Names on the back of jumpers - good or bad?

[Boxhead_31]

Yeah, I keep forgetting it's only the NFL that has names on jumpers.

When was the last time you heard of the AFL heads heading to the EPL to get ideas?

 

[Wooljay]

When was the last time you heard of the AFL heads heading to the EPL to get ideas?

If you don't think the AFL has agglomerated various elements of arguably the most successful domestic sporting competition in the world then you're dreeeeamin'.

Obviously there is more parallels to be drawn with NFL based on their equalization methods, but arguing that names on jumpers is Americanizing the sport is not accurate.

 

[TheGhostOfJohnBelushi]

What the hell are you people talking about? I read the names fine. And I have terrible eyesight.

If you're talking about reading them during the action, in what universe would you be able to see names in any sport? Of course you're only gonna see them during close ups. FFS.

Buy a bigger TV.

And stuff remembering numbers. When I was younger and more footy obsessed, I knew all the numbers, but I'm mid 30s now, have a family and have no time to remember that shit. The names are awesome. Stop your frigging whinging.

 

[Admiral Byng]

It was a good idea, poorly executed.

 

[Boxhead_31]

So...what? Are you saying we shouldn't have names because some people don't follow their teams closely? Some people, especially in NSW/QLD, just want to watch a game once in a while, not know every single ******* debutant to come through the club

So we should include names on the back of guernseys because a small number of supporters don't know players names?

 

[Boxhead_31]

I want to know if BT will still get the player's names wrong.

Oh course he will BT plays by no mans rules but his own

 

[Boxhead_31]

I'm sorry, 65% of people with FANGO?
That's as good as invalid.

2 people voted yes 1 voted no

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

As far as I'm concerned if you need the names you're not a true fan and just a bandwagoner

I'll answer that. As I posted in the other thread, you do realise there are plenty of people like me who are mad Aussie Rules fans, have been so for more than double your lifetime, who do have enough time in their life to avidly, obsessively, follow their own team's fortunes, but not all of the others?

You realise some of us mad Aussie Rules fans cannot find time in our lives at the start of each new season, to memorise and cross-match the names, faces and numbers of 700 odd players?

Some of us run businesses, have families. Not every AFL fan is a 20-somethign trainspotter.

There seems to be some perverse macho pride here in knowing the names, numbers and faces of 600 people many of us couldn't give two hoots about. But I don't mind learning a few in passing.

 

[master bate]

I'll answer that. As I posted in the other thread, you do realise there are plenty of people like me who are mad Aussie Rules fans, have been so for more than double your lifetime, who do have enough time in their life to avidly, obsessively, follow their own team's fortunes, but not all of the others?

You realise some of us mad Aussie Rules fans cannot find time in our lives at the start of each new season, to memorise and cross-match the names, faces and numbers of 700 odd players?

Some of us run businesses, have families. Not every AFL fan is a 20-somethign trainspotter.

There seems to be some perverse macho pride here in knowing the names, numbers and faces of 600 people many of us couldn't give two hoots about. But I don't mind learning a few in passing.

But if you don't know the names (and only the most full on fan would know the names of young guys like those who came in to Brisbane's side last night) then why do you need to know the names? (If that makes sense). At a game even if they make the names really big they'll be hard to see so numbers and a footy record/phone app with players is probably a lot more practical. Watching on TV the commentators job is to call the players anyway.

I can't see any benefit. Soccer players have names on their jumper but 90% or more of soccer on TV is filmed with a wide shot so you can see the play developing so you never see them and you can't see them from the stands.

 

[wce4premiership]

I'll answer that. As I posted in the other thread, you do realise there are plenty of people like me who are mad Aussie Rules fans, have been so for more than double your lifetime, who do have enough time in their life to avidly, obsessively, follow their own team's fortunes, but not all of the others?

You realise some of us mad Aussie Rules fans cannot find time in our lives at the start of each new season, to memorise and cross-match the names, faces and numbers of 700 odd players?

Some of us run businesses, have families. Not every AFL fan is a 20-somethign trainspotter.

There seems to be some perverse macho pride here in knowing the names, numbers and faces of 600 people many of us couldn't give two hoots about. But I don't mind learning a few in passing.

Ignoring the fact I was deliberately speaking hyperbolically, if you don't care then you don't care, you don't have time to learn them no matter if the names are there or not, on the flip side, you wont learn them from the jumpers, you'd hear the names and recognise the players faces, body type etc, as if you'll be watching and not know who a player playing well is until a close up replay that just happens to catch the backside of his jumper is shown?
You'd know the names through commentary and even statistics flashing up, so that "learning names in passing" is done through other means and wont be reinforced by a poorly designed marketing ploy in which you can't read during general play on TV, even less so attending the game.

 

[wce4premiership]

Nice hyperbole.

Also, I doubt that someones gait or kicking style is more recognisable than their name on their back...

You're wrong, because you can see gait and kicking style from the other side of the ground, it's a full body signature of sorts, compared to an unreadable name?

There's no scenario I can imagine where a name on the back will be the first connection you make with a player.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Can't help but laugh at the irony of people talking about the 'Americanization' of our game.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

But if you don't know the names (and only the most full on fan would know the names of young guys like those who came in to Brisbane's side last night) then why do you need to know the names? (If that makes sense). At a game even if they make the names really big they'll be hard to see so numbers and a footy record/phone app with players is probably a lot more practical. Watching on TV the commentators job is to call the players anyway.

I can't see any benefit. Soccer players have names on their jumper but 90% or more of soccer on TV is filmed with a wide shot so you can see the play developing so you never see them and you can't see them from the stands.

Ignoring the fact I was deliberately speaking hyperbolically, if you don't care then you don't care, you don't have time to learn them no matter if the names are there or not, on the flip side, you wont learn them from the jumpers, you'd hear the names and recognise the players faces, body type etc, as if you'll be watching and not know who a player playing well is until a close up replay that just happens to catch the backside of his jumper is shown?
You'd know the names through commentary and even statistics flashing up, so that "learning names in passing" is done through other means and wont be reinforced by a poorly designed marketing ploy in which you can't read during general play on TV, even less so attending the game.

Yes, you already learn some names in passing; this way I'd learn more. I'd like to know more, I just don't have the time.

I hear opposition player's names all the time and have no idea who they are. If there's a close-up shot at a stoppage, someone walks into screen and I see their name. I go, "ah, so that's so-and-so". Now I know.

I have no opinion about whether it's a good or bad thing when you're at the game itself. Right now I'm lucky to make it to two Swans games a year, so my only interest at this point is how the TV experience works for me, and I'm always interested in anything that can enhance that.

(But when I do go to games, I'd rather watch every minute of the action than keep having to bury my nose in the Record and then look up and have to catch up with what's going on.)

Bottom line? Maybe you guys are right; maybe it's not as wonderful as I'm making out, but it's certainly not the disaster that some idiots here are proclaiming. What possible harm could it do? How can anyone seriously say (as one poster did) that sponsors' logos are a more integral part of the game than players' names?

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Ignoring the fact I was deliberately speaking hyperbolically, if you don't care then you don't care, you don't have time to learn them no matter if the names are there or not, on the flip side, you wont learn them from the jumpers, you'd hear the names and recognise the players faces, body type etc, as if you'll be watching and not know who a player playing well is until a close up replay that just happens to catch the backside of his jumper is shown?
You'd know the names through commentary and even statistics flashing up, so that "learning names in passing" is done through other means and wont be reinforced by a poorly designed marketing ploy in which you can't read during general play on TV, even less so attending the game.

PS, sorry I missed your hyperbole.

 

[wce4premiership]

Fair enough, but re: being at the game

You wont be looking at the record no, but I guarantee you wont be reading the names. So it's only the numbers that you'll possibly see (if their backs are to you) and other defining attributes ie: height, hair, tatts etc

 

[SBYM]

Yeah, I keep forgetting it's only the NFL that has names on jumpers.

Goodonya, Woolie…always great to see an Arsenal fan acknowledge his superiors.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

How does a name that's apparently too small to read and therefore of no use ruin the look of the jumper?

Also if you buy a jumper for your kid and don't want that jumper to be useless once the player leaves, don't bother putting the name there it's not like it'll become mandatory when buying a jumper

On occasion it helps identify a lesser known player for tv viewers. Not all the time, not even most of the time but I found it handy at times

Last night they didn't ruin the look, you could barely even tell they were there at all. A little bit bigger and they would still be unreadable, but it might become obvious there is some scribble above the number. Whether that would ruin the look I don't know, I suspect probably not to any extent.

I don't really care either way, but with the size of our field, the number of players and other differences in our game, I'm not sure that both name and number can be made readable. Its much easier with five players on something small as a basketball court, or where players line up so that a whole team faces one way and largely not blocking each other out such as in American football.
In terms of player identification, its basically pointless. It might work for marketing, but that's about it.

 

[Wooljay]

Goodonya, Woolie…always great to see an Arsenal fan acknowledge his superiors.

It took me and embarrassingly long time to find a picture of the back of a player, and then I figured Stevie G spends so much time taking penalties that there'd surely be one of him

 

[SpareTowel]

In terms of aesthetics and the spirit of a team sport, the only thing that should be on a guernsey are the team colours. Having names on the back is another step away from this ideal.

In terms of heritage and the game's brand, this is also another step away from the ideal. The AFL should preserve what's unique about the game, not muddy it into a globalised mish mash of confused cultural references that are aimed at everyone but please no one.

 

[melbournemartin]

They were too small. Brisbane's font with white outlining made it even harder to read.

Actually not sure if it's the letters being too small or they just need more spacing.

Watching it on crappy Channel 7 standard definition doesn't help things.

 

[Sub_Zero]

Matthews idea of having the name bigger and the number smaller is absolutely terrible.

Please don't do that.

why?

 

[Sellyme]

Imagine this but with 4x the clarity (when we finally get 1080p AFL).

Brisbane's was a bit hard to see, Richmond's was fairly easy on any non-wide shots, and both would be extremely easy to read with 1080p.

I'll get some 720p Fox Footy screenshots later on in the round.

 

[Righteo]

Don't understand how this could elicit anything other than straight up apathy from a person, the poll should be edited to reflect that many people don't find it particularly good or bad.

 

[The Final Word]

I'm sorry, 65% of people with FANGO?
That's as good as invalid.

Didn't 66% of Fango users think Issac Smith would beat Mark Blicavs in a 2km run?

 

[MOONEY 21]

lets play football on a square ground, wear shoulder pads and make the sherrins pointy aswell.

lame attempt to sell more merchandise........ stop it afl, please.