For just $100, fans can upload a picture online through either the AFC or NFC websites. The photo will be printed on a corrugated plastic cutout. And while you can’t pick where your plastic surrogate sits, nor do you even get to keep it afterwards, you do get a photo of the stadium where you can find yourself(ie) for social media tagging.
But not all photos will be allowed.
Cutouts cannot feature commercial plugs, phone numbers, social media hashtags, commercial logos (aside from the teams), lewd comments about the league or other teams, and certainly no political statements. So if your entire identity is found in a MAGA hat or a pro-essential oil/anti-vax T-shirt, your cutout is going to have to find a new wardrobe.
And before you start yelling about the “Big Cutout” industry censoring conservative voices, the rule also applies to Bernie Bros, Jacobin fans, folks ridin’ with Biden, etc.
Of course, the NFL reserves the right to reject any photo that it deems inappropriate. So, if you’re worried about that, the league has a few tips for getting your cutout approved:
- Do not raise your arms above your head as they would be cropped out.
- Dress in your team’s game attire so that your cutout supports your favorite team for the big game.
- Find good lighting and face it.
- Solid backgrounds will yield the best results.
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This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2021.
