Bizarre/Unusual Numbers on Jerseys

[aci]

Wonder why Dennis Rodman also wore 91 ? Does it have a special meaning for nut jobs ?

In one of his autobiographies (I'm thinking it was Bad As I Wanna Be, but don't remember for sure), Dennis Rodman says that he picked 91 because his number was taken, and that he chose it because it was the first two numbers of dialing 9-1-1. Apparently, he got special permission from the league to wear the number, and was surprised when they actually allowed him to given his history of bad behaviour on the court.

It's been 10+ years since I read his book, though, so that may not be completely accurate. I definitely recall the 9-1-1 bit, though.

[Quillz]

Why do you need permission to wear #91 in the NBA?

[Graham_Clayton]

For a couple of games during the 1975 Western Australian Football League season, Claremont player-coach Mal Brown were jersey #100

[pepis21]

Why do you need permission to wear #91 in the NBA?

If I good remember at that time you need permission for any number above 50.

[Davidellias]

Why do you need permission to wear #91 in the NBA?

If I good remember at that time you need permission for any number above 50.

I think it's 55. I remember reading somewhere, that Ref's when they called out penelties, used there hands to call out the numbers, thus players couldn't have numbers bigger then 5. The NBA stopped this a while back, but NCAA I think still uses this rule.

[ConcreteCharlie]

Why do you need permission to wear #91 in the NBA?

If I good remember at that time you need permission for any number above 50.

I think it's 55. I remember reading somewhere, that Ref's when they called out penelties, used there hands to call out the numbers, thus players couldn't have numbers bigger then 5. The NBA stopped this a while back, but NCAA I think still uses this rule.

How would 91 be more difficult than 19 to make with your hands?

[Geoff]

The rule he's referring to wouldn't allow 19 either. 0-5 for both the first digit and the second digit.

[Quillz]

Why do you need permission to wear #91 in the NBA?

If I good remember at that time you need permission for any number above 50.

That's what I thought, but I can't remember the NBA having this rule for a long time now. Maybe when Rodman was playing, but nowadays, almost any number should be available.

[andycumbee19]

Why do you need permission to wear #91 in the NBA?

If I good remember at that time you need permission for any number above 50.

I think it's 55. I remember reading somewhere, that Ref's when they called out penelties, used there hands to call out the numbers, thus players couldn't have numbers bigger then 5. The NBA stopped this a while back, but NCAA I think still uses this rule.

This is true. I told my brother this recently (he's a HUGE HS & college basketball fan, meanwhile I couldn't care less), and you should have seen his face. It was like a giant lightbulb went off in his giant head. He couldn't believe he never knew that rule... and that I did, ironically.

[simpsonsimard]

Actually, this is the old FIBA rule:

Numbers allowed: 4 to 15, 21 to 25, 31 to 35, 41 to 45 and 51 to 55.

1, 2 and 3 were not allowed to avoid confusion with the referee giving the signal for points scored and 0 was not allowed...

The rule doesn't exist anymore. Here's the 2014 rule:

"Teams shall use numbers 0 and 00 and from 1 to 99."

I don't know the NCAA rule...

[rgrn2777]

You can't mention the double zero without mentioning Greg Ostertag.

Forgot about Robert Parish.

[ConcreteCharlie]

The rule he's referring to wouldn't allow 19 either. 0-5 for both the first digit and the second digit.

oh oopsies

[Discrim]

Digging around Basketball Reference a few years back, seems that in the NBA's early years a few Rochester Royals players wore numbers with a leading 0 (most notably, Bobby Wanzer's 09). The league apparently banned such numbers after the 54-55 season, seeing as the aforementioned Wanzer switched to a single digit 9 afterwards.Far as

Far as the NBA's number rules, given that George Mikan wore 99 with no apparent incident, I'd always taken it as that 0-99 are all open, players usually simply stick to numbers they wore in high school or college.

[nash61]

Drew MacIntyre, goalie for the AHL's Charlotte Checkers is switching to 22. Don't know if a goalie has ever worn that.

[TheOldRoman]

Drew MacIntyre, goalie for the AHL's Charlotte Checkers is switching to 22. Don't know if a goalie has ever worn that.

Wow. From being "the chosen one" and an Intercontinental champion to being the backup goalie for a minor league team. He's fallen pretty far.

[JonYoung320]

Drew MacIntyre, goalie for the AHL's Charlotte Checkers is switching to 22. Don't know if a goalie has ever worn that.

Wow. From being "the chosen one" and an Intercontinental champion to being the backup goalie for a minor league team. He's fallen pretty far.

He even went to TNA, *gasp*

[KDubK414]

Drew MacIntyre, goalie for the AHL's Charlotte Checkers is switching to 22. Don't know if a goalie has ever worn that.

Wow. From being "the chosen one" and an Intercontinental champion to being the backup goalie for a minor league team. He's fallen pretty far.

He even went to TNA, *gasp*

I might have to nominate this for CCSLC Post of the Day!

[FGM13]

Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom is wearing 25. I don't like it.

[chcarlson23]

Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom is wearing 25. I don't like it.

I actually think it fits, and looks good on him.

[browna]

I know this was covered early regarding the NHL, and I believe it was Neil Sheehy (now an NHL agent) that "broke" the stats system by wearing #0 for Hartford:

A link, and some relevant text from it:

http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.ca/2012/06/power-of-zero.html

"When I was with Calgary I had two games to go before my contract became a one-way contract. Calgary was on an eight-game losing streak and I got called into Cliff Fletcher's office and told I was being sent to the minors. That team was going to play four games in four nights on the road, what a treat.

"Terry Crisp was coaching the minor-league team at the time. When I got there, the trainer had a jersey with number 0 on it and he asked me what number I wanted. I said whatever, it didn't matter. He said would you do me a favour and wear this, number 0. I laughed and said absolutely. Crisp came in a few minutes later and said you're not going to wear that are you, and I said, sure. He laughed and said great, 'that's why I love you...'.

"So I wore it in the minors for four games. I got traded to Hartford in 1988 and when I got there I wanted number 5 because I had worn it before but it was taken. I had worn 15 before and it was taken. My first time in the minors I wore 21, but it was taken. So I asked the general manager, Emile Francis, if I could wear number 0. He looked at me funny and laughed, but I told him I wore it in the minors, Crispy loved it, and Emile said 'why not?'

"When people asked me why I wore it I had some fun with it. I would tell them it was the furthest number from 99 and talent-wise I'm furthest from Wayne Gretzky, but just remember opposites attract. At the time, the Battle of Alberta was pretty intense and my job was to play against Gretzky a lot of the time.

"I also told people I wanted to get the 'O' back in my name for O'Sheehy, my Irish ancestors. The truth is, in Ireland our name was MacSheehy. I just tried to have some fun with it. Fans used to yell at me, 'Is zero your IQ?' then somebody would say, 'Hey, this guy went to Harvard you know.' It was hilarious."