In the summer of 2007,
Michael Vick(notes) became the first player in NFL history to have sales of his merchandise suspended by the league just one day after the quarterback pleaded not guilty to dogfighting charges.
Reebok, the official jersey supplier, followed by taking the unprecedented step of halting the production of Vick’s Falcons jerseys and crediting retailers who desired to cancel their orders with no questions asked.
Three years later, jerseys of Vick – who served 19 months in prison – are in high demand again.
Sources tell CNBC that retailers in the Philadelphia area have placed big orders for Vick’s jersey since he was named the starter by Eagles coach Andy Reid this week.
“Certainly after coach Reid declared him the starter and offered his vote of confidence, demand and sales escalated and we did bring in more [jerseys] to meet customer needs,