CEOs: Let's change jersey numbers

[LazyDreamer]

Yeah, personalised numbers have really been holding back the popularity of soccer, basketball and gridiron :lol:

And how are these three sports travelling in Australia at the elite level? And what sports do gridiron & basketball in teh US or soccer in Europe compete with? We're trying to win over fans from (especially) another major football code. :crazy:

 

[thorson1987]

Yeah, personalised numbers have really been holding back the popularity of soccer, basketball and gridiron :lol:

But look at the Brazil soccer strip. They still use 1-11 for their starting line up, and that wont change soon, and it is also one of the biggest selling national strips in the world.

 

[Dr Crane]

It'd be meaningful to the players as well, some of the players in the NFL have had their number since they were kids....it shows how important the game is to them.

let's take a moment to think about how silly this is when applied to rugby league.

 

[christopher]

You are all so small minded.

This is an excellent idea. Should it have been raised at a metting about salary caps... perhaps not but there is a loigcial step.

Anyone familiar with the NBA knows how important individualised numbers are to marketing.

A storm jersey with 4 on the back doesn't really repsent that your favourite player is Greg Inglis, because he switches from that position... and 15 other players are wearing that number every weekend.

If Inglis rose through the ranks always wearing number 38 for instance... you could sell normal storm jerseys and number 38 storm jerseys... they would be lapped up.

How could this not be a good thing for the game. yes there are bigger problems... but still this should be supported.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I think that keeping the same number all year is OK but we should at least make them chose sensible numbers. Could you imagine the number of players wearing 69 or 23 or 00?

Like I said make the clubs register the numbers 1 through 25 to the top 25 and every player outside the top 25 would get the next number in succession after that.

 

[hellteam]

But look at the Brazil soccer strip. They still use 1-11 for their starting line up, and that wont change soon, and it is also one of the biggest selling national strips in the world.

All the national teams do, they have to. Notice the Australian team? Kewell 10, Kennedy 9, Cahill 4, Emerton 7, Neill 2, Schwarzer 1. The rep teams can stay 1-17.

Even most the club teams have their first team in 1-11. The player's mostly want to choose a low number, if it happened in the NRL the majority would pick their number now in my opinion. It just makes it a lot easier to identify players.

Interesting that nearly all basketball and soccer fans are supporting the idea. I've got a big jersey collection, both basketball and soccer, and as people have said, it's not because of the team, it's because of the player.

 

[GCR]

And how are these three sports travelling in Australia at the elite level? And what sports do gridiron & basketball in teh US or soccer in Europe compete with? We're trying to win over fans from (especially) another major football code. :crazy:

You're right, mate, soccer would be the number one sport in Australia if they'd just fix their shirt numbers to certain positions. I mean, rugby league does it and we've taken over the world...

Not to mention that the major football code you're talking about - AFL - allows their players to choose their shirt number, regardless of position, which means their fans certainly wouldn't become confused and scared if they saw out players doing the same ;-)

 

[gronkathon]

Seagulls chasing a hot chip don't really have positions though

 

[Pierced Soul]

quite simply, this was tried in auperleague in 97, most players chose their normal numbers anyway, i.e. Alfie wore 7, Walters wore 6

it didnt have the support of fans then i cant see it doing it now

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

Ah so a young Bronco fan may not be able to easily associate with Darren Lockyer always wearing the Number 6, but will be able to more easily associate with him if he's always wearing the number 31.

What a stupid stupid concept.

I say do it. And player names.

 

[scottttt]

Ah so a young Bronco fan may not be able to easily associate with Darren Lockyer always wearing the Number 6, but will be able to more easily associate with him if he's always wearing the number 31.

What a stupid stupid concept.

a stupid stupid concept that is proven world wide to work for marketing of sports for decades

pity league fans are so backwards, i'm all for tradition but this fear of change is pathetic.

As said in the post above most players would just choose their numbers for now anyway, it would take a while to kick in i imagine, give all the bogan fans time to adjust to modern sports and the way they are marketed effectively

 

[Mr Spock!]

Most people don't support a player but a team. I know I don't. Loved Mario when he was at Souths but when he went to Norths I wasn't going to go out and buy a Bears jersey. This works in AFL as there are less changes of clubs by players. If they want this in the NRL they need to somehow make it harder for players to change clubs by rewarding loyalty.

 

[BLKOUT!]

This works in AFL as there are less changes of clubs by players.

I disagree with this. Not only do they have free agency, they have trades and a system whereas existing players can nominate to be drafted. That is three avenues of player movement as opposed to the NRL's one.

Ah so a young Bronco fan may not be able to easily associate with Darren Lockyer always wearing the Number 6, but will be able to more easily associate with him if he's always wearing the number 31.

What a stupid stupid concept.

Would that young Bronco fan rather walk around in a nameless/numberless Broncos jersey or a jersey with LOCKYER and the number 31 on the back?

I understand if people don't like it aesthetically or think it'll add any real value to the NRL, but I don't get those (not just madunit) saying it's stupid. It's worked for some of the biggest sporting leagues on the planet, it isn't some un-tried or failed enterprise.

No one really knows how it would've turned out for Super League, considering the entire competition folded after one season it's not the biggest sample size. Plus no one's posted any sales figures or whatever to back up the claims that it was a failure. Also the fact that a lot of guys kept their positional numbers is the whole point, it's not about making guys choose numbers outside of the usual 1-13, it's to make them stick with that number so it becomes associated/personalized to them. If they want to wear 23 or whatever the option is there, but it's good marketing-wise to have that continuity.

 

[JuniorBlocker]

Lambretta, beautifully said mate.

I have bought more Tampa Bay Bucs jerseys in the last 3 years than I have NQ Cowboys....... why??


Because all our jerseys are utter ass, I wanna wear something that looks good, not some try hard bulls head piece of sh*t, making jerseys look decent should be more of a priority than this stupid numbering crap.

what would you honestly want to wear (national pride and code pride aside)

this simple yet attractive jersey


or this utter rubbish


I agree that names on the back of jerseys would be great, however, you are cutting a sponsor out of the equation who give $$$$$ to the club, yeah you might get people buying a few more jerseys because of said names, but it's totally negated due to a loss of a sponsor.

Couldn't agree more with you. The NFL jerseys look far more simple and anttractive than the dogs breakfast we get served by the teams in the NRL.

The league jerseys from the 80's I think are great, very simple. The only RL jersey I like now is the Dragons. I'm a Wests Tigers supporter and I wouldn't buy the disasters they have put out.

As someone else said team jerserys are like mobile billboards. What do the NFL, MLB etc do in regards to sponserships and their team uniforms as they are not covered in logos other than the teams?

 

[DC_fan]

I think its a great idea. I have been suggesting this for a number of years. Good to see that some of the leadersof our game are finally thinking outside the square.

I see it as a great marketing tool.

 

[ozjet1]

quite simply, this was tried in auperleague in 97, most players chose their normal numbers anyway, i.e. Alfie wore 7, Walters wore 6

it didnt have the support of fans then i cant see it doing it now

no one bought jerseys fulstop. they all looked the same with different colours, and they looked like sh*te!

 

[ozjet1]

I think that keeping the same number all year is OK but we should at least make them chose sensible numbers. Could you imagine the number of players wearing 69 or 23 or 00?

Like I said make the clubs register the numbers 1 through 25 to the top 25 and every player outside the top 25 would get the next number in succession after that.

what's the biggie bout #23 & #69?

definately have to regulate so the numbers offered are from 1 to 39 or at about that range.

the individual number for a player in his time at a club gives him ownership and identity. I saw a dude the other week playing for NQ in #25, and it took me a while to realise it was JT. The number he was wearing wasnt weird, it was the fact he was wearing it after being used to him in #7 for NQ for so long.

Classifying numbers on position rather than the player makes it impersonal. And it doesnt help pay the bills.

 

[ozjet1]

You're right, mate, soccer would be the number one sport in Australia if they'd just fix their shirt numbers to certain positions. I mean, rugby league does it and we've taken over the world...

Not to mention that the major football code you're talking about - AFL - allows their players to choose their shirt number, regardless of position, which means their fans certainly wouldn't become confused and scared if they saw out players doing the same ;-)

not entirely correct. in the AFL, famous numbers of past greats are awarded to players by the club. the number is also handed down to them by a past player. it's a big honour apparently. also have the names on the players locker of all the past players who wore the number and played a minimum number of games (100 i think) for the club, etc

went to the old yankee stadium a few years back and they've got a 'monument field' with all the retired numbers of past greats. recognition of players that made the club what it is today.

the individual player number is a recognition thing. something most sports do much better than rugby league.

 

[Shorty]

let's take a moment to think about how silly this is when applied to rugby league.

Let's take a moment to think about how silly you look when this is the standard for the most successful sports in the world.

a stupid stupid concept that is proven world wide to work for marketing of sports for decades

pity league fans are so backwards, i'm all for tradition but this fear of change is pathetic.

As said in the post above most players would just choose their numbers for now anyway, it would take a while to kick in i imagine, give all the bogan fans time to adjust to modern sports and the way they are marketed effectively

Agreed.

Couldn't agree more with you. The NFL jerseys look far more simple and anttractive than the dogs breakfast we get served by the teams in the NRL.

The league jerseys from the 80's I think are great, very simple. The only RL jersey I like now is the Dragons. I'm a Wests Tigers supporter and I wouldn't buy the disasters they have put out.

As someone else said team jerserys are like mobile billboards. What do the NFL, MLB etc do in regards to sponserships and their team uniforms as they are not covered in logos other than the teams?

And it's getting worse, it has to stop it makes our game look cheap and nasty.

 

[Paulie Jay]

At the moment a halfback can wear the number 7 for his entire career. If players pick their own numbers, what happens when a player signs with a new team but one of the players already has "their" number...?

E.g. Scott Prince picks number 15. Next year he signs with Manly, but Neville Nobody in his rookie year wears 15 on the wing. Do we play the team with two 15s on the paddock...?