, buddy@rustonleader.com
02-02-2010
Who dat say they gonna buy a bunch of merchandise to gear up for Sunday’s Super Bowl?Lots of New Orleans Saints’ fans, dat’s who.
Go anywhere in Ruston or anywhere in the state these days and you are going to bump into a lot of people wearing the Saints’ colors.
T-shirts, NFC champions’ sweatshirts, fleece pullovers and caps.
Name it and Saints’ fans, who are a living testament to patience for reaching the National Football League’s ultimate game, are wearing it as this weekend’s battle in Miami against the Indianapolis Colts nears.
“I will be going back probably later this week to buy something else to wear on game day,” said Saints’ fan Arthur Smith of Ruston. “I can’t get enough of the team and what they’ve done this year, and I want to show my allegiance to them.”
Smith had just left Hibbett Sports at Ruston’s Interstate 20 Shopping Center late Monday morning after purchasing several Saints’ logo items, all the better to get into the spirit for Super Bowl Sunday.
The sporting goods store, whose headquarters is in Birmingham, Ala., has been practically non-stop in sales of Saints’ items since the team won the NFC championship and clinched its first-ever appearance in the Super Bowl.
“It’s been that way since last week,” said Kip Wells, a buyer of pro licensed apparel/headwear for Hibbett Sports, from Birmingham on Monday. “Everything else has practically been put on hold. We’re sending things out as quickly as we can to our stores via UPS.”
How much of an impact has the Saints’ success made on Hibbett Sports?
In Louisiana alone, there are 45 outlets for the company. But because of increased interest leading into the big game, approximately 100 in Louisiana and Mississippi will be directly involved in selling Saints’ merchandise.
“And that number will grow if they win the Super Bowl,” Wells said.
And if they win, Hibbett Sports will have six stores in Louisiana open right after Sunday’s game. Among them will be the stores located at 1205 Lamy Lane (formerly Sports and Company) in Monroe and at 1426 Cypress St. in West Monroe.
“I’ve already got some money put back in case they win the Super Bowl so I can get a T-shirt proving that the Saints really have won it,” said Billy Madison of Ruston. “I’ve been a big Saints’ fan for a long time and, whether they win or not Sunday, I am going to be wearing something to show my support. It’s hard to believe that they are really in the Super Bowl.”
All Saints’ logo items have been popular, but Wells said that “Mardi Gras themed graphics are doing well, as are the ‘Black and Gold Super Bowl!’ graphics.
“Those two are focuses for us this week.”
Reorders have had to be placed steadily for a T-shirt that features a Mardi Gras mask accented by a “Own the Moment” theme.
“The adult jerseys with players’ names and numbers have been popular,” Wells said. “(Drew) Brees and (Jeremy) Stockey have been the most popular.
“The Steelers were popular last year after they won the Super Bowl. And I didn’t think anything could be much more popular than Cowboys’ merchandise, but for the last week with the Saints’ stuff, it’s been crazy.”
And figure on it getting even crazier by the time the game actually begins.
To prepare for young Saints’ fans in Louisiana planning to wear their team colors on “Black and Gold Day” Friday at school, Hibbett Sports will be shipping out merchandise to arrive at store sites by Thursday.
In case the Saints win Sunday, Super Bowl champion shirts will be available at all Hibbett Stores on Monday morning.
“The shirts are being produced overnight in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, so delivery times will vary on location,” Wells said.
Nobody has actually put a clock on how fast Saints’ gear is disappearing from the shelves, but suffice it to say that fans shouldn’t wait.
“If they win the Super Bowl, I’m going to be buying my championship shirt right after they give the Lombardi Trophy to the team,” said Madison.
He and a lot of other members of “Who Dat” Nation, too.
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