Bombers selling-out!

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Got Milt by-products?

Thanks mostly to the excitement created by Milt Stegall's pursuit of the CFL touchdown record, the Bomber Store has enjoyed gaga sales thus far this season.

And when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers sell out three straight home games, it certainly helps the souvenir-shop business.

"It's just been phenomenal," says Jeffrey Bannon, the Bomber Store manager.

"It's been really hard to keep up. The moon, the stars and the sun are aligning this season. I'm loving it and I haven't seen it like this in the 2 1/2 years I've been here.

"It's the best business the store has done ever. Things are just flying off the shelves."

Leading the way is anything related to Stegall. In fact, the store sold 600 Stegall bobblehead dolls at $19.99 apiece in just two days. Stegall hats have been sold out and there are Stegall T-shirts.

"It's tough to keep up," Bannon said. "This is the year of Milt." Fans, by the way, are being encouraged to wear their Stegall stuff to his tribute during a pre-game ceremony for Winnipeg's next home game against the Toronto Argonauts (Aug. 24).

But the best sellers are the headwear.

"This is a hat city," Bannon said. "And the vintage 1990's gear also goes very well."

Next to Stegall, the Charles Roberts-related merchandise is the most popular.

"And Kevin Glenn jerseys are really starting to sell," Bannon said, referring to the Winnipeg quarterback who is starting to gain acceptance among the Bomber faithful.

The store that is built into the football stadium is offering a special during this bye week just to thank its customers. Season ticket holders can get a free Blue Bombers optical mouse (valued at $19.99) for any purchase over $50. They can also choose between a free full-zip fleece or a crew sweater (valued at $54.98) for each purchase over $125. And they can get an added 20% off this week.

"The support from customers and the season ticket holders just blows my mind," Bannon said. "I wish I had a cut."

If this keeps up, the Bombers could rival the Saskatchewan Roughriders as the top souvenir sales shop in the CFL.

"We're trying but they're not Saskatchewan numbers just yet," Bannon said.

"Saskatchewan is the best in the league. If we do $1 million in top-line sales, they do $2 million."

If they enjoy a successful season, the Edmonton Eskimos are often second in souvenir sales but the Bombers may move into the place position this year.

REMINDER: Bomber season ticket holders are reminded that the deadline to redeem their voucher for a free ticket to the Never Alone Social on Sept. 2 is today. The social will include the Labour Day Classic between the Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders being shown live on the Jumbotron at Canad Inns Stadium. Those tickets are available to anyone else for $10 each.

Good article dg, nice to hear from you again!
Can't believe I just said that. :wink:

Yeah, nice article. As a Ticat fan who was recently in Winnipeg, I visited their "Bomber Store" that is attached to Canad Inns Stadium and I was blown away by the amount of jerseys, hats, signs, t-shirts, jackets, Tom Canada penalty flags?, and various other things they had for sale. I had never seen so much CFL merchandise in one place!

I was impressed to say the least! Did I buy anything? Of course not, I wouldn't be caught dead in Blue and Gold! :wink:

But really, I wish all the teams could have that good of a spread!

You western folk love your CFL football, I wish that attitude was contagious ...

  • paul

One reason I really would love to move out of southern Ontario even though this is my home. I don't mind the Blue Jays and baseball but way, way too much of this shoved down our throats here in the summer for my liking.

Well you can blame Ted Rogers and the fact that he owns the team, the stadium, and the television station that broadcasts all their games. And beats you over the head with their 162 game schedule which always seems to produce a team that is ±5 games over .500 and 3rd place, EVERY YEAR!

  • paul

True enough Paul. Power is money and media, just the way it is and you can do what you want with it, well, to an extent anyways. Like I say, baseball and the Blue Jays are ok with me but all MLB has now is 1 team in Canada and that’s about it for a while despite all the baseball fans that exist in this country while the CFL has 8 teams and hopefully a couple more in the next little while, far more culturally significant to our country.

The Jays are out of it again for another year. Its one of the big problems in baseball, you know that Boston and the Yankees are going to be in the playoffs with their big budgets. Its all too predictable. The only time its worth watching come October is when they get knocked off by a team that spends $100 million less than those two teams.

That's good news for the Bombers and the CFL as well.

Like you Earl, I am very envious living here in the GTA when you hear how some cities treat and appreciate their team and the CFL.
Shame on Toronto and the self professed Center of the Universe. NOT.