What Happens To The Losing Team’s Championship Merchandise?
Every New Orleans Saints fan is still heartbroken, with good reason. If you were like me, you were ready to run to the sporting goods store to pick up some championship gear, just like we did in 2010. Just in case. And honestly, I saw some NFC Championship Saints gear in a store before the big loss. And one of my co workers got an email from an online fan merchandise store with Saints Championship gear for sale before that!. Glad I didn't pull out my credit card too fast, even though I sure thought about it.
Sometimes companies make the decision to print up millions of dollars worth of t shirts, hats, pennants, and whatever else they can make a buck on, in advance. Especially if it's a big game, like the NFC or AFC Championship, or the Super Bowl. They want to maximize sales, and have you be able to buy that hot shirt immediately after the game. But what happens to all that merchandise if the team doesn't actually win? Oops.
According to Mental Floss, for almost 20 years, a humanitarian group called World Vision has collected the unwanted and incorrect merchandise, and stored it in a warehouse in Pittsburgh. It was then sent overseas to countries that are in desperate need, in dire poverty, or have just experienced a disaster. But in 2015 the NFL changed their focus, and is now using another humanitarian organization called Good360. Good360, by the way, has done a lot of disaster relief for Louisiana after the historic flooding in August 2016. At least we know it's all going to a good cause, even though it still stings a little...