washington's number

**ravens-maniac** · 05-20-2009, 11:12 AM

noticed he is wearing # 2 and is also listed that way on the roster. I was under the impression that was only for QB & kickers. Is he going to change it before the season? If so what is the point of wearing #2 now? Gooden did the same last year wearing #49 now is wearing 56.

**RavenScallywag** · 05-20-2009, 11:39 AM

I think part of it is that we're full up on WR numbers...

The only numbers available 11-19 and 80-89 is 17 and 19. I'm guessing Washington is banking on making the team and switching to a more desireable number when it opens up...

**HoustonRaven** · 05-20-2009, 11:55 AM

And you can count out 19 for obvious reasons ...

**psuasskicker** · 05-20-2009, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

And you can count out 19 for obvious reasons ...

Why have we not retired that jersey?

- C -

**RavenScallywag** · 05-20-2009, 12:54 PM

wow, my mind totally blanked on that...good point! Yeah, not sure why we haven't retired his number, maybe it's just an unofficial thing.

I hope we do that before we eventually retire #52.

**italianjoker** · 05-20-2009, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

wow, my mind totally blanked on that...good point! Yeah, not sure why we haven't retired his number, maybe it's just an unofficial thing.

I hope we do that before we eventually retire #52.

Unitas never threw a pass for the Ravens. all the respect in the world to him and his family, but this organization does not need to retire the number 19 officially. hell, Scott Mitchell even wore the number while here with Unitas' blessing.

#75 and #52 will be the only retired numbers i can think of. unless they retire #3 also, but i do not know many kicker numbers that are retired. only reason i would consider him is because he was more than just a kicker on this team. he was an entire offense for years.

**jonboy79** · 05-20-2009, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by italianjoker

Unitas never threw a pass for the Ravens. all the respect in the world to him and his family, but this organization does not need to retire the number 19 officially. hell, Scott Mitchell even wore the number while here with Unitas' blessing.

#75 and #52 will be the only retired numbers i can think of. unless they retire #3 also, but i do not know many kicker numbers that are retired. only reason i would consider him is because he was more than just a kicker on this team. he was an entire offense for years.

Man I think I'm just following you around the board agreeing with you...

Why in the world would a #19 Ravens Unitas Jersey be retired when the Jersey was never worn by the player? The COLTS should retire the number, not the Ravens that he never played for.

Now players not wearing the number out of respect is another thing all together. I have no issue with that and would ask the Unitas family personally before wearing the number were I a Raven who had a real connection with the number.

**RavenScallywag** · 05-20-2009, 02:17 PM

well, there's more an unofficial relationship with the Colts of old there...

Remember, Unitas, along with a few other Colt greats like Lenny Moore, Art Donovan, etc, are members of the Ring of Honor (please hold your jokes about Byner being in too)

Also the fact that most of the old Colts still to this day refuse to be associated with Indy, saying they are BALTIMORE Colts, not Indianapolis Colts.

So officially, no, it doesn't have to be retired. To that end, I'm actually mostly against retiring numbers...when your roster goes to 53 for regular season, and closer to 70-80 for training camp, you're going to need those numbers one day. As we're a young team, you can just imagine as the years go on, eventually teams will either unretire numbers or ask for numbers in the 100s because the amount of retired numbers they have will be too huge.

**Losac** · 05-20-2009, 02:40 PM

Scott Mitchell wore #19 with the Ravens. Not sure if anyone else has, but I doubt the Ravens would ever retire this number officially.

I suppose it's one of those "unofficially retired" numbers. Like the Orioles have not issued #7 or #44 after Cal Ripken Sr. and Elrod Hendricks' respective deaths, although the numbers are not retired.

And I hear the NFL discourages retiring numbers simply because there aren't enough to go around with the limitations by position.

**HoustonRaven** · 05-20-2009, 03:48 PM

I like the fact that we do not use 19.

Not so much of Unitas never playing here. More to the fact it a subtle F--k You to the Colts organization.

**ed from Bel Air** · 05-20-2009, 04:20 PM

I'd rather not be subtle when it comes to the Irsay's. Retire 19!

**jburns** · 05-20-2009, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by italianjoker

Unitas never threw a pass for the Ravens. all the respect in the world to him and his family, but this organization does not need to retire the number 19 officially. hell, Scott Mitchell even wore the number while here with Unitas' blessing.

#75 and #52 will be the only retired numbers i can think of. unless they retire #3 also, but i do not know many kicker numbers that are retired. only reason i would consider him is because he was more than just a kicker on this team. he was an entire offense for years.

Could not disagree more, even if Johnny U gave his blessing (what else would you expect from such a beautifully humble man). I think it is even cooler if they never "officially retire" the number. It should be understood that no one deserves the honor of wearing that number- no one. And I believe Mr. Biscotti is sentimental/wise/honorable enough to respect the value of #19.

**jonboy79** · 05-20-2009, 05:02 PM

I would have less of a problem with the City of Baltimore retiring the number 19, and having it extend to all the O's, Blast, any future Hockey or Basketball teams, etc.. then I would with the Ravens doing it themselves.

**jburns** · 05-20-2009, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

Man I think I'm just following you around the board agreeing with you...

Why in the world would a #19 Ravens Unitas Jersey be retired when the Jersey was never worn by the player? The COLTS should retire the number, not the Ravens that he never played for.

Now players not wearing the number out of respect is another thing all together. I have no issue with that and would ask the Unitas family personally before wearing the number were I a Raven who had a real connection with the number.

Should the Colts have his statue in front of their stadium? Should we not???????

**jonboy79** · 05-20-2009, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by jburns

Should the Colts have his statue in front of their stadium? Should we not???????

no, but he's not wearign a RAvens Jersey on the statue either....

**jburns** · 05-20-2009, 05:51 PM

Should we be sitting in front of the computer with weather this beautiful?

**HoustonRaven** · 05-20-2009, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by jburns

Should we be sitting in front of the computer with weather this beautiful?

Speak for yourself. I just ran 3 miles around Memorial Park.

**italianjoker** · 05-21-2009, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by jburns

Could not disagree more, even if Johnny U gave his blessing (what else would you expect from such a beautifully humble man). I think it is even cooler if they never "officially retire" the number. It should be understood that no one deserves the honor of wearing that number- no one. And I believe Mr. Biscotti is sentimental/wise/honorable enough to respect the value of #19.

disagree if you like. it still does not mean the number should be officially retired here.

i like the fact that people simply do not wear it out of respect. and i thought Mitchell was a jackass when he did wear it. but there is no way someone could say the Ravens should ever retire the number.

the Ravens have taken every step they can to not alienate old Baltimore Colts fans and to respect our Baltimore football heritage. the Ravens did put people in the Ring of Honor and while only a few were named, it is for all old Baltimore Colts. the Ravens had Unitas on the sidelines every week and frankly i miss that. i remember when he passed away, losing him on the sidelines is like Ray not dancing. the Ravens also kept the band.

the Ravens have gone out of their way to honor our football past and some will not be content until the logo on our helmet has a small horseshoe embedded in the Raven's eye. even then people will say something about it.

**RavenScallywag** · 05-21-2009, 09:47 PM

I can accept the fact that the Colts now reside in Indianapolis and we are now the Ravens...I don't want that to change, as the Ravens are ours.

That said, what we're talking about is not "making us the Colts"...It's about honoring Baltimore Sports History, especially because in the eyes of the NFL, we don't have one prior to 1996. It's our way of honoring players who can no longer, in the NFL's eyes, be called "Baltimore Colts", because the records belong to the Indianapolis Colts.

Yes, we have done a lot already to honor them. From Unitas Plaza, to the RoH...that doesn't mean we have to stop. We don't do it out of feeling like we owe them, we do it because we WANT to honor them.

**italianjoker** · 05-22-2009, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

I can accept the fact that the Colts now reside in Indianapolis and we are now the Ravens...I don't want that to change, as the Ravens are ours.

That said, what we're talking about is not "making us the Colts"...It's about honoring Baltimore Sports History, especially because in the eyes of the NFL, we don't have one prior to 1996. It's our way of honoring players who can no longer, in the NFL's eyes, be called "Baltimore Colts", because the records belong to the Indianapolis Colts.

Yes, we have done a lot already to honor them. From Unitas Plaza, to the RoH...that doesn't mean we have to stop. We don't do it out of feeling like we owe them, we do it because we WANT to honor them.

we do honor them and we have honored them. at some point enough is enough and it is time to move on. never forget the past, i love our history and tradition as a Baltimore football fan. but this number being officially retired should never be done. the unofficial retiring is plenty and if someone ever should want to wear it they better speak to the Unitas family first. i am not trying to erase the Baltimore Colts or say anyone should forget them. but i am saying that people need to chill at some point.

tell you what. go to your wife and talk about how great your ex-girlfriend's rack was. take your beating and then from time to time just let yourself wander back and tell her how great that rack truly was. maybe see if your wife will let you retire one of your ex's bras. see how that goes over.

you want our franchise to have history, then lets keep creating it. they can not cling to the old Colts in order to create Raven history.