Depending on which source you click, Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Bucs jersey is the NFL's best selling. So are his t-shirts, caps and I think underpants (we're checking on the last one).
This is hardly surprising, but what is weird is that many of the purchasers of Pirate Tom's famed No.12 are from outside of Tampa Bay - including Miami! - and even outside of Florida.
Indeed many of the Bucs bandwagoners it would seem, are from New England, at least according to a story by ESPN which quoted recent sales numbers from online store Fanatics.
A few wacky lobster rollers with loose change were apparently looking for a new winter look, and who'd blame them after witnessing Cam Newton's attempts at Jules Verne-ing the pigskin into the center of the earth.
These are the most popular jerseys - the Super Bowl iteration, you see.
We need to keep in mind that while many of these fans are likely to be Pats supporters, they may in fact be Brady backers above all else. So, the question begs that if Their Guy Tom happened to play a season with the New York Giants, would they similarly fork out money for a Big Blue 12?
It's hard to imagine. Then again, there are a lot more sports fans out there in 2021 with closer ties to their favorite Kardashian than their local football team, so, you know ...
Personally, I want to see Brady play a season somewhere else just to test this all out. But not in New York, or even the AFC East, just somewhere that stretches the logic of potential sportswear shoppers farther than a hamstring pull by Richard Simmons. I'm thinking ... maybe ... Denver.
The Pats and Broncos have had too many spiteful games against each other for anyone to truly consider a Brady In Orange Super Bowl jersey from Fanatics, right?
Plus, there's the fact that his contemporary Peyton Manning won in Colorado, which would make the whole thing weirder than John Elway starting a helicopter business in Wisconsin.
Listen, maybe I've got this all wrong: maybe these jersey collectors simply love Josh McCown - the original Bucs No.12 - who is not only a nice guy, too, but has the sort of polished bob to rival Brady's any day of the Sunshine State week. How much for a McCown jersey ... anyone?
