Gridiron, Again?

Well, this is going to get ugly. Looks like I'll have to update my list.

Interestingly, Favre is going from a team that wears the exact same shade of green as the Packers to one that wears the exact same shade of gold as the Packers.
(Graphic from Sconnie.com - buy the tshirt here.)

Another Forgery Surfaces

In a previous post, I've discussed how Grey Flannel Auctions created 36 phony "team issued" Favre jerseys. These get out into the market and get represented, either through ignorance or outright fraud, as legitimate.

Well, one of them is currently up for auction on eBay. Here's what the seller has to say:

1994 Brett Favre Game Issued Throwback Jersey Packers

You are bidding on a very RARE 1994 Brett Favre Game Issued Throwback jersey. These jerseys were wore for one game in the 1994 season and that game was on Monday Night Football at the Chicago Bears on Halloween night in a monsoon rain storm. Jersey has all proper tagging, on the inside there is the Made In Berlin,WI and the Starter tag, all numbers name and patches are sewn on. Comes with a COA paper from the Packers Equipment Manager Gordon Batty, that states he provided Grey Flannel with the remainder of the 1994 jersey. Jersey is framed right now, but it is not included. Shipping is $12.00. I accept paypal only. Payment must be received within 5 days after auction end. Please check my other auctions running right now, as I am selling my Packers collection.

Misleading, at best.

The seller does include a pic of the original team letter, which is just vague enough for someone who doesn't know the whole story. Nowhere does the auction listing mention "repurposed" or disclose that this "team issued Favre jersey" was issued by the Packers... but not to Brett Farve.

I don't know if this is an oversight, or a deliberate attempt to deceive, but the potential for confusion is very, very high.

This appears to be the exact same jersey which sold on eBay a few months ago. I really hope that the buyer knows what he's getting.

As an aside, it also appears that a Denver-area memorabilia dealer did something similar at the time, buying the remaining blank 1994 Broncos throwback stock and outfitting them with Elway numbers and nameplates. He went one step further and had Elway autograph the new jerseys in exchange for giving Elway a certain number of them. At least we know for certain Grey Flannel only made three dozen Favre "gamers".

If you're considering buying a Favre game-worn or team-issued jersey, do a lot of homework. Too many frauds out there. Given recent history, I wouldn't accept any Favre jersey unless it had been authenticated by Guy Hankel, or the fellows at MEARS. Pretty limited pool of experts I'd trust with these.

Caveat always emptor.

UPDATE: $662.52 final bid. I really hope the buyer knows what he or she bought.

On, You Green & Gold (and Sometimes Blue) To Glory

Packer fans, you know the words:

Hail, hail, the gang's all here to yell for you,
And keep you going in your winning ways,
Hail, hail, the gang's all here to tell you too,
That win or lose, we'll always sing your praises Packers;

Go, you Packers, go and get 'em,
Go, you fighting fools upset 'em,
Smash their line with all your might,
A touchdown, Packers,
Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight!
On, you Blue and Gold, to glory,
Win this game the same old story,
Fight, you Packers,
Fight, and bring the bacon home to Old Green Bay.

Nowadays, we're more accustomed to "On, you Green and Gold, to glory," but for decades the Packers were strongly associated with the color blue. The "Big Blue Bays" and all that.

Several seasons into the Lombardi era, well after Saint Vince re-designed the uniforms featuring the green and gold color scheme so familiar today, navy was still listed as a team color in the press guides. This was largely because the team was still wearing hand-me-down sideline gear from previous regimes.

These screencaps from the 1962 World Championship Game at Yankee Stadium, where the Packers defeated the New York Football Giants 16-7 to claim their eighth (and Lombardi's second) title.

As you can see, the Packers are still wearing their blue 1950s-era sideline gear, including the capes.

I'd love to know when those capes made their first appearance - the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton dates them to the Hutson era, but I'm not sure.

There's something even better than the capes in those screencaps: the coaches are wearing a familiar sideline jacket.

Mystery solved. Mitchell & Ness got it right.

Beautiful stuff. I also like the other blue jackets. They look like the green pullovers worn later in the 1960s.

Interesting mix of vertically and radially arched team names on the back.

I don't usually trust old photos for color reference, but there's little doubt that the jackets are actually blue, when worn over green windbreakers:

I love a good mystery, especially one that has been solved.

Thanks to Robert for the screencaps.

The Alabama Antelope Strikes Again

Guy Hankel of the must-read "White Mesh and Green Durene" blog has some new images of the Hutson jersey which went up for auction this past May.

The auction winner is a friend of Hankel's, and sent him some fascinating and illuminating photos of his new jersey. He also reminds us that the Packers Hall of Fame has a 1940s white road jersey on display, featuring a number treatment I've not seen elsewhere.

Check out his blog - you really ought to be reading this.