"88"

[Laurence Horn]

At 7:32 PM -0400 8/28/02, Dennis R. Preston wrote:
>
>My quick mental review of "88" among active and past players (in
>major sports) does not produce a well-known figure. larry may help
>with that.
>
Definitely (American) football, as Joanne first said, not baseball,
as in her follow-up.  It would be a wide receiver or tight end, but
in any case a pass-catcher.  Current wearers in the National Football
League who spring (or fall) to mind include the N. Y. Giants' Ike
Hilliard, the Indianapolis Colts' Marvin Harrison, and the Kansas
City Chiefs' Tony Gonzalez.  The last named, who has been the
league's best tight end for the last few years, is threatening to
leave football unless he's also allowed to try to make it onto a
professional basketball roster as well.  (He played a lot of
basketball at Berkeley before joining the Chiefs.)  I'd be surprised
if he retained his #88 for basketball, but then I'll be surprised if
he actually makes it in as a 6'4" power forward in pro basketball at
all.

Larry

P.S.  After the Great Gretzky, who made #99 famous in the National
Hockey League, and the inverted #66 worn by Super Mario Lemieux (and
maybe also counting Mark Messier, #11), the next superstar (who
somehow never quite made it), Eric Lindros of the Philadelphia Flyers
and now New York Rangers, chose #88.