Panini America is sticking it to Aaron Hernandez.
The former Patriots tight end turned murder suspect had his image yanked from half-a-million collectible sticker books, the company told ESPN, and is being replaced in the books by lightning-rod New England backup quarterback Tim Tebow.
“We felt strongly that making these changes was the right thing to do, for Panini and our products but, more importantly, for our fans and collectors,” Jason Howarth, the company’s VP of marketing, told ESPN.
According to the memorabilia company, the books were already produced, but not in stores, when it was decided Hernandez should be removed. Collectors buy stickers in packs, but books come with 10 player stickers included, which Hernandez was a part of.
Fans can get the replacement Tebow sticker at events or by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Texas-based company.
Following his arrest in connection with the murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, sponsors, and his team, have severed ties with Hernandez.
The Patriots released Hernandez, who signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the team last August, just hours after he was arrested on June 26. Shortly thereafter the team announced it would allow fans to exchange Hernandez jerseys for any other jersey at the team store over the Fourth of July weekend; hundreds took the opportunity to rid themselves of the No. 81 jersey.
Hernandez was also removed from two video games — “Madden NFL 25” and “NCAA Football 14,” both produced by EA Sports — and a an award-winning photo of Hernandez, taken by Mary Schwalm of Massachusett’s Eagle-Tribune newspaper, was removed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week following complaints from visitors.
Muscle Milk and Puma were two of the first sponsors to sever ties with Hernandez.
