Are jerseys of old players ok to wear?

Many, many years ago, I remember seeing a post in the San Diego Tribune about San Diego fans who continue to wear jerseys of players who have since long departed "America's Finest City."  Apparently, their main gripe is the fact people continue to wear those jerseys long after the players have left San Diego and began careers with other teams.

Dave Winfield, Alonso Yonder, Andrew Cashner, readily come to mind for the Padres. Natrone Means, Kellen Winslow, and Drew Brees for the team formerly known as the San Diego Chargers.

Of course, there are the exceptions - Namely, those players who've spent their entire career with a single team. Dan Fouts immediately comes to mind. In baseball, Tony Gwynn has been long known as "Mr. Padres," and I still proudly rock his Cooperstown brown and yellow jersey with the large "19" and his name on the back, last wearing it on his recent birthday.

On one hand, part of the issue is with player jerseys being so expensive, Who can afford to buy a new one every two or three years when an overpaid player jumps to a new team to earn more $$$$. On the other hand, there are also those player's whose team seeks to upgrade, or trim payroll, and then trades them for better/younger player(s) or to fill a position need, or for salary cap room.

My two Green Bay Packers jerseys are perfect examples of this category of player, with Aaron Kampman and the #30 of Ahman Green.

So what's a fan to do?

My wife more or less helped me circumvent that situation. We were AHL hockey season ticket holders for the first five years of the Iowa Wild's existence. For Christmas, a few years ago, she ordered me an Iowa jersey. Instead of getting it with a player's name and number on the back, she had it monogrammed with "McDuff" and the number "36."

I wore the number 36 when I used to race motocross back when I was young and stupid (of course, I'm not quite so young, now). McDuff, of course, is a play off my name. I can still support my favorite team, but this way, I'm now doing it on my own terms.

When she got my San Diego Padres Marine Corps camouflage jersey a few years ago, she did the same thing, as "McDuff" and "36" grace this one, as well.

The Padres have since come out with a new Navy camouflage jersey for their Sunday military appreciation games. Being ex-Navy, of course, I had to snag that one too. Howver, I'll have to get it  monogrammed elsewhere, as the Padres shop didn't offer it with this particular jersey.

In the meantime, I think I'll stick with a trio of San Diego Padres U.S.Marine Corps uniforms.

Top left is the 2017 Elite Extra Edition Dual Materials Luis Almanzar S/N 144/149 (#DM-LA), 2018 Donruss Diamond Collection Memorabilia Dinelson Lamet (#DC-DL), and a 2017 Major League Materials Wil Myers (#MLM-WM).

So, that's the particular way I've addressed the home team jersey dilemma. What's your opinion of wearing jerseys of players no longer connected with your particular team?

Stay healthy and safe out there.