As a show of how morbid people can be, so-called “fans” are overpaying for jerseys of accused murderer Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots tight end.
It does not matter that the NFL pulled all Hernandez jerseys from shelves when he was arrested last week for the shooting death of a friend. And the Patriots are offering replacement jerseys for anyone who wants to exchange one with Hernandez’s name and number.
But a strange thing has happened as the league tries to erase the memory of Hernandez. Fans who have listed Hernandez jerseys on eBay and have been able to reap significant profits.
For instance, Patriots fan John Lamothe told the Boston Globe he was shocked to get $289 for a Hernandez jersey he put on eBay last week.
“I thought about giving it to Goodwill, but I didn’t think anybody would want it,” Lamothe said. “I thought I might get $15 for it.”
Lynn L’Heureux, who paid $100 for a Hernandez jersey, has seen the bidding reach $127 so far.
“I can’t think of any reason why people would want it,” L’Heureux said. “They might think it will go up in value later on, and maybe it will, but I’m not interested. I just don’t want it in my possession. I want to use the money to buy a jersey that reflects my pride in the Patriots.”
So despite the mounds of evidence against Hernandez and the serious prospects that his playing career is over and he could spend the rest of his life in prison, there just might be sightings of Hernandez jerseys in NFL stadiums.
