillen, won the World Series in 2005.

The Chicago Bears
(847) 615-BEAR (2327)
Soldiers Field
425 East McFetridge Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
www.chicagobears.com

It all started on September 20, 1920, on that day, representatives of fourteen professional football teams sat on the running boards of cars to form what is now the National Football League. George Halas, an outstanding player that played his college ball at the University of Illinois, represented his team, the Decatur Staleys.

Halas’ team played the 1920 season as the Decatur Staleys, but in 1921, decided he could no longer afford to subsidize the team, so Halas moved the team to Chicago, where it might survive. Thus, for 1921, the team became the Chicago Staleys and played their games at Cubs Park. The following year, Halas surmised that since the team was playing in the stadium of the Chicago Cubs, his team ought to be named the Chicago Bears. The Navy and Orange color scheme still worn by the Bears today was derived from Halas’ alma mater, Illinois.

Halas first signed Harold “Red” Grange, an outstanding running back from the U of I, to an unheard of salary of $100,000. During the 1925-26 season it was concluded that it was what “made” pro football. Later, Halas would acquire other players such as Bronko Nagurski and Sid Luckman, who took Chicago to titles in ’32, ’33, ’40, ’41 & ’46. During the 1940’s, the Bears Fight Song was written, and the team revolutionized football with the T-Formation.

As the years pass no one will ever forget the ultimate season of the 1985-86 Super Bowl Champions. The Bears would march through their first 12 opponents with no problem rushing out to a 12-0 record. Along the way the Bears became a national obsession thanks in part to a music video entitled “The Super Bowl Shuffle” which they recorded before the season was even over. After their incredible 15-1 season the Bears would host their first home playoff game in 22 years in the Divisional Round against the New York Giants. The game would end up being no contest as the Bears completely shut down the Giants on a bitterly cold and windy afternoon 21-0. The Bears would then go on to face the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. This game too would be no contest as the Bears shut out the Rams 24-0 in front of a sold out Soldier Field to earn a trip to their first ever Super Bowl. The Bears would go on to win 46-10 setting records for points, and winning margin while DE Richard Dent was named the game’s MVP.

The Chicago Bulls
(312) 455-4000
United Center
1901 West Madison Street
Chicago, IL 60612
www.chicagobulls.com

The Chicago Bulls first joined the National Basketball Association in the 1966-67 season. They enjoyed success in the mid 1970’s with the help of players like Bob Love, Norm Van Lier, Jerry Sloan and Tom Boerwinkle. It was when Michael Jordan joined the team in the 1980’s that the team took off to set a new standard in the NBA. With Jordan, the Bulls won six NBA Championships, three-peating twice. After the departure of Michael, his supporting cast and coach Phil Jackson the team started the painful rebuilding process.

With new GM John Paxson at the helm the Bulls seem back on track to reach the Finals once again in the NBA. “I am really excited to accept this challenge and look forward to working with the basketball operations staff,” said Paxson. “The Bulls organization has meant a lot to me over the years and getting the chance to help lead the team back to the upper echelon of the NBA is a true honor.”

The Chicago Blackhawks
(312) 455-7000
United Center
901 West Madison Street
Chicago, IL 60612
www.chicagoblackhawks.com

The Chicago Blackhawks were founded in 1926 when the National Hockey League granted a franchise to Major Frederic McLaughlin. After taking over the team his first executive decision was to rename the club from the current name of “The Rose Buds,” which didn’t quite have the ferocity that he thought would inspire an attitude of competitive rigor in a hockey team. He decided to name the team after the members of his Army Battalion who nicknamed themselves the Blackhawks in homage to a Sauk Indian Chief who had sided with the British in the War of 1812.

Chicago Stadium opened on March 28, 1929, and, at that time, it was the largest indoor sporting arena in the entire world. It was built at a cost of about $7,000,000. The Blackhawks played their first game in the Stadium on December 16, 1929. They treated a crowd of 14,212 fans to a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The building became known over the years as one of the toughest for opponents to play in. The crowd was nearly on top of the ice and it was always very loud. Sadly, Chicago Stadium went the way of many of hockey’s historic arenas. The small ice surface (188ft. x 85ft.) and lack of luxury seating made the old barn obsolete and it was torn down. The Hawks played their last regular season game in Chicago Stadium on April 14, 1994. The Hawks played the last game ever in Chicago Stadium on April 28, 1994, in the first round of the 1994 playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The last Blackhawk goal in the Stadium was scored by Jeremy Roenick in game 4 of that same series when he scored at 1:23 of overtime to give the Hawks a 4-3 victory. Unfortunately, they lost this historic series to Toronto, 4 games to 2. The next year, the Hawks moved across the street to the United Center.

Even though it may be physically gone, the “Mad House on Madison” will always live on in the hearts of Blackhawks fans.

Chicago Fire
(888) MLS-FIRE
71st and Harlem
Chicago, IL
www.chicago-fire.com

The Chicago Fire won the first ever MLS title in 1998, and have been US Open champions four times.  The Fire moved into Toyota Park, a world-class soccer stadium and concert venue at the corner of 71st & Harlem in the Village of Bridgeview, in 2006. The stadium was developed at a cost of $70 million and seats 20,000 fans for soccer.