by Nicholas Beaudrot of Electoral Math
One of the more bizarre trends over the past few years in the NFL has been the proliferation of wide receivers sporting numbers traditionally reserved for quarterbacks and placekickers. At first it was Keyshawn Johnson, which you can just attribute to Keyshawn being Keyshawn. Then dragger Kelly Campbell unexpectedly made the Vikings roster in 2002, sporting, I think, the number 18 [he's since switched to #80 with the Dolphins]. But Campbell had that oddball number because the Vikings didn't expect him to make the roster. Somehow, looking like you just barely made the team became fashionable; Michael Jenkins used number 12 starting in '04, Drew Carter in '05, and probably several others. But then things got out of hand. Plaxico Burress, a high-quality receiver who wasn't at all in danger of being cut, switch to #17 when he moved to the Giants. Then Randy Moss—Randy Moss!—and Donte Stallworth caught the bug. The Jacksonville Jaguars now sport an entire receiver corps with under-20 numbers.
But rise in popularity fad defeats the whole point of the low-numbered jerseys. When Plaxico Burress and Randy Moss are wearing #18, no one really believes they're practice squad callups.
