Retiring Charles Woodson's #2?
Now that Woodson officially has a degree from Michigan, is it possible to retire his number into Michigan lore? I know the biggest caveat before was that he never received a Michigan degree, but he has an honorary one now and he's one the biggest supporters of the program out there.
April 29th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
It is not possible because it just looks so awesome out there on the field.
Also because retiring numbers is a silly, impractical exercise.
April 29th, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
and I think that Woodson is most definitely a VERY special case. He's the only defensive player to ever win the Heisman and the best player in Michigan football history. His legacy deserves to be remembered and his number should hang in the metaphorical rafters. Or #2 should be reserved for only the best defensive player on the team that earns that number
There is the Woodson Lobby at CS Mott Children's Hospital that is already named after Charles Woodson due to Charles' charitable financial support and his personal involvement supporting sick kids.
April 29th, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 12:03 PM ^
Kind of a side note, but I was bummed to see him take jersey 2, but not because of anything to do with Woodson. I simply love non-traditional QB numbers, and was hoping Patterson would stick with #20, which was available on offense last time I looked. Oh well. I still dream of a 6-2, 240-lb. fullback of a quarterback who wears #37.
2 is still pretty "non-traditional", albiet less-so than 20.
April 29th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
I don't think the lack of a degree had anything to do with it. The great Cazzie Russell never got his degree.
The great Cazzie Russell came back and got his degree (some time in the late '80s or early '90s) and they retired the jersey almost immediately after he got the degree.
April 29th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
like on a banner hung from the rafters at Crisler, not one banner for each individual but one or two banners with a column of the players and the number they wore. I don't know what we'd do at the stadium though...
I know! We could place them on some maize halo...
April 29th, 2018 at 11:18 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 11:31 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 11:25 AM ^
for Michigan football. Do you want to lose that excitement for young Michigan players coming in the door to get a chance to wear a great former player's number?
If retiring numbers was a smart and logical idea for Miichgan football, you could easily have made the argument that Anthony Carter's #1 should have been retired. But then you would never have given those players, like Braylon Edwards, the opportunity and the honor to wear the #1, and work to play your best and pay tribute to the greatest Michigan player to wear the #1 - AC.
Every player that dons the #2 for Michigan football should know that wearing that number comes with a price - you are putting on the same number as the great Charles Woodson, so play like a champoin and make it mean something.
Go Blue!
April 29th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 11:30 AM ^
WWBS....
April 29th, 2018 at 11:47 AM ^
IDGAF
April 29th, 2018 at 11:45 AM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 12:13 PM ^
April 29th, 2018 at 12:22 PM ^
in favor of this approach. Have both #s 1 and 2 mean that certain something extra. Nobody coming in gets it, you have to earn it. It'll give the players that extra motivation within the "the Team, the Team, the Team" concept. Everyone who plays can earn a sticker. Only certain players can earn a #1 or #2 jersey.
April 29th, 2018 at 11:48 AM ^
Retired numbers don't mean anything here any more.
April 29th, 2018 at 12:22 PM ^
You only hang banners in basketball and hockey. You don't celebrate or put up a CFP acknowledgement in football; you do that in basketball and hockey for final/frozen four. Retiring numbers in football just isn't as big of a deal as putting a retired number in the rafters for basketball and hockey. Also, Nordin, Gary, Robbins, and Speight all wore #3 last year. I don't think we have an excess in numbers to do this.
Football is all about championships and heismans.
April 29th, 2018 at 12:23 PM ^
Yes, it's possible.
No, it shouldn't be done.
April 29th, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^
I actually embrace the idea of these kids being able to wear the numbers of past icons if they so desire. It's a practice that I admittedly never understood at the college level. It's kind of cool to honor professional players in that manner (but it seems like it gets overdone by some teams - I mean, there are only four numbers you can wear as a Yankee now), in my opinion, but it doesn't seem like a logical thing to do at the college level.
April 29th, 2018 at 12:37 PM ^
may have something there with that simple statement.
As an example, say the Tigers had a star young pitcher who wore #16 his whole career, and he comes up to the big leagues - team has to say sorry, that number is retired for Hal Newhouser, a great pitcher from the 1940s. According to my grandfather, who passed away a couple of years ago, Hal Newhouser was a terrific pitcher to watch in his time. Hall of Famer, several amazing seasons, record at 207-150 not as impressive due to WWII service and arm injury later in career.
Seems stupid that the young star can't wear his favorite number 16 because of a player who played more than 60 years ago - and as time goes on, it will be even less logical. Instead, would be great if that young player would be allowed to wear the number, and be educated about how he is wearing the number of a former Tiger great, Hal Newhouser, and explain to him that back in 1944, Hal Newhouser went 29-9 with a 2.22 ERA. This would seem a better more fitting tribute, and would keep that player's name more alive as the years go on.
Your statement clarified this for me, as I never have cared for the retirement of numbers.
dont retire the number so no one else can ever wear it. retire the jersey with the players name and number on it and display it in schembechler hall. that is a great way to honor that special player while keeping the number available so another player can honor it by wearing it on the field.
April 29th, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^
#21 is retired. It was retired in 2015 along with the others that Brandon unretired.
I think Hackett or whomever made that decision didn't think it through. Should just do what Basketball does. Retire numbers of your all-time, no doubt best (Cazzie's #33) and have the others honored with a banner but still in circulation.
Why the two boxes above Michigan Stadium are still blank is beyond me. Looks unfinished.
Instead of retiring numbers, honor ALL significant players who ever wore the number. You want your name on that plaque in your locker when the next guy wears it? Earn it. Be the guy some future player wearing your number wants to be like. I think that's better than telling someone that they can never wear the number they have worn since Pop Warner, that their father & grandfather wore before them... because you will never be worthy of it like someone else was.
Interesting how no one had a hot take about not liking retired jerseys until Dave Brandon decided to incentivize them for maximum synergy and brand awareness.
Look up Henry Hatch. If he thought retiring jerseys was the right thing to do, it's good enough for me.