Cited: CNN

Every Super Bowl seems bigger and better than the last. From TV ratings to the must-see commercials during the game to the halftime show, everything always seems to be a little grander. This year is no exception and that includes the array of paraphernalia related to the New York Giants and New England Patriots that you can buy;  hats, t-shirts, official jerseys, footballs, socks, undergarments, you name it and you’ll find it, and it will have the logo of either team, or both, somewhere on the item. And that’s just what has the feds attention. This year, while everything at Super Bowl XLV will be bigger and better, so will the amount of counterfeited contraband being sold by merchants everywhere.

Any item with a team logo, or the NFL logo, that is not sanctioned by, and therefore paid royalties to the respective team and organization is illegal; and this year there will be a lot of illegal gear being sold at the game. Last year, federal agents seized more than $3.56 million worth of illegal Super Bowl related items, and this year, given the popularity of both teams, the haul should be much more.  Among last year’s haul were sweatshirts, cell phone covers, and over 15,000 team jerseys.

So how are you to know that something isn’t on the up and up? Super Bowl officials point out that usually you can tell by the shoddy workmanship, odd stitching, flimsy materials used, and the cost of the item. If you’re getting a NY Giants jersey for $25 when you know full well that the real McCoy runs at least $100, chances are that you are buying a knock-off. Also, if the person selling the goods is on wheels or behind the corner of a building, he or she might be hiding for a reason; that being that the feds are close behind looking to close up their shop.

And its not just jerseys and t-shirts that are being reproduced by the underground market surrounding the Big Game, with ticket prices in the hundreds and thousands of dollars, counterfeit tickets are all over the place so buyer beware. If you’re not getting your tickets from an officially sanctioned outlet like the team offices or StubHub, or TicketMaster, you are taking a big risk that come day you might be watching the game in the parking lot, and with a much lighter wallet.

The last four Super Bowls, which included the first match between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, netted over $6 million in fake memorabilia and almost 70,000 items. This year’s haul is likely to add significantly to the totals.

My take:

Where do they put all the stuff they seize? It’s no surprise to find that people will be trying to make some money off the game if they can. Its been happening forever and it will continue. Hell, my first concert t-shirt from the Allman Bros, in Jersey City in 1976 was a knock-off. Still have it!