I ask you, my fellow collectors, how and when game cut, pro cut, Game Issued, Team Issued, (enter your annoying slang term here) became so easily and readily available? Are these items coming from the NFL, the teams, the players, Reebok?

It used to be game worn jerseys were easier to spot. If the sleeves were custom hemmed and the jersey was altered, it was obviously done by the team or the team's customizer. There were two terms for these shirts. Game Worn which showed a ton of wear and Team Issued which was customized to exact specs but became an unused backup. Game worns are still incredibly rare and desirable. But Team Issued were also incredibly rare and desirable shirts and owning one was something that required inside connections as they were not available publicly. While I am all for public access to these items (obviously as I am a collector ) how is it that there are hundreds of them available as Pro-cut or Team Issued or Game Cut? Is this the new "Authentic" jersey produced by Reebok or are people customizing them, themselves?

How is it that eBay is now overrun with jerseys seemingly customized to team specs? I am all for doing my homework, but how does one do homework on jerseys that were never used?

Let me give you an example: On eBay, there is a Tennessee Titans Throwback jersey from last season

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:X:RTQ:US:1123

It is listed as Game Worn. It couldn't possibly be as Ulrich Winkler was released by the Titans on June 16, 2009. That means he never played in any Pre-Season or Regular Season games with the Titans in 2009. In fact, other than a Pre-Season game in 2007, there is no data showing he ever played on more than the practice squad. But that isn't my point.

Do teams make up jerseys for players on the Practice Squad in case they are promoted to the Active team? He never played in a regular season game in his career so why would a team or fan make up his shirt rather than Chris Johnson or Vince Young? It doesn't seem to make sense to "fake" that particular player. So where the hell are they coming from?


Those of you who follow hockey game worns most likely know of the Custom Crafted scandal. I speak only of NFL shirts for this thread however. I shutter to think these are the "new" CC Specials. Are they?

Help a confused collector out!