Will Retailers Get Stuck With Surplus of Plaxico Burress Jerseys?

By RYAN WILSON

Updated 2:57 PM EST, Tue, Dec 2, 2008

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After accidentally blowing a hole in his leg this weekend, the future is uncertain for Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Not just in terms of his NFL career, either; he was carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, a felony in New York, and could face up to three-and-a-half years in prison.

Legal issues aside, the Giants could be without Eli Manning's favorite target. Sure, the offense was as efficient as ever in Sunday's victory over the Redskins, but it's reasonable to think that Domenik Hixon isn't the long-term answer.

Off the field, sporting goods retailers could be facing huge losses if Burress doesn't return to the Giants. CNBC's Darren Rovell explains that when a player is traded or gets in trouble, their jersey sales plummet. Inventory backs up, and retailers have to slash prices to move merchandise. This explains why I once was able to buy a Joey Harrington Lions jersey for five bucks. And, yes, I probably got swindled.

Rovell asked Mitch Modell of Modell's Sporting Goods about the impact Burress' "I shot myself in thigh" story might have on sales. His response was straightforward: "Exposure is limited." Rovell explained:

Although Burress is the second most popular Giants jersey purchased on NFLShop.com since April 1, there's a wide gap between the amount of Eli Manning jerseys sold and Burress jerseys sold.

Manning has the third most popular jersey in the league, while Burress is far behind at No. 24. Just to give you some perspective that's five spots behind Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley. SI's Peter King on NBC's "Football Night in America" last night predicted that Burress would never play for the Giants again.

So while Burress' NFL career may be over, and the Giants head to the playoffs without their big-play threat, retailers can rest easy: in this rickety economy, Burress jersey sales will remain steadfastly stagnant.