Clubhouse Chatter: What makes Chicago a great sports city?
What our Sports staff has to say while waiting for the games to resume.
Probably the fact that is has a professional team in just about every pro sport and so many great venues to watch the events, including Arlington Park for horse racing. Plus, you have two AM radio stations specifically devoting their time to sports talk, so that tells you right there the interest for sports in Chicago.
- John Leusch
Chicago fans have such an unwavering passion for their teams.
- Patricia Babcock McGraw
Passionate fan bases for every major sport, and a rich history featuring some of the best athletes to ever play.
- John Lemon
Chicago fans embrace their teams' histories, even though many of those histories are filled with losing teams. It's easy to be a Boston (Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics) fan or a Yankees fan.
- Joe Aguilar
It's just the fact that the city's fans get behind their teams with such passion. They're not perfect, mind you, and will disappear if a team struggles for too long (sound familiar White Sox and Blackhawks?) But, overall, athletes love to play here because of the impressive support given by their fan bases.
- John Dietz
Major-league teams in every major sport is a great place to start: baseball (two), football, basketball, hockey and soccer, plus women's franchises in basketball and soccer. Only a few American cities can say that. Add minor-league teams in the suburbs and so many Big Ten campuses and Notre Dame an easy drive away. Throw in devoted, enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans and you're set.
- Orrin Schwarz