Super Bowl LX is just a few days away, and there are already controversies surrounding it. The newest one is about the merch.

While fans looked forward to supporting their respective teams by wearing the Super Bowl jerseys, Fanatics seems to have messed up big time.

The organization that has the product licensing rights to manufacture and distribute all Nike NFL products, and its CEO, Michael Rubin, are under heavy criticism for having charged $160 for both jerseys.

Fans have commented that the jerseys looked like “knock-off” versions of the original ones. For the Seahawks fans, it was a moment of utter disappointment. Some jerseys didn’t have their 50th anniversary patch, and another honoring the United States’ 250th anniversary. 

All this backlash has caught the attention of Fanatics, and they came forward with a post of their own.

They started their post by stating, "NFL fans, we've seen your jersey feedback, and we take it very seriously. We’ve let Patriots and Seahawks fans down with product availability – we own that and we are sorry."

They went on to promise that they will be "bringing in more team color jerseys daily and offering alternative options in the meantime."

Addressing the quality of the jerseys, the organization said,“We’ve heard questions about the quality of these alternate jerseys and can assure you that, despite some unflattering photos, these jerseys are identical to the standard Nike replica Game jersey.”

Even with promises of the quality being top-notch, the organization is still facing backlash.

NFL fans called Fanatics out

So much so that people believed that Fanatics had committed a felony. "Fanatics currently a top 10 crime against humanity and we have A LOT going on," a fan said.

Another fan stated he would make his own shirts rather than buy them from Fanatics. "Don't buy it. There are other places you can buy those from I'm sure but if not... Make your own shirts! I'm sure you can buy or order the patches. Just buy the shirt and patches separately."

As noted earlier, the company has made grave mistakes before this incident as well. It's why a fan said, "Fanatics ruins everything they touch. It's a joke."

Even on the post promising good quality, fans did not stop criticizing. Football lovers who supported neither team took to the comments as well. "The prices are sky high and the clothing quality is awful. Fanatics has single handedly ruined sports apparel for all leagues."

Some fans even went on to point out that this was not the first time. "You’ve been ripping off fans for years and it’s finally turned into the bad PR you deserve," one said.

What do you think about this decision? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Kalp Thaker

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu