Eli/NY Giants/Steiner Sports...Fake Game Used??
 

I know it's Deadspin, but read the article. It goes into full detail on the report that shows the equipment managers took care of faking the items...



http://deadspin.com/lawsuit-accuses-...ium=socialflow

Consider me not surprised.

Add me to the list

I still don't see Eli Manning's incentive to participate in this - couldn't he have just said "No"? He wouldn't get much $ out of it, even if he got all of it, and no one has any leverage on him. Think he's just trying to help the little guys get a little extra dough? :confused:

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I get that, but that doesn't explain why he would help create forgeries of these items. What is his incentive?

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Am I comprehending this correctly?

A) Team plays game
B) Uniforms go to cleaners
C) Guy brings (makes) replacement unis to cleaners and swaps for GU
D) Team gets unis back, dude gets GU, everyone involved gets paid.

WOW.

This situation, and some of the comments over on the similar thread on the card-side, were of concern to me, because I had made up my mind to win one of the items in today's live Hunt auction that took place at Macy's. Here's what Hunt said about the items they were auctioning. How concerned should I be about authenticity? i.e - a player wants to keep a particular item, so I end up with a bogus look-alike. Just wondering - I don't normally collect this stuff, but there was one item that I really wanted (and got :))

NFL Auction
Lots 1-65 and 262-321 originate directly from NFL Auction. These specific pieces are accompanied by certification from the NFL and are noted as such within each applicable auction item description. An additional grouping of items originating from NFL Auction are offered within a later portion of this catalogue and are also specifically noted as such. This particular grouping is one of the finest of its type to have been offered at public auction and we are particularly proud to present such a superb selection of materials the proceeds of which will benefit so many notable nonprofit organizations. NFL Auction brings fans closer to the game with guaranteed and authentic, signed, game-used items straight from the playing field. NFL Auction is the official auction site of the NFL and has donated more than $5 million over the past 5 years to support NFL and team charities. For more information and to bid on NFL items, please visit www.nfl.com/auction

I find it hard to believe that a player like Eli or Payton and any other stars are going to be told to give up there helmet/uniform from a Super Bowl win. Maybe a regular season game. If the team wants to charge the players, let the players pay the retail cost of the jersey and the helmet probably $500-$600 for both. A bargain for the players. The problem I have with having to give them up is greed by the owners. The players have a right to keep there uniform items. Let the players decide if they want to Auction off there equipment for charity. This is money issue. If they want to give the fans a chance to own these items, have THE TEAMS/ NFL have a raffle for the little guy $1-$2 each ticket for 20-30 players items a year Per team.The NFL a MULTIPLE-BILLION dollar business. All money raised should go to the local City charities. The NFL/teams could raise millions to help the true fans the common man/women. Just my 3 cents
Mike

My take from the info I quoted directly above your post, is that the NFL has contractual agreements to provide certain items from a game, before the game is even played, and that Hunt was auctioning off such items yesterday, that they in advance would be available. Helmets and jerseys would be easy enough to satisfy both the NFL and the player, as several of each could be worn in a game, but I doubt it would apply to balls that are directly tied to a particular player, such as interceptions, fumbles, touchdowns. Maybe I'm wrong. During the NFC Championship, I did see an equipment guy on the 49'ers sidelines put a piece of tape on Gore's touchdown ball, write on it, then dump it in a big box. I would assume the Seahawks were doing the same thing on their side with Kaepernick's fumble and interceptions.

A key is to try and photomatch your game used whatever with photos from the game. That's what experienced game used collectors do. Look for matching wear, details, patch placement, etc.

If you ever visit the game used forum at gameuseduniverse.com, they are often analyzing photos and talking about photo matches. If you haven't visited, it's a good site with many experienced collectors, dealers and authenticators and much discussion.

Not that the NFL isn't careful and has a plan, but I've read that MLB has the best and most detail-oriented authenticating system. They literally have off duty police officers at the game who mark items as the come off the field, and the officers only mark down what they see with their own eyes. If an officer doesn't see the player take the jersey taken off his back, he won't mark it down 'game used.' Thus a genuine and later photo matched game used jersey may be listed in the MLB database as 'team issued.' The officer marks down what he sees, and doesn't speculate or take someone's word.

I've seen video where, between innings, the bases are handed directly to the police officer/MLB authenticator who is standing at the edge of the field. He then takes the bases, applies holograms and puts the specific info into the computer database right there. And, in defense of Steiner, this video was from a Yankees game where the bases were sold by Steiner.

In short, the NFL and MLB are different leagues and don't have the exact same practices.

David, I was trying to do that with the Les Shy jersey Hunts auctioned yesterday. If I could have, I would have bid - a '67 or '68 game-used Dallas jersey would be a great addition to my nonexistent man-cave.

At the least, a team or NFL COA is good provenance.

So, do you feel okay about items from NFL Auctions?

An NFL COA is considered reliable. The game ready balls are covertly marked before the game. If your COA is from NFL/PSA, then it means the ball was marked with PSA's synthetic DNA beforehand. As the Giants story shows us, nothing's ever 100% foolproof, but your ball will be forensically tagged as a game ball. It's not a situation where a fan in the stands can switch a ball with one he brought from Walmart.

You can't actually buy one from Walmart - I was there yesterday and they don't sell official NFL balls. Oddly, their sports area banner shows a picture of an official NFL ball.

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I went there because I didn't trust the restrooms at the Goodwill.

I used the public restrooms in Pioneer Square once. If you don't mind a homeless man camped out in one stall and a couple shooting heroin in another, it's rather quaint.

lol

Cool information. I don't collect game used stuff but may check the site out just for curiosity.