NFL Shop chaos hits San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl: “We’ve let the fans down”

As expected, anticipation is sky-high in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX, set for Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will battle for the Lombardi Trophy in a matchup few saw coming back in September. Fanatics certainly did not either.

The league’s exclusive supplier of Nike apparel has come under heavy criticism in recent days and was forced to issue a public apology over the lack of merchandise for both Super Bowl teams at the official NFL Shop, located inside the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco.

Sparse shelves and missing game jerseys

When the NFL Shop opened its doors earlier this week, fans quickly noticed how little Patriots and Seahawks merchandise was actually available, especially authentic game jerseys.

AS reporters saw firsthand that the white game jerseys New England will wear in the Super Bowl were not available at all. In fact, the only Patriots game jersey for sale was Drake Maye’s, limited to a single player and only in navy blue.

Seattle’s selection was slightly better, with jerseys for Kenneth Walker III and Jaxon Smith-Njigba available in blue and the alternate black version. White jerseys, again, were nowhere to be found.

Adding to the intrigue, this will be the first Super Bowl in history in which both teams wear matching jerseys and pants. The Patriots opted to go all white out of superstition after going undefeated this season in that uniform combination.

High prices, limited variety, and quality concerns

Beyond game jerseys, Fanatics’ offering consisted of a small number of casual team shirts, the tracksuits worn on Opening Night, and more generic NFL merchandise. Fans could also find items from other collections, including the NFL’s collaboration with Bad Bunny, which featured themed T-shirts and hoodies for both teams.

Still, frustration extended beyond the lack of options. Some fans questioned the quality of the products on sale, something that raised eyebrows given the prices involved. The Drake Maye jersey, for example, carried a $225 price tag, a tough sell for many given the circumstances.

Facing a wave of backlash, Fanatics responded with a statement on social media.

“NFL fans, we’ve seen your jersey feedback, and we take it very seriously. We’ve let Patriots and Seahawks fans down with product availability – we own that and we are sorry,” the company said, pointing to the unexpected nature of the Super Bowl matchup as a major factor.

“This Super Bowl matchup has created unprecedented challenges for us because of the massive surge in demand we saw from Patriots and Seahawks fans. Both teams went from missing the playoffs last season to being in the Super Bowl, an incredibly rare occurrence that led to these two fanbases buying nearly 400% more jerseys since Thanksgiving vs. last year..”

Long-term deal, short-term problem

In 2018, the NFL and Fanatics signed a 10-year agreement granting the company exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute all adult Nike NFL merchandise. The league has invested roughly $400 million in the partnership.

“Even though we ordered substantially more jerseys for these teams than ever before, we’ve struggled to meet the overwhelming demand to keep team color jerseys in stock, which we know is your expectation,” the statement continued. ”As sports fans, we understand your frustration and we will work tirelessly to be better.”

Fanatics said it is restocking team-color jerseys daily and offering alternative options in the meantime.

Fanatics pushes back on quality complaints

The company also denied claims that the merchandise on sale was subpar.

“We’ve heard questions about the quality of these alternate jerseys and can assure you that, despite some unflattering photos, these jerseys are identical to the standard Nike replica “Game” jersey,” Fanatics said. “That said, if you’ve ordered any product that you’re not fully satisfied with, including one of these alternate jerseys, it can always be returned free of charge via the Fanatics app”

For now, the apology closes one of the more awkward off-field storylines of Super Bowl week in San Francisco, even if many fans remain unconvinced.

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