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1987 Troy Aikman Game Worn UCLA Bruins Aloha Bowl Jersey, MEARS A10 - Photo Matched!. ...
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Sold on May 17, 2018 for:
$12,000.00
Bid Source: Internet bidder
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Description
1987 Troy Aikman Game Worn UCLA Bruins Aloha Bowl Jersey, MEARS A10 - Photo Matched!They'd lift the Lombardi Trophy three times together as the heart of the Dallas Cowboys offense of the 1990's, but Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith would stand at opposite sidelines of Aloha Stadium in Honolulu on Christmas Day, 1987 as the UCLA Bruins battled the Florida Gators in the sixth edition of the Aloha Bowl. Each future Hall of Famer would claim his team's MVP honors that day, but it was Aikman who would earn the 20-16 victory, clad in the white mesh jersey we proudly offer here.
This is actually the second time that Heritage has presented this important relic at auction, the first offering scuttled by Aikman himself, who tweeted a link to the lot listing with the statement just prior to the closing: "Unless I'm the one selling it, none of my memorabilia being auctioned is authentic. End of story."
That damning public statement was shocking for a number of reasons. First, the contention is absurd on its face, as it suggests that Aikman owns every uniform, every helmet, every piece of gear he ever wore in competition. Next, this tweet came just weeks after Aikman tweeted and subsequently withdrew a nearly identical denial of authenticity of his Super Bowl XXVII jersey in a competitor's auction after he was provided photographic evidence that the garment was indeed authentic. Finally, when Aikman was asked during an appearance on a local Dallas sports talk radio show if he owned his 1987 Aloha Bowl jersey, he admitted that he did not.
But there is no denying that Aikman's claim threw a shadow over the sale of the piece, so Heritage removed it from our November auction to protect our consignor and quickly reached out directly to Mr. Aikman in an effort to set the record straight. Our consignor sent him a letter recounting the tale of the acquisition of the jersey that day in Hawaii. We provided a number of game photographs, now viewable at our online auction listing, establishing without a doubt that this jersey is the one that Aikman wore that day. We were confident that Mr. Aikman would understand the photographic documentation to be ironclad proof of authenticity and subsequently retract his erroneous claim.
Unfortunately, and inexplicably, Mr. Aikman has chosen to dig in his heels rather than acknowledge his error, as he had with his Super Bowl jersey. While we are surprised and disappointed by this decision, we believe that our bidding clientele will accept the photographic proof of authenticity that Aikman ignores. Dallas is the world headquarters of Heritage Auctions, and we take no pleasure in facing off against one of the city's greatest sports heroes, but facts are facts whether or not Mr. Aikman chooses to believe them.
The jersey exhibits solid wear from that gridiron battle in the Pacific, with hit marks, scuffs and multiple team repairs which indicate that the garment saw plenty of wear prior to its Hawaiian finale. Number "8" is screened in dark navy to front, back and sleeves, with "Aikman" screened to rear nameplate. Dual "Aloha Bowl" patches remain affixed at each shoulder. Proper "Goodman & Sons [size] 48" tag appears in the tail. It survives in 100% original and unaltered condition, accompanied by a detailed letter of provenance from our consignor, which recounts how her friend leveraged his friendship with a UCLA coach in order to acquire Aikman's jersey just after the game. Unquestionably the finest Aikman collegiate gamer in private hands. LOA from MEARS, A10. LOA from Heritage Auctions. Letter of provenance from original recipient.
Auction Info
May 17-18 Sports Memorabilia Catalog Auction - Dallas #50002 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
May, 2018
17th-18th
Thursday-Friday
Internet/Mail Bids: 23
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,337
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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