I think it's highly appropriate to honor truly outstanding SA's by retiring
their numbers.
 
Sean wrote:
> Do people on this list really think colleges should honor
> student athletes for their athletic abilities by retiring their
> uniform numbers?  What about student atheltes who do extermely
> well in class.  Why not retire their uniform number?
 
Well, students don't have uniform numbers or anything else that can reasonably
be "retired."  There are times that former students who have gone on to fame
are honored in some particular way, and I've seen plaques which have honored
students who have excelled in some endeavor.  Not exactly the same, but let's
face it people will pay $8 to see Greg Bullock play.  They won't pay anything
to see Sam or Susie Sliderule do differential equations.  In high school, when
I switched from the football team to the math and chess teams, I no longer had
some cute cheerleader yelling, "Dave Hendrickson he's our man, if he can't do
it no one can!"  :-(
 
As to Kariya, I would say that he should DEFINITELY be honored.  Longevity
shouldn't be the only thing.  If a kid was good enough to be potentially the
greatest college player ever, the only one who ever even came close to winning
the Hobey and scoring titles as a freshman, and one of the key players on a
national championship team (not to mention that he was apparently a good
student), then in my book his jersey goes to the rafters.  No questions asked.
 
I do like the idea of Montgomery going first because of his contributions over
his four years, his leadership, and his perhaps not getting the recognition
he deserved sometimes in his senior year because Kariya was in the limelight.
There's something that just feels right about 19 preceeding 9.
 
DaveH