There's no do-overs in professional football, but in the world of auctions it seems a little legal wrangling can get you out of a tight spot.
So it goes for the infamous case involving Tom Brady's "final" touchdown pass, the ball from which sold at auction for over $500,000.
In the latest development of the strange episode, the sports memorabilia collector who plunked down more than a cool half-million dollars is now off the hook after an agreement was reached with the ball's owner and the auction house behind the sale, according to multiple reports.
The ill-fated deal closed only hours before Brady announced his return from his brief 40-day retirement, and no funds actually changed hands, so the purchase was simply "nullified," ESPN's Dan Hajducky reported.
"We wanted to do the right thing here," said Mike Heffner, president of auction house Lelands, according to ESPN.
The anonymous bidder's lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, told Action Network's Darren Rovell that his client was "mortified" when Brady announced his return shortly after the auction closed.
The awkward development of Brady's return rendered the ball essentially worthless, or at least worth only a fraction of what the prospective purchaser had agreed to pay.
The would-be final touchdown pass came on a 55-yard strike from Brady to Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans in Tampa Bay's loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
Brady, for his part, seemed to get a kick out of the auction situation. The seven-time Super Bowl winner suggested donating a bitcoin to a charity of the bidder's choosing.
According to Lelands, the doomed bid might have been resolved sooner, but the parties took their time to ensure that Brady's return was going to stick.
"All parties were waiting to see how it played out," Heffner said, per ESPN. "Tom Brady, let's face it, is kind of unpredictable these days. Until he throws that first touchdown pass in September, this ball is still the record."
He added that the Brady auction saga was virtually unprecedented.
"It's the most unique situation that we'll probably ever encounter in our lifetimes -- at least when it comes to sports memorabilia. We're still not to the end of the book yet; we've written a chapter."
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