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New Orleans Saints crack top 10 in NFL merchandise sales for first time
By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune

December 03, 2009, 4:11PM

Saints fever is spreading. For the first time since the NFL began keeping track of merchandise sales in 1979, the Saints have cracked the top 10 highest selling teams in the league.


The Saints rank 10th in year-to-date sales (beginning April 1), and their sales are up more than 60 percent on NFLShop.com. Quarterback Drew Brees' jersey is the 12th-best selling jersey, up from No. 17 a month ago. His was the sixth-best selling jersey for the month of November.


"It's cool," said Brees, who trails No. 1 Brett Favre, No. 2 Troy Polamalu. No. 3 Adrian Peterson, No. 4 Tom Brady and No. 5 Peyton Manning among others on the jersey sales list. "It's an honor that nationwide more people are becoming Saints fans."


Pittsburgh is No. 1 on the team sales list, followed by Dallas, Minnesota, the New York Giants, Chicago, New England, Philadelphia, Denver, Indianapolis and the Saints.


Saints tailback Reggie Bush, who had the league's hottest-selling jersey early in his career, said the Saints' national following seems to have been building over the past four years.


"I think a lot of that started my rookie year (2006) and kind of the beginning of our era, so to speak with Sean Payton, Drew Brees, (Marques) Colston and those guys," Bush said. "I think we have a lot of playmakers on this team, a lot of guys who have made some big plays, and I think a lot of people see that we're an exciting team. And we've kind of turned this organization around. And it's also kind of special because of what happened after Hurricane Katrina, how we kind of turned things around. So I think that's all part of it."

Euphoria

No one really hates the Saints. We may actually gain fans or because people want to cheer for an underdog who hasn't done anything before.

SaintPauly

AHEM! Maybe now I can find my frickin keychain!

saintsfan1976

You can sure tell at the games...wow, I've never seen that many Saints jerseys in the Dome before.

Remember when hardly no one wore Saints gear? (like 5 years ago)

boonedocksaint

you couldn't be more correct on this. my friends have NEVER had a problem rooting on the saints w/ me because everyone loves the underdog. my buddy didnt have a team, and doesnt still, but, really jumped on our bandwagon in 2006, which i was really happy about. then we go 0-4 the next season and he jumps right off! that **** REALLY pissed me off, but, hopefully, we'll gain some true fans who wont quit on the team just like we never have!!!!

i read a post by someone who went to disney recently and saw a lot of new saints gear, and got pissed. i want you to know, that i think that's utterly ridiculous!!!! why would you get mad at someone for loving our team? i've ALWAYS welcomed bandwagoners! and just because they have NEW saints gear, that doesnt mean they're new fans. sales ALWAYS go up during winning seasons. i live here in orlando and 2 years ago, you barely ever see people wearing magic stuff (unless you go to a game), now, people are wearing magic gear all the time, not just on game nights, either.

i love the saints WAY more than anything in this world! i love them 3-13 or 11-0 just the same!

Tobias-Reiper

How did you get "got pissed" from "little peeved"?

boonedocksaint

oh, was that you who said that? i read the thread a few days ago. i guess i remembered incorrectly. i'm sorry if my memory failed me. i smoked a lot of pot when i was younger.

D_it_up

And by younger he meant three days ago.

SaintPauly

My old jerseys don't fit anymore, thanks to getting older, and getting fatter. I've HAD to buy new jerseys. I still have my La'Roi, Horn, Duece, and Manning in heavy rotation, but they are a little snug. Maybe Saints nation has just been eating too much, like me!

My mom, still has the Archie Manning jersey I wore in the second grade, but I don't think I want to expose my beer gut, to show long time loyalty, by trying to wear it.

Tobias-Reiper

It's cool, bro. Now pass the Cheetos.