The change at the quarterback position for the Green Bay Packers has altered the landscape of green and gold jersey sales.
Aaron Rodgers' No. 12 is the top seller at the Packers Pro Shop in the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay and has been since midway through the 2008 season, but Brett Favre's No. 4 jersey is still among the top five, said Kate Hogan, director of retail operations. Hogan noted that quarterback jerseys usually are the most popular.
Wide receiver Donald Driver's No. 80 is the second most popular, she said, while the jerseys for running back Ryan Grant (No. 25), linebacker Nick Barnett (No. 56), wide receiver Greg Jennings (No. 85) and linebacker A.J. Hawk (No. 50) are among the other best-sellers.
"Rodgers' jersey has been much in demand during the offseason," Hogan said.
"Our plan is to keep them in stock because it's been steady."
It's a similar story at The Jersey Store, 1931 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon, where the Rodgers' jerseys are the top sellers.
"He started out last year very strong, and then Greg Jennings came close to overtaking him," said Mike Walters, manager of The Jersey Store.
"Now with training camp, Rodgers is the one that most people ask for. The other one is Donald Driver, who's a very popular player."
Walters said the No. 52 jersey of draft choice Clay Matthews has been selling well also.
Despite Favre's messy divorce from the Packers last year, Hogan doesn't anticipate a marked drop in the sale of his jerseys. The Pro Shop features replica jerseys of former Packers such as Don Hutson, Ray Nitschke, Bart Starr, Paul Hornung and John Brockington.
Sales at the Pro Shop continue to be important to the Packers as they build their revenue base of unshared income.
The National Football League owners and players have not reached accord on a new collective bargaining agreement, which could result in the elimination of the salary cap in the 2010 season.
"Local revenue is important across the board," Hogan said.
"We put an emphasis on that."
To meet the demand, the Packers have 130 employees in the retail arm of the franchise, not counting seasonal workers.
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