Having just read this article -- I have to say that I just don't get the fuss about uniform numbers. "Danny Wuerffel became the second Washington Redskins quarterback to surrender one of the team's storied jersey numbers in recent weeks, as Coach Steve Spurrier said yesterday he had overturned his earlier decision to allow Wuerffel to wear No. 7"
Big deal. I say unless the number's retired, hand it out.
Then there's this report from Pittsburgh: "Rodgers Freyvogel plays a key role in preserving Steelers tradition, he must shape the future - or at least the perception of the future - by handing out uniform numbers to new players. It's a role he takes seriously.
"I do put a lot of thought into it," he said. "As soon as they're drafted I start thinking about a suitable number."
Freyvogel didn't hand out Dermontti Dawson's old No. 63 or Levon Kirkland's No. 99 this year, but he did issue Greg Lloyd's old No. 95 to rookie outside linebacker Roger Knight.
A "suitable number"?? I'll be the first to admit that I'm the sort of fan who leaves memorizing jersey numbers to the officials and only the most trivia-obsessed fans. I know that Brett Favre is #4 only because his picture's on the wall, but if I don't see right away which receiver he threw to during a play, I'll know in a second when John Madden tells me. There's enough other stuff I'd rather store in my little brain than Lou Gehrig's or Bart Starr's or Jim Palmer's jersey number .