BETHESDA, Md. — As diehard Washington Wizards supporters are joined by fair- weather fans, team gear is flying off the shelves of D.C.-area sporting goods stores.
“A couple of home games really sparked a lot of excitement from our customers,” says Chad Thompson, general manager of the Modell’s Sporting Goods in Bethesda.
He says some playoff-specific items disappeared before the weekend was over.
“There was a 2014 playoff T-shirt that we got that we sold out of,” Thompson said.
This postseason battle with the Chicago Bulls couldn’t have come at a better time for local stores.
“The disappointment with the Caps has hurt our sales … having the Wizards kind of replace that certainly helps,” Thompson says. “Definitely a good spike in business for us.”
Jerseys are the most popular items, particularly John Wall jerseys. Thompson says there has also been interest in Bradley Beal and Nen
