FIFA Women’s World Cup of Soccer [Football]

The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition has been held every four years since 1991, when the inaugural tournament, then called the Women's World Championship, was held in China.

Under the tournament's current format, national teams vie for 23 slots in a three-year qualification phase. (The host nation's team is automatically entered as the 24th slot.) The tournament proper, often called the World Cup Finals, is contested at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about three weeks.

The seven FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments have been won by four different national teams, including the United States, which beat Norway 2–1 in the first final. The current champion is the United States, after winning their third title in 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Women%27s_World_Cup>, 6 July 2015

Chicago Cubs Baseball Club - Holds World Records

The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball franchise located on the north side of Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

The club played its first games in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings, before officially becoming the Chicago Cubs for the 1903 season. The Cubs are the oldest currently active U.S. professional sports club, continuously existing in the same city for their entire history. They are one of the two remaining charter members of the National League (the other being the Atlanta Braves). Since Chicago did not have a fully operating White Stockings team for two seasons due to the Great Chicago Fire, differences continue to be voiced when considering the elder status of this ball club: Although the Braves have played for more consecutive seasons, the Cubs hold the distinction of having been founded a full season earlier (Cubs in 1870 and Braves in 1871).

The Cubs are also one of two active major league clubs based in Chicago, the other being the Chicago White Sox of the American League. The team is currently owned by Thomas S. Ricketts, son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts.

In 1906, the franchise recorded a Major League Baseball record 116 wins (tied by the 2001 Seattle Mariners) and posted a modern-era record winning percentage of .763, still held today. They appeared in their first World Series the same year, falling to their crosstown rivals, the White Sox, four games to two. The Cubs won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908, becoming the first Major League club to play in three consecutive Fall Classics, and the first to win it twice. The club has appeared in seven World Series following their 1908 title, most recently in 1945. The Cubs have not won the World Series in 106 years, the longest championship drought of any major North American professional sports team,[1][2] and are often referred to as the "Lovable Losers" because of this distinction. They are also known as "The North Siders" because Wrigley Field, their home park since 1916, is located in Chicago's north side Lake Viewcommunity at 1060 West Addison Street.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Cubs>,   6 July 2015

Sports Highlights 2

Chicago Blackhawks Ice Hockey

Record Championship Drought, 1961-2010; Triple Sanley Cup Wins 2010, 2013, 2015

The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled as Black Hawks before 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conferenceof the National Hockey League (NHL). They have won six Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926. The Blackhawks are one of the "Original Six" NHL teams along with the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. Since 1994, the club's home rink is the United Center. The club had previously played for 65 years at Chicago Stadium.[1]

The club's original owner was Frederic McLaughlin, who owned the club until his death in 1944. Under McLaughlin, a "hands-on" owner who fired many coaches during his ownership, the club won two Stanley Cup titles. The club was then owned by the Norris family, which as owners of the Chicago Stadium was the club's landlord, and owned stakes in several of the NHL teams. At first, the Norris ownership was as part of a syndicate fronted by long-time executive Bill Tobin, and the team languished in favor of the Norris-owned Detroit Red Wings. After the senior James E. Norris died in 1952, the Norris assets were spread among family members and James D. Norris became owner. Norris Jr. took an active interest in the team and under his ownership, the club won one Stanley Cup title in 1961.

After James D. Norris died in 1966, the Wirtz family became owners of the franchise. Although the club regularly qualified for the playoffs, the club held the league's longest championship drought from 1961 until 2010. In 2007, the club came under the control of Rocky Wirtz, who is credited with turning around the organization, which had lost fan interest. Under Rocky Wirtz, the Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups, including two in the last three seasons (2009–2010, 2012–2013, 2014–2015).

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Blackhawks>, 6 July 2015

Chicago Bulls Basketball

Six Championship Teams 1991-1998 with Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, & Michael Jordon.

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Divisionof the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was founded on January 16, 1966. The Bulls play their home games at the United Center. The Bulls saw their greatest success during the 1990s. They are known for having one of the NBA's greatest dynasties, winning six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 with two three-peats. All six championship teams were led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. The Bulls are the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships and never lose an NBA Finals in their history.

The Bulls won an NBA record-72 games during the 1995–96 NBA season and are the only team in NBA history to win 70 games or more in a single season.[3][4] Many experts and analysts consider the 1996 Bulls to be one of the greatest teams in NBA history. As of 2013, the Bulls were estimated to be the third most valuable NBA franchise according to Forbes, with an estimated value of $1 billion, earning an estimated $52.2 million in operating income in 2013.[5] Michael Jordan and Derrick Rosehave both won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the Bulls, for a total of six MVP awards.

The Bulls share rivalries with the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and more recently the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bulls-Pistons rivalry was highlighted heavily during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

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