An unpatriotic story is percolating.
A man is suing the Patriots Hall of Fame for allegedly causing up to $1 million of damage to a flag signed by Tom Brady that he had loaned to the museum.
According to Yahoo Sports, a fan named Daniel Vitale loaned an American flag that flew over Foxboro Stadium in 2001, Brady’s first year as the Patriots’ starter. It was signed by Brady months later — and the autograph was authenticated. There is also a patch sewn into the flag commemorating the fact that this was the last season the Patriots played at their old stadium in Foxboro, Mass., before moving to Gillette Stadium.
The autographed flag was loaned to the Patriots Hall of Fame last year.
Vitale claims in his lawsuit that when he agreed to loan the flag to them, he was assured by the museum’s curator, Kurt Evans, that it would be displayed “using accepted professional library and museum techniques and standards.”
The plaintiff said he was repeatedly assured by Evans that the memorabilia would be handled with care, and therefore declined to insist on insurance.
According to the suit, Vitale and his fiancée went to go see the flag late last year, but it was not on display. However, they noticed a faded autograph on a different item.
“I know, I’ve been telling them for years that they need to switch out the lighting and glass. It is not the right stuff for this type of display,” Evans allegedly told Vitale.
This past January, Vitale was allegedly informed by Evans that the autograph sustained “slight fading.”
A photo shared by Vitale indicates that the fading was more than slight.
Can you believe the Patriots Hall of Fame would do a fan THIS DIRTY?? Fan is about to file federal lawsuit against the patriots for ruining his priceless piece of American sports history!They threaten fan with counter lawsuit of Spoliation to intimidate! @TomBrady @TMZ @Patriots pic.twitter.com/ZaKW29HNKV
— Flaggate (@patsflaggate) October 3, 2022
Vitale is seeking unspecified damages but claims that the Patriots Hall of Fame breached its contract with him and is guilty of negligence in causing up to $1 million in damage to the memorabilia.
Brady played for the Patriots from 2000 through 2019, winning six Super Bowls and three MVPs with the franchise before leaving in free agency for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
