Paralympic Games Reach New Level of Popularity

by: Paul Banks

For the Paralympic Games, times have never been better. The most recently completed Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games was the most successful competition to date. They ended last Wednesday with a total of 472 medal events, (262 men’s events, 176 women, 34 mixed) with a total of 279 new World records set and a total of new 339 Paralympic records broken.

According to a recent International Paralympic Committee press release:

 “After 12 days of competition, the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games on 17 September 2008 officially ended a period of record-breaking competition and events. Almost 4,000 athletes from a total of 147 different countries around the world came to Beijing to compete in their respective sport. Some athletes competed in more than one event, but each participated on an elite level. Of those 147 countries, five competed in the Paralympic Games for the first time, including Burundi, Gabun, Georgia, Haiti and Montenegro.”

But what truly made this Paralympics stand out from previous games is the record interest from both fans and the press. The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, covered by about 5,600 media members and staffed by over 30,000 volunteers saw 1.9 million tickets sold and an additional 600,000 tickets given to children, educational and community groups.  Sold out events included the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, all Swimming events and most Athletics events. The events were also well attended by the International Paralympic and National Paralympic Committees. The two organizations combined sent about 2,500 officials and representatives. The increased attendance and media coverage reflect the Games’ rising popularity and visibility on the World stage. It conveys the fact that the Games are reaching new audiences on a greater level than ever before. The substantial presence of Committee officials on both the International and National level may indicate a continuation of these trends in the next Paralympic Games.

Perhaps more competitive and attendance records will be broken in 2012?

Chicago Sport & Social Club
Bringing Organized Sports to the Masses - Adding Fun Along the Way

 

If you’ve cruised along Lakeshore Drive in the summer and scanned hundreds of people playing volleyball at the same time, you’ve just met the Chicago Sport & Social Club.

From ping pong to kayaking, the Chicago Sport and Social Club is the largest of its kind in the United States.  Jason Erkes, the President of CSSC, has created a unique organization that lets anyone join, learn a new sport, participate in their favorite sport and meet new Chicagoans along the way.

In addition to popular sports like soccer, Chicago Sport and Social keeps members active all year long - keep that competitive spirit well balanced with having fun. Check back with the Channel soon as we meet members of CSSC and get to know them better!

Current list of leagues available from Chicago Sport & Social Club

• Basketball
• Bowling
• Boxing
• Dodgeball
• Floor Hockey
• Football
• Kayaking
• Ping Pong
• Rock Climbing
• Volleyball (Indoor and Outdoor)
• Sailing
• Soccer
• Softball
• Tennis
• Yoga

Archery is Alive and Well in Chicago:
From 9,000 BC to Present Day Sport

 

 

If you’ve thought about the sport of archery, but wanted to learn more, there are numerous resources in the Chicagoland area that can assist you in your quest.

One of the more active clubs I discovered is the Lincoln Park Archery Club.  Using Chicago Park District land, the Lincoln Park Archery Club is a semi-private club that also welcomes new archers by providing step-by-step instruction.  They Club celebrated their Championship 900 Rd Tournament and picnic yesterday, too.

Other organizations you may be interested in:

Kishwaukee Archers

Chicago Bow Hunters

Don’t forget, safety first when learning a new sport - especially archery!

The Phelps Effect: Swimming Is Trendy Now!

by: Paul Banks

Believe it or not, this weekend’s edition of Saturday Night Live will actually be hosted by a swimmer. Not just any swimmer, but record setting Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. The show ends a week where Phelps presented at the MTV Video Music Awards and did a guest appearance on HBO’s “Entourage.” Wow! How things have changed for swimming in just seven years. In 2001, my collegiate newspaper editor shot down my attempt to publish a column on swimming. I mentioned how Ian Thorpe (to which my boss responded “who?”) was dominating the sport in a way that few stars ever had. I also reminded him that this was “The Summer of the Shark,” as Time magazine proclaimed it. I tried to sell him on the fact that the media’s over-sensationalizing of the just slightly higher than average number of shark attacks that summer would get people greatly interested in creatures of the water. He didn’t bite.

In 2008 however, people look at swimmers quite differently. To quote Peter Christian, a writer for my website The Sports Bank.net, “Few people can debate that the 2008 Olympics will mainly be remembered as the Summer Games when swimming was the most important: thing on TV, topic at work and event to schedule your evening plans around. Michael Phelps owned NBC, Beijing and the Water Cube for 8 days.” I couldn’t agree more. He’s done for swimming what Tiger Woods did for golf and Michael Jordan achieved for basketball. He’s a big reason for the change I witnessed upon swimming my laps at the public pool in August: the lanes were crowded with about triple the amount of people who joined me for daily exercise in June. Phelps himself is amazed by new rock star level of status. “This is something that I really never thought would happen. If you asked me 4 to 8 years ago, I never would have believed that this would be possible. That I would be walking into a hotel and there would be paparazzi waiting outside. It’s fun. It’s exciting and it’s a dream come true,” he said during his press conference in Chicago last week.

So will this national interest in swimming be just a passing fancy or the beginning of a new era in popularity for the sport? Only time will tell, but it has created new levels of interest in the sport for those who, like Phelps, have a natural anatomy built for the sport. Olympic commentators often talked about Michael Phelps’ elongated torso, long-reaching wingspan and disproportionately big feet made him the perfect physical specimen for the sport. I can relate to that last point. It’s true; big feet act like flippers in the water and give you additional speed. Here’s some numbers that illustrate the point: Michael Jordan is 6’6” with a normal size 13 feet for his height, Phelps is 6’4” with size 14. I’m 5’10” with size 11.5-12. I was often mocked in grade school for dribbling the basketball off my foot or committing traveling violations on the court, partially due to my feet. However, the disadvantage on land is an advantage in the water. And I’m sure that fact, along with Phelps’ dominating performance, has a little something to do with why I’m signing up to do the swimming portion of the Chicago triathlon relay next year. Sure, swimming is nowhere near as popular as basketball or the other big two team sports, but the fact that people are even discussing it in such detail is a wonderful development and the trend should continue into the near future at least. There are still plenty of television shows for Michael Phelps to do a guest appearance on and help promote the sport!

Michael Phelps in Chicago

by: Paul Banks

Michael Phelps is to swimming what Devin Hester is to kick returns in football or what the Red Baron was to combat aviation. Dominance in a particular endeavor like this comes along once in a lifetime…and to watch it happen is truly special. Seeing him break Mark Spitz’s 36 year old record for gold medals won in a single Olympics will make Beijing one of the most talked about Olympics of all time. Phelps inspires a multitude of dedicated fans, and his presence in Chicago on Wednesday, September 3^rd was a monumental event. Phelps had a very busy day that included a press conference for both online chat members and working media at the Hilton Towers on South Michigan Avenue. I had a seat in the front row for that exclusive Phelps presser. The Michael Jordan of swimming was asked if he ever visualized a day when his popularity would be on par with the world-famous Chicago basketball star.

“This is something that I really never thought would happen. If you asked me 4 to 8 years ago, I never would have believed that this would be possible. That I would be walking into a hotel and there would be paparazzi waiting outside. It’s fun. It’s exciting and it’s a dream come true,” Phelps said.

Phelps endorsed Chicago as an Olympic Candidate City: “It’s a great place, a great city and a great sports town. And I really do think it would be the appropriate place for holding the Olympics.” However, should Chicago get the games, he may not be competing in them.

“I’ve already been on the record saying that I’m not swimming a day past 30, it’s something my coach and I decided. I’m probably going to go one more Olympics probably and then hang up the suit,” Michael said. So who will be the star performer of the 2016 games? Perhaps it will be someone inspired by today’s hero: Michael Phelps.

Redeem Team and Beyond

by: Paul Banks

There’s nothing quite like staying up on a balmy summer night to watch your team win a thrilling basketball game at 3:45 A.M. CT. Yes, seeing the stars from the NBA, our nation’s most popular winter game, win the Olympic summer games in the wee hours of the morning was a surreal experience. Luckily, I had my three biggest NBA geek friends keeping me company via text messaging. My texts of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” looked more enthusiastic than my mood at a time when I could fall asleep at any moment. Of course, no one could doze off during a game this close and high scoring; that also included the “From Dream Team to Redeem Team” subplot.

Comparisons of “The Redeem Team” to the original team that exploded on the Olympic stage, “The Dream Team” of 1992 in Barcelona were inevitable. That squad, the first USA Men’s Basketball team to feature active NBA players owned Barcelona in the same fashion that the current team owned Beijing. Many sports pundits began asking, which team wins head-to-head? The exciting 2008 gold medal victory over Spain completed a very important chapter in the history of professionals in Team USA basketball. The international game is much more developed and specialized today than during the early years of the Dream Team, and America only triumphed because they played unselfishly and intense the whole way through. The win erased memories of a string of embarrassing results by the U.S. in International competition. USA won gold in Sydney in 2000, but finished sixth in the FIBA World Championships in 2002. During the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the team had some issues off the court to complement some low points -a blowout loss to lowly Puerto Rico in the first game and a bronze medal finish overall- on it. Two years later, Team America again finished sans medal, claiming fourth place at the 2006 FIBA tournament.

Two of the men most responsible for Team USA’s genesis have strong Chicago ties. Chicago Heights native and former University of Illinois basketball player Jerry Colangelo took over as managing director of the team. His mandatory three-year commitment initiative helped instill a winning attitude amongst the players and changed the reputation of the U.S. team. Previously regarded as a conglomerate of overpaid egocentrics, their passionate defense and collectively-minded offense in Beijing conveyed that they are truly “team players” dedicated to their country.

The leading scorer and arguably MVP of this Olympiad was Dwyane Wade, another native of Chicago’s south suburbs. His 3-pointer from the wing gave the Americans a 111-104 advantage with 2 minutes and 2 seconds to go in the title game, essentially clinching the victory in a game where he led all scorers with 27 points).

Another player hitting big shots in the title game and playing major minutes in the Olympics was point guard Deron Williams. “D Will,” as he is affectionately known, is regarded to be the best professional player in the modern history of Chicago’s unofficial college basketball team, the Illinois Fighting Illini. He’s the first player to have his jersey retired at Colangelo’s alma mater, and at age 24, his best professional and Olympic basketball is thought to still be ahead of him.

What better place to crown the 2016 Olympic Gold Medal basketball team than the Bulls’ home arena, the United Center? Outside this venue lies a statue visited by tourists from all over the globe. Its subject is Michael Jordan, a man who was the greatest basketball player in history and also an internationally recognizable brand. It’s also the current home court for Argentine bronze medal winner and Bulls forward Andres Nocioni. In eight years many familiar faces will likely still be competing. Of the eight key players on this team, five of them said they would definitely return to London in 2012 — Kobe Bryant, Williams, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Chris Bosh. The other three, also the only Athens holdovers— Lebron James, Wade and Carmelo Anthony — said they would make a decision when the time comes.

Hard Line Stance Favoring Softball

by: Paul Banks

In a powerfully symbolic gesture, the softball Olympiads left their spikes at home plate once the Beijing contests were over. As of now, so is the sport’s inclusion in the Olympic summer games. Softball was inaugurated in 1996 in Atlanta and team USA posted a cumulative 32-4 record until its 3-1 defeat against Japan in the Beijing gold-medal game. The Americans may have ironically helped their sport by losing that game. One of the reasons softball was dropped from the London schedule in 2012 is because the game was entirely dominated by America. With Japan winning the Gold this time, parity of competition within the sport may now be here and with it perhaps, a renewed interest in the sport. There is still a chance to redeem it for the 2016 games.

Should Chicago win the games in 2016, it is the PERFECT time and place to revive the sport. Here are three reasons why:

1.) The international icon of the sport, exceedingly photogenic pitcher Jennie Finch plays her professional home games here for the Chicago Bandits franchise. She is overwhelmingly the most famous softball player in history due to her dominant play (36-2 win-loss record, 0.41 ERA, 397 strikeouts and just 36 walks in 239 innings pitched during international competition) and her vastly marketable sex appeal. (she once earned more votes than part-time swimsuit model Anna Kournikova in an ESPN.com “most attractive female athlete” poll.)
2.) The game was invented here. According to historical legend, softball originated in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, 1887. A group of about twenty young men had gathered in the gymnasium of the Farragut Boat Club to hear the outcome of the Harvard-Yale football game. After Yale’s victory was announced and bets were paid off, a man picked up a stray boxing glove and threw it at someone, who hit it with a pole. George Hancock, typically considered the inventor of softball, shouted, “Let’s play ball!” He tied the boxing glove so that it resembled a ball, chalked out a diamond on the floor (smaller dimensions than those of a baseball field in order to fit the gym) and broke off a broom handle to serve as a bat.
3.) Softball is more than a game, but a way of life here. The game is to our people what cricket is to India. “Chicago-style” is played gloveless and with a bigger, softer 16” ball. However, the hardball 12” with gloves format is exceedingly popular in the Chicago area as well. Leagues all over the metro area fill with people from all socioeconomic, racial, educational, lifestyle and gender classifications. It’s the only sport where a petite post-sorority girl cutie bats ahead of an obese middle-aged man in the lineup. It’s a game where you can see the most finely tuned and sculpted athlete in the field standing right next to another person that clearly looks like they need to exercise more regularly. And any of them could easily be the hero of any given game; proving how softball is an equal opportunity sport that deserves much more Olympic opportunity!

If you want to do your part towards saving the sport, you can sign a petition here. 

Benefiting the Human Race: Nike & Fall Out Boy Come to Chicago

by: Paul Banks

 

The “Runner’s High” is a widely known effect which occurs when exercising activates endorphin production. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts when the runner is exerting a moderate to high effort.  I’m a swimmer, not a runner, so I don’t know what that feels like, but I imagine it involves the “Chariots of Fire” theme playing in your head. Then again, I did an hour and 45 minutes of lap swimming today at a South Suburban “Water Cube,” (and swimming is another sport that releases a high level of endorphins), so maybe I can understand the millions of runners participating in the Nike+ Human Race, the largest 10K run in history on Sunday, August 31^st. Chicago is one of 25 cities in 22 countries on five continents hosting the world’s most unique race.  Cities were choosen based on optimal geographic location and the ability to showcase famous landmarks along the race course. Runners in Istanbul will cross the bridge connecting Europe to Asia. UK participants will race through central London. Taipei’s course passes by the Taipei 101- one of the world’s tallest buildings. Chicago’s race runs past Lake Michigan, through the museum campus and starts/finishes near Solider Field. For a map of the Chicago race route click here.

 Running for the Cause

One Chicago participant is training for his first marathon. He’s Jonny Imerman, founder of Imerman Angels, a non-profit foundation that connects cancer fighters with cancer survivors. I’ve met and worked with Imerman, whose organization pairs a cancer fighter with a survivor who’s conquered the exact same form of the illness. From what I know of him personally and professionally, I’m sure he will do his city and organization proud. The Chicago Nike+ Human Race 10K is an opportunity to run for a noble cause. When you register for the race, a portion of the fee goes towards the charity of your choice: the World Wildlife Fund, ninemillion.org, or the Imerman Angels’ passion, the Livestrong Foundation. One of the most appealing and important aspects of the race is that no matter how you place, your effort supports your chosen cause.

 Fall Out Boy Rocks the Human Race

Every race features performances by some of pop music’s biggest acts. The Chicago race will feature a concert by Fall Out Boy, a pop-punk emo^ band from Wilmette, an exclusive North Shore suburb of Chicago. In 2007, F.O.B. scored a #1 album with “Infinity on High” and a #1 single with “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” During that year, I spoke with the band’s front man, Patrick Stump about their development and Chicago’s role in the pop culture landscape. The interview took place at U.S. Cellular Field while I was covering a Chicago White Sox-Kansas City Royals game where his band performed a short pre-game acoustic set. I asked him his thoughts on how pop music and sports can converge.  “I think it’s just like anything else, it’s like culture. We all share the same culture: sports and music.” I also asked him what makes his hometown and mine so unique. “I think it’s one of those things, Chicago has all the perks of a major city but then geographically it’s kind of off by itself. Yeah, definitely, Chicago’s got something absolutely awesome, man.”

 

 

 

Meet Paul Banks: Your Guide to Sports!

Let’s all give a warm welcome to your guide to all things Sports: Paul Banks!

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“It warms my heart to learn that the White Sox are huge in Denmark,” my media mentor said one day on his sports talk radio show in December of 2006. This occurred right after I ran into him at our health club and told him my story from the Copenhagen Airport. I had just flown in from Berlin upon completion of my Fulbright journalism fellowship and I was looking for a quick bite to eat before my connecting flight. Lacking the proper currency, I pulled out my Chicago White Sox designed VISA card. The man serving my meal looked at it like a child seeing his gift from Santa Claus on Christmas morning. He told me it was “the coolest thing” he’d seen that night and wished he had one of his own. Instances such as these are an example of what happens when athletics and the spirit of competition unite people across the globe. In other words, exactly what the Olympics are all about. This was a truth I learned at age six; when I used to bring my 1984 Los Angeles Olympics beach pail with me to swim laps everyday at the public pool. Or maybe I just really liked the mascot, Sam the Olympic Eagle.  

For most people in America, sports are closer to being a religion than a pastime and no city reflects this more than the nation’s #1 sports town, Chicago. White Sox paraphernalia seemed to show up in just about every hip-hop and R & B music video during the past 15 years or so, and their brand awareness is a complement to the internationally recognized logos of the Windy City’s two exceedingly well-known franchises: the Bears of the NFL and the Cubs of Major League Baseball. In basketball, this is truly “Titletown,” as the Bulls won six championships during the 1990s. What better place to crown the next Olympic Gold Medal basketball team than the Bulls’ home arena, the United Center? Outside this venue lies a statue visited by tourists from all over the globe. Its subject is Michael Jordan, a man who was the greatest basketball player in history and also an internationally recognizable brand.  

From this city filled with passionate fans, first-rate venues and rich athletic tradition, I manage and publish The Sports Bank.net, a webzine featuring commentaries on the most stimulating topics and interviews with some of the biggest names in sports. I’ve worked in the field since college, where I was a sports columnist for the student daily at the University of Illinois, just a two hours drive from Chicago. This university brought the world tailgating, Homecoming and the Babe Ruth of football, Red Grange. Since those formative years I’ve done guest appearances on ESPN Radio and Sporting News Radio in different markets all across the United States. Currently, I serve as a sports writer for NBC 5 Chicago’s Street Team website and as a progressive blogger for the Washington Times. When my two passions: politics and sports intersect, it’s an amazing circumstance that ignites my interest and captivates my work ethic. When it comes to being a union of athletics and international current events, nothing can touch the Summer Olympic Games!    

 

Paul Banks

Sports & Leisure Editor, Chicago 2016 Channel

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