Sports store holding off on new Suns’ jerseys
Oct 31, 2012, 10:54 AM | Updated: 10:54 am
There are plenty of new names on the backs of Suns’ jerseys this season. Don’t expect to see any fans wearing them.
Co-owner of Just Sports Kelly Roberts said its 18 stores statewide didn’t order any new Suns jerseys.
“We’re still waiting to see who the face of the organization is going to be,” Roberts said. “… we did not know who to order.”
For a jersey to be made, sports apparel shops have to order at least 288 per player, according to Roberts.
“Neither the [Suns] team shop nor us were able to identify a player that we wanted to take that type of investment on,” Roberts said.
Just Sports is taking a wait-and-see approach to the season. If a player steps up and becomes a fan favorite, then Roberts will start placing orders for jerseys.
“The other issue that’s involved is that it would take four or five months, depending on the player, to get [the jersey] here,” Roberts said.
Roberts said it’s possible the company won’t place a single order for jerseys if the demand is not there.
“We’ve been doing this for a long time, 25 years, and this has never, ever happened,” Roberts said.
“We’ve always had a player to identify with. We might not have a tremendous amount of confidence but at least enough to go get a player.”