Uni Watch shared Mat Swatek‘s interesting project about color consistency among professional sports teams. Swatek grouped teams by their home cities.
The project includes MLB, NHL, MLS, NBA, WNBA, NWSL and NFL. “Washington/DC” is represented in each of these leagues.
District of Champions in color consistency
DC came in 4th for most similar across all teams, behind Atlanta, New Orleans and Pittsburgh’s black and gold. Among teams with the traditional “big 4” or 5 if you count MLS, DC comes in first – District of Champions!
Ever since the Nationals resumed MLB in the District in 2005, red white and blue has had a resurgence. The Capitals, after fans clamoring for years, moved back to their natural colors in 2007. The Wizards caught up in 2011. Women’s soccer team, the Washington Spirit debuted with red, white and blue in 2013.
No blues
Every D.C. team is red, white and blue except the mens football teams. Black and Red has always been a big part of DC United’s branding and that isn’t going to change. Red jerseys have been used as alternates on occasion, but black is the primary color.
Do we even have to talk about the NFL team that plays in Landover?
Some other observations
- There are seven different shades of red. Even the basketball teams which debuted the new colors and uniforms at the same time have different shades.
- The Wizards and Mystics have the same shade of blue for their secondary colors and same shade of silver/gray as their tertiary color.
- The Capitals, with the same ownership as the basketball teams, have no overlapping shades.
- The darkest blue belongs to the Spirit
- The most recent defunct football leagues were not included, though they also embraced red in their uniforms. Sorry Defenders/Valor fans.
- A home Nats cap (based on the final Senators cap) can be worn with just about any DC team gear and match
- This would have been a lot different in 2005 — when the MCI Center teams had black, blue and bronze color palette and the Nats had gold trim too.
- The hex code for red of the DC flag is apparently #e81b39 which non of the teams use.
- The hex colors for the United States flag? Depends on where you look; I saw several variations.
- I miss sports.
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Palette graphic used with permission of Mat Swatek