Past Times

Major American Sports (please also check out Games) I put baseball first because the SEAYLP group is more likely to go to a baseball game than football or basketball, however football (American, not what we call soccer) is more popular and if you're in the US during the autumn it is worth seeing. The popularity of sports varies somewhat by state, too, as soccer is very popular in the northern states and football is practically a religion in places like Oklahoma or Texas. Some sports like field hockey are only played in certain regions, even. Here's a little information about the top sports (soccer excluded because everyone knows "football"). Baseball. Played in the summer, this is the American past time and is important to many fans. While the rules are pretty simple on the surface - a batter from team A tries to hit a ball far enough to run around 3 bases and back "home" before the other team can tag him with the ball - the real rules and details are a bit more difficult. Check out the overview video above for a quick understanding of the rules. You might also look at this Whiteboard Video Rules of Baseball for a funnier version with more cultural stuff. When you're in Chicago, you should know about the two big teams--the Cubs and the White Sox. Pick your loyalty wisely as Chicagoans can be pretty opinionated about it. Football. This sport is played in fall and winter months and at the professional level culminates in the Super Bowl in January or February. The Chicago team is the Bears, but there are also many in northern Illinois that cheer for their rivals, the Green Bay Packers. See the video at above for a very simple breakdown of the goals and rules. Basketball. Basketball is fast paced and fairly easy to understand. You just have to get the ball in the basket. It's like soccer aka football - lots of passing, dribbling, and running - but with way more points! You'll find the rules above. Remember, when in Illinois the team to cheer for is the Chicago Bulls. Hockey. This is gaining fans and is popular in northern states like Illinois; plus, the Chicago team, the Blackhawks, has recently gone to the Stanley Cup playoffs several times (and won,too). Again, the play is a bit like soccer/football with one team trying to get the puck in the others goals by outwitting their opponents, only this time ON ICE!!!!! Again, check out the video above to learn a little more, and remember to root for the Blackhawks.