Bowman Football, a branch of Topps, will "soon launch a line of trading cards featuring" QB Tim Tebow in a Jets jersey and QB Peyton Manning donning a Broncos uniform, according to the AP. The packs of cards "will hit store shelves in May." The images have been "retouched to reflect the changes" for the two players. Topps VP/Sports Mark Sapir said that the company "waited until the last moment to render the cards." He said, "We wanted them to be timely." Sapir: "Literally, as soon as the Tebow announcement was made, there were emails made back and forth, doing everything as quickly as we can to make sure we get that card for football fans." The Manning and Tebow cards will be "printed on a limited basis." Sapir said, "These cards are going to be a big deal, and they're going to be super valuable" (AP, 3/22).
STOCKING SHELVES: On Long Island, Jim Baumbach notes Tebow's arrival to the Jets has local retailers "scurrying to capitalize on the team's latest big-name acquisition." The "first shipment of Jets Tebow T-shirts arrived at Modell's Times Square store Thursday night, and the sporting goods chain said many more truckloads will be dropped off at its locations throughout the metropolitan area this weekend." Modell's Manager of Sports Marketing & PR Jason Karlowski said Modell's had enough time to schedule a shipment of "a little more than 200" Jets shirts to its Times Square store. However, there were "no Tebow jerseys available," as the NFL is "deep in the process of switching from Reebok to Nike as its official licensee." Nike is "expected to unveil its new-look jerseys early next month" (NEWSDAY, 3/23).
