ESPN SPORTSBUSINESS

They egged his house and threatened to burn it down. They dumped manure on his neighbor's lawn.

To the fans who directed their anger at Saskatchewan Roughriders kicker Paul McCallum for missing an 18-yard field goal that would have sent the team to the Grey Cup, he was just the latest version of a goat.

But to the people of Southeast Asia, whose lives were devastated by the Dec. 26 tsunami, McCallum will be considered a champion.

He raised $2,500 by auctioning off his game-worn cleats and helmet on eBay.

"I thought about burning the shoes, because I didn't want to talk or think about kicking in the offseason," McCallum said. "But when the tsunami happened, I figured I should auction them off. I don't collect sports memorabilia, so I had no idea it would go for this much."

McCallum said he would split the money earned between his charity, KidSport Saskatchewan and the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked for tsunami relief.

The money McCallum gives to the Red Cross is enough to cover a week's worth of antibiotics for 50 people, a basic water kit for 25 homes and education supplies for 240 children.

"I'm happy I could make a contribution like this," McCallum said.

The winning bidder in the auction, which closed Sunday, was a 14-year-old entrepreneur from Quebec who told ESPN.com that he plans to give the equipment to a kicker in the Quebec Junior Football League. The young man requested anonymity, but a woman who said she was his mother confirmed that her son does have the money in his account to pay for the items.

On Nov. 14, McCallum missed one field goal in regulation that would have made his team the champions of the CFL's West division. His 18-yard attempt in overtime of that game also missed, and the B.C. Lions prevailed 27-25 to reach the Grey Cup -- the Canadian Football League's championship game.

Although three men were charged with mischief associated with the manure dumping and making threats, McCallum also has received plenty of support. More than 300 signed an online petition professing their support for the 35-year-old veteran kicker, and McCallum received calls from other kickers, including Mike Vanderjagt of the Indianapolis Colts. There were so many flowers delivered to his house that he said it looks like a florist's shop.

McCallum has been a Roughrider for 11 seasons. He also has kicked in NFL Europe for the Scottish Claymores and played for the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL. During the offseason, McCallum works to raise money for less-fortunate children to participate in sports programs on behalf of his employer, SaskEnergy, Saskatchewan's natural gas utility. The company donated C$25 for each of his field goals this year.

Memorabilia associated with negative moments in sports have sold for a pretty penny. In 1992, actor Charlie Sheen bought the ball that rolled through Bill Buckner's legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series for $92,500. In 2003, officials with Harry Caray's Restaurant in Chicago paid $106,000 for the "curse" ball that was touched by Steve Bartman in Game 6 of the NLCS that year. The restaurant later blew up the ball.

Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at darren.rovell@espn3.com.