Why is the U allowing Goldy's Locker Room to sell Phillip Nelson jerseys at games?

[El Amin Fan]

I realize that Goldy's Locker Room is independent of the U, but one would think that at some point, someone in charge of merchandising would realize that the in-stadium store is selling jerseys of a former player who left the program and is now facing a very serious and public crime.

And no, these are not Alex Keith or Eric Carter jerseys.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Come on Goldy's Locker Room...it's time to take these <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gophers?src=hash">#Gophers</a> jerseys off the sales floor => <a href="http://t.co/G8bxnK6KoA">pic.twitter.com/G8bxnK6KoA</a></p>— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) <a href="https://twitter.com/GopherHole/statuses/505184502445268992">August 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[BarnBoy]

Eric Carter and Alex Keith would probably beg to differ.

 

[upnorthkid]

as long as an actual Gopher who is representing our program well is wearing the number, there's no way they are going to remove them

 

[nsmike]

Alex Keith's play last night is making the #9 his number. Phillip Who? As long as there is no name on the back it shouldn't be an issue!

 

[cncmin]

as long as an actual Gopher who is representing our program well is wearing the number, there's no way they are going to remove them

This. The jersey is selling a number, which now represents other players other than PN.

 

[gopherguy06]

It isn't PN jersey, he is no longer with the team. We have other #9.

 

[Maximus]

Because they didn't want to throw them out during the offseason?

 

[Dr.Don]

9 is currently on the team and performing. Any former #9's are gone.

 

[WindyCityGopher]

We've just discovered the lone benefit of having MINNESOTA on the backs of the gold jerseys instead of the player's name.

 

[wels0081]

Taking them off the shelves would probably be a liability at this point. They are definitely NOT Phil Nelson jerseys... if they were, wouldn't he deserve a cut of the revenue?

 

[highwayman]

I don't get your point. If they do not have a name on them, they are a current player jersey. Is there a statute of limitations I am unaware of? Are the #5 jerseys Gray?

 

[Deleted_User]

Taking them off the shelves would probably be a liability at this point. They are definitely NOT Phil Nelson jerseys... if they were, wouldn't he deserve a cut of the revenue?

Ding, ding, ding. We have THE winner.

 

[EG#9]

Of course the jerseys were made with the idea that they were Nelson jerseys, but schools can't sell jerseys with actual player names so this is one of those "wink, wink it's just a random number thing" that happens all over the country where it's just a coincidence that you can only buy a Gopher jersey with the number of Gray/Decker/Weber jersey. If there was a bigger demand for Gopher jersey's, you'd see Nike produce another number or two for this season (Leidner? Cobb?), but the "U" stopping selling the "Nelson" jersey would in a sense be admitting that they are profiting off a player when selling these jerseys. Now it's an Eric Carter or Alex Keith jersey, and I am sure #9 will be worn every year by one Gopher player or another.

To me, the issue is more with the buyer of the jersey than the "U" itself. Do you believe you are buying a Phil Nelson jersey or just a #9 Gopher jersey? I am sure a number of fans who aren't diehards have already forgotten that Nelson was number 9. The #9 jersey doesn't support Phil Nelson financially in any way, so it's really only about your own perceptions about what statement buying that jersey makes. I think reasonable people can come to vastly different conclusions on that issue.

 

[Unregistered User]

I thought it was a James Manuel jersey.

I think he had more plays on the field last year wearing #9 than anyone else.