What happens to the Eagles’ unsold Super Bowl championship merch that was made in anticipation of a win?
The nonprofit Good360 works with the NFL to make sure the pre-printed clothing finds a good home in other countries
It’s a somber start to the week for Eagles fans, who are missing out. No Lombardi Trophy hoisted above Jalen Hurts’ head. No dancing on Broad Street into the early morning hours while the poles drip with grease.
Even wardrobes are missing something special.
In anticipation of either side winning the big game, the NFL allows manufacturers to print championship-branded clothing that’s ready to sell after the whistle blows.
That means thousands of articles of Eagles merch — hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and more — now sit unopened at local retailers while gear flies off the shelves in Kansas City and online, where items are plastered with “Super Bowl champions” in the NFL store.
At least Philadelphians can know their unused swag won’t end up in a landfill, thanks to the nonprofit Good360. The group’s CEO, Romaine Seguin, explained how the nonprofit now begins the task of rounding up the unsold Eagles gear and donating it to people around the world in need of clothing.
“In the Super Bowl, both teams are winners — until the whistle blows,” said Seguin, whose group is entering its ninth year partnering with the NFL.
Despite its small staff, Seguin said Good360 works within a large network. After collecting the unsold boxes of clothing in the United States — sometimes stacked 24 pallets at a time — the group works with global nonprofits to distribute the gear.
“Whether it’s a hat to keep the sun out, or a shirt to keep someone warm or sun off their shoulders, that’s what we do,” Seguin said.
For security reasons, Seguin said she couldn’t share which countries will receive clothing this year, but the group has said in the past that it’s donated to Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
Playoff season is a busy time for Good360. Not only does the group collect losing Super Bowl merch, but Seguin said it also donates gear for the losers of the AFC and NFC championship games held in January.
Gear from past Super Bowls falsely deeming the Buffalo Bills or Seattle Seahawks national champions has been spotted far and wide, including in African countries like Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Niger, according to reports. The NFL is strict about keeping the losing gear out of secondhand markets in the United States, according to Seguin, but to her knowledge, a breach hasn’t happened yet.
Meanwhile, some countries have debated the impact of clothing donations from wealthy nations on their local economies. Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and South Sudan have all considered bans on secondhand clothing imports in recent years.
When Rwanda passed a ban in 2018, it came on the heels of studies that showed the abundance of clothing coming into African countries from Western nations had shrunk once-thriving local textile industries and slashed manufacturing jobs. But Seguin said Good360 makes sure textiles aren’t a country’s primary source of income when determining where to donate.
“That’s the last thing the NFL or Good360 want to do, is take away income from a country” Seguin said.
So here’s hoping Philly gets its rightfully deserved swag next season. In the meantime, make sure to follow the washing instructions on your 2018 championship garb — you’re gonna need it a little longer.