Full Description
The Chicago Sports Reader examines Chicago's long and glorious history of recreational and competitive sport, and as the home of the finest sporting events and most loyal fans in the United States. Contributors explore why sports have been especially important in Chicago, how these sports were organized, and how sports promote not only a sense of community and hometown pride but also the agony of defeat and betrayal. This indispensable collection surveys the essential events and main teams in the city's sports history--the Bears, the Cubs, the White Sox, the Black Hawks, and the Bulls--as well as great Chicago sports legends Red Grange, Michael Jordan, and others. The authors also examine more specialized sports such as racing, cycling, and women's baseball. In addition to examining the highlights of Chicago sport, The Chicago Sports Reader also acknowledges a few lowlights, such as the role of organized crime, the Cubs' demise in 1969, and the infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919. Contributors are George D. Bushnell, Susan K. Cahn, John M. Carroll, David Claerbaut, Bruce J. Evensen, Gerald R. Gems, Walter LeFeber, Robin Dale Lester, Michael E. Lomax, Daniel A. Nathan, Steven A. Riess, Cord Scott, and John Chi-Kit Wong.
Contents
Introduction: The History of Sports in Chicago Steven A. Riess 1
1. Horse Racing in Chicago, 1883-1894: The Interplay of Class, Politics, and Organized Crime Steven A. Riess 59
2. When Chicago Was Wheel Crazy George D. Bushnell 81
3. The Car Race of the Century Cord Scott 91
4. The Rise of the Spectator, the Coach, and the Player, 1895-1905 Robin Dale Lester 105
5. Black Entrepreneurship in the National Pastime: The Rise of Semiprofessional Baseball in Black Chicago, 1890-1915 Michael E. Lomax 147
6. News, Narratives, and the Black Sox Scandal: History's First Draft Daniel A. Nathan 173
7. Red Grange and the Chicago Bears John M. Carroll 199
8. The Dempsey-Tunney Fight Bruce J. Evensen 233
9. Entrepreneurship and the Rise of the Chicago Blackhawks John Chi-Kit Wong 253
10. Blocked Shot: The Development of Basketball in the African-American Community of Chicago Gerald R. Gems 281
11. No Freaks, No Amazons, No Boyish Bobs Susan K. Cahn 299
12. 1969 and the Chicago Cubs David Claerbaut 317
13. Bittersweet Championships: Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls, and International Sports Marketing Walter L. LeFeber 341
Contributors 353
Index 357
Illustrations follow page 252
