Pope Leo XIV brings hope to Chicago sports fans, and the Knicks for their Villanova ties
The sports loyalties of Pope Leo XIV became a topic of conversation almost as soon as the white smoke emerged from the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.
Elected on Thursday, Robert Prevost is the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, also attended Villanova University near Philadelphia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1977.
Chicago's two baseball teams were front and center as sports fans reacted to the news.
It was initially reported that the new pope was a Cubs fan. The team congratulated Pope Leo XIV that had a picture of Wrigley Field's iconic marquee with the message: HEY, CHICAGO. HE'S A CUBS FAN!
But his brother, John Prevost, set the record straight in an interview with WGN-TV. The pope is a White Sox fan.
바카라 게임 웹사이트He was never ever a Cubs fan, so I don바카라 게임 웹사이트t know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan,바카라 게임 웹사이트 John said, adding that the confusion might stem from the fact their mother바카라 게임 웹사이트s side of the family were North Siders and Cubs fans.
The TV interview had White Sox fans wondering about the pope's ability to convince owner Jerry Reinsdorf to sell the last-place team.
The organization welcomed the clarification from the pope's brother.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV바카라 게임 웹사이트s lifelong fandom falls a little closer to 35th and Shields,바카라 게임 웹사이트 the White Sox said in a statement. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Some things are bigger than baseball, and in this case, we바카라 게임 웹사이트re glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican. A pinstripes White Sox jersey with his name on it and a hat already are on the way to Rome, and of course, the Pontiff always is welcome at his ballpark.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Long-suffering Bears fans weighed in, too.
Video below: A tour of the school in Chicago where Pope Leo XIV received his diploma in theology
One remarked on X that before the Bears developed a quarterback. Another said the And another said the Bears no longer will be on the , a reference to Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels바카라 게임 웹사이트 52-yard Hail Mary completion to Noah Brown to beat the Bears in October.
The election of the new pope coincides with a trio of former Villanova players leading the New York Knicks on an NBA playoff run. It didn't take long for a of the four of them together to show up on social media.
The Knicks erased 20-point deficits in winning Games 1 and 2 against the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Now fans are praying the combination of the Villanova guys and can help the team to its first NBA title since 1973.