WCG: Idea for Bears to unretire numbers

[UOK]

https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/ ... ers-butkus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting proposal. His idea is to retire the number after 50 years, establish a Bears ring of honor, and put the player's initials beneath the GSH on the sleeve.

I don't like the additions to the sleeve idea, but the ring of honor and unretirement thing seems good.

[Hiphopopotamos]

I don't have too strong of feelings either way on this - but when I read a passage like this:

The trouble is, no Bears fan under the age of 75 was even alive during his career. A Bears fan who was 10 years old for Hewitt’s final season in Chicago would be 92 today. I bet most Bears fans have never heard his name. If the team drafts Nelson, the fans disappointed that he can’t wear his college jersey would far outnumber those who want to retain the honor bestowed upon the great Bill Hewitt.

It makes me want to beat the author over the head with a bat (wiffle). That number wasn't retired for the fans - it was retired to honor Bill Hewitt.

Every time someone asks/learns why 56 is retired - Bill Hewitt is honored again.

If the Bears want to do a ring of honor - great. But I don't see any reason to unretire numbers.

[Adipost]

Yes, we need to make room for #10.

[Adipost]

I don't have too strong of feelings either way on this - but when I read a passage like this:

The trouble is, no Bears fan under the age of 75 was even alive during his career. A Bears fan who was 10 years old for Hewitt’s final season in Chicago would be 92 today. I bet most Bears fans have never heard his name. If the team drafts Nelson, the fans disappointed that he can’t wear his college jersey would far outnumber those who want to retain the honor bestowed upon the great Bill Hewitt.

It makes me want to beat the author over the head with a bat (wiffle). That number wasn't retired for the fans - it was retired to honor Bill Hewitt.

Every time someone asks/learns why 56 is retired - Bill Hewitt is honored again.

If the Bears want to do a ring of honor - great. But I don't see any reason to unretire numbers.

It’s because the Bears have already retired too many numbers and cannot retire any more, Brian Urlacher for example.

[Mikefive]

https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/ ... ers-butkus

Interesting proposal. His idea is to retire the number after 50 years, establish a Bears ring of honor, and put the player's initials beneath the GSH on the sleeve.

I don't like the additions to the sleeve idea, but the ring of honor and unretirement thing seems good.

I haven't thought about this too deeply, but 5 minutes consideration says it's an excellent idea. And the first thing I'd do is retire Urlacher's #54 for the next 50, while also making the aged out retired numbers immediately available. I also agree with you that the sleeve thing is a bit much.

[WagonForce]

Interesting idea, but I hate the suggestion to put the initials on the sleeve.

[Hiphopopotamos]

I don't have too strong of feelings either way on this - but when I read a passage like this:

The trouble is, no Bears fan under the age of 75 was even alive during his career. A Bears fan who was 10 years old for Hewitt’s final season in Chicago would be 92 today. I bet most Bears fans have never heard his name. If the team drafts Nelson, the fans disappointed that he can’t wear his college jersey would far outnumber those who want to retain the honor bestowed upon the great Bill Hewitt.

It makes me want to beat the author over the head with a bat (wiffle). That number wasn't retired for the fans - it was retired to honor Bill Hewitt.

Every time someone asks/learns why 56 is retired - Bill Hewitt is honored again.

If the Bears want to do a ring of honor - great. But I don't see any reason to unretire numbers.

It’s because the Bears have already retired too many numbers and cannot retire any more, Brian Urlacher for example.

I'm well aware. Which is why the 'Ring of Honor' is a fine idea.

But to actually put in writing that 56 should be unretired because Q Nelson fans outnumber those who saw Hewitt play is fucking stupid.

[staleystarch]

I must be the only one who likes the sleeve idea

[Boris13c]

I must be the only one who likes the sleeve idea

maybe NFL wide they could adopt a "b" with the uniform number?

# 7 is retired for Papa Bear ... so any modern player wearing 7 would have 7 b on their jersey

[Mikefive]

I don't have too strong of feelings either way on this - but when I read a passage like this:

The trouble is, no Bears fan under the age of 75 was even alive during his career. A Bears fan who was 10 years old for Hewitt’s final season in Chicago would be 92 today. I bet most Bears fans have never heard his name. If the team drafts Nelson, the fans disappointed that he can’t wear his college jersey would far outnumber those who want to retain the honor bestowed upon the great Bill Hewitt.

It makes me want to beat the author over the head with a bat (wiffle). That number wasn't retired for the fans - it was retired to honor Bill Hewitt.

Every time someone asks/learns why 56 is retired - Bill Hewitt is honored again.

If the Bears want to do a ring of honor - great. But I don't see any reason to unretire numbers.

It’s because the Bears have already retired too many numbers and cannot retire any more, Brian Urlacher for example.

I'm well aware. Which is why the 'Ring of Honor' is a fine idea.

But to actually put in writing that 56 should be unretired because Q Nelson fans outnumber those who saw Hewitt play is fucking stupid.

As a "numbers should be unretired so Nelson can get his college number" statement, I agree with you. But as a "what should the Bears do about running out of numbers", I think the idea has a lot of merit. I think the Nelson example was just an effective way for the author to make his point.

[Mikefive]

I must be the only one who likes the sleeve idea

maybe NFL wide they could adopt a "b" with the uniform number?

# 7 is retired for Papa Bear ... so any modern player wearing 7 would have 7 b on their jersey

If this happens, I'm going to find you and shoot you.

[BR0D1E86]

I don't have too strong of feelings either way on this - but when I read a passage like this:

The trouble is, no Bears fan under the age of 75 was even alive during his career. A Bears fan who was 10 years old for Hewitt’s final season in Chicago would be 92 today. I bet most Bears fans have never heard his name. If the team drafts Nelson, the fans disappointed that he can’t wear his college jersey would far outnumber those who want to retain the honor bestowed upon the great Bill Hewitt.

It makes me want to beat the author over the head with a bat (wiffle). That number wasn't retired for the fans - it was retired to honor Bill Hewitt.

Every time someone asks/learns why 56 is retired - Bill Hewitt is honored again.

If the Bears want to do a ring of honor - great. But I don't see any reason to unretire numbers.

It’s because the Bears have already retired too many numbers and cannot retire any more, Brian Urlacher for example.

I'm well aware. Which is why the 'Ring of Honor' is a fine idea.

But to actually put in writing that 56 should be unretired because Q Nelson fans outnumber those who saw Hewitt play is fucking stupid.

That’s a stupid argument. That the Bears can’t retire any more numbers is a good argument.

I’d be for it. Minus the sleeve initials thing.

[Richie]

I agree with hiphopopotamus (man, that sucked to spell... lol) that the writer is completely missing the point of retiring a number. It's to honor the player and make sure that he is forever apart of the team's history - not to be forgotten. The entire point is that we never saw him play, but are still aware of him because of that.

The Nelson jersey thing just compounds an already dumb statement.

However, unretiring numbers after a certain length of time and honoring them another way is sensible and fine by me.

Sleeve initials is stupid, yes. Has to be a better way.

[RING4CHI]

I'm all for a ring of honor. A jersey number doesn't make a player. Having Butkus's or Sayers's name up on a wall at Soldier Field isn't going to be soiled by an undrafted free agent wearing those numbers. And if the Bears have two Hall of Famers end up wearing the same number, great. Put their names up on that wall/ring of honor right next to each other.

Except Walter Payton. Sweetness's number stayed retired forever.

[beardownbilly]

It's not an awful idea.

Let's say Trubisky leads the Bears to 5 Superbowls in the next 20 years and then retires. We aren't able to retire his number which is stupid as he would be just as worthy as any other player who has a number retired.

[BR0D1E86]

Except Walter Payton. Sweetness's number stayed retired forever.

Im all for that. We should also probably retire David Terrell’s number, but for the opposite reason.

[docc]

Go three digits..

[Otis Day]

Never been in favor of retiring #s. I think a ring of honor with their names displayed makes much more sense. If you have a # thing, just put their # next to the name on the ring.

Keep Walter's retired. It may be blasphemy to some, but bring back Piccolo's #.

Hell, at one point Jim "fricking" Morrissey was wearing #51. It didn't seem right but it is just a #.

[Middleguard]

I also like the sleeve idea: it's more noticeable to a TV viewer than a "ring of honor" is likely to be, and it becomes an obvious honor that the player wearing it should try and live up to. But if the sleeve idea is too jarring (why? they're not desecrating 50 year old uniforms), then perhaps a helmet decal with initials would suffice.

[Umbali]

give the number a 1/2 lmao 56 1/2


I dont care about many of those numbers , however Walter's has to stay retired.