What does Game Issued really mean

[NEFAN]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wes-Welker-2009-...1%7C240%3A1318

What does "Game Issued" really mean. IMHOP it means issued to a player for game use then not worn. Maybe "Game Spec." or something like that is more appropriate for this type of product. There are so many of these Probowl jerseys out there from many years, and these 09's have been on auction all week and the game hasn't been played yet.

Am I off base on this? I'm not faulting the seller, they are nice and he has the "Make Offer" option. I'm just wondering what others think.

[jv225]

That seller has a few Cowboys jerseys I saw the other day. When I saw them my thoughts were the same as yours. I mean how can these be "game issued" if they were sent to him directly from the factory like he says?

[WadeInBmore]

I know u are talking football, however when it comes to baseball MLB authenticated items that are listed as team issued and not game used normally means an MLB representative was not around for the game the jersey was used and therefore give it the possibly less desired title. I've seen s1, s2, and s3 jerseys listed as issued and the MLB database shows these jerseys added at the end of the season in bulk. I don't know if anyone else has observed such labeling, or if anyone disagrees but that's just my two cents.

Wade

[flaco1801]

i think it depends on who owns the shirts.... the sellers calls them game issued and the buyer may recieve game ready....

[David]

I always interpreted game issued to mean game used except for the game use. If a player was given four bats-- they sat in his locker, etc-- and used only three of them, the fourth was game issued. I remember the head of a team clubhouse head for an All-Star game got some All-Star bats literally from the player's lockers. He said they were bats the player's received for the game but didn't use, so they were labelled as game issued.

[David]

My interpretation is that a game issues/player issued/team issued item has to at least be traceable physically to the team or organization. Perhaps the player never got the jersey in his hand, but it at least was in the possession of the team or stadium or locker room attendant and was made and shipped for the player or team to use in games. If Rawlings made 50 game bats for Ken Griffey Jr and shipped them to the stadium, Griffey may not have used or even liked the specifications of them all, but they were all game issued-- issued for Griffey's use in games. To me, a key is the bats were specifically made for and meant for Griffey, and were physically shipped to the stadium.

In short, my interpretation would be that game issed items have to have been in the possesion of the player, team, stadium, organization, player's trainer, coach or similar team entity.

[David]

One last point. Issue literally means to give out. Game issue means the item was given out for the game. Player issue means it was given to or for the player. Team issue means it was given out to the team.

Thus, for something to be issued it has to be physically given out or transferred. This supports the theory that game issued had to have been given (issued) to the player, team or similar entity-- otherwise, it wasn't issued.

"The soldiers were issued their dress uniforms."

"The deputies were issued their badges" : The deputies were physically handed their badges. The deputies couldn't have been issued their badges if they never got them. If the badge factory never sent the badges to the police department, the badges were never deputy issued.

[larry bourget]

I know u are talking football, however when it comes to baseball MLB authenticated items that are listed as team issued and not game used normally means an MLB representative was not around for the game the jersey was used and therefore give it the possibly less desired title. I've seen s1, s2, and s3 jerseys listed as issued and the MLB database shows these jerseys added at the end of the season in bulk. I don't know if anyone else has observed such labeling, or if anyone disagrees but that's just my two cents.

Wade

As with MLB I totally agree, the BLUE JAYS have obvious game used set 1 and set 2 jerseys Authenticated as Issue because they were not Authenticated by MLB until late October. Players/Coaches have been long gone by then.

LB

[NEFAN]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cincinnati-Benga...1%7C240%3A1318

I like "Game Cut" better.

[jppopma]

If I am looking at something that is listed as "game issued", the first thing that I think of is WHY is the item game issued. I have no problem with game issued jerseys for 40 man players who don't get the call, "cup" players who don't wear both home/away, later set numbers on players with season ending injuries, or a playoff set jersey for a team that blew it in the end. To me, those are true game issued jerseys with a good story behind them. They also have a direct link to the team to back it all up.

On the other hand, the term is getting way overused both by sellers as well as teams looking to make extra cash by having 3-4 sets of gamers, and then 7 more "issued" sets. I often question a seller using the term game issued when it may just be a pro-cut or authentic...but then again, what's stopping them from claiming game used.

MLB is the exception where they claim game issued if the team presents them with the jersey, but they do not see it in person. Alot of good game worn jerseys are listed this way.

In the end, I guess the best bet is to look at the totallity of the item and see just what is behind the game issued term.