What's up with That? ESPNChicago

Chicago has their own ESPN site called espnchicago. It got started last April as ESPN’s first local sports media venture. Let’s juxtapose all the Chicago sports teams with those of Boston and see who has fared better in recent years. Since 2000, Chicago has brought home one championship, and Boston has taken six. And yet, ESPN feels like Chicago deserves its own media outlet, and that it should be advertised every half-hour on SportsCenter. If any city deserves special treatment in the sporting world, it’s Boston.So I ask you, ESPN, what’s up with that?

Bears: Record past five seasons, 45-35, two losing seasons. Since 1995, they’ve made the postseason three times, and two out of three times, they failed to win a single playoff game. Last championship, 1985. Marquis names: Brian Urlacher, Jay Cutler
Patriots: Record past five seasons: 63-17, zero losing seasons. Reached the playoffs six of the past eight years, and have never lost their opening series. Super Bowl champions 2001, 2003, 2004. Last championship: 2004. Marquis names: Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Jerrod Mayo

Bulls: Record past five seasons, 211-199, one losing season (two .500 seasons). Since the days of MJ, they’ve won a single playoff series. Last championship: 1998. Marquis names: Ben Gordon—gone to free agency, Kirk Hinrich—benched, Derrick Rose—sophomore slump, anyone?
Celtics: Record past five seasons, 230-180, two losing seasons. They’ve finished first in the Atlantic division three of the past five years, and have made the playoffs six of the past nine years. Last championship: 2008. Marquis names: Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Rasheed Wallace, the list goes on

Cubs: Record past five seasons, 416-393, two losing seasons. Do I need to mention the Curse of the Billy Goat? They haven’t won the World Series in a century! Three managers since 2001, and no postseason wins since 2004. Last championship: 1907. Marquis names: Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano
White Sox: Record past five seasons, 433-378, one losing season. I do have to give the South Siders some props for their recent years’ success. They won the World Series in 2005, and skipper Ozzie Guillen keeps his squad in the headlines (for good or bad). Last championship: 2005. Marquis names: Carlos Quentin, Paul Konerko
Red Sox: Record past five seasons, 470-340, zero losing seasons. Do I need to mention the Curse of the Bambino? It’s been broken! World Series champs in 2004 and 2007. Stuck in the toughest division in baseball, these Sox haven’t had a losing season since 1997. Red Sox Nation is alive and well, and I’d be willing to bet its population equals the total number of Cubs and ChiSox fans. Not to mention, the Fenway Faithful hold the longest streak of consecutive sellouts in baseball history (at well over 500 games). Last championship: 2007 Marquis names: David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Josh Beckett

Blackhawks: Record past five years, 163-186, three losing seasons. They’ve been making some progress in recent years, but they’ve only made the playoffs twice since the 1997-1998 season. They have longest current Stanley Cup draught in the entire NHL, now at 48 years. Last championship: 1961. Marquis names: Martin Havlat, Marian Hossa
Bruins: Record past five seasons: 199-145, two losing seasons. Made the playoffs 29 straight seasons from 1967-1996, and have qualified for the postseason the past two years. Last season, they tied for the most wins of any team in the NHL, and won the Eastern Conference. Last championship: 1972. Marquis names: Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas, Patrice Bergeron

Miscellaneous: Chicago Fire (soccer) won the MLS Cup in 1998, but haven’t made a trip to the finals since 2003. Chicago Sky (WNBA) have never had a winning season since their debut in 2006.
Miscellaneous: New England Revolution (soccer) made it to the MLS finals three years in a row from 2005-2007, and have qualified for the playoffs the past seven years. Boston Cannons (lax) is one of the original six teams of MLL and have a 9-season record of 60-48.

And so ESPN thinks Chicago sports have what it takes to keep ESPN reporters busy around the clock. Why? Because they have won extra baseball team? Clearly, Boston is where they belong. The only reason I can think of that would steer ESPN away from Boston is that Boston's local sports coverage--the Globe, WEEI, NESN--is probably the best in the country, and ESPN's Steve Phillips doesn't want to get shown up by the local reporters. But really, ESPN, what's up with that? We'd all love a little extra TLC from the national media.