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NFL Jerseys: Thank you Free Agency and My Infinite Wisdom

We’ve all done it or that’s what I tell myself to ease the embarrassment. I’m talking about purchasing that Mr. Irrelevant jersey. That player you think is really going to be something and turns out to be a cap casualty or a trade commodity. With Free Agency this discussion no longer encompasses Mr. Irrelevant alone, how about Mr. Franchise who was great for the team, but gets offered more money to extend his career elsewhere? I’ve always wondered what the average fan does with these jerseys. In most cases you purchased an Authentic or Replica jersey by spending between $50 - $300 for your prized possession. Do you tuck it away in the closet? Put it on EBay? Wear it proudly?

I’ve purchased three jerseys over the course of my Buccaneer fandom: Warrick Dunn (Replica), John Lynch (Authentic), and oh the pain, Chris Simms (Authentic). I think the Dunn jersey cost me $54, the Lynch jersey was around $130, and the Simms jersey was around $70. The replica was purchased at Raymond James Stadium and the two Authentics came from EBay (aka the life saver, I couldn’t imagine purchasing an Authentic Jersey from NFLShop.com or an equivalent retailer, yikes!). I don’t remember what happened to the Dunn jersey, I sold the Lynch jersey on EBay, not that I wouldn’t wear it today; it was big on me when I purchased it and so I let it go (regretfully), and the Simms jersey is hanging in the closet (damn you Gruden!).

As many of you know I’m a Florida State Fan and so it was only natural that I would purchase a Warrick Dunn Bucs jersey as it was glorious when the Bucs called his name on Draft Day. It was unbearable when he left the Bucs via free agency for the Atlanta Falcons and my memory of that jerseys whereabouts has been cloudy ever since. There’s no explanation needed for the John Lynch jersey purchase, his name resonates with every Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. I’m still baffled as to why he was allowed to leave the organization. Oh Chris Simms, how I hated you in college. I thought there was a lot of hype surrounding you for nothing, all because you played for Texas. I also thought your lack of mobility would kill you in Tampa because our Offensive line absolutely sucked. I was praying the Bucs wouldn’t draft you and then they did. From there the hatred stopped. I began to think Simms could be the franchise QB we’ve been longing for due to his effortless accurate throws in Training Camp. After his ’05 Playoff run I was sold and purchased his jersey. Oh was I wrong. As it turns out, I was right about the offensive line killing him, but I was oh so wrong about him becoming this organization’s Franchise Quarterback.

I don’t know what I’ll end up doing with my Simms jersey. Maybe I’ll scour the internet for a seamstress that can take his name and numbers off and replace them with the next Mr. Irrelevant on the Bucs, Dexter Jackson? The NFL should set-up a Jersey Trade-In option on NFLShop.com so fans can turn in their retread jerseys for the chance to purchase another retread jersey at a discounted price. Wouldn’t that be nice.

So let’s hear it, I know I’m not the only one!!!

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The ultimate irrelevant jersey....

I’m a Bucs and Dolphins fan, have been for all my life… and I finally got my first Dolphins jersey a while back…

Duante Culpepper

by tenaciouslee on Sep 25, 2008 10:39 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

A Culpepper jersey?

Say it aint so Tenacious!! When he joined the Dolphins? How did you not see that train wreck coming? If it were a Vikings jersey i could understand, but the Dolphins. You believer you!!

Buc 'Em - Where a select few of Bucs Fans spend their time...

by JScott on Sep 25, 2008 8:53 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

ORANGE JERSEYS

I have a throw-back McKay jersey, and it looks great. His son was a little WR bright spot back in the days….or was it daze? LOL!!

by stixx692001 on Sep 25, 2008 12:55 PM EDT reply reply   0 recs

A McKay jersey

sheesh Rich…. thats insane.. old timer

Buc 'Em - Where a select few of Bucs Fans spend their time...

by JScott on Sep 25, 2008 8:54 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

i distinctively

remember you owning up to possessing a Michael Clayton jersey in Sunday’s open thread… Did you say you had a Simms jersey too? Come on Joel, we’re all coming out of the heinous jersey closet

Buc 'Em - Where a select few of Bucs Fans spend their time...

by JScott on Sep 25, 2008 8:56 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I will admit to the Clayton and Simms ones...

…I mean during Clayton’s rookie year, come on…he was great. That was totally justified for…well 1 year. That’s why I keep hoping he puts it all together and steps up again. Basically because I only got about 8 good games out of that thing.

…as for the Simms one…well it was free. I was trying to get order a Simeon Rice one because I was going to a signing. The never processed the order and then were all of Rice ones so they sent me a free Simms one instead. All I can say is, at least Clayton is still with the team.

All of my other jerseys (which shall remain nameless for now) are of former Gators. Unfortunately many of them are of the “good one year, below average all the rest” variety.

by The Bull Gator on Sep 25, 2008 9:58 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I will totally admit to the one good Bucs jersey I do have though...

…Derrick Brooks. That was a solid purchase. Of course at the time I bought it, he had already been like a 7 or 8 time Pro Bowler, so I really couldn’t go wrong.

by The Bull Gator on Sep 25, 2008 9:59 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

yeah

i can’t fault you on the Clayton jersey, he was an absolute beast his Rookie season. It’s maddening how bad he’s sucked since…

Former Gator jerseys, i’m assuming they did not play for the Buccaneers: Rex Grossman, Dany Wuerffel, Fred Taylor; i guess Fred wouldnt meet the one year wonder criteria…

Buc 'Em - Where a select few of Bucs Fans spend their time...

by JScott on Sep 25, 2008 11:46 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

*

Danny

Buc 'Em - Where a select few of Bucs Fans spend their time...

by JScott on Sep 25, 2008 11:47 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Actually...

…none of the above. When Wuerffel and Taylor entered the league I was a poor college kid. And by the time Grossman was in the pros, he was already hated by most Gator fans. I will throw out a couple of fun ones in my closet for your…Ben Troupe – Titans and Emmitt Smith – Cardinals. But I will say, like you JScott, I don’t pay full price. I get them when there’s either a big time sale or I can find a deal on eBay. The Smith Cardinals’ jersey (which is also their blue alternate…HA!) was $9.99. Of course it definitely does stand out in my closet.

by The Bull Gator on Sep 26, 2008 8:36 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

The 2 jerseys hanging in my closet are pretty good choices imo....

The 1st is a Derrick Brooks jersey (replica). How can you go wrong with a jersey of number 55. The second I guess you could say the jersey is still out on. I got a #24 Cadillac Williams jersey. I haven’t given up on the young buck out of Auburn and if you were smart, neither would you.

by TheUltimateBucFan on Sep 27, 2008 11:34 PM EDT reply reply   0 recs

I agree...

…I stand by my Caddy purchase. He still has a chance to do great things.

by The Bull Gator on Sep 28, 2008 8:47 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs


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