Chicago is home to seven professional sports teams, as well as more than 100 college sports teams. The Cubs (baseball), the White Sox (baseball), the Bears (American football), and the Blackhawks (hockey) are all founding members of their leagues. Along with the Bulls (basketball), the Sky (women's basketball) and the Fire (soccer), they are part of a Chicago sports tradition that dates back to the 19th century. The Chicago Bears, one of the oldest professional sports franchises in the world, were founded in 1920 when George Halas founded professional football.
Check out the gigantic Stanley Cup replica located in front of the Madhouse team store and check out archival photos and videos of the teams on a giant, interactive touchscreen. The team was founded in 1926 by coffee magnate Frederic McLaughlin and has won three Stanley Cup championships and thirteen division titles. One thing you'll notice is that Chicago sports fans are usually Cubs or White Sox fans. The team was founded in 1893 and is currently a member of the Central Division of the American League.
The Bears' rivalry with the Green Bay Packers dates back to the 1920s and is one of the most intense in American professional sports. The Chicago Major League Soccer (MLS) team burst onto the scene in 1998, and was named in honor of the Great Chicago Fire. Chicago was the home of the Chicago Sting, which competed in North America's top professional soccer league (NASL) from 1975 to 1984. The Sky is one of seven independently owned teams of the WNBA, the oldest professional women's sports league in the world. Personally, I've never met a group of Chicago sports fans who are as loyal to a team as Cubs fans.
If you have the chance to see them on one of the coldest days, rest assured that there will be fans there wearing shirts painted orange and blue, that's how staunch these Chicago sports fans are. Chicago is home to a wide variety of legendary professional sports teams, from the iconic Bulls basketball team to the Cubs. Going to see one of these Chicago sports teams will add a touch of flavor and excitement to your stay here in Chicago. At Madhouse Team Store, a 10,000-square-foot Bulls and Blackhawks retail store located on the ground floor of the atrium, you can buy team souvenirs and t-shirts.
