Even watching from the sideline, Donovan McNabb continues to fuelsales of football jerseys and other gridiron items, a business thatis booming more than ever here with both the Eagles and Steelers inthe playoffs.
'The McNabb jersey, even though he's hurt, we blew them out, soldout a week before Christmas,' Tony Finnegan, sales associate at Bob'sSports in Park City Center, said Tuesday afternoon. 'McNabb is thebiggest seller.'
At Shenk & Tittle Sporting Goods, also in Park City, an order ofabout 100 McNabb jerseys that came in a month ago has dwindled totwo, according to assistant manager Rachel Becker, who said successof sports teams almost always breeds success for retailers.
'You have people who are suddenly Eagles fans,' Becker said.'Everybody has high hopes that he'll (McNabb) be back. If I had otherplayers, I'd probably sell just as many. It's been an excellentseason for football. I wish I had gotten twice what I did.'
At Bob's, anything with an Eagles or Steelers emblem on it isselling fast, including jerseys, hats, blankets, trash cans, clocks,license plates, chairs and other items.
'Eagles have actually been selling a little more than theSteelers,' Finnegan said. 'Normally they're about equal, but thisyear, expectations are higher for the Eagles.'
The high-flying Birds have sent fans to area stores in droves.Finnegan said that not only did McNabb's jersey sell out beforeChristmas, but so did any other Eagles jersey that was available.
'Right now we only have two styles of hats for the Eagles; we had10,' Finnegan said. 'Everything else we had to reorder for the Eaglesbefore Christmas, and we'll get things in before the next game.'
Jerseys of Steelers running back Jerome Bettis have sold out atBob's, leaving fans with a selection of Kordell Stewart jerseys.
'Since he hasn't been playing, no one's been buying them,'Finnegan said.
At Bob's Sports, Finnegan said some normally unpopular teams inour area are bringing in customers.
'Local teams always sell, like the Eagles, Steelers and Ravens,but even the Falcons -- no one really liked them before -- but wesold out of (quarterback) Michael Vick jerseys.
'Just like when the Rams are good, there's tons of Rams fans. TheBuccaneers used to be terrible, but now that they're good, they're abig seller. And the Giants and Jets, since they made the playoffs,are starting to sell a little bit more.'
Finnegan said football items sell faster than any other sport.
'It used to be baseball, but once they started striking andgetting those crazy contracts, it dropped off,' he said.
With the Eagles and Steelers doing well, stores are riding a wavethat Finnegan and other retailers hope crests in San Diego for theSuper Bowl.
'Just having either one of them in the Super Bowl would be hugefor our store,' he said. 'The more games they win in the playoffs,the more we sell. Once they lose, sales drop off.'
At Shenk & Tittle, Becker said Steelers items have outsold theEagles.
'Eagles jerseys, I have three or four left. Steelers, I haveabsolutely nothing except their new championship hat. The shirts areall gone,' she said.
Shenk & Tittle carries an array of coffee mugs, glasses and othernovelty products, but even those, if bearing an Eagles or Steelersemblem, are all but gone.
'I have very little left, maybe an ornament or two,' Becker said.'We sell a lot of different teams, but since the Eagles and Steelersare having good years, we're running out of things very quickly. Andwe probably won't get anything else in until the actual Super Bowl.'
