Where do the Super Bowl Losers’ T-Shirts and Hats Go?
The Chicago Bears are Super Bowl XLI champions this year, in Ethiopia. Every year, 288 T-shirts and hats are made for both teams in the Super Bowl. The loser’s apparel is sent off to a developing nation, usually in Africa. Both team’s Super Bowl apparel this year were carefully guarded behind a locked door at Dolphin Stadium. When it became apparent that the Colts were going to win, a dozen Reebok employees grabbed the Colts gear and headed out to the field to quickly distribute it. Meanwhile, the Bears’ championship T-shirts and hats sit locked in a room, and will be shipped Monday morning to Sewickley, Pa., near Pittsburgh. There, they will be packaged by World Vision and sent out to a developing nation. In other sports, Major League Baseball destroys the losing team’s clothing, and the NBA donates it to an overseas charity.
