DNA Used to Protect Against Counterfeit Super Bowl Footballs

What will they think of next? There's long been a problem in the sports memorabilia market with the ability to authenticate items as having actually come from a particular event or a particular athlete. Many items are sold as "genuine" without the ability to prove it one way or the other. I'm sure there are lots of folks holding autographed items that they paid a lot of money for which were forged or faked.

The NFL is trying to protect the official game balls of the Super Bowl to prevent forgers from selling other balls as "genuine" Super Bowl memorabilia, and they're using DNA technology to do it. No, their not taking samples from the pigs before the balls are made. It's a little more scientific than that:

Before the game, DNA-laced ink is applied to each football, PSA product manager Steve Ryan said in a recent news release.

"There is a specific chain of custody with the footballs," Mr. Ryan said. "NFL officials then take them to a secure location, where they are issued throughout the game. As each ball leaves the field, we verify its authenticity using a specially calibrated laser."

The DNA mark becomes fluorescent green when illuminated at a particular laser frequency. The authenticity marking lasts for years, he said.

The ink has a 1-in-33-trillion chance of being accurately reproduced by potential counterfeiters, Mr. Ryan said.

There is also a rumor that this year's pigskins will actually be made of squirrel to avoid offending Muslims.

Just a rumor.