White Mesh and Green Durene

Another Fake Favre And Much, Much More

2010-10-07T07:01:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, news stories began appearing about a prominent sports marketing agent awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to federal charges in a case involving Super Bowl tickets and fake game-worn NFL jerseys. It is well worth reading the Sports Collectors Daily version of it here.

Court papers obtained by Sports Collectors Daily include an admission by this agent stating that from 2000 to 2003, he was able to purchase dozens of authentically-made NFL player jerseys from a Berlin, Wisconsin manufacturer (i.e. Ripon Athletic) and falsely represent them to collectors as game worn.

The article states that an unnamed trading card company wound up with some of the jerseys between 2000 and 2002 and cut them up for use on cards. Also interesting is this paragraph from the story:

"Between December of 2002 and February of 2003, Ornstein also sold or consigned 45 jerseys represented as having been worn in the 2002 season to an unnamed sports memorabilia auction company. Again, Ornstein and his associates provided false COAs. The government’s case indicates 20 of the jerseys sold for a price of over $30,000. The fate of those jerseys isn’t revealed in the court documents."

Well, I can reveal more information about this here.

In March of 2003 American Memorabilia held an auction which included a group of supposedly game-worn "NFL Properties" jerseys. All were from the 2002 season, and came with COA's from Lou Lampson and NFL Properties. And yes, a Brett Favre jersey was among them. At the start of the auction, 21 jerseys were listed, but an Emmitt Smith jersey was pulled before the auction close, making a total of 20 jerseys sold. I added up the prices realized for all 20, and the total came to $30, 942.23. The bogus Favre jersey ended at $3, 699.93. The catalog images of the jerseys can be seen above and below:

So who ended up with these fraudulent jerseys? Were these some of the ones an unnamed card company acquired? Are some of these still in the hands of unknowing private collectors? When and how were the other jerseys sold? Who else was involved?

This is an important story, and one in which more details will eventually surface.

Seeing Red On Family Night

2010-08-08T12:53:00.001-07:00

Yesterday the Packers wrapped up another annual "Family Night" intra-squad scrimmage with the popular "Shirt Off Their Backs" giveaway. For several years the team has picked seats at random to win practice jerseys of some of the more marquee players at conclusion of the evening. As usual, arguably the most desirable jersey to win was the red quarterback jersey, worn for the past three years by Aaron Rodgers.

For the first time one jersey was held back (Donald Driver's) to be given away online though a Packers/Fox/Chili's Restaurant promotion (see Packers.com for details concerning that one). (Also of note were the new Bellin Health advertising patches and obscured Reebok NFL "equipment" shield patches at the base of the collars.)

Although not offered in the giveaway every year, before his "retirement" Brett Favre's red practice jersey was clearly the one to hope for when it came time to call out the winning seat numbers. Favre practice jerseys are very scarce and are rarely, if ever, offered publicly.

Back in 2001, one lucky fan won the jersey Favre wore for the Family Night scrimmage. Here's a shot of Favre entering the field that night:

And here's the jersey ready to be given away (Fox News 11's Tom Milbourn has been doing this for a long time. I guess if you need an opinion on a Packers practice jersey, just drop Tom a line.):

Here's the very jersey. It shows more wear than most Favre gamers I've seen, partially due to the fact that it was worn in practices leading up to that intra-squad scrimmage.

Not worth as much as a true gamer, of course, but very cool nonetheless. Special note to the winner of the Rodgers jersey last night: How 'bout putting it up on eBay? I guarantee it would fetch a nice price.

Utilizing Highlights To Uncover A Lowlight

2010-05-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

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?

Frankenstein!

2010-04-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Center Ken Bowman was a steady fixture on the Packers' offensive line from 1964 to 1973, playing in 123 games. Although he never played in a Pro Bowl, or was voted to any All-Pro teams, Bowman was respected as a smart and tough competitor, and was inducted to the Packers Hall Of Fame in 1981. Bowman routinely played through severe pain, having separated both shoulders early in his career.

The jersey pictured here is Bowman's home mesh from 1972 (he is wearing this jersey in the photo leading off this post). The nameplate I've placed on the back is from 1971, so I'm still looking for the original plate, but this will do for now. The washing instructions tag is missing, but fortunately the Sand-Knit "exclusive" tag remains.

Frankensteinian repairs grace this well-worn jersey; essentially what you would expect from an offensive lineman's shirt (particularly one that was recycled for practice use later):

Bowman was nicknamed "Frankenstein" by his teammates. According to Mike McCoy in Vernon Biever's book The Glory Of Titletown, "They called Ken Bowman Frankenstein. Big solid forehead, long hair, and this brace with chains from his arm to his shoulder. His shoulder was really bad, so he had a chain attached to a piece of material wrapped around his bicep, and it was hooked onto his shoulder pad so his arm wouldn't go above ninety degrees, limiting the range of motion."

Pictured above is the custom hole fashioned in the jersey to allow for the chain. The wire photo below offers a good shot of this very jersey and the chain contraption, from the August 19th, 1972 preseason game versus the Houston Oilers:

It's something of a cliche that every game used jersey tells a story. Although it may not have the epic scope of a Mary Shelley novel, a game used jersey with an interesting customization often tells a pretty good one.

Are They Worthy?

2010-03-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

By now most Packers aficionados have seen and heard about the team's new alternate/throwback jersey to be worn in a few games during the 2010 season. Critiques regarding the aesthetics and historical accuracy of the uniform have been duly posited. However, the real question for collectors is: Will any of the game worn jerseys escape the Supermax-like confines of the Packers equipment room?

As has been mentioned before, Packers game worn throwback jerseys are difficult to find. Take for example, the blue and gold Lambeau-era throwbacks worn for three games during the 1994 season (as pictured above). A few years ago, I wrote an article for Gridiron Greats magazine (later reprinted by MEARS) on collecting the game worn 1994 75TH NFL Anniversary throwback jerseys. As part of the research for the article, I asked a few long-time game worn jersey dealers which team's throwbacks were the most difficult to find. The Packers were indeed on the list of each dealer I queried.

Despite their apparent scarcity, some of these throwbacks were made available to the public via a charity auction.

In the summer of 1995 an auction in Green Bay to benefit cystic fibrosis patients and research featured some game worn 1994 blue/gold throwback jerseys. A brief news item in the August 27, 1995 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel listed a few of the auctioned jerseys and their respective bids: No. 92 Reggie White ($2,151), No.4 Brett Favre ($1,810), No.84 Sterling Sharpe ($1, 034), No.64 John Jurkovic ($1,111) and No.34 Edgar Bennett ($1,034).

It's clear that from their absence from the secondary market these jerseys are highly valued, and have been locked up in particular collections.

With that in mind, here's a modern rarity of sorts--Steve McMichael's game worn blue/gold throwback from that season:

I imagine he never thought he'd ever inscribe one of his gamers with the phrase "Go Packers":

Here is the LOA that accompanied this piece (ostensibly the other auctioned gamers had similar certificates issued):

The Packers could easily do a charity auction like this again, this time with the 2010 throwbacks--a win-win for collectors and a worthy cause.

Here We Go Again

2010-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

The fraudulent A.J. Hawk jersey that was the subject of my last post is back on eBay again. The listing mysteriously disappeared shortly after my previous blog, but after laying low, the seller is hoping for another to chance to dump this on an unsuspecting bidder.

In my previous post, I hopefully demonstrated how this jersey could not have been worn in the game indicated by the seller (8/28/06 at Cincinnati). Absence of a sleeve repair where a noticable hole had been torn is crucial here. Also note the grass staining on the eBay jersey. The Bengals play on FieldTurf, not natural grass. Furthermore, look closely at how the nameplate is sewn on the eBay jersey. Compare this to the screenshot below, from the Bengals game:

The nameplate here is much closer to the transverse horizontal seam, with more of a gap of space showing around the bottom of the letter K and a bit further towards the end.

Despite not having been worn for the Bengals game, could this jersey have been worn in another?

After viewing relevant photos and video, there were only three games where Hawk wore a white jersey in 2006 where the NFL "Equipment" shield was located on the V-collar (and not replaced below): The Bengals game, the 8/12 preseason game vs. the Chargers, and the 9/24 regular season game at the Lions.

Below is a screenshot of Hawk from the Chargers game. The alignment of the nameplate is similar to that of the jersey from the Bengals game:

Below is a shot of Hawk from the last game where he wore a road jersey that didn't have the NFL shield (at the Lions). If you look closely you can see the repair from the sleeve tear from the Bengals game (located at about 5 o'clock from the Reebok logo), as well as new velcro inserts sewn onto the inside of the jersey, indicated by the horizontal seam that runs across the 5 and 0). My conclusion is that the same jersey was worn for all three games, with the velcro added for that first regular season road game at Detroit. For the next road game at Philadelphia, likely the same jersey was modified, with further customization moving the NFL Equipment shield below the collar (where it has been worn on Hawk's jerseys ever since).

In slightly better news, the eBay listing for the 2001 Herbert Goodman throwback jersey that I mentioned in the previous post has been modified to reflect the fact that it was never game worn. Now if we can just prevent this Hawk jersey from becoming the latest "game used" Whack-A-Mole...

Watch Them Like A Hawk

2009-12-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

Auction Alert: Currently on eBay someone is offering a supposed game used A.J. Hawk jersey from his rookie season. Here is the auction description:

This Green Bay Packers jersey was worn by Linebacker AJ Hawk during the beginning of his Rookie season. His first road jersey worn as a Packer. The time period of this jersey is vey specific as he switched to a custom cut neckline on September 24th indicating that this was his first road jersey ever worn as a Green Bay Packer. Size 50, custom hemmed waistline, custom cut & elasticized linebacker sleeves. Shows great use with three team repairs and numerous helmet hit marks. Some dirt staining on the shoulders and rear nameplate. Some black hit marks on shoulders (undoubtedly from bengal's black facemasks during the Aug. 28th game). Pilling on the spandex under the arms."Made in Berlin, WI" tagging on interior seam. Very Rare jersey from this star Packers LB. Obtained from a former Green Bay Packer. Winning bidder will be provided with all history information of the jersey.

Here are some of the pictures of the jersey:

I can tell you with a comfortable degree of certainty that this jersey is fraudulent, and exhibits contrived wear and repairs. Indeed, the seller foils his own case by including a couple pictures of Hawk from the game in question that show a large, unrepaired rip on the right sleeve striping that is absent from the offered jersey. No repair, no hole. Here is a photo that better illustrates this:
I have the broadcast of the game that this jersey was allegedly worn in, and for my next post I will provide screenshots of Hawk to compare the real wear with the contrived wear applied to this jersey. I will have more to say about this jersey next time, but I wanted to dash off a brief post to warn any potential bidders. In addition, the relevant authorities have been contacted concerning this auction.

Also currently on eBay is this 2001 Thanksgiving Day throwback supposedly worn by Herbert Goodman. This is being offered as "game used". One problem: Goodman was inactive for that game, and never suited up. The Packers 2002 media guide confirms this.
This is one of many "game issued" '01 throwbacks sold by the team at one of the annual tent sales. Many of these come with an LOA that serve to authenticate the autograph, but do not mention use of the jersey in game action. As I've alluded to before, '01 Packers game used throwbacks are scarce; "game issued" ones are not. Caveat emptor.

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

2009-09-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

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.

Packer Sackers Part 1: KGB

2009-09-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

I'm partial to a well-worn, nicely hammered linebacker's or defensive lineman's jersey; with the great wear and often interesting customizations, what's not to like? Especially if it's from a great player. With that in mind, I'd like to take a thematic look at some jerseys worn by some of the Packers' all-time sack leaders (well, since 1982 anyway, when the sack became an "official" NFL statistic), starting with the current all-time leader, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (aka KGB, which is a great nickname, since it saves a lot of typing).

KGB developed into one of the league's premier speed-rushing defensive ends, and enjoyed a nine-year career with the Packers, leading the team in sacks five straight years, from 2001-2005. His career sack total of 74.5, along with a 2003 Pro Bowl appearance, likely ensures future enshrinement in the team's Hall of Fame.

The photo above shows KGB in action in during the 2002 season. Pictured below is the very jersey he is wearing in the photo:

This slim, size 44 Reebok jersey was manufactured in 2001, but was pressed into service for KGB's use during 2002.

The jersey also sports the noticeable neck customization utilized by KGB since 2001:

In addition, for nearly all of his career, velcro patches were sewn inside the chest for an extra tight fit (if you look closely at the first photo of KGB in this blog entry [from 2006] you can see exterior stitch marks indicating the presence of the patches).

Multiple repairs and degredation of the sleeve striping are indicative of season-long wear:

No crotchpiece was used. Instead, additional material was sewn to the bottom for added extra length:

So, what does this jersey tell us? If you're looking to add a game-used KGB for your collection (and they are tough to find), look for: 1) Customizations and, 2) Legitimate wear and repairs. 'Nuff said.

KGB was waived by the Packers in November of 2008, after undergoing knee surgery earlier in that year. He handled his release with dignity and class--the same way he handled his productive, and sometimes brilliant, tenure with the team.

Preseason Prowess

2009-08-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

It seems that during part of every preseason, there's one unheralded player (typically a rookie free agent) who out performs expectations, hinting at greater glory in a final roster spot. Of course this sort of rags-to-riches story rarely plays out to a memorable ending. At the beginning of this decade, that player was Herbert "Whisper" Goodman.

Goodman (whose nickname "Whisper" came from his college coach in deference to his soft-spoken nature) demonstrated flashes of brilliance as a running back in the preseasons of '00-'02, but never caught fire as a starter. Used mainly as a special teams player for a handful of games in 2000-2001, he was allocated to the Scottish Claymores of the now defunct NFL Europe league in 2002. There, he tore up fields from Barcelona to Frankfurt, leading the league in rushing with 873 yards in the 10 game season.

Pictured below is Goodman's home jersey worn during that 2002 season. While not a Packers jersey per se, it is at least related, due to the "G" sewn on the base of the collar. Some of the NFLE uniforms were visually interesting, (and some had advertising patches redolent of soccer jerseys) and the Claymores were no exception.

The silver/pewter and blue scheme of the home jerseys were complimented nicely with the Claymores logo patches sewn on the sleeves:
Requisite running back wear in the form of repairs and scuffs:
NFLE jerseys used to be a bit more available (largely via eBay) when the league was still functioning; with their demise they've become somewhat more scarce. Still pretty affordable when found, adding one from a Packers-allocated player would be an interesting way to mix up the usual game-used collection.

Worth Mentioning: Please check out Chance Michaels' Packers uniform history blog, The Wearing Of the Green(and Gold). Michaels bravely details the minutiae of the team's sartorial history.

Also Worth Mentioning: I've received word that a nice, 1950's game used Jim Ringo jersey will be offered at auction this fall. 1950's Packers jerseys are very scarce, and if this is the one I've seen before, it's a home jersey dating from 1956-1958. Stay tuned.

Just (For) Kicks

2009-08-06T14:23:00.001-07:00

Although they may lack the "collectibility" that other pieces of game used equipment have, I can understand the appeal of cleats and shoes to a certain extent.

They're often colorful, have intricate details and designs (newer ones, anyway), and are much more readily available compared to jerseys and helmets. More often than not, they're autographed (for those who value that sort of thing).

Here are the turf shoes Ryan Longwell is wearing in the photo above, from a game against the Vikings in the Metrodome in 2002:

If I were going to acquire a few pairs of shoes to augment my collection, why not obtain Longwell's, since he's currently the Packers All-Time leading scorer, and they are the tools of his trade?

Here are a pair of Charles Woodson's cleats, from last season. I just like the look of these:

While wearing them for practice, taping the shoes wasn't a necessity:

But in deference to the NFL's footwear rules, shoe logos other than Nike or Reebok need to be covered in on-field action. This photo with Woodson (tangling with Roddy White of the Falcons in a game from last year) shows the shoes mostly covered in black tape:

The number of shoes worn throughout the course of a season can vary greatly from player to player. Here's a brief article from Packers.com, posted on Sept. 7, 2001, that illustrates this:

Whether it's raining, snowing, sunny, turf, or grass, NFL players have shoes made specifically for every type of condition and surface.

Look inside almost any NFL locker and you'll find a veritable shoe store. According to Green Bay Packers head equipment manager Gordon "Red" Batty, each player is an "individual" when it comes to his footwear.

"While Brett Favre may go through only four or five pairs a year, we have a guy like LeRoy Butler, who is known as the 'shoe master' around here," says Batty. "He goes through almost 50 pairs of shoes a year."

The other extreme according to Batty, are offensive and defensive linemen. "They tend to get attached to their shoes, wearing them for a few years," he explains. "You should have seen the shoes Russell Maryland was wearing when he came in here. We finally got him into a new pair recently."

Following is a chart describing the typical types of shoes players have ready for game day:

SHOE TYPE--SURFACE USED
Seven-cleat shoes (standard football cleat)--Dry grass, short grass fields
Long cleats--Longer grass, thicker sod, rain
Short cleats--Short grass, southern field like Miami
Turf shoes--Wet or dry turf
Turf shoes for rain--Turf shoes with a "gripper" bottom
Flat-bottom/Basketball shoes--Turf, dry grass for linemen
Molded bottom/shark bottom--Short or dry grass, frozen fields

Wow. 50 pairs a season for LeRoy Butler? Don't overpay for those, I guess.

On an unrelated note, I received the 2009 Packers Media Guide this week (thanks go to Jeff Blumb, Director of Packers P.R.). This is an excellent publication that I acquire every year; indispensable historical info of great use to game used equipment collectors.

Hutson Redux

2009-07-11T08:23:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine was the lucky winner of the tremendous Don Hutson jersey sold by Robert Edward Auctions back in May of this year. He is very pleased with his purchase and is thrilled with being the custodian of one of the most important NFL jerseys ever made available to the public.

Among the things that struck him about the jersey was how small Hutson was compared to the players of today, and how hot the jersey would be to wear in August and September.

He graciously sent me some photos of the jersey, including some interesting close-ups of the many repairs:

The REA auction listing erroneously stated that this jersey was one of two known Hutson jerseys. However, the Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame each have a Hutson jersey that is this similar navy & gold style. What has also been apparently forgotten is that the Packers Hall of Fame also owns this Hutson gem:

Durene's Last Hurrah?

2009-05-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

The familiar Packers uniform scheme, ushered in with the Lombardi era, basically remains in place today (with some minor changes along the way, of course). For many collectors, the durene jersey from the period (particularly the green home variety) represents an iconic representation of the team's dominance in those golden days of the 1960's. Unsurprisingly, game used Packers durenes fetch good money, and even unused "team issued" examples have exceeded $1,000 in price.

On occasion I've been asked: When did the Packers make the switch from durene jerseys to nylon mesh? The answer isn't necessarily straightforward, as the team began utilizing Sand-Knit's mesh jerseys, along with the standard durenes, beginning in 1971. From '71 through 1973, the team used durene jerseys almost half the time (6 games in 1971, 7 games in '72, and 6 games in '73). During this time span, the team wore mesh when the temperature was around 50 degrees or warmer. 1973 was the last season the team wore durene jerseys with any standard-issue regularity.

Durene has a toughness and luster that mesh can't match, but an increase in the number of heat-related football deaths in the 1960's made a transition to cooler mesh jerseys easier:

Here's an unassuming little announcement from the January 13th, 1969 Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, concerning Sand-Knit's new mesh fabric:

The Packers didn't cease using durene jerseys altogether after 1973. Occasionally, certain players used durene jerseys for cold-weather games through the 1980's. Here's a game used Karl Swanke durene, circa 1984:

This is a Philip Epps durene, with built-in hand warmer, from the mid-'80s:

A few NFL teams, such as the Steelers and Jets, regularly employed durene jerseys until fairly recently. But for the Packers, durene jerseys are emblematic of a celebrated past (the '80's examples aside, I suppose), and are certainly valued as such.

A Devine Blunder

2009-05-16T14:51:00.001-07:00

With the 11th pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, the Packers selected Nebraska QB Jerry Tagge. It could've been a great story; Tagge was a hometown athlete who attended Green Bay West High, sold popcorn at Lambeau Field as a kid, and went off to college in Omaha, where he led Nebraska to back-to-back national titles. Tagge, who was the MVP of the Orange Bowl in '71 and '72, didn't offer exceptional talent, but played well under pressure in college and appeared to be an efficient field general.

Tagge sat on the bench in 1972 and watched Scott Hunter lead the team to it's first division title since the departure of Lombardi. The next year head coach Dan Devine created a chaotic atmosphere around the postion, shuffling Hunter, Tagge and Jim Del Gaizo at quarterback.

With the advent of the horrendous John Hadl trade, Tagge was cut during the 1975 preseason by rookie head coach Bart Starr. Despite not panning out in the NFL, Tagge played with San Antonio of the World Football League in 1976, and found success with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League from 1977-79. He took the Lions to the playoffs two of his three years there, and was MVP of the Western Division in 1979, before suffering a career-ending knee injury just as the Lions were entering the postseason.

Upon joining the team for spring training camp in '72, Dan Devine issued Tagge his familiar number 14, which he wore during his successful tenure at Nebraska. Eventually, someone caught the mistake and told Devine: The team had retired number 14 in honor of Don Hutson in 1951.

Fortunately, Devine's blunder was discovered before the beginning of the preseason, and Tagge was then given # 17, his old high school number.

The jerseys pictured above represent two of the four issued for Tagge at the start of training camps in 1972. Tagge is wearing the green jersey in this picture, featured in the 1972 Sports Focus Packers Yearbook:

The accidental issuance of Hutson's number was a newsworthy event at the time. Here's a UPI account from the (Oshkosh) Daily Northwestern, June 7, 1972:

The article states that Devine subsequently sent Hutson one of the number 14 jerseys from the Packers locker room, and that "the number would be taken off the rest." This would imply altering any durene jerseys issued to Tagge at the time, since you obviously can't remove a screened-on number from a mesh jersey.

I'm inclined to believe only mesh jerseys were issued to Tagge at this point, however. My guess is that Devine sent Hutson one of the green ones, and the three others were put into storage.

One green and two white #14 jerseys were saved by longtime Packers equipment manager Bob Noel, and for good reason: They represented the last time the team would ever manufacture a jersey with that number--arguably the most important jersey number in Packers history.

The three jerseys show some use (what you might call "appropriate training camp wear", I suppose), but have retained their bold colors due to the fact they were spared the typical indignity of being recycled for practice use for years afterward.

Devine's gaffe was also mentioned in the official 1972 Packers Yearbook, on page 28:

It's worth mentioning that this sort of accident happened with the Packers once before: In 1961 Ben Agajanian was allowed to wear Tony Canadeo's number 3, which had been retired for him in 1952.

Although Dan Devine made much bigger blunders as head coach of the Packers, I can appreciate this small one as an interesting part of his legacy, and as a quirky contribution to our arcane hobby of collecting these things. Besides, I didn't have $60,000 for Hutson's number 14, so Tagge's will have to do.

The Alabama Antelope At Auction

2009-05-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

In March of this year, Robert Edward Auctions revealed the highlights of their annual Spring auction. While REA typically specializes in baseball, it was startling to note that a game worn Don Hutson jersey would be offered among the comparatively modest amount of football lots. As far as anyone can tell, this is only the fourth Hutson Packers jersey extant, and the only one available for placement in a private collection. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton has one, and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is in possession of the other two.

The last Hutson jersey to surface was in 2005, when this one was generously donated to the Packers Hall of Fame.

At the time, the value of this jersey was appraised at $17,500, which I thought was far too low. The hammer price of the REA Hutson bears this out.

Final bid: $60,000. With the buyer's premium added, the final price was $70,500.

Within the realm of football jerseys, only a few others have been hammered down at higher prices. Among them:

Circa 1916-17 Jim Thorpe Canton Bulldogs jersey $242,000 (Lelands 12/04)

1959 Johnny Unitas game worn Baltimore Colts jersey and pants $79, 315.37 (Lelands 4/06)

1962-65 Jim Brown Cleveland Browns jersey $70,500 (REA 2008)

Expensive? Without a doubt. Worth it? Consider this:

Hutson is clearly recognized as being one of the greatest pro players ever, and is often cited as one of the two greatest receivers, along with Jerry Rice.

Also: Has there been an NFL player since who has dominated his contemporaries to the extent that Hutson did? Perhaps Jim Brown, but that is a very, very short list.

The auction listing can be found here, along with the explanation of the fine provenance.