Michael Vick's Q score may still make him one of America's most-hated athletes, but the time of him having no marketability is apparently over.
Three years after having his jersey be the first in NFL history to be summarily taken off shelves, demand for it is back.
At the end of season, Vick's number seven Eagles jersey cracked the top-20 most popular in sales, but at that point, purchasers were likely buying it to make a statement. The sporting goods stores still wouldn't carry it because they believed it just wouldn't do well.
Now, both Modells and Dicks Sporting Goods are stocking Vick jerseys in the Philadelphia market due to strong demand.
"Certainly after coach Reid declared him the starter and offered his vote of confidence, demand and sales escalated and we did bring in more (jerseys) to meet customer needs,"Jed Berger, senior vice president of marketing for Modell's, told CNBC.
Vick fans at Dicks have apparently specifically asked for the jersey, and the store is now promising to carry it by week's end.
If Vick continues strong play, his jersey will likely climb into the top 15 in sales, Darren Rovell projects.
