Thursday’s election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago marks the first time ever that an American has held the prestigious seat. And with that has come questions about whether this could bring new life to a Chicago sports scene that desperately needs some kind of a jolt.
While the city of Chicago has seen a championship banner hung up as recently as 2021, courtesy of the Chicago Sky in the WNBA, other notable teams in the city haven’t been so lucky.
Most notably, the Chicago Bulls last won the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 1998. And even worse, the Chicago Bears last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 1986.
The election of Pope Leo XIV is a sight to see for ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, who was born and raised in Chicago and has been quite candid about his fandom of all things Chicago sports.
During Friday’s edition of Get Up on ESPN, Wilbon discussed how he and other Chicago sports fans have become “obsessed” about learning about Prevost, largely in hopes that the Chicago Bears might get “blessed” with some newfound destiny of winning a Super Bowl sometime soon.
“In Chicago, we’re so obsessed,” said Wilbon. “We want to know everything about the Pope. Is he gonna bless the Bears?”
Brian Windhorst then interjected, explaining how the Bulls, who have made the postseason just twice in the last ten years, need any kind of “blessing” more urgently than the Bears. Particularly when it comes to the NBA Draft Lottery next Monday.
“Forget the Bears! The Bulls on Monday in the lottery,” said Windhorst. “The Bulls on Monday, Cooper Flagg.”
“I’ll take that, Windy,” replied Wilbon.
Michael Wilbon: “In Chicago, we’re so obsessed. We want to know everything about the Pope. Is he going to bless the Bears?”
Brian Windhorst: “Forget the Bears! The Bulls on Monday in the lottery. The Bulls on Monday, Cooper Flagg.” pic.twitter.com/VJsxdbMuky
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 9, 2025
The Bears and Bulls obviously continue to have their litany of issues, and that’s come up in some of the discussions around the new pope. But with that being said, one could argue that the Chicago White Sox, whom Prevost is admittedly a big fan of, are actually the team in Chicago that most needs some kind of blessing. Especially when you consider how the organization had the worst record in modern-day MLB history last year.
Regardless of whether any of the Chicago sports teams get any kind of “blessing” or not from Prevost, at least Chicago sports fans appear to have some much-needed optimism in the midst of what has certainly been a dark era of fandom for the city.
