At its core, Chicago sports is a Holy Trinity of Ditka, Jordan, and the beloved Cubs, supplemented by the sainted White Sox, and sports is king throughout the year. The only thing that remotely compares to catching the game at Wrigley Field is the inevitable post-game gathering of Chicago fans of every ilk, when they descend on the sports bar-riddled strip of Wrigleyville – a veritable madhouse during home games – to celebrate with a few steins and spend the rest of the day making the rounds at all the drinking dens lining the surrounding streets.

Sports in Chicago isn’t only about Bulls basketball, baseball, and Bears football though. The Blackhawks hockey team is a veritable powerhouse, the Chicago Fire are a perennial soccer contender, and the Chicago Marathon is one of the five World Major Marathons.