It is the start of another season and this is the time decisions are made regarding jersey numbers & the legendary "late shipments from Adaidas." Over the years, I've talked w/ the Crew Equipment Manager Rusty Wummel & he wasn't allowed to divulge certain policies but I thought it would be a good time to ask some new questions. I'll look for any questions any of you have posted for the interview beginning on Wednesday.
Take this one better. What is the exact allocation between long sleeve, short sleeve, yellows, and blacks? Is there a fine for players *Hejduk, we love ya!* who exceed that amount? Specifically, what is that amount or a ballpark estimate thereof? The NHL equipment managers get all sorts of gifts from their teams, but this might partially be due to the fact that their job is a lot harder with all the helmets, sticks, pads, and other stuff. Apparently, those guys make out like kings. How does that compare to MLS equipment managers?
Wouldn't that be the actual player? There's also the unofficial system, where the GK is number 1, the defenders are usually 2-6, or whatever, the creative mid is number 10, the forwards are 9 & 11, etc. It used to be that anything over #20 was generally reserved for rookies and bench warmers, but this may not necessarily be as true nowadays as it used to be. Plus, i'd imagine that in most cases, people keep their same number from college or youth teams all the way through their careers. If there's two people who "claim" the same number on the same team, it usually goes to the most veteran player, although sometimes, numbers can be sold between players. ...or so i've heard.
When going to other countries where did you store all that stuff, did you have any trouble with Customs? Have the airlines ever lost the equipment and if so what did you do?
Will kevlar helmets be included with jerseys bearing the numbers 2, 7, or 8 should they be requested and worn by any usurping, unworthy shitheads this year?
I assume it's Rusty that does the lettering/numbering for jerseys... Any names you have had issues with misspelling over the years? How often do you have to "toss" (not use) misnumbered or misspelled jerseys?
One of the Indy guys from a few years back had a #9 Oughton jersey. I forget who gave it to him, but he was a new fan and didn't realize the numbering error until about a month later.
I kept having schedule conflicts & kind of felt like a jerk for taking so long but here are the questions I submitted in addition to your own. I figured that if you saw my questions that might give you some ideas for some new topics to ask & this was a result of only one brainstorming session so I might of forgot to include something. Q: If someone has a short trial w/ the team, does he get the opportunity to buy his uniform & what would the price be? Q: Is it true that in the pre-season you make up a bunch of uniforms & people end up w/ their number partly due to what size that # is on? Q: Do you have a say in the choice of uniforms & training gear styles? Q: Does Adidas send you sample uniforms from national & European club teams or do you make most of of the choices from catalogs? Q: Do you have a say in the choice of uniform #s, say someone wants a weird # like 0,37,62,98 would you object? Q: Are there any rules against high uniform #s or longsleeve jerseys for Champions League games? Q: In 2008 you were running low on the letter "O", have you ever had to trade w/ another team for letters? Q: How many pairs of socks do the players get & did you throw them all away after the Champions League "mudbowl" game? Q: Would you consider witholding #2,7 or 8 for one season or are decisions made based on the recipients ability to "pull it off?" Q: Does anyone ever ask for or receive a history of who wore a potential uniform #? Q: How many soccer balls are used each season & how many are deemed no longer "match fit?" Q: I found out in a conversation w/ you that there are "dibs" even on what letters go on the staff's gear, RW was not available to you because it was already taken, can you elaborate on what the rules would be if more than one person wants a certain #? Q: DC United has "Tradition" on the neck of the uniform, would the Crew having "Massive" be a posssibility? The LH could be moved back to the sleeve or chest. Q: How many hours before & after each game are you at the stadium for a home vs. an away game? Q: Last preseason every informal picture of Guille we saw he was wearing a Crew polo, was this a way to avoid doing his own laundry? Q: Do you ever find yourself in a laundromat or feeding quarters into a dorm's clothes washer for preseason or exhibition games? Q: I did an interview w/ Ryan Junge & asked him if there was any tickets made available to see the Bluejackets or Destroyers & his response was "No." Is there still no official connection between the Columbus pro-sports teams?
lol Awesome. Don't forget to ask him what's on his iPod. That seems to be the most important question around Crew training camp this preseason. Kevin Burns needs to change his number to 62.
Q: Do you have any interesting/funny stories about players needing things a certain way either because of superstition or just being picky?