Chew On This: Favre's 2001 Throwback Jersey and Defining Some Terms

On November 22, 2001, the Detroit Lions played host to the Packers for one of two "Thanksgiving Classics" games that day. Participating teams wore throwback uniforms for the event; the Packers wore one of the styles utilized in 1939, when the team won it's fifth championship.

The uniforms were pretty basic: white jerseys with green numerals, plain yellow helmets with grey facemasks, canvas-colored pants, white socks and black shoes.

The Packers edged the Lions 29-27 in a game that became thrilling towards the end, as Detroit very nearly rallied to tie in the closing seconds. Brett Favre and Ahman Green were the offensive stars of the day, and both were given the Turkey Leg Award by John Madden as the outstanding players of the game.

Around the time of the "Thanksgiving Classics" games, related merchandise to commemorate the events became available, including apparel, which fans could purchase through a handful of venues, including the Packers Pro Shop. One item that was exclusive to the Pro Shop was a Brett Favre throwback jersey, which were essentially "game-cut" jerseys, that had the same look, construction, tagging and feel as the real thing.

Fans could order these online through the Pro Shop, specifying their desired size. Like many collectors at the time, I decided to splurge on one (the price was somewhere in the neighborhood of $199-$299, I recall), ordering a size 52, since that was Favre's actual jersey size. I've since sold it, but here's a photo of the one I ordered back in late '01:

So, what should collectors call these? "Game issued" jerseys? "Replicas"? A few years ago, game used jersey dealer Jim Yackel addressed terms used to describe game-used jerseys in one of his weekly editorial musings. His definitions make perfect sense, and collectors should strive to get on the same page. Here is his original text:

GAME-WORN, GAME-USED--In my view these are interchangeable terms, though some folks may disagree. Any uniform or equipment worn by a player who is on the team's active roster, gets dressed for the game and takes his place on the field or ice is game-worn or game-used. Even if that player is a back-up quarterback who spends the entire game holding a clipboard, his uniform is game-worn/used because he was on the sideline, on the active roster and in an able-bodied position to participate in on-field plays. This applies to the relief pitcher that spends the entire game sitting in the bullpen and the back-up goalie who is activated and dressed for the game but never spends game time in the goal. Fortunately, most players who dress for games will participate in those games, even if minimally. And, most game-worn/game-used uniforms will show evidence to that effect.

TEAM-ISSUED or GAME-ISSUED--Ordered by a team and intended for game use--but not worn or used. These jerseys will have been team stock, part of the equipment room inventory, but may not have had player's names applied and will not have received the customization that a specific player may request.

GAME-READY--Completely ready for the player to use in game action, but not worn or used. These uniforms will have received the final customization that a player may request. These uniforms will often have been part of a player's uniform rotation, but for one reason or another never saw game action.

GAME-CUT--A term used by NFL Auctions referring to jerseys that are the same size that a specific player would wear and tagged in the same manner. These jerseys should not be confused with Game-Ready, as they may or may not have received the final customization that a specific player desires--nor do these jerseys originate from a team's equipment room. These jerseys go directly from Reebok to the NFL for resale purposes.

The Favre '01 throwbacks that are often up for sale or auction were never intended for game use, do not feature any customizations, and were ordered by the Packers specifically for resale. They were made with the same materials, with the same alpha/numeric dimensions and same tagging as the "real" thing, which makes them "game-cut" jerseys at best.

Occasionally, one of these "game-cuts" is doctored and sold as a game-used jersey. This one had the jock tag removed, stains added, and the spandex panels cut and hemmed:


This was sold by Heritage Auctions for just over $5,000 in a 2004 auction. Unfortunately, this was not worn by Favre and doesn't have the proper customizations. For one thing, the spandex sides are not cut properly. Let's examine this more carefully:

You can see Favre with his jersey untucked during the post-game interview/turkey feast. A screenshot from the telecast clearly shows a deeper "double" cut of the spandex sides:

This is one obvious exterior difference between Favre's game-worn jersey and the "game-cuts" obtained through the Packers Pro Shop. I realize some collectors may suggest that Favre wore two jerseys for the game, perhaps changing at halftime. While Favre did do this (very) occasionally, wearing two shirts for one game was far more the exception than the rule. I recall several years ago one well-known dealer of Favre game-used memorabilia telling me that Favre wore two jerseys for this Thanksgiving game (he had previously sold one with Favre's "game worn" inscription, letter, etc.).

Folks, this was not the case.

Careful examination of the telecast of the game, as well as dozens of photos convinced me that only one jersey was worn for the game. Two were likely prepared for Favre, but only one was worn. This is the jersey he wore that day:

Note how the side panels are cut, and compare to the screenshot above. The jerseys still shows a little game use from that day. A few microscopic blue facemask marks still exist here and there. Some of these blue marks became evident under the use of a digital microscope. For example, I found marks on the left side of the nameplate that are now (post-laundering) essentially undetectable to the naked eye. In viewing game video, it was easy to spot these marks made from a hit during the first half of the game.

Blood spots that stained a segment of the left shoulder were laundered out. It should be noted that these stains carried over from the end of the first half of the game into the beginning of the second half--further indication that no jersey change occurred at halftime.

A swatch sewn onto the interior tag indicates that this was the primary jersey to be worn in the game:

I would expect a "game-issued" or "game-ready" version of this jersey to, at the very least, have a "2" sewn inside.

Also note the gold stitching sewn inside the collar under the year/size tagging. Again, this is something lacking in the Pro Shop "game-cuts", and something you would expect (in this instance) in a game-issued version:

I was also able to match up a few seam anomalies to conclude that this was the only jersey worn, most notably a slight unevenness to the right transverse horizontal seam separating the dazzle-cloth yoke from the mesh body.

The Pro Shop game-cut jerseys are certainly nice for what they are: excellent-quality replicas of a sort, but it's clear to me they are consistently misrepresented in the marketplace.

Other Packers jerseys of other players from this game have been sold as "game used", and if autographed, come with an LOA from the Packers testifying to the authenticity of the autograph. It is important to note that the LOA never refers to any actual game use of the jersey. These emanated from the famous annual Packers "Tent Sales", where the team sells obsolete equipment, among other items. Extreme caution should be exercised when purchasing any of the '01 throwbacks as a "game used" jersey. Ask some questions, look for a little wear, and chew on it for awhile.