Brees fans profit from sale of autographs

By Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor

A person can get Drew Brees to sign an autograph, and then that person can turn around and sell it for $100 on eBay or a similar online auction site.

But Brees doesn’t care about the dollar amount being made off his name. It’s the principle of the thing.

"I think that’s unfair because I think a lot of the people that do that make it seem like they’re getting it for their son, or their daughter, or whoever," Brees said.

"If you’re that kind of person, then that’s not right. That’s not right at all."

It may not be right, but there is only so much Brees, who is quite possibly the most popular football player ever to play at Purdue, can do about it.

College athletes, according to NCAA rules, cannot charge for their autographs or put their name on anything they know will be auctioned or sold. However, nothing prohibits a fan from pretending they are going to keep the signature as a memento and selling it.

"I can identify who is out to sell my stuff and who’s doing it just because they want to get it for their friends or their child or something like that," Brees said.

Because he can tell these things, Brees said he usually puts the name of the intended recipient with the autograph. For example, Brees will write something such as "To Erica: Go Boilers! — Drew Brees." Doing this would make the product less valuable to those not named Erica.

However, Brees said, people find ways to erase the name and then sell the merchandise.

What’s worse, Brees said, is when people try to sell "authentic" memorabilia that is not truly authentic. On the Internet, where there is not much regulation and where there are a lot of deceitful operations, collectors can find such phony merchandise.

"I’d say 90 percent of that stuff is forged," Brees said. "I know my signature. There are certain little details about my signature that I make sure that I have. I know when it’s not mine."

Brees can't do much about the forgeries, which is unfortunate, according to Purdue football coach Joe Tiller.

"It really is a shame," Tiller said. "People are taking autographs and selling them and that's not the intent."

Tiller said Brees doesn't often blow off fans.

"He's so conscious of young people," Tiller said. "He wants to communicate and be around young people and give them his autograph, etc. But sometimes he gets bombarded."

Because of the attention the record-setting quarterback has been receiving, the team has had to increase security both at home and on the road. The ninth-ranked Boilers (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) play Michigan State at 1 p.m. Saturday in East Lansing, Mich.

"We have a bigger problem, obviously, on the road than we do at home," Tiller said.

But it seems that no matter where Brees plays there are throngs of fans wearing No. 15 jerseys that were paid for. But Brees doesn't get a cent of the money people spend on his jersey, which doesn’t perturb him at all.

"As long as the school gets some kind of payment, I don’t mind," Brees said. "I don’t mind them selling it because the people who buy it are, a lot of times, kids. I mean, I know when I was a kid, I had a bunch of little football jerseys."

The Brees jersey — which, because of the NCAA rules regarding amateur status, has only Brees’ number, not his name, on it — usually costs between $40 and $50.

Collegiate Licensing Company sells apparel with the Purdue logo on it and then gives an eight percent royalty to Purdue. Each year, the University uses a complex formula to decide what departments get what share of the money.

In 1999, Purdue received $630,000 in royalty revenue, about half of which was distributed to the Purdue Athletic Department. In 1990, the school made only $200,000.

"We've pretty much ramped up," said Doug Sabel, director of University Contracting Group.

Sabel said the sale of items such as jerseys and T-shirts account for approximately 70 percent of the revenue. Sabel said that, although the numbers are misleading, sales of Purdue merchandise are up this season.

Bob Bernard, marketing director for the Purdue Athletic Department, said many schools around the country are seeing lower revenue returns. Purdue, however, has been adding more money to its budget.

If Purdue had an athletic department with a sport-specific budget, the money made from the jerseys of football players such as Brees, Vinny Sutherland or Tim Stratton would go directly to the football program. Likewise, money made from the jersey of basketball player Katie Douglas would go to the women's basketball program.

However, Purdue has a general fund, which means Brees’ popularity can help the football team get some new chinstraps, or it could just as easily go toward a new goal for the women’s soccer team.

But the Athletic Department can only profit from a few things involving players.

"The only items that can be sold at retail are authentic replica jerseys," said Dean Fredette, director of group sales for the Purdue Athletic Department.

There is an exception to that rule, said Fredette. If a player is a legitimate contender for a serious postseason award, the athletic department for that athlete’s school can market the athlete in the form of hats and shirts only.

Brees is being considered for the Heisman Trophy, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding college football player, which is why a person can go to Tippecanoe Mall and get a Drew Brees for Heisman hat or shirt.

Neither Brees’ signature nor his face appear on the hat or shirt. However, people might be able to get Brees to sign the shirt or hat.

So long as they look innocent.

Brees fans profit from sale of autographs

Press names Douglas to All-America team

Fans should attend games

SPORTS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 251

Sports editor: Paul Trembacki

Assistant sports editors: Anne McLaren, Keith Thomas

To send a letter to the editor, please email opinions@purdueexponent.org

Purdue Sports