A Patriots fan sued the New England Patriots after destroying his Tom Brady-signed flag. The following is an extract from the Associated PressDaniel Vitale filed a lawsuit against Brady for inflicting irreparable harm to the flag by incorrectly displaying it at Gillette Stadium’s Hall of Fame. After the flag had been displayed for just a few months, the signature started to fade. The flag was estimated to be worth $1 million. However, the signature faded has led to a reduction in its value.
“I am a die-hard Patriots fan and have been for 40 years,”Vitale spoke recently to the Assocaited Press. “That flag was so significant to me because it was right after 9/11 and it was the last regular-season game at Foxboro Stadium.” Vitale lent the flag to the Patriots Hall of Fame in June 2021 after being told it would be taken care of properly. Vitale stated that he asked for it back a few months later as Brady was about to retire. He was able to get the flag back, but the signature began to fade.
The lawsuit claims breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and fraudulent misrepresentation. It seeks a jury trial with unknown damages. “I’ve tried to do everything I can to settle with these guys, but they don’t even want to talk to us,”Vitale stated. Vitale purchased the flag in 2020.The flag was flown at the Patriots-Dolphins football game in 2001. This is also the season Brady assumed the role of starter in New England. A few years later, Brady signed the flag.
Brady was the Patriots’ quarterback from 2001 through 2019. He led the team in Super Bowl appearances to nine with six wins. In 2020, he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his first season, he led the Buccaneers towards a Super Bowl championship.
“Twenty years ago, I arrived in New England from a different coast, a different part of the country and a different culture,”Brady wrote a letter in 2020 to Patriots fans. “Today, I’m transitioning into another chapter of my life and career. It involves gathering up all the things I’ve learned in my life so far and moving to a different coast, a different part of the country and a different culture. If that feels familiar, there’s a good reason why. Because that’s how it started. My journey over the past 20 years in New England has been amazing. It’s been a long road, and I wouldn’t change anything about it.”