February 03, 2007

Buffalo Bills: Africa's Four-Time Super Bowl Champs: Now that every sports champion dons special T-shirts and ballcaps after the game, ever wonder what happens to the swag produced for the losers? The NFL ships it to developing nations in Africa and elsewhere. (Note: One Super Bowl team is jinxed by the article's photo.)

posted by rcade to general at 04:38 PM - 21 comments

Nice find rcade, I've always wondered what happened to all the gear. It would be pretty sweet to get hands on something the NFL has sent over.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:14 PM on February 03, 2007

I've always wondered what they did with all of that stuff. Thanks for the article, rcade. What's sad is I now know that my Lions aren't even winners in Africa...

posted by wingnut4life at 05:17 PM on February 03, 2007

In Africa the Lions always win. Just ask the Gnus sometime.

posted by Howard_T at 09:52 PM on February 03, 2007

I think the Lions have a undefeated streak going against the Antelopes that's historical in proportions, so, the Lions are winners in Africa.

posted by tommybiden at 09:57 PM on February 03, 2007

AS a bills season ticket holder, 4 time straight loser and all i still love 'em! They just raised their ticket prices by 12 percent (i believe thats the correct amount), and its still the lowest in the league!!! Beat that!!! LETS GO BUF-A-LO!!!!, maybe next year we can win the big game, and someone elses shirts will go to africa.... ( i can dream right?)

posted by nymetsfan at 10:21 PM on February 03, 2007

one of the greatest teams ever, my 49ers, and the african people don't even know who they are!! 5-0 in the super bowl. What a shame! Oh well, good for those who are winners there. And go Buffalo and Denver, both had a 4-0 win streak!!

posted by bavarianmotorworker at 07:32 AM on February 04, 2007

Major League Baseball destroys the clothing that was made for its runners-up. Well, there goes my quest to find a 1986 Red Sox World Champions shirt. Guess I'll cancel that trip to Burkina Faso.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 07:53 AM on February 04, 2007

Alright, some kid in Africa has a Carolina Panthers Super Bowl Champion t-shirt on his back! I feel so much better now.

posted by carolinared at 09:02 AM on February 04, 2007

I'm kinda sceptical about this information as I can't seem to get a graphic of a malnurished etheopian donning an XXL Starter-tee with picture of a buffalo on it. Don't Hindu's worship buffalo's in India? To me that makes more sense to divide the losers gear among nations that could represent. For example, Celtics stuff to Ireland, New England to the Brits, send the stuff from the Little League World Series to pygmies in New Guines, and dump the unwanted stuff on the French.

posted by burghfan33 at 11:56 AM on February 04, 2007

just imagine all the old fuckers still wearing those old viking shirts from the 70's lol...

posted by singlen8tivedude at 01:49 PM on February 04, 2007

Lets go on a roadtrip to Africa!!! I have always wanted a 2000 New York Giants Superbowl hat!! All of this seems rather interesting how they keep things so heavily guarded, then just donate it across the world anyway. The whole thing is a little crazy over some junk merchandise, but none-the-less, great article.

posted by Kendall at 03:14 PM on February 04, 2007

Congrats to the Chicago Bears! They are the 2007 African Super Bowl Champs!

posted by wingnut4life at 09:29 PM on February 04, 2007

You waited all day to write that, didn't you?

posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:33 AM on February 05, 2007

He certainly beat me to it.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:20 AM on February 05, 2007

Yes. Yes I did. I'm elated that they won the African Super Bowl. Now my ex-landlord has to wear Daisy Dukes and wash my truck. She's really bummed out.

Hee hee.

posted by wingnut4life at 07:05 AM on February 05, 2007

What would have been comical is if you ended the posting "He's really bummed out", and in the literal sense.

posted by burghfan33 at 09:09 AM on February 05, 2007

I would like one of the 2000 Titans shirts. Of course, if Dyson was a little taller, perhaps all that Rams crap would have been sent to Africa instead.

posted by bender at 12:21 PM on February 05, 2007

I'm elated that they won the African Super Bowl. Now my ex-landlord has to wear Daisy Dukes and wash my truck. She's really bummed out. Unless she looks like Mrs. Roper, I want pics.

posted by wfrazerjr at 12:45 PM on February 05, 2007

Unless she looks like Mrs. Roper, I want pics. I'll do my best, but I think she's still out of town. What a poor sport! Dishing it out but not taking it. She wanted me to do three laps around her block in a two piece bikini. Yuk.

posted by wingnut4life at 03:54 PM on February 05, 2007

In the future, let's just keep these little details to yourself, m'kay?

posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:14 PM on February 05, 2007

The author of the article didn't do as much research as he should have. He makes it sounds like the 288*2 shirts printed for the players/staff at the game are the only ones printed in advance, and only after the game is over do companies start printing championship paraphenalia to sell to the fans. Here in Indianapolis, Dick's Sporting Goods (along with some other stores) announced beforehand (at least Sunday morning, possibly earlier) that in case of a Colts victory they would open immediately after the game to sell championship t-shirts, hats, etc., so all of those must have been printed in advance. I got to a store about an hour after the end of the game, and it was a madhouse--took me another hour in line to get my t-shirts. So it's not 288 t-shirts and caps from the "wrong" team that get sent off to Africa; it's probably in the tens of thousands.

posted by DevilsAdvocate at 05:06 PM on February 06, 2007

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