Worn-ing: Uniform prices pretty steep
December 15, 2006
BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter
Still trying to find the perfect holiday gift for your favorite Bears fan? Game-worn uniforms from a handful of players have been made available to the public through a marketing agreement the team has with Game Exclusives. And the prices are shocking to some of the players whose threads were replaced and shipped off to the new company.
Hunter Hillenmeyer jerseys -- take your pick of navy, white or the orange alternate version he wore Oct. 29 against San Francisco -- are available for $1,499.99. That price, of course, includes the pair of pants.
''So that's why I've got a new uniform almost every game,'' one player said when told his stuff was being sold.
Rex Grossman, Bernard Berrian, Cedric Benson, Alex Brown, Brian Griese and Lance Briggs uniforms also were for sale Thursday at www.gameexclusives.com<.
''I would never have known about this unless you showed this to me,'' another player said.
The company has ads on the team's Web site as part of the marketing deal that also allows Game Exclusives to use the Bears' logo. The Bears are one of four teams listed as a ''partner'' on the Web site, along with Dallas, Seattle and Washington.
Bears spokesman Scott Hagel said the marketing agreement is not unlike what the team has with Comcast -- both companies receive product, Game Exclusives just happens to get game-used equipment. It also markets framed swatches of game-used jerseys and footballs.
Grossman's uniform was the most expensive, listed at $4,249.99, a price that raised even his eyebrows. Briggs' uniform costs $1,999.99, $500 less than the Benson and Berrian models. All uniforms come with a certificate of authenticity from head equipment manager Tony Medlin.
Like the others, Grossman declined to comment on the record. It's a touchy subject for the players, who do nt receive a cut of the money the team takes in from Game Exclusives. They do receive money from regular jersey sales -- 6 percent of the wholesale price -- which reportedly added up to more than $1 million last season for players such as Indianapolis' Peyton Manning and Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. The players do get royalties for the officially licensed items, such as the framed swatches that include photos, but those don't go for big bucks like the uniforms.
Uniforms and helmets are property of the team, but this marketing deal does not appear to be going over well in the locker room. As one player put it, it would be an expensive gift for him to purchase for a friend or relative because the uniform isn't his to give away. You can beat him to it, if you like.
December 15, 2006
BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter
Still trying to find the perfect holiday gift for your favorite Bears fan? Game-worn uniforms from a handful of players have been made available to the public through a marketing agreement the team has with Game Exclusives. And the prices are shocking to some of the players whose threads were replaced and shipped off to the new company.
Hunter Hillenmeyer jerseys -- take your pick of navy, white or the orange alternate version he wore Oct. 29 against San Francisco -- are available for $1,499.99. That price, of course, includes the pair of pants.
''So that's why I've got a new uniform almost every game,'' one player said when told his stuff was being sold.
Rex Grossman, Bernard Berrian, Cedric Benson, Alex Brown, Brian Griese and Lance Briggs uniforms also were for sale Thursday at www.gameexclusives.com<.
''I would never have known about this unless you showed this to me,'' another player said.
The company has ads on the team's Web site as part of the marketing deal that also allows Game Exclusives to use the Bears' logo. The Bears are one of four teams listed as a ''partner'' on the Web site, along with Dallas, Seattle and Washington.
Bears spokesman Scott Hagel said the marketing agreement is not unlike what the team has with Comcast -- both companies receive product, Game Exclusives just happens to get game-used equipment. It also markets framed swatches of game-used jerseys and footballs.
Grossman's uniform was the most expensive, listed at $4,249.99, a price that raised even his eyebrows. Briggs' uniform costs $1,999.99, $500 less than the Benson and Berrian models. All uniforms come with a certificate of authenticity from head equipment manager Tony Medlin.
Like the others, Grossman declined to comment on the record. It's a touchy subject for the players, who do nt receive a cut of the money the team takes in from Game Exclusives. They do receive money from regular jersey sales -- 6 percent of the wholesale price -- which reportedly added up to more than $1 million last season for players such as Indianapolis' Peyton Manning and Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. The players do get royalties for the officially licensed items, such as the framed swatches that include photos, but those don't go for big bucks like the uniforms.
Uniforms and helmets are property of the team, but this marketing deal does not appear to be going over well in the locker room. As one player put it, it would be an expensive gift for him to purchase for a friend or relative because the uniform isn't his to give away. You can beat him to it, if you like.
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