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A banner year in 2005 Chicago sports |
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Written by JON SINGER
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Thursday, 15 December 2005 |
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All the signs of Armageddon are officially upon us. The tsunami, mudslides, earthquakes, Hurricane Katrina. But the one that I enjoyed most is even more amazing: Chicago saw a World Series champion.
The White Sox lead off Lumino's best of 2005 in sports. The team, which Lumino followed throughout the postseason, was the antithesis of the "me" era of athletes. The Sox had no Terrell Owens, Manny Ramirez or Ron Artest on the team. They just had a bunch of hard-working, team-first battlers. Oh, and the best pitching in baseball.
Earlier in 2005, though, the Bulls gained our respect again. They made the playoffs for the first time since the Michael Jordan era. And if it hadn't been for season ending injuries to Eddy Curry and Luol Deng, the Bulls may have made it past the first round. Coach Scott Skiles taught the Bulls how to play defense, and wins followed after a season-opening nine-game losing streak.
In college hoops, the University of Illinois made Chicagoans proud. The Fighting Illini made it to the NCAA championship, but lost to the University of North Carolina. Still, they were another team with heart and players who performed above their abilities. The city of broad shoulders, indeed.
In the fall, the Bears started out slowly, but blew everyone away by winning eight games in a row. They currently are playoff-bound, riding a defense that is best in the NFL, and being compared to that of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears. The theme continues here, with a team no one thought could even threaten for a playoff spot.
It wasn't all good in 2005 for Chicago sports. The Cubs didn't live up to anyone's expectations. And the Blackhawks are just 12-15 at publication time.
But looked at from afar, this has been the best year in Chicago sports in at least to the early '90s, when the Bulls won championships, the Blackhawks flirted with the Stanley Cup, and the White Sox were an A.L. favorite.
Only one thing has remained the same: The Cubs suck. Who knows. Maybe that "Back to the Future 2" scene when the Cubs win the World Series was premature.
Here's hoping for even better luck in 2006. The White Sox have restocked. The Bears will have a playoff run. Illinois is set to make another NCAA tournament run. The Bulls should return to the playoffs.
And, though not much has changed for the Blackhawks and Cubs, hope still remains.
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