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Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff WriterOct 1, 2024, 09:00 AM ET
- Josh Weinfuss is a staff writer who covers the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL at ESPN. Josh has covered the Cardinals since 2012, joining ESPN in 2013. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and a graduate of Indiana University. You can follow him via Twitter @joshweinfuss.
TEMPE, Ariz. — Inside and outside State Farm Stadium, amid the sea of red, white and black Arizona Cardinals jerseys, one jersey stood out among all others: Marvin Harrison Jr.’s No. 18.
But, wait. How?
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Harrison’s jersey isn’t yet being made by Nike because NFL Players Association advised the NFL, the Cardinals and Fanatics to not sell it, a source told ESPN, as a lawsuit between Fanatics and Harrison Jr. and his father, Marvin Harrison Sr. continues. While the lawsuit and jerseys not being made by Nike aren’t related, the litigation has complicated the situation.
Fans, however, aren’t waiting around for the dispute to be resolved.
Around the tailgates outside State Farm Stadium during the last three weeks of Cardinals’ home games and throughout the stands inside the stadium, dozens of bootleg Harrison Jr. jerseys could be seen.
So, where’d the fans get them? The internet, of course.
“The NFL is trying to go global, so I went global, too,” Jeff Jacobsen of Scottsdale, who had a red No. 18 Harrison Jr. jersey custom made, told ESPN.
Heather Davis of Tonopah, Ariz., left, and Jacob Kelly of Mesa, Ariz., right, pose with their Marvin Harrison Jr. jerseys. Josh Weinfuss / ESPN
Jacobsen spent $130 for the threads after searching about 20 different websites. Most sites, like the NFL Shop’s website, rejected his request.
“It took me a long time to find somebody who could actually make one and send it to me,” he said. “It was very difficult.”
Fans aren’t able to custom design a No. 18 “Harrison Jr.” or “Harrison” jersey on the NFL’s official online shop because Fanatics doesn’t currently have the rights to sell it. Two fans, Jacob Kelly of Mesa, Arizona, and Heather Davis of Tonopah, Arizona, got creative.
On the day they found out Harrison was given No. 18, they bought customized red jerseys that, according to the NFL Shop website, retail for $169.99.
Both had No. 18, but Kelly’s had “MHJ” on the back and Davis’ had “Larry Jr,” a tribute to former Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr.
“He reminds me a lot of Larry,” she said.
Jeff Jacobsen of Scottsdale, Ariz. poses with his Marvin Harrison Jr. jersey. Josh Weinfuss / ESPN
For those fans who wanted as close to a replica as possible, they found options from knockoff websites. Rigo Lonzano from Phoenix found a white Harrison Jr. jersey from a website overseas. It cost him just $25.
“I mean, it looks real,” Lonzano said. “It feels real.”
Donny Anderson of Mesa bought three knockoff Harrison Jr. jerseys — two white and one black. Each cost $36 with $18 for shipping. When he received them, they looked awfully close to the Nike jerseys sold online, including swooshes and Nike patches. The stitching and details were basically identical.
“They’re actually pretty damn good,” Anderson said. “She’s pretty damn spot on with her details and everything they pay attention to.”
Lonzano likes that his white Harrison Jr. uniform helps him stand out.
“It’s special,” Kelly said. “Being one of the first people to do it. You don’t see it that often. So, we like being different.”
