Jarrett Bell of USA Today reports that Reggie Bush, who wore number 5 at USC, is challenging a long-standing NFL rule that requires running backs to wear a jersey number from 20 to 49 ("Bush pleads to stay No. 5"). As a result of Bush's petition, the members of the NFL's competition committee are scheduled to discuss today by conference call what Bush's marketing agent, Mike Ornstein, calls "an antiquated rule". If the committee recommends a revision to the rule, it would then be submitted to a vote of the owners and would require at least 24 votes for approval.According to Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian: "We can't look at it like it's about Reggie Bush. It's never about individuals. Otherwise, where would it stop? It's always about the rule." However, Ornstein insists that Bush has built up equity in No. 5 and says, "If Reebok's smart, they'd still sell No. 5 jerseys, even if he winds up wearing No. 25." [But would fans really be interested in wearing a jersey with a different number than the player's actual number?]
This issue raises lots of questions in my mind. If Ornstein is correct in his assumption that jerseys are much more marketable to the fans with a player's old college number and that the players and teams are foregoing revenue from increased sales, why is the rule just now being challenged by a player who hasn't even signed an NFL contract yet? If Ornstein is right, both the NFLPA and the NFL would obviously have an interest in revising the rule. Is this possibly an indication of why Bush was not the first pick in the draft?