Retire Emmitt's #22? - Dallas Cowboys Forum

REDVOLUTION · 11-29-2005

Watching Emmitt on NFL network. Running all over Giants. LOL

I say Yes.

No one should ever don that starred number again.

theogt · 11-29-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoMick

Watching Emmitt on NFL network. Running all over Giants. LOL

I say Yes.

No one should ever don that starred number again.

Of course.

Yeagermeister · 11-29-2005

Dallas doesn't offically retire numbers instead they just don't issue certain numbers such as #12. They might do it in TC but once the season starts they switch them.

Paniolo22 · 11-29-2005

Doens't Reeves or Jones wear #33? I think that one should have consideration also.

**Reality** · 11-29-2005

I'm a big Emmitt Smith fan but I don't think numbers should be retired. I don't have a problem with a "ceremonial" retiring of a number but future players should not be prevented from using it. Too many good players in Cowboys history have used the same numbers.

Yeagermeister · 11-29-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paniolo22

Doens't Reeves or Jones wear #33? I think that one should have consideration also.

Yes and I have never thought that was right.

Hostile · 11-29-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yeagermeister

Dallas doesn't offically retire numbers instead they just don't issue certain numbers such as #12. They might do it in TC but once the season starts they switch them.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't know this. Not just the casual fan either. I hear it on ESPN or FoxSports.

bbgun · 11-29-2005

If they don't issue 12 or 74, then 54 and 33 should be off-limits too. But they're not. Apparently, some former HOF players are valued more than others.

CooterBrown · 11-29-2005

The Cowboys have far too many great players in their history to retire numbers. We all look forward to many more years of great players. Numbers are required by the league to be only those numbers between 1 and 99. At least 53 of those numbers have to be used for the season in addition to the numbers used by players added to the roster as the season progresses. That would leave 30-40 numbers that you could set aside and not use anymore.
Emmitt was great, but so were many, many other players. How could you just pick out one or two for that honor. Retiring numbers is not the right way to do it. That is why the ring of honor was invented.

EndGame · 11-29-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hostile

It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't know this. Not just the casual fan either. I hear it on ESPN or FoxSports.

When the Triplets were inducted into the Ring of Honor, one of the announcers on the national TV broadcast referred to it as "retiring their numbers". Pfft.

junk · 11-29-2005

Logistically, they simply can't retire numbers. Like Yeager said, they typically don't issue those numbers.

I choked seeing Caver wear #54, but with all the LBers on this team and the requirements of players to wear certain numbers, it certainly limits you.

I sincerely doubt we see 8, 12, 74 or 22 issued anytime during the regular season in the near future.

iceberg · 11-29-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hostile

It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't know this. Not just the casual fan either. I hear it on ESPN or FoxSports.

i've heard it before but am usually "reminded" when it comes up again. overall i'd have to agree that if you have a policy you just stick with it. if they've made a conscious decision to NOT retire *any* number then cool, it just won't happen regardless. it would be hard for any player to top what emmitt did, but i'm glad they stay with their own guidlines.

Yeagermeister · 11-29-2005

If we retired numbers what number would Emmitt have worn? Bob Hays was the original #22.

THUMPER · 11-29-2005

The problem, as has been pointed out, is that you would quickly run out of numbers. One issue that compounds that is that the numbers are assigned by position as follows:

0-19: QBs, Kickers, & WRs
20-49: RBs & DBs
50-59: OLs & LBs
60-79: OLs & DLs
80-89: WRs & TEs
90-99: LBs & DLs

So during the season a team may use 53 on the active roster plus the guys on the practice squad, plus guys on IR typically don't "lose" their number so you could have as many as 70 players with numbers assigned to them and that is just during the season.

In Training Camp and pre-season teams will use almost every number available as they can have close to 90 guys with numbers assigned to them.

Bob Lilly's #74 has never been worn in the regular season by anyone else but it is frequently assigned during TC & pre-season because they have so many linemen. I don't remember if it was Ratliff or Canty that was wearing it this year before the season started but they changed it once they knew the guy was going to make the team (remember, Canty wasn't expected to play at all this year).

If you really think about it, Emmitt should have never worn #22 since it had been Bob Hayes' number and would have been retired in another sport with less active players on the team like baseball, basketball, or hockey.

The only ones I can see not being used again are: 74, 12, 8, & 22, in that order. 88 has been worn several times since Irvin retired because there just aren't enough numbers available for all the WRs & TEs we usually carry.

ravidubey · 11-29-2005

Only give it to a player who may be great. Bob Hayes made 22 great before Emmitt did; let the tradition continue (though not for some time).