"88"

[Dennis R. Preston]

These guys are all great players (but Gonzalez won't make it in the
NBA). To the point: although they might get local fan recognition
with jersey numbers, they are not national items.

dInIs

>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.

--
Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Languages
740 Wells Hall A
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1027 USA
Office - (517) 353-0740
Fax - (517) 432-2736