Under Armour shirts inspired by Nationals LF Bryce Harper's "clown question" saying “will go on sale Tuesday at UA.com and at select retailers in the DC market,” according to Dan Steinberg of the WASHINGTON POST. The shirt reads “Don’t Be A Clown Bro,” and will be priced at $24.99 with multiple colors available. Steinberg noted after "so many amateur shirt makers immediately rushed out with bootleg ‘That’s a clown question bro’ shirts, and Harper’s people trademarked that phrase, the Under Armour shirt switches up the wording a bit.” The back has Harper’s number and initials (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/5). Harper appeared on MLB Network Wednesday wearing the shirt, and MLB Network’s Dave Valle said to him, “I love the T-shirt. ... You got your stuff turned around pretty quickly. It didn’t take Under Armour very long to make that happen for you” (MLB Network, 7/4).
RAVES FOR RIZZO: Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo said that he has already “fielded some endorsement requests” despite just playing nine games for the team since being called up from the minors. He said he "shoves them off on my agent." But he declined to say “what products he has been asked to sell.” Rizzo: "There are things in the works. But we're keeping it as simple as possible." In Chicago, Paul Sullivan notes the “selling of Rizzo is crucial to the Cubs marketing department, which fanned by hyping Kosuke Fukudome as the main attraction in the spring of 2008.” But Rizzo “appears to be the real deal,” and the attention he is receiving is “off the charts, and the attention may be difficult to deal with down the road” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/6).
