Cardinals merchandise sales take flight

Gil White, a retired postal worker from Mesa, looked over a table of Arizona Cardinals merchandise place prominently at the entrance to a sports clothing store at Superstition Springs Mall Monday.

Cards' success a mood enhancer for Valley

When the Eagles almost went to Arizona

Cards notebook: Tight end Tuman re-signed

“I’m jumping on the bandwagon,” he said as he fitted a Cardinals cap on his head. “I’ve been a (Tennessee) Titans fan for a long time. But now they’re out. I think a lot of people doing this.”

With the Cardinals still in the National Football League playoffs after two improbable victories, not to mention decades of ineptitude, a lot of people are jumping on the Cardinal’s bandwagon. And it’s being reflected in sales at sports merchandise stores.

Shoppers at the Real Sports store at Superstition Springs frequently used the word “awesome” to describe the Cardinal’s playoff run, which has taken the team to the National Conference championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium Sunday.

Michael Miranda, a resident of Globe who occasionally makes the two-and-a-half hour drive to Glendale to catch a Cardinals game, admitted he didn’t think they would ever get this far.

“I think Larry Fitzgerald has made the difference against Atlanta and Carolina,” he said, referring to the Cards’ star receiver. “And their defense has really stepped up. If they keep that up, I think they have a chance to beat the (Philadelphia) Eagles.”

And if that happens, every Cardinals fan knows they will go to the Super Bowl.

“It’s exciting,” said Mesa resident Jason Hartman, who said, however, that he didn’t plan to buy any merchandise Monday because his wife has already bought him a Cardinals’ jersey.

With tongue firmly in cheek, he claimed he predicted at the start of the season that the Cards would go to the Super Bowl.

“Maybe I didn’t really believe it,” he admitted, adding that “they’ve already done more than enough to make me happy this year.”

The unexpected Cardinals victories have made Valley sports merchandise retailers happy too, bringing an unexpected boost to their sales.

“This has been a welcome surprise and a good thing in this tough economy,” said Kelly Roberts, owner of the 16 Just Sports stores in Arizona. “We’re making plans for the whole next two weeks. If they go to the Super Bowl, we’re anticipating it will be bigger than the Diamondback’s World Series year.”

That’s because the NFL, in general, offers faster-selling products than Major League Baseball, he said.

“The NFL is very popular,” he said.

The NFL might be popular, but not always the Cardinals. Before this year, other NFL teams with national followings such as the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears consistently outsold Cardinals merchandise at his Arizona stores, Roberts said.

“But this year for the first time, the Cards are far and away the largest seller,” he said.

The hottest products are anything with Fitzgerald’s or quarterback Kurt Warner’s names on them, he said. Running back Tim Hightower also sells, and defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is moving up after several good games.

Once popular backup quarterback Matt Leinart has faded as he sits on the bench, and running back Edgerrin James has not yet taken off, even after a couple of good playoff games, he said. Anquan Boldin, half of a one-two Cardinals’ receiving punch who has been injured and wants a new contract, hasn’t sold as well as Fitzgerald, he said.

Roberts said his stores will continue to get additional football merchandise this week, including game-specific shirts with the Cards and Eagles logos for this weekend’s historic match.