NFTs are the latest craze in the world of crypto. These digital pieces of artwork use blockchain technology to help everyday people like you and I invest in an online setting. Ever since NFTs became a big thing, several athletes, like Tom Brady,Patrick Mahomes and Rob Gronkowski, and a host of others have come forward with their own NFT drops in an effort to cash in on the hype train.
As is the case with any potential quick cash grab, the NFL immediately tried to get in on the NFT craze. In September 2021, the league announced a deal with Dapper Labs that revolved around selling digital artwork detailing some of the greatest NFL plays of all-time including the Minneapolis Miracle and Hail Murray. This wasn’t a bad idea. I’ve even written before about how moves like this could help introduce the Gen Z market to the NFL. However, even after all the hype the NFL tried to build for this NFT collection, nothing really came of it. I never heard anything about those NFTs after the initial announcement. I tried looking up the results of any sort of auction the NFL might’ve held for their pieces…nothing. The NFL said it was going to release these NFTs sometime during the season and yet, I can’t find anything on them. That’s probably not a good sign.
However, that first experience with NFTs isn’t getting the NFL down, because they’re taking a second swing at the market — this time with…commemorative playoff tickets?
I just don’t get it. I can’t comprehend why anyone would want a commemorative playoff ticket, or “Road to the Super Bowl” NFT as the teams above are calling them. Does this get you through the gates at Wild-Card Weekend? No. Will this ticket diminish in value the second the game is over? Probably. For all the teams that go one-and-done in the playoffs, these commemorative tickets are going to be nothing more than poor reminders of what-might-have-been.
Not to mention, the designs look like mediocre Photoshop work. I have an intermediate understanding of Photoshop, and I guarantee you I could mimic that Eagles’ card in under an hour. Of course, I wouldn’t be on the blockchain or whatever proving I own the original ticket, but at least try to give your fans something interesting to look at.
These playoff tickets are not yet on sale. They will supposedly hit the website at 4:30 ET. However, given that the price of some of the 2021 regular season commemorative tickets range anywhere from $250 to $990, these playoff tickets will likely skyrocket into the thousands. I can buy actual tickets to the game for a similar price.
Sure, if the game ends up being an all-time classic like the Minneapolis Miracle, then maybe the Road to the Super Bowl NFTs will rise in value, but you know what would probably be worth more? The actual ticket I purchased to go to the game. As long as I keep it in good condition, it should maintain a similar value, perhaps greater, to the NFT. Plus, if I got really lucky, maybe I could get that ticket signed by one of the players. BOOM! Value. The only way the NFT is going to get signed is if the NFL sanctions a new NFT drop that includes the signature already and guess what? That’s an entirely separate thousand dollars you’ll have to drop again.
This is clearly a quick attempt at a cash-grab by the NFL. They want to capitalize on the emotions fans experience when the playoffs roll around. The Cardinals just made the postseason for the first time since 2015. You think their fans would want some way to commemorate it? Of course they would, but come on, this just ain’t it.
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