Some Street Vendors Making Mad Money on Unlicensed Eagles Gear Ahead of Super Bowl

A Philadelphia street vendor selling Eagles gear ahead of the Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs (Getty Image)

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Philly Street Vendors Raking It In on Eagles Gear Ahead of Super Bowl

Sure, you could go to the NFL Store and spend upwards of $150 on a Jalen Hurts jersey. Or you could just go to one of the many, many street vendors in Philadelphia and the suburbs and buy what appears, at least to the untrained eye, to be the same jersey for $50 or even less. And those street vendors are absolutely making a killing on said Eagles gear.

“I made over $10,000 in one day,” one street vendor claimed to me under the condition of anonymity, since what he is doing is at the very least frowned upon and could be entirely illegal, depending on the source and authenticity of the goods. (Selling counterfeit merchandise is a federal offense that comes with up to ten years in prison.) He declined to tell me what his net profits were on that tally or disclose the origin of the swag.

One vendor I found stuck exclusively to vintage Eagles gear. Another was selling what appeared to be licensed Eagles NFL gear but at a steep discount, so it, presumably, was counterfeited “licensed” gear, or it “fell off the back of a truck.” And another was selling low-quality t-shirts, hoodies and hats that showed no signs of being authentic NFL gear. Meanwhile, a Delco convenience store where I bought a crappy Eagles knit cap for $5 in December is now selling that same crappy Eagles knit cap for $20.

It appears that law enforcement agencies are taking a pretty relaxed approach to the whole thing. Maybe they don’t particularly care. Or maybe they, like me, feel like the super-wealthy NFL and other corporate behemoths (not to mention all the bars selling expensive tickets to their Super Bowl parties) are lining their pockets with dough, so why not let these vendors earn some cash too?

One vendor in Delco did tell me that a local police department nicely told him he had to pack up his stuff. Not because it was knock-off gear, which he conceded to me that it was. But because he didn’t have “the right kind of license,” in the words of the vendor, to just set up shop along the side of a busy road and sell Eagles gear.

So did he pack up and go home? Nah. He packed up and moved one town over.

Enjoy it while you can, guys. Doesn’t look like the Flyers are gonna bring home a championship anytime soon. Maybe the Sixers.

George Santos, the Amish, and Puppies!

Oh, I love a good George Santos yarn, but I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting to find one involving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Finally, such a yarn has been unearthed. And it involves the Amish. And puppies. Because of course. You’ve just gotta read this Politico story.

Fire at Tequila’s

The popular Rittenhouse Square Mexican destination Tequila’s is closed until further notice due to a fire.

Let’s Hope Your Super Bowl Tickets Are Real

6ABC with an investigation into a Super Bowl scam.

Caught On Video

Police are asking for the public’s help to identify men who brutally attacked a woman on the 1800 block of Addison Street on Sunday:

She’s Gonna Need More Pens

Remember when I told you about Jean Merritt, the South Philly woman who will send a handwritten letter to anybody who asks? Well, my story was picked up by the huge syndicated News of the Weird column. Sorry, Jean! At least they didn’t publish your email address.

And from the Still-Waiting Sports Desk …

If you need a gentle reminder, the Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday at 6:30. As if you could possibly forget.

Take it from the top#SBLVII | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/gTOFKSSMLP

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 9, 2023

In Sixer news, the only trade that team mastermind Daryl Morey made before yesterday’s deadline was Matisse Thybulle. In return, the Sixers get Jalen McDaniels, because every city needs a full roster of Jalens.

NBA trade deadline: Matisse Thybulle to Blazers, Jalen McDaniels to 76ers in three-way deal, per reportshttps://t.co/BwoYAqxooI

— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) February 9, 2023

Matisse’s name was as pretty as his face, not to mention his defending. He’ll be missed.

The Sixers visit the Knicks tonight at 7 p.m. On Saturday, they have a rematch, in Brooklyn, with the more-chaotic-than-ever Nets, who’ve now traded Kevin Durant (to the Suns) as well as Kyrie Irving (to the Mavs). Will Ben Simmons finally recover from his many and diverse injuries? Will all the trading improve the Nets? Who the hell knows, but it’ll be fun to watch.

In college hoops this weekend, on Saturday we’ve got George Washington at St. Joe’s at one p.m.; Towson at Drexel, Penn at Harvard and UMass at La Salle, all at two p.m.; and Seton Hall at Villanova at eight p.m. On Sunday, Temple goes to Memphis to play at noon.

I’ll be away from my usual sports-watching post all next week. (Read: I’ll be recuperating from celebrating the Eagles’ triumph all next week.) Enjoy, and see you on the other side — and at the big parade!

All Philly Today Sports Desk coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.