But they can't. Companies like Starter pay a premium for the right to outfit players and coaches in championship hats and shirts after a victory, and then sell identical items to fans. Starter has so-called locker room rights to the Super Bowl, the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup finals, the NBA finals, World Series and most NCAA sports, including the men's and women's basketball finals. When fans go into stores the next morning, they want to purchase championship merchandise,'' said Wexler, who declined to reveal how much Starter pays for the rights. Manufacturers have to be nimble to capitalize on instant demand for merchandise.
Breakdowns can occur.
Earlier this week, a store in East Lansing, Mich., home of the Final Four- bound Michigan State University Spartans, received a shipment of Final Four hats touting the Duke University Blue Devils. Starter is producing new hats for OSU fans, but as of yesterday, few shipments had been received. Buckeye Corner wanted 3,000, but had to parcel out 120 hats among three Columbus stores, where spirited customers eagerly clamored for the commemorative merchandise. They were gone in 20 minutes. People were fighting and everything,'' said a sales representative at the Lane Avenue Shopping Center store.