The hottest colors for team uniforms in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB this season are blue, red and black, according to THE SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY's "1997 Color Spectrum." Based on information provided by the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB, THE DAILY's inaugural "Color Spectrum" found that 61 teams in all four leagues count blue as one of their official colors, 51 teams count red, and 44 count black. Silver and white tied for fourth place with 22 teams each. Gold and green tied for fifth, with 21 teams each. COLOR COMMENTARY: Jeffrey Pollack, President & Publisher of THE DAILY: "Fashion is a big part of the sports industry today, and this season marks a back-to-basics approach in terms of color schemes for team uniforms and, by extension, licensed apparel." Abraham Madkour, Editor-in- Chief of THE DAILY: "The perception has been that colors like teal and purple are dominant, but that simply is not true anymore. Most teams that changed logos and uniforms this year -- including the Denver Broncos, New Jersey Nets, Golden State Warriors and Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- opted for designs that include blue, red or black." METHOD TO THE MADNESS: THE DAILY's findings are based on research which designated a primary, secondary and tertiary color for each of the 116 professional teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB (including the NFL Browns). A point value was assigned to each designation, which, when totaled, resulted in a ranking of the colors. The complete list of the "1997 Color Spectrum" follows:
| COLOR | NUMBER OF NBA, NFL, NHL & MLB TEAMS |
| Blue | 61 |
| Red | 51 |
| Black | 44 |
| White | 22 |
| Silver | 22 |
| Green | 21 |
| Gold | 21 |
| Orange | 14 |
| Purple | 13 |
| Yellow | 10 |
| Gray | 2 |
| Brown | 1 |
THE BIG FOUR: A league-by-league breakdown supports the overall results and conclusions. The most popular team uniform colors in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB include at least two of the top three colors in the "1997 Color Spectrum":
| LEAGUE | THREE MOST POPULAR UNIFORM COLORS |
| NBA | Blue, Red, Green |
| NFL | Blue, Black, Red |
| NHL | Red, Black, Blue |
| MLB | Blue, Red, Orange
(THE DAILY) |
