North Carolina State University Athletics
Haynes' World: The Numbers Game
5/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
May 30, 2001
Recently while watching Billy Crystal's brilliant movie 61*, it dawned on me just how the number on the back of a uniform can bring back powerful memories of yesteryear. The film, which depicted the legendary home run race between Yankee teammates Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961, was a work of passion and vision.
Billy Crystal's vision stemmed from his boyhood love of Mantle and the Yankees. And when one from his generation sees the No. 7, they almost always think of Mantle. I should know. My father was one of many young men who worshipped Mantle when the Yankees were running roughshod over the rest of Major League Baseball in the 1950s.
And although I was just eight years old when Mantle retired, the No. 7 always makes me think of the Mick.
For most NC State fans, there is one number that stands above all others: 44. For many years, it was the only number that hung in the rafters at Reynolds Coliseum. When "44" appears in any setting, most of us immediately have flashbacks to a time when David Thompson never stopped amazing us with his graceful athleticism.
Looking back on it now, it just seems like "44" was the perfect number for the perfect basketball player.
There are other numbers that flood the memory banks of yours truly. If I were to say "23", most fans would immediately conjure up images of Michael Jordan. That's understandable. The former Chicago Bulls superstar was, after all, ESPN's Athlete of the Century.
But for me personally, the number 23 means Ted Brown. It's hard to forget that day against Penn State when Brown was wearing a different number by game's end. You see, while he was piling up 251 yards on 37 carries against the nation's top rated defense, his regular NC State tear-away jerseys were ripped to shreds. The supply eventually ran out. When all was said and done, there were no 23s left.
Another NC State great, Roman Gabriel, kept the number 18 he donned at NC State throughout an impressive NFL career.
For the younger generation, "81" will always have special significance because of Torry Holt. I doubt a few of the talented secondaries Florida State fielded in the late 1990s will ever forget "81". In both 1997 and '98, the Seminoles saw that number running away from them an awful lot.
While standing at attention for the National Anthem prior to games at the Boston Garden, former Celtics great Larry Bird would gaze up in the rafters and lock onto the retired Number 4, which had been worn by Bruins hockey star Bobby Orr. Bird did this, he said, for inspiration.
College athletic programs and professional sports teams honor their greatest players by retiring jersey numbers. On an individual basis, some of you may pay tribute to those numbers in different ways. For instance, I have a friend who used numbers worn by his favorite sports stars to formulate the secret code on his ATM card. Perhaps he shouldn't have told me that. Now if I ever need any extra cash, I'll know how to get it.
And by the way, why shouldn't golfers and tennis players wear numbers? Can't you visualize a big "12" on Arnold Palmer's back?
What are the most recognizable jersey numbers in sports? That depends on what teams you root for, what era you lived in and where you're from. It's really a personal choice. Below are some of my favorites...
3 Babe Ruth
5 Joe DiMaggio
6 Bill Russell
7 Mickey Mantle
9 Sonny Jurgensen
15 Bart Starr
19 Johnny Unitas
23 Ted Brown
24 Willie Mays
32 Magic Johnson
33 Larry Bird
44 David Thompson (others include Hank Aaron, Jerry West and John Riggins)
51 Dick Butkus
81 Torry Holt
