John Madden would be proud.
The famous broadcaster who passed away last month has often lamented the lack of recognition from defensive and offensive linemen he sometimes referred to as “pigs.”
But as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and exceptional rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase grab the headlines, Cincinnati fans haven’t ignored the contributions of less famous defensive end Sam Hubbard.
Hubbard, a Moeller High School graduate who played college football in the state of Ohio, owns the fifth most popular game jersey sold at the Bengals Pro Shop at Paul Brown Stadium, according to Merchandise Manager Monty Montague.
Burrow ranks No.1 for jersey sales in the pro’s shop, with Chase’s jersey sales coming close behind, according to Montague.
Catcher Tee Higgins is third in jersey sales, followed by running back Joe Mixon and Hubbard in that order, he said.
Montague said team-wide jersey sales, which “power our business” took off before the playoff-linked Bengals began their season 10-7.
Sales remained strong throughout the year, peaking with nearly 4,000 jerseys sold in December – the best December for jersey sales in Bengals history, Montague said.
“The key date for us was Family Day,” he said, referring to the special fan event held in August at the stadium before the start of the season. “We quickly realized that this was going to be a pretty special year.” ‘
Montague said merchandise sales in 2021 were three times greater than sales in 2019 when the Bengals ended their season 2-14. The following year, Burrow’s rookie season, attendance was limited due to the COVID-19 crisis.
This year, fans were back in full force, purchasing jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies and other officially licensed Bengals branded merchandise.
“We’re still out of stock for our most expensive jersey, which sells for $ 350,” Montague said, noting that supply chain issues related to the pandemic have slowed shipments of goods.
“We sell a lot of shirts in home games, but instead of getting them within seven to 10 days, we were looking for several weeks,” he said. But “I’ve had a lot more success in the past two weeks finding product than I did maybe a month or two ago.”
That’s good news for fans as the Bengals head to the playoffs for the first time since 2015 and face the possibility of three home playoff games.
Comments are closed.