Chicago sports teams like the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks have such rich histories and memorable players that make these teams unforgettable. We compiled the greatest moments in Chicago sports history and included the greatest Chicago sports moment of all time at end the post. What monumental sport moment do you think we chose as our winner?
Imagine having Chicago Bears tickets for the biggest blowout game against the Washington Redskins. Think about how emotional Michael Jordan’s final shot was, especially for those people who had Chicago Bulls tickets for that memorable game and witnessed it all in real time. Fans that had Chicago Cubs tickets to the game against the Phillies would have been biting their nails as they began battling back from the 21-9 score at the top of the fifth inning. Having Chicago Blackhawk tickets to see Bill Mosienko score a record breaking three goals in 21 seconds would have been amazing for any Blackhawk or hockey fan.
Chicago Bears
Owners of the Staley Starch Company and “Papa Bear” Halas came together to create the Chicago Bears on September 17, 1920. Since then, the organization has completed 93 seasons and won a total of 9 NFL championships. One could only imagine how cheap Chicago Bears tickets were in 1920, especially when compared the prices that tickets are today. Regardless of the ticket price, the Chicago Bears had some incredible victories.
Greatest Moment in Chicago Bears History:
Goose Egg Score
The biggest blowout game in NFL history was the 1940 matchup between the Redskins and Chicago Bears. The game ended in a final score of 73-0. The Washington Redskin coach publically humiliated their competition before the game by telling reporters that the Bears were “quitters and crybabies.” This clearly wasn’t the case when the Bears showed up to play, which resulted in a spectacular game for the Chicago based team.
2nd Greatest Moment:
Interception Game Winner
In 2001, a game against the Cleveland Browns went into overtime after the Bears tied it up with a touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter with only three seconds on the clock. Going into overtime, Mike Brown ran the ball in for a touchdown after jumping up for the Hail Mary and intercepting the ball from Cleveland. The game resulted in a win for the Bears with a final score of 27-21.
3rd Greatest Moment:
Chicago Vs Patriots in Super Bowl XX
It’s a dream for every football team to compete in the Super Bowl. The Chicago Bears had a ticket to the game that was televised on NBC where they took on the New England Patriots. The Bears came out victorious with a final score of 46-10 to be crowned Super Bowl XX Champions for the 1986 season.
Chicago Bulls
One of the most prolific basketball franchises, the Chicago Bulls had their share of greatest moments and greatest players of all time. Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Derrick Rose were just some of the Bulls players that helped lead the Chicago Bulls to victory throughout the years, making the franchise unforgettable. Fans that had Chicago Bulls tickets, and Bulls fans overall experienced some of the best players in the industry.
Greatest Moment in Chicago Bulls History:
“The Shot”
A clutch moment in Michael Jordan’s career goes down in history as “The Shot” and symbolized the beginning of Michael Jordan’s dynasty with the Bulls. It was during the fifth game of the NBA finals in 1989 where they faced the Cleveland Cavilers. After a jump shot, Cleveland came back to take the score from 99-98 to 100-99. With two seconds to go on the clock, Jordan received the inbound pass and hit a shot from behind the foul line to win the game 101-100.
2nd Greatest Moment:
42.1 Second Victory
In 2009, Joakim Noah, the forward for the Bulls pulled off a 42.1 second shot in the third overtime to break the tie. Joakim intercepted a pass from Celtic’s Paul Pierce. Running down court he ended the game with a textbook dunk just in time. The game ended in a victory for the Bulls with a score of 128-127. Imagine being a Bulls fan and having tickets to that game!
3rd Greatest Moment:
Victorious Season
In 1991, the Bulls broke the existing record for most season wins by winning 61 games, which landed them a spot in the playoff games against the Los Angeles Lakers. Leading the team, Michael Jordan received MVP awards for the regular season and finals, as well as winning his fifth consecutive scoring title. This was the Bulls first championship win since 1966. Imagine having a courtside ticket to that game!
Chicago Cubs
In 1870, The Chicago Baseball Club was created and thus the Chicago White Stocking were born. The team started out as the White Stockings and experienced a number of name changes including the Orphans, Colts, Panamas, Rainmakers, Spuds, Trojans, Microbes, and Zephyrs. In 1902 a newspaper called the team the Cubs. It wasn’t until 1907 when the organization adopted the name that is used today.
Greatest Moment in Chicago Cubs History:
World Series Win
In 1907, the fourth World Series ever played was a matchup between the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers. With a final score of 2-0 the Chicago Cubs came out victorious 4 games to 1 against the Detroit Tigers, earning the Cubs their first World Series win. They win their second World Series the following year and oddly enough, beat the Tigers with a score of 2-0.
2nd Greatest Moment:
Homerun Victory Club
The 1998 and 1999 season of the Chicago Cubs baseball proved memorable for Sammy Sosa when he became the first individual to hit 60 homeruns in consecutive seasons. It was in the 1998 game against the Milwaukee Brewers that Sosa hit not just his 61st but also his 62nd homerun for the season.
3rd Greatest Moment:
Rally Hats On!
While the Cubs lost this game, it still doesn’t take away from their amazing comeback skills. In 1979, the Chicago Cubs faced the Philadelphia Phillies for a high scoring fight for victory. In the top of the fifth inning, the Cubs were down 21-9 where they battled back. The final score was 23-22 with eleven home runs and 50 hits. A year earlier the Cubs beat the Phillies and set a record for a total of 57 runs.
Chicago White Sox
In 1900, the Chicago White Sox became a part of the American League of baseball, and was the second baseball team based out of Chicago. Stealing one of the Cubs nicknames, the team started out as the Chicago White Stockings. The name was eventually shortened to Chicago White Sox. Amazing plays, games, and hits helped keep this team successful since their early beginnings.
Greatest Moment in Chicago White Sox History:
Great Catch
28,000 fans purchased White Sox tickets and witnessed “one of the best defensive plays” in White Sox history. Three outs away from the end of a perfect game, White Sox outfielder, DeWayne Wise robbed Gabe Kapler of a homerun for Tampa Bay. Had this ball not been caught, the game wouldn’t have been put in the record books as the second perfect game for the White Sox.
2nd Greatest Moment:
Walk Off Home Run and 2005 World Series
Coming off a batting slump, Scott Podsednik hit a 2-1 pitch to end the second game of the 2005 World Series. This was Podsednik’s first home run of the season. The seat where the homerun landed remained the same when they updated the stadium seats at the Cellular Stadium. They went on to win the 2005 World Series three days later against the Houston Astros. This was the first time they won the championship after experiencing an 87-year drought.
3rd Greatest Moment:
Fade to Black
Fans that had Chicago White Sox tickets wore black to the 2008 game against the Minnesota Twins. The blackout was to support the potential of a berth to the playoffs. Jim Thome hit a homerun that won the game with a 1-0 score and landed the White Sox in the playoffs. This year, both the Cubs and White Sox made it to the playoffs
Chicago Blackhawks
Founded in 1926, the Chicago Blackhawks became a member of the National Hockey League that, at the time, only included six teams. Since they began, the team has brought home the Stanley Cup 4 times, was two time Conference Champions, and received the Presidents’ Trophy in their 1990-91 season.
Greatest Moment in Chicago Blackhawks History:
2010 Stanley Cup
After a 49-year draught, the Blackhawks took home the Stanley Cup. The victorious win over the Philadelphia Flyers ended in overtime. Patrick Kane drove in the winning goal, which ended the game with a 4-3 score, bringing the Stanley Cup back to Chicago.
2nd Greatest Moment:
3 Goals 21 Seconds
Going down in history as a legend, Bill Mosienko scored a grand total of three goals in just 21 seconds of play in a game in 1952. Gus Bodnar assisted Moisenko for each goal during the third period. The team went on to win the game against the New York Rangers with a score of 7-6. Chances are, this NHL record will never be broken putting this Blackhawk player in the record books possibly forever!
3rd Greatest Moment:
Scoreless Game
In 1944, the Chicago Blackhawks took on the Toronto Maple Leafs in a hockey game that ended perfectly. The game went down in the record books as a scoreless event. Not even one penalty was called, dubbing this game a “perfect” scoreless game.
The Greatest Moment Of All Time In Chicago Sports History
The Last Shot Heard Around The World
The year was 1998 and the Chicago Bulls had finished their season with 62 wins and just 20 losses. With a record like that it meant one thing…NBA playoffs! It was game 5 of the playoffs and the Bulls unfortunately fell to the Utah Jazz. Game 6 took place on Utah’s court.
In the first half of the game, Micheal Jordan scored 23 points but as the game neared the end the Bulls were down. With a minute left on the clock, Jordan scored to tie the game. Unfortunately though, the Jazz answered back with a three pointer with only 41.9 seconds left on the clock. Jordan answers back with a layup to take to score to 86-85. The Bulls were still down and the team was determined to finish off strong and win the NBA Finals. Stealing the ball from John Stockton, Jordan hit a 20-foot jump shot with only 5.2 seconds left on the clock. Utah attempts to answer back with a missed three point shot and like that the game was over and Chicago won 86-87.
Michael Jordan’s 20 foot jump shot was the shot heard round the world as the Chicago Bulls won their sixth NBA title. Jordan wracked up a healthy 45 points for the game and was named the NBA Finals MVP. With that, Michael Jordan retired from basketball for the second time after this monumental moment in Chicago sports history.