The economy is the pits, unemployment is growing and taxes seem to be
spiraling out of control. But it's a great time if you're a fan of Chicago sports teams. Consider: The good news for the Bulls, who have missed the NBA playoffs seven of
the past ten seasons, including last year, is that they're back in the
postseason. The bad news: Their first-round opponent could be either the defending champion Boston Celtics or the Orlando Magic. 'Nuff said. The United Center will see postseason hockey for the first time in
seven seasons as the Blackhawks, under first-year president John McDonough and new chairman Rocky Wirtz, will face Calgary in the first
round. After watching their team miss the playoffs the past two years after reaching the
Super Bowl in the 2006 season, Bears fans are singing a more optimistic tune about 2009 heading into next week's NFL draft, particularly after the team acquired Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler nearly two
weeks ago. The Cubs are off to a 5-2 start. The White Sox are off to a 4-3 start and are second in the
AL Central. The Fire, which made it to the MLS Eastern Conference final before
losing to eventual league champ Columbus last season, is off to a 2-0-2 start thus far and sit atop the Eastern Division. Add all that up and sports fans in the Windy City have a plethora of
good news for the first time in a long time (OK, we have to admit
that the Wolves, after winning the AHL championship last season, stunk
up the joint this season, not even making the playoffs, let alone
defending their title). That's why ESPNChicago.com could not be launching at a better time.
While real-life troubles are tough to ignore, having so many success
stories playing out currently helps us forget about those problems. Sports aren't a mandatory part of our lives. Rather, we choose to let them be part of our lives. While we have to pay taxes and die, there's no governmental doctrine that says you have to be a fan -- and in some cases, a long-suffering fan -- of the Cubs or Bulls or Hawks. In good times and bad, in our day-to-day lives, sports become an
outlet -- an escape from our problems even if for a few hours, which
helps us cope with things when they turn bad, or one that enthralls us
when times are good. We choose to be fans, to assign our allegiance to a certain team and
then follow it through good and bad, great years and lousy years.
Sometimes, our loyalty pays off, like when the Bulls won their six NBA
titles, the Bears won Super Bowl XX or the White Sox were World Series champions
in 2005 –- much to the chagrin of Cubs fans. Then there are times when our favorite teams and players get agonizingly
close, but can't seal the deal, like the Bears' loss to Indianapolis
in Super Bowl XLI three years ago. Or how about arguably the most loyal sports fans of all, Cubs fans, who
have waited an incredulous 54 years for their team to reach the
World Series, let alone 101 years to see them win their next title? If it hadn't of been for guys named Durham
in 1984 or Bartman in 2003, those streaks may have been broken, but
"waiting 'til next year" seems to be as important to being a Cubs fan as
how he or she optimistically says at the beginning of every new season, "THIS is going to be our year to win it all!" That mantra has been repeated for decades -- which has now turned into
more than a century -- but sooner or later, the Cubs' faithful knows
it'll finally see a World Series trophy hoisted at venerable Wrigley
Field. Even if it takes another 50 years to do so. Yes, it's a great time to be a Chicago sports fan right now. As all the
teams are riding high, how great would it be to see the Bulls and Hawks
win their respective league championships two months from
now? And then see that followed up by the Cubs and White Sox facing each other in
the World Series in October? And then see Cutler live up to all the reasons why the Bears needed to
acquire him by taking the team to a Super Bowl win next winter? As ESPNChicago.com kicks off, we want to join you for the ride of
what it means to be a Chicago sports fan, to constantly be beside you
to share the good times and the bad, to cheer and commiserate with you. It's a ride we hope you join us in, because we're sports fans just like
you are -- and there's no better way to forget about our problems or to
make a new friend than having sports fans start talking about their
favorite teams. We're ready to start talking. Are you?
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