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I saw a piece on one of the major network newsmagazines on this practice. The NFL produces an equal amount of merchandise for both teams pre-Super Bowl, and obviously one team loses. It was suggested that instead of just simply throwing away the stuff like used to be the case in the early years, they should donate it to the needy.<br><br>
However, that wouldn't fly in the United States, because even the non-sports fan gets wind of who won a big event like the Super Bowl. Thus, it was determined Third World countries would be the beneficiary of the clothing<br><br>
So chances are, if you are in the remote wilds of Africa this year, you might see a resident touting how the Seahawks brought the Seattle their first ever NFL championship, or perhaps how the Chicago Bears defense dominated their way to the city's second Super Bowl triumph ever.
 

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When I was in college, Miami was going to be playing for their 5th National Championship. Champs Sports, where I was working at the time, had shirts with the Miami Crane (Stork? Heron?) with 5 national champ rings on. Below him it said "...And one for the thumb." We had them in the store for weeks. Although, since it was the store in Knoxville, I doubt we sold 3. As heavy underdogs, Tennessee had whooped them a few years earlier. To this day I can't stand Miami. But I digress.<br><br>
Schadenfreude has never been so sweet as when Alabama stomped them in the National Championship game. We had them on sale for $0.99 the next day.<br><br>
Champs being headquartered in Bradenton, FL may have had more than a little to do with that bone headed decision.
 

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DH has a banner declcaring the Bengals superbowl champs from when Cincinnati DIDNT win the superbowl, in, I think, 1988. They're supposed to be thrown out, but I guess someone hung onto one of the "Bengals Superbowl Champs" flags, and it ended up on ebay. He looks at it wistfully from time to time... <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">
 

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Printing materials such as this is much more common than you might think. It reminds me of when I was a kid...<br><br>
When I was a kid I had the pleasure of attending both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions from years 1980 (when I was too young to know what politics were), 1984, and again in 1988. 1984 I actually worked as a per diem page. I got the job because at the time my father worked for CBS as manager of technical maintainence (believe it or not, he works at CBS to this very day in a very similiar role). I'll never forget the Democrat convention in San Franciso that year. It was the final day of convention. With press pass around my neck, I was on the convention floor to witness the all-out celebration when the Party found out that the ticket of Walter Mondale (for Pres.) and Geraldine Ferraro (for VP) just beat out Gary Hart. I happened to be standing next to a closed off section in the middle of the floor. Before I knew, the floor opened up and out came a bunch of guys handing over as fast as they could cardboard boxes filled with fliers and pamphlets. I snagged a few of each before realizing what I had was wrong. What I was holding were newspapers that said Gary Hart had just won the Democratic nomination. I couldn't believe my eyes. But Mondale and Ferraro won, I thought to myself. How could these people get this wrong... they were adults. Just then all the guys who were still dispensing boxes of these papers and fliers stopped. Several started cursing, and before I knew it, they disappeared and came back with the EXACT same newspapers and fliers they handed out previously -- only these said Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro WIN! I still have those newspapers and even a few pins. And after this episode -- seeing how things really operate, that these outlets have to print two versions -- I was able to get behind the scenes at the Republican convention a few weeks later in Dallas to snag both versions and again 4 years later when I worked the '88 conventions in Atlanta (Dem.) and New Orleans (Rep.).<br><br>
And yes, it was an amazing experiece, especially with all the people I met and the places and parties I got to get into -- sometimes by sneaking, other times by the press pass I had for working the floor and anchor booth.
 
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