TAMPA, FL -- It's a sign of just had bad the economy is these days. Among the hundreds of celebrities and athletes who came to Tampa for the Super Bowl festivities last week was one NFL player who needed cash so badly, he hawked his NFL players ring.
Joe Cacciatore of Capital Pawn is required by law to keep the player's identity confidential for 30 days. But he showed us the ring the player parted with in the middle of the Super Bowl party week.
Cacciatore told ABC Action News.com, "People have to make tough choices in this economy."
Cacciatore opened an upscale pawn shop that caters to young professionals. Capital Pawn has seen a spike in the number of formerly wealthy people forced to sell family heirlooms to make ends meet. It's not uncommon to see customers drive up in a Cadillac or an Lexus.
Among the items people have pawned in the past few months are a six carat diamond valued at $250,000, a Super Bowl ring, a $50,000 Rolex watch, and a cigar clipper made out of the tooth of a saber tooth tiger.