For reasons beyond the comprehension of most sports fans, the Chicago Bears have been somewhat arbitrarily awarded the No. 2 spot overall and the Chicago Cubs have earned the No. 4 spot across all major sports (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB) for the best uniforms over at ESPN. Of the 122 teams across those four professional sports leagues, the Montreal Canadiens, Bears, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs and Boston Bruins round out the franchises with the top-five uniforms overall. The New York Yankees barely cracked the top-10 and the Chicago Bulls didn't even make the top-50(!). Weird.
Throwback designs apparently did factor into the decision as well, but the Bears and Cubs don't exactly have the best options in that category so it seems the high marks are based on the iconic standards set by the usual threads. Here is the rationale attributed to the decision on the Bears at No. 2:
True, the helmet design is starting to look a tad dated. But the striped sleeves, striped socks (now a rarity in the NFL, alas), unique number font, and even the perma-memorial to Papa Bear all score major points, and the Bears may be the only team in the league who look as sharp on the road as they do at home. The cream of the NFL crop.
The White Sox took the No. 39 spot, the Chicago Blackhawks managed a No. 49 ranking and the Chicago Bulls (No. 67) laughably came in behind the Florida Panthers (No. 64), Tennessee Titans (No. 65) and Indiana Pacers (No. 61). Given the scope of the exercise, I will assume most fans disagree with most of the rankings.