"Andreas Bitzer" <[e-mail]>

Sports in Chicago

Sport plays a very important role in Chicago. There are three sports
they are really crazy about: The first one is basketball. Like in the
whole of the USA basketball is very popular in Chicago. Due to the
team of the Bulls, Chicago has reached its present situation as far
as basketball is concerned.
Over the past ten years the Chicago Bulls have been the top team.
They have won every basketball event, 5 NBA titles included. The
best players of the world played for this team, like the legendary
Michael Jordan. He is said to be the best player who has ever lived.
He is also the person who earns the most money in sports. In the
past few years he made about 30 million dollars. Several years in a
row he became the MVP, which means he was the Most Valuable
Player of the season. He won anything that is possible. Michael
Jordan has played for the Bulls since he left College. Some people
say that he had already become a legend when still at College. All
the players of the team get a lot of money. Two players who must
not be forgotten are Scotti Pippen and Dennis Rodman. They are
also very popular and they are also big idols. These three players
are vital for the Bulls. The value of these players is unimaginable for
the Bulls and the city. Thanks to their enormous abilities the Bulls
won the last two titles. The stadium of the Bulls is a huge arena
called “United Center”, where more than 25 000 people can watch a
game. The ticket prices range from $20 to $75; but on the black
market people pay up to $200. The team has to play 82 games per
year. The season runs from November through June, depending on
playoff dates. Home games are sold out well in advance for months.
They have to travel across the whole of the USA up to Seattle at the
Pacific Ocean or to Houston in Texas.
There is one other professional basketball team in Chicago. It is
called “Chicago Rockers”. They don´t play in the NBA but in the
CBA (Continental Basketball Association).

Baseball

The second important sport in Chicago is baseball. Baseball is at
least as popular as basketball. In almost every big city in America a
huge stadium is available. Sometimes there is room for more than
80 000 people. For the Americans it is like a national sport. The
names of Chicago´s baseball teams are “Chicago White Sox” and
“Chicago Cubs”. The Cubs´ new arena has almost 90 000 seats for

"Andreas Bitzer" <[e-mail]>

visitors. It is one of the most modern baseball stadiums in the
world. The prices range from $7 to $14.
The Sox is a good team. Many famous players play there. They earn
money in the same dimensions like the basketball stars. The Sox
also won some national titles. Tikets range from $7 to $40.

Many Europeans don´t even know the rules of baseball although its
origins are in Britain. So here they are:
The game is played in a diamond-shaped infield. It´s like a square.
The four edges are known as the home plate, first plate, second
plate and third plate. One team bats, the other one is in the field.
The object of the team at bat is to advance the batter to each of the
plates until he has completed the run. If the batter succeeds in
hitting the ball over the perimeter fence he gets a run. A batter can
only score if he has hit the ball in front of him. The side fielding has
nine players and their aim is to prevent runs being scored. The
pitcher, the man who throws the ball, stands 20 yards away and
tries to throw the ball into the area known as the strike zone, which
is an imaginary box level with the batter´s knees and shoulders. If
the ball misses the strike zone and the batter does not bat, the
umpire calls “a ball”. If the ball goes into the strike zone and the
batter does not hit the ball, the umpire calls “strike”. After four
“balls” the batter walks to the first base. After three “strikes” the
batter is out. The team with the most runs wins the game. There are
nine innings in a game and most games last around three hours.

Football

The third sport is football. The season begins in September. There
are two important teams called “Chicago Bears” and “Northwestern
Wildcats”. The Bears are called the “Monsters of the Midway”
because of their rough behaviour. Over the past few years they
have had some good seasons. Their stadium is next to Lake
Michigan. The ticket prices range from $20 to $80.
In 1995 the Wildcats had a dream season. They became one of
Chicago´s sports favourites. Their tickets cost around $10.

These are the three most popular sports in Chicago, but, of course,
people like other sports as well.
Take hockey for example. Chicago has got two professional hockey
teams called “Chicago Blackhawks” and “Chicago Wolves”. Their
season begins in November and ends in the late spring, depending

"Andreas Bitzer" <[e-mail]>

on the playoff schedule. They sometimes get lost in the publicity
which surrounds their famous stadium mates, the Chicago Bulls.
The Blackhawkes play in the same arena like the Bulls. The wolves
are members of the IHL (International Hockey League). They are
perhaps more famous than the Blackhawks. Ticket prices range
from $15 to $75.
Canoeing is also popular in Chicago. On Lake Michigan there are
fantastic conditions. There are many opportunities on the rivers and
lakes around Chicago. You can rent a canoe for $30 per day.
In Chicago there are 6 public golf courses. This is quite a lot. The
most famous one might be “Sidney R. Marovitz Golf Course”.
Sometimes there are championships. This course opens in summer
at 6 am and closes at 7:30 pm. Some fanatic golfers even appear in
winter if there is no snow. Most 18 - hole rounds at a public course
cost $9 - $20. But the golfers have to bring their own equipment.
Cross - Country Skiing is also liked there. There are wonderful runs
in and around the city. Cross - country skis can be rented there for
$25 up to $30.
Close to Chicago there is a big ski resort. It is called “Wilmot
Mountain”. In this resort you can find 25 runs, including a new half -
pipe run for snowboarders. Many people from Chicago drive up
after work for night skiing. The slopes are open until 11 pm. One
weekend card costs around $25.

Quellen:

- Knowledge and experience of A. Bitzer and A. Klaiber
- “Basket” (basketball magazine)
- “Chicago fact book”
- Internet
- Fact files: Sport in the English-speaking world


© Andreas Bitzer
[e-mail]