New 98
Just wanted to see what the thoughts are on DG wearing #98?
I wasn't that crazy about the idea of it coming out of retirement, but seeing it on the field and being talked about and given special attention to...people notice.
It's very unique having a QB wear #98. It creates buzz. Not just fans who may not already know why DG has it, but just people watching a game will look it up and learn about Tom Harmon.
I think that is the goal of the Legends program.
September 8th, 2013 at 12:51 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 12:59 AM ^
I agree somewhat, but in the future when someone else is given #98 why is it important? It just seems like we are looking at a much smaller group of numbers being meaningful despite there being a lot of very great players to come through and wear the Maize and Blue.
September 8th, 2013 at 6:36 AM ^
Dave Brandon is forward looking onthis one.
Hoke's program would soon run out of numbers if the jerseys weren't recycled. Might have to petition the NCAA to allow Hexidemical #s. Would confuse the hell out of officials.
September 8th, 2013 at 1:02 AM ^
Agree. If Devin wins the Heisman in the 98 that would be incredible. Then we could shelve it for a while again and say it's a magic number and pull it out when another special guy comes along that needs it, like Excalibur.
September 8th, 2013 at 1:09 AM ^
Agree. And it's been so long since a QB wore a number like this that if someone on another team ever requests #98, you'll know it's because of Devin.
September 8th, 2013 at 1:07 AM ^
I thought the same thing until I saw a quote, by peppers I think, about how they would rather have their own numbers...
the players can say no.
Also, I like the idea of the team being bigger than the player. so what if devin brings back 98 but not 12?
and I don't think devin can win even if we win the national championship... he just doesn't look THAT good. think about it: two weeks ina row he has thrown a pick in the endzone or on the five yard line. Great quarterbacks don't do that. Can devin be great? sure but he isn't yet.
September 8th, 2013 at 2:01 AM ^
fuck off plz kthxbai
September 8th, 2013 at 2:02 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 5:16 AM ^
Did Peppers really say that? Got a link? I'm sure some players do have numbers that really mean something to them (e.g., their older brother also wore that number and died in some horrific accident), but I'm sure they'd get a pass on wearing a Legends jersey.
September 8th, 2013 at 11:37 AM ^
He said the he would prefer to wear his #5, rather than #2, so he could create his own legacy. He spoke for nobody else, only himself.
September 8th, 2013 at 6:39 AM ^
Take off seven for tha gift and Devin is still putting up a net of 34 on Notre Dame.
September 8th, 2013 at 9:24 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 12:47 AM ^
Took a few minutes to get used to but love it. He also lived up to it in this game - DG could have easily folded but rose to the occasion
September 8th, 2013 at 12:48 AM ^
I was on the reddit live thread, and it was a large point of discussion about the game from teams around the country. Devin deserves it and I think he will do the number proud.
September 8th, 2013 at 12:49 AM ^
I would rather have left it retired, but if someone has to wear it I think Gardner is the perfect choice. I love all of our guys, but I'm glad it's not being worn by a defensive lineman or a linebacker, it belongs with a dynamic offensive playmaker.
September 8th, 2013 at 12:49 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 12:51 AM ^
It was the obvious choice. I never really identified with Gardner as 12 since he was 7 before, and he didn't really play much before late last year. He seems pretty happy about it based on his post game interview.
September 8th, 2013 at 12:55 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:06 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 7:41 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:03 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:03 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:03 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:26 AM ^
Woodson needs to graduate before #2 becomes a Legends jersey.
September 8th, 2013 at 1:04 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:08 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:10 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:24 AM ^
He can wear it forever for all I care
September 8th, 2013 at 1:25 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:33 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 1:52 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 2:05 AM ^
98 for Heisman
September 8th, 2013 at 3:12 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 3:24 AM ^
but now I really like it. It's quite cool to see Gardner running around with Ol'98, and the unveiling with Mark Harmon beforehand seemed classy.
Tom Harmon deserves the honor, Gardner does him honor, likes wearing the number and people will notice and inquire. These all seem like good things. So, yeah, help me up on the Legends bandwagon.
September 8th, 2013 at 4:35 AM ^
it's not... possibly.
Ignoring the pro legends numbers arguments and just looking at the arguments against, I see two legitimate points of view that shouldn't be dismissed lightly:
- Current players may feel pressure to take a legends number and do so despite not really wanting to. Have there been any? We probably won't find out for a while, but I bet it's safe to assume that eventually there'll be one or two and we might hear about it.
- Recruits - I'm guessing it's going to hurt recruiting more than help it once it becomes obvious that the star players on the team don't get to pick their own numbers so they can honor a player who quite frankly... the older the player, the less likely they are to feel a connection to them.
This legends jersey honoree system may work out fine to start, but I bet it changes before it becomes every recruits goal to acquire a legends jersey.
September 8th, 2013 at 7:38 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 11:01 AM ^
Recruits have been aware of the Legends Jersey program for two years now - the first was unveiled at the 2011 ND game. It seems to me like our recruiting has gone just fine since then.
September 8th, 2013 at 12:14 PM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 6:38 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 6:40 AM ^
I would think that - of all the players who could get #98 - Devin Gardner was probably the sensible selection, and last night, he showed us what that is the case. I admit to some ambivalence about the some specifics of the Legends program, but Gardner did quite a bit to honor the legacy of Tom Harmon with last night's performance and, in my estimation, definitely fit the number if you will.
September 8th, 2013 at 7:33 AM ^
Vince Young wears Devin Gardner pajamas.
September 8th, 2013 at 8:24 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 9:30 AM ^
This. If every team has a 98 or whatever, I think it loses some luster. I don't know how you balance that recognition without some players feeling slighted by not getting offered a number, but so far I am happy with the players selected.
That said, I am really hoping to see some players in 1 and 2 soon.
September 8th, 2013 at 8:56 AM ^
September 8th, 2013 at 9:06 AM ^
What happened with Gallon?
September 8th, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^
...thread:
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/gallon-21-avery-11-funchess-87-get-legends-jerseys
200+ posts, many of them expressing a range of doubt, frustration, confusion, and letdown from the original Legend dedications.
I still think that this was all a forced decision; that Brandon either had to retire #21, or unretire everything else.
September 8th, 2013 at 10:14 AM ^
OK.
All I can say is that I've learned more about Kramer, Oosterbaan, the Wisterts, Harmon, etc than I ever would have. I don't really see how that's bad. Having the number out there doesn't seem any less "honoring" than a sticker of a number on the wall.
September 8th, 2013 at 10:22 AM ^
We should be careful not to confuse this message board with the fanbase at large. Virtually every fan I've met thinks the Legends program is cool. Many of them had no idea we'd retired jerseys in the first place, much less who actually wore them. Now we hear about the legendary players each week ("The pass is completed to Devin Funchess, who wears Ron Kramer's number 87...").
September 8th, 2013 at 9:13 AM ^
21 caught 2 TDs from ol98 under the lights vs ND in front of 115109 and the greatest stadium in the country.
it's say that one worked out OK too
September 8th, 2013 at 9:13 AM ^