Miami, Ohio, and Dr. Dre: While We’re Waiting…
August 20, 2015Ball Played: Indians lose series as Red Sox show off power
August 20, 2015Of the cities with three or more major pro sports teams, who is the best dressed in the bunch? That’s what ESPN set out to determine Wednesday, releasing an updated list of its Uni Watch Power Rankings. The list ranks the style of 20 cities, each of which have at least three teams between the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, by grading team uniforms on a 1-10 scale. Then, the average of those scores was calculated for each city’s Uniform Numerical Index (or UNI).
I’ll cut right to the chase: Our beloved Cleveland came in tied for 16th with the city of Houston, barely hovering from the bottom of the heap. Here’s what ESPN had to say:
After all the pre-unveiling hype, the Browns’ new uniforms are a disappointment. Not a disaster (well, except for that big, honking “Browns” lettering down the pant legs), but definitely not an upgrade. Meanwhile, it’s increasingly hard for the Indians to rationalize the use of Chief Wahoo, who sullies every uniform he touches. On the plus side, that Cavs uniform looks a lot better with LeBron wearing it, right? TOTAL UNI WATCH SCORE: 4.33
Let’s take a look at how each Cleveland team scored individually:
UNI WATCH SCORE: Indians: 3
Robb Harskamp/ESPN
UNI WATCH SCORE: Browns: 4.5
Robb Harskamp/ESPN
UNI WATCH SCORE: Cavaliers: 5.5
Robb Harskamp/ESPN
Some cities, like top-ranked Boston, Pittsburgh (ugh), and Chicago, scored bonus points for intangibles like romanticized, historic stadiums, as well as matching color schemes. Other cities, like Toronto and Detroit, lost points for intangibles like outdated stadiums, terrible turf, and dome ceilings.
I’d like to say that I respectfully disagree with where Cleveland landed on this list. Sure, I was a little underwhelmed by the over-hyped Browns’ uniform unveiling, but come on, they’re still our boys in orange and brown. Can you imagine them in anything else? I can’t—and the same goes for the Tribe and Cavs, too. (That they bagged on Cleveland for Wahoo is no surprise—the Uni Watch folks have been pounding this table almost as long as anyone.) It doesn’t really matter if ESPN gets it or not, Cleveland fans will love (and be tortured by) Cleveland teams just the same.
29 Comments
I’d love to dispute our ranking but…can’t do it. The Browns downgraded for sure, though it could have been worse. The Tribe is the current best of the bunch, though the color scheme itself is hardly distinctive. And I admit that the image of the Chief gets harder for me to accept as the years pass. The Cavs duds only get credit for the navy blue look currently in the arsenal–the rest is mediocre.
Best Tribe unis…
http://www.legendaryauctions.com/ItemImages/000040/31089a_med.jpeg http://www.legendaryauctions.com/ItemImages/000063/54226a_med.jpeg
Some cities, like top-ranked Boston, Pittsburgh (ugh), and Chicago, scored bonus points for intangibles like romanticized, historic stadiums, as well as matching color schemes. Other cities, like Toronto and Detroit, lost points for intangibles like outdated stadiums, terrible turf, and dome ceilings.
Why are stadiums, turf conditions, etc including as criteria in ranking a teams/cities uniforms??
Pet peeves from the article:
(1) Professional sports are not your high school – So, why is it a good thing to have matching colors? If I need a red, blue, brown, orange, or yellow hat, then there’s a Cleveland sport team for it. It is a good thing.
(2) Combining the Bay area teams into one logistical area is wrong. Oakland should top the list. Ignore the yellow jerseys of the A`s and they get extra credit for being a baseball team that uses green. Raiders and Warriors both have amazing sets.
—SF is not a 3-sport town. In fact, with the 49ers moving to Santa Clara, they will soon be a 1 sport town. Crazy.
(1) It’s not that I don’t see the appeal of having a “city color scheme”–the idea is intriguing to me. But there is also value in variety. Also, puck fittsburgh.
(2) Oakland is so great it’s crazy. Even those yellow A’s jerseys work on the level of being quirky. The Warriors stumbled a bit with those sleeved jerseys they trotted out, but it’s forgivable when you’ve got such quality otherwise.
You know, I’m going to say it: The new Browns unis are some of the best in the NFL.
Not a huge fan of the BROWNS on the pants, but the wife really likes it so apparently it appeals to people
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The Browns on the pants is less hideous on TV than I expected.
But, the Cleveland above the numbers is total High School.
Although not a 3 sport city, I do like MIL.
I do not hate either element, actually. But they are clearly inferior overall to the old look.
The Brewers.
You absolutely can’t go wrong with that.
if Oakland gets to combine with SF, then why doesn’t Milwaukee get to combine with Green Bay?
Think about it though, Deer, Green water, and Beer
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You know, I’m going to say it: The new Browns unis are a complete embarrassment — nine times over.
Thanks for being the beacon of light thru the dark night of Browns uniforms, Tom.
I like them!
Well, I’ll say this…at least it’s better than the BROWNS on the back of their pants, which is what we’ve been getting for the past 15 years.
As for the rankings of other cities:
-The Celts and Sawx might be solid looks, but the Pats unis are trash.
-Oakland should be in this and would be #1 (nailed it, Bode), and Chicago should be #2. Chicago doesn’t have a weak link in the bunch.
-The Raps have to be on one of the worst runs of unis in sports history
-The Lions ruin an otherwise strong lineup for Detroit.
-The Clippers new unis should disqualify LA altogether.
-Miami above just about anyone is criminal. So bad all around.
-D.C. would be near the top if not for their football team
-Minnesota is doing good things, though the Wild could be better
-Tampa Bay has one of the best looks in the NHL. Too bad the Bucs unis are practically a hate crime.
One more: if we are going to have a similar color scheme throughout a city, then I would push for Seattle.
I might not appreciate soccer, but I do appreciate their kits.
http://seattle-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/styles/image_full_layout/s3/image_galleries/cst_K2V0266.jpg?
itok=u90q5TEb
I’m ok with that. I wouldn’t necessarily want neon anything for our own scheme, but it works in theirs. Except when the Seahawks went full highlighter. Never go full highlighter.
http://mynorthwest.com/emedia/seattle/14/1479/147979.JPG
They need to pull those out for retro night.
Detroit’s old Honolulu blue and silvers were always my favorite unis.
https://nflfilms.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/ap96091502310.jpg
I also loved the old Astro’s jerseys…
http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/001/046/789/houston-astros_display_image.jpg?1308949139
yes, they must highlight or accent the uniform, not dominate them.
Saw the Brown’s new uniforms on the pre-season game last night against the Bills. Ughhh! For decades, the Browns have had that unexciting, no-frills look that came to be their signature. Boring, but not obnoxious and very traditional. But now – OMG! – it looks like they are going for the high-school squad look! Burn those uniforms!
If the question is what three-sport city has the best uniforms, St. Louis wins hands down. The Cardinals uniforms are the best ever, the Blues are also classic and the Rams are okay, though I wish they’d never gone to navy/old-gold from blue/yellow. Of course, it could be moot point if the Rams leave for the West Coast.