Flipping our fortunes: Chicago fans can find some hope beneath sports tree
When holiday time rolled around last year, we were asking if 2024 was the low point in Chicago sports history.
There was just one playoff game featuring a Chicago professional team (by the Stars of the NWSL — and they lost).
The number of playoff games increased to 11 in 2025 — eight by the Cubs and three by the Fire — and both teams won wild-card games or series.
So things are looking up, and the stockings aren't empty. This might actually be a high point when it comes to the collection of promising young stars in the city.
Every team has someone who could make future days merry and bight. Connor Bedard with the Blackhawks, Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis with the Bulls, Pete Crow-Armstrong with the Cubs, Colson Montgomery with the White Sox. Maybe it's too soon to include Roch Cholowsky, the Sox' presumed overall No. 1 pick in 2026.
The Sky drafted Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese a couple years ago. Maybe it's still possible to make some positive progress there. I won't pretend to know anything about the soccer teams, but the proposed Fire stadium on Block 78 seems nice.
Obviously, the key piece for extended happiness is the Bears, with Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson. Every modern NFL dynasty began with a beautiful marriage between coach and quarterback.
This started in the 1960s, with Vince Lombardi and Bart Starr in Green Bay, followed by Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw in Pittsburgh, Bill Walsh and Joe Montana (plus a little Steve Young) in San Francisco, Jimmy Johnson and Troy Aikman in Dallas.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were so brilliant in New England, they dominated for two decades. Now that the Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes pairing in Kansas City seems to be winding down, the door is open for the next great combo.
Who else would it be? Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel? Sean Payton and Bo Nix? Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love? Pete Carroll and Fernando Mendoza?
Whether it happens at Soldier Field, Arlington Heights or Hammond, Indiana, the Bears are at least in the mix, for now.
How does this group of Chicago stars stand up to the past? Well, we can start in 1965, when the city was loaded with Hall of Fame talent that would never see the playoffs. Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Billy Williams, Ernie Banks and Ron Santo lead the cringe-ful list. Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull did win a Stanley Cup in 1961 but should have done more.
By 1975 Walter Payton was riding solo. The Cubs and Sox were in the business of developing World Series heroes for other teams (Bucky Dent, Rich Gossage, Bill Madlock, Manny Trillo, etc.) The Jerry Sloan era of the Bulls came to an end.
In the ‘80s, Chicago finally caught some breaks. Imagine if Portland had drafted Michael Jordan instead of Sam Bowie, or the Colts took Jim McMahon over Art Schlichter.
Jordan alone makes 1984 an era of young stars that may never be topped. Add McMahon and the rest of the '85 Bears, Ryne Sandberg, Denis Savard and these were clearly the glory days.
The 1990s were mostly about the Bulls. The breakout stars were guys added between the first and second three-peat, like Toni Kukoc, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr. There was Frank Thomas and Sammy Sosa on the baseball side.
Another good era was 2006-08, when Chicago teams managed to draft Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Devin Hester and Matt Forte, and one of those squads went on to win multiple championships.
If there's one thing this list taught us, it's how promising young stars don't guarantee team success. So enjoy this season of hope while it lasts.