The Ultimate Sports Fan Vacation in Chicago

Attending some of the biggest sports events on the planet is on many people’s bucket lists. Whether it is watching golf at Augusta, cheering on your country at the World Cup, or catching the halftime show at a Super Bowl, sports is a huge draw when it comes to planning big trips.

But rather than getting a ticket to just one event, we think that picking a city and checking out its sports teams is an excellent way to spend your time. Now, Chicago may not currently have the teams that get the backing of the sportsbooks profiled at Onlinesportsbetting.net but the Windy City is regarded as a mecca for sports.

One of just eleven US cities that can boast teams in five major American sports – football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and soccer – Chicago has won awards for being the “Best Sports City” and is an incredible place to immerse yourself if you are into sports at all. Read on to find out all about the teams and fans that make this place so special.

Choose Your Colors

Not only does Chicago have teams in all four major American pro sports leagues – plus a soccer team too – it is one of the few cities in the country to have multiple teams in one sport. Nothing says “America” quite like baseball and in this city you will need to choose carefully as to which team you get behind.

Both teams have a long history, a lot of winless years, and plenty of passionate fans. In the north of the city, the Cubs play at the ornate Wrigley Field and ended a 100-year championship drought by winning the World Series in 2016. The White Sox are on the south side, in Bridgeport, and last won the title in 2005. Both sets of fans are incredible and once you pick your side you will be a fan for life.

Walk in the Shadow of a Legend

If you are not a complete expert when it comes to US sports you will still probably have heard of one athlete that changed his sport forever and definitely put Chicago on the map. Michael Jordan is one of the most recognizable names on the planet, let alone in sports, and brought success to the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

The days of Jordan and Pippen collecting championship rings are long gone, unfortunately for Bulls fans, but catching a game at the United Center, conveniently in the Near West Side, is still an electrifying experience. The bars and restaurants around the place are perfect for getting ready for the game and, you never know, you might catch the Bulls as they make their way back to the top of the NBA.

Watch Soccer US-Style

If you are a soccer fan of an English Premier League team, or maybe one of the big Spanish and Italian clubs, you might have once looked down your nose at Major League Soccer as an inferior league. But MLS is now almost 30 years old and is attracting a lot of young talent from across the Americas – as well as a certain Lionel Messi as well.

Chicago Fire is the local team to follow here and it has won plenty of trophies in its time, entering the league as one of the first expansion teams in the late 1990s and now back at its spiritual home of Soldier Field in the Near South Side. There is a notable fan culture at the game – and around the stadium before and after – so remember to get ready to sing.

Tough City, Tough Sport

There is something about hockey fans that tell you they are hockey fans even before you speak to them – even if they aren’t wearing their team’s colors. Hockey is a tough sport, with the NHL the toughest league in the world, and Chicago Blackhawks fans are a hardy bunch.

You will want to get to the United Center, which the Hawks share with the Bulls, early to make sure that you find a place in one of the many bars around the area. Once inside the arena you can watch the fastest team sport in the world and marvel at the skill of all the players on the ice. The Blackhawks have a successful history but glory has escaped them of late. That won’t mean that you don’t have the time of your life though.

Go Bears!

The Bulls might be the most successful sports team in Chicago but football is the most popular sport in the country and the Chicago Bears represent the city like no one else. The baseball teams come close but, with two to choose from, there is an inter-city rivalry to deal with. With the Bears, the whole of Chicago is all in.

The Fire might play at Soldier Field but the Bears own the place and have played home games there since 1971. There are fewer NFL games per season than in the other sports so grabbing a ticket for the Bears will be tough. Try anything you can to get in but remember that the tailgate parties outside the stadium are just as important as the game itself.

Enjoy the City

Whatever time of year you travel to Chicago you are sure to find some top-tier sports action to watch. Whether it is the Bulls, Blackhawks, Bears, Fire, White Sox, or Cubs, sports fans in this city know how to get behind their team and have a good time.

Getting a ticket for games is not impossible, especially for basketball and baseball, but you will have just as good a time immersing yourself in the sports bar culture of Chicago as well. This is a sports-mad city and you will be made to feel more than welcome.