NFL media guidelines prohibit credentialed reporters from asking for autographs. Obviously, it’s unprofessional in a work setting, but the league also wants to avoid the exact situation that unfolded with Kyle Rudolph’s game-winning touchdown gloves this weekend.
After the Vikings tight end hauled in the game-ending catch in overtime against the Saints, an unnamed reporter evidently approached Rudolph and asked for his gloves as part of a charity benefit. Rudolph provided the person with the gloves and even autographed them.
It didn’t take a week for those gloves to end up on eBay.
A Twitter user alerted Rudolph to a listing from seller, gamegear777, that sold those game-used autographed gloves for $375.50. Upon seeing a screenshot of the listing, Rudolph tweeted that he was fooled by an unnamed reporter.
Rudolph had every right to be upset that the gloves ended up on eBay.
Rudolph was the Vikings’ 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and takes charitable endeavors seriously. Though he didn’t publicly call out the media member in question, the league will likely be in contact with Rudolph to get more information about the incident. Rudolph added that it wasn’t a reporter he recognized.
But in the meantime, this ordeal does appear to have a happy ending in the works. A Twitter user, Jason King, claimed to be the one who purchased the gloves on eBay and offered to donate them to the charity of Rudolph’s choice.
That would be an excellent ending to a disappointing situation.
