Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 29th 1997

 Those pesky Dallas Cowboys. The Green Bay Packers haven't been able to beat them on the field or on the clothing racks.

Maybe this is the year.

After a season in which they won Super Bowl XXXI, the Packers have made significant gains in the latter department, moving into second place among the National Football League's 30 teams in national retail sales of team merchandise.

Only the Cowboys, known for years as America's Team, have accounted for more sales of caps, jerseys, shorts, pennants and the like during the current fiscal year. NFL Properties, the league's licensing arm, operates on a fiscal year of April 1 through March 31, so the 1996 fiscal year is about to end.

According to Chris Widmaier, director of corporate communications for the NFL, the Cowboys have maintained their hold on the No. 1 spot despite a strong run by the Packers, who ranked fifth in that category a year ago and 20th after the 1992 season.

But another strong season on the field for Green Bay could vault the Packers to the top spot in retail sales next year, Widmaier said.

"The Packers have had a tremendous surge in sales, not only through Green Bay, Milwaukee and all of Wisconsin, but nationally as well," he said. "To be No. 2 overall would mean every single person in Wisconsin would have to buy eight to 10 pieces (of merchandise).

"That may be the case, but more than likely it means they're selling around the country. I don't think there's any question about that." Packers President Bob Harlan said he was told by league officials that the Packers have gone from accounting for 5.9% of all NFL merchandise sales in fiscal 1995 to 13.3% in fiscal 1996 through the end of January. What's more, the mania over the Packers' Super Bowl appearance generated record levels of sales in some instances.

Harlan said more than 650,000 Packers Super Bowl locker room caps the black ones with the Mardi Gras mask on the side have been sold. That total makes it the biggest-selling team sport championship cap in history, according to Harlan and Widmaier.

In addition, NFL Properties has reported that sales for Super Bowl XXXI merchandise were higher than for any other Super Bowl. "I think it's because we have created a real national fan phenomenon," Harlan said. "It's not just here, not just in Wisconsin. It's everywhere. It's a wonderful story."

Every piece of official team merchandise is licensed through NFL Properties, which keeps extensive records on nationwide sales. Whether it's a Cowboys sweat shirt being sold at the ShopKo in Kenosha or an Oakland Raiders cap in Topeka, Kan., NFL Properties reaps financial rewards.

In the end, the money from licensing is split evenly among the 30 teams as a part of the league's revenue-sharing system. Last year, for example, the Packers reported at their annual shareholders meeting that they received $3,152,329 in NFL Properties money. Widmaier said the final rankings for fiscal 1996 would not be known for several months but that it was virtually a lock that Dallas and Green Bay would finish 1-2. It is unclear what percentage of Cowboys merchandise represents NFL Properties' total sales because the figures are closely guarded by the league.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said privately that his team accounts for roughly 25% of all merchandise sold, but sources have said the percentage has generally been in the low 20s. Whatever Dallas' contribution is, it may have dropped after a tumultuous season off the field, including drug-related suspensions of receiver Michael Irvin and defensive tackle Leon Lett.

For the most part, the Cowboys, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers have been the teams of choice for buyers in the 1990s. The Cowboys and 49ers have capitalized on their combined five Super Bowl victories this decade, while the Raiders have cashed in their popular silver and black colors.

The Cowboys remain on top because of their rich history of superstar players and Super Bowl victories. In Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Irvin, they have three of the biggest stars in the game.

"Our research tells us they have a tremendous amount of fans across the country," Widmaier said. Outside Texas, "They are the second most popular team in any given market around the country. That's the type of popularity they have. They have very recognizable football players."

The Packers are on that track now, too.

Quarterback Brett Favre's and defensive end Reggie White's replica jerseys are among the 10 most-bought in all of football, NFL Properties says, and the Packers logo is turning up on more and more T-shirts and jackets.

The Packers don't reap any extra financial benefit from the popularity in terms of licensing revenue because of the revenue-sharing agreement. They are benefiting from a boom in their own pro shop business, in which the team buys at wholesale from manufacturers who pay the licensing fee, then sells it like other retail stores.

Besides that, national advertisers keep a close eye on what teams are hot, and the Packers would like to cash in on their popularity by making some national advertising deals. Harlan said the Packers were in the process of negotiating a contract with a New York marketing firm to help them land some deals.

"This is a good time to hit it," Harlan said. "We can do a lot of things. Luckily, we've got some people who can knock on some national doors for us.

"We'll work closely with Properties on these things. They're really excited about the year we had. We helped them a lot."