CINCINNATI — Sometimes there is no better marketing than word of mouth. That has been especially true in this southwest Ohio city in the wake of a controversial call by the National Football League (NFL), which fined Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna $5,000 for wearing unauthorized headgear too close to game time during a television interview.
Kitna’s cap was emblazoned with a simple cross — a symbol of the Pro Bowl quarterback’s devotion to Jesus.
The NFL told the Bengals Kitna was in violation of a rule requiring all merchandise worn by players or other team personnel to be approved and licensed by the football league. The cross cap was not a licensed item.
The news hit hard in the Queen City, and upon learning of the NFL’s decision, owners of The Catholic Shop in a northern suburb decided they would begin selling the caps for $5 a pop. Since Dec. 22, they’ve sold more than 4,000 of the black caps with a white embroidered cross, and they anticipate selling up to 1,000 a day “as long as we can get them in,” said Catholic Shop co-owner Dan Giroux.
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