You know, I was expecting a full-blown Bill Simmons meltdown column after The Manning Face defeated the forces of evil for a second consecutive season. I even made some lame joke about it on Sunday night.
Well, not only did Simmons take his medicine (promptly too), he's trying to turn a terrifically demoralizing loss into a positive. First, some background from his Feb. 4 column:
Much like the Patriots, I choked heading into the weekend: Somehow, I forgot to pack my good-luck Wes Welker jersey and headed to Sunday's game without any Pats gear. ... I made the executive decision to fine myself $85 dollars (the price of a white No. 81 Moss jersey at one of those merchandise booths). You can currently find that jersey sitting at the bottom of the garbage can in my hotel room. I might take it home and burn it. I haven't decided yet.Which mobilized an entire dispirited fan base into action. Simmons, today, via the eBays:
After we posted the column, a number of readers e-mailed asking if they could have the jersey instead of me burning it or throwing it away. That's when I decided that there was a way this Moss jersey - this evil, unlucky, possibly-possessed-by-the-devil jersey that I never want to see again -- could actually do some good. I'm putting it up for auction, and instead of the money going to me, I'm going to have the winner of the auction donate the winning bid to The Jimmy Fund. I will pay for shipping and handling of the jersey. If you win the bid, we'll connect by e-mail, and then, you'll donate that money to the Jimmy Fund online and forward me a receipt of that donation. Once I see the receipt, I will send the jersey along.But there's more: "As a bonus if you win the auction: I'm going to throw in an autographed copy of my Red Sox book, 'Now I Can Die In Peace.' A signed copy is worth at least two bucks on the open market so you'll really have something there."
And for an extra five bucks, Simmons will replace "Moss" with "Mush" on the back of the jersey. Seems like the perfect gift for the discerning Giants fan.
Hat tip: DeadspinSorry, No Photos
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
2-05-2008 @ 9:24PM
Horatio said...
I plan to do a swoop for 700 bucks and try to get this thing
if I am successful, It will be framed along with my Tony Romo pink jersey as part of my "I hate you pretty boy QB" collection
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2-05-2008 @ 9:55PM
steve rice said...
GOOD JOB
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2-07-2008 @ 6:40AM
johnny said...
HEY BILL SIMMONS YOU DONKEY JOIN THE YEAR 2008. CURSED MAYBE YOUR CURSED JACKASS.
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2-07-2008 @ 6:41AM
tom said...
who cares he is just like all patroit fan's acting like it's the end of the world because the patroit's where beat by a real football team and not a bunch whinner's like the patroits!!
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2-07-2008 @ 6:55AM
cgs721 said...
The giants arent a real football team- they stink!!!!!- They just got really lucky- if you didnt already know, Brady had a broken ankle
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2-07-2008 @ 6:56AM
D. R. A said...
All this hatred towards the New England Patriots is good entertainment. I myself am a Chargers fan. And I'm from NEW ENGLAND!
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2-07-2008 @ 7:02AM
Linda said...
Great Job by the Giants, stumping out the Patriots...
Heys Patriots 18 - 1, and you lost the most important game of the season. YEAH!!!! Thank you Giants for stumping on the Patriots...
Patriots are SORE losers....
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2-07-2008 @ 7:15AM
Dale said...
I consider myself a Pats fan, but I have to admit they played a pretty aweful game and were outright beat by the Giants. As unbiased as I can look at this, there seems to be more sore winners than sore losers over something that was just a game. Selling shirts? Throwing it away? There will be another game. The whole cheating thing is crap and was made worse by a senator who is perhaps the biggest sore loser of all. Maybe he should have hearings to see how many extra weeks that indian was kept on american Idol because of Howard Sterns......its only taxpayers money!!
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2-07-2008 @ 7:15AM
patsfan4eva said...
Hey Linda, what the heck is stumping?
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2-07-2008 @ 7:35AM
pk said...
thanks for the advice tom, but have you heard of a team called the red sox? if ANYONE knows anything about "wait 'til next year", it's new englanders! :)
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2-07-2008 @ 7:41AM
lovePatriots said...
You are very UN-sportsman-like Bill Simmons. I don't throw away jerseys & gear just because my team lost. What kind of sportsman are you? Not much, in my opinion!!! YOu just can't handle that New England has the best sports teams. And you know what, so what that the Pats lost this year in the Super Bowl!! We have plenty of good years to beat alot of sorry teams in the years to come!! AND TO ALL OF YOU WHO THINK WE ARE SORE LOSERS, GUESS WHAT?? WE STILL LOVE OUR PATS AND ARE PROUD OF THEM!!!! And we still would go out of our way to sat congrats to the Giants, you gave us a run for our money! Is that what sore losers would do?? I don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!!
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2-07-2008 @ 7:42AM
Connie Marczak said...
If the Giants "stink", the Pats must really reek! They were outplayed and it is sad that the New England fans cannot be good sports and just admit it without making excuses!
The Giant's fans put up with tons of trash talk leading up to the Superbowl by the arrogant Patriot fans,so now anything you get....you asked for!!!!
For the record, the "cheating crap" is not crap, they were stupid and got caught! That is why EVERYONE that was not a Patriots fan was for the Giants and all that good kharma and GREAT playing ruled the game!!!
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2-07-2008 @ 7:46AM
Shane Brainerd said...
Randy Moss is nothing more than a gifted low life traffic cop hittin crack smokin woman beatin gang banger. It was a good day when the Giants beat him and the rest of the Patriots!! GO GIANTS!!
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2-07-2008 @ 7:51AM
stella said...
first i will appologize in advance for saying this, but i am a deadskins fan. yes i said deadskins because i've earned it. i'm not a pats fan nor a giants fan. however, since i'm originaly from jersey i did root for the giants. i can't afford the 85 dollars you would pay at these events for a shirt, let alone what this jersey will probably go for on the auction block. but since i believe that you should love your team regardless of the season they have, i would gladly adopt this pats item and wear it just as proudly as if it said redskins on it!!!!!!
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2-07-2008 @ 7:53AM
sandy said...
omg get over it ..new england is a great team..they did very well this season....it was a great game..brady is still #1
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2-07-2008 @ 7:53AM
RJM said...
Love the disgusted look on moss's face. What happened to the cocky arm flap after he caught that td pass? Guess what Randy, you got STOMPED-OUT. Try to be consistant in loss as well as in victory. Oh, sorry, that would make you an arrogant prick all the time. All I wanted was for the Giants to play a respectable game and not embarras themselves, this was an extra. Grateful Giants fan
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2-07-2008 @ 7:54AM
pk said...
The only reason the video taping was an issue was because Eric Mangini USED TO DO IT FOR THE PATS, so he ratted them out. Talk about a sore loser.
I LOVE THE PATS. They definitely were outplayed last Sunday, but that's NO REASON to give up on them. They beat every team they came in contact with this past season - even the Giants.
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2-07-2008 @ 7:55AM
VINCE said...
boy there are some mad bostonians in the world 18-1 is pretty good 19-0 would of been great but it didnt happen deal with it geez
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2-07-2008 @ 8:00AM
TOM said...
TO PK. YES I HEARD OF THE RED SOX AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THEY WAITED A VERY LONG TIME TO WIN A WORLD SERIES. SOME BELIEVED IN THE BABE'S CURSE AND IT WAS A GOOD STORY TO GIVE A REASON FOR THEM LOSING.BUT I'M 77 YEARS OLD AND I DON;T BELIEVE IN THAT STORY ABOUT THE BABES CURSE.BUT LIKE I SAID I LEARNED FROM THE BROOKLYN TEAM TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR. TOM
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2-07-2008 @ 8:02AM
Dale said...
Connie, By "cheating crap" I was referring to the allegations of taping the Rams. The incident with the Jets was over and fine paid. Guilty.It was stupid, but this has been done by other teams. I am reffering to a Senator coming forward ON SUPERBOWL WEEK with something that nobody has seen a shred of evidence. I dont condone what the Pats did. You just can't say something happened without proof, and if there is some proof, at least offer it in the same timeframe. I'd even go as far as to say that, for the Patriots organization. they should find proof so it will end. If there is never any found, the whole world is going to ride this forever and always imply that Goodell's people buried it. Government has no involvement here.
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