Everything that glitters isn't gold, and everything that's gold isn't valuable. This jersey could be both or it could be a real stinker. You'll have to decide for yourself after I've given you the info!
As you can tell from
my body of work on epinions, I am a NFL jersey collector and fan of the football league. There is no doubt, I will steer you in the right direction on specific jerseys and jersey types in general.
There are a number of choices available:
There are really three types of NFL jersey -
Authentic, EQT, and Replica.
The authentic are the highest quality and are the same jersey worn on the field. These go for around $250 each and are worth every penny for some fans.
The EQT are mid quality - essentially a replica jersey with heavy tackle twill letters/numbers. These go for around $100 each.
Replicas are the lowest in quality and price. They normally go around $65 and feature a mesh body, dazzle yoke (aka shiny shoulders) and silk screened letters/numbers/logos.
Silk screening stinks!
Silk screened means that things like letters and numbers are essentially an iron on transfer. The opposite of this is "tackle twill" which is a method of sewing on multiple layers of heavy cloth...tackle twill lasts as long as the body of the item, silk screening cracks up and breaks off much like a t-shirt that is printed.
Should I buy a replica jersey?
If you are cost conscious, this is a very nice jersey at the lowest available NFL price. They normally hold up as a shirt very well. This jersey isn't apt to "pick" like the older style cotton jerseys and seams don't fray. I've never had stitching to unravel on this type of jersey.
When you clean it be kind to it:
Silk screened letters/numbers last about as long as a Spice Girls album at a biker bar - not long.
If you dry this jersey in a standard household dryer you'll see noticable cracking/peeling in the letters, numbers, and logos within just a few wears. You will have to hang this and let it air dry if you intend to look good for long. Same thing with leaning on concrete or brick walls: you can easily cause damage to the silk screening.
No matter how good the jersey itself holds up, once the letters and numbers have cracked and worn off there aren't many fans who are going to wear it any longer.
Other than that it's not a big deal to keep it clean though. You won't find it holding stains from things you spill on it, or from your stinky & sweaty armpits!
Why a NFL Equipement jersey?
Quality is important! If the logos aren't just like the team wears or the colors are off the jersey isn't going to be a source of pride for long. There is no telling what level of quality you are getting with cheaper jerseys because Reebok is the company for "top shelf" merchandise that is always up to high standards.
Why is it gold?
When the NFL began encouraging teams to have a third jersey a couple of years ago this was the choice of the Vikings. It was popular, but for some reason the Vikes switched to wearing a black third jersey and this color scheme is now a thing of the past. That said, it looks great on the street even if they did stop wearing it on the field!
The color scheme on the jersey is 100% accurate to what the Vikings used to wear when they choose this one. It has a classy "jock tag" on the left front hem that proclaims this as licensed NFL merchandise engineered to the strictest standards.
Why a Daunte Culpepper jersey?
Who is more responsible for a teams success or failure than the quarterback? Who is more likely to be the face of the team than the quarterback? Nobody. So, when you've got a star like Daunte at the position on your team you wear his jersey with pride. A quarterback like Culpepper doesn't come along very often!
My bottom line:
If you are a casual fan that won't wear a players jersey when he leaves the team, this is the lowest cost option to get you into a star players number. If you are a more "hardcore" Vikings fan you really should consider an authentic jersey...it cost more but it's well worth it because of the increased quality you'll get.
