Show of Hands

I have a Brees jersey. I will wear it even after he retires because he will always be a great part of Saints history. Even if it didn't have his name on it, number 9 will always be Brees to me.

I agree, and as a Saints fan who almost bought a Jimmy Graham jersey, I understand the problem. However, if the player is traded, you still have a jersey with a number of a player who isn't on your team anymore. How does removing the name solve that?

That's fine. Would you wear the jersey because it symbolizes your favorite team? I would wear a Falcons jersey (my favorite team) with the number 2 on it even if Matt Ryan was no longer on the team solely because it represents my team.

Why?

But when I buy a jersey, I buy it because I like the player. Say I had a Saints jersey with 80 on it. Graham is a Seahawk. I'm not going to wear the jersey regardless of whether his name is on it, because it's a Graham jersey. In 5 years if there is

another 80 on the Saints, I may or may not want to wear his jersey. But for me, even if the next 80 is amazing, to me that jersey will always represent the reason I bought it.

Well, at some point, someone will undoubtedly wear the number again (pending they retire the number) so at least someone will be wearing it. They might not be as great a player, but at least it is someone.

Think about if you buy a jersey with a name on the back only for your team to trade him soon thereafter. Seems a little bit of a wasted purchase, no?