On August 8, 2008, opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics began in Beijing: at 8 minutes and 8 seconds past 8 o'clock.The "8" did not stand for sports jerseys available from jerseys wholesalers or a celebration of octagons! Rather, in the host country, "8" is a fortunate number because it symbolizes wealth. What U.S. famous sports players have worn the number"eight" on their jerseys? Let's discover a couple whose sports accomplishments have inspired followers throughout time to don "number 8" wholesale jerseys on their own backs.

Most listings of high achievers associated with the number eight would feature MajorLeague Baseball's Cal Ripken. One of the top shortstops ever to play baseball, Ripken spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles. He was called "Iron Man" because he played for so long in somany games. Another baseball performer would be Carl Yastrzemski. Yaz, his nickname, was the famous leftfielder for the Red Sox and got numerous honors, including 18 All Star appearances. Yankee Yogi Berra cannot be left out of this enumeration: not only a fifteen-time All Star and a player in fourteen World Series, the irascible giant was a manager after his playing years and despite moving around more than once proved to be accomplished at that as well.

Is baseball the only fan favorite with star-quality "number eights?" Not at all. The NBA would nominate Kobe Bryant, of course, the Laker's shooting guard and arguably the top basketball player in the National Basketball Association since Michael Jordan. But Bryant abandoned his famed number eight in 2006. During the 2009 Laker championship win, he donned the number twenty-four. Jersey wholesalers were delighted; his new jersey number sales have kept pace with his old.

Hockey followers would probably put Cam Neely front and center as their pick, the high-scoring and tenacious power forward for the Canucks and the Bruins. Neely's scoring was matched only by his courage in the face of serious injury; his "number eight" jersey was retired by the Bruins in his honor.

Not a jersey but a car number, forever associated with the auto-racing superstar Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the "number eight" car won vast a stock car contest and symbolizes the entire family, beginning with Dale's racing grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt. Unfortunately, Earnhardt tried but failed to maintain the number in 2008, when he made a move to a new company. What does he drive now? The number "88!"

The NFL, whose loyalists pay money for more wholesale jerseys than do the fans of any other singlesport, would probably select for Troy Aiken, the hall ofFameQuarterback for the America's Team, the Cowboys. Now a sports announcer, his wholesale jerseys sales are stillgoing well.

The Chinese had it right: "number eight" signifies wealth.