NFL Has Process To Donate Unsellable Chiefs ‘Three-Peat’ Merchandise

Third-world countries to benefit through Good360 charitable efforts

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) raises the Lamar Hunt Trophy with tight end Travis Kelce (87) after the AFC championship NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 29, 2023, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pat Riley said last week that any profits generated from sales of merchandise with his trademarked “three-peat” phrase go to charity. But because the Chiefs lost Super Bowl LIX, the NFL has partnered with another charitable organization to distribute unsellable Kansas City gear.

After Riley’s company permitted the NFL to produce three-peat hats, shirts and other items to commemorate the potential Chiefs three-peat, the NFL had concessionaires in New Orleans, Kansas City and other locations return the merchandise. And, according to USA Today, the league will repurpose it to meet basic needs in less-fortunate countries.

"We have over a thousand nonprofits that we work with," said Cinira Baldi, CEO of Good360, the NFL’s chosen entity in redistributing unused gear. "We receive donated goods and items, and then we partner with nonprofits throughout the U.S. and internationally to distribute those products to communities and individuals that are in need.

"Anytime we can move products and goods into communities where people don't have access, there's a lot of gratitude."

Specifically, Chiefs three-peat items could land in countries such as Ukraine, Mongolia, Georgia, Estonia, and Latvia, nations that have accepted unsellable merchandise previously. That unsellable merchandise also includes items declaring the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders AFC and NFC champions, respectively.

Each team lost its conference title game but the league still produced merchandise in advance, both to sell to fans and distribute to players and coaches celebrating on the field immediately after the games. Weeks earlier at the conclusion of the regular season, the league also produced merchandise to commemorate a potential Vikings NFC North crown. When Minnesota lost the season finale at Detroit, those Vikings items also returned to Good360.

Distributing these items to third-world countries also curbs the possibility that they end up for sale in secondary markets, according to the NFL’s senior vice president for consumer products Joe Ruggiero.

"We clearly want these products to be utilized,” Ruggerio told USA Today, “but we don't want the products to be popping up for sale on a platform, and we don't want to have a spotlight on the losing team in that way. The clubs wouldn't want to be a part of something like that."

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