Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - Fall 2014 - 9

Manziel Tops NFLPI
Q1 Sales List

Photo credit: Getty Images

leveland Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel ranks No.
1 overall on the most-recent NFL
Players Inc. (NFLPI) Top 50 player sales
list for the NFL's first quarter, with less
than a month of actual sales recorded
after the NFL Draft.
In that time span, Manziel surpassed
Super Bowl XLVIII champion quarterback
Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks in
overall sales, which is based on total sales
of all officially licensed products via more
than 70 licensees online and via traditional retail outlets from March 1 to May 31.
The NFLPI licensees include Nike, VF
Imagewear, Fanatics, Outerstuff, Fathead,
McFarlane Toys and more. Licensed product categories include men's, women's and
youth game jerseys and T-shirts, player
murals, figurines, matted and framed
photos, bobbleheads and drinkware,
among others.

King of
the Hill

hile we'll probably never
know whether LeBron
James could beat Michael
Jordan on the basketball court, it looks
like "King James" has trumped "His Airness" as America's favorite sports star.
According to a recent Harris Poll conducted this past June, James ended Michael Jordan's reign as America's favorite
SportsFan Retailer

The five top players on the list include:
1. Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns
2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
3. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco
49ers
4. Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
5. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
For the complete list, visit nflplayers.
com.
- J.L.

sports star, with Jordan sliding to No.
2. Besides holding the top spot in 2013,
Jordan previously held the distinction
during seven-year (1993-1999) and threeyear (2003-2005) spans.
Other notables on the list include Derek Jeter (No. 3), Peyton Manning (No. 4),
Kobe Bryant (No. 5), Tom Brady (No. 7),
Tiger Woods (No. 8) and Aaron Rodgers (No. 10).
As for female sports stars, Serena Williams was named America's favorite for
the fifth consecutive year. Danica Patrick
was No. 2 and Venus Williams was No. 3.
The survey also revealed favorite
sports stars among different demographic groups. For example, while men
tab James as their favorite sports star,
women prefer Jordan. Millennials (ages
18-36) and Baby Boomers (ages 49-67)
prefer James, while Gen Xers (ages 37-48)
prefer Jordan. - J.L.

CARD.com
Revamps
Banking

CARD.com
CARD.com, a mobile-ﬁrst alternative to traditional branch transactions and services, is seeking to
transform banking by incorporating bank-issued, fraud-protected,
FDIC-insured cards (read: not gift
cards) that speak to the passions
of consumers, while also providing
hassle-free services, says Ben Katz,
co-founder and CEO of CARD.com.
The process involves ordering
a card (themed designs, including
sports, are available); downloading
the CARD.com app; loading money,
either via direct deposit or at one of
more than 50,000 available retailers; and shopping everywhere Visa
debit cards are accepted - all with
no overdraft charges or late fees.
"At many banks, if you have a
low balance or you overdraft, you
pay a lot of fees," he says. "Our
customers who load at least $800
onto their cards pay no monthly fee
and get three free in-network ATM
transactions per month, enabling a
totally free experience for them."
Katz says his plan to build exposure for the company and its
services includes engaging sports
leagues and universities for licensing deals. "We think sports represent one of the strongest pullers of
Americans' heart strings," he says.
"We know how sports ﬁgures can
move the meter in a positive way."
For more information, visit CARD.
com. - J.L.

CARD.com offers a variety of themed
designs, including sports.

Fall 2014 9

http://www.CARD.com http://www.CARD.com http://www.CARD.com http://www.CARD.com http://%20http://www.nflplayers.com http://%20http://www.nflplayers.com http://www.CARD.com http://www.CARD.com http://www.CARD.com

Impressions - Sports Fan Retailer - Fall 2014

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