Everyone understands why the jerseys of all-time greats like Peyton Manning, LeBron James, and Derek Jeter top on the best-seller list. But in our age of the insta-hero, the masses can be driven to buy jerseys due to a player’s great story rather than one’s mere greatness. The Brooklyn Nets’ Jason Collins, a veteran NBA center has never been anyone’s idea of a superstar, has recently had one of the hottest-selling jerseys in the league. Collins is only signed to a short-term contract with the Nets, and he’s not expected to be a major contributor to the team. Yet Collins has been making history as the first openly gay player in major American professional sports. Support of his bravery and gay rights in general has apparently translated into big bucks spent by fans eager to be seen wearing his #98 jersey. While sports fans typically buy the jerseys of pro sports’ best players, superstar status isn’t the only reason folks favor player merchandise. In some cases, fans want to wear the jerseys of players they identify with or simply want to support, perhaps based on what the player stands for, the player’s style, personality, and attitude, or a compelling underdog back story. And when fans en masse embrace a player’s story and want to demonstrate their own knowledge, personality, and quirky individuality by donning his jersey, a surprise sales surge can hit like the one being enjoyed by Collins right now. Here’s a rehash of some curious jersey sales spikes over the years: Tim Tebow Considering that Tebow won the Heisman Trophy, one can’t say that he came completely out of the blue. But Tebow’s success at selling merchandise, which began when he was drafted in 2010 by the Denver Broncos with the 25th pick and saw his jersey outsell higher picks and become the quickest-ever seller for a draftee, has always been more about Tebow as an icon than Tebow as a player. Tebow was routinely bashed for his poor passing ability and an overall game that wasn’t suited![]()
