# Losing Team Memorabilia?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-team-memorabilia/277629>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 2, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-team-memorabilia/277629 "2004-12-02T03:16:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Planette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Captain\_Planette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Planette)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-team-memorabilia/277629/1 "2004-12-02T03:16:00Z")

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This is a question that’s intrigued me for ages. Let’s take for example, the last Super Bowl. Minutes after New England won, the members of the team came out in shirts and caps that said “New England Patriots Super Bowl Champions”, and similar clothing and sportswear were on sale to the general public the next day. However, there must’ve also been hats and shirts that said “Carolina Panthers Super Bowl Champions” that never saw the light of day. What happens to the “winning” merchandise of a team that loses?

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**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-team-memorabilia/277629/2 "2004-12-02T03:23:30Z")

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I know this has come up before. No cite, I’m afraid, but I believe that it is destroyed. Thoroughly destroyed.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-team-memorabilia/277629/3 "2004-12-02T03:27:28Z")

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I remember reading an article about this. The sportswear of the losing team is sold at a loss outside North America, or donated to charities that distribute it as clothing for the impoverished outside North America.

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-team-memorabilia/277629/4 "2004-12-02T03:30:15Z")

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I read that it was a combination of both of the above. The article showed a picture of an African boy wearing a shirt proclaiming the losing team’s championship victory.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Planette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Captain\_Planette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Planette)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-team-memorabilia/277629/5 "2004-12-02T05:20:20Z")

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Thanks guys - any idea on when/where the article is from? I was trying to get a friend a “Yankees 2004 ALCS” shirt for Christmas, but it looks like I’ll just have to make one with markers and felt.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Planette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Captain\_Planette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Planette)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-team-memorabilia/277629/6 "2004-12-02T05:21:22Z")

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Make that ALCS Champions.