OT - illegal numbers

[Mark Padgett]

There's a new Ford commercial on TV and part of it shows a boys team (looks like MS) being yelled at in their locker room by their coach. A bunch of the players have uniforms with illegal numbers, both single and double digit.

Gee - you'd think that if they want me to believe and accept the rest of the information about their products, they'd be accurate in the other phases of their commercial.

Can you imagine telling a coach that one (or more) of his players is wearing an illegal number and he replies that they wear that number on television and it seems all right there?

[APG]

If a coach were to try and make an argument for an illegal number, they would reference the NBA and the fact they can wear any number from 0 (or 00) to 99.

And if it's a middle school game, I'd venture I wouldn't care about illegal numbers. So maybe the commercial is being accurate in that most official (outside of a directive from those in charge) wouldn't care at that level.

[Stat-Man]

I've always wondered if commercials use generic jerseys and illegal numbers so that they don't appear to be endorsing or showing preference to a particular team.

As for MS or lower, I'm likely to ignore an illegal number unless the league explicitly states all players must wear legal numbers (true in our CYO league).

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

I've always wondered if commercials use generic jerseys and illegal numbers so that they don't appear to be endorsing or showing preference to a particular team.

I highly doubt it. My best guess is, the producers of these commercials only watch the NBA, if any basketball, and just don't know the difference.

Here, our association enforced jersey rules at all levels. I mentioned earlier that I had to deal with illegal jerseys in a middle school season opener. My interpreter recently informed our association those jerseys were sent back to be fixed with legal numbers. Sometimes, you have to be the guy who deals with this stuff, so someone else doesn't have to.

[BillyMac]

All these producers have to do is give me a call. I'd be pleased to edit their scripts, and story boards, to prevent such errors. If they pay for my first class plane fare, and a five star hotel, I'd also be willing to attend all rehearsals, as well as the final production, and edit.

All I would expect in return would be my consulting fee of $1000.00 an hour, and my own trailer on the production lot, with M & M candy, with all the green M & M's removed.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

All I would expect in return would be my consulting fee of $1000.00 an hour, and my own trailer on the production lot, with M & M candy, with all the green M & M's removed.

Can they include all the green W's?

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Can you imagine telling a coach that one (or more) of his players is wearing an illegal number and he replies that they wear that number on television and it seems all right there?

No need to imagine things, when the real stories are just as good. There's a jr. high that I see every year around here that had new jerseys last year. Quite a few have illegal numbers, which are overlooked by all around here. Watching warmups, I remarked to the coach, as I pointed at number 72, "You know you have a bunch of illegal numbers." His answer (this takes care of everything) "We used these jerseys last year." I saw the team again a week later, and I noticed that one of the numbers on the 72 jersey was covered by tape. I asked why. The coach answered, visibly annoyed, "'Cause you told me it was illegal!"

He had taped over the 2.

[wyo96]

Originally Posted by just another ref

He had taped over the 2.

I about blew coffee out my nose when I read this. Classic!!!!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by just another ref

No need to imagine things, when the real stories are just as good. There's a jr. high that I see every year around here that had new jerseys last year. Quite a few have illegal numbers, which are overlooked by all around here. Watching warmups, I remarked to the coach, as I pointed at number 72, "You know you have a bunch of illegal numbers." His answer (this takes care of everything) "We used these jerseys last year." I saw the team again a week later, and I noticed that one of the numbers on the 72 jersey was covered by tape. I asked why. The coach answered, visibly annoyed, "'Cause you told me it was illegal!"

He had taped over the 2.

This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen posted here.

(Fellow mods: Have we awarded the BillyMac Black Belt Award for 2013 yet?)

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Rich

This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen posted here.

(Fellow mods: Have we awarded the BillyMac Black Belt Award for 2013 yet?)

Truth is stranger than fiction. Like most, I've been know to embellish a story to make it more interesting. But, not this time. This is exactly the way it happened.

[Andy]

An association I was once a part of was hired by a local charter HS to officiate all of their home games. The coach's son idolized a local NBA player at the time that wore #7, so the kid wore number 7 on his uniform.

This particular league was VERY loosely organized, but this coach wanted us to follow NFHS rules explicitly. So we did...started every one of his games with a T for the illegal number.

After about three or four games, our association was fired....coach didn't think he should have to pay us to come start every one of his games with a Technical....