When you wear your favourite team's jersey with the name and number of a current player on the back, you risk seeing that player traded, signed elsewhere, or worse, bought out. My brother Steve owns a Darcy Tucker #16 Leafs jersey. Darcy Tucker has been bought out by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
When Steve IM'd me to let me know Tucker was gonzo, he opened with "anyone wanna buy a Tucker jersey?" I proudly wore a Doug Gilmour #93 in the early 90s and I remember when he was traded to New Jersey. It's tough when your jersey player leaves your team.
After the Gilmour incident, I got smart. My new jersey is a Bill Barilko #5. By going classic I don't run the risk that my player will leave. Barilko is a legend. Barilko is forever.
Steve has learnt a valuable lesson. My other brother owns a Bryan McCabe #24. Let's hope he learns a similar lesson.
Yeah, that was a pretty smart move. I've got a Bester #30 buried in my closet, along with a #93 (not the Godynyuk one). My brother had Todd Gill's #23 for a while, too.
I should probably just get a #17 with Clark on the back and call it a done deal.