Chicago athletes are some of the best-dressed in the country, according to new rankings developed by the good folks at Uni-Watch.
The rankings aim to measure the best-looking city as judged by their professional sports teams’ uniforms.
Chicago ranked third on the list, behind only Boston and Pittsburgh.
In order to be included in the rankings, a city had to have at least three teams in the four major sports of baseball, basketball, football and hockey. Each city was given a Uniform Numerical Index, or UNI, which is calculated like so:
Each team’s uniform set was ranked on a scale of 1 to 10. When applicable, points were added or subtracted for intangibles that affect the fan’s visual experience, such as a particularly attractive ballpark (always good for an extra point or two) or a domed football stadium (an automatic two-point deduction). The city’s total points were then tallied and divided by its number of teams, resulting in the UNI. For example, a city with a good-looking MLB team (8.5 points), a mediocre-looking NBA team (4), and a decent-looking NFL team that plays in a dome (6 minus 2) would have a UNI of 5.5.
All teams were judged by their current uniform sets, so past uniforms and promotional jerseys were not considered.
Here is what Uni-Watch said about Chicago and their rankings for each of the city’s teams:
Turn on a game in the Windy City and you can be assured that at least one of the teams will be looking sharp. A lot of this is a function of stability: Each Chicago team has stuck with its basic look for at least a generation (even the White Sox, whose uniform program used to be a revolving door). Some folks might think this lack of change is boring. Others might say it’s a refreshing dose of traditionalism. But Uni Watch views it as a citywide case study in if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. UNI WATCH SCORE: Cubs: 9.5, White Sox: 7.5, Bears: 10, Bulls: 6.5, Blackhawks: 7, Intangibles: Bonus points for Wrigley Field (2). UNI: 8.5
Boston had a UNI score of 9.13 and Pittsburgh clocked in with a score of 8.83.
Denver (3.88), Tampa Bay (3.0) and Atlanta (2.67) were at the bottom of the rankings.
You can view the complete rankings on ESPN’s website by clicking here.
