By: Martin Rand, III
Date: April 30, 2010
There is a long tradition in sports, where if a great player plays for a franchise for a number of years, at the end of his/her career, the number they wore will get retired by he team. This is a way of honoring the player and their contributions to the team. I think it's a great thing and a special moment.
Although, one must wonder, what happens if a franchise has so many great players and retires all of their numbers? There are only so many numbers in the world that will fit on a jersey. Well, the Dallas Cowboys have found a way to honor a number of players for decades without losing the use of their numbers.
Instead of retiring a number, they let players they think will be great wear the number for their career.
Newly drafted wide receiver Dez Bryant will wear number 88 on his jersey. This number has been wore by a number of great wide receivers, including Michael Irvin, and holds a lot of history for the franchise.
I think this is a great idea. I know when players come into the league they want to start their own legacy; and a part of that is having their own number and wanting people to buy their jersey. However, if a player is a rookie, and he/she knows that management allows him to wear a number that was worn by hall-of-famers, that will motivate that player to be great, or at least near the level of their predecessors.
The player knows that it's on them to be the player that everyone expects them to be and that could be all it takes for a team to get they player they envisioned before they drafted him/her.
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Categories:
Dallas Cowboys,
Dez Bryant,
Jerseys,
Martin Rand III,
Sports
