Chicago Sports Teams and Their Mascots

by Carol Gibson

According to Wikipedia, "a Mascot is a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck and includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity". Every Chicago sports team has its own mascot which is widely used for merchandising. However, very few know the origin of these mascots. Let's take a look at each sports team and how their mascots came into existence:

1. Team - Chicago Bulls

Mascot – Benny, the Bull

Benny, the bull, which is the famous mascot of the team Chicago Bulls was introduced when the club's first owner Richard Klein wanted the team to reflect strength and power to the world. The team got its nickname when Richard's son exclaimed one day 'Dad, that's a bunch of bull!' while Richard was sitting with his family. The bulls do represent power and strength and since then the team is known by this name. The mascot has been named 'Benny', after the famous boxer, Ben Bentley, who used to struggle to give tickets away.

2. Team – Chicago Blackhawks

Mascot – Tommy Hawk

The Blackhawks got their name from a Sauk Indian warrior, Black Hawk, who fought for his people and became the symbol of resistance and rebellion, strength and resilience. The then team founder Major Frederic McLaughlin, was so impressed with the warrior that he named his division Black Hawks. The team introduced their mascot Tommy Hawk in 2001-02 season.

2. Team – Chicago Bears

Mascot – Staley

Chocago bears were originally known as Decatur Staleys since the team was owned by the A.E. Staley food starch company. It was in 1920 when George Halas, one of the founders of NFL, thought of renaming the team and came up with the name Chicago Bears which best reflects tough team players. The team introduced a kid-friendly mascot that is a huge and a cuddly bear, named Staley.

3. Team – Chicago White Sox

Mascot- Southpaw

The White Sox installed 'Southpaw' as their mascot in 2002. The mascot was more like a green-lizard character. The management of White Sox has introduced two mascots Ribbie and Roobarb, which were found to be strange and soon grew unpopular.

4. Team – Chicago Cubs

Mascot- Clark

Cubs have recently come up with their new mascot named Clark. They have introduced a bear who wears his cap backward. This mascot has been named after Clark and Addison, the intersection where Wrigley Field is located.

These mascots have been driving Chicagoans high over heels during different seasons. They are here to stay and cheer up their fans and their teams.


Author Bio:

Carol Gibson is an expert author who regularly writes about Sports, Travel, and Technology. With her articles, she wants to share her knowledge about the trends and events. She welcomes any questions or comments you might have on her posts.