Utilizing Highlights To Uncover A Lowlight

Auctions from sportscard dealers don't typically feature game used NFL jerseys. But the current auction from Mile High Card Company offers a handful of these, and among them is a shirt represented as a 1968 Bart Starr game used cold weather jersey. Here is the relevant part of the lot description:

Presented is a game-used 1968 Green Bay Packers jersey, worn by legendary Hall of Famer Bart Starr. Specifically designed for cold weather climates, this beautiful forest green heavyweight jersey features era appropriate Sand-knit outer tail labeling, mistakenly labeled size 42 although the jersey actually measures to size 52. Normally Starr wore a size 46-48, but preferred his cold weather jerseys to be several sizes larger. This gamer features 3/4 length sleeves with embedded striping and elbow pads as well as correct horizontally dominant “5” and flat-topped “1” sleeve numerals. Light but acceptable game wear is evident, normal for cold weather QB jerseys. LOA from Lou Lampson, Mile High Card Co.

First of all, I'd like to state upfront that whenever you see the phrase "cold weather jersey", 99% of the time this is actually code for "This jersey is freakishly large for the player in question". The description states that Starr wore larger jerseys in cold weather. Can someone demonstrate proof of this? We've all seen images and video of the Ice Bowl, for example, and Starr isn't wearing an oversized jersey in that game.

Here is the LOA for reference:

This LOA states that "The front and back diamond point 5's have more exaggerated width than the norm but is acceptable." More exaggerated width? That part is correct. "Acceptable"? That part is not. Why is the wrong font size acceptable? I guess I'd like to see an example of this on an actual Packers Sand-Knit jersey from the '60s.

To illustrate what the 5's should look like, and what we're all familiar with, take a look at this screen capture from the 1968 Packers official highlight film. You can see Jim Flanigan wearing #55 in the expected Sand Knit font:

With this in mind, let's examine the claim that Starr would've worn this in a cold weather game in 1968. '68 was a year where Starr was riddled with injuries, playing in parts of just 10 games. The games in which Starr suited up when the team wore green jerseys, and their respective game-time temperatures, were as follows:

9/15 vs. Philadelphia; 80 degrees

9/22 vs. Minnesota; 75 degrees

9/29 vs. Detroit; 65 degrees

10/28 @ Dallas; 60 degrees

11/3 vs. Chicago; 50 degrees

11/17 vs. New Orleans; 41 degrees

Out of these possible games, only the Chicago and New Orleans games could slightly be considered "cold weather" games (And let's face it: For Green Bay in November, those temps are balmy.).

Again, from the 1968 highlight film, here's Starr in action against the Bears,

and the Saints:
In the '68 highlight film there are good glimpses of Starr throughout each game he participated in. In absolutely no instance will you find him wearing a jersey with a wider-than-normal 5's. Or anyone else for that matter.

Now let's look at the tagging on the offered jersey. Although the jersey measures out to a size 52, a size 42 tag is applied. The auction description states the tagging is "era appropriate". Or is it?

Packers Sand Knit jerseys of this era should have a laundry instuction tag with three underlined lines of text, such as is on this Packers jersey from 1970:

Beginning in 1973, the Sand Knit laundry tagging on Packers jerseys will have four lines of text, not underlined, as is shown on this '73 game used jersey:

Something else to note is the stitching on the tag of the Mile High auction jersey; on a green home jersey the thread should be green, not white. This is completely inconsistent with what you would expect on a legitimate Packers jersey of this era.

Frankly, this is frustrating. It is tiresome to encounter so many fraudulent jerseys that have been "authenticated" by "experts" who apparently spend very little time analyzing a jersey, and clearly don't know how to properly research such things. I did relay my concerns about this jersey to Mile High, but they said they were sticking to their authenticator's opinion, and provided no rebuttal or explanation for that decision.

Legitimate game used Bart Starr jerseys are rare, and seldom come up for auction. If an auction house presents a shirt as a "game used Bart Starr jersey", do your own research and apply common sense to analyzing some of the most basic aspects, just as you would with any other jersey: size, font style, and tagging, among other things. And spend some time viewing relevant highlight films. If you don't, who will? The authenticator?