Fan Claims Patriots Hall Of Fame Damaged His Tom Brady Signed American Flag In Filed Lawsuit

NFL: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

After coming to an agreement with the New England Patriots Hall of Fame to loan the team his Tom Brady autographed national flag, Daniel Vitale has filed a lawsuit against the organization. The plaintiff is reportedly seeking financial compensation for alleged damages, interest and cost. Vitale alleges that the organization violated the terms of their contract and reduced the value of his flag with its fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation.

The Patriots Hall of Fame is being accused of causing Tom Brady’s signature to fade by utilizing improper techniques when displaying the flag. The flag is reportedly rare, according to Vitale’s suit. The flag was said to have been flown in December 2001 at Foxboro Stadium. 2001 was not only the year Tom Brady took over as starting quarterback for the New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins, but also was the final year of Foxboro Stadium.

Curator for the Patriots HOF, Kurt Evans, allegedly gave assurances to Vitale by saying that the flag would be handled with extreme care and that only “accepted professional library and museum techniques and standards” would be used in displaying it. Vitale also accuses Evans of telling him multiple times that the HOF was a museum. Vitale says he opted not to pursue getting insurance on the flag based on those assurances & the language that was built into the agreement.

Vitale reportedly stopped by the Patriots HOF five months later to see the flag, but it was not on display at the time. One of the museum attendants, who was later identified as Ken, allegedly gave his assurances to Vitale by telling him that the flag was in good hands. However, Vitale later told by Evans that Brady’s autograph was slightly faded when it was on display due to coming into contact with the air.

Yahoo Sports has more HERE.

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