18 (number) - in Sports

In Sports

• In Australian rules football:
  • Each team has 18 players on the field during play.
  • The Australian Football League, the sport's top professional league, has 18 teams as of the 2012 season.
• In association football, "the 18" is a slang term for the penalty area.
• The jersey number 18 has been retired by several North American sports teams in honor of past playing greats or other key figures:
  • In Major League Baseball:
    • The Cincinnati Reds, for Ted Kluszewski.
    • The Cleveland Indians, for Mel Harder.
  • In the NBA:
    • The Boston Celtics, for Hall of Famer Dave Cowens. The team initially planned to retire the number for Jim Loscutoff, but he requested that the number not be retired at that time.
  • In the NHL:
    • The Buffalo Sabres, for Danny Gare.
    • The Chicago Blackhawks, for Hall of Famer Denis Savard.
    • The Montreal Canadiens, for Hall of Famer Serge Savard.
    • The Los Angeles Kings, for Dave Taylor.
  • In the NFL:
    • The Denver Broncos, for Frank Tripucka. The number was taken out of retirement, with Tripucka's blessing, for Peyton Manning, who wore the number with the Indianapolis Colts.
    • The Kansas City Chiefs, for Hall of Famer Emmitt Thomas.
    • The Colts have yet to retire any numbers during their history in Indianapolis, but have taken #18 out of circulation following Manning's departure from the team.
  • In addition, the University of Mississippi football program has retired #18 for Archie Manning.
• 18 is also the number of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car currently owned by Joe Gibbs Racing. The #18 has been driven by Kyle Busch since 2008. Other notable drivers of the car include Dale Jarrett, who won the 1993 Daytona 500 in the #18; Bobby Labonte, who won the Cup championship in 2000; and J. J. Yeley.