I know the Jets won't retire his number, but they should strongly hold out on just handing it over to the next guy who walks in the door. It should be considered special and almost sacred. If I was Woody, I WOULD retire it. I know plenty of others can be argued for number retirement, from Byrd to McNeil and on and on. But the thing about Chrebet is that he literally epitomizes what the Jets are about. The Hofstra connection, the bluecollar background, the family-first type of atmosphere that's always seemed to be as important to the Jets organization as winning championships (sometimes to the fans' painful chagrin) etc. In the history of the Jets, from Namath to now...I can't really think of a player who is the face of what all this Gang Green stuff is all about better than Chrebet. The #80 should come to mean something truly special for the rest of this organization's history, even if it's un-officially retired. 100 years from now...anyone who ever streps on the field for the Jets, should know the Wayne Chrebet story. It's the rare Hollywood-type story that comes along not often-enough. And it should live forever. There will never be another Wayne Chrebet in NY Jets history. We're not that lucky.
I agree. There will never be a better Jet than Wayne Chrebet. It might actually be cooler if it were not retired and still no one ever wore it again.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a player wearing #80 this year. You can't just hold a number aside for sentimentality's sake (short of retiring that number). You have a lot of new players filling roster spots and need those numbers. Think about it, we have like 20 Tight Ends.
Give it to the 3rd string TE. If the # isn't retired (It shouldn't be) then it's up for grabs. I think the problem here is that some of you don't remember the older guys who played better than Wayne and never had their # retired. Wayne is a Great Story and a Very Good Receiver and will be missed. Let's keep it as that.
I think they should retire his number becuase of the how much he means to the fans. You can talk numbers but its alot more then that
Wesley Walker's #85 was given to Rob Moore the very next season, and Walker played 13 seasons as a Jet and only a Jet.
I mentioned on the other Chrebet thread about the chat with Randy Langue. Another question I asked him was whether the number would be retired. He said it would be a close call and he would keep up with the story if it happens.
#80 on the Jets was worn by a 3 time pro bowler and a SB champ. There were 10 NY Jet pro bowlers on that team and only 2 had their numbers retired.
It mattered and Elliot was one of the best DL players the team every had. He had a short career because of a very serious injury. The Jets had a great SB team and the players who made the Pro Bowl were all excellent players. Pro Bowlers: Al Atkinson (lb), Verlon Biggs (dl), Emerson Boozer (rb), John Elliot (dl), Dave Herman (ol), Winston Hill (ol), Don Maynard (wr), Joe Namath (qb), Gerry Philbin (dl), George Sauer (wr).
The Jets don't retire a lot of numbers, which I approve of. So far, there have been only three, two of which were vital contributors to the Jets's only championship season, and one of which was the victim of a potentially tragic on-field injury. Wayne doesn't fit either criterion. Anyway, I can't see them retiring Wayne's number ahead of Wesley Walker and Mo Lewis.
Puts in perspective all of the emotionally reactive posts to immediately retire numbers after a fan favorite retires.
What factors in to the decision to retire a number? Is it what the player has achieved by stats, or is it what he represented to the game and fans? I believe the majority of fans would want that number retired, and he also managed to be the second most successful receiver we have ever had, so I think it should legitimately be retired, I think he earned it.
