Not a fan of the #1 Jersey
I know this post will probably create an uproar, but I want to go ahead with it anyways. I don't think the number 1 jersey should be worn any Michigan football player. I understand that several great wide receivers have worn the jersey and that are there are certain ability and character prerequisites that have allowed them to dawn it. However, I grew up playing many recreation and high school sports, including football, and never did any of the teams have a number 1 jersey. I asked why this was case as a child and the most common response had to do with the cosmos of a team. I was told that no one should be bigger than the team and the number 1 jersey could serve that purpose if worn. One may argue, well that's why the number 1 jersey is given to the most deserving wide receiver that exemplifies everything about a Michigan Man. I think my thought process comes from the ideology that single players should not put on a pedestal, especially at a historically egotistical position (WR) and in the ultimate team sport.
Do you hate eating cheeseburgers on the 4th of July? Does the mere sight of puppies make you angry?
CHEESEBURGERS RULE
So take the names off the back as well?
These kids are trying to get into the league and get paid. This isn't really about Michigan Football for most of them as much as that may upset you. Anything that brings attention to an individual player(be that a name on the back, outstanding play or the #1) if they earn it, they deserve it. Michigan Football is a means to an end.
Blah
make a good, thought-out argument supported with sound logic. As opposed to some recent posts (not authored by you).
...wear the number two at Michigan then, since arguably the best player the team has had in the past 60 years wore it in the 1990s?
Unbelievably stupid communist anti-competitive, self-esteem fearing garbage from the "don't hurt the kids' feelings" crowd.
Why bother keeping score?
Shouldn't everyone win the Heisman Trophy, every year?
Either you misinterpreted his point, or you just beat the crap out of a straw man.
The point is not trophies for everyone. The point is putting the team ahead of the individual.
Also, I seriously wonder if I just missed the sarcasm there, or if I fell for a troll.
FWIW I support the #1 if it's earned through with talent and character during your career at Michigan.
...and I am certainly not a troll.
I'm sure that's exactly what Bo meant by, "The Team, The Team, The Team!" Dude - you have your finger on the pulse of what it means to play college football for Michigan. I like the #1 tradition but I pray that college football means more to some of these guys than just a means to an end. Besides, only a small percentage of players actually go on to have pro careers.
I'm in favor of using #1, especially when the wearer has earned it by his efforts within the program.
I'm less pleased with the dangling the #1 jersey in front of potential recruits; but hey, the state of Michigan is not a hotbed of div1 talent, and that is shared with MSU ( and lately some of it has been slipping southward ).
If deployment of the #1 jersey can help build a better team, either through recruiting, or player development motivation, I'm all for its use.
BTW, spybucks182, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, which you stated quite well.
like any other. if that motivates a player, then fine. A lot of guys have a number they really want to wear.
that's nice
It's not just another no. for any player to wear... seeing Butterfield wear it in the mid-90's still doesn't feel right. And imagining a 3rd tier WR or a DB wearing it would be as bad. Hopefully it is saved for a to-be-Jr. that has played exceptionally his first two years and not given to a 5-star freshman. Either way... the "tradition" is obviously in limbo and no one knows what RR is going to do. Maybe Gibbons will get it this fall!!!
You know who sould be wearing the #1 jersey this year?
Two words.
Fucking Zoltan.
for Heisman
Cosigned. I'll give it a +25 though.
I guess I may be too young to be in the know here, but I have seen both David Terrell and Braylon wear the #1 jersey, and uh, I didn't hear about them causing any problems. If i'm worng I'll probably get ripped to shreads here but has a player wearing that number ever been a cause of trouble for us? I thought that being spectacular on and off the field was more or less the criteria for a WR to be allowed to wear #1, so any egotistical player putting himself above the team like that should automatically be disqualified right? So if it aint broke why fix it?
I disagree with the whole No. 1 jersey for WRs only tradition.
It's wrong.
The so called "earning of the No. 1 jersey" was started by Lloyd with Braylon Edwards only, not Bo and not Moeller.
Greg McMurty, David Alexander, Tyrone Butterfield, David Terrell didn't do jack to "earn it". They were issued the number. Period. The only tale of "earning a jersey number at Michigan" has to do with Stanley Edwards' son.
Linking a scholarship to a jersey number is silly. Why not link the scholarship to a position, if that's Braylon's fancy.
In my view, Michigan should let kickers, linebackers, tailbacks, QBs and WRs wear the number.
The second best player to ever wear No 1. (besides AC) was Greg Willner who pulled triple duty punting, kicking PATs and FGs reliably between 1976-1978.
Otherwise just retire the No. 1 jersey for Anthony Carter or Braylon or both.
I don't think we'll see a Braylon or Terrell type receiver under RR anyway. He likes spreading the wealth among slots, tailbacks and WRs too much.
Ok look, your point is rather silly. You don't want players to have that extra incentive to play harder, work harder, and perform at a higher level? Why not? WR is a position that naturally attracts the egotistical prick, but the best way to get players to play better is to give them incentive to push themselves to be better. It doesn't matter what that incentive is (#1 jersey, NFL draft, "stop yelling at me coach - I don't want to cry in front of the guys again" ala Justin Boren, etc.), as long as they play better for Michigan. The #1 jersey was worn by the greats, and they worked their asses off the earn that right. They were the best, and earned the right to show it off on the field.
Agree or disagree, Braylon probably has the biggest ego of any of our football alumni. This poster's point is relevant.
And that's clearly because he was given the number one jersey, not because he was the Belitnikoff (sp) winner and the 3rd overall pick in the draft.
If only he would have kept 80, we'd have a humble Braylon.
If the biggest ego problem we have is Braylon Edwards, then I think that makes this posters point especially irrelevant. Exactly what is so terrible about Braylon? When compared to other NFL recievers, I think Braylon is pretty well behaved, and to my knowledge avoids negative press off the field.
Part of the new culture John L brought with him to MSU when he was first hired was to talk the players' names off the back of the jerseys and take away the number one jersey....we all know how that story played out.
The No. 1 jersey is a good thing. I get that it is a fairly new tradition, but that doesn't make it wrong.
The whole "earning" the No. 1 jersey is meaningful. Braylon was given the jersy as part of a turn around in his attitude and play. He obviously felt it was important to him since he laid down the money to endow a scholarship for that position.
The fact that it has to be earned defeats the whole selfish player argument. The coaches wont give it to a selfish player. You didn't see Manningham getting No. 1. Braylon only got it after he became a team leader. Besides, did anyone need a jersey number to see that he was the best reciever and a leader on a team with a freshman quarterback and tailback?
As for the Braylon had an ego argument. He probably did. It takes an ego to throw an entire team on your back and simply refuse to loose to Sparty, even if you are down by multiple scores late in the 4th quarter.
Braylon endowed a scholarship at Michigan. Thanks are due - not criticism.
So wide receivers are the only ones that work their asses off? This is the whole reason I made this argument. Everyone works hard on a great team. To just reward one player with the number 1 says to me that the coach believes that player IS number 1 on the team, which sets him apart from the rest of his teammates.
Oh BTW this is a complete coincidence and doesn't have any solid support for my argument (no sarcasm), but the national championship team did not have a number 1 on the roster FWIW.
we probably shouldn't keep score in the games. and while were at it, we probably should get rid of capitalism also.