Who's Hot and Who's Not in Sports: Chicago

Of course, when I started this series, the logical route was to start with the three biggest markets in the country. First was Southern California, mainly Los Angeles (the "City of Angels"). I started with that because it's my neck of the proverbial woods. Next, New York/New Jersey, mainly New York City (the "Big Apple). So it makes sense that this third installment in the series centers on the "Windy City," Chicago.

Chicago. 2.7 million inhabitants, and so many sitcoms during my childhood seemed to take place there. The city is the third-largest in the US, and has carried a lot of sports history for so long, with five teams from the four main leagues. One thing that's fascinated me a lot about Chicago sports is the fact that they have their own identifiable areas, so you'll know which sport is the strongest based on location.

So with that, here's a look at Chicago's teams:

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls. The team I've been pulling for since childhood. I was born at quite the convenient time. Michael Jordan was drafted a year before I entered this world, and I was about seven years old (going on eight) when I first watched the NBA and all that came with it, including MJ. I watched the Bulls dynasty flourish, and then, there's the aftermath. The 28 years that have passed since Ring #6 was won have been tough. We had good glimpses during the 2010s, but nothing resembling championship contention.

Right now, the Bulls are content with getting one of the Eastern Conference's Play-In spots every year. Hey, it's something. I mentioned identifiable areas earlier. The Bulls play at the United Center, which is in Downtown Chicago, very chic area in the Windy City.

Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs

Yet another thing that fascinates me about Chicago sports, they also have two MLB teams despite being smaller than New York and Los Angeles. Unlike those two markets, Chicago has the distinction of having two teams who have co-existed the longest (125 years and counting). The teams actually faced each other in the World Series... in 1906. That was the year that the Cubs set a record with 116 wins, the same record that was matched by the Mariners 95 years later. Despite this, it was the White Sox who won in six. It remains the only time these two teams met in the Fall Classic.

In fact, both teams had been very snake-bit for a long time. At the time that the Red Sox were cursed, both Chicago teams had longer droughts, and longer waits. The White Sox's drought ended first, with their 2005 victory being their first since 1917. The Cubs had to wait just over a decade longer, as the finally won in 2016. Despite the Cubs having to wait over a century for a title, they are clearly the big brother in this situation, and not just because they came first. Chicago is more of a Cubs city than a White Sox city. Even now, with both teams in playoff contention, it's more about the Cubs. Regarding location, the Cubs play on the North Side of Chicago, while the White Sox are on the South Side, the most fascinating attribute regarding Chicago's teams.

Chicago Bears

Ah, the Chicago Bears, property of the Green Bay Packers for over a century. At least the Bears have won something. Actually, they've won a few things. The Bears won eight pre-SB NFL Championships, and they won Super Bowl XX, totalling nine championships overall (only the Packers have more). That's where the positives end. Super Bowl XX took place on January 26, 1986. It's been 40 years since the Bears won that game, yet every Bears fan's response to the Packers' superiority is that 1985 season. Sports is a "What have you done for me lately?" business. Lately, the Bears did beat the Packers in January. The Bears won their Super Bowl. It's not the Super Bowl, though, and I sense a backward spiral for the Bears in 2026.

And of course, the Bears play by the lake. Lake Michigan is very close to where Soldier Field is, though we've all heard the story about the team moving to Indiana. Yikes!

Chicago Blackhawks

On to the United Center's other franchise, the Chicago Blackhawks. One of the NHL's Original Six teams, the Blackhawks just celebrated a full century in the league, but their history isn't a good one. Despite their 100 years in the league, they're one of the least successful of the Original Six franchises. The Hawks have only won six Stanley Cups, same as the Bruins, and only the Rangers have fewer.

Of course, the Hawks have been in the spotlight ever since they drafted Connor Bedard, but they were in the news very recently because Patrick Kane is back with the Hawks. Kane was part of that Blackhawks' near-dynasty in the 2010s, winning three Cups (2010, 2013, 2015) in six seasons, and now he's back in Chicago for (at least) two years. It's been six years since the Hawks have been in the playoffs, but they have been getting closer and closer. Maybe Kane's return will place them back into contention.

In Closing

You know, it's really hard to determine who the top team in Chicago is. The Bulls and Bears get talked about the most in SNL's "Superfans" sketches. The Cubs get a lot of attention. If I had to pick one right now, it would be between the Bulls and Cubs, but here's how bad the state of Chicago sports is right now. The Bears and Bulls haven't won a championship in the 21st century, yet they're still Chicago's winningest teams. The Cubs' long overdue championship is the Windy City's most recent in any of the main four leagues. So yeah, the current state of Chicago sports is very shaky.

Despite this, after careful consideration, I have to say that the Cubs are Chicago's top team right now. They have been consistently good since that championship in 2016, and they should get into this year's postseason (at least) as a Wild Card, if not as champions of the National League Central. As for who the black sheep is, it's the Bears, but not by much, the Bulls are close. As bad as the Bulls are, the Bears are worse, but again, it's close. If the Bears make it back to the playoffs again, I think it'll be the Bulls in that black sheep spot.

So what are your thoughts? Who really is Chicago's best team? Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below!