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In the world of sports, uniforms and logos are an essential component that helps a fan keep track of who’s playing who in any given sport. While many professional teams have struggled to find their identity throughout the years, there are a select few that found a good uniform and stuck with it over the course of decades.

But what makes an iconic sports uniform? The colors? The logos? The impact on pop culture? In this edition of Sam’s Soapbox, I will cover what I believe is the most iconic uniform in each of the four major North American Sports Leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL).

First up on this list is the most-watched league in the United States: the NFL. When it comes to the NFL, which uniforms spring to mind the most? The Chicago Bears? The Green Bay Packers? The Pittsburgh Steelers? While all of these are great choices, there is one uniform that comes to mind for me: the Dallas Cowboys.

Believe me, this wasn’t an easy one to pick. All of the teams I mentioned previously have a huge following, but I went with the Cowboys because their identity is quintessentially American with their white, royal blue and silver-blue color scheme and iconic star logo.

Whether you love or hate the Dallas Cowboys, it’s hard to deny the impact they have had on pop culture. They most certainly are not my favorite team, but their nickname, “America’s Team” is a fitting way to describe their iconic look.

From America’s most watched sport in football, we go to Canada’s most popular sport, ice hockey. When it comes to the NHL, it’s hard to argue against the iconic look of the Montreal Canadiens.

In their first few years of existence in the early 1910’s, the Canadiens struggled to find the perfect identity, with uniforms that looked more befitting of an ugly sweater contest. However, in 1915, they brought out a red sweater with blue chest and arm stripes outlined in white with the big “C” and little “H” crest adorning the chest, representing the team’s full name “le Club de Hockey Canadien”, or The Canadian Hockey Club.

Over a century later, the uniform has undergone little change, representing a team that has won a record 24 Stanley Cup Titles and the countless legends that have played for the storied organization.

Honorable mentions for hockey’s most iconic look also include the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Speaking of storied organizations, the next uniform on this list is that of my favorite basketball team, the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics are the winningest team in NBA history, having recently won their 18th NBA Championship to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers, who have 17. Either team could make their case for the most iconic brand in the league, but while the Lakers have gone through various uniform and color changes, the Celtics’ kelly green uniforms have remained virtually unchanged since 1950’s, save for a couple of minor striping or font changes.

Having been “lucky” enough to win 18 NBA titles, the Boston Celtics have also retired 23 different numbers, chief among those the #6 of Bill Russell, the #17 of John Havlicek, the #33 of Larry Bird and the #34 of Paul Pierce.

The Celtics’ primary uniforms may be simple, only sporting kelly green and white, but the look has stood the test of time and will forever be associated with a winning history.

The last entry on this list needs no introduction, but when it comes to the MLB’s most iconic uniform, there really is no other choice than the New York Yankees.

If you had a nickel for every time you saw someone wearing the iconic pinstripe jersey in public or spotted a character in a movie or TV show sporting the navy blue cap with the interlocking “NY”, you might have enough money to buy one of Fanatics’ horribly overpriced replicas of a New York Yankees jersey.

The Yankees pinstripe uniforms have barely changed a stitch since their debut in 1915, remaining one of the few uniforms in the Majors that doesn’t include the name on the back of the jersey.

Because of its simplicity, longevity and influence in pop culture, there may not be a more iconic uniform in sports than that of the New York Yankees.

Whether you love or hate any of the four teams that I have chosen for this list, you have to respect that each of these teams found their identity very early in their history, and while some fads come and go, iconic uniforms last forever.