Chicago, My Kind of Town

So, I found myself in a quandary this evening. As per usual, I was at a trivia quiz at a nearby bar on Tuesday, and the first question threw me for a loop. It was a family feud style question (which for the purposes of this post and not to sound like I'm complaining about the outcome, I misheard) and the question asked, "Besides athletes and sports venues, name a person or event that Chicago is known for."

Being a Midwesterner and an avid fan of Chicago as a city, I was at a loss for a moment. All my favorite memories and surrounding names dealt only with sports. Seeing Michael at the United Center. Games and snow at Soldier Field. Dogs, Old Style, Sandberg, Dawson, and Shawon at Wrigley. Bullet holes in seats at Old Comiskey. Where did my memories beyond sports go? I immediately thought of St Pat's and the green river, but this being a quiz in NorCal, I figured this wouldn't be the right answer. I sat for a moment puzzled. Oprah came to mind as the most logical answer as her hold of the nation emanates from the Windy City, but could that really be number one? Some others at my table suggested Capone, Obama, and a video game with Jordan in the title. Lollapalooza came later as Chicago is now the home to the once travelling show, but none of them seemed right. How could a city I love to visit and which has always provided great times be only about sports in my mind?

I guess the iconic figures of the city have always been sports related in my mind. I still remember that Jordan never won a playoff game in Indy. Harry Carey taught me the words to take me out to the ballgame on WGN. The Fog Bowl was one of the most interesting games to attempt to watch on TV. Chicago has always had a certain gravitas for important or compelling sports stories. I know it's the home of Second City, a beautiful opera house and a fantastic museum of art, but what is Chicago, really, to the rest of the country if not the home of sports legend? Babe Ruth pointed to the stands against a Chicago team. A billy goat has cast a curse. A man sharing his name with a character created by Matt Groening caused heartache. The Black Sox speak for themselves.

Considering all that, I say embrace it. Once, it was the Windy City. Hosted a spectacular World's Fair. The city with broad shoulders that packed meat and shipped coal. Embrace the notoriety of sports fame. Sports have always been a focal point of our nation. Being known for that can't be a bad thing. Chicago, I applaud the fact that I think of sports when I hear your name. To think otherwise would leave you with only pizza as your mark. (Pizza was the number one answer to the question, by the way, and I missed that because I did not hear "thing" as a category I could choose from for the answer.)