Camp preview: Steelers Jersey Rules 2015
Posted by Neal Coolong
Bylines Neal-2
Fifth in a five-part daily series previewing the Steelers’ training camp:
July 24 is Jersey Rules Day. Keeping with tradition, the Jersey Rules Committee met, discussed, hashed out and came to an agreement on the jersey Steelers fans should buy in 2015.
That same tradition also leads us to pick apart each rule and definition, updating them as needed, in our continuous efforts to provide clarity as well as transparency behind our process.
Selecting the correct Steelers player’s jersey to wear as a representative of Steeler Nation takes an element of style. Representation decisions should be based on where the team is going as much as where it’s been. It’s about what’s next. The ability to sense those trends is key in your purchasing decision.
The Jersey Rules Committee was formed by a group of like-minded individuals who grew increasingly annoyed seeing jerseys of players off the roster. From it, the Committee has run their collective decisions on July 24 of the last few years.
Here are a few of the past decisions.
It’s instructive to know the Jersey Rules Committee’s goal is to inform the public of the very best active Steelers player’s jersey to buy; it does not render decisions on multiple jerseys but it can instruct the Nation on which individual jersey is a better buy in the current year.
We stress individuality while sticking true to our principles of uniformity. We are a Nation of one team and our rules reflect the same kind of honored commitment to our apparel as the Steelers themselves have over the years.
We begin with our mission statement:
In order to form an educated opinion and provide said opinion to a knowledgeable fan base in need of proper data-driven purchasing information, the rules shall be stated clearly, enforced fairly and acknowledged wholly.
Here is that process:
Based on the following five rules, we advise against the purchase of certain jerseys (Don’t Buys), acknowledge the positive contributions of certain jerseys to the conversation (Qualifiers), determine the best three to buy with two being labeled as Finalists, and one Champion.
This year is unique. We have three Finalists and a Champion.
The Oversaturation Rule:
“While allowable, it is discouraged to buy the jersey(s) of the most popular player(s).”
The main goal of the Jersey Rules is to represent the present with slight favoritism toward the future. The stated Do Not Buys are the ones to avoid purchasing this year, and some of the ones in there may be due to Oversaturation; there are just too many of those jerseys on the market. Some past Jersey Rules Champions have since flooded the market (likely due to our confident recommendation), and have become too common.
Show the side of Steeler Nation the national public may not yet see. The future gets a slight edge over the present.
The Bandwagon Rule (Silverback Clause):
“A breakout Steelers player will emerge every year. Find the breakout player before he breaks out. Conversely, be careful not to join the masses in buying his jersey a year too late.”
You want to be the guy sporting the breakout guy’s jersey, or is known much better locally than nationally. That may be a fan favorite, or the player you know for CERTAIN is going to be a key player for this team this season.
James Harrison in 2006-07 is the shining example of the Bandwagon Rule. An informed fan would have known the team was going to move on from Joey Porter after the 2006 season, and if you watched Harrison on special teams and in spot starts leading into that year, you would have known he was going to be popular and productive as a starter. Those who picked up his jersey before the 2007 season were able to get some run for it before he nearly defeated the Ravens on his own Nov. 5, 2007. Imagine being at that game as one of the few in the entire stadium wearing No 92.
The Commitment Rule (Dermontti Dawson Clause):
“A player has to be assured of being on the team for at least another few years.”
Jersey purchasing is an expensive hobby/pastime/mandate. It’s only smart to view it as an investment. If you follow the rules and pick up the right jersey at the right time, you won’t have to buy another one for a few years. We stress the importance of that concept when evaluating your options. Some players, like Troy Polamalu in 2014, weren’t smart buys because of the fact his contract was such it wasn’t likely he’d be on the team past that year. Buying the jersey of a player who’s gone in a year isn’t good, so aim for the jersey of a player who will be on the team for a while.
Dawson epitomized stability and excellence over an extended period of time. He was a Steeler from Day 1 to Day Final. He deserves to be the namesake for this rule.
The Throwback Rule (The Steel Curtain Clause):
“A former player reaches Throwback Status at the start of his fifth season from when he retired, or has a combination of five years having played on a different team and is out of the league (aka the Rod Woodson Clause). If that player plays five years or more outside of Pittsburgh, then retires, a one-year waiting period is required.”
Some will argue this is the most critical rule. A member of the Jersey Rules Committee wore a Hines Ward jersey for a decade – yes, the same Hines Ward jersey. When Ward retired, he didn’t wear that jersey anymore. Why? Because he wasn’t on the team anymore.
We need time to come to grips with the legacies of our favorite players. We also wish to throw support after the team as it is, not what it recently used to be.
That isn’t to say pure, valid throwbacks aren’t allowed. By all means, they are. We feel it is our mission to call out those still sporting Rashard Mendenhall and LaMarr Woodley jerseys. It’s time to upgrade.
Leading the list of eligible jerseys for this season is Antwaan Randle El. Look for the inclusion of Aaron Smith and James Farrior in 2016.
Le’Veon Bell Broken Helmet Clause (fka The Wary Rookie Rule):
“Rookie jerseys should not be purchased until they’ve proven themselves to be worthy on a Steelers playing field. They shall play through the season, and if they have proven themselves worthy, they are eligible for purchase as of 12:01 a.m. ET the Monday preceding Week 14 of the NFL season.
Rookies must prove themselves, and as if the initial buying period (described as the final weeks leading into the start of training camp), rookies have not yet earned their hypocycloids. It is possible they may do this by the middle or end of the season, but not at the beginning. Therefore, rookie jerseys cannot be purchased until the beginning of Week 14 on the NFL calendar – the anniversary of when Bell was hit so hard by the helmets of two Ravens defensive players, his helmet was broken and he was knocked unconscious before the ball broke the plane of the goal line.
Among a plethora of highlights in Bell’s young career, that was his finest. The best part is the only thing preventing Bell from scoring on that play was the interpretation of a rule that was meant, ironically, to promote player safety – not spot the football.
They broke his helmet and rendered him unconscious, and he still got the ball over the plane of the goal line.
We don’t argue with that rule, nor say it wasn’t properly enforced on the play, but it really doesn’t seem like going to replay to watch when his helmet was savagely broken as a means of where to spot the ball isn’t fitting in with the spirit of the law.
As far as we’re concerned, Bell has one more touchdown on his career totals. The previous rule was to disallow rookie jerseys to be purchased until the start of training camp at the start of his second year.
The Dress the Part Rule (fka The Pirates Rule):
“The cheaper alternative is rarely better. Buy the real thing.”
The most controversial rule the Committee has, but we’ve again ratified its continued use.
If the stripes on the sleeves don’t go all the way around, it’s not authentic. Don’t buy it. If the name plate on the back is written in the same kind of font as an Eastern language, it’s not authentic. Don’t buy it. This trumps all rules.
It doesn’t mean only the stitched $300 jersey can be purchased. It just means it’s becoming of a fan to represent what’s authentic, not the knock-off, unlicensed stuff.
We changed the name from the Pirates Rule because that team shifted out of the business model where they seemed to intentionally put an inferior product on the market. Steeler Nation should command respect, not be subjected to apparel containing inaccuracies compared to the real thing.
Don’t Buys
It’s important to stress this is about what jersey shouldn’t be purchased right now; it does not mean penalties should be rendered if this player’s jersey is worn. This is about investment. If you bought a Heath Miller (a former Champion) jersey, wear it with pride. We just don’t recommend buying a Miller jersey now. Our aim is to maximize your investment. Miller’s days are numbered.
The Committee had strong interest in moving Kelvin Beachum up on the rankings board this season. We thought there was a genuine possibility he’d land a contract extension, and with that, rank very highly on the Committee’s list (Champion, maybe?). He may be playing into the final year of his contract, and with it, his situation becomes too tenuous to recommend a purchase.
It’s a similar situation for Harrison. As much as we dread the notion of informing Harrison we cannot recommend his purchase (and the only reason we’re pointing it out is because we see his jersey in the windows of so many sporting goods stores), we must follow our mission. We don’t feel Harrison’s contract is conducive with spending money on his jersey now, but we’re going to love seeing every Harrison jersey we’re likely to see at training camp, because, frankly, his was the greatest recommendation we ever made
There’s a dual-purpose to the Don’t Buys list. It includes ones not to buy, but there’s a caveat to some of them: “Don’t Buy…yet.” With our induction of a second Jersey Rules Committee Meeting scheduled during the season with the aim of rendering another decision before Week 14 (just in time for Christmas), this list becomes more prominent. With that, we’d like to throw a “yet” disclaimer on Shamarko Thomas. A likable guy, a hard worker and a ferocious hitter. He’s a Pittsburgh guy. He just needs to show it on the field, and he’ll get his opportunity to do so. The most daring jersey purchasers may find an absolute steal picking him up now, we just can’t recommend it yet.
Qualifiers
This team is young and exciting, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. While we feel Maurkice Pouncey‘s league-wide recognition pushes him to Oversaturation status, it seems odd that David DeCastro doesn’t seem to have reached that point yet. A big year for the fourth-year guard should take care of that.
On defense, the young pair of defensive linemen from the 2014 draft class, Stephon Tuitt and Dan McCullers captured the hearts and minds of the Committee this past year. Way too early for them, you say? That’s why they’re garnering honorable mention cred right now. We’re curious what the sentiment will be come December.
Ben Roethlisberger has gone from Champion to Don’t Buy, and back into the realm of wise consumerism. He’s the quarterback, he’s never going to avoid Oversaturation. No one on the Steelers has more representation in the form of jerseys at camp, at Heinz Field and on the road. But he’s coming off his best season, and he just signed a long-term extension. Both are key factors in his Qualifier status.
We came close to a knock-down, drag-out brawl over the inclusion of Ryan Shazier. The Committee was split on its decision to include Shazier as a Qualifier, allowing just this line of explanation: If he doesn’t prove he belongs on this list by Week 14, we will acknowledge it.
Finalists
Kick us for doing so, but Le’Veon Bell‘s suspension is all we need to make perhaps the most challenging Champion decision ever. Bell, a former champion, hasn’t reached Oversaturation, but the fact he’ll serve a three-game suspension is a mark against him his competition doesn’t have.
You wouldn’t believe the difficulty we had not starting this column by naming Antonio Brown the champion. We believe he’s the Steelers most talented player. We also just see too much issue with his contract in the near future. Brown is grossly underpaid in comparison to the market, and we know how this town reacts to players who feel they should be paid their market value. We really hope Brown works something out with the Steelers, but considering the growing gap between his salary and his cap number, odds seem better than average a contract dispute is looming. That makes it hard to place him higher than this.
Add into that what we feel will be a breakout year for Martavis Bryant, who was THISCLOSE to the shocking upset of being named a Champion. We can’t weigh his intoxicating potential over the fact he’s only played 11 games. We fully expect Bryant to enter the December meeting as a front-runner, but for now, we have to pay respect to the man who put it all together: Rising league-wide recognition, local favoritism and a long contract.
Champion
He may be the most perfect fit ever. The contract extension signed by Cam Heyward before training camp really sealed what we already knew. The team views him as a leader, and he should build on that reputation this season. There isn’t enough support for him outside Steeler Nation, and if you follow our classic litmus test, “as a fan walking into an opposing stadium, which jersey best represents the Nation’s support of a player they may not know very well, but should?” That’s Heyward.
We used to refer to him as “Wreck-It Cam,” a play off the movie “Wreck-It Ralph,” a fitting example for his chaotic style. Heyward will be the guy that starts getting the 1-on-1 interviews before primetime games. When you walk into an opposing stadium, wearing the No. 97 jersey will cause a head or two to turn. He’s earned it. He’s our Champion.
Update 2:48 p.m. ET – The Steelers announced the release of safety Jordan Dangerfield just one day before the start of training camp.
In a replacement move, the team announced the signing of offensive tackle Kevin Palmer. The Baylor product was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cardinals in 2014. He spent the 2014 season on their practice squad, but was released after minicamp. The Chiefs picked him up but released him a few weeks later.
Posted by Neal Coolong
Bylines Neal-2
Fifth in a five-part daily series previewing the Steelers’ training camp:
July 24 is Jersey Rules Day. Keeping with tradition, the Jersey Rules Committee met, discussed, hashed out and came to an agreement on the jersey Steelers fans should buy in 2015.
That same tradition also leads us to pick apart each rule and definition, updating them as needed, in our continuous efforts to provide clarity as well as transparency behind our process.
Selecting the correct Steelers player’s jersey to wear as a representative of Steeler Nation takes an element of style. Representation decisions should be based on where the team is going as much as where it’s been. It’s about what’s next. The ability to sense those trends is key in your purchasing decision.
The Jersey Rules Committee was formed by a group of like-minded individuals who grew increasingly annoyed seeing jerseys of players off the roster. From it, the Committee has run their collective decisions on July 24 of the last few years.
Here are a few of the past decisions.
It’s instructive to know the Jersey Rules Committee’s goal is to inform the public of the very best active Steelers player’s jersey to buy; it does not render decisions on multiple jerseys but it can instruct the Nation on which individual jersey is a better buy in the current year.
We stress individuality while sticking true to our principles of uniformity. We are a Nation of one team and our rules reflect the same kind of honored commitment to our apparel as the Steelers themselves have over the years.
We begin with our mission statement:
In order to form an educated opinion and provide said opinion to a knowledgeable fan base in need of proper data-driven purchasing information, the rules shall be stated clearly, enforced fairly and acknowledged wholly.
Here is that process:
Based on the following five rules, we advise against the purchase of certain jerseys (Don’t Buys), acknowledge the positive contributions of certain jerseys to the conversation (Qualifiers), determine the best three to buy with two being labeled as Finalists, and one Champion.
This year is unique. We have three Finalists and a Champion.
The Oversaturation Rule:
“While allowable, it is discouraged to buy the jersey(s) of the most popular player(s).”
The main goal of the Jersey Rules is to represent the present with slight favoritism toward the future. The stated Do Not Buys are the ones to avoid purchasing this year, and some of the ones in there may be due to Oversaturation; there are just too many of those jerseys on the market. Some past Jersey Rules Champions have since flooded the market (likely due to our confident recommendation), and have become too common.
Show the side of Steeler Nation the national public may not yet see. The future gets a slight edge over the present.
The Bandwagon Rule (Silverback Clause):
“A breakout Steelers player will emerge every year. Find the breakout player before he breaks out. Conversely, be careful not to join the masses in buying his jersey a year too late.”
You want to be the guy sporting the breakout guy’s jersey, or is known much better locally than nationally. That may be a fan favorite, or the player you know for CERTAIN is going to be a key player for this team this season.
James Harrison in 2006-07 is the shining example of the Bandwagon Rule. An informed fan would have known the team was going to move on from Joey Porter after the 2006 season, and if you watched Harrison on special teams and in spot starts leading into that year, you would have known he was going to be popular and productive as a starter. Those who picked up his jersey before the 2007 season were able to get some run for it before he nearly defeated the Ravens on his own Nov. 5, 2007. Imagine being at that game as one of the few in the entire stadium wearing No 92.
The Commitment Rule (Dermontti Dawson Clause):
“A player has to be assured of being on the team for at least another few years.”
Jersey purchasing is an expensive hobby/pastime/mandate. It’s only smart to view it as an investment. If you follow the rules and pick up the right jersey at the right time, you won’t have to buy another one for a few years. We stress the importance of that concept when evaluating your options. Some players, like Troy Polamalu in 2014, weren’t smart buys because of the fact his contract was such it wasn’t likely he’d be on the team past that year. Buying the jersey of a player who’s gone in a year isn’t good, so aim for the jersey of a player who will be on the team for a while.
Dawson epitomized stability and excellence over an extended period of time. He was a Steeler from Day 1 to Day Final. He deserves to be the namesake for this rule.
The Throwback Rule (The Steel Curtain Clause):
“A former player reaches Throwback Status at the start of his fifth season from when he retired, or has a combination of five years having played on a different team and is out of the league (aka the Rod Woodson Clause). If that player plays five years or more outside of Pittsburgh, then retires, a one-year waiting period is required.”
Some will argue this is the most critical rule. A member of the Jersey Rules Committee wore a Hines Ward jersey for a decade – yes, the same Hines Ward jersey. When Ward retired, he didn’t wear that jersey anymore. Why? Because he wasn’t on the team anymore.
We need time to come to grips with the legacies of our favorite players. We also wish to throw support after the team as it is, not what it recently used to be.
That isn’t to say pure, valid throwbacks aren’t allowed. By all means, they are. We feel it is our mission to call out those still sporting Rashard Mendenhall and LaMarr Woodley jerseys. It’s time to upgrade.
Leading the list of eligible jerseys for this season is Antwaan Randle El. Look for the inclusion of Aaron Smith and James Farrior in 2016.
Le’Veon Bell Broken Helmet Clause (fka The Wary Rookie Rule):
“Rookie jerseys should not be purchased until they’ve proven themselves to be worthy on a Steelers playing field. They shall play through the season, and if they have proven themselves worthy, they are eligible for purchase as of 12:01 a.m. ET the Monday preceding Week 14 of the NFL season.
Rookies must prove themselves, and as if the initial buying period (described as the final weeks leading into the start of training camp), rookies have not yet earned their hypocycloids. It is possible they may do this by the middle or end of the season, but not at the beginning. Therefore, rookie jerseys cannot be purchased until the beginning of Week 14 on the NFL calendar – the anniversary of when Bell was hit so hard by the helmets of two Ravens defensive players, his helmet was broken and he was knocked unconscious before the ball broke the plane of the goal line.
Among a plethora of highlights in Bell’s young career, that was his finest. The best part is the only thing preventing Bell from scoring on that play was the interpretation of a rule that was meant, ironically, to promote player safety – not spot the football.
They broke his helmet and rendered him unconscious, and he still got the ball over the plane of the goal line.
We don’t argue with that rule, nor say it wasn’t properly enforced on the play, but it really doesn’t seem like going to replay to watch when his helmet was savagely broken as a means of where to spot the ball isn’t fitting in with the spirit of the law.
As far as we’re concerned, Bell has one more touchdown on his career totals. The previous rule was to disallow rookie jerseys to be purchased until the start of training camp at the start of his second year.
The Dress the Part Rule (fka The Pirates Rule):
“The cheaper alternative is rarely better. Buy the real thing.”
The most controversial rule the Committee has, but we’ve again ratified its continued use.
If the stripes on the sleeves don’t go all the way around, it’s not authentic. Don’t buy it. If the name plate on the back is written in the same kind of font as an Eastern language, it’s not authentic. Don’t buy it. This trumps all rules.
It doesn’t mean only the stitched $300 jersey can be purchased. It just means it’s becoming of a fan to represent what’s authentic, not the knock-off, unlicensed stuff.
We changed the name from the Pirates Rule because that team shifted out of the business model where they seemed to intentionally put an inferior product on the market. Steeler Nation should command respect, not be subjected to apparel containing inaccuracies compared to the real thing.
Don’t Buys
It’s important to stress this is about what jersey shouldn’t be purchased right now; it does not mean penalties should be rendered if this player’s jersey is worn. This is about investment. If you bought a Heath Miller (a former Champion) jersey, wear it with pride. We just don’t recommend buying a Miller jersey now. Our aim is to maximize your investment. Miller’s days are numbered.
The Committee had strong interest in moving Kelvin Beachum up on the rankings board this season. We thought there was a genuine possibility he’d land a contract extension, and with that, rank very highly on the Committee’s list (Champion, maybe?). He may be playing into the final year of his contract, and with it, his situation becomes too tenuous to recommend a purchase.
It’s a similar situation for Harrison. As much as we dread the notion of informing Harrison we cannot recommend his purchase (and the only reason we’re pointing it out is because we see his jersey in the windows of so many sporting goods stores), we must follow our mission. We don’t feel Harrison’s contract is conducive with spending money on his jersey now, but we’re going to love seeing every Harrison jersey we’re likely to see at training camp, because, frankly, his was the greatest recommendation we ever made
There’s a dual-purpose to the Don’t Buys list. It includes ones not to buy, but there’s a caveat to some of them: “Don’t Buy…yet.” With our induction of a second Jersey Rules Committee Meeting scheduled during the season with the aim of rendering another decision before Week 14 (just in time for Christmas), this list becomes more prominent. With that, we’d like to throw a “yet” disclaimer on Shamarko Thomas. A likable guy, a hard worker and a ferocious hitter. He’s a Pittsburgh guy. He just needs to show it on the field, and he’ll get his opportunity to do so. The most daring jersey purchasers may find an absolute steal picking him up now, we just can’t recommend it yet.
Qualifiers
This team is young and exciting, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. While we feel Maurkice Pouncey‘s league-wide recognition pushes him to Oversaturation status, it seems odd that David DeCastro doesn’t seem to have reached that point yet. A big year for the fourth-year guard should take care of that.
On defense, the young pair of defensive linemen from the 2014 draft class, Stephon Tuitt and Dan McCullers captured the hearts and minds of the Committee this past year. Way too early for them, you say? That’s why they’re garnering honorable mention cred right now. We’re curious what the sentiment will be come December.
Ben Roethlisberger has gone from Champion to Don’t Buy, and back into the realm of wise consumerism. He’s the quarterback, he’s never going to avoid Oversaturation. No one on the Steelers has more representation in the form of jerseys at camp, at Heinz Field and on the road. But he’s coming off his best season, and he just signed a long-term extension. Both are key factors in his Qualifier status.
We came close to a knock-down, drag-out brawl over the inclusion of Ryan Shazier. The Committee was split on its decision to include Shazier as a Qualifier, allowing just this line of explanation: If he doesn’t prove he belongs on this list by Week 14, we will acknowledge it.
Finalists
Kick us for doing so, but Le’Veon Bell‘s suspension is all we need to make perhaps the most challenging Champion decision ever. Bell, a former champion, hasn’t reached Oversaturation, but the fact he’ll serve a three-game suspension is a mark against him his competition doesn’t have.
You wouldn’t believe the difficulty we had not starting this column by naming Antonio Brown the champion. We believe he’s the Steelers most talented player. We also just see too much issue with his contract in the near future. Brown is grossly underpaid in comparison to the market, and we know how this town reacts to players who feel they should be paid their market value. We really hope Brown works something out with the Steelers, but considering the growing gap between his salary and his cap number, odds seem better than average a contract dispute is looming. That makes it hard to place him higher than this.
Add into that what we feel will be a breakout year for Martavis Bryant, who was THISCLOSE to the shocking upset of being named a Champion. We can’t weigh his intoxicating potential over the fact he’s only played 11 games. We fully expect Bryant to enter the December meeting as a front-runner, but for now, we have to pay respect to the man who put it all together: Rising league-wide recognition, local favoritism and a long contract.
Champion
He may be the most perfect fit ever. The contract extension signed by Cam Heyward before training camp really sealed what we already knew. The team views him as a leader, and he should build on that reputation this season. There isn’t enough support for him outside Steeler Nation, and if you follow our classic litmus test, “as a fan walking into an opposing stadium, which jersey best represents the Nation’s support of a player they may not know very well, but should?” That’s Heyward.
We used to refer to him as “Wreck-It Cam,” a play off the movie “Wreck-It Ralph,” a fitting example for his chaotic style. Heyward will be the guy that starts getting the 1-on-1 interviews before primetime games. When you walk into an opposing stadium, wearing the No. 97 jersey will cause a head or two to turn. He’s earned it. He’s our Champion.
Update 2:48 p.m. ET – The Steelers announced the release of safety Jordan Dangerfield just one day before the start of training camp.
In a replacement move, the team announced the signing of offensive tackle Kevin Palmer. The Baylor product was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cardinals in 2014. He spent the 2014 season on their practice squad, but was released after minicamp. The Chiefs picked him up but released him a few weeks later.
