Author: Clement Li

Program of Study: Master of Public Policy (MPP), Harris School of Public Policy

This is the photo I took after the White Sox won the game.

Description: In this podcast, I share my experience attending a Chicago White Sox game and a surprising conversation with a lifelong fan. I then reflect on what Chicago’s sports culture reveals about community, identity, and keep the city’s passion alive through both highs and lows.

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Transcript (provided by author):

Welcome to ELI’s Finding Chicago Global Perspectives Podcast Series for AEPP 2025. I’m your host, Clement, and I’m currently enrolled in the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Today I’ll be sharing my thoughts on Chicago’s sports culture.

I’ve loved sports culture since I was a kid. I liked watching Basketball, football and soccer games. To me, every sport carries a story, and a stadium is like a cultural mirror. It reflects a city’s passion, its identity, and its community.

When I came to Chicago, I already knew about its famous teams—the Bulls, the Bears, the Cubs, and the White Sox. But I wanted to see what sports here really feel like. So I went to Comesky Park, the home of the White Sox, on the South Side.

The atmosphere was incredible. At the train station, there were murals and logos everywhere. Inside, I learned that this year marked the White Sox’s 150th anniversary, and you could feel that history in every corner of the stadium.

The game itself was exciting—the Sox won with a big home run and some great catches. But what stayed with me most was a conversation with the man sitting next to me, a 77-year-old fan from Kenwood. I assumed he would be a lifelong White Sox supporter. But to my surprise, he told me his favorite team was actually the Cubs—the Sox’s biggest rival.

Honestly speaking, I was a little bit curious. Why would someone from the South Side love the North Side team in Chicago? And then He explained that when he was young, most Black players played in the National League, and the Cubs were actually Chicago’s National League team. That history shaped his tendency. And later, the Cubs’ legendary championship win only made his love stronger.

That conversation showed me that in Chicago, sports not just about winning or losing. They’re about history, community, and identity.

Well, that experience made me think more deeply about Chicago’s sports culture.

First, sports here are everywhere—not just in stadiums. Families gather at sports field and play together. And runners running along the Lake Michigan. Even on game days, you can see fans on buses and trains heading to games. Sports aren’t just events here – they are in the city’s DNA.

But sports also highlight divisions. The Cubs and the White Sox don’t just represent two teams; they represent two sides of the city—the North Side and the South Side of Chicago. One has higher attendance, more recent success, and global recognition. The other struggles with lower attendance but still holds deep local pride. This made me wonder: what really makes a team part of a city’s identity? Is it championships and performance? Or is it history, tradition, and who the team has represented for its community?

I also realized that sports create collective memory. That the Cubs’ long wait for a championship became a story passed down for generations. And for Sox fans, every victory carries hope even in tough times. These memories give meaning beyond the scoreboard.

And more broadly, I think sports act as a kind of “soft power” for a city. They shape how people see Chicago from the outside, but more importantly, they shape how Chicagoans see themselves. Whether it’s rivalry or unity, sports bring people together in ways that politics or economics often can’t.

So when I think of Chicago’s sports culture, I see more than just entertainment. I see a shared language. Even if you don’t know anyone in the stadium, wearing the same jersey makes you part of the community. And sports become a way of belonging.

Through one baseball game, I started to understand the deeper role of sports in this city. The history of two baseball teams in Chicago reminds us to stay humble when we are at the top, and to stay hopeful when we are at the bottom. That balance is what keeps Chicago full of passion and resilience.

OK! Thank you for listening. This is ELI’s Finding Chicago Global Perspectives Podcast Series for AEPP 2025. I’m Clement, see you next time!