The Florida Panthers are trying to hold their third jersey "hostage," sending the media a note saying it won’t be revealed until Monday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at BankAtlantic Center. See the letter at left sent to media members with the teaser jersey swatch.

Players will wear the third jersey, which will have an alternate logo and colors, at 11 additional home games after Monday, including at next Friday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Fans can pre-order the jerseys and pick them up starting at 7:45 p.m. Monday. Call Pantherland at the arena 954-835-7025; Incredible Ice at 954-341-9956; or visit the Panthers’ Web site for more information.

Also, on Monday, Panthers fans can meet new majority owners, co-general partners Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel, who are scheduled to greet fans arriving at the game. The pair plan to be on the arena’s main plaza level.

Viner and Siegel, who were introduced as new majority owners this week after taking control from Alan Cohen, have been vowing greater accessibility to fans. They plan to hold regular town hall meetings and meet and greets, write blogs and make radio appearances.

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In advance of its 100th anniversary next year, Everlast Worldwide is capitalizing on the popularity of boxing for fitness by expanding its relationship with 24 Hour Fitness.

An updated version of the Everlast Shadow Box workout is being offered at all 24 Hour Fitness locations.

To help South Florida 24 Hour Fitness centers kick off the upgraded classes, WBC Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto, who is originally from Miami, will lead a class (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) and then sign autographs and pose for photos (12:30-1:30 p.m.) on Saturday at the 24 Hour Fitness Town & Country location, 8420 Mills Rd., Miami.

The workout is 45 minutes that includes traditional boxing conditioning in a dozen three-minute rounds. Everlast equipment is incorporated into the exercises.

“The Everlast Shadow Box Workout class allows us the opportunity to demonstrate the health benefits of boxing for fitness through an authentic Everlast boxing workout and introduce consumers to quality equipment and apparel that will enhance their overall fitness experience,” Everlast President Adam Geisler said in a statement.

The company is also celebrating the 35th anniversary of Muhammad Ali’s “Rumble in the Jungle” with a vintage line of Ali products.

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Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant had the top-selling NBA jersey in China for the third consecutive year during the 2008-09 season, according to sales figures from NBA stores in China released by the league on Thursday.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s jersey moved up to fifth in 2008-09 from eighth in 2007-08.

Here’s the top 15 for 2008-09:

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
4. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
6. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
7. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
8. Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets/Detroit Pistons
9. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
10. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
11. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
12. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
13. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
14. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
15. Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers

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It helps to be a 3-0 quarterback.

Brett Favre’s jersey remained the top seller between April 1 through Sept. 30, according to sales figures from NFLShop.com.

Fellow 3-0 quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (Jets); Eli Manning (Giants); and Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) have all seen their jersey sales spike according to the latest figures. Sanchez is now up to 4 from 7; Manning is up to 7 from 10 and Flacco is ranked 14 from 17.

No Miami Dolphins jerseys ranked in the Top 25, but the NFL says Ronnie Brown is now in the top 50. And despite their 0-3 start, Dolphins gear is close to cracking the Top 10 in team sales. The league only releases the rank of the Top 25 players and Top 10 teams.

Below the Top 10 best-selling jerseys and team gear:

1. Brett Favre
2. Troy Polamalu
3. Jay Cutler
4. Mark Sanchez
5. Michael Vick
6. Tony Romo
7. Eli Manning
8. Tom Brady
9. Ben Roethlisberger
10. Adrian Peterson

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Chicago Bears
5. New York Giants
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. New England Patriots
8. Green Bay Packers
9. San Francisco 49ers
10. Washington Redskins

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This morning, the Marlins will make history, holding the official ceremonial ground-breaking for their loooong awaited ballpark.

The ceremony is expected to be full of optimism and forward-looking, but it will also include a tinge of history: the Marlins’ first-ever pitcher-catcher battery of Charlie Hough and Benito Santiago will perform a ceremonial first pitch at the former Orange Bowl site.

With that in mind, when the Marlins take their new field, expected in 2012, they’ll be making another nod to the past -- changing their name to Miami Marlins. It’s a requirement of the ballpark deal struck with Miami-Dade County and city of Miami, which are paying the bulk of the ballpark’s price.

While the name isn’t expected to change until the new ballpark opens, the team is already quietly easing into the transition. Its Web site is now just marlins.com without the Florida.

As for the original Miami Marlins, they were a minor league team that played in the International League from 1956 to 1960 at Miami’s famed and now-demolished Miami Stadium (renamed Bobby Maduro in 1987). Satchel Paige pitched for the team. Later, there was a Florida State League team named the Miami Marlins, which played at the stadium from1962-1970 and then from 1982-1988.

The original Miami Marlins are immortalized in a T-shirt produced by Ebbets Field Flannels, a Seattle mail order company (ebbets.com) that sells authentic flannel and felt-lettered reproductions of minor league baseball jerseys, jackets and caps, favored by the likes of Spike Lee, David Letterman and former Sex Pistol John Lydon. As you can see, the shirt’s orange – one of the Major League Marlins’ colors - and shows a baseball bat-wielding marlin popping out of old Miami Stadium.

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Heat superstar guard Dwyane Wade is joining Nike's Jordan Brand.

Wade, who signed a modest $400,000 deal with Converse as a rookie, is abandoning his deal with Converse, which was set to run through the 2011-12 season. He’s joining Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Derek Jeter, among others, with Team Jordan, the brand named for Michael Jordan.

Wade’s first Converse shoe was released during the 2005-06 season.His signing was viewed as a way to spark the struggling brand, which is also owned by Nike. The Wade 4 was released last season, but Wade wore the Wade 1 on the court. Converse re-released a limited number of the Wade 1 last season.

“For me, the move to Jordan Brand is a dream come true,” Wade said in a statement. “As a kid, I grew up on the south side of Chicago idolizing Michael Jordan and have worked hard to achieve the same success that he’s had on the court. I have enormous respect for this brand and all that it stands for. I’m humbled to be a part of the Team Jordan family and I’m looking forward to a great future.”

The Jordan Brand, which also includes apparel, was launched in 1997.

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The introduction of Gloria and Emilio Estefan as minority investors in the Dolphins on Thursday had a festive air: an Estefan greatest hits soundtrack, a Cuban coffee station, plenty of Latin entertainment and lifestyle media – and even a journalist from an Italian style magazine.

Among the media, Dolphins and stadium officials were Related Group CEO Jorge Perez, who is Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross’ business partner and the guy who introduced Ross to the Estefans, and luxury shoe designer Donald J. Pliner.

Pliner made a beeline for Ross after the press conference. He offered to make slip-on street shoes for the Dolphins. The two pairs he’s considering for the team are his T Rex (photo left) and Uwait (photo below).

Pliner makes shoes for former Heat center Shaquille O’Neal and retired Heat center Alonzo Mourning. He works with the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. Perez wears Pliner’s shoes. So does criminal attorney Roy Black. The Estefans are his neighbors on Star Island.

The shoes Pliner has picked out for the Dolphins are made of breathable micro-fiber. “It’s more expensive than leather, but it stimulates the blood vessels, stops your feet from getting tired, keeps the blood flowing it has memory,” Pliner said. “They’re water resistant, it looks like leather.”

He added: “The point is if your feet are uncomfortable so is the body and so is the mind.”

So what was Ross’ reaction?

“He gave me his size and which size to send him first,” Pliner said.

For the record, Ross wears a size 13B. “That’s narrow, which is difficult,” Pliner said. “We’ll fit him.”

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As part of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig’s “Fan Initiative” aimed at providing ticket discounts and special offers, teams will give fans two free tickets to an upcoming game this season with the purchase of a replica jersey.

The Marlins launch the program starting at Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at Dolphin Stadium. Majestic Athletic replica jerseys cost $99.99. With the purchase at the stadium or the Marlins En Miami store, fans will receive two tickets in the stadium’s Bullpen Box seats.

For more details on about Marlins and other teams’ special offers, check out the MLB’s Fan Value Corner.

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Sharing a few bits of tid:

+ On behalf of UF, the Collegiate Licensing Co., sent a cease and desist letter to Teebows.com, which is selling underwear bearing the letter ‘T’ and a bow, in honor of the school’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow. The school’s logo and Tebow’s image have been removed, but the site is still selling three different styles of panties for $6 apiece.

+ The Los Angeles Dodgers debut “Mannywood” starting with today’s homestand at Dodger Stadium against the San Diego Padres. It’s two sections of seats closest to the Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez in which fans can buy two field box seats and get two free limited edition Mannywood T-shirts for just $99 in honor of the enigmatic player’s No. 99. On May 5, for Cinco de Mayo, the shirt will say “Yo estuve en Mannywood,” meaning “I was in Mannywood.”

+ And those interested in a rather intimate – in a TMI sort of way – portrait of former Marlins and current Boston Red Sox owner John Henry’s courtship of second wife-to-be Linda Pizzuti can check out Boston Magazine’s lengthy and revealing piece in the May edition. With photos. The wedding is planned in June.

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Remember how FIU Provost Ronald Berkman butchered his new basketball’s coach’s name, introducing Isiah Thompson to the FIU community and media last week?

FireThatGuy.com figured it wouldn’t just sell Fire Isiah University T-shirts in honor of Isiah Thomas. Web site founder Justin Forer has added “Hire Isiah Thompson” to his roster of $20 shirts.

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Even before Isiah Thomas was introduced as Florida International University’s new basketball coach this morning, Justin Forer saw another merchandising opportunity –- and outlet for fans, who might not think too highly of the controversial Thomas.

With the ink barely dry on Thomas’ contract on Tuesday, Forer had already posted “Fire Isiah University” (FIU, get it?) T-shirts for $20 apiece on his FireThatGuy.com Web site. They’re in Golden Panthers colors, too: blue and white and blue and gold.

Forer, 31, a Miami native, who recently moved back to the Magic City after a decade in New York, including Thomas’ rocky tenure with the New York Knicks, actually launched the business in 2005 with shirts calling for the firing of former University of Miami football coach Larry Coker. The shirt was so popular that Forer’s side business was born.

“At the time there was a big move to have Larry Coker fired,” Forer said. “FireThatGuy is not necessarily to hate coaches, but to give fans a chance to voice how they really feel.”

Although not an alum, Forer knows a thing or two about Miami football, having, as he says, “grown up in the endzone of the old Orange Bowl.” And about South Florida sports: his first foray into the sports souvenir business was in 1996 during the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup run when he bought cases of plastic rats and he and some friends sold them out of boxes on street corners in Miami.

For his second sports business, other coaches and general managers followed Coker. There were Isiah Thomas shirts from his time with the Knicks. And hats and baby bibs, too.

“I don’t know that we sold any baby bibs, but they were out there,” Forer said. “After Larry Coker, Isiah became the No. 1 seller.”

Forer said he thought about starting a blog, but decided the merchandise was a more proactive way to get fans involved. His other victims have included former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph and former Detroit Lions President Matt Millen. Current ones include Miami football coach Randy Shannon and Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis. Forer insists that only two targeted coaches – Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics and Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants -- “not only did not get fired … but went on to win championships.”

“I hope that Isiah is not walking around with a 'Fire Justin' T-shirt,” he said. “And to be honest, the shirts are all in good fun. Fans deserve a chance to voice their opinion, too.”

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In honor of Dwyane Wade’s MVP-caliber season and because fans have been asking for it, Converse has reissued a limited number of the Heat guard’s original signature shoe, the Wade 1.

Fewer than 2,400 pairs of the black shoe with the red accents that Wade wears on the court – yes, he’s been wearing it this season, too – have been released and are currently on sale only at Champs Sports, according to Converse. The shoes, which were first launched before the 2005-06 season, are $90.

The shoe features 0.8 (or 8/10ths of a second) on the inner heel to symbolize the time the ball left Wade's hands when he made two game-winning shots during his first two NBA seasons. His No. 3 appears on the shoelace eyelets and his name is on the shoe’s back and top.

But those nifty “MV3” shirts some were sporting at yesterday’s game against the Knicks, in which Wade scored 55 points, aren’t for sale. They were made just to promote Wade’s candidacy for MVP.

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Never one to miss a merchandising opportunity, the Heat has created a line of products it is calling the "Alonzo Mourning Retirement Collection." The items are available in conjunction with tonight’s jersey retirement ceremony -- the first ever in franchise history for a Heat player -- during halftime of the Heat-Orlando Magic game.

The team created a special jersey retirement ceremony logo that is featured on T-shirts for $20 apiece, on 33 limited edition Spalding basketballs for $150 each and on 133 gold-plated coins for $25. The team is also selling mini-basketballs with the logo and a white panel (for autographs, naturally) for $15.

The items were already on display at the Miami Hoops Gear store in AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday night. There are lots of other Mourning items, too, including bobblehead dolls. The items are also for sale online.

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It didn’t take long for the Heat to capitalize on Dwyane Wade’s new signature phrase: “This is my house.” Wade said that after scoring 46 points when the Heat defeated the New York Knicks 120-115 on Feb. 28 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Heat Executive Vice President Michael McCullough said the team spent the next day working on T-shirts with Wade’s image that say “This Is My House.” The shirts were available for sale at AmericanAirlines Arena in time for the March 2 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The shirts cost $20 with a portion of the proceeds going to the Wade’s World foundation. They’re only for sale at the arena for now.

With Wade’s heroics nearly every night – he’s averaging 29.7 points a game and scored the three-pointer in double overtime as time expired to beat the Chicago Bulls Monday night – McCullough says the shirts are “selling very well.”

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Jermaine O’Neal, who will make his debut with the Heat on Wednesday, didn’t offer up anything like a Mercedes or a few thousand dollars to new teammate Mario Chalmers for the No. 6 – the number O’Neal wore in Toronto.

No, O’Neal has chosen to go back to wearing No. 7 – the number he wore as a member of the Indiana Pacers. His jersey is already for sale at miamihoopsgear.com or by going to heat.com. And Andy Montero, Heat senior director of retail operations, tells us there will be O’Neal jerseys for sale at AmericanAirlines Arena at Wednesday’s game.

But upstairs on the 300 level of the arena are No. 32 O’Neal jerseys – remaining from Shaquille O’Neal’s tenure with the Heat – at a steep discount. Those are for sale for $10 apiece and fans are still buying them, Heat officials say.

There was no encouraging Jermaine O'Neal to pick No. 32 or special program to pay a few dollars to have your No. 32s replaced with No. 7s. This is, after all, another merchandising opportunity.

“He’s a former Heat player, just like Glen Rice is a former Heat player. We’re happy to see people show up in No. 32 O’Neal jerseys,” Heat executive vice president Michael McCullough said. “We hope more of them get No. 7 O’Neal jerseys.”

“It’s a different player,” Montero added. “It’s a new era.”

The team even has some remaining No. 7 jerseys for Shawn Marion – who was traded to Toronto for Jermaine O’Neal, Montero said.

Additionally, Jamario Moon's No. 8 Heat jerseys will be available at the arena on Wednesday. Moon wore No. 33 in Toronto -- the same number Alonzo Mourning wore with the Heat.

COOK THREE-POINT MERCHANDISE

Meanwhile, the Heat has ordered 60 commemorative versions of the orange and purple “money balls” from this past weekend’s NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix to sell in honor of Daequan Cook winning the three-point contest. The team will also sell 8 x 10 photos of Cook shooting the “money ball.” Those should arrive within a week and will sell at the Miami Hoops Gear store and online -- $70 for the basketball and $5 for the photos, Montero said. He said the same thing was done to honor Jason Kapono, who won the three-point contest in 2007.

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The NBA must be in a giving mood. In addition to a record five nationally televised games on Christmas Day, there will be plenty of extras surrounding the games.

The league is introducing a series of new comical ads in its popular “Where Amazing Happens” campaign. These ads feature the “Amazing Tour Bus” – a mini double-decker bus complete with an open roof filled with fans on a tour of some insider NBA moments: on the practice court with Greg Oden, during a game with Pau Gasol, and in the locker room with LeBron James.

The spots were directed by Randy Krallman of the talking baby E*Trade commercials and feature character actor Joey Slotnick, who has been on Boston Public, Boston Legal and Family Guy. Check out Oden’s spot here and behind the scenes filming from James’ ad, where we see him sing to Cyndi Lauper’s "Time After Time." The league is launching nba.com/tour with extra features such as James’ favorite songs, which will be available on iTunes.

Meanwhile, if you have extra holiday cash or didn’t get enough gifts, the league is offering fans a chance to bid on the jerseys players wear during the Christmas Day games. There will be a total of 120 jerseys, each featuring a Christmas Day patch – with snowflake and NBA logo – and a tag to mark the event. Interested fans can bid at NBA.com at the tipoff of each game. These are the matchups:

New Orleans v. Orlando (noon, ESPN)
San Antonio v. Phoenix (2:30 p.m., ABC)
Boston v. Los Angeles (5 p.m., ABC)
Washington v. Cleveland (8 p.m., TNT)
Dallas v. Portland (10:30 p.m., TNT)

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The Panthers wouldn’t say how many tickets were sold at discounts of 30 percent to 50 percent during their one-day sale from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday, other than it was one of the team’s most successful selling days in the past few years.

Around pro sports, Black Friday was a good day.

The NFL recorded an 85 percent increase in sales at NFLShop.com on Black Friday compared to 2007, making the day the league’s third highest grossing sales day. The biggest day was yesterday (Thanksgiving Sunday), followed by Thanksgiving Sunday in 2007.

The best sellers since Thanksgiving? Brett Favre’s replica men’s green jersey and youth green jersey, followed by Giants-custom hooded sweatshirts and Eli Manning’s replica men’s blue jersey.

Meanwhile, the NBA said its online store recorded its best Black Friday sales ever, more than doubling last year’s figures. Sales at NBAStore.com were up 95 percent for the full weekend. Together, sales at the online store and at the NBA Store in Manhattan rose a combined 38 percent from last year.

Chris Paul’s jersey was the top seller over the weekend, followed by NBA team logoed T-shirts.

And the league kicked off a 12 days of deals promotion at NBAStore.com today. A new discount will be announced each day.

MLB.com, which sold select jerseys at 40 percent off, said sales were up 25 percent compared with 2007.

The NHL said sales at Shop.NHL.com were up 67 percent on Black Friday compared to 2007 and that sales were up 25 percent from a year ago on Cyber Monday. For the full weekend sales rose more than 10 percent from 2007 at the NHL Store in Manhattan.

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Could it be a better time to outfit Texas Tech?

With the football team’s resounding 56-20 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday, it is now vying for the No. 1 spot in the BCS polls with Alabama. Texas Tech is now first in the computer rankings and second in both the Harris and USA Today Coaches polls.

Already in the midst of a five-year agreement – that began in 2006 -- with the football team, Under Armour is to announce Monday in Lubbock that it will outfit all 17 of Texas Tech’s teams. The new five-year $11 million agreement includes uniforms, other apparel and shoes. The partnership with men’s basketall begins this season with the other relationships launching in July 2009.

The Baltimore-based company already has partnerships with the University of Maryland, Auburn, University of South Florida, University of South Carolina, University of Hawaii and the University of Utah.

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The Heat plays exhibition games against the New Jersey Nets in Paris on Thursday and again in London on Sunday, but guard Dwyane Wade’s jersey is no longer No. 1 in Europe. Wade had the top-selling jersey in Europe during the 2006-07 season, but fell to No. 8 last year.

Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant’s jersey topped the list in Europe for the 2007-08 season, according to the NBA. This year five European players are in the top 10, including Pau Gasol (Spain) of the Lakers; Tony Parker (France) of the San Antonio Spurs; and Andrea Bargnani (Italy) of the Toronto Raptors. Newcomers on the list are Marco Belinelli (Italy) of the Golden State Warriors and Jose Calderon (Spain) of the Raptors.

International players account for about 20 percent of NBA rosters. International sales make up more than a quarter of the league’s global merchandise business. And international visitors represent about 40 percent of the customers at the NBA Store in Manhattan.

The top 10 best-selling jerseys in Europe last season were:

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
3. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
6. Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
7. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
8. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
9. Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors
10. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors

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When the Orlando Magic unveiled its new jerseys this afternoon it had some big help. Really, really big help: A 15-foot tall inflatable jersey that measures 22 feet from cuff to cuff.

The giant jerseys, billed as the “world’s largest jersey,” are the work of Action Sports America, a company that started 14 years ago and has made the giant jerseys for the past decade. They’re used to promote new teams, new uniforms, big events, college football games, says company founder Doug Verb.

They’re hand-sewn, hand-painted and cost $6,500 to $7,500. They’ve even been made to fit over statues, like the Flyers jersey that covered the statue of William Penn atop Philadelphia City Hall. Verb says he’s up to 237 different jerseys.

South Florida sports fans have probably seen the company’s handiwork at the Panthers or when the Heat won the NBA Championship in 2006. Or perhaps at Zo’s Summer Groove.

This afternoon, a giant Magic jersey stood outside the Cheyenne Saloon, where the new 20th anniversary uniforms were unveiled inside.

Action Sports America is also responsible for the hot dog launcher and inflatable Big Balls that mascots can get inside for promotional events and, of course, human bowling.

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Olympic gold medalist and Heat guard Dwyane Wade has renewed his endorsement deal with McDavid Inc., Illinois-based maker of HexPad protective apparel Wade routinely wears.

After a three-year deal signed in 2005 expired, Wade has signed on to promote the company for another two years, the firm announced this week. Financial terms were not disclosed.

You’ve regularly seen him wear the company’s Hex Power Shooter Arm Sleeve, among other items.

”Dwyane is the perfect example of how McDavid can help athletes stay in the game,” McDavid Vice President Terry Fee said in a statement. “He was among the first in the NBA to make HexPad an everyday piece of equipment. After rehabbing from a string of injuries Dwyane felt secure enough wearing HexPad to not only get back on the court but perform at the highest level.”

The company partners with a number of other athletes including Arizona Cardinals and former Hurricanes running back Edgerrin James and Golden State Warriors forward Corey Maggette, as well as international soccer, basketball and volleyball players.

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Michael Phelps’ dominance in the swimming pool and five gold medals on his quest for eight in Beijing have boosted exposure for his sponsors to the tune of $9 million.

That’s what Joyce Julius & Associates, a Michigan firm that measures sponsor value, figures adidas, Nike, Speedo and Visa have picked up in primetime broadcast exposure on NBC.

Logos for those companies on Phelps’ apparel have garnered six minutes of on-screen time during NBC’s broadcasts. Joyce Julius measures on-screen exposure by the cost of advertising during the broadcasts.

The Nike logo on the warm-up jacket Phelps has worn during the medal ceremonies has a gotten three minutes and 33 seconds of airtime, which Joyce Julius believes is worth $5.3 million. Another $3.6 million in media exposure comes from Speedo logos on his warm-up jacket, swim cap and bodysuit.

Meanwhile, Phelps has an impressive diet, too. Read about the 12,000 calories he consumes daily, according to this piece at Yahoo! Sports.

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Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant still has the top-selling NBA jersey in China based on sales at retail stores in China during the 2007-08 season, according to the NBA. Bryant’s jersey was the top seller in 2006-07, too.

Meanwhile, Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s jersey has dropped from 4th most popular in 2006-07 to 8th this past season. Kevin Garnett, of the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, has the most popular jersey in the U.S. and second most popular in China.

Of the 10 top-selling jerseys in China, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets have fallen off the list between 2006-07 and 2007-08, replaced by Paul Pierce of the Celtics and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

The league opened its first two NBA stores outside the U.S. in Beijing in July. Sales at the stores have exceeded projections by almost 70 percent already and 1,000 people were lined up outside for the grand opening of one of the stores.

Here’s the list of top 10 best-selling NBA jerseys in China compared with 2006-07:

2007-08 Top Selling Jerseys in China
1) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2) Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
3) Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
4) Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
5) Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
6) Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
7) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
8) Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
9) Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
10) Yao Ming, Houston Rockets

2006-07 Top Selling Jerseys in China
1) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2) Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
3) Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
4) Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
5) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
6) Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
7) Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
8) Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
9) Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
10) Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards

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Brett Favre’s jersey is so popular it occupies the top two spots in the list of the NFL’s top-selling jerseys at NFLShop.com. That’s right: his brand new New York Jets jersey ranks No. 1 among jerseys sold between April 1 and today and his Green Bay Packers jersey ranks No. 2.

The NFL’s online store sold 6,500 Favre jerseys on Thursday – that’s a one-day record for a single player’s jersey. Between Thursday and Sunday, the total number of Favre Jets jerseys sold reached 12,000 – another record for a four-day period, according to the NFL. Check out the variety of Favre items for sale.

Meanwhile, Madden NFL 09 will be released Tuesday with Favre in his Packers jersey on the cover. The photo was planned even as Favre was “in retirement” as a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the popular Madden game.

“We wanted to pick someone to show what Madden was about,” said Katherine Coulthart, EA Sports senior publicist. “For us, it was a no brainer."

But since it’s a unique situation, EA is also providing a unique opportunity for Madden NFL 09 buyers to print out a free cover of Favre in his Jets uniform that can be inserted into the game’s case. No predictions on how many of the new games will be sold, but the Madden game has sold 70 million copies in its 20 years.

Donruss also announced last week that it is rushing a Favre trading card – in which he’s holding his No. 4 Jets jersey -- into its Playoff Absolute Memorabilia packages scheduled to be in retail stores the first week of September.

And the Dolphins, who host the New York Jets at Dolphin Stadium on Sept. 7, are expecting a sellout. It’s the home opener and the Jets, but the prospect of seeing Favre - and former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington face his old team - might have helped drive individual ticket sales up about 20 percent from last year, when they went on sale Saturday.

Interested in the top 25 selling jerseys at NFLShop.com between April 1 and today? Here’s the list:

1 Brett Favre, New York Jets
2 Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers
3 Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
4 Tom Brady, New England Patriots
5 Eli Manning, New York Giants
6 Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
7 Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
8 LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. Chargers
9 Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys
10 Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
11 Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
12 Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
13 Devin Hester, Chicago Bears
14 Randy Moss, New England Patriots
15 Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
16 Michael Strahan, New York Giants
17 Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
18 Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys
19 Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants
20 Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
21 DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
22 Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
23 Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
24 Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos
25 JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders

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Limited edition items from the much-hyped historic matchup of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals that begin Thursday night are being made available for sale to fans.

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and adidas have teamed up to produce a limited edition version of Garnett’s 2008-09 adidas Team Signature Commander Shoe. The KG Commander is to launch in October, but the special edition shoes are being made specifically for the Finals.

Only eight pairs per Finals game will be made available for $1,017 each (in honor of the Celtics going for their 17th championship) at celtics.com; the TD Banknorth Garden Pro Shop and at the NBA Store in Manhattan. The shoes feature the Larry O’Brien Trophy on one side and numbers indicating that particular night’s Finals game on the other.

Meanwhile, the NBA will be auctioning the players’ game-worn jerseys from Finals Games 1 and 3 – giving fans a chance to bid on a home and road jersey for each player. The Game 1 auction will be at NBA.com from June 5-24 and the Game 3 auction from June 10-26. The jerseys will be specially authenticated with coding, tags and security numbers.

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Want to show pride for your favorite baseball team around the office? Major League Baseball has formed a partnership with vineyard vines for a line of men’s and women’s accessories, including ties, belts and sashes; swimwear; and sleepwear.

The partnership is the first with a pro sports league for vineyard vines, the preppy accessories and apparel company founded on Martha’s Vineyard a decade ago. The items, which will be produced with the logos of all 30 teams, are available at MLB Clubhouse shops, and MLB.com and will be sold at other shops in the coming weeks. Vineyard vines also sells items online at vineyardvines.com and at eight free standing shops, including one at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo.

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