The Broncos are 3-8 after yesterday's loss to the Raiders, but Denver-area sports retail outlets are "weathering this season better than hospitality businesses," according to Joe Rubino of the DENVER POST. Denver-based retailer SportsFan Owner Derek Friedman said that his shops have "not seen a significant sales dip this season." Rubino noted nostalgia "has been a driver." Strong sellers include jerseys for Pro Football HOFer Terrell Davis and "anything with the team's classic 'D' logo on it." Friedman: "We're not unhappy with our sales results to this point this year. We're actually pretty happy. There's been a little bit less movement on the (Trevor) Siemian jerseys than we saw earlier on in the season." Friedman said that if the Broncos' season "totally bottoms out and the [team] gets a high pick in next year's NFL draft, that presents an opportunity to sell merchandise around a new, possibly marketable player" (DENVER POST, 11/23).
MATTY NICE: ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" yesterday featured a segment in which Falcons QB Matt Ryan went undercover at the Falcons’ team shop in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. When Ryan was assisting some fans who were visiting from Canada, he pointed to his own jersey and said, “This is our top-selling jersey, the No. 2 jersey. He's pretty popular amongst the Atlanta fans. Have you guys ever heard of him, Matt Ryan? You don't get it on TSN, huh?” (“Sunday NFL Countdown,” ESPN, 11/26).
