(USA TODAY Sports Images)
Johnny Manziel had the best selling jersey in the NFL during the first part of the 2014 NFL season, beating out established quarterbacks Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Peyton Manning, who finished second, third and fourth, respectively. Darren Rovell of ESPN first reported the jersey rankings.
Michael Sam placed No. 6 on the list, just behind Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.
(Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports)
Neither placement for the celebrated rookies should be surprising. Manziel was the most talked about college football player since Tim Tebow. He parties with Drake and his jersey is worn by LeBron James, giving his jersey instant street cred despite his decidedly non-street cred position of Cleveland Browns second-string quarterback. Sam went from an unknown draft prospect to a cultural pioneer after coming out before the draft. People wanted his jersey before they knew if he’d even be drafted.
No, the big stunner on the NFL tally comes at the end of the top 10. That’s where you find the No. 12 jersey for the Seattle Seahawks. Who wears No. 12 on the Seahawks, you ask? No one does! The No. 12 is the jersey for Seattle’s much-heralded “12th fan.”
To each their own. Do whatever makes you happy, I say. If that means buying a jersey that says “FAN” on the back, so be it. But I have to ask: Doesn’t the mere fact you’re wearing a Seahawks jersey identify you as a fan of the team? It seems redundant to have to remind people of this by having “FAN” splashed across your back. I mean, Nike doesn’t make a shirt that says “I heartily endorse Nike,” because the mere presence of the swoosh already indicates it.
Back to Manziel. As Darren Rovell notes, this is the first time a Browns player has led the jersey sales tally since the league began counting in 2001. Another highly-touted rookie quarterback who slipped in the first round was responsible for Cleveland’s previous jersey high. Brady Quinn entered the 2007 season as the No. 2 player in jersey sales but would only throw eight passes for the Browns that year.
(Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports)
