NFL Marketing Notes: Vineyard Says NFL Nixing Wine Label

The NFL warned Elk Creek Vineyards Owner Curtis Sigretto “to stop marketing” Jungle Juice wine, which has label graphics resembling the stripes on the Bengals helmets. Sigretto said that he “had shown the concept to team officials” in September, but the NFL “doesn’t want to have anything to do with the marketing of wines and didn’t like the labels.” Sigretto said that the league “is allowing him to sell the remaining product, but the revamped labels won’t have” the stripes (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 11/25).

TILLMAN JERSEY: The No. 40 Cardinals jersey of late Army Ranger Pat Tillman ranks seventh among jersey sales in October. While November figures were not available, a league rep said that sales of Tillman’s jersey “have been steady.” It is also the top-selling replica jersey on the Cardinals Web site. The NFL halted the sale of Tillman’s jersey “immediately after his death” in ’04, but resumed sales “after consulting with his family.” Proceeds benefit the Pat Tillman Foundation (N.Y. TIMES, 11/26).

IMMACULATE RECEPTION: Colts TE Dallas Clark in a new ad for EA Sports’ “Madden NFL 07” is shown in a scene from the videogame “getting roughed up, complete with painful grunts,” by Eagles players. Clark: “I haven’t seen the commercial, but I’m upset about it. It makes me look like a punk.” He added, “I want to know why the people picked me ... They didn’t ask me” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 11/26).