If Reggie Bush wants to see himself in a No. 5 jersey, he will have to open his scrapbooks. Or learn to kick field goals.
In perhaps the only major development of the NFL spring meetings Tuesday at the Westin Tabor Center hotel in downtown Denver, the competition committee decided no exception would be made to the league’s jersey number rule.
Bush, recently drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 2 pick, can wear jersey No. 25, No. 35 or No. 45 as a professional tailback. But his request for the No. 5 he wore while winning the Heisman Trophy at Southern California was denied when the committee decided against making changes to current policy.
“Nobody’s comfortable that there be any exceptions made to policy,” said Rich McKay, the Atlanta Falcons’ general manager and co-chairman of the competition committee.
Change the rules now, McKay said, and suddenly there would be a situation where rookies could pull rank on veterans long removed from their college numbers.
While preventing running backs from wearing any number outside the 20-to-49 range may seem a tad officious, McKay points out relaxing the code could present officiating confusion regarding receiver eligibility and special teams.
McKay left open the possibility the numbering system could be reconsidered in October during the league meetings.
Time to play tourist?
Considering the cash haul the Broncos reap for each sold-out home game at Invesco Field at Mile High, it may take all the money in China for the team to play there, or anywhere else outside the United States.
Among the topics discussed during the meetings was the possibility of the NFL moving two regular-season games to international venues beginning with the 2007 season.
The Arizona Cardinals gave up a home game to play in Mexico City last season, but the Broncos would likely be less malleable. And getting reimbursed for lost home-game revenues would be only one concern.
“There are the expectations of fans,” Broncos executive Joe Ellis said. “They want to watch eight games at Invesco.”
