Uniform #'s & Retired Jerseys

[nashvillehoyas]

I find it interesting that Georgetown does not retire uniform numbers: #33 (Mourning and Ewing) #21 (Floyd) would be logical numbers. Probably more.
Criteria for me: should complete eligibility. Did not leave early or transfer out.

[prhoya]

I like the NBA McD wall more than retiring GU numbers.

[EasyEd]

Retiring numbers honors Hoyas for their careers at Georgetown. The NBA wall honor those who went into the NBA. Different criteria.

[DFW HOYA]

Jun 12, 2011 15:07:14 GMT -5 prhoya said:

I like the NBA McD wall more than retiring GU numbers.

It would also be nice if Georgetown honored the nine pre-1972 NBA alumni with jerseys as well.

[RBHoya]

There just aren't that many numbers usable in college, since you can't have digits greater than 5. Therefore I don't think it's wise to start taking a bunch of them out of play. A lot of schools retire jerseys, as in hang a players jersey in the rafters, but still let players wear that number if they want to. Georgetown's equivalent is basically the McDonough wall. I think the wall idea is actually better, because anybody (and especially any recruit) who sees that wall full of Georgetown guys who have gone to the league is instantly going to respect the schools tradition, which is one of our biggest assets (the rest of the facility certainly isn't ). I agree they should hang the older jerseys though too, that'd be cool to see, and let's get as many up there as we can.

[hoyas big supporter]

why isnt this thread called "Retiring Jerseys"

[strummer8526]

Jun 12, 2011 20:38:34 GMT -5 RBHoya said:

There just aren't that many numbers usable in college, since you can't have digits greater than 5. Therefore I don't think it's wise to start taking a bunch of them out of play. A lot of schools retire jerseys, as in hang a players jersey in the rafters, but still let players wear that number if they want to. Georgetown's equivalent is basically the McDonough wall. I think the wall idea is actually better, because anybody (and especially any recruit) who sees that wall full of Georgetown guys who have gone to the league is instantly going to respect the schools tradition, which is one of our biggest assets (the rest of the facility certainly isn't ). I agree they should hang the older jerseys though too, that'd be cool to see, and let's get as many up there as we can.

I had never heard of the "no digits over five" rule until this post, but I looked it up and confirmed it. Anyone know why on Earth such a rule exists? Is the number 28 somehow "bad" or not "collegiate"?

[hoyas big supporter]

Jun 12, 2011 21:56:09 GMT -5 strummer8526 said:

Jun 12, 2011 20:38:34 GMT -5 RBHoya said:

There just aren't that many numbers usable in college, since you can't have digits greater than 5. Therefore I don't think it's wise to start taking a bunch of them out of play. A lot of schools retire jerseys, as in hang a players jersey in the rafters, but still let players wear that number if they want to. Georgetown's equivalent is basically the McDonough wall. I think the wall idea is actually better, because anybody (and especially any recruit) who sees that wall full of Georgetown guys who have gone to the league is instantly going to respect the schools tradition, which is one of our biggest assets (the rest of the facility certainly isn't ). I agree they should hang the older jerseys though too, that'd be cool to see, and let's get as many up there as we can.

I had never heard of the "no digits over five" rule until this post, but I looked it up and confirmed it. Anyone know why on Earth such a rule exists? Is the number 28 somehow "bad" or not "collegiate"?

It's for refereeing pursposes, I assume.

[DanMcQ]

That rule has been around forever (ask Easy Ed) and correct, it's because there are 5 fingers on each hand:

Rule 3, Section 5, Article 8 of the NCAA College Basketball Rules specifies which numbers shall be legal to be worn on player’s jerseys. The numbers include 1-5, 10-15, 15-20 and so on, until the last legal number 55. Further a team can have players with numbers zero (0) OR double zero (00) but NOT both.

Rule 3, Section 5, Article 9 of the Rules state that no members of the same squad shall wear identical numbers.

[EasyEd]

For the record, Easy Ed never heard of this rule. It's stupid. Can't the ref signal with both hands?

[rosslynhoya]

Last I heard, even freaks like Cahill only have five fingers on a hand.

[Hilltopper]

Coach used to say that Georgetown retires memories, not numbers.

[SFHoya99]

Jun 13, 2011 8:18:34 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

For the record, Easy Ed never heard of this rule. It's stupid. Can't the ref signal with both hands?

Is holding up two hands with eight fingers up "53" or "8"?

[theexorcist]

Jun 13, 2011 9:56:50 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Jun 13, 2011 8:18:34 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

For the record, Easy Ed never heard of this rule. It's stupid. Can't the ref signal with both hands?

Is holding up two hands with eight fingers up "53" or "8"?

You hold up one hand, then the other. So it's either 35 or 53.

[SFHoya99]

Yes, I'm aware. I'm explaining to Ed why two hands for "8" won't work.

[Boz]

This is the silliest thing I've ever heard of. Does the NCAA also have a rule that it is illegal to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel? Or that killing a Scotsman is only legal on Sundays?

[theexorcist]

I don't get the dislike of the rule. Basketball has less than fifteen players on a team. There's still lots of numbers to choose. Hockey numbers like 87 just look pretentious (save Number 99).

[FrazierFanatic]

Jun 13, 2011 10:14:29 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

Yes, I'm aware. I'm explaining to Ed why two hands for "8" won't work.

Actually easy to do. For 28, you hold up 2 fingers on right hand, then you close that fist, then hold up 8 fingers. Willis Reed would never have had a foul as number 19 if this wasn't possible, nay easy, to do. I suspect it would simply be too hard for the official statistician at Syracuse to do all that math, so the NCAA protects him with its rule.

[DFW HOYA]

The rule has been in pace since the 1950's as far as Georgetown's numbers go--in the 1930's they used 60 through 85 and in the 1940's 3-29. (In the 1960's, it alternated jersey #s by home and away games (e.g., #4 at home, #5 on road) which I'm sure would have people scratching their heads today.

While it may or may not be popular, every group has slightly different rules. FIBA, for example, mandates #4 through #15 only, which is why Patrick Ewing wasn't wearing #33 in the Olympic, for example. And across sports, the NFL rules enforcement on player numbers makes the NCAA look liberal by comparison.

Retiring jersey numbers can be overrated. Duke has retired 13 of the 36 possible combinations, leaving 15 players to cycle throguh the same 23 combinations. I can see pulling #32 (Laettner) out of circulation, but will Cameron Indoor Stadium crumble if someone else wears Shelden Williams' #23? By contrast, UNC has retired only seven and its standards are much more strict than Duke--a retired number must be a national player of the year. Jerseys are "honored" (placed in the rafters but the #s can be reused) for consensus 1st or 2nd team All-Americans, NCAA finals MVP, or a gold medalist in the Olympics.

Carolina has seven retired numbers and 35 honored jerseys. (An eighth, Jack Cobb, played before numbers were issued.) By that standard, Georgetown would have one retired jersey (Patrick Ewing) and only six honored jerseys:

3-Allen Iverson (1st team)
13-Charles Smith (2nd team)
21-Eric Floyd (1st team)
33-Alonzo Mourning (1st team)
34-Reggie Williams (NCAA MVP)
55-Roy Hibbert (2nd team)

-------------------

Back to rules, here' the details from the NCAA rule book. Note that in 2012-13, teams will be allowed to add a secondary color across either the team name or player name (read=lots of strange designs to follow). And FWIW, Georgetown is due a jersey change this fall.


Only the following are permitted in the front and back neutral zones:
a. A player or institutional name/mascot.
1. No more than two identifying names or abbreviations may be placed on the front or back of the game jersey. The name(s) shall: a. Identify the school, the school nickname or mascot, or the player’s name; b. Be placed horizontally. c. Be placed no closer than 1 inch from the uniform number. b. A player number with Arabic numerals. Each team member’s game jersey shall be numbered on the front and back. The number shall be located in the neutral zone(s).
2. The following numbers are legal: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 00, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,
20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 50, 51,
52, 53, 54, and 55. Team rosters can include 0 or 00, but not both.
3. The numbers on the front and back of the game jersey shall be centered horizontally in the neutral zone and be of the same color and style.

RULE 3 / PLAYERS, SUBSTITUTES AND PLAYER EQUIPMENT
4. The number shall be at least 6 inches high on the back and at least 4 inches high on the front and not less than 1-inch wide.
5. Duplicate numbers are not permitted to be worn by members of the same team.
6. The number shall be one single solid color that contrasts the neutral zone and may be bordered by no more than a ½-inch border of any color(s).

An institution’s or a conference’s official logo/mascot and/or a commemorative/memorial patch meeting the size restrictions of Rule 3-8.3 and located between the apex of the front/back neckline and the shoulder seam. When the American flag is used, it can only be located between the apex of the front neckline and the shoulder seam on the left side of the game jersey and shall meet the size restrictions of Rule 3-8.3.

[EasyEd]

As old as I am I can still figure out how to signal with two hands any number between 0 and 99. SFHoya 99, if you need help, I let you in on this very difficult thing.