After initially denying Keith Rivers the ability to change jersey numbers without forking over $11,000, Rivers is going to have the ability to wear the number that he wanted. Kevin Smith? We're still not sure.The league originally told Smith that he couldn't change from no. 34 to 24, which he wore in college, because he wore "34" in the rookie photo shoot, and the number appears on all of Smith's trading cards.
Typically, when a player wants a number that's taken, he simply has to work out some sort of arrangement with the player who wears it. In Smith's case, he got safety Dwight Smith, the current wearer of the "24," to agree to switch. But the league has been a different story.
It's unknown whether Rivers paid the money to get the jersey change, so perhaps Smith will have to pay both the league and Dwight for the privilege, but the league will probably keep consistent with its decisions (unlike with the Personal Conduct Policy), and afford Smith the same opportunity as Rivers, no matter what that might be.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-16-2008 @ 9:17PM
Dean said...
If Smith thinks this is tough, just give him a season or two on the Lions. This little number incident will in no way meausure up to the disappoinment, pain, and frustration he will experience as a member of the leagues' most hopeless franchise.
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