The Univ. of Miami football team's 10-0 record is "helping fuel sales of their gear, especially that of the 'Turnover Chain,'" according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. A Fanatics spokesperson said that sales of Miami merchandise are up 580% this year "over a year ago, and sales over the past two weeks were double the entire month of November last year." Former Miami LB D.J. Williams, who founded Dyme Lyfe, a clothing retailer that licenses only Miami gear, said that October was the brand's "biggest sales month: $208,000." Willliams said, "We did $150,000 in sales during Miami-Notre Dame Week (11/11)." Williams was the "first to sell a Turnover Chain T-shirt" and now there are "five companies making them, including Miami's official shoe and apparel provider, Adidas" (ESPN.com, 11/20). In Ft. Lauderdale, Christy Chirinos notes All Canes, a retail store specializing in Hurricanes merchandise located near Miami’s campus, has been "overwhelmed trying to keep Turnover Chain merchandise in stock this season." Miami’s primetime wins over Virginia Tech and Notre Dame "only helped fuel the frenzy." Store GM Harry Rothwell said, “At the end of the month, we’ll have the best November that we’ve had in the history of the store, and the store’s been there since 1959. That’s pretty amazing. ... The excitement of being undefeated, the Turnover Chain, you have the perfect storm of fan appeal and merchandise sales." Rothwell also said that "anything in his store bearing the chain -- shirts, hats, tumblers -- usually sells out pretty quickly." Rothwell added that he even received an order for "Christmas ornaments with the chain on it" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 11/22).
