September 14, 2016
Chris Szagola/AP
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has become a fan favorite after just one start.
During his postgame press conference after a stellar debut in which he threw for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns while beating the hapless Browns, 29-10, Carson Wentz was asked a great question by John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News.
You haven't been in Philadelphia long -- but probably long enough to get a feel for this city -- are you ready for what happens tomorrow?
Wentz's answer, as you might expect, was the politically correct one. The one that quarterbacks have to give in order to stay as bland and uninteresting as possible. Could he have said, "Yeah, everyone's going to love me and I'm going to enjoy the hell of that?" Sure, and he wouldn't have been wrong. Instead, he opted for this answer.
“We'll see what happens," Wentz said. "At the end of the day, for me it’s still just about playing football. I have to block out the noise, both good and bad, and just get back to work. That’s what it’s about and the goal is to go 1-0 each week.”
By all accounts, Wentz doesn't really care what others are saying about him -- although getting an endorsement from VP Joe Biden and a shoutout from POTUS might pop up on his radar. That will not only serve him down the line when he eventually has a bad game, but it will also help keep him level-headed in the short term, like when his jersey's are suddenly flying off the shelves at a rate higher than Tom Brady -- or anyone else in the NFL, for that matter.
According to PhillyMag's ESPN.com's Tim McManus, Wentz's No. 11 jersey has been the league's top-seller since the rookie's debut on Sunday.
According to Fanatics, which runs NFL Shop (the league's official merchandise website) and powers over 300 stores for all the major sports leagues, Wentz's jersey has been the top seller across the company's platform of e-commerce sites since this weekend, thanks in large part to a 278-yard, two-touchdown performance against Cleveland.
Wentz was the top-selling Eagles player during the offseason as well, according to Fanatics.
The rookie's debut has created buzz both locally and nationally. Beyond Philadelphia, the top markets for Wentz merchandise are New York, Washington, Baltimore and Los Angeles. [ESPN.com]
The rest of the top 5, according to Fanatics, are:
2. Odell Beckham Jr.
3. Tom Brady
4. Dak Prescott
5. Antonio Brown
And locally, it's becoming harder and harder to get one if you actually want to walk into a store and try it on. According to Mari A. Schaefer and Colt Shaw of the Philadelphia Inquirer, some area stores have struggled to keep Wentz jerseys in stock:
In the Dick’s Sporting Goods at the King of Prussia Mall, Wentz jerseys were cleared out Wednesday. A number of customers called to inquire about them and had to be given the hard news:
"They were selling like hot cakes," according to one employee. "The Eagles got to print [more.]" [philly.com]
If the rookie out of North Dakota State can deliver another performance like he did against the Browns when the Eagles face the Bears on national television (Monday Night Football), the kid's only going to get more popular.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @matt_mullin
