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  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Jan 2010
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    19

    Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    For the most part I am new to collecting game used jersey's, but I've been a die hard Bengals fan since I was a kid (please save the sarcasm and sympathy comments because I've heard em' all). So while I'm not an expert on GU items like most of you, I am an expert on my team's uniforms.

    Vintage Bengals jerseys are unique because no jersey was exactly the same due to the random shoulder stripe pattern specific to each individual jersey (1981-1995), so it's amazing to me how many jerseys are being advertised as game used when they are not. This is something that most of you know but it still saddens to me. I've come across 4 Boomer Esiason jersey's from dealers/auction houses in the last 2 years that are, for a fact, not game used. I know it's a fact because I own every televised Bengal game from 1984 through 1991 and it's so easy compare the stripes on the close ups.

    Before the JO scandal was revealed, I bought a Boomer Esiason jersey from them. At the time I didn't have all the televised games on DVD but they said that if I can prove it's fake, then they will refund me. I got the remaining games a few days later and proved it was indeed NOT GAME USED like they advertised so they gave me my money back luckily.

    This is the latest Boomer auction I've seen: http://catalog.greyflannelauctions.c...-(Team-Repairs)
    If Boomer wore this jersey it would've been between 1984 and 1988. After that, they switched from Russell to Champion and the font changed. He cut his sleeves shorter than this on almost every game during that period and more importantly the stripes don't match up. He wore the same black jersey for each season except in 1988 (he replaced it on Oct. 30th and didn't cut the sleeves)

    I guess the point of this thread is to enlighten any Bengal fans looking to get into the hobby and to express my saddness and skepticism for ANY jersey that doesn't have a photo or video match. Please do your own homework. If I didn't, I would've spent $1800 for a worthless piece of cloth from Josportsco.

    I'm still searching for a genuine Boomer game used but I have a feeling I will be searching for a while. If you have any Bengals gear you want to sell, I would love to check it out!If anyone has any other interesting info regarding vintage or current Bengals jerseys I would love to hear it.

    joe@boomstickinc.com

  2. #2

    Re: Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    I'm not fully understanding the post?

    Are you suggesting that the Jersey on Grey Flannel is not a legit GU Jersey?

    Do you feel that the tagging is correct for the time frame? I am not familiar with this tagging.

    Are you saying that you compared this Jersey to video of every single Bengals game played during this time frame including pre season (1984-1988) and you could conclusively say that this Jersey was not worn in any game?

    I think its a cool Jersey and I'm just trying to better understand your post.

  3. #3
    Junior Member
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    Re: Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    Yes, this jersey is not legit. I've been looking for a Boomer GU jersey for years and this is the 4th misrepresented jersey I've come across. The tagging and size is correct for the timeframe. The placement were the seller cut the sleeves is inconsistent and the stripes do not match any game from 84-88.

    I looked through every game and it's pretty easy to catch once you get used to what to look for.

    It is cool looking, but it's not game used.

  4. #4
    Junior Member
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    Re: Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    I don't have the preseason games on DVD but I highly doubt he wore it then. Boomer wore the same jersey all season long (except in 88' he had 2 blacks). Maybe he had a special preseason jersey?

  5. #5
    Junior Member
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    Re: Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    If anyone reads this I just wanted to admit that I made a mistake. I recently video matched this jersey to a 1990 Bengals vs. 49ers game. He also wore it against the Steelers and Colts during that same year. I think that this was a very rare circumstance where Boomer switched to a Russell jersey when he was suppose to be wearing Champion. His pants were champion and all other Bengals players were only seen wearing Champion after the 1989 season. I don't know why or how he switched back to this Russell jersey for the 3 games in 1990, but I'm sure it was a violation of contract with Champion. That's why I didn't think to look through the 1990 season to look. Anyways, the stripes, font, and some other markings matchup along with some other characteristics only the Russell jersey's had. Sorry for my accusation of a fake.

  6. #6
    Senior Member commando's Avatar
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    Nov 2007
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    965

    Re: Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    Thanks for a very classy follow-up... You've had to do tons of research to find the match. If I ever come across a Boomer jersey, you're the one I'm gonna call!
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Anthony Nunez
    Historian, USFL Houston Gamblers
    www.Houston-Gamblers.com

  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Re: Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    I too want to compliment the dignity involved in the follow up. It takes a person of high integrity to police ones self.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    Jan 2009
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    776

    Re: Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    I have been in the exact same position as "boomstick" with regards to multiple 49er shirts over the years. Without doing exhaustive research there is the distinct possibility that a collector can pass up a perfectly good, and in some cases rare, jersey because it is different than what was worn previously.

    My worst case of passing and eventually losing out on a gamer, was a beautiful 1994 Steve Young preseason gamer with legit team letter that I bought and returned due to the lack of a Wilson W on the sleeve. I checked Getty, AP images etc and just could not find a match so I sent it back for a refund. About a week later I find a perfect match on Getty, except the image is misdated by a year or so. The shirt had already been resold and eventually ended up on the Panini cutting block. A friend who has access to Panini mentioned that he saw the exact shirt at their HQ being cut up. Needless to say I am still ticked off at the entire situation even though it occurred over 2 years ago.

    Since the loss of the Steve Young gamer I try to do as much research as possible prior to buying and/or sending items back.

    Recently I purchased a Ricky Watters rookie gamer with a strange story behind it. Once I received and examined the jersey the nameplate jumped out at me. It was made out of an entirely different material than the jersey and without a good reference library of jerseys and images, I may have called it un- authentic. I was able to match the nameplate material to similar material on both my 1991 John Taylor and my 1993 Romo gamer. Thus a great shirt that I may have rejected is now part of my collection.

    I think we all have to be quite careful when we label or accuse someone of selling or possessing a fake or un-authentic jersey. From my two examples as well as the Boomer shirt talked about above, it is clear that there can be multiple gamers of a player that do not conform to the usual characteristics.

    Solid research is critical when buying, selling, returning or posting one's opinion about what is real and what is not. I, for one, do not want to make the same mistake I made regarding the 94 Steve Young, and lose a irreplaceable gamer!

    Always buying 49ers gamers and ALL/ANY 1994 49ers GU items!
    Paul
    garciajones@yahoo.com
    Attached Images Attached Images    

  9. #9
    Senior Member
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    608

    Re: Esiason jersey on Grey Flannel

    Quote Originally Posted by solarlottry View Post
    My worst case of passing and eventually losing out on a gamer, was a beautiful 1994 Steve Young preseason gamer with legit team letter that I bought and returned due to the lack of a Wilson W on the sleeve. I checked Getty, AP images etc and just could not find a match so I sent it back for a refund. About a week later I find a perfect match on Getty, except the image is misdated by a year or so. The shirt had already been resold and eventually ended up on the Panini cutting block. A friend who has access to Panini mentioned that he saw the exact shirt at their HQ being cut up. Needless to say I am still ticked off at the entire situation even though it occurred over 2 years ago.

    Since the loss of the Steve Young gamer I try to do as much research as possible prior to buying and/or sending items back.

    Recently I purchased a Ricky Watters rookie gamer with a strange story behind it. Once I received and examined the jersey the nameplate jumped out at me. It was made out of an entirely different material than the jersey and without a good reference library of jerseys and images, I may have called it un- authentic. I was able to match the nameplate material to similar material on both my 1991 John Taylor and my 1993 Romo gamer. Thus a great shirt that I may have rejected is now part of my collection.

    I think we all have to be quite careful when we label or accuse someone of selling or possessing a fake or un-authentic jersey. From my two examples as well as the Boomer shirt talked about above, it is clear that there can be multiple gamers of a player that do not conform to the usual characteristics.

    Solid research is critical when buying, selling, returning or posting one's opinion about what is real and what is not. I, for one, do not want to make the same mistake I made regarding the 94 Steve Young, and lose a irreplaceable gamer!

    Always buying 49ers gamers and ALL/ANY 1994 49ers GU items!
    Paul
    garciajones@yahoo.com
    I very nearly made a similar mistake Paul, ironically on a different Boomer jersey for which Joe has recently been helpful to me in helping to determine when a different misdated Getty style match image actually came from.

    In my case, there was literally handwritting mixed with traditional printing on portionals of the alteration tagging, and one of the alteration tags was entirely hand-written. And, it was very hard to find a photo or style match from the '90 year that the seller (the original purchaser's son) thought the jersey was from except for one (misdated) Getty image.

    I am tremendously lucky that I ran across a more common player's heavily used jersey (and at a very reputable dealer) from the same manufacturer and style with the same type of handwritten style on the alteration tags. That allowed me to find great comfort with what previously I thought was a clear warning sign. Since then, Joe (Boomstick) has been helpful in identify the correct year and games where at least a style and stripe match are possible. And, I was able to further find comfort on what I'd originally perceived as a lessor oddity from the company that supplied the Bengals' jerseys at that time.

    At the end of the day, I'm so glad I didn't fail to research my original suspicions because ultimately, my first (doubtful) assessment was totally wrong.

    Paul, you have been collecting far longer than me... Joe has too. But the conclusion or "takeaway" you guys are coming to here (in Joe's case with very respectful humility in retrospect) are ones I very much agree to: Don't be hasty in making judgment either way. Unless you have all the information, nobody can be certain they are are reaching the correct assessment on an item's legitimacy.

 

 

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