Al Capone -> Michael Jordan -> Richard M. Daley

Branding a city.

It used to be, when you told someone that you were from Chicago they’d go ‘rat-a-tat,’ waving around an imaginary machine gun, and say with a big grin, “Al Capone.”

Then came the Michael Jordan championship era with the Chicago Bulls, and when you said you were from Chicago, out-of-towners would smile and say “Michael Jordan! Bulls. Number one!”

So how do you follow that?

Today, when I tell people I’m from Chicago I increasingly hear…

“Ah, you have the best mayor in the country – Mayor Daley. I love Millennium Park, the green roof on City Hall, and all the things he’s doing to make Chicago a “greener” place.”

It shows that the sports teams here are not winning these days.

And that sustainability is a hot issue.
-E

Daley Photo – Steve Liss for TIME

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